(you know, that opposition he isn't aware he's been getting?)
I'm seeing some lively activity out on the wires around Rep. Obey's appropriation that would move money from Race to the Top and the Teacher Incentive Fund to the education jobs bill. It seems those who call themselves the "ed reform" crowd are less-than-thrilled at some in Congress remembering who holds the power of the purse (and the policy power that accompanies it).
You can bet that they've got calls into Congress, sounding the alarm to try to "save" the Obama education plan. If you've had your concerns about the direction this administration has taken on education, and you think it's about time that someone stood up against it, call Congress! You can reach the mainswitch board at 202.225.3121. There's a good chance the amendment will be voted on today or tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Ed Reform at 17: audience questions
opens to questions from the audience: Mark Bilotta from the college consortium
wrap-around services: have you seeen one "both systemic and sustainable"
PBIS program, cites Baehr (positive behavioral intervention system)
Boston Connects program (out of BU)
looking at secondary models, as well
Boone recognizes support from state DESE for Level 4 schools
"how will we benchmark the success of our wraparound services?"
Ted Coghlin, the major supporter for the Tech school: professional demands for teachers for those coming in for vocational ed (some basic classes that they have to take, that can't be waived for anyone), recognizing large numbers of retirements coming up
Boone mentions that she has a PhD from an acredited university but still has to take the Mtel writing test (to audience laughter...)
Antonucci says that education is not seen as a career that people want to go into; cites "teaching bashing in the media," accountability, lack of resources in education
Antonucci says "bottom line, it's all about students"
"it's not easy, we'll get criticism, it does take time and it does take resources"
Antonucci says that the foundation "works very well, if it's funded" (most of us on School Committees would disagree)
"we're all committed to the same thing"
"seventeen more years of hard grinding work"
wrap-around services: have you seeen one "both systemic and sustainable"
PBIS program, cites Baehr (positive behavioral intervention system)
Boston Connects program (out of BU)
looking at secondary models, as well
Boone recognizes support from state DESE for Level 4 schools
"how will we benchmark the success of our wraparound services?"
Ted Coghlin, the major supporter for the Tech school: professional demands for teachers for those coming in for vocational ed (some basic classes that they have to take, that can't be waived for anyone), recognizing large numbers of retirements coming up
Boone mentions that she has a PhD from an acredited university but still has to take the Mtel writing test (to audience laughter...)
Antonucci says that education is not seen as a career that people want to go into; cites "teaching bashing in the media," accountability, lack of resources in education
Antonucci says "bottom line, it's all about students"
"it's not easy, we'll get criticism, it does take time and it does take resources"
Antonucci says that the foundation "works very well, if it's funded" (most of us on School Committees would disagree)
"we're all committed to the same thing"
"seventeen more years of hard grinding work"
Ed Reform at 17: Questions
(note that the intial round of questions came from WEC Director Jennifer Davis Carey)
Questions (note that these are coming from the Collaborative, not the audience):
a credible way of evaluating teachers that will improve teacher performance: to Reville
"total inadequate support on the front lines of urban education"
"we gotta do better at that...no young teacher should come into this and not get regular support and evaluation"
"try to strike a balance...look at a number of factors"
"developing a much more vigorous classroom evaluation process"
to O'Sullivan: students make more choices..has ed reform advanced that aim
"I think so. As I look around at what I'm doing now...explosion of people who want to be here and their children are being educated here"
"a lot of indications that we are changing the status quo"
supportive of people who want to be here and want to contribute
Reville points out that we lead (or close to it) the world in science and technology, but points to gap among groups, and that we have lower than the national average interest among students heading to college in wanting to go into science
to DelPrete: what one or two areas do we need to focus on for improvement?
teachers and teaching have been a pretty marginalized subject in ed reform
"refocus the subject on teaching and learning"
"working on the whole continuum of teacher development...how teachers get socialized into the profession...depends on a capacity for teamwork"
"inspiration gap, collaboration gap"
"kids' social capital...kids don't have access to social capital or wider opportunities for learning..we are their social capital..even if we build their education, if we don't build their capacity...they instinctively follow other paths"
"what concretely...how do we get kids to understand the opportunities" out there, where their education might lead?
to Baehr: AYP not a great measure: is this accurate? Is there more that we ought to be using as a measure?
Yes.
"we've seen the limitations of" AYP
"doesn't take into account mobility"
state has "deemphasized" AYP: at Level 3 and 4, we're not limited to AYP
Level 3, built on MCAS and on high school graduation and dropout
20% of lowest achieving will be Level 3 (once 2010 MCAS comes out); priority for assistance
"abandoning AYP for that purpose"
and it wasn't a factor in identifying Level 4 or 5 schools
to Boone: how can the reams of data be used to improve education
"not use data as a negative"
"I think we have to go back to what I refer to as data mining: what can we learn from the data?"
"when we frame and look at data around a set of key questions, we can grow from it"
"more extensive cultures in our schools..in discussing data...through a sense that it is not a negative"
"use data as a tool to drive decisions...that's the premise behind an accountability system in Worcester"
"align resources based on data"
"we have to own the way we've taken data down a negative pathway"
"at the end of the day, do we continue to drive a car...we keep bringing it back with the same malfunction...somebody has to figure out what's going on" (that was an analogy with teacher evaluation being measured by student test scores)
Baehr jumps in: MCAS "equate year to year score"
"a smart, reliable, accurate, valid way to relate MCAS scores year to year"
one kid, year to year, how he did against his peers
between 40 and 60% is typical growth; growth of over 60% is a "school that's really adding value"
"use of potent data can help change practice"
"many have describe MCAS as an autospy...need something more like temperature taking"
quarterly assessment using real MCAS test questions from previous years (yes, folks, that would be four times a year...)
Questions (note that these are coming from the Collaborative, not the audience):
a credible way of evaluating teachers that will improve teacher performance: to Reville
"total inadequate support on the front lines of urban education"
"we gotta do better at that...no young teacher should come into this and not get regular support and evaluation"
"try to strike a balance...look at a number of factors"
"developing a much more vigorous classroom evaluation process"
to O'Sullivan: students make more choices..has ed reform advanced that aim
"I think so. As I look around at what I'm doing now...explosion of people who want to be here and their children are being educated here"
"a lot of indications that we are changing the status quo"
supportive of people who want to be here and want to contribute
Reville points out that we lead (or close to it) the world in science and technology, but points to gap among groups, and that we have lower than the national average interest among students heading to college in wanting to go into science
to DelPrete: what one or two areas do we need to focus on for improvement?
teachers and teaching have been a pretty marginalized subject in ed reform
"refocus the subject on teaching and learning"
"working on the whole continuum of teacher development...how teachers get socialized into the profession...depends on a capacity for teamwork"
"inspiration gap, collaboration gap"
"kids' social capital...kids don't have access to social capital or wider opportunities for learning..we are their social capital..even if we build their education, if we don't build their capacity...they instinctively follow other paths"
"what concretely...how do we get kids to understand the opportunities" out there, where their education might lead?
to Baehr: AYP not a great measure: is this accurate? Is there more that we ought to be using as a measure?
Yes.
"we've seen the limitations of" AYP
"doesn't take into account mobility"
state has "deemphasized" AYP: at Level 3 and 4, we're not limited to AYP
Level 3, built on MCAS and on high school graduation and dropout
20% of lowest achieving will be Level 3 (once 2010 MCAS comes out); priority for assistance
"abandoning AYP for that purpose"
and it wasn't a factor in identifying Level 4 or 5 schools
to Boone: how can the reams of data be used to improve education
"not use data as a negative"
"I think we have to go back to what I refer to as data mining: what can we learn from the data?"
"when we frame and look at data around a set of key questions, we can grow from it"
"more extensive cultures in our schools..in discussing data...through a sense that it is not a negative"
"use data as a tool to drive decisions...that's the premise behind an accountability system in Worcester"
"align resources based on data"
"we have to own the way we've taken data down a negative pathway"
"at the end of the day, do we continue to drive a car...we keep bringing it back with the same malfunction...somebody has to figure out what's going on" (that was an analogy with teacher evaluation being measured by student test scores)
Baehr jumps in: MCAS "equate year to year score"
"a smart, reliable, accurate, valid way to relate MCAS scores year to year"
one kid, year to year, how he did against his peers
between 40 and 60% is typical growth; growth of over 60% is a "school that's really adding value"
"use of potent data can help change practice"
"many have describe MCAS as an autospy...need something more like temperature taking"
quarterly assessment using real MCAS test questions from previous years (yes, folks, that would be four times a year...)
Ed Reform at 17: Boone
Boone: policy implication at the school district level
"part of my attraction to Massachusetts was the history of ed reform...match with my philosophy of education of 'all means all'"
rural areas as well as urban
"early ed reform focused on funding, and that was key, with the achievement piece being there...ed reform two focuses heavily on achievement with wrap around services"
"what we're trained to do is focus on teaching and learning...we have to address those wrap-around needs and not just leave them to chance...families need supports to be successful"
"the jury is going to be out for years and years on No Child Left Behind..one of the things that has come through as a real strength that there is a real expectation that all students will be successful," regardless of race or poverty level
adult behaviors that are associated with student learning: adult acccountability
"we're now at a point when we can find that middle ground...we're going to need both"
"obviously, we have schools along the entire continuum...Worcester will have schools at Levels 1 through 4"
"where will we have the will and the courage to address what needs to happen...a shifting tide...we're caught in the middle of that tide"
"swim with the tide and you'll eventually swim out"
"use the energy...to work with the policy makers so it makes the most sense at the child's level"
"tough for communities to recognize that this is a riptide event"; to swim with the tide and eventually swim out
started on a path to address underperforming schools; what are the supportive services around the schools that are needed?
"and I share Kevin O'Sullivan's perspective on our huge numbers" of special education students
"it's not education for test scores...the MCAS represents one of the benchmarks"
not needing remidial services, enlisted students moving up as they've had a solid education
"a lot of ways that we can connect this in terms of 21st century learning"
"we should be successfull, we have no way to go but in a beneficial route"
"must revist the foundation funding formula...cannot continue to have a negative inflation factor...we've got to get that current in the economic situation"
"the state has got to address the funding formula"
"language concerns me...that achievement gap rests solely within the urban areas...that isn't the case"
multiple measures that will be used as a criteria to get out of Level 4 status; "that's what gives strength"
"quality options in that"
"requires us to focus on wraparound services"
"part of my attraction to Massachusetts was the history of ed reform...match with my philosophy of education of 'all means all'"
rural areas as well as urban
"early ed reform focused on funding, and that was key, with the achievement piece being there...ed reform two focuses heavily on achievement with wrap around services"
"what we're trained to do is focus on teaching and learning...we have to address those wrap-around needs and not just leave them to chance...families need supports to be successful"
"the jury is going to be out for years and years on No Child Left Behind..one of the things that has come through as a real strength that there is a real expectation that all students will be successful," regardless of race or poverty level
adult behaviors that are associated with student learning: adult acccountability
"we're now at a point when we can find that middle ground...we're going to need both"
"obviously, we have schools along the entire continuum...Worcester will have schools at Levels 1 through 4"
"where will we have the will and the courage to address what needs to happen...a shifting tide...we're caught in the middle of that tide"
"swim with the tide and you'll eventually swim out"
"use the energy...to work with the policy makers so it makes the most sense at the child's level"
"tough for communities to recognize that this is a riptide event"; to swim with the tide and eventually swim out
started on a path to address underperforming schools; what are the supportive services around the schools that are needed?
"and I share Kevin O'Sullivan's perspective on our huge numbers" of special education students
"it's not education for test scores...the MCAS represents one of the benchmarks"
not needing remidial services, enlisted students moving up as they've had a solid education
"a lot of ways that we can connect this in terms of 21st century learning"
"we should be successfull, we have no way to go but in a beneficial route"
"must revist the foundation funding formula...cannot continue to have a negative inflation factor...we've got to get that current in the economic situation"
"the state has got to address the funding formula"
"language concerns me...that achievement gap rests solely within the urban areas...that isn't the case"
multiple measures that will be used as a criteria to get out of Level 4 status; "that's what gives strength"
"quality options in that"
"requires us to focus on wraparound services"
Ed Reform at 17: DelPrete
DelPrete: reflect on the recent legislation
"opportunities it provides on best practice"
innovation schools: designed to operate within a district, to enhance systemic improvement
charter schools "elevate the few rather than the majority"
"presents an exciting opportunity...to pursue a distinct path" with autonomy
"autonomy is really a chance to harness best practice"
strong community "where all are valued" and strong achievement
"reform that emphasize one or the other fall short"
"cultural best practice...gives teachers in particular a chance to build a community" of best practice for themselves and their students (I'll be really interested in seeing if this is how Worcester's developing innovation schools actually work out on the ground)
"share accountability over...something they have meaningful" control
cultural best practices
"how do you develop as a reader, writer, thinker"
"flexibility provided by autonomy comes together with standards"
"opportunities it provides on best practice"
innovation schools: designed to operate within a district, to enhance systemic improvement
charter schools "elevate the few rather than the majority"
"presents an exciting opportunity...to pursue a distinct path" with autonomy
"autonomy is really a chance to harness best practice"
strong community "where all are valued" and strong achievement
"reform that emphasize one or the other fall short"
"cultural best practice...gives teachers in particular a chance to build a community" of best practice for themselves and their students (I'll be really interested in seeing if this is how Worcester's developing innovation schools actually work out on the ground)
"share accountability over...something they have meaningful" control
cultural best practices
"how do you develop as a reader, writer, thinker"
"flexibility provided by autonomy comes together with standards"
Ed Reform at 17: Reville
Reville: "critically important work on knitting together" education (WEC)
"how the past chapter of ed reform links up with the current chapter of ed reform"
"felicitious coincidence" of treating all children as our children with the economy requiring that majority of children have high level of education
"how do we do the job to design a system" that gets all students "to proficiency"
"our status is number one in the nation on so many levels"
"but doing well isn't good enough"
"I think we set the right goals; we meant it when we said all mean all"
right architecture of "standards, assessment"
"now have a negative equity gap" among districts
"to be sure we've differed on a lot of particulars...we disagree violently on strategies, but stick with the architecture moving forward"
"building that capacity...if teachers were equipted to educate all students at a high level, they would have been doing it; they wouldn't have waited for policy"
"the beauty of this reform is it keeps us coming back to that core" of teachers, students, curriculum didn't emphasize enough starting early
seeing kids coming into kindergarten with 1/3 the vocabulary of their peers; "gaps that show up very early that tend to get wider with time" (this is evident as early as 1 1/2)
undeniable corralation between poverty and educational attainment: "we can't ignore the relationship there"
"can't ignore that we have kids that don't get to school in the first place..and have things that get in the way once they're there"
"a whole host of issues that get in the way...15-20% of the waking hours" are spent in school
working on "that transaction" between teacher and student
working on "the whole host of issues" surrounding the schools
"the time shouldn't be the constant; the standard should be the constant...a client-centered program with the child"
to hold jobs, to be citizens, to be heads of families
"underline the urgency of getting the job we've started done successfully"
"how the past chapter of ed reform links up with the current chapter of ed reform"
"felicitious coincidence" of treating all children as our children with the economy requiring that majority of children have high level of education
"how do we do the job to design a system" that gets all students "to proficiency"
"our status is number one in the nation on so many levels"
"but doing well isn't good enough"
"I think we set the right goals; we meant it when we said all mean all"
right architecture of "standards, assessment"
"now have a negative equity gap" among districts
"to be sure we've differed on a lot of particulars...we disagree violently on strategies, but stick with the architecture moving forward"
"building that capacity...if teachers were equipted to educate all students at a high level, they would have been doing it; they wouldn't have waited for policy"
"the beauty of this reform is it keeps us coming back to that core" of teachers, students, curriculum didn't emphasize enough starting early
seeing kids coming into kindergarten with 1/3 the vocabulary of their peers; "gaps that show up very early that tend to get wider with time" (this is evident as early as 1 1/2)
undeniable corralation between poverty and educational attainment: "we can't ignore the relationship there"
"can't ignore that we have kids that don't get to school in the first place..and have things that get in the way once they're there"
"a whole host of issues that get in the way...15-20% of the waking hours" are spent in school
working on "that transaction" between teacher and student
working on "the whole host of issues" surrounding the schools
"the time shouldn't be the constant; the standard should be the constant...a client-centered program with the child"
to hold jobs, to be citizens, to be heads of families
"underline the urgency of getting the job we've started done successfully"
Ed Reform at 17: Baehr
Baehr: superintendent in Wellesley at the time
"people hoped that ed reform would pass right by...that's for the city"
"had been working on a common curriculum for the town at the time"
when pressing people, asking what the weaknesses in the framework were
"profound impact on the standards in Lowell"
"if there hadn't been writing, there wouldn't have been writing in the curriculum"
"saw the financial impact, saw the impact that ed reform had on the separation of superintendent and the school committee"
(this is a good and, I think, underappreciated point; the relationship and authority structure fundamentally changed under the Ed Reform Act in 1993)
"I think we identified a lot of problems over time" with the 1993 law, including what happens with kids outside of school
new ed law...new authorities and responsibilities to turnaround the schools that are "most stuck"
IDed 35 schools..."the predictable larger cities"
she runs the numbers (you've seen these) 17,000 students; 9 out of 10 a student of color; 9 out of 10 living in poverty ...
trying to foster and strengthen innovation
requires proven providers for charters, and requires that they seek out underrepresented students
another area that it "needs to address, does not, but has been spoken about a lot"...translating curriculum into "powerful lessons"
"that big black box betwen standards, the learning that goes on, and assessment" has not had enough resources provided for, or work on
"major piece of work that Worcester is engaged with, that many districts are engaged with"
"the curriculum that is actually taught in classrooms is not entirely aligned with frameworks" especially in underserved students' classrooms
"issue of adequacy...major issue still on the table of the adequacy of funding"
funding issue does need to be addressed in terms of adequacy (to which one can only add, indeed!)
"people hoped that ed reform would pass right by...that's for the city"
"had been working on a common curriculum for the town at the time"
when pressing people, asking what the weaknesses in the framework were
"profound impact on the standards in Lowell"
"if there hadn't been writing, there wouldn't have been writing in the curriculum"
"saw the financial impact, saw the impact that ed reform had on the separation of superintendent and the school committee"
(this is a good and, I think, underappreciated point; the relationship and authority structure fundamentally changed under the Ed Reform Act in 1993)
"I think we identified a lot of problems over time" with the 1993 law, including what happens with kids outside of school
new ed law...new authorities and responsibilities to turnaround the schools that are "most stuck"
IDed 35 schools..."the predictable larger cities"
she runs the numbers (you've seen these) 17,000 students; 9 out of 10 a student of color; 9 out of 10 living in poverty ...
trying to foster and strengthen innovation
requires proven providers for charters, and requires that they seek out underrepresented students
another area that it "needs to address, does not, but has been spoken about a lot"...translating curriculum into "powerful lessons"
"that big black box betwen standards, the learning that goes on, and assessment" has not had enough resources provided for, or work on
"major piece of work that Worcester is engaged with, that many districts are engaged with"
"the curriculum that is actually taught in classrooms is not entirely aligned with frameworks" especially in underserved students' classrooms
"issue of adequacy...major issue still on the table of the adequacy of funding"
funding issue does need to be addressed in terms of adequacy (to which one can only add, indeed!)
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