Here are some links to magazines and sites I don't check during the week, in Twitter form, plus whatever else I come across along the way or missed during the week:
Come across something I've missed? Put it in comments or tweet it out using #thisweekined and it will show up above. Links and retweets aren't necessarily endorsements, you ungrateful wretches, just an effort to give you a range of interesting news and opinion with which to challenge your knee-jerk view of the world.
"After Gyllenhaal’s daughter is punched by a teacher (seriously), the single mom recruits Davis, a mother and educator, to help take back the school. The idealistic women run into obstacles, including a sassy woman who wonders, “What qualifies you to run a school?” and a doubting union rep, played by Holly Hunter." (WP)
Want to know what #ewa12 education reporters think is interesting and important? They're all gathered here at Penn, tweeting like mad. Check out the stream below:
I have to admit I'm addicted to the NBC education RSS feed -- for the visuals as much as for the content. Do any of the other broadcast or cable news channels do as much or better on education coverage? ABC? CBS? Fox? Please let me know, and I will become addicted to their RSS feeds, too.
Duncan to Florida: Tutoring Doesn't Work Politics K12: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said today he doesn't understand why Florida passed a law requiring districts to continue offering free tutoring to students in struggling schools.
NCLB waiver bid stalled by Ed Dept. concerns Washington Post: The city’s poor record of handling and accounting for federal grants, and its difficulties staying in compliance with special education laws. Both were inherited by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education when it was formed in 2007, but they remain obstacles.
Here, MA teachers engage in an elaborate teacher-on-student prank, which is the reverse of the usual practice:
"Dance bombing," like photo bombing, is an Internet fad (sort of like planking was back in 2011). I associate it with Ellen Degeneres. Beware, the music associated with this video is loud and somewhat uncool.
The Philadelphia Schoool Reform Commission (SRC) said that their schools might not even have enough money to open their doors next fall without huge budgetary cuts and additional resources, as it also unveiled a radical education plan. It would close 64 schools in the next five years and divide the rest among “achievement networks” and charter management organizations. The implication, of course, is that the risky plan is necessary because of the district's immense financial challenges. The Philadelphia Inquirer's "Crisis Opens a Window to School Reform," by Patrick Kerkstra, explained that that is not true. He cited the mayor's chief education officer who admitted, "the academic reorganization is completely cost-neutral." Kerkstra , a former reporter for the Inquirer, then explained that reformers, "want to blow the district up." They would have had a tough time persuading the public that the solution is "closing public schools en masse, enrolling about 40 percent of all students in charters by 2017, and busting the district up into 20 to 30 networks." He then cited a founder of Parents United for Public Education. "We got the bait and switch. We were promised a fiscal plan, and we got a complete academic overhaul."
Regular readers of the Inquirer and the Philadelphia School Notebook have already been told how the Philadelphia's schools got into this mess.
Fla. Students Crash After State Raises Bar On Test NPR: The Florida Board of Education has voted to temporarily lower the passing grade for its state writing test after a dramatic drop in scores on this year's exam. The state had made the test more difficult and raised the passing grade in an attempt to upgrade standards. But education officials were stunned when preliminary results showed the passing rate for 4th graders this year had plummeted from 80 percent to less than 30 percent.
You rarely know exactly what's going to make it worthwhile to go to a conference, and occasionally there's nothing much that comes of going. But often there's at least someone, or something, who emerges as a key contact, or source, or an idea that helps improve your understanding or your thinking.
At this year's EWA conference, some of the people and events that might prove most helpful to me include a site visit to Mastery, a chance to see New America's Lisa Guernsey on a panel, and Roxanna Elden, and Ted Mitchell (again). I always love the advocates' sessions (which most reporters avoid like the plague). I always stay away from the data panel though I'll probably go to the session about new media tools if only to see Joshua Benton do his schpiel. It's always good to see old friends and acquaintances, and make new ones. I'll try my best to pay attention. Michael Bennet. Cory Booker. Tom Kane. Jim Shelton. Steve Brill. Can we heckle?
Anyway, you get the idea. Come up and say hi if you're here. Tell me what to go to or whom to avoid if I've got it totally wrong.
Johnson, I need a market analysis by Friday, but before that I need a compelling account of your childhood.-- Controversial remarks past from incoming College Board president David Coleman
In the recent past -- think IL or FL, DC, or even CO -- reforms have been seen as big wins for one side or the other. Your side either won, or it got blocked or pushed back. Yay! Boo!
Connecticut is shaping up a little bit differently, at least in how it's been messaged, in that both reformers and education leaders (union presidents, etc.) are generally praising the final deal. There's Michelle Rhee talking about the deal on Fox (here). There's a statement from the AFT (here). There's CEA union president May Loftus Levine attending the bill-signing ceremony (pictured, and here).
Of course, sometimes the make nice is just a momentary blip, a minute of exhaustion before the different sides go back to trying to scuttle each other. And sometimes the make nice is the result of a final package that doesn't do very much -- still a concern of mine and others when it comes to some of the state laws have been passed. But it seems worth noting that both sides had it out during the negotiations and are now singing the praises of the result. The only ones left out in the cold are those at the far ends of the spectrum for whom it's all or nothing, bashing the compromises and those who made them.
Poor children can perform well if given the right educational environment, but almost 50 years of research suggests they perform better, on average, in middle-class schools than they do in high poverty schools. - TCF's Richard Kahlenberg on today's NAPCS diverse charter schools report (or whatever they're calling it).
Activist targeting schools, backed by big bucks Reuters: StudentsFirst has its own political action committee (PAC), its own SuperPAC, and a staff of 75, including a cadre of seasoned lobbyists Rhee sends from state to state. Via GothamSchools
Exam-Creation Firms Come In For Criticism WSJ: The testing industry is expected to continue to grow as states and school districts begin evaluating all teachers based on student achievement, requiring new tests to evaluate art and physical-education teachers, for example. ALSO: School Test Backlash Grows
Conn. to begin rolling out new education law AP via Boston.com: Connecticut officials plan to begin work immediately on some key provisions in the new education overhaul legislation that was signed into law on Tuesday, including a proposal to start introducing the first of 1,000 early childhood education slots in low-income communities.
Teaching for all levels — in one class Washington Post: In Elise Carter’s second-grade class, some students still write their numbers backward or look at their fingers to add. Others race through multiplication tables or search the Web to teach themselves about negative numbers.
Altadena Middle School music teachers Marty and Bobbi Mohan Culp are back on SNL after a long absence, filling in last Saturday night at the LBGT Prom for a Lady Gaga impersonator. But things haven't gone well for the school budget in recent years, the Culps report:
"It's no Glee, folks," says Mr. Culp. "In fact it's pretty Glame." Video above.
As a science teacher, I'm certainly partial to hands-on educational activities. For students who have some background knowledge of a topic, the occasional hands-on activity can be a good way for them to apply and develop that knowledge while having a good time. As a science teacher, however, I also try to teach my students not to mistake correlation for causation, which I think is what Andy Rotherham is doing here when he writes:
"The NAEP data released yesterday shows that students who rarely do hands-on science underperform those who do it almost every day by 16 points on the NAEP’s scale — that’s about a full grade level’s worth of learning. Hands-on science is not only more fun for kids; it helps teach critical thinking and problem solving, valuable skills in an ideas economy."
The data he's referring to are here. Frankly, I'm not sure why the NAEP thought this was a result worth publishing, but they do find that the 2% of students who "never or hardly ever" engage in hands-on activities in science score 16 points below the 16% of students who do so "every day or almost every day".
There's almost certainly less to this result than meets the eye. For starters, it's worth noting that those two extremes each represent a very small fraction of all students; more than four-fifths of students engage in hands-on activities "once or twice a month" (25%) or "once or twice a week" (56%). My experience is that those rare science classrooms engaging in hands-on activities almost every day are populated by extremely well-off students.
I'd be willing to bet that he top 16% of hands-on classrooms consist disproportionately of students with the privileges of scientifically rich educational backgrounds. Such students are more likely to be able to engage productively in hands-on activities because they are more likely to have the requisite background knowledge. I'd also wager that the 2% of classes at the other end of the spectrum aren't representative, either.
In fact, it's worth noting that the 16-point gap between the rarely- and very-hands-on classrooms is considerably smaller than the 27-point gap between students eligible and ineligible for free or reduced price lunch. Students scoring in the bottom 25% were also more than three times as likely to be eligible for FRP than students scoring in the top quartile. I think these facts strongly suggest that the "hands-on activities gap" isn't causing a score gap so much as it's reflecting underlying educational inequities.
Hands-on activities can be valuable in science classrooms, but they presuppose learning as much as they promote it. Educators, then, shouldn't assume that more hands-on activities are going to be much of a solution to our unsatisfactory learning outcomes. - PB (@MrPABruno) (image source)
Still not convinced that Duncan's candor on same sex marriage didn't play a role in helping the White House change its mind last week? Imagine if TMZ or any other camera crew had been able to shout some questions at Secretary Duncan during the long 48 hour time period between his Monday morning appearance on Morning Joe and Obama's Wednesday afternoon announcement on same sex marriage.
Well, that didn't happen. This clip is from November -- don't know how I missed it -- when there was a kerfluffle about a former porn star participating in a school reading program. Luckily Duncan doesn't know who Sasha Grey is (for the record, neither do I).
Third Grade A Pivotal Time In Students' Lives NPR: In a growing number of states a single reading test determines which third-grade students advance to fourth grade. Proponents of the rule say that kids learn to read until third grade, and then read to learn. But critics argue that holding students back does more harm than good in the long run.
Boosting Reading Skills: Will 'Common Core' Experiment Pay Off? PBS: Called the "Common Core," a new set of state guidelines spell out what young students are expected to learn and what books they're expected to read. Forty five states and the District of Colombia have already adopted the standards. Learning Matters' John Merrow reports on the design and the aim of the new guidelines.
American teacher blasts off to space USA Today: The former high school teacher is headed to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz rocket.
SLICE Act Would Cut Pizza-as-a-Vegetable Provision Politics K12: In response to congressional action last fall that allows a small amount of tomato paste to count as a serving of vegetables in school meals—and in turn making a slice of pizza the equivalent of a half-cup of broccoli on lunch trays—U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, a Colorado Democrat, introduced a bill Monday that would put an end to the practice.
The NAEP released the grade 8 science test results for 2011 last week, and I've been a little puzzled by the negativity with which they've been greeted. For example:
"There is no cause for optimism," Gerry Wheeler, interim director of the National Science Teachers Association wrote in a statement, because "the results show miniscule gains in student achievement." He lamented that "the majority of our eighth-grade level students still fall below the proficiency level," calling the scores "simply unacceptable."
I don't think anybody would deny that we should want our students to be scoring much higher on the NAEP, but we knew that scores were low after the 2009 test administration. The fact that scores are still too low in absolute terms isn't news, then.
And, yes, average scores for all students increased "only" 2 points since 2009. Just as with the 8th grade math and reading scores, however, that "top-line" number is somewhat misleading because demographic shifts can mask substantial improvements for student subgroups. It turns out that since 2009 we've seen statistically significant score gains for black students, Hispanic students, students of two or more races, and low-income students. (There were also gains that did not rise to the level of statistical significance for American Indian students, students with disabilities, and English learners.) I obviously would have preferred to see, for instance, our Hispanic students gain even more than 5 points, but exactly how much improvement is it reasonable to expect over a two year period?
Ultimately we knew we were starting from weak position in 2009, but we seem to have made some very real gains since then. Viewed in that light, the 2011 NAEP results seem like generally good news. - PB (@MrPABruno) (image source)
Underemployment of parents is not only an economic crisis — it is an educational crisis. You cannot ignore it and be good educators. -- EPI's Richard Rothstein, speaking to Loyola Chicago University graduates
Bill Tucker's "Grand Test Auto" is the best contribution to the Washington Monthly's special series on new tests, and it's not just because he gives the best explanation of the failure of test-driven reform that I have ever read. Grocery stores used to close for weeks so they could count their inventory, writes Tucker. The contemporary accountability movement forces schools to do the same, squandering 1/4th of the year. "Every year at a given time, regular instruction stops. Teachers enter something called 'test prep' mode; it lasts for weeks leading up to the big assessment. ... Learning stops, evaluation begins."
In this and many other areas, Tucker gets it right. There are just a few spots where I would disagree with him.
My biggest concern digging into EdWeek's big new package of stories about ed advocacy was that it might be lacking in context, ignoring the long history of unions and other stakeholders (and other movements) using much the same tactics as reformy democrats and their funders now employ. But that doesn't seem to be a problem, from skimming the opening story.
My second concern was that the package would make it seem like these new groups were somehow all-powerful, a juggernaut of wealth and power that cut down all opposition in its wake. But that doesn't seem to be an issue, either. The main story notes that this kind of advocacy is growing but has had mixed results so far. Advocacy is no guarantee of anything other than spending a lot of money.
The only thing that I didn't see at first glance -- I have to complain about something -- was any sense of the diminished impact of advocates in the current legislative season, compared to last year's breakout year. It's been a much tougher year for advocates in 2011-2012 than it was in 2010-2011, and it's not clear that advocates have made changes to the way they're operating (coordinating, reaching out, etc.) that they're going to need to make going forward if they hope to make further inroads. Then again, only a quick read.
Sometimes on Monday mornings I like to have something to listen to or watch in the background while I'm getting going.
This is from last year spring but I don't think I saw it or posted it then. It's Gates' third TED talk, his first on education. In a rush? Transcript is below
Budget Woes Could Close Philly's Problem Schools NPR: Philadelphia's school district plans to close a quarter of its school buildings in coming years to eliminate a huge budget hole. But parents and activists don't trust the decision-makers. Many of them suspect the plan is a ruse to force charter schools and privatization on the district.
Students at charter-run Locke do better than nearby peers Los Angeles Times: Locke students were more likely to graduate and to have taken courses needed for a state college, a study says. Still, overall achievement remains low.
1 in 3 autistic young adults lack jobs, education AP via Boston.com: One in 3 young adults with autism have no paid job experience, college or technical schooling nearly seven years after high school graduation, a study finds. That's a poorer showing than those with other disabilities including those who are mentally disabled, the researchers said.
Student surveys for children as young as 5 years old may help rate teachers Washington Post: Kindergartners in Georgia — many of whom don’t yet read — could soon play an important role in deciding which teachers get raises or get fired. Under a new pilot program, 5-year-olds will be guided through a survey that includes such statements as “My teacher knows a lot about what he or she teaches” and “My teacher gives me help when I need it.” As the youngsters circle a smiley face, a neutral face or a frowning face, they will be playing their part in new high-stakes teacher evaluations.
D.C. may give neighborhood families preference in charter school admissions Washington Post: District officials are seriously considering changes in the law that would make at least some public charter schools, currently open to all students citywide, more accessible to families in surrounding neighborhoods.
Scoring of State Math and Reading Tests Is Almost Complete NYT: More than 5,000 New York City teachers have been assigned to score the state math and reading exams. The work happens at several sites around the city during the school day, which means students are without their regular classroom teachers for several days at a time.
My post about education thought leaders asked a sincere question and generated several sincere responses -- many of them on Twitter. The gist semed to be that there are lots of folks who qualify as thought leaders, whether or not I or others know about them or think of them that way (or even know their names): @TheJLV, @irasocol, @chrislehmann, @samchaltain, @DTWillingham, @OlsonKirsten, @TeachMoore.
For me, the key is someone who can see multiple sides of an issue, acknowledg and weigh them all, and come to an interesting, ideally thought-provoking interpretation. There was some disagreement about whether it was more important to be thoughtful or to be a leader, and about what leader means, anyway. I was intending it in the simple, crude sense of having developed or being in the process of developing large numbers of followers, but I've been told that's not so important.
In any case, some folks to consider paying more attention to, perhaps. Happy Friday everyone.
Robert Rotham's "Transcontinental Education" in the Washington Monthly's special issue on the new wave of reforms, reached back to the 1860s for a metaphorical explanation of the potential of new Standards to accomplish what the equally good, old Standards failed to do. He claimed that setting a standard guage for railroad tracks "led to an explosion of railroad building." Rothman thus presented a history of the American West that left out steel, coal, political corruption, the Indian Wars and, yes, the workers who built the railroads. Rothman devoted far fewer words to educational issues than he did the railroads, so it is hard to know what he meant with his brief reference to schools, "By setting common expectations, states have made it possible for students everywhere to graduate from high school similarly prepared for post-secondary education and work." In other words, set a guage for measuring educational attainment and, magically, student achievement will take off. Gosh, I thought that improved teaching and learning might also be necessary. By the way, the federal government that set the common guage also subsidized the building of the railroads without regulating them. The result was the Indian Wars and an environmental catastrophe. Common Core could also backfire, but Rothman was silent about ways to prevent the unintended damage that his technological fix could unleash.- JT (@drjohnthompson) image via.
This week's other big education-related political story is the Washington Post's coverage of Mitt Romney's prep school bullying -- for which the Republican candidate apologized last night on Fox:
"They talk about the fact that I played a lot of pranks in high school," he said. "And they describe some that you just say to yourself, back in high school I just did some dumb things, and if anybody was hurt by that or offended by it, obviously I apologize."
Slate's John Dickerson discusses why the possibility of Romney having been a bully matters, despite being so far in the past, and reminds us that, fair or not, much the same vetting process has happened to every major political candidate of the past 20 years.
The story won't determine Romney's candidacy but in today's world, in which bullying is not just considered an unfortunate rite of childhood and a deadly serious responsibility for educators, the accusation that Romney bullied other kids carries heavier weight.
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in This Week In Education are strictly those of the author and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Scholastic, Inc.
