Maine ASCD Weblog

High Stakes Testing?

We are fortunate in Maine - so far - since the craze of high stakes testing spreading the nation as part of NCLB has not been as fervent here as in other states. Still, you can make the case that linking the MEAs to graduation requirements makes the MEA a high stakes test. Perhaps there is still time to reverse this trend.

A research report released this month by the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State makes a very strong case as to why high stakes testing is so perilous. The study, by Sharon L. Nichols, Gene V. Glass, and David C. Berliner present the following four major findings:

• States with greater proportions of minority students implement accountability systems that exert greater pressure. This suggests that any problems associated with high-stakes testing will disproportionately affect America's minority students.
• High-stakes testing pressure is negatively associated with the likelihood that eighth and tenth graders will move into 12th grade. Study results suggest that increases in testing pressure are related to larger numbers of students being held back or dropping out of school.
• Increased testing pressure produced no gains in NAEP reading scores at the fourth- or eighth-grade levels.
• Prior increases in testing pressure were weakly linked to subsequent increases in NAEP math achievement at the fourth-grade level. This finding emerged for all ethnic subgroups, and it did not exist prior to 1996. While the authors believe a causal link exists between earlier pressure increases and later fourth-grade math achievement increases, they also point out that math in the primary grades is far more standardized across the country than the math curriculum in middle school and, therefore, drilling students and teaching to the test could have played a role in this increase. This interpretation is supported by the lack of evidence that earlier pressure increases produced later achievement increases for eighth-grade math achievement or for fourth- and eighth-grade reading achievement.

The complete report and all of this appendices can be found at the Education Policy Research Unit.

One of co-authors of this report is David Berliner who has written an article about the real problems associated with low achievement and poverty. Read "Our Impoverished View of Educational Reform" [PDF] from Teacher College Record.

And of course you should read ASCD's position statements about High Stakes Testing and the Achievement Gap of the ASCD Website.

-John Brandt

Blogging

I've spent part of this afternoon searching the blog world for examples of educational blogs and figuring out how to post them to this blog. Although I am pretty tech savvy, I must admit that there has been a bit of a learning curve here.

In my cruise today, I have found some folks who are very passionate about blogging. I have also found some good examples of blogs that have been set up by teachers around the world and in at least one case, I found a teacher who blogs along with her students. I have added these links to the Maine ASCD blog (under Educational Blogs). Check them out.

Some blog Evangelists suggest that blogging is the wave of the future and that all educators need to get on board or find themselves hopelessly lost in the digital din. Perhaps.

Some see the blog as the stepping stone to more exciting "technologies" down the road. This may also be true.

I think perhaps the best element of blogging is the process of reading and writing that it promotes. By their very nature blogs promote literacy - yes, good old fashioned literacy. And as Martha Stewart is fond of saying, "That's a good thing."

I believe it was Roland Barth who commented at a workshop one evening, "I don't know what I am thinking until I write it down." He may have been paraphrasing some other genius, but I love the quote.

So, if indeed Dr. Barth is correct, then any activity that encourages students to write - also encourages them to think.

And that's what education is all about.

I have also added a "feed" to the webblog-ed blog. It was the most comprehensive and passionate one I found today. Enjoy.

- John Brandt

Different Brains

When I left the confines of my safe parochial Catholic elementary school after eight years of co-institutional classrooms and entered my large, "all-boys" Catholic high school, the idea of separating the sexes didn't occur to me. However, in the first hour of that first day I had an awakening.

Brother Christian, a stocky, tough-looking, fire plug of a man moved to the podium in the enormous auditorium to address the Freshman class. Seated in the audience, along with my 400 fellow inmates, I remember distinctly the first words that came out of his mouth.

"Men, we here at Bishop Loughlin High School ....."

"Men? Who is he talking to?"

I looked around. There were others in the crowd that also seem bemused by this salutation.

And so began my journey of four great years of single-gender education. I learned that day that if you treat boys as men, they actually start to think and behave like men. For some of us, it took a while longer. Indeed there were some of my colleagues who were already shaving. But the attitude of expectation - the expectation of maturity was profound.

Now, the same thing may have happened if the Vice Principal had addressed a group of Freshmen (and Freshwomen) as "Ladies and Gentlemen." But my experience was that removing the gender card from the equation had a rather mellowing effect on the raging hormones of ninth grade (and 10th, 11th and 12th grades for that matter). I became a big believer in single-gender education because it helped me.

There were plenty of opportunities for the genders to meet at Bishop Loughlin. We had monthly dances (yes, they were called Record Hops, ugh) and we imported girls from the local high schools to play the female parts in all of our drama club productions. We even had women teachers. But for my four years at Loughlin, I was surrounded primarily with men who respected each other and expected respect in return.

I must admit that my enthusiasm for single gender education was not universal - among my colleagues - and apparently among the administration, because about five years after I graduated, Bishop Loughlin became co-institutional; it remains so today.

There is an interesting article in Newsweek about this topic. It suggests that due to significant differences in the brains of boys and girls, separation of the sexes in schools is essential. Please read it. The information is controversial and you might or might not agree. Feel free to post your comments by clicking on "comments" below.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9287947/site/newsweek/

- John Brandt

Top Ten List

"Many educators spend their days complying with burdensome regulations and dodging lawsuits. So, for those teachers and principals heading back to school this fall, Common Good has put together a list of ten new school rules (along with a bibliography of media stories) to help them stay compliant and lawsuit free..."

I read this posting on the PEN Weekly NewsBlast ( see http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_current.asp ) and initially thought it to be rather tongue-in-cheek, a la Dave Letterman. However, upon closer reading of the Common Good commentary piece (see http://cgood.org/schools-newscommentary-inthenews-253.html) I realized this is quite serious.

Most of the Top Ten list (see below) are rather predictable - school supplies, grading, behavior issues. But some of entries on the list - and particularly the news articles supporting their inclusion, are striking.

I was particularly interested in Number 9: "No valedictorian shall be named without due process of the law." This one caught my attention as a friend of mine told of an event in a Maine school this spring where the valedictorian was changed literally at the last minute based upon grades on the final exam.

I had not heard of Common Good and found their topics and advisory group compelling. Take a look and see what you think.

Here's the Top Ten list for those who don't want to go elsewhere.

(10) A student may challenge any grade he or she receives;

(9) No valedictorian shall be named without due process of the law;

(8) The assignment of homework shall be subject to judicial review;

(7) The allocation of funds shall not be done according to common sense and need -- thus, teachers must purchase their own supplies;

(6) Since merit pay would violate teacher-tenure rules, the best and most dedicated teachers will be awarded gold stars;

(5) Students who chronically disrupt class will be asked kindly to stop. (But students may be expelled for possession of kitchen utensils, scissors, sunscreen, or other items that vaguely resemble weapons or drugs.);

(4) Since legal constraints don't allow principals to use their judgment, they shall fill staff positions by closing their eyes and pointing;

(3) Teachers found guilty of criminal behavior shall be immediately transferred to another school;

(2) To avoid lawsuits and injury, students will take virtual field trips and no running will be tolerated during recess; and

(1) Teachers must devote equal time to instruction and paperwork.

John Brandt

Katrina

Katrina - such a lovely name. How could a name so lovely be linked to such horror?

Like nearly everyone, I have been overwhelmed by the sadness, anger and disbelief of this event. I have tried to find comfort in the random and all-too-infrequent hopeful stories that have emerged from this tragedy. And, I am trying to find a way to meaningfully contribute to the effort to "make things better."

At this point, the most appropriate first step is to contribute financially. With that in mind, I have placed a link to the Red Cross website on the Maine ASCD homepage. I hope you will help.

I am aware that ASCD and our colleagues in the affected area are looking for meaningful things for us to do which will contribute to the rebuilding effort. You will recall - albeit sadly - that the first ASCD Annual Conference Book Bash was held in New Orleans. The Book Bash was an opportunity to contribute books to the children of New Orleans and the surrounding parishes. I think we may need to have another Book Bash soon.

I was reading a letter from an educator about this tragedy who reminded all educators about how in 2001 we needed to help our students deal with the 9-11 event and that we will need to again find the strength and wisdom to assist our students now. Amen.

I'll post more as we move along. In the meantime, I will share these lyrics taken from a wonderful song by Joe Wise. Very fitting.

Take All the Lost Home
By Joe Wise

Take all the lost home,
Remember their names all.
Their journey is yours friend,
Their faces are gray till you call.

Walk close by the children,
And learn their refrains,
And leave your umbrellas,
While you learn to walk in the rain.

Comfort the old ones.
Be tender and strong.
Rekindle their tired dreams.
Sing them your song, sing your song.

Take all the lost home.
Walk close by the children.
And comfort the old ones.
Till I come again, come again.

- jeb