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Never mind those who'd do well anywhere
In Raehoke, N.C., 48 seniors are in a fast-track program that earns
a high school diploma and up to two years of college credit in five
years -- completely free, reports The New York Times. Most programs
like these serve affluent, overachieving students as a way to keep
them challenged and to give a head start on college work, but the
SandHoke Early College High School enrolls kids whose parents lack
college degrees. SandHoke is one of 71 "early-college schools" in
the state -- where high school students attend college courses --
specifically designed to eliminate the divide between high school
and college for at-risk kids. "Last year, half our early-college
high schools had zero dropouts, and that's just unprecedented for
North Carolina, where only 62 percent of our high school students
graduate after four years," said Tony Habit, president of the North
Carolina New Schools Project, the nonprofit that spearheaded this
reform. Significantly, North Carolina's early-college high school
students are performing slightly better than their college
classmates. This model is now spreading in California, New York,
Texas, and elsewhere, and is seen as a promising approach to
reducing the high school dropout rate and increasing the number of
degree holders.
Ramifications for all: reformers, policymakers, educators, and
students
In The Harvard Business Review, the headlining breakthrough idea
(out of ten) for 2010 is that what motivates "knowledge workers" the
most is not recognition, incentives, interpersonal support, or clear
goals. It's a sense of progress. "On days when workers have the
sense they're making headway in their jobs, or when they receive
support that helps them overcome obstacles," the authors write,
"their emotions are most positive and their drive to succeed is at
its peak." On the other hand, days when they spin their wheels or
encounter roadblocks to meaningful accomplishment, their moods and
motivation are lowest. The article is based on a multiyear study
that tracked day-to-day activities, emotions, and motivation levels
of hundreds of knowledge workers in a wide range of settings. So
what advice does The Business Review offer to those in charge?
"Scrupulously avoid impeding progress by changing goals
autocratically, being indecisive, or holding up resources. Negative
events generally have a greater effect on people's emotions,
perceptions, and motivation than positive ones, and nothing is more
demotivating than a setback -- the most prominent type of event on
knowledge workers' worst days."
Perceptions are real
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the state of California has
developed new workbooks to help educators make changes in school
climate that can help close the gap between higher- and
lower-performing students. The books includes data from
state-sponsored school climate surveys conducted last year. "There
are many factors that go into effective teaching and learning," said
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack
O'Connell, announcing the initiative. "If students feel disconnected
from their teachers or unwelcome at school, these factors can
interfere with learning and contribute to the achievement gap." The
workbooks include results of voluntary surveys given to school
employees and students in grades five, seven, nine, and 11. The data
show a disparity in how students and school employees perceive
everything from expectations and academic rigor to campus safety and
discipline problems. "When there is an achievement gap, there is
often a safety gap and a student-engagement gap," said Greg Austin
of the nonprofit WestEd, which helped the state Department of
Education develop the workbooks. "We are dealing with perceptions.
But perceptions are real."
Read the intiative announcement:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr10/yr10rel16.asp
Ask, don't tell
A third report based on data from the Retaining Teacher Talent study
by Learning Point Associates and Public Agenda looks at what
educators think about current ideas on identifying, recruiting,
retaining, compensating, and supporting effective teachers. The
report suggests that what teachers identify as good indicators of
effectiveness are not always aligned with what policymakers or
researchers think. The success of such reforms rests in large part
on the support of those most directly affected -- teachers. The data
indicate that issues such as the Race to the Top competition,
increased funding for the Teacher Incentive Fund program, and the
next reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
are not the policy options that seem most popular to teachers, who
favor class size reduction and addressing student discipline. This
disconnect suggests that teachers do not have a strong influence on
these various agendas, which may be problematic when it comes to
their implementation. The incentives that bring change in teacher
behavior will ultimately determine success of these policies. Taking
teachers' advice on what will improve their effectiveness, or
working hard to communicate with teachers about how policies will
improve student learning, or both, will likely give these reforms
the better chance of success.
Whither Abbott?
A report from the Campaign for Education Equity at Teachers College
of Columbia University examines impacts of court-mandated school
finance reform in New Jersey over 30 years and describes the state's
new school funding formula, the School Finance Reform Act (SFRA) of
2008, and its implications for so-called Abbott districts, as well
as for other low- and middle-income districts in the state. Years of
school finance litigation have established a comprehensive
definition of an adequate education in New Jersey, and adequacy
measures for poor urban school districts were benchmarked to
education spending and programs in the state's wealthiest
communities and to programs designed to meet the special needs of
urban students. The SFRA replaced Abbott remedies with a single
formula applicable to all districts. As intended, low- and
middle-wealth non-Abbott districts benefit most from the new
formula, but New Jersey now suffers a recession-driven and
structural deficit, which will further hurt historically underfunded
districts. The report finds that funding disparities between Abbott
and wealthy suburban districts have reappeared, and concludes, "It
is unlikely that the state will meet its obligation to fund SFRA
fully without major dislocations to other parts of the state budget.
And the pain will be spread across both low- and middle-income
school districts, Abbott and non-Abbott alike."
See the report:
http://www.mdrc.org/announcement_hp_225.html
AP no 'silver bullet'
At a time when the number of students taking Advanced Placement (AP)
courses has reached a record high, the percentage that fail the
exams, particularly in the South, has also jumped, according to USA
TODAY. These findings raise questions about whether schools are
pushing millions of students into AP courses without adequate
preparation, and whether schools are training teachers to deliver
the high-level material. "The standards don't teach themselves,"
says Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University. Advanced
Placement is not a "silver bullet" that will boost academic success.
"You have to build the whole system," she says. "You can't just
bring in one thing and think that it's going to solve everything."
Last year, students took 2.9 million exams through the AP program. A
score of 3 or higher on the point scale of 1 to 5 can earn students
early college credits, depending on a college's criteria. USA
TODAY's analysis found that more than 41.5 percent of students
earned a failing score of 1 or 2, up from 36.5% in 1999. In the
South, a census-defined region that spans Texas to Delaware, nearly
half of all tests -- 48.4 percent -- earned a 1 or 2, up 7
percentage points from a decade earlier and a significant difference
from the rest of the country.
Related:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/02/10/22ap.h29.html?tkn=TXBFrvmti5XctKRWW%2F4GDDkZFa3vddWD2PBl&cmp=clp-ecseclips
The
other gap
According to a new report from the Center on Evaluation & Education
Policy, a convincing body of evidence suggests an "excellence gap"
-- an achievement gap at the higher levels of academic performance
that has been overlooked due to an emphasis on gaps among
demographic groups at minimum competency levels. The economically
disadvantaged, English Language Learners, and historically
underprivileged minorities represent a smaller proportion of
students scoring at the highest levels of achievement, and there is
a persistent gender gap as well, with females performing better in
reading and males performing better in math. Data show little
progress in substantially reducing excellence gaps since the passage
of NCLB, particularly in reading, although there is also little
existing evidence to support claims that NCLB-mandated
accountability systems are increasing excellence gaps. The report
recommends that the closing of this other gap be made a national
priority. Any policy discussions should include questions about how
it will affect the brightest students, especially those from
lower-income families, and how it will help other students begin to
achieve at higher levels. "This attention need not come at the cost
of addressing minimum competency," the authors write. "Yet
continuing to pretend that a nearly complete disregard of high
achievement is permissible, especially among underperforming
subgroups, is a formula for a mediocre K-12 education system and
long-term economic decline."
Expanded choice illusory in Philly
A new study from Research for Action finds that despite dramatically
expanded high school choices for Philadelphia students in recent
years, most district pupils still end up in the city's large and
failing neighborhood high schools, according to The Philadelphia
Inquirer. Scant information for students and a lack of seats in
magnet and citywide lottery schools renders choice "an illusion" for
most, says lead author Eva Gold, and disadvantaged students
unfamiliar with the system are shortchanged. The selection process
"stacks the deck" against neighborhood high schools. Because it
takes so long for the district to finalize acceptances, high school
teachers and administrators often don't know who will attend in
September, leaving them unable to fully prepare for their students.
Magnet schools are the most selective, with students required to
meet academic and behavioral criteria, and citywide admission is
somewhat selective, with students required to meet some criteria but
with spots filled by lottery. Rejected applicants to either type
must attend neighborhood schools, which are the largest of the
district's 62 high schools. The report urges a revamp of the
selection process in ways that strengthen neighborhood high schools,
which must take all comers.
See the report:
http://www.researchforaction.org/index.html
College- and career-ready, but for which college or career?
Under a proposal from the Obama administration, No Child Left
Behind's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) would be replaced with a
different metric, but how exactly would this work? AYP is the
accountability vehicle at the heart of NCLB, but has been criticized
as too rigid, prompting states and districts to retool their
assessments, instructional plans, and even schedules in order to
meet its targets. It has also been blamed for a watering down of
standards, so that fewer schools get sanctioned under NCLB rules.
The new metric would measure student progress toward readiness for
college or a career, but these terms are yet to be more specifically
defined. While some observers, such as Kati Haycock of the Education
Trust, praise the general direction of proposed changes as a move
toward a more nuanced set of decisions that don't make it just
pass/fail, others find them overly vague. I don't know how you
collect the data that's meaningful to say that a school is achieving
[the equivalent of] AYP, especially when it comes to a
career-readiness standard, said Mark Bielang, a Michigan
superintendent. Different skills apply to different careers. It
seems a lot more like a portfolio-based [assessment] system would be
appropriate.
BRIEFLY NOTED
Denver looks to end 'dumping'
Superintendent seeks to end "forced placement" of teachers in the
district's lowest-performing and highest-poverty schools.
http://www.indenvertimes.com/dps-tackling-forced-placement-of-teachers/
RttT reviewers still cloaked in secrecy
The Department of Education has now revealed the judges include four lawyers, 15 former principals, 15 former district or state superintendents and 30 former K-12 teachers (with some overlap among the categories).
A higher bar in L.A.?
Los Angeles school district officials are planning to fire
approximately three times the number of probationary teachers
dismissed annually in recent years.
Perhaps taking entrepreneurship in education too far
In his State of the State address, Nevada's Gov. Jim Gibbons
proposed Education Gift Certificates, essentially donations that
would keep the education budget solvent.
San Francisco dismantles desegregation measures
For the first time in decades, the city's schoolchildren may be
automatically enrolled in their neighborhood public schools.
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"American
Civic Education Teacher Awards"
The American Civic Education Teacher Awards recognize educators
annually for exemplary work in preparing young people to be informed
and engaged citizens. Maximum award: trip to Washington, D.C. to
take part in an educational program that includes attending floor
sessions and committee hearings in the U.S. Congress, meeting
members of Congress and other key officials, and visiting historical
sites such as the National Archives and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Eligibility: elementary and secondary teachers of civics,
government, and related subjects who have demonstrated special
expertise in motivating students to learn about the Constitution,
Congress, and public policy. Deadline: February 16, 2010.
"Guardian
Life Insurance: Girls Going Places Awards"
The Girls Going Places Entrepreneurship Program rewards the
enterprising spirits of girls who demonstrate budding
entrepreneurship, are taking the first steps toward financial
independence, and make a difference in their schools and
communities. Maximum award: three prizes totaling up to $30,000.
Eligibility: girls between the ages of 12 and 18 as of December 31,
2009, who are enrolled in middle school or high school and are a
U.S. legal resident. Deadline: February 26, 2010.
"Civic
Ventures: Purpose Prize"
The Civic Ventures Purpose Prize recognizes Americans over 60 whose
creativity, talent, and experience is transforming the way our
nation addresses critical social problems. Maximum award: $100,000.
Eligibility: Americans 60 years old by March 1, 2008 and currently
working in a leadership capacity in an organization or institution
(public, private, nonprofit, or for-profit) to address a major
social problem. Deadline: March 5, 2010.
"American
Historical Association: Awards for Teaching of History"
The American Historical Association Beveridge Family Teaching Prize
recognizes excellence and innovation in elementary, middle school,
and secondary history teaching, including career contributions and
specific initiatives. Maximum award: $1,500. Eligibility: K-12
teachers in groups. Deadline: March 15, 2010.
"Kohl's
Corporation: Kohl's Kids Who Care Scholarships"
The Kohl's Kids Who Care Program recognizes and rewards young
volunteers who transform their communities for the better. Maximum
award: $10,000 scholarship toward post-secondary education. Eligibility:
youth 6 to 18 years old, not graduated from high school by March 15,
2010. Deadline: March 15, 2010.
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