Group items tagged

"Florida's standardized testing program is being misused and has 'severely impacted student learning,' according to a new white paper that says that school districts in the state are required to give as many as 62 tests a year to students."

"While the specifics are about Florida, the general conclusions about the negative impact of state standardized programs are relevant across the country - not only because other states have their own version but because some looked to Florida as a model as they developed their own school accountability systems."

About standardized Aptitude Tests and Interest Inventories. "A child who holds a preconceived idea they were born 'less-able' will never pursue mastery and may even avoid the perception of interest in a subject area or career field." "...interest inventories perpetuate stereotyped socialization patterns and a segregated workforce because they typically compare an individual's likes and dislikes to those of persons already in the workforce. Given the extreme sex and race segregation common in the workplace, this concern is significant." "...rather than expand vocational options, aptitude tests and inventories heighten the other systemic pressures that make a young woman's pursuit of nontraditional vocational training extremely unlikely." These three articles highlight the need for educators to be cognizant of bias in guiding students in the exploring classes, college majors, and career interests. Society informs and pressures young men and women to think of these things in terms of either being male or female-centric. These articles also show through studies that young women's performance on aptitude test is linked directly to societal perceptions of gender competence. With that it has implications on their interests or perceived non-interests.

"The model, now in practice or under consideration in states including Louisiana, Michigan, Arizona and Utah, allows students to build a custom curriculum by selecting from hundreds of classes offered by public institutions and private vendors. A teenager in Louisiana, for instance, might study algebra online with a private tutor, business in a local entrepreneur's living room, literature at a community college and test prep with the national firm Princeton Review - with taxpayers picking up the tab for it all."

With little to no oversight this would be a disaster. But, what if...

What if there were a regional "school" that oversaw these External Learning Opportunities and Diplomas with Certificates of Focus? A student would be assigned to a Mentor Teacher who would help to: Design a plan to graduation...and beyond, Give prior approval and determine assessments of learning experiences, Provide awareness and approve formal online opportunities such as VTVLC, VHS, Aventa Learning/K12, Provide awareness and approve formal online and traditional courses through Dual Enrollment at CVV and other local colleges, Connect students to local Internships, Apprenticeships, Connect students to programs such as TIPS, Medquest, etc., Guide students in inquiry-based Independent Studies, Guide students in developing and implementing Service-Learning projects, Bringing together like-minded students, community members, employers, educators together around specific college and career goals, and the list could go on. This could be a big draw for all students. This is could be a way to provide a highly individualized learning experience for students. With the right framework it could be amazing.

Australian lit. review of mostly US & UK research on effects of high-stakes testing...sections on: Reliability, Student Health & Well-being, Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum.

On how schools are focused on scores rather than noncognitive skills "Right now we've got an education system that really doesn't pay attention to [noncognitive] skills at all. ... I think schools just aren't set up right now to try to develop things like grit, and perseverance and curiosity. ... Especially in a world where we are more and more focused on standardized tests that measure a pretty narrow range of cognitive skills, teachers are less incentivized to think about how to develop those skills in kids. So it's a conversation that's really absent I think in a lot of schools, to the detriment of a lot of students."

"Ever since Finland, a nation of about 5.5 million that does not start formal education until age 7 and scorns homework and testing until well into the teenage years, scored at the top of a well-respected international test in 2001 in math, science and reading, it has been an object of fascination among American educators and policy makers."

"Critics say that Finland is an irrelevant laboratory for the United States. It has a tiny economy, a low poverty rate, a homogenous population - 5 percent are foreign-born -..." Perhaps irrelevant for the US as a whole, but what about for Vermont?

"Dr. Darling-Hammond said. 'Thirty years ago, Finland's education system was a mess. It was quite mediocre, very inequitable. It had a lot of features our system has: very top-down testing, extensive tracking, highly variable teachers, and they managed to reboot the whole system.' "

What if we applied the principles of Formative Assessments to the district level rather than just in classroom practices? "...like unemployment statistics. Scores on standardized tests ... usually arrive too late to help individual children or schools that are struggling." "Leading indicators - indicators that provide early signals of progress toward academic achievement - enable education leaders ... to make more strategic and less reactive decisions about services and supports to improve student learning."

"The field of education bubbles over with controversies. It's not unusual for intelligent people of good will to disagree passionately about what should happen in schools. But there are certain precepts that aren't debatable..."

Expanded conversation around the following: "1. Much of the material students are required to memorize is soon forgotten 2. Just knowing a lot of facts doesn't mean you're smart 3. Students are more likely to learn what they find interesting 4. Students are less interested in whatever they're forced to do and more enthusiastic when they have some say 5. Just because doing x raises standardized test scores doesn't mean x should be done 6. Students are more likely to succeed in a place where they feel known and cared about 7. We want children to develop in many ways, not just academically 8. Just because a lesson (or book, or class, or test) is harder doesn't mean it's better 9. Kids aren't just short adults 10. Substance matters more than labels"

This article is from the discussion led by Rowland Fellow Adam Rosenberg who visited Finland in 2010. The author, Pasi Sahlberg, emphasizes how Finnish teachers are respected as innovators and experts in their field--much like the philosophy of the Rowland Foundation! He contrasts this approach with the test-based accountability system so prevalent in the U.S. Here's another Finland article which discusses The Finland Phenomenon, a film featuring Tony Wagner's exploration of the Finnish school system. Wagner will be the keynote speaker at this year's Rowland Foundation Conference on School Transformation. http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/11602/the_finland_phenomenon/ Watch The Finland Phenomenon trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcC2l8zioIw For more on the Rowland Foundation Conference at the University of Vermont: http://www.therowlandfoundation.org/annual_conference.shtml

When it comes to NCLB and educational opportunity, Darling-Hammond & Ravitch are rock stars in the field. Here's a very approachable presentation of some of their Finland ideas. Good for a school board meeting? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP3tF2fF2B4&feature=related

I believe that the most Powerful...and Empowering...piece of this is in Teacher Preparation. I also believe that this is where the biggest obstacles and push-back would be found if we were to try to implement this across Vermont.

Long-term transformational change has four primary aspects: scale (the change affects all or most of the school), magnitude (the degree to which it challenges the status quo), duration (the change is incremental at first and then moves to exponential), and strategic importance (how ready the culture is for adapting to change). Yet schools will only see significant change when the change occurs first at the level of the individual educational leader- be that principal, superintendent, or teacher. Real change, transformational change happens when there is personal ownership of the new technologies and concepts. Today's new economy is all about human capital, which starts with the educators in a school and then extends outward to all members of the school community.

Principles for Managing Change 1. People before Things (or test scores) 2. Start at the Top 3. Everyone is a Player in the Change Game 4. Garner Buy-in 5. Can't Give Away What You Do Not Own 6. Communicate and Often 7. Know Your Culture and Predict Possible Impact 8. Expect the Unexpected 9. As the Individual Grows so Will the Collective Wisdom of the Community

"'The tests we rely on so heavily really don't measure creative thinking and they don't measure common sense thinking, wisdom, ethics, work ethic - they don't measure your character,' Sternberg said. In his view, students go to college to develop into active and engaged citizens. If colleges kept that ultimate goal in mind in their admissions process, it would send a message to high schools about the skills that universities value and want to see in prospective students."

"Science Leadership Academy (SLA), a public magnet high school in Philadelphia is a fairly young school, just eight years old. But in that short time, it's developed a reputation around the country as a shining example of the merits of inquiry-based learning approach. Colleges sometimes have a difficult time understanding the school's approach to developing autonomous, critical thinkers. For example, SLA doesn't offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses, because making students take a summative test at the end of the year is antithetical to the concept of allowing students to guide their own learning based on interest and collaborative work - and just as importantly, the value of the incremental learning process."

On the Minerva Project... "In fact, in the first year the students will take four courses: Multi-modal Communication, Complex Systems, Empirical Systems, and Computational Sciences. The intention is for traditionally separate subjects to be integrated if they involve complimentary skills. COMPETENCY-BASED UNIVERSITIES As the Minerva experiment develops, some existing universities are taking steps to award college credit based on skills learned, not the amount of time they've been enrolled."

"Service-learning can help students improve their standardized test scores because it makes learning interesting and real - in a word - exciting. Research has shown that involvement in quality service-learning projects makes students more engaged in the classroom, less likely to skip class, more apt to discuss school outside of the classroom, and understand the importance of hard work (Morgan and Streb, 1999; Melchior, 1998)."

"The Leader in Me is a whole-school transformation model that acts like the operating system of a computer - it improves performance of all other programs. Based on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People..." "...our schools should not merely be focused on improving test scores, but should provide opportunities for students to develop their full potential." Leadership Accountability Adaptability Initiative and Self-direction Cross-cultural Skills Responsibility Problem Solving Communication Creativity Teamwork

I know that many educators grimace at the thought of implementing a piece of "Corporate America" into public education. But, take a look at the 7 Habits and then ask yourself if these are habits you would want for your students. Habit 1 - Be Proactive Habit 2 - Begin with the End in Mind Habit 3 - Put First Things First Habit 4 - Think Win-Win Habit 5 - Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood Habit 6 - Synergize; Together Is Better Habit 7 - Sharpen The Saw; Balance Feels Best

improving our professional development - as Lauren and Laura's project involves - and creating more student-centric learning opportunities would move educators from behind the desk and students away from test preparation packets

A see a future Rowland fellow!

PARIS -...The test does not evaluate the most relevant of students' capabilities, many critics say.

"To encourage student thinking about the overall structure of a course right from the start, why not include a concept map or mind map in the syllabus? When I looked at Linda's work (in the two references listed below) she actually advocates what she calls a "graphic syllabus," described as a "flowchart, graphic organizer, or diagram of the schedule and organization of course topics, sometimes with tests, assignments, and major activities included."

Interesting article. Back when I had "classes" the first day was dedicated to working through a modified version of a Chalk Talk. This gave me a really good sense of where students were at in their understanding and it gave them the opportunity to see how each lesson/concept would be part of the "big picture" of the class. I also would wrap up the semester with the exact same lesson. Huge opportunity for leaving them with a sense of accomplishment and final chance for them to see the pieces in a larger context.

"Here are five of the key leadership lessons that you can take away from Captain Kirk as you pilot your own organization into unknown futures."

Kobayashi Maru? I was never very good with languages in school. Does that translate to No Child Left Behind?

In our educational leadership analogy, yes! However, while being the ultimate no-win scenario, I think NCLB has still encouraged leaders to innovate and improve learning in their schools by holding them accountable and providing funding for improvement.

Maintaining a strongly supportive school system in which teachers and students share responsibility for results Finland has one of the world's best performing education systems. Thanks to years of steady progress in education reform, its secondary school students regularly achieve high scores in PISA tests.

These films look specifically at ways in which school leaders and educators are testing and proving project-based models for a new, student-centered model of learning.

Lauren and Laura, You'll be interested in the video on this page called "Designing Schools for 21st Century Learning" featuring Randall Fielding. The "...focus of his work is to lead communities in the design of environmentally responsive campuses that foster personalized learning and strong connections to the community."

Debatable, but interesting reforms.  While I may not agree with all of the pieces I do like that they are taking a multipronged approach...and that they are not just talking about transformation, but taking real and decisive actions.