April 30, 2008
Don't forget to write!BoardBuzz came across an interesting article in USA Today last week on every high school senior's favorite test, the SAT. The article highlighted two recent studies looking at how effectively the SAT's new writing section (introduced in 2005) predicted college freshman grades. Both reports, one by the College Board (who administers the SAT) and the other by the University of California, found that the new writing section was indeed a good predictor of college freshman grades. Actually it’s even a better predictor than the traditional math and critical reading (formally verbal) sections.
These results show once again that while math, reading, and science are important, well developed writing skills are critical to the future success of our students and should not be overlooked. Students need to leave high school with content knowledge AND the ability to communicate that knowledge clearly and succinctly whether or not they plan to attend college.
In this digital age of instant messaging, email, social networking, and of course blogging, the written word is taking on a growing importance. However, writing is a 21st Century skill that often takes a back seat to math and science. That is why you should check out our friends at the Center for Public Education in the coming months as they look into the knowledge and skills that will be needed in this new century. The Center will look beyond just math and science skills to determine what skills students need to not only get a good job but to be quality citizens as well.
In the mean time you can check out how students fared on the SAT and the ACT, and explore many other educational issues at www.centerforpubliceducation.org.
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April 29, 2008
Gentlemen (and ladies) start your enginesIt was bound to happen. Someone found a way to make NASCAR educational. BoardBuzz kids you not. So for all you speed freaks out there, pay close attention to this story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It seems that Alpharetta High math teacher Jane McAlister has found a way to make math "fun as well as educational" all by using NASCAR as a guide.
The course description in the 2008 Spring catalog reads: "If you think this is a simple-minded sport for rednecks, you are in for the ride of your life."The class embraces all things speed, and looks at the big picture in a mathematical context.
Classroom discussions include the dimensions of a track, the measurements of a race car and how the two can work for or against the driver.
Keeping up with the NASCAR Chase for the Cup, and who is up or down in the complex points system, is all part of the curriculum. Homework assignments include watching Speed TV and weekend NASCAR and Indy car races.
The class is part of Alpharetta High's Talented and Gifted (TAG) program. Students take the class in addition to their regular course work, but don't get a letter grade for the extra seminar. Students who complete the class get a "gifted participation" designation on their high school transcripts, McAlister said.
The early inspiration for the class came when McAlister was still teaching math at nearby Milton High School. Michelle Theriault was a student.
"She'd come to me every now and then and ask for three weeks worth of assignments because she was going racing," said McAlister. "And I thought, 'If she's interested in this there have to be other teenagers interested.' "
Theriault, who started racing long before she had a driver's license, competes in various NASCAR and ARCA events and dreams of becoming a NASCAR champion.
McAlister said Theriault's passion for her sport made her wonder if a class that studied racing would work.
And the rest, as they say, is history. It's innovative programming like this that keeps kids engaged and makes them want to learn. What kinds of creative curricula do you have in your district? Tell us about it by leaving a comment.
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April 18, 2008
Darwin, back againBoardBuzz is a fan of Charles Darwin—enough to lament having missed Darwin Day back in February. And now we bring you some exciting Darwin news.
The complete works of Charles Darwin are finally available to anyone, anywhere to read, i.e., they've made their way onto the internet. And it only took 126 years for that to evolve (groan)! This vast collection includes his notes from the five-year voyage of the HMS Beagle, where he collected fossil and specimen samples and first began to formulate his theory of evolution, the first draft of his Origin of Species from the 1840s, and even his wife Emma's recipe book.
Wired Science reports:
Cambridge University, where Darwin studied theology, has digitized and published on the internet its collection of some 30,000 items and 90,000 images by the man who changed the course of science by writing the evolutionary primer, The Origin of Species, in 1859.
The original draft of that seminal work, until now available only to scholars at the Cambridge University Library, is among those now online. There are even some audio samples, like the spoken-word version of the last sentence of Origin of the Species -- alas not in the voice of Darwin himself, who died in 1882.
"This release makes his private papers, mountains of notes, experiments, and research behind his world-changing publications available to the world for free," John van Wyhe, director of the project, said. "His publications have always been available in the public sphere -- but these papers have until now only been accessible to scholars."
BoardBuzz loves seeing history preserved for the ages. There is now plenty of "new" information for students and teachers to explore, but perhaps his original works will spark new debate over the theory of evolution. As Wired Science points out:
From the Scopes trial of 1925, to the 1987 Supreme Court ruling in Edwards v. Aguillard against teaching creationism in public schools, to the 2005 ouster of the Dover, Pennsylvania, school board which had sanctioned the teaching of “intelligent design,” to the “Teach the Controversy” mantra of creationists in intelligent-design clothing to the embrace by President Bush of i.d. education -- the conversation started by Darwin has shown no real sign of abating.
In January, Legal Clips reported that Florida was debating the place of evolution in science standards. Current Florida standards, approved in 1996, refer to "biological change over time," and contain a description of evolution, but no mention of the word itself. Debate in Florida echoes that in Texas, which is preparing a similar revision of its science-education standards.
BoardBuzz is happy to report that Florida's State Board of Education voted in February to use the term "scientific theory of evolution" in its new science standards, the first time the word "evolution" has been included. Yet anti-evolution sentiments do exist and have been addressed in reports such as "Science, Evolution, and Creationism," from the National Academy of Sciences, that argues that creationism does not belong in science class.
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March 24, 2008
Around the world in 21 yearsIt started out as a lesson on oceans, and 21 years later, a message in a bottle has made waves (groan). BoardBuzz saw this story on ABCNews.com, and was fascinated.
When Emily Hwaung was in fourth grade she placed a message in a bottle, as a part of a school project, and cast it off to sea. The note read:
This letter is part of our science project to study oceans and learn about people in distant lands. Please send the date and location of the bottle with your address. I will send you my picture and tell you when and where the bottle was placed in the ocean. Your friend, Emily Hwaung
And here we are some 21 years later. The letter, which was launched from a suburb of Seattle, was discovered more than 1,700 miles away in Alaska. Emily, no longer a fourth grader, but a 30 year-old accountant, has really gotten "a kick out of" the story and the bottle resurfacing all these years later.
BoardBuzz wonders if that model of the solar system we did in fourth grade will find us again somehow.
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March 21, 2008
Sad but trueBoardBuzz was pointed in the direction of this website from our friends at the Public Education Network (PEN)'s weekly Newsblast (which if you don't get, you should definitely sign up for).
It seems that Tom Chapin, the product of public schools, is disappointed (as is BoardBuzz) in the cuts that are taking place to art, music, and other stuff that's "Not on the Test." And in this digital age, Tom has put his thoughts to music, made a video and posted it to the internet. He laments,
Your School Board is faced with no child left behind
With rules but no funding, they’re caught in a bind.
So music and art and the things you love best
Are not in your school ‘cause they’re not on the test.
Sleep, sleep, and as you progress
You’ll learn there’s a lot that is not on the test.
Debate is a skill that is useful to know,
Unless you’re in Congress or talk radio,
Where shouting and spouting and spewing are blessed
'Cause rational discourse was not on the test.
And while the lyrics do elicit a chuckle, it actually makes BoardBuzz feel like crying. Chapin is right, school boards' hands are often tied when dealing with the requirements of NCLB. The good news is that some school districts are doing whatever they can to incorporate the things that aren't on the test. We loved this story from the Washington Post about one school in Maryland that threw testing to the wind in favor of a day of arts instruction.
For more information on No Child Left Behind, NSBA's recommendations for changes to the law, and the law's reauthorization, click here.
What's your school district doing to ensure that students receive a well-rounded education, incorporating subjects beyond what's required on the test? Leave a comment and tell us about it.
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March 14, 2008
Gates advises Congress on education, immigrationBoardBuzz isn't sure where to begin. Let's start with the facts. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates paid a visit to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to testify before the House Committee on Science and Technology. He presented a wish list that you may recognize from last year. Gates wants more money for math and science education, more funds for research, and more visas for skilled foreign workers. His testimony focused much on global competitiveness and the need for the U.S. to drastically reform its immigration program. As the Washingont Post reports:
In his last scheduled testimony to Congress before he retires, Gates said those provisions are necessary for the United States to maintain a competitive edge in technology innovation. He said some of the most talented graduates in math, science and engineering are temporary residents and cannot get the visas they need to take jobs with U.S. companies.
This perspective has incited much debate about immigration and the "offshoring" of jobs. However, Gates brings up an interesting point. "U.S. innovation has always been based in part on foreign-born scientists and researchers," he said. "The fact that their smartest people have wanted to come here has been a huge advantage to us, and in a sense, we're kind of throwing that away."
BoardBuzz is reminded that some of "America's" greatest minds were in fact foreign nationals at one time. Albert Einstein probably being the most prominent. However, there certainly is a difference between seeking to incorporate great minds into our workforce and simply sending jobs overseas.
The debate over this issue surrounds Gates's demand to increase the number of H-1B visas issued annually. Currently, only 65,000 visas may be issued, and that number is generally filled within the first day the visa process opens. H-1B visas allow employers to hire foreign workers with specific skills. Last year, Microsoft was not able to get visas for about one-third of its prospective foreign employees, claims Gates. Microsoft even went so far as to establish a Canadian outpost for these workers just across the border.
Critics have said the H1-B program takes jobs from Americans and pushes down wages. They are strictly opposed to any growth of the program. The Post illustrates some of the contention within Congress over this issue:
Rep. Steven R. Rothman (D-N.J.) asked Gates if he thought there should be any limit on the number of visas issued, and facetiously asked if IQ tests should be administered to determine who is worthy of earning permanent-resident status.
As Ars Technica summarizes:
It remains to be seen whether Gates will get the increase he has requested. Proposals to increase skilled immigration have been debated before, but the limit of 65,000 H-1B visas has not changed in recent years.
Education reform was also a major component of Gates's speech. Science and math education must be improved, says Microsoft. Gates praises Congress for passing the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act of 2007 (America COMPETES Act). The America COMPETES Act contains provisions for training new teachers in STEM subjects and to provide additional resources to science, technology, and engineering research through the National Science Foundation. Now Congress must follow through by fully funding the legislation’s educational initiatives because only the government has the resources needed "to effect change on a broad scale," said Gates.
But Bill Gates has a less than optimistic view of our education system:
"Like many others, I have deep misgivings about the state of education in the United States. Too many of our students fail to graduate from high school with the basic skills they will need to succeed in the 21st Century economy, much less prepared for the rigors of college and career. Although our top universities continue to rank among the best in the world, too few American students are pursuing degrees in science and technology. Compounding this problem is our failure to provide sufficient training for those already in the workforce."
Gates cited low graduation rates and a lack of college preparedness as two troubling factors impacting students. Fewer than 40 percent of graduating high school students are prepared to enter college without taking remedial courses in material "they should have learned in high school," claims Gates. BoardBuzz suggests that you look to the Center for Public Education for the straight story on high school graduation rates.
Education reform was the final component of Gates's speech. To improve the competitiveness of our workforce, Gates advocated changes to public schools and colleges. He touted a number of initiatives undertaken by his foundation. Working with several nonprofit organizations, the Gates Foundation has funded programs to measure student achievement, improve graduation requirements, and recruit and retain effective teachers. He also highlighted three cases in which the Gates Foundation has directly supported the creation of new math- and science-focused schools:
Finally, Gates emphasized the importance of basic research:
Federally funded research supports the education of the next generation of scientists and engineers, those who will largely determine whether the United States remains innovative and globally competitive, said Gates. Therefore, he asked Congress to increase federal funding, and to renew and make permanent the research and development tax credit, which allows private companies to write off research-related expenses. According to his written testimony, in inflation-adjusted dollars, federal funding for physical sciences research has been flat for two decades. This stagnation in spending comes at a time when other governments, such as in China and the EU, are increasing their public investments in R&D.
BoardBuzz thinks Gates is a great visionary and philanthropist, but we aren't sure what to make of his stance on immigration or his seemingly dim view of public education. Leave us a comment and tell us your opinion.
Microsoft offers a transcript of his oral testimony if you'd like to read it in full.
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December 13, 2007
Security starts at school?BoardBuzz was intrigued by this front page article in USA Today earlier this week. It seems a high school in Maryland is now offering a homeland security program to teach students who are interesting in pursuing that field after school. Students seem to get a lot out of it, and the school and program, the first of its kind, are attracting attention.
"We're trying to set high expectations," says student Megan Bell, 15. "We don't want to be known as just the school with the good football team. Now we have homeland security."Other school districts are taking notice. [Frank] Mezzanotte says he's been contacted by individual schools and education departments in more than a half-dozen states.
"Joppatowne broke the ground for all of us," says Lise Foran of Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland. Next fall, Meade High School will begin a Homeland Security program. "We're following in Joppatowne's footsteps."
And on Wednesday, Mezzanotte will be in Las Vegas, where he has been asked to give a presentation on the program to the Association for Career and Technical Education annual conference.
Some question whether the program will teach students to be open-minded about the government's national security policies, given its goal of getting kids jobs with defense and homeland security contractors and the military. The liberal magazine Mother Jones dubbed Joppatowne "the academy of military-industrial-complex studies."
BoardBuzz thinks this is a great way to give students "real world" exposure in high school and prepare them for world we live in. Critics argue that the program could be used to indoctrinate students, but the connections that it allows for students to draw between their classroom and the world in which they live are invaluable. We think Megan Bell, a student at the school expresses it best, "I look forward to homeland security. It's good to learn something new and be able to connect it to something else."
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December 11, 2007
Is more better?BoardBuzz came across an article in USA Today that talks about how if schools increased math instruction by 10 minutes each day math achievement would rise. The article was based on a report released this morning by the Brooking Institute's Brown Center for Education that compared the math achievement of 8th graders in 20 countries between 1995 and 2003. However, the increase in math scores was not exactly overwhelming; a mere 19 points on an 800 point scale. Besides, as the report noted, between 1995 and 2003, U.S. math scores actually increased as time for instruction decreased by 4 minutes a week.
BoardBuzz was curious what other research was out there about class time so we visited our friends at the Center for Public Education. Their report on Time and Scheduling points out that, indeed, increasing instructional time can improve student achievement. However, the Center's report also notes out that any additional time should focus on academic activities and that effective professional development should be put in place so teachers learn how to use those extra minutes effectively. So just like so many other education reform ideas BoardBuzz has heard over the years, increasing math instruction may lead to higher math achievement, but only if done correctly.
On another note, while going through the Brooking's report, BoardBuzz noted that private school enrollments have been decreasing since the 1960s while public school enrollments have increased. Riddle us this: if public schools are getting worse as some critics say, why then are more and more parents choosing to send their children to public schools over private schools?
To learn more about time and scheduling, international comparisons and many other educational issues of the day, check out www.centerforpubliceducation.org.
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November 26, 2007
Biotech buzzYou can't be in the education world these days without hearing the familiar refrain about students' preparedness for a global marketplace. How will they compete? Will U.S. companies have to go abroad to find employees with the skills necessary to fill their jobs? What can we do to get ahead and stay ahead? BoardBuzz has certainly heard it all before.
But one teacher in San Francisco has his finger on the pulse and is preparing his students for the biotech field in a very unique way. This article in the New York Times details the story of George Cachianes and his innovative approach to biotechnology.
More than a decade ago, after George Cachianes, a former researcher at Genentech, decided to become a teacher, he started a biotechnology course at Lincoln High School in San Francisco. He saw the class as way of marrying basic biotechnology principles with modern lab practices — and insights into how business harvests biotech innovations for profit.If you’re interested in seeing the future of biotechnology education, you might want to visit one of George Cachianes’s classrooms. “Students are motivated by understanding the relationships between research, creativity and making money,” he says.
Lincoln has five biotech classes, each with about 30 students. Four other public high schools in San Francisco offer the course, drawing on Mr. Cachianes’s syllabus. Mr. Cachianes, who still teaches at Lincoln, divides his classes into teams of five students; each team “adopts” an actual biotech company.
The students write annual reports, correspond with company officials and learn about products in the pipeline. Students also learn the latest lab techniques. They cut DNA. And recombine it. They transfer jellyfish genes into bacteria. They purify proteins. They even sequence their own cheek-cell DNA.
BoardBuzz is impressed. And it's not just San Francisco either. In Mesa, Ariz., they're doing it too.
“Our whole goal is to transform the work force,” says Xan Simonsen, who coordinates the biotech program for high schools in Mesa, Ariz. The schools follow a curriculum very similar to San Francisco’s, including an emphasis on learning about the biotech business.To be sure, biotech lab work is expensive. Mr. Cachianes’s classroom in San Francisco has about $500,000 of equipment, obtained mainly through grants and donations from local companies. (The spending total was similar for the Mesa district’s biotech labs.)
Perhaps most important is the philosophy Mr. Cachianes holds, one that should be a "no brainer" -- that if we believe in our students and push them, they can achieve. "The lesson here is that seeds of innovation are sown in high school — and that setting higher expectations can encourage better performance. 'Our kids can shatter limits,' Mr. Cachianes says, 'if we adults take a risk and give them the chance to try.'”
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November 5, 2007
Science Education: Myth and RealityBoardBuzz was intrigued when we came across an article in BusinessWeek called “The Science Education Myth.” The article is based on a new report by the Urban Institute that found that there is no shortage of qualified workers to fill scientist and engineering jobs and our nation’s schools actually produce a surplus of qualified workers.
How can this be? All BoardBuzz hears about is how poorly our students are performing in math and science, putting our economy at-risk. The article rebuffs the common held misconception that our students are performing poorly in math and science. It also points to the fact that students are earning more math and science credits in high school and that scores on the only national test of math, science, and reading, the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), have been increasing too. Which, contrary to popular belief, shows schools have been making progress over the past couple decades in all three subjects.
But have these national gains translated into improvements compared to other countries? The article takes on this question stating that they have indeed translated into better performances internationally. The article claimed that “...the U.S. has ranked a consistent second place in science” on international assessments. Now BoardBuzz has read The Center for Public Education’s More than a horse race: A guide to international tests of student achievement earlier this year and the Center’s report didn’t seem to jive with what we read in BusinessWeek. For example, U.S. students do not currently rank second in science in any grade in either of the major international assessments (TIMSS and PISA). Actually, according to The Center’s report, in 2003 U.S. students were significantly outperformed by three countries in the 4th grade, by seven countries in 8th grade, and U.S. 15-year olds were outperformed by 15 countries, not exactly a consistent second place.
However, as the Center points out, these results don’t show that the U.S. is at the bottom of the heap and they don’t show we’re are at the head of the class either. U.S. students tend to rank in the middle of the pack, even when compared to similar industrialized nations, in both math and science, which shows we are doing some good work but we have room to improve. And as anyone who has read the Center’s report knows we should get beyond using the international data to determine who is winning the horse race and instead focus on using the wealth of data collected from these international assessments to learn from other countries how to improve student achievement.
Although there may not be a shortage of scientists and engineers that will threaten the country’s economic well-being, it does not mean the focus on improving the math and science achievement of our nation’s students is unfounded. Too many of our students leave school without the knowledge and skills they need to compete in the 21st Century global economy. That is why we need to continue the progress we have been making in math and science, as well as all other subjects, so that all students are prepared for life in the 21st Century.
Of course the million dollar question is, “What exactly are the skills students need to compete in the 21st Century?” It hasn’t been fully answered so check out the Center’s website www.centerforpubliceducation.org throughout the year as it looks to answer this and other questions on 21st Century Skills.
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July 30, 2007
Write or wrong?In the days of NCLB, AYP, and all the requirements therein, not to mention the prevalence of the keyboard, an old standard of elementary school education is falling by the wayside: penmanship. The AP (via CNN) covers the subject here.
The article points out that, "The reality in many schools is that handwriting instruction has slid far down the list of education priorities. Many teachers have all they can do to ready students for standardized tests and requirements for core courses like math, science and reading." So what's a kid to do? "For one thing, younger children may not have the skills to fully learn keyboarding, and not all classrooms have computers. Handwriting is how young students express themselves and develop as learners, said Steve Graham, special education professor at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee."
Additionally, it seems there is some benefit to students who learn cursive handwriting.
On the essay section of the SAT, required by most colleges for admission, students writing in cursive averaged slightly higher scores than those who printed. The College Board, which administers the SAT, said the difference wasn't significant and couldn't be attributed to handwriting, yet the result has intrigued researchers.In one study, college students who took good lecture notes got higher scores on essay tests. The best predictor of quality notetaking was writing speed, said researcher Stephen T. Peverly, professor of psychology and education at Columbia University's Teachers College in New York.
"Since at least for many kids the thoughts they think up are a little ahead of their handwriting, they need to be able to write fast or they're going to forget them," he said. Faster writing also helps the brain spend less effort on forming letters and more on higher-order cognitive tasks like composing good essays, he said.
Cursive or not to cursive, that is the question.
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February 28, 2007
Music to our earsBoardBuzz told you previously about the eighth annual survey of 100 Best Communities for Music Education. And the wait is over. The list was released this week, showcasing the very best across the country.
The survey even caught the eye of BroadwayWorld.com, which published this article. Perhaps some of the students in these prestigious districts will find homes on Broadway thanks to the excellent music education they receive at school.
"Arts are designated as core subjects within the federal No Child Left Behind Act, and the districts that participated in the 'Best 100' survey, and those who are being recognized here today, know that music education is connected to success in school and in life," said Mary Luehrsen, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations for NAMM. "The results of this year's survey found that music programs receive support from many parts of a community-teachers, administrators, boards of education and community members, including local business owners. Parents, however, are the strongest force in assuring that young people have access to music as part of a complete education." Luehrsen encourages parents who are committed to music and arts education for their children to become active locally by supporting efforts to be sure that all children have equal access. Support for community-based advocacy is available at www.supportmusic.com.Participants in the survey answered detailed questions about funding, enrollment, student-teacher ratios, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, private music lesson participation, and other factors in their communities' music education program. The responses were verified with district officials, and the sponsoring organizations reviewed the data.
You can view the complete list and see if your school district is one of the 100 best by clicking here. Learn about the participating organizations, including NSBA, by clicking here. And learn more detailed information about the survey itself by clicking here.
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December 19, 2006
A how-to for the 21st centuryTime Magazine, yes, the same people who brought us ourselves as the "Person of the Year", recently came out with an article touting "How to bring our schools out of the 20th Century." BoardBuzz will forgive them for their cop-out of naming us (although we were flattered and are considering adding it to our resume) as Person of the Year, because the article offers some really interesting suggestions for updating the modern school.
The article criticizes the "big public conversation the nation is not having about education, the one that will ultimately determine not merely whether some fraction of our children get 'left behind' but also whether an entire generation of kids will fail to make the grade in the global economy because they can't think their way through abstract problems, work in teams, distinguish good information from bad or speak a language other than English," and goes on to criticize the competency required by NCLB as "the meager minimum."
Fine. And the article actually offers solutions for what needs to change, including: making students into "global citizens," learning a foreign language and foreign history; interdisciplinary learning and "thinking outside the box"; being able to process and digest the sources that are coming at them from all directions--this is the information age, after all; and becoming students with high EQs (that's emotional intelligence) as well as high IQs.
And there are innovative schools and teachers who are tackling these tasks head on. For example, a second grade class as John Stanford International School in Seattle challenges students to name how many ways you can combine nickels dimes and pennies to get 20 cents. All students at the school take some classes in either Japanese or Spanish. "Stanford international shows what's possible for a public elementary school, although it has the rare advantage of support from corporations like Nintendo and Starbucks, which contribute to its $1.7 million-a-year budget."
Farmington High School in Michigan has an engineering-technology department that "functions like an engineering firm, with teachers as project managers, a Ford Motor Co. engineer as a consultant and students working in teams. The principles of calculus, physics, chemistry, and engineering are taught through activities," and results in kids who "learn to apply academic principles to the real world, think strategically, and solve problems."
It sounds like we can all take a lesson from these innovative programs. Do you know of a 21st century program? Leave a comment and tell us about it.
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December 6, 2006
Is your community making beautiful music?It may not be the Billboard Hot 100, but this top 100 is even more important ... one might even say that the future of the Billboard Hot 100 depends upon it. The American Music Conference (AMC) is conducting the eighth annual survey to find the Best 100 Communities for Music Education. The press release notes, "Numerous research studies continue to reveal the positive relationship between music education and success in school and life." Just ask any American Idol finalist!
Since 2000, the Best 100' survey has assessed a community's actions and commitment to music through budget, staffing, variety of programs, instructor certification, availability of private instruction and other criteria. The results are measured proportionally, so that communities of different sizes are compared on an equal footing. The survey's sponsors encourage people to complete the survey themselves, or pass it along to school administrators and independent educators in their communities who may best be able to fill in the required data.
"Music education is integral to a quality education and a child's education is really not complete without music," says Mary Luehrsen, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations for NAMM, the International Music Products Association. "Research tells us that music education builds strong bridges to success in school and in life. The Best 100' survey highlights communities in America that are committed to creating opportunities for music education for children and young people."
NSBA is a partner along with other organizations in support of this program. The survey is currently accepting online submissions through January 23. The survey can be completed at www.amc-music.org and is open to anyone—school board members, parents, teachers, school administrators, community members—who thinks their community deserves the spotlight.
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October 20, 2006
Never underestimate the power of suggestionA new study out this week indicates that women who are told they cannot do well in math fall victim to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Forbes is reporting on a study conducted by Canadian researchers that says "women who were told that men were better equipped, genetically, to solve math problems performed worse on math tests than women not exposed to this notion."
The study notes that this phenomenon is called "stereotype threat" in which "individuals from stereotyped groups often 'choke' in situations where those stereotypes are put to the test."
The findings also point to the new power of genetic theory to reinforce negative stereotypes, experts say. For example, women who are told they have a "gene" for poor math performance may then feel there's no point in trying to prove otherwise.In that sense, genetics may be as powerful a tool for discrimination today as religious dogma was in the past, experts say.
The "stereotype threat" is not new to researchers, and "usually, all that is needed for it to kick in is a subtle reminder that the person belongs to a stereotyped group -- for example, asking them to check a box for race or gender at the top of an exam." This new research goes a step further and examines whether certain ideas about gender make the stereotype threat even stronger.
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September 15, 2006
Happy Constitution DayThis Sunday is Constitution Day. NSBA has earned something of a Scrooge-like reputation about this midnight concoction of Congress, as this Cleveland Plain Dealer article reflects. Long-time BoardBuzz readers will recall our initial groans, here, which the Plain Dealer encapsulates as follows:
Some educators have noted an irony in this unfunded mandate, saying it steps on the Constitution's Tenth Amendment, which has been interpreted to bar the federal government from setting educational curricula. Congress should not become a school board, the National School Boards Association and the American Council on Education agreed.
More here, and small but welcome favor noted here. NSBA wasn't alone, of course, and even some who are not attuned to the collective problem of every group in America thinking it's got another great idea for a law telling schools what to do wondered whether the whole thing was a bit gimmicky compared to real issues like overall curricular standards.
As we acknowledged then, though, even if this was a disturbing precedent there's a lot to be said for efforts to make Americans more constitutionally aware, especially when it comes to public education. Things like this, for example. And, as we said, the Tenth Amendment. So here's a collection of resources on the Constitution. Have a fun browse. Bah. Humbug.
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September 12, 2006
Homework schomework?For years, students have wondered why they have to do homework, and now experts are wondering that as well. An article in yesterday's Washington Post reports that younger students may not get any academic benefit from homework. And with that, thousands of of elementary schoolers breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The article, by the way, noted that the American Child Health Association, in the 1930s cited "homework and child labor as leading killers of children who contracted tuberculosis and heart disease." Yowsa! Turns out homework actually can kill you!
Even teachers can't agree on whether or not homework is beneficial or not. At the heart of the issue are two things: Many teachers "get little or no training on how to create homework assignments that advance learning," and "parents are too involved or negligent."
Alfie Kohn examines this in his new book, The Homework Myth. In a recent Education Week column, he writes, "I am always fascinated when research says one thing and we are all rushing in the other direction. It is striking that we have no evidence that there is any academic benefit in elementary school homework," he said. "Then people fall back on the self-discipline argument and how it helps students learn study skills. But that is an urban myth, except that people apply it in the suburbs, too."
BoardBuzz can almost feel the ground shake as children jump for joy. Additionally, the research coupled with teachers' feelings about the merits (or lack thereof) of homework isn't always backed up by school district policies and curriculum.
Read BoardBuzz's previous thoughts here.
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September 6, 2006
Next ... BoardBuzz stock tipsDid we call this one, or what?
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August 16, 2006
Expanding in the ed marketEducation as a capitalist venture? Suh-weet for some. And who better than the College Board, those folks who brought us the SAT and Advanced Placement tests? With a new strategy and products targeting middle and high school classrooms, as well as principals and educators, will the College Board become the Microsoft of the education arena?
The New York Times reports today that the board is "marketing new products, like English and math curriculums for grades 6 through 12. It has worked with New York City to start five College Board Schools, with plans to open 13 more in New York and other cities by 2007. It is also trying to improve existing schools, starting this fall with 11 public high schools outside New York State and adding 19 next year. In November, it will open an institute for principals."
And if the College Board is Microsoft, then its Bill Gates is President Gaston Caperton, a former governor and business executive who came to the board in 1999. According to NYT, "Under Mr. Caperton, the board's revenues have doubled to about $530 million, and the new products are likely to bring millions more. Mr. Caperton has more than doubled the board's staff and increased its assets." Interestingly enough, the board is strongly supported by (who else) the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
With his goals of making "the College Board play a bigger role in American education, to be a force to make American education better," Caperton is leading the education giant down an interesting road. Critics wonder "whether [the board's] entry into middle and high schools will bring too much standardization of curriculum and further promote a culture of testing."
What do you think?
Posted at 3:52 PM | Link to this story | Comments (0)
August 8, 2006
Elementary students learn the ins an outs of bonjour, hallo, ciao, and holaWashington, D.C. area elementary schools are stepping things up a bit by adding bilingual programs. According to an article in today's Washington Post, schools are responding to a "call from government and business leaders who say the country needs more bilingual speakers to stay competitive and even to fight terrorism."
What educators have long known, that younger students have the greatest ability to learn and absorb languages and those who are bilingual at a young age have an easier time of learning a third or fourth language later on, is now coming to the forefront as school districts step up elementary bilingual programs.
Kindergarteners in seven schools in Fairfax County, Va. started last week with Spanish lessons. Shepherd Elementary in the District will offer a pre-kindergarten French immersion program, while Thomson Elementary will offer Mandarin immersion.
"The U.S. Department of Education recently pointed out that more than 200 million children in China are studying English in primary school, but only 24,000 students in U.S. schools are learning Chinese." And some savvy parents are already thinking ahead to the doors speaking another language can open when it comes time to enter the work force. "China is quickly becoming a dominant player in the world economy, and I want my child prepared for that," said Claire Hassett, a director of product marketing for Verizon Business, and mother of Sam, 7, who is learning Mandarin. "There are a lot of countries not as rich as ours that are teaching their children a second language. I feel it's smart public policy."
The article does point out that
a shift toward adding foreign language for the youngest students is not easy. School systems are already required by the federal No Child Left Behind law to improve student achievement on math and reading tests. That makes it hard to find time to teach Italian, French or Arabic. Schools that have programs can find it difficult to hire qualified teachers. Plus, adding a program can carry a significant cost.
One thing's for sure, remaining competitive on a global scale definitely includes learning foreign language, and getting ahead in kindergarten might just be the way to go. Until next time, au revoir, auf wiedersehen, arrivederci, and adios!
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June 20, 2006
School's (not) out for summerBoardBuzz found two interesting editorials yesterday about summer "homework" for students. One, in the New York Times, argued against this growing practice, aimed at keeping students on track during summer vacation. The authors argue that the homework "overburdens our children and sends many back to school burnt out and sick of learning."
But how much is too much? A summer reading list, 10 book reports, a math packet? Again, the authors cite "one ninth grader we know was assigned a packet of materials on the Holocaust. Another must read a 656-page book on genocide, on top of three chapters of a science textbook followed by a 15-page take-home exam, prepare a 20-slide PowerPoint presentation and complete an English assignment involving three books and essays." Phew, that hardly leaves time for soccer camp, swim team, and a trip to Disneyland!
On the other hand, an editorial in USA Today contends that while many teachers "will slip a summer reading list into their student's backpacks," so that "their brains don't turn to mush," what they should really be doing is "encouraging students to practice their math skills." The author goes on to say that while educators have long lamented the summer break as time that "wreaks havoc on learning," the havoc is most concentrated in math. "That's not to say that kids don't need to work on reading over the summer ... they need active encouragement from teachers and parents to stay up on math."
No matter what your position is on summer homework, encouraging students to pick up a book while lounging by the pool or staying sharp with a few extra math problems while on a car trip to grandma's seems like a no-brainer to BoardBuzz. Now where's our copy of War and Peace?
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May 18, 2006
Wisconsin adopts performance standards for personal financial literacyHats off to Wisconsin for becoming the first state in the nation to develop content and performance standards for what students at all levels should know and be able to do in preparation for their financial future.
In the Superintendent's Weekly Message, Elizabeth Burmaster, state superintendent, outlined the plan which will emphasize "that students need to understand their legal rights and responsibilities as global citizens in relation to how they use their earnings or accumulate wealth." The standards were developed by a task force of educators, business and finance professionals, and government and elected officials and highlight such topics as "relating education to future earning potential, becoming a critical consumer, and avoiding excessive debt."
Although the model academic standards are voluntary for school districts, the state hopes that teachers will "weave teaching about financial literacy throughtout the curriculum so that students gain the knowldege and skills needed to establish sound financial habits." Bravo!
To view an online copy of Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards for Personal Financial Literacy, click here.
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March 27, 2006
Racing to reform high schoolsWrite down this phrase: Traditional metrics. Whatever it means, we are at least reasonably sure that schools today need to move beyond them. Now. Among the groups leading that discussion is The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. That organization has a new report out that confronts the challenges for high schools in a new millenium.
"High schools must be designed, organized and managed with a relentless focus on the results that matter in the 21st century—in addition to the traditional metrics of attendance, graduation and college matriculation rates—or they risk missing the mark," said John Wilson, chair, Partnership for 21st Century Skills and executive director of the National Education Association. "Traditional metrics are important, but they are no longer sufficient indicators of student preparedness."
Twenty leading advocacy groups, companies, and education organizations—including NSBA—joined in the report. More info here. The report itself is here (pdf).
Ken Kay, president of the Partnership for 21st Century Schools, will speak at NSBA's annual conference in Chicago on April 8. His topic will be the important leadership role school boards can play. Details here.
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February 9, 2006
Math and science get big focusAs we wrote previewing President Bush's State of the Union address, a new focus on science and math has arrived. Here in Washington, that means there is increased focus on not only the president's plans, but on those of former Secretary of Education Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), and Barbara Mikulski, (D-Md.) USA Today reports that the four are key movers behind science-competitiveness legislation called the PACE Act, now garnering a great deal of support in the Senate. Backed by 60 senators one week after its unveiling, the act's three bills largely contain recommendations from the recent National Academy of Sciences report "Rising Above the Gathering Storm."
The president's "American Competitiveness Initiative," announced in his State of the Union speech, would train 70,000 high school teachers to lead advanced math and science courses. The president proposes $380 million in new federal support to improve the quality of math, science, and technological education in K-12 schools. Another effort would encourage up to 30,000 math and science professionals to become high school teachers. Similar initiatives are proposed in the PACE Act, the paper reports.
What all of this means in the current partisan gridlock in Washington is not clear. And when the president has proposed a budget that does not fund Title 1 and IDEA. America has been down this road several times since the Sputnick years.
Posted at 5:30 PM | Link to this story | Comments (0)
January 6, 2006
Intelligent design sent packing in DoverPennsylvania's Dover Area School District is no longer the sole public school district in the United States to require mention of intelligent design in biology classes after a new school board voted unanimously Tuesday night to rescind the policy, reports the York, Pa. Dispatch.
The move came in response to a federal judge's ruling in a lawsuit brought by 11 parents who said the policy was based on religion, not science. The judge agreed and ordered the district to repeal the policy, which was put into effect by former school board members in 2004.All but one of those school board members—Heather Geesey—have since resigned or been voted off the board.
That paper even has a permanent link on its website front page to its archives of its thorough Intelligent Design coverage.
More legal analysis from the York Daily Record here. The importance of understanding this issue for school boards goes way beyond the annoying and juvenile culture war rhetoric surrounding it. Of that, we have had way too much, from those on all sides here.
To help school board members explore the complexities of this issue, NSBA has scheduled new sessions on intelligent design at its upcoming Annual Conference in Chicago. On Monday, April 10, attorneys from several state school boards associations will be discussing the practical implications of the judge's decision. And at the Council of School Attorneys meeting prior to the Annual Conference, participants will hear a debate between the litigator in the Dover case and the head of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. It's time to register for the nation's largest gathering of public officials, if you haven't done so yet.
Posted at 5:22 PM | Link to this story | Comments (0)
December 20, 2005
One lesson from Intelligent Design's big loss in PennsylvaniaA federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Dover, Pa. school board violated the Constitution when it ordered that its biology curriculum must include the notion that life on Earth was produced by an unidentified intelligent cause. AP report here. "We find that the secular purposes claimed by the Board amount to a pretext for the Board's real purpose, which was to promote religion in the public school classroom," he wrote in his 139-page opinion. The controversy divided the community and galvanized voters to oust eight incumbent school board members who supported the policy in the November 8 school board election, AP reports.
One thing seems clear: Those on ALL sides politically love to use public schools as their convenient culture war battleground. But kids don't have time for this. Especially these days. Save the politicizing of the classroom for another era, long after this country's academic challenges have all been solved. Sound good?
And while we are at it, how about a fast read of the new book by Joe Williams, Cheating Our Kids: How Politics and Greed Ruin Education. Here is an interview with Williams in USA Today. (Hat tip: Eduwonk.)
NSBA praised today's decision in its press statement below.
The National School Boards Association praised today's decision handed down by a federal court that ruled a school board cannot require the teaching of intelligent design in science classes. The court stated that the policy, passed by the Dover, Pa., School Board, violates the Establishment Clause, which ensures the separation of church and state.
"We applaud the decision because in his well-reasoned opinion, the judge expertly applied sound Supreme Court precedent that declares unconstitutional the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in a public school science classroom," said Anne L. Bryant, NSBA executive director. "We especially agree with the judge's statement that intelligent design is creationism masquerading' as science."
The court recognized that public schools are the battlegrounds for culture wars and lamented the drive of special interest groups in seeking a test case that "resulted in an imprudent and ultimately unconstitutional policy."
"NSBA wholeheartedly endorses the court's opinion that students, parents, and teachers deserve better than to be dragged into a 'legal maelstrom, with its resulting utter waste of monetary and personal resources,'" said Francisco Negrón, NSBA general counsel. The court also recognized that the case arose as a result of "ill-informed" activism aided by national special interests.
Posted at 5:33 PM | Link to this story | Comments (1)
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