Worth A Read

From Friday’s inbox…

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• Stemming the Flow of the School-to-Prison Pipeline
• Still Teaching for America
• Brown pumps up schools in budget
• What if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools?
• The most important problem facing American children today
• It’s the opportunity gap, stupid
• Canada’s Legend-ary TED Talk Lie
• Student Debt and the Crushing of the American Dream
• Please Don’t Call Me An Education Reformer

Stemming the Flow of the School-to-Prison Pipeline Posted: 14 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT NEA Today spoke to author and scholar Byron E. Price, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Business and professor of public administration at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York in Brooklyn, New York, and and co-editor of Prison Privatization: The Many Facets of a Controversial Industry.

Still Teaching for America Posted: 14 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT June Kronholz explores the evolution of leadership at Teach For America (TFA) as Wendy Kopp hands over duties to Elisa Villanueva Beard and Matt Kramer. Kopp becomes TFA’s board chair and remains chief executive of Teach For All.

Brown pumps up schools in budget Posted: 14 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT Gov. Jerry Brown [CA] on Tuesday proposed a revised budget that would send an extra $2.9 billion to California schools as part of his education funding overhaul, including $1 billion in one-time funding to help districts implement more rigorous academic standards.

What if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools? Posted: 14 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT Pasi Sahlberg, director general of Finland’s Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation and has served the Finnish government in various positions and worked for the World Bank in Washington D.C., debunks several myths about education competitiveness in America and highlights the key distinctions in Finland. Would Finnish teachers survive the American system?

The most important problem facing American children today Posted: 13 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT Valerie Strauss tackles the question: What is the most important problem facing American children today? Poverty.

It’s the opportunity gap, stupid Posted: 12 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT Prudence Carter and Kevin Welner discuss the ‘opportunity gap’ in American schools. Policymakers cheat our children when they seek out magic beans and silver bullets instead of the quieter but much more meaningful investments in the sort of deeply engaging teaching and learning that will produce vibrant, intellectually curious young people in all communities.

Canada’s Legend-ary TED Talk Lie Posted: 11 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT Gary Rubinstein writes about Geoffrey Canada’s recent TED talk entitled ‘Our failing schools.  Enough is enough.’  Canada, president and CEO of The Harlem Children’s Zone and star of the film ‘Waiting For Superman,’ claims that his school graduates 100% of its students. Rubinstein digs into the data from HCZ and finds that graduation rates (as claimed by Canada) just don’t add up when the data is dissected.

Student Debt and the Crushing of the American Dream Posted: 11 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT Joseph Stiglitz addresses the problem of soaring debt for American college students. “The crisis that is about to break out involves student debt and how we finance higher education. Like the housing crisis that preceded it, this crisis is intimately connected to America’s soaring inequality, and how, as Americans on the bottom rungs of the ladder strive to climb up, they are inevitably pulled down — some to a point even lower than where they began.”

Please Don’t Call Me An Education Reformer Posted: 09 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT Stephanie Rivera, Rutgers student & a future teacher, addresses the term ‘education reformer’ and why she does not want to be labeled a ‘reformer.’ “Because unfortunately, the term education reformer–as I see it–has become synonymous to people and groups who want to dismantle public education and turn schools into a business. Which is a load of [bologna].” She cites groups like SFER (Students for Education Reform) and the Walton Foundation along with Bill Gates and Michelle Rhee for examples of people associated with the term.

New Brief Explores 21st Century Skills

From Tuesday’s inbox…

Contact: William J. Mathis, (802) 383-0058, wmathis@sover.net Dan Quinn, (517) 203-2940, dquinn@greatlakescenter.orgNew Brief Explores 21st Century Skills How do we promote a more responsive, integrated model to meet twenty-first century learning requirements? EAST LANSING, Mich. (May 14, 2013) –”Teaching twenty-first-century skills” is a catchy slogan, but its meaning is often interpreted in two different ways. Those appealing to international economic competitiveness typically embrace common cognitive-based curriculums and testing. Those looking toward workforce skills place greater emphasis on softer skills such as problem solving, creativity, and working with others. The eighth in a series of two- and three-page briefs summarizing current relevant findings in education policy research explores the idea of “21st Century skills.” The brief explains the sometimes-conflicting values and proposals for making schools relevant to meeting the needs of the 21st Century. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center (NEPC), prepared the brief, Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Twenty-first-Century Skills and Implications for Education. Previous sections of Research-Based Options have included: teacher evaluations, common core standards, early childhood education, choice funding, dropout strategies, effective school expenditures, and parental involvement for ELL. To summarize the complicated debate over these skills, Dr. Mathis had this to say, “In broad brush strokes, the debate about twenty-first century skills is represented by these two perspectives; soft skills with constructivist learning versus test-based, set-piece, top-down cognate.” However, he cautions, “In reality, few would embrace such a stark contrast.” Seeking to bridge the gap, Mathis reviews current research over “multiple pathways” or “linked learning,” which seeks to blend the two perspectives. Linked learning is an approach that combines academic and technical learning, providing context for real-life situations. Regarding linked learning, Mathis had this to say, “Rather than the traditional one-size-fits-all, classroom-based approach to education, a rich variety of options are open to students, including higher education, workforce internships, career academies, magnet schools, small learning groups and technical careers.” Mathis makes several recommendations for policymakers seeking to promote a more integrated model emphasizing “21st Century skills.” Here are a few: Accountability systems must allow for the demonstration of student proficiencies through a broad array of assessment methods (beyond test-bases systems tied to a system of test-based sanctions). Work-based learning opportunities must be defined and adopted as legitimate parts of the school curriculum. Cooperation between secondary and higher education must be expanded. Greater flexibility in school schedules, day and year. The recommendations also explain the importance of investing time, energy, and resources needed to expand the skills of teachers who would be teaching in a linked learning setting. Find the brief on the Great Lakes Center website: http://greatlakescenter.org/research_based_options.php Twenty-first-Century Skills is part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues and identifies policies supported by research. Each section focuses on a different issue, and its recommendations to policymakers are based on the latest scholarship. The National Education Policy Center (NEPC) produced this brief with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. This brief is also found on the NEPC website: http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/options - ### -

The mission of the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice is to support and disseminate high quality research and reviews of research for the purpose of informing education policy and to develop research-based resources for use by those who advocate for education reform.

Visit the Great Lakes Center Web Site at: http://www.greatlakescenter.org.

Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/greatlakescent.

Worth A Read

From Friday’s inbox…

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• The Relationship Between Teacher Salaries And Teacher Salary Schedules
• Exposing ALEC’s Agenda to Defund and Dismantle Public Education
• To Close the ‘Opportunity Gap,’ We Need to Close the Vocabulary Gap
• Are Teacher Evaluations Public? Assessing the Landscape
• Will new teacher evaluations help or hurt Chicago’s schools?
• The Dirty Dozen: How Charter Schools Influence Student Enrollment

The Relationship Between Teacher Salaries And Teacher Salary Schedules Posted: 08 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT Matt Di Carlo has reviewed a recently released brief by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). Di Carlo finds that the report is useful, but offers advice and caution in how salary schedules are interpreted and calculated.

Exposing ALEC’s Agenda to Defund and Dismantle Public Education Posted: 06 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association, shares his thoughts on a documentary, The United States of ALEC, featuring Bill Moyers. Regarding ALEC’s agenda and power, Van Roekel had this to say, “So the core of ALEC’s education agenda is about vouchers and privatization. Of course, since educators have unions that resist vouchers and privatization, they will do anything in their power to weaken our unions and silence our voices.”

To Close the ‘Opportunity Gap,’ We Need to Close the Vocabulary Gap Posted: 06 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT Mike Petrilli, executive vice-president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, is the latest to exchange views with Deborah Meier on her Bridging Differences blog. Petrilli discusses a recent panel discussion on the “opportunity gap” with professors Sean Reardon and Prudence Carter. You can read her response here.

Are Teacher Evaluations Public? Assessing the Landscape Posted: 05 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT Stephen Sawchuk updates his readers on the publicly available information regarding teacher evaluations.

Will new teacher evaluations help or hurt Chicago’s schools? Posted: 29 Apr 2013 09:00 PM PDT Sara Neufeld discusses new evaluations in Chicago Public Schools. Will the new evaluations prove a valuable tool or simply another drain on educators’ already stretched time? *Also published in the Atlantic. The Hechinger Report has been taking an in-depth look at efforts to improve teacher effectiveness, find more information here.

The Dirty Dozen: How Charter Schools Influence Student Enrollment Posted: 21 Apr 2013 09:00 PM PDT Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center, offers commentary on twelve different approaches charter schools use to structure their student enrollment.

ALEC’s Report Card Receives Failing Marks

From Thursday’s inbox…

Contact: Christopher Lubienski, (217) 333-4382, club@illinois.edu Dan Quinn, (517) 203-2940, dquinn@greatlakescenter.org ALEC’s Report Card Receives Failing Marks Policymakers should insist on referencing evidence-based research EAST LANSING, Mich. (May 9, 2013) – Ranking states is a popular tool for education advocacy groups, with the goal of advancing a policy agenda based on ideologically driven pre-packaged reforms. These report cards receive considerable media attention, although few reflect research-based evidence on the efficacy of particular polices.  The 18th edition of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) Report Card on American Education: Ranking State K-12 Performance, Progress, and Reform is no different according to an academic review. Christopher Lubienski, associate professor of education policy and Director of the Forum on the Future of Public Education at the University of Illinois, and T. Jameson Brewer, a doctoral student at the University of Illinois, reviewed ALEC’s Report Card for the Think Twice think tank review project. The review was produced by the National Education Policy Center (NEPC), with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. Lubienski and Brewer find that ALEC draws its grades exclusively not from research organizations, but from like-minded market-orientated advocacy organizations. “Furthermore, when studies are highlighted in this report, they do not represent the peer-reviewed research on a given issue, are often of extremely poor quality, and generally unsuited for supporting their claim.” In their review, Lubienski and Brewer provide two key areas – alternative teacher certification and school choice – to highlight gaps between ALEC’s agenda and empirical evidence. Despite multiple claims that a “growing body of research indicates…” – the report offers absolutely no supporting evidence. Math results, which have a lower pass rate, were used to compare traditionally-certified teachers to alternatively-certified teachers. Meanwhile alternatively-certified teachers were portrayed using their reading results. “Many of the grades given to states reflect the level to which pro-market policies have been implemented while the grades systematically ignore meaningful measurements of equality and outcomes” according to the review. Readers of ALEC’s Report Card should consider it a statement of policy preferences and not an overview of research on education reforms. The reviewers conclude, “At best, the report serves as an amalgamation of other like-minded think tanks’ assessments of states’ adoption of pro-market policies, and thus offers nothing new … it provides little or no usefulness to policymakers.” Find the report by Lubienski and Brewer on the Great Lakes Center website: http://www.greatlakescenter.org Find ALEC’s Report Card on American Education: Ranking State K-12 Performance, Progress, and Reform (18th edition) on the web: http://www.alec.org/publications/report-card-on-american-education/ Think Twice, a project of the National Education Policy Center (NEPC), provides the public, policymakers and the press timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. The project is made possible by the support of the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. This review is also available on the NEPC website: http://nepc.colorado.edu –###–

The mission of the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice is to support and disseminate high quality research and reviews of research for the purpose of informing education policy and to develop research-based resources for use by those who advocate for education reform.

Visit the Great Lakes Center Web Site at: http://www.greatlakescenter.org.

Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/greatlakescent.

Find us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/GreatLakesCenter.

Worth A Read

From Friday’s inbox…

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• Please, A Moratorium On Moratoriums. But, Don’t Dismiss What Weingarten Is Saying On Common Core Out Of Hand
• How Will Indiana’s Common Core ‘Pause’ Affect Its NCLB Waiver?
• Evidence doesn’t support choice program expansion
• National Report Card on School Funding Honored As Outstanding Policy Report for 2013
• AERA Issues Report on Prevention of Bullying in Schools and Colleges
• The State of Preschool 2012: Study Finds Drastic State Pre-K Funding Cuts Put Nation’s Youngest Learners at Risk
• HBCU Deans of Education Rethinking How to Make Teaching a Major Attraction
• The real problem in education: the ‘opportunity gap’
• Shifting Assumptions About Teacher Evaluation and Professional Learning

Please, A Moratorium On Moratoriums. But, Don’t Dismiss What Weingarten Is Saying On Common Core Out Of Hand Posted: 30 Apr 2013 09:00 PM PDT Andrew Rotherham discusses recent comments made by Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. Weingarten has called for a moratorium on common core testing.

How Will Indiana’s Common Core ‘Pause’ Affect Its NCLB Waiver? Posted: 29 Apr 2013 09:00 PM PDT Michele McNeil discusses Indiana’s shifting education climate and a bill passed by the state legislature to “pause” implementation of the Common Core State Standards.

Evidence doesn’t support choice program expansion Posted: 29 Apr 2013 09:00 PM PDT The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel editorial board offers their opinion on Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to expand the school voucher program currently in place in Milwaukee. “We [also] remain deeply skeptical of the move by the Legislature two years ago to open up the program to lower middle-income families. If there is any justification for the voucher schools, it’s to give impoverished families a “choice.” We have long supported choice for the poor and believe the program should be limited to those families. Republicans essentially are advocating a shadow school system. Why not work harder to adequately fund and hold accountable the system we have?” The Great Lakes Center funded Think Twice reviews of the Milwaukee School Choice Program. For more information click here.

National Report Card on School Funding Honored As Outstanding Policy Report for 2013 Posted: 29 Apr 2013 09:00 PM PDT “Is School Funding Fair? A National Report Card,” co-authored by Bruce Baker (Rutgers), David Sciarra (Education Law Center), and Danielle Farrie (Education Law Center), received the Outstanding Policy Report Award from the Education Policy and Politics Division of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). The award was given at the association’s annual meeting in San Francisco.

AERA Issues Report on Prevention of Bullying in Schools and Colleges Posted: 29 Apr 2013 09:00 PM PDT The American Educational Research Association (AERA) issued a new report titled: Prevention of Bullying in Schools, Colleges, and Universities: Research Report and Recommendations. “The report results from the work of a blue-ribbon AERA task force mandated to prepare and present practical short-term and long-term recommendations to address bullying of children and youth.”

The State of Preschool 2012: Study Finds Drastic State Pre-K Funding Cuts Put Nation’s Youngest Learners at Risk Posted: 28 Apr 2013 09:00 PM PDT The National Institute For Early Education Research produced the 2012 State Preschool Yearbook, the newest edition of our annual report profiling state-funded prekindergarten programs in the United States. “Even though the nation is emerging from the Great Recession, it is clear that the nation’s youngest learners are still bearing the brunt of the budget cuts,” said NIEER Director Steve Barnett. Reductions were widespread with 27 of 40 states with pre-K programs reporting funding per child declined in 2011-2012.

HBCU Deans of Education Rethinking How to Make Teaching a Major Attraction Posted: 28 Apr 2013 09:00 PM PDT Lydia Lum shares remarks from a session, “A Dialogue with Deans of Education at HBCUs,”  on Historically Black Colleges and Universities at the annual American Education Research Association conference.

The real problem in education: the ‘opportunity gap’ Posted: 25 Apr 2013 09:00 PM PDT Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center, launched a new book “Closing the Opportunity Gap: What America Must Do to Give Every Child an Even Chance.” The book was co-edited with Stanford University Professor Prudence Carter. “The book’s authors explain how some schools and communities are currently addressing these inequities. And they also explain how those experiences could be the foundation for critically needed change in our educational system.” Find more information on the NEPC website.

Shifting Assumptions About Teacher Evaluation and Professional Learning Posted: 25 Apr 2013 09:00 PM PDT Stephanie Hirsh, Executive Director of Learning Forward, writes about shifting the dialogue on teacher evaluation and effectiveness.