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ONE IN 10 AMERICAN SCHOOLS ARE
‘DROPOUT FACTORIES’
The collective sigh heard at 6:39 a.m. (EDT) on October 30, 2007 was
the result of a new Associated Press article hitting the wire on the
analysis of U.S. Department of Education data compiled by Johns
Hopkins University. Nancy Zuckerbrod writes that more than one in 10
high schools across America are "dropout factories," i.e., a high
school where no more than 60 percent of students who start as
freshman make it to their senior year. While the number of schools
failing to graduate students hasn't increased over the past decade,
there also has been no decrease in such schools, which is not a
status quo to be maintained. Dropout factories affect the student
population disproportionately, as the highest concentrations of
failing schools are in large cities or high-poverty rural areas in
the South and Southwest, and most of these schools have high
minority enrollment. But one school, the Baltimore Talent
Development High School, has gotten it right. The school sits in the
middle of a high-crime, impoverished neighborhood, but 90 percent of
its students are on track to graduate on time. The majority of
Talent Development High School students enter the 9th grade reading
at a 5th or 6th grade level. The fact that children enter high
school with such poor literacy skills signals that the problem of
dropouts is not simply a high school failing, and raises questions
about what high schools can be expected to do. It does seem that
educators at Baltimore Talent Development High School have a
positive approach, as one student said, educators "concentrate on
what’s best for us together...it’s very family-oriented. We feel
really close to them."
THE WAR ON POVERTY IS NOT OVER: IN
ONE IN FIVE STATES, MORE THAN HALF OF STUDENTS LIVE IN POVERTY
For the first time in more than 40 years, the majority of children
in public schools in the South are poor, according to results from a
Southern Education Foundation report. Typically, low-income students
begin school at a disadvantage for being the least prepared. The
increase in population has amplified the need to find the best ways
to educate underprivileged kids, reports Halimah Abdullah in the
Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer. School districts like the one in
Memphis, Tenn., where 80 percent of students come from low-income
homes, have adopted models that specifically address children living
in poverty, and the Miami-Dade district has strengthened efforts to
improve all students’ math and reading scores and curb dropout
rates. Still, it cannot all be laid at education systems’ feet. It
is up to a nation, which champions equality for all, to ensure that
no child is forced to be at the back of the pack because of their
parents’ economic status. Unfortunately, this issue might not be
isolated to Southern states, as public schools in the West may face
similar problems in the coming years.
EXIT EXAMS, INCREASINGLY QUESTIONED,
REVEAL EDUCATIONAL INEQUITIES
As states grapple with the "simple" requirement of asking graduating
seniors to pass exit exams in core subjects, the tests are proving
increasingly controversial, reports Greg Toppo in USA Today. A basic
question has resulted as to whether a student should receive a
diploma if, in 13 years, that student has not learned basic math,
English, history and science. Some students and families have sued
to obtain diplomas. They may have been better off suing the
education system for leaving children without basic core subject
knowledge. At the very least, exit exams have created a culture of
higher expectations. In 2005, a record number of high school
graduates took at least four years of English and three each of
math, science and social studies. Furthermore, according to a
federal transcript study, 51 percent of students were doing college
preparatory work, up from 31 percent in 1990. The tests also have
given ammunition to advocates for low-income and minority students,
as the scores are being used to force district-wide improvements.
According to Jack Jennings of the Center on Education Policy, when
exit exams work, "it becomes startlingly clear that there’s unequal
education." Maybe instead of questioning the legality of the tests,
which typically include below grade-level content, educators,
policymakers and communities should focus on ensuring that all
students learn at grade-level and if not work to bring them up to
it.
TRY "RISK ADJUSTING" ACCOUNTABILITY
SYSTEMS TO DISCERN WHY SCHOOLS FAIL
There is a profound difference or measurement gap between education
and medicine, as medicine makes use of what is known as "risk
adjustment" to evaluate performance, writes Jennifer Booher-Jennings
in Education Week. This adjustment essentially mirrors the use of
test scores to evaluate schools, but instead of reporting a
hospital’s raw mortality rate (i.e., students not scoring
proficient), states risk adjust these numbers to include the
severity of a patient’s case. This means that the government does
not hold hospitals accountable for patient characteristics that they
cannot control. However, if an educator makes that same point, they
are harangued for their "soft bigotry of low expectations." This is
somewhat antithetical as this thought leads one to propose that even
when students fail, it does not necessarily mean the school is
failing. When using risk adjustment accountability systems, if a
failing school is performing as expected (given the unique risks of
their student body) there is still public interest in remedying the
situation and making sure students achieve. Implementing risk
adjustment makes accountability a process that arrives at where and
why education systems fail by first questioning the responsibility
of schools. If the school is deemed to be failing students, then
there is adequate evidence to hold educators responsible. However,
when a low-performing school is not an outlier, it makes no sense to
reprimand educators and simply hope for the best. Instead, this
could prove that more funding was needed for implementing the best
intervention strategies. Consequently, risk adjustment doesn't let
educators off the hook, but places the blame where it belongs,
sometimes with schools and teachers, but sometimes also with local,
state and federal governments for failing to correctly invest in
education. By identifying exactly what is going wrong with student
achievement, it makes it possible to discern what investments are
necessary to ensure disadvantaged kids have an equal shot.
QUALITY OF HOME LIFE KEY IN CLOSING
OR OPENING ACHIEVEMENT GAPS
The gaps in critical home conditions and experiences of young
children mirror the achievement gaps that begin early in life and
persist through high school, according to results from a new study
conducted by the Education Testing Service. The study’s researchers
examined the factors that influence early childhood learning and
found that 33 percent of children live in families in which no
parent has a full-time, year-round job. Additionally, by age four,
children of professional families hear 35 million more words than
children of parents on welfare. According to Paul Barton, who
co-authored the report, "single-parent families, parents reading to
children, hours spent watching television and school absences, when
combined, account for about two-thirds of the large differences
among states in National Assessment of Educational Progress reading
scores." The study suggests that in order to improve schools and
student achievement, reform efforts must go beyond the public policy
arena and focus on creating home and community environments that aid
in educational development.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE KIDS
START SCHOOL
The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) is the
first nationally representative study that assesses early mental and
physical development, the quality of early care and education
settings and the contributions of parents to the lives of children
in the years leading up to school. The report, which provides
information on children when they were about four, finds that
children with two-parent families scored higher than children with
single-parent families on the overall literacy scale score, a
pattern repeated in the results of letter recognition and
phonological awareness. In addition, while 65 percent of children
demonstrated proficiency in numbers and shapes, only 40 percent of
children with lower socioeconomic status (SES) demonstrated
proficiency, whereas 87 percent of children in higher SES families
were able to do so. The study is intended to encourage analysis of
the data by sophisticated methods, as people are cautioned not to
draw causal inferences based on the results presented.
ARTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO LEAVING NO
CHILD BEHIND
While No Child Left Behind (NCLB) evidently includes the arts among
its core academic subjects, the focus on raising math and reading
test scores has led to a marked decrease in arts education across
the country. As more instruction time is spent on the big two, focus
groups with parents, teachers, principals and superintendents reveal
that arts education is valued because it uniquely addresses the
whole child and provides a well rounded education. NCLB was intended
"to increase the accountability of school districts to ensure the
progress of every child," yet children from high-minority and
high-poverty schools lack access to a comprehensive education. With
the re-authorization of NCLB potentially on the way, arts education
advocates all over the country are looking for ways to keep arts in
schools by attending and advocating at school board meetings,
writing letters to the editor and other actions. By providing
research and resources, the Ford Foundation’s Keep Arts in Schools
website is undeniably doing its part.
AS MORE SCHOOLS FAIL, MORE STUDENTS
SPURN SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES
Supplemental educational services (SES), as part of the No Child
Left Behind Act, were supposed to boost student achievement by
expanding the opportunities available to underserved populations and
provide incentives for failing schools to improve instruction. The
crux of supplemental services is the notion that the private sector
can provide superior programs than those offered in public schools,
making SES similar to vouchers or charter schools in that school
reform is tied to free market competition and consequently more
stringent accountability. However, the services have largely been
ignored and underutilized. Recent research from the Civil Rights
Project at the University of California at Los Angeles suggests that
the demand for supplemental services has either declined or leveled
off during the last five years. At the same time, federal funding
has increased and more students have become eligible for the
services. It is remarkably unusual that the increase of failing
schools has not prompted an increased demand for SES. One potential
reason for the lack of interest is that there has been little
demonstrable evidence that SES positively affects student
achievement. In fact, there is much belief that the program, as it
is currently constructed, does not result in performance gains.
VOUCHER PROGRAM PUTS D.C. KIDS AT
RISK
A voucher program designed to send low-income children in the
District of Columbia to better-performing private schools has
allowed some students to take classes in unsuitable learning
environments, reports Theo Labbe in the Washington Post. The
controversial voucher program was passed by Congress in 2004 and
gives low-income families the option of using $7,500 toward private
school tuition (the average applicant is a single parent of four
making $17,000 a year). The shortcomings of the $12.9 million D.C.
Opportunity Scholarship program are detailed in a draft prepared by
the Government Accountability Office (GAO). In a random sample of 18
of the 58 participating private schools, two lacked occupancy
permits, four lacked permits needed for buildings that serve
educational purposes and at least seven were certified as child
development centers but not as private schools. In addition, some
schools said they had certain amenities such as gymnasiums or
auditoriums, which the report says they did not. In one case, a
school was operating in space designed for a retail store. This was
possible because schools were largely allowed to self-report that
they were in compliance with city regulations. The Washington
Scholarship Fund, which operates the program, told the GAO that
investigators conducted site visits at 42 schools, but the GAO could
confirm only one visit. The report also notes that the fund had high
turnover and weak internal controls for handling the grant money,
issues the fund attributed to a rapid three-year expansion because
of high demand. Still, a report issued last May by the Georgetown
University Public Policy Institute showed that of 100 parents and
students surveyed, most were satisfied with the program and about 90
percent would remain at least another year.
SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP, SO STUDENTS DON'T
DROPOUT
Shop Your Girlfriend’s Closet is a two-day fundraiser that benefits
Voices for Education, a nonprofit that works to reduce class size in
Arizona elementary schools and educate parents on school reform. The
event offers a wide array of clothing, ranging from jeans to
designer gowns, along with every accoutrement possible (purses,
shoes, jewelry and scarves), reports Rachel Gross in the Tucson
(Ariz.) Citizen. In addition to the hundreds of items individually
donated, contributions come from over 40 business and boutiques. The
old adage is proved: people love to bargain shop, especially when
doing so donates money to a good cause. In fact, the event has grown
steadily over the past three years as $5,000 was raised the first
year, compared to $16,000 two years later.
EDUCATION: IT CAN DO A MIND AND A
BODY GOOD
Results from a new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University
show that, in eight years time, 75 percent of American adults will
be either overweight or obese. As scary as that proposition is, it
is worse for children, who, just accounting for age, should be
pictures of health and well-being, writes Scott Laffee in California
Schools Magazine. A report released last year by the Cities,
Counties and Schools Partnership notes that nearly 30 percent of
children and teens were overweight or obese, which is twice as many
as a decade ago. Being overweight at a young age poses a myriad of
health concerns, and overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance
of becoming overweight or obese adults. What’s worse is that, for
educators, the health of children is intrinsically tied to their
academic success. There is one straightforward remedy gaining
momentum in California, and that is an official acknowledgement of
physical education programs by including grades received in these
classes in grade point averages. Tying grades to physical education
would force parents and students to focus on and understand healthy
lifestyles. This would serve to change the misconception of physical
education from a course purely concerned with sports or games to a
more valid one concerning teaching children the value and joy of an
active and healthy lifestyle. Schools need to realize it is vital to
spend at least a little time on the structure responsible for moving
the brain from stimuli to stimuli.
GENERATION Y TEACHERS QUESTION THE
MORIBUND EDUCATION CLIMATE
Generation Y teachers are clamoring for creative freedom, the power
to make a difference, professional opportunities to grow, rewards
for a job well done and an end to one-size-fits-all instruction,
according to a survey of 865 first year teachers. Teaching is a
labor of love, and that will not change for the next generation of
educators as 79 percent of them would choose more supportive
administrators over significant salary increases. The survey also
finds that of the 16 percent of teachers who plan to leave the
profession within the next five years, 54 percent came from schools
of education and currently serve high-needs schools. When looking at
alternatively trained teachers, 79 percent in high-needs schools
said that the lack of administrative support is a drawback. Of this
group, only 16 percent see teaching as a lifelong career, but
another 48 percent anticipate staying in the education field in some
capacity. To improve teacher quality, 90 percent of Generation Y
teachers say there needs to be more professional learning
opportunities and particularly better preparation to meet the needs
of a diverse classroom. As teacher candidate pools dwindle, it
becomes increasingly important to take the advice of those drawn to
the profession.
‘EDUCATIONAL TRIAGE’-- NOT A
BY-PRODUCT OF ‘NO CHILD’
Contrary to popular belief, schools are not devoting more time and
resources to students that barely fail to meet federal standards in
response to No Child Left Behind, a new study from Vanderbilt
University has found. In the first statewide analysis of the issue
conducted to date, Matthew G. Springer, a research professor at
Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, found that schools
successfully raised the performance of students who were otherwise
at risk of failing without sacrificing the performance of lower- and
higher-performing students. Additionally, his research notes that
lower-performing students made the largest gains in schools that did
not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Conversely, in schools that
did make AYP, higher-performing students lost ground from year to
year. The study somewhat surprisingly suggests that whether a school
is labeled as failing or not has no affect on proficient students,
as proficient students who attend failing schools experience larger
test score gains than their peers in schools making AYP. Springer
believes the inconsistent achievement patterns would look much
different if schools employed educational triage, wherein "students
near the proficiency threshold would attain the largest gains, while
students dispersed away from this threshold...would suffer
diminished performance."
A RISE IN NOOSES, OR A RISE IN
REPORTING?
Nooses have received increased media attention since the Jena Six
case in Louisiana, reports Mike Pesca for National Public Radio.
Since the case rose to national status, nooses and other hate
symbols have shown up around the country. The news media cannot
ignore racism, nor will that racism will just go away. On the other
hand, it appears the media might be making too much noise about the
resurgence of hate symbols. It is undeniable that media outlets
offer a megaphone to any insensitive bigot, meaning that isolated
acts of hatred can take on a far greater power when broadcasted
throughout the United States. Further, as news outlets have had a
tendency to put a larger perspective on the issue, and perhaps go a
bit overboard by reporting every incident as a referendum on race.
It is easy to forget that a large portion of American society is
becoming more open-minded and accepting, but at the same time, there
is increasing instances of backlash movements. It follows that in a
nation of more than 300 million, the increased use of hate symbols
may indicate a worsening of racial tensions or it might just be the
product of a few desperate bigots looking for attention.
BACK TO THE COUNTRY: AFTER YEARS OF
DECLINE, RURAL ENROLLMENT UP
A biennial report issued by the Rural Schools and Community Trust
finds that enrollment in rural schools is up by 15 percent, a
dramatic reversal of the declines these communities have seen in
recent years. Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that the
increases have come from the minority community, as there has been a
55 percent increase in rural minority students. Some states have
experienced minority student enrollment increases of more than 100
percent. Unfortunately, the report also notes that rural graduation
rates are below 70 percent in 10 states, most of which are in the
Southeast. Further, some states with the highest overall graduation
rates also had the largest "graduation gaps" between white and
minority students, with only 50 to 60 percent of minority students
graduating.
TRICKING STUDENTS INTO ENJOYING
HALLOWEEN-THEMED LEARNING
Halloween themed hands-on learning in the form of the ninth annual
Capital City Pumpkin Drop subtly taught more than 800 West Virginia
students of all ages some basic engineering concepts. The contest,
sponsored by the Education Alliance, Bayer CropScience and West
Virginia University, required students to build creative containers
to protect pumpkins from a three-story fall. While ensuring the
pumpkin doesn't go splat, students must try to aim closest to a
target on the ground below. The real treat is tricking students into
having fun while learning key creative science and math skills. |
