Archive for
September, 2010
My mother went to college at McGill University, in Montreal. Under the “British System” of schools, almost the entire grade was based on one final exam. My mother still tells the story of how traumatized she was when she got violently ill on exam day before a math final, and nearly failed the course. (Note: My mother got her Minor in math, and did actually love the subject matter.)
Hearing that story as a child, I was struck by the injustice of it all. Why would you grade a person’s entire learning for the year only by what they could put down on paper during a few hours?
There was an article in the Oregonian a few months ago about the crunch schools are feeling trying to keep up with the demand on their computer labs. Apparently much of the computer time is used for testing, rather than actual course work
Testing is obviously a major topic these days, and a very sore point for many teachers and administrators.
I’d like to propose we use our Lessons Learned from web & software development. Test early, test often, but keep it “light.” Keep analytics of every touch, click and download. Don’t make a big fuss about it, just keep doing it iteratively so that you keep a constant finger on the pulse of your users.
This type of testing requires a completely different paradigm. (more…)
Category:
education reform, Student Success, Teacher advocacy, teaching strategies |
1 Comment »
Tags: classroom tactics, student achievement, technology
A message from Chalkboard: Under the federal laws Chalkboard is prohibited from endorsing political candidates directly or indirectly and we do not intend to do so. We have hosted this discussion for the good of the order.
This Thursday I have the unusual opportunity to attend the KGW-TV gubernatorial debate between Democrat John Kitzhaber and Republican Chris Dudley. I may have been invited to this event because when I submitted my question to KGW on their website, I indicated that I was an undecided voter. I believe that KGW wants me to attend in the hopes that this particular debate may sway my judgment.
That may in fact be a correct assumption on their part. Being a former speech coach, I love the entire debate process, and strong argumentation in such a venue could be enough to tilt me in one direction over the other.
I grew up the son of a “Rockefeller” Republican, which out in these parts would probably be more of a “Packwood” or “Hatfield” Republican. My upbringing lends me to desire a government that is fiscally conservative. To that end, I can relate to Chris Dudley’s calls to shrink some of the largess that exists in our state education system and to attempt to reorganize what could be wasteful expenditures within school districts. In the 18-point plan that he has on his website, he alludes to some thoughtful steps towards change, like requiring all districts to bargain together (as Washington does) and modifying how the state pays for bus transportation in order to realize savings for our cash-strapped education system.
At the same time though, he offers suggestions like increased scholarships to students to attend Oregon universities, which I would wholeheartedly support, but he doesn’t seem to completely sync this proposal with the notion of trying to reduce expenditures responsibly. How can we offer scholarships to our neediest students at universities with skyrocketing tuition costs and still be fiscally responsible? Maybe some clarification on implementation would be helpful to have explained on Thursday night…
I am also a member of the Oregon Education Association, the state teacher’s union, who has recommended that I vote for John Kitzhaber. (more…)
Category:
education reform, Teacher advocacy |
4 Comments »
Tags: activism, budget cuts, Chris Dudley, education agenda, education reform, John Kitzhaber, Oregon schools, political priorities, school funding, Teacher advocacy
Due to budget cuts and low seniority, I have had the privilege (or curse) of teaching at three different schools in the past two years. All three schools are in the same district, but each is vastly different in culture and climate. My current school is literally just up the hill from one of those where I was last year, but it seems like stepping into a different world.
My two former schools were Title 1 schools, where the pressure to meet benchmarks was stressful for teachers and kids. The meeting load, paperwork, and planning for multiple levels of learning took so much time that collaboration and thoughtful lesson planning seemed to take a back seat. The most high needs school lacked funding for innovative projects and hands-on teaching that is so beneficial for kids with little enrichment at home. Most of the dollars coming into this school were used for much-needed personnel and not for supplies, field trips, and innovative teaching tools. Now that I am at a non-title school not only do I have more capable students, I also have a bevy of talented volunteers, and a large PTO cash flow. These aren’t the kids that desperately need trips to get out of the neighborhood and experience life, but they are the ones that receive these benefits. Last year on my one field trips to OMSI, one of my kids asked what the Willamette River was. They had never taken a look at the river! This year as my kids write narratives, they recount stories of skiing and trips to Hawaii.
I can also tell you that for the same pay, I worked much harder at the Title 1 schools than I do now. I wrote out lesson plans for two assistants, ran 5 reading groups, managed 6 special ed students, and accommodated curriculum for 17 English Language Learners. The nagging feeling of inadequacy hung with me the whole time I was there. I knew that if I secured a permanent position there, I would burn out. This year, my class size is the same and the grade the same, but this year I can actually eat lunch. Today, I had a parent come and grade papers for me!
My message is this: teachers teaching in areas of high poverty need:
- more dedicated time for collaboration
- higher pay because of increased hours worked out of class
- lower class sizes
- a greater variety of resources in order to offer catered instruction
- a group of capable classroom volunteers for support
- a fundraising machine such as grant writers or sponsors
Until we address these inequalities, there will continue to be a high rate of teacher burnout and turnover at those schools where stability and experienced teaching is most desperately needed.
Category:
education achievement gap, education reform, parent involvement, Student Success, Teacher advocacy, teacher compensation |
1 Comment »
Tags: at risk students, collaborative culture, education reform, Oregon schools, parent involvement, school funding, student achievement, teacher frustration
We are thrilled to announce that we received word today that Chalkboard, in partnership with seven Oregon school districts, will receive $13.2 million over the next five years from the federal Teacher Incentive Fund.
From the press release:
Each district is participating in the CLASS Project, an initiative that provides school districts with a framework to integrate expanded career paths, effective performance evaluations, relevant professional development and new compensation models. CLASS is an initiative of the Chalkboard Project, an independent, non-profit organization working to strengthen education in Oregon.
“In the four years since the development of the CLASS Project we have seen outstanding results both in terms of student achievement and in the degree to which teachers feel engaged in their own continued learning and in school improvement efforts. The US Department of Education recognizes the importance of supporting effective teaching and we believe we have a model that works,” said Sue Hildick, Chalkboard Project President. (more…)
Category:
CLASS Project, education reform, professional development for educators, student achievement |
No Comments »
Tags: CLASS, education reform, teacher effectiveness
My fondest memories of my years in a small Central Florida public school system in the 1960s and 70s are of my chorus and band instructors. I still have the “create your dream house” art project assigned in 7th grade art. I remember picking that class over the other elective, wood shop.
In 9th grade I got to choose a foreign language to learn, and those studies led to me taking a college semester abroad and then to living overseas on a scholarship for a year. I played on the junior high volleyball team. There was an enrichment center for accelerated students to attend once a week.
The academics weren’t stellar, but the breadth of the curriculum stirs envy by today’s public school standards. Not just in Oregon, music, band, team sports, wood shop, art, P.E. and foreign languages are increasingly viewed as “extras” that K-12 schools can’t afford.
And increasingly, the core services of public schools are at risk. Financial support from private sources, namely families with school-aged children and the communities around schools—the “users”–is increasingly counted on to preserve teaching staff, not just jazz band. (more…)
Category:
education reform, parent involvement |
2 Comments »
Tags: budget cuts, education reform, higher education, parent involvement, political priorities, school funding
Kaaren Heikes is the Executive Director of the Northwest Center for Educational Options. NWCEO serves as the state charter school association in Oregon. Their mission is to collaboratively create and advocate for the development, operation, sponsorship, and accountability of quality public charter schools throughout the Pacific Northwest.
This is the second post in a two-part series on Charter Schools in Oregon. Read the first post here: http://blog.chalkboardproject.org/education-reform/charter-schools-in-oregon-an-overview/
Charter funding
Oregon’s charter school law entitles charter school students to a percentage of the State School Fund, but does not entitle them to any other public funding. Charter school leaders and advocates have long been painfully aware of the funding inequity that charter school students experience. In order to determine the precise level of disparity, NWCEO commissioned a study this past spring. Using only data from the Oregon Department of Education’s financial database and analyzing only public (not private) funds, the study found that:
- The State School Fund (SSF) accounts for only 69% of the public funds that public schools receive.
- Charter school students in Kindergarten through 8th grade receive 80% of the SSF (i.e., 80% of 69%) and charter school students in 9th-12th grade receive 95% of the SSF (i.e., 95% of the 69%).
- On average, charters receive 55% of the revenue per student that districts receive; charters in large districts receive only 49%!
- Overall, charter students accounted for 2.73% of the student population in Oregon in 2008/2009, but only 1.51% of the total public K-12 funding.
- Charter revenue per student varies significantly by district.
- The public funds allocated at the state level for charter school students goes out to districts; it does not remain at the state level, so charter schools do not “save the taxpayers money.” (more…)
Category:
education achievement gap, education reform, parent involvement, Teacher advocacy |
1 Comment »
Tags: Charter schools, collaborative culture, school funding
Yesterday we announced that two of our CLASS districts are making outstanding student achievement gains. They have been integrating new career paths, relevant professional development, effective performance evaluations and new compensation models for the last two years. Last year’s student achievement results as well as teacher perceptions of the project were promising. This year it is clear that these districts are making shifts in their cultures to better support effective teaching and student learning.
Here are a few of the highlights:
In both Sherwood and Tillamook, math and reading gains at the secondary level were at least double those of comparator districts.
Tillamook:
- Since the implementation of the CLASS Project, the share of Tillamook students meeting or exceeding the state math benchmark has increased nearly three times the increase for the state as a whole and 3.5 times the increase for a group of demographically similar comparison districts.
- The increase in Tillamook students meeting or exceeding the reading benchmark was nearly as strong, and again nearly three times the increase for the state and more than four times the increase for the comparison districts.
Sherwood:
- Math and reading gains in Sherwood exceeded comparator district gains. Sherwood math gains also exceeded state-level gains.
- In the 2009-10 school year, Sherwood students met or exceeded the state benchmark in math and reading at higher rates than the statewide average in every grade tested. Sherwood’s meet/exceed rates were between six and 17 percentage points higher than the state average, depending on grade and subject.
Educators is both districts expressed increased satisfaction in their districts’ professional development offerings and overall changes in district culture as well as increased ownership of improvement plans:
- 63% of teachers polled in Tillamook agree or strongly agree that as a result of the CLASS Project, teachers in their schools are actively changing and improving their professional practice.
- 61% of teachers polled in Sherwood agree or strongly agree that as a result of the CLASS Project, teachers in their school have more conversations about teaching and learning.
- In Sherwood, 82% of teachers feel that there is a high degree of vision for school improvement.
All of this data as well as videos of educators in the CLASS districts is available at: www.educators4reform.com
This is the kind of data our parents, teachers and student deserve. We look forward to a time when every district in Oregon has the opportunity to engage in this work.
Category:
Chalkboard Project, CLASS Project, student achievement, Teacher advocacy |
2 Comments »
Tags: Chalkboard Project, CLASS, collaborative culture, education reform, Oregon schools, professional development, student achievement, teacher effectiveness
As the State Board talks about adopting common core standards that a majority of other state have taken on, I find myself wondering about how we determine our progress in meeting those standards. It seems to me that if these states all have the same standards, they should all use the same ruler by which to measure. Makes sense for apples-to-apples comparisons of how school districts are doing across the nation. Yet, I have only just leaned it is not that simple.
Summative vs. formative testing seems to be an issue, as is what some perceive as the cost of implementing new standards, curriculum for standards, and assessments of meeting standards. The later argument does not work with me – we cannot use cost as a reason to not evolve, and, frankly, Oregon schools adopt new standards regularly and already pay for assessments of some sort anyway. It is the former issue that I need your help with.
It seems to me that a summative test at the end of a school year should be used to show how, in general, a school did getting a grade level to meet the standards adopted. This summative test would be the same in every state. The formative tests, however, not only should be state specific but even grade, subject and teacher specific. The teachers should choose the formative tests that they believe will best enlighten them on how to teach the class and where it needs improvement. If the teacher’s goal is to do well on the summative test, shouldn’t they be given the power to figure out how to get there?
Cant’ wait to hear your thoughts on this……
Category:
education reform, student achievement, teacher performance evaluations, teaching strategies |
No Comments »
Tags: education reform, student achievement, teacher effectiveness, test critera
As the 2010-2011 school year begins in earnest, parents and students have probably noticed a few things. Students probably have larger classes or maybe fewer class offerings. Parents are noticing the shortened school year and feeling the more urgent need for volunteers. Most likely they’ve had to dig a little deeper to pay activity fees for school sports or to take that field trip to the beach.
A quick search of the Oregon Live website found over 147 items posted on our schools and the budget cuts in the last two weeks – over 21 postings a day. But the fact is that most Oregonians don’t know much about their district’s budget or where the dollars go, which makes it difficult to know what it really means for the school down the street when reading an article about cuts to a K-12 budget of over $5 billion.
The Open Books Project, an easy-to-use website with information on state and district-level finances, student achievement, and student and teacher demographics, is designed to help Oregonians learn more about the budgets, graduation rates, and student-teacher ratios in their school district and districts across the state.
Last week, Open Books added a section that offers a deeper look at five Oregon school districts, how they’ve been affected by budget cuts and what they are doing to hold their students as harmless as possible in the coming year. Beaverton, Eugene, Salem, Sherwood, and Springfield school districts answered the following questions:
- Are you cutting any full-time employees (FTEs)? If so, how many?
- What is your average class size for the coming year and how does that compare to the last school year or your historical average?
- Has collective bargaining been affected for 2010-11 school year?
- Are you using any type of reserve in your 2010-11 budget?
- What measures has the district taken to meet the needs of the students? Tell us your story in a few sentences.
Visit www.openbooksproject.org to find out more and encourage your district to share their story with us.
Category:
Chalkboard Project, parent involvement |
No Comments »
Tags: budget cuts, class size, Oregon schools, school funding
Kaaren Heikes is the Executive Director of the Northwest Center for Educational Options. NWCEO serves as the state charter school association in Oregon. Their mission is to collaboratively create and advocate for the development, operation, sponsorship, and accountability of quality public charter schools throughout the Pacific Northwest.
This is the first post in a two-part series on Charter Schools in Oregon
What is a charter school?
A charter school is a public school, operated by a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation; typically started by a group of parents, teachers and/or community members as a semi-autonomous school of choice, authorized by a school district, established to provide innovative, flexible and creative educational choices for students and their parents.
Charter schools operate under a charter—performance-based contract—between the charter school board and the board of its sponsoring district. Public charter schools are subject to most laws pertaining to school district public schools, although they have much more flexibility of the “means” (structure and strategies) to get to the “ends” (high academic outcomes—state content standards, state assessments, and state report cards all apply to charter schools). Charters enjoy this flexibility and quasi-autonomy in exchange for extremely high levels of accountability; charters experience more scrutiny than other public schools, as well as more instability—an initial charter agreement lasts a maximum of five years and if a charter fails to produce academic results or to meet other terms in its charter, its sponsor may non-renew or close it.
How did charter schools get started in Oregon? (more…)
Category:
education achievement gap, education reform, parent involvement, student achievement |
No Comments »
Tags: Charter schools, education reform, parent involvement, student achievement, student engagement
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