Be warned, I'm struggling to find some topic, some news article, some thing to blog about. While skimming newspapers and the Internet as I nurse a cold, a few unrelated topics have begun to congeal in my mind.
I had the opportunity to watch a rerun of the Colbert Report interview of Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education. He was on the show to discuss lengthening the school year. It's about 15 min 35 seconds into the video. Duncan made some very good points about student retention, or lack of, over the summer break. During my years as a math teacher I know a large amount of time is spent reviewing material from the previous year.
Next point; IBM and Google have gone back to college. they have joined with universities and the National Science Foundation to provide students with access to huge computers handling petabytes (= 1 million gigabytes) of information. Their complaint; students don't have the skills or experience to handle the enormous amount of data available. One example that caught my eye is Facebook uses 1 petabyte just to store pictures.
The global perspective; it doesn't appear that the amount of time in school varies as much as what students do when they aren't in school. it does seem that in countries where students surpass US students on standardized test students are participating regularly in tutoring or activities that enrich academics.
The Gap year; it is becoming fashionable for US students to take a year off between high school and college. The premise is that they can partake in activities that enrich their life experience. The Gap year may be a year of volunteering or simply "seeing new places." All good things if the student will actually go to college after that year off.
Here's where it begins to jell. It seems to me there used to be such a thing as prep school meant to help prepare high school graduates for college. Though prep school was focused on making up for shortfalls in one's high school education why not revamp an old idea? Extending public education 1-32 years could be focused on one's area of interest, incorporate higher level instruction or apprenticeships. Yes, this would mean students won't graduate from college until age 25 but they would possess more skills, be more mature, and perhaps have gained some work experience.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Why Do Teacher's Cheat?
Ever vigilant for a topic to blog about, our recent stint of standardized testing brought about a lunch discussion of teachers who help students with the test- aka cheat. I decided to look into the subject. I am happy to report after tediously searching news sites and Google-ing at large I found little current news on the subject. I did however find some new and some older reports worth looking at.
Cheating through teachers and administrators has been statistically estimated to occur in 4-5% of elementary classrooms. Cheating comes in three basic forms; prompting students to choose another answer when they have answered incorrectly, outright changing incorrect answers after the tests have been collected, and falsifying student records so below par tests aren't counted toward annual yearly progress (AYP). It appears most suspicions of cheating are a result of erasure marks. The companies who score the test count the number of erasures on answer sheets and compare them against the average number of erasures. If a group of tests has a higher than average number of marks the tests are flagged. Early this year a popular veteran teacher's tests were flagged and she was suspended without pay pending investigation. Tests are also flagged when there is an uncommonly large improvement from one year to the next. In this case the schools testing practices come into question.
We are all under pressure to show improvement. ( I even panicked a tiny bit wondering how many time a student I was monitoring erased an answer.) the NCLB Act threatens everything from taking away federal funding to taking over a school's administration if progress is not evident through test scores. Administrators can look at scores and use them in teacher evaluations. high stake tests equal high pressure. I taught math for 2 years at a school that swings back and forth between AYP and Safe Harbor. I know the pressure that these tests create. I can't imagine continuing to teach if the pressure became so oppressive I considered cheating an option.
There are also districts that reward teachers for improving test scores. In Washington D.C., teachers who show a 20% improvement receive bonuses of about $3,000/teacher. principals who can show rapid improvement move up the career ladder; those who don't are let go. Greed or financial desperation can also initiate cheating however morally unacceptable it may seem to most of us.
When cheating is discovered a school's test scores are voided and the school receives a failing grade for AYP and Title I money is withheld. there is discussion whether students should retake the test. I am in favor of retakes as the scores become part of a student's record; why should a student be penalized for cheating they didn't commit? I also favor revoking any teacher's license when cheating is discovered. The most pressing issue is, why do teachers feel the need to cheat in the first place?
Cheating through teachers and administrators has been statistically estimated to occur in 4-5% of elementary classrooms. Cheating comes in three basic forms; prompting students to choose another answer when they have answered incorrectly, outright changing incorrect answers after the tests have been collected, and falsifying student records so below par tests aren't counted toward annual yearly progress (AYP). It appears most suspicions of cheating are a result of erasure marks. The companies who score the test count the number of erasures on answer sheets and compare them against the average number of erasures. If a group of tests has a higher than average number of marks the tests are flagged. Early this year a popular veteran teacher's tests were flagged and she was suspended without pay pending investigation. Tests are also flagged when there is an uncommonly large improvement from one year to the next. In this case the schools testing practices come into question.
We are all under pressure to show improvement. ( I even panicked a tiny bit wondering how many time a student I was monitoring erased an answer.) the NCLB Act threatens everything from taking away federal funding to taking over a school's administration if progress is not evident through test scores. Administrators can look at scores and use them in teacher evaluations. high stake tests equal high pressure. I taught math for 2 years at a school that swings back and forth between AYP and Safe Harbor. I know the pressure that these tests create. I can't imagine continuing to teach if the pressure became so oppressive I considered cheating an option.
There are also districts that reward teachers for improving test scores. In Washington D.C., teachers who show a 20% improvement receive bonuses of about $3,000/teacher. principals who can show rapid improvement move up the career ladder; those who don't are let go. Greed or financial desperation can also initiate cheating however morally unacceptable it may seem to most of us.
When cheating is discovered a school's test scores are voided and the school receives a failing grade for AYP and Title I money is withheld. there is discussion whether students should retake the test. I am in favor of retakes as the scores become part of a student's record; why should a student be penalized for cheating they didn't commit? I also favor revoking any teacher's license when cheating is discovered. The most pressing issue is, why do teachers feel the need to cheat in the first place?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Girl's Tech Ed
I opened my mailbox today to find my new issue of The Technology Teacher, a publication put out through the International Technology Educators association (ITEA) of which I am member. A quick look at the cover stories gave me my topic for this week's blog. Unfortunately the article is not available to the public online but you may be able to borrow a copy. The article's title, Beyond Smash and Crash: Gender- Friendly Tech Ed leaves little question as to the basic content. The article reminds us that despite our best efforts girls are not entering STEM careers. In fact there is a downward trend in the number of Engineering Technology BA degrees awarded to female students; 9.9% compared to 13% in 1999.
What more can be done to encourage girls to help design our future technologies? One possible solution lies in the fact that girls tend to migrate to "caring disciplines." Engineering still carries the stigma of being math intensive, isolated from the world, job done by pocket protector wearing individuals. We need to show our female students that engineers make a difference in people's lives. Examples we can share include biomedical engineering's strides in prosthetics and how desalination technology could be the answer to the world's fresh water shortage.
We also need more role models. It may surprise you to hear but, female technology teachers surveyed all reported positive male role models be it a father, grandfather, or technology teacher. This gave the the females interviewed a less confined view of their own gender and opened the door to technology related careers. The interviewees additionally reported a lack of information from their school's guidance office. Either they never consulted guidance or they were not provided information about technology careers. Guidance officers could play a significant role in steering students toward engineering fields if they themselves had the opportunity to update and expand their own knowledge. If we don't start interesting girls in engineering as a career I fear we will not fulfill technology's potential for positive change.
What more can be done to encourage girls to help design our future technologies? One possible solution lies in the fact that girls tend to migrate to "caring disciplines." Engineering still carries the stigma of being math intensive, isolated from the world, job done by pocket protector wearing individuals. We need to show our female students that engineers make a difference in people's lives. Examples we can share include biomedical engineering's strides in prosthetics and how desalination technology could be the answer to the world's fresh water shortage.
We also need more role models. It may surprise you to hear but, female technology teachers surveyed all reported positive male role models be it a father, grandfather, or technology teacher. This gave the the females interviewed a less confined view of their own gender and opened the door to technology related careers. The interviewees additionally reported a lack of information from their school's guidance office. Either they never consulted guidance or they were not provided information about technology careers. Guidance officers could play a significant role in steering students toward engineering fields if they themselves had the opportunity to update and expand their own knowledge. If we don't start interesting girls in engineering as a career I fear we will not fulfill technology's potential for positive change.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Fewer? School Days
Maine's Legislature is considering reducing the required number of school days to make up for budget shortfalls of $66 million at last check. The Kennebec Journal ran a story last week reporting the legislature's Education Committee estimates the statewide savings would be $7 million per day closed. My first reaction was a sarcastic great- let's just close the schools for 10 days and the budget will be flush. That was my first reaction. I then reflected on Maine's Education Commissioner Susan Gendron's comment of taking a "nickel and dime approach" to saving money. I came up with a few, perhaps controversial suggestions.
- It seems we could cut back on printing and photocopying. Paper, toner, and ink are all expensive; not to mention repair of overworked photocopiers.
- I have cleaned out the classrooms left by two different retirees; I have paperclips for life but still have the instinct to hoard. (I've actually returned the paper clips to the supply closet.)
- Redesign the school's athletic schedule; many states are cutting back on the number of games played and the distance traveled to games. Some schools have initiated a "pay to play" fee. Both of my children participate in activities and I would manage to come up with the money. Athletic booster clubs could offer scholarships to students in financial need.
- Stop the subsidy of Advanced Placement exams. It appears the exam cost $86; I pay $25 for my children to take these exams. If the college they attend will allow the credits I'll save hundreds of dollars so why don't I have to pay the full price for the test?
- Reduce busing costs by having 7-12 students who live within 1/2 to 1mile of the school walk.
Presently, as we've heard from a classmate, Georgia is the only state that has used furlough days to reduce costs. North Carolina however held back 10 hours pay to all state employees including teachers. The teachers have to take the time off by December 31st and only on workshop days. Maine's option would avoid controversial furloughs that require dealing with teachers unions and keep professional develop intact. It is frustrating that Maine would even consider a shorter school year an option.
I realize we have all faced hard budget cuts but we must be realistic; if we don't reduce spending someone ( the government) will. I challenge all of you to think of one way you could save $1.00 a day without adversely affecting your teaching.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
I have nothing to wear!
Dress codes may not be the first thought in educational reform but the dress code has been a topic of debate for a generation. Since the start of the 2009 school year a south Dakota Sioux tribe has initiated and withdrawn a lawsuit over their district's newly enacted dress code. The code specifies the color of both shirts and pants/skirts. Parents in this poverty stricken area protested the dress code as a financial hardship. Opponents also claim the code violates student's rights of self-expression. The school district is hoping the dress code will decrease gang-related violence in school.
Dress codes are necessary at school to prevent inappropriately short skirts, pants that reveal boxer shorts, and t-shirts with explicit or degrading messages. But what about taking the step to school uniforms? Proponents believe school uniforms put everyone on an even playng field, reduce violence, and keep students from being distracted by clothing choices. Approximately 3% of New Jersey school districts require school uniforms of khaki bottoms and school color shirts. Administrators feel uniforms take the focus off designer labels and aid in school security by making intruders stand out. Bill clinton supported school uniforms as a way to reduce violence in his 1996 State of the Union address. "And if it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over dsigner jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms."
The Department of Education published a manual covering school uniforms, also dated 1996. It opens with a list of how school uniforms improve a school. The manual provides multiple examples of schools that attribute an overall better climate and decreased incidents of violence and theft in part to their uniform policy. I have searched for statistics on school uniforms and come up with nothing more recent than 1994. My question is this; if something as simple as khaki pants and a white shirt can improve the school environment and increase academic achievement, why don't we adpot a national school uniform?
Now, before I receive letters from the ACLU let me say I have been unable to form a strong opinion either for or against uniforms. Reliable research in the area has escaped my attention or doesn't exist. I would very much like to hear from anyone who works in a public school district with a uniform policy.
Dress codes are necessary at school to prevent inappropriately short skirts, pants that reveal boxer shorts, and t-shirts with explicit or degrading messages. But what about taking the step to school uniforms? Proponents believe school uniforms put everyone on an even playng field, reduce violence, and keep students from being distracted by clothing choices. Approximately 3% of New Jersey school districts require school uniforms of khaki bottoms and school color shirts. Administrators feel uniforms take the focus off designer labels and aid in school security by making intruders stand out. Bill clinton supported school uniforms as a way to reduce violence in his 1996 State of the Union address. "And if it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over dsigner jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms."
The Department of Education published a manual covering school uniforms, also dated 1996. It opens with a list of how school uniforms improve a school. The manual provides multiple examples of schools that attribute an overall better climate and decreased incidents of violence and theft in part to their uniform policy. I have searched for statistics on school uniforms and come up with nothing more recent than 1994. My question is this; if something as simple as khaki pants and a white shirt can improve the school environment and increase academic achievement, why don't we adpot a national school uniform?
Now, before I receive letters from the ACLU let me say I have been unable to form a strong opinion either for or against uniforms. Reliable research in the area has escaped my attention or doesn't exist. I would very much like to hear from anyone who works in a public school district with a uniform policy.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Bullying in the 21st Century
The school yard bully is a personality we all remember from our childhood. We may not have ever been a target but we knew who the bullies were. We may even have been guilty of bullying ourselves. According to a 2007 Safe Youth report, one-third of our students report being bullied. http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/faq/bullying.asp The Legislature addressed the issue in 2009 by amending the safe Schools Improvement Act to include harassment and bullying. The Act requires States collect data and develop programs to track, prevent, and eliminate bullying. All but four states have enacted such laws but there are questions about both the laws' effectiveness and enforceability. Parents of victims are concerned that bullying is under reported by local schools and the punishment is too light. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/14/AR2009091400607.html My school takes bullying and harassment very seriously; all parties involved are referred to guidance and administration to evaluate the situation. In many cases the school's liaison officer will get involved. We have a mentoring program and a very active civil rights team that proactively tries to prevent bullying. I think it is very hard for schools to prevent bullying. We are told that before a bully can receive punishment that fits the "crime" we must have proof. Proof is hard to come by. Parents of bullies don't want to see their child punished so they advocate for the child if they become involved at all.
Bullying today has 21st century skills. As the social order is beginning to take shape at school, I have begun overhearing the usual gossip of who said what about whom on MySpace or did you see what so and so posted on Facebook. Conflict at school is often a result from online activity generated outside of school the night before. Teachers and administrators have no authority over these activities but we are expected to clean up the mess. A recent editorial i the NY Times discusses the vagueness of cyber bullying as a criminal act. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/opinion/08tue2.html The focus of the editorial was the Court's inability to convict Lori drew, the mother who impersonated a 16 year old boy on MySpace to bully her daughter's classmate. The victim committed suicide. If the court has no ability to stop this type of bullying , how can schools?
As we bring more technology into the classroom, I can see this as a potential liability for teachers and schools. If a teacher creates a classroom MySpace it may be protected from uninvited friends but we have no control over what a student posts. When one reads the safe Schools Act you'll see the threat only has to be perceived by the victim. Before I endorse these modes of communication in my classroom I will need assurance that I will not be held responsible if the communication goes awry.
Bullying today has 21st century skills. As the social order is beginning to take shape at school, I have begun overhearing the usual gossip of who said what about whom on MySpace or did you see what so and so posted on Facebook. Conflict at school is often a result from online activity generated outside of school the night before. Teachers and administrators have no authority over these activities but we are expected to clean up the mess. A recent editorial i the NY Times discusses the vagueness of cyber bullying as a criminal act. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/opinion/08tue2.html The focus of the editorial was the Court's inability to convict Lori drew, the mother who impersonated a 16 year old boy on MySpace to bully her daughter's classmate. The victim committed suicide. If the court has no ability to stop this type of bullying , how can schools?
As we bring more technology into the classroom, I can see this as a potential liability for teachers and schools. If a teacher creates a classroom MySpace it may be protected from uninvited friends but we have no control over what a student posts. When one reads the safe Schools Act you'll see the threat only has to be perceived by the victim. Before I endorse these modes of communication in my classroom I will need assurance that I will not be held responsible if the communication goes awry.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Last One Standing
As I considered a topic for this week's blog I stumbled across, 12,000 Teacher reports, but what to do?, an article published by the New york Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/nyregion/09teachers.html?_r=l&ref=education
the article takes a look at how New York State is creating reports on teacher performance. The NYDOE tracks student progress for each teacher and compares them to other teacher's in the State. The reports are distributed to school administrators to use as the deem appropriate. One principal interviewed gave his teachers the option of viewing the reports, some teachers chose to, others not. What really bothered me about this practice is that the reports are not necessarily shared with the teacher. Teacher evaluation is expected, just as any other professional should expect scrutiny of their performance. But, and I feel it is a big but, aren't we as teachers expected to inform our students what to expect for assessments and use the results of those assessments to improve learning? How can a mid or low performing teacher access this data in order to improve performance if they are unaware of the assessment's results? It definitely feels like a double standard.
The article reports on President Obama's desire to tie federal dollars to teacher evaluation coupled to student assessment. However when I followed the link, http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/_obama/index.html?inline=nyt-per
the only news on education focused on last week's debate over his speech to school children. A second link, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/education/17educ.html , directs you to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Here you find the cover article focuses on how to spend stimulus money. He did make it clear that he would not "reward" low achieving schools with any of this windfall. I followed a few more links and still did not find any suggestions on how to best evaluate teachers. This all led me back to the feeling that something could be going on behind my back. Scary.
It is not that I think teachers should not be held accountable for student performance. I just feel we should have the same provisions we give students. a system needs to be developed where teachers are openly and fairly evaluated on more than student achievement tests. Included in evaluation must be a mechanism for providing professional development and support for low performing teachers who want to improve their skills.
the article takes a look at how New York State is creating reports on teacher performance. The NYDOE tracks student progress for each teacher and compares them to other teacher's in the State. The reports are distributed to school administrators to use as the deem appropriate. One principal interviewed gave his teachers the option of viewing the reports, some teachers chose to, others not. What really bothered me about this practice is that the reports are not necessarily shared with the teacher. Teacher evaluation is expected, just as any other professional should expect scrutiny of their performance. But, and I feel it is a big but, aren't we as teachers expected to inform our students what to expect for assessments and use the results of those assessments to improve learning? How can a mid or low performing teacher access this data in order to improve performance if they are unaware of the assessment's results? It definitely feels like a double standard.
The article reports on President Obama's desire to tie federal dollars to teacher evaluation coupled to student assessment. However when I followed the link, http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/_obama/index.html?inline=nyt-per
the only news on education focused on last week's debate over his speech to school children. A second link, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/education/17educ.html , directs you to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Here you find the cover article focuses on how to spend stimulus money. He did make it clear that he would not "reward" low achieving schools with any of this windfall. I followed a few more links and still did not find any suggestions on how to best evaluate teachers. This all led me back to the feeling that something could be going on behind my back. Scary.
It is not that I think teachers should not be held accountable for student performance. I just feel we should have the same provisions we give students. a system needs to be developed where teachers are openly and fairly evaluated on more than student achievement tests. Included in evaluation must be a mechanism for providing professional development and support for low performing teachers who want to improve their skills.
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