Poverty: A Growing Factor Affecting Education

Last week in my blog, I examined the recent issue of teacher layoffs in what many called “Pink Slip Friday.” This week, I chose to investigate the affects of poverty on education. The first blog I read was by Thomas J. Hanson, a retired school superintendent with 31 years of experience in the field of education. Hanson’s blog reflected the recent rise in poverty and how it affects not only the students, but also the teachers and staff. Many schools are no longer able to keep social workers on staff, which leads teachers to be put into a role that they do not necessarily feel comfortable nor qualified in. Additionally, Hanson addresses the impact of poverty on a child’s capacity to learn. The PBS special posted in his blog looks at the repercussions of children growing up homeless especially focusing on a 5th grade boy named Tiberius and his struggles. The second blog that I chose to explore is written by one of my favorite education bloggers, Jim Horn, PhD. Horn’s blog assesses how useful breakfast is for children taking standardized tests. After analyzing a Philadelphia Inquirer article on the topic, he concludes that teachers only encourage in-class meal services during test weeks when their teaching is being assessed. The outcome of the standardized tests is directly correlated with a teacher’s salary. Teachers will most likely take all the steps to help children succeed during test week, including encouraging in class breakfast service. However, the issue that arises is that teachers only encourage this breakfast service during test week, when they too are being assessed on how much each student has learned. Since the recession, the rate of poverty has increased drastically causing more students to come to school hungry each day. Teachers, social workers, and advocacy groups are working hard to ensure that poverty will not be a crutch in the lives of many students while encouraging them to succeed at the highest level.

"Poverty and Education - The Challenge of Improving Schools"
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I really enjoyed reading your blog on the effects of poverty on education. With the rates of homeless children increasing, the role of teachers and social workers is also increasing. Social workers at schools work hard to try and lighten the load of the hard life style that students face by offering counseling, clothing, and other resources. It was devastating to read that many social workers will lose their jobs because schools lack enough funding to keep them on staff. This will place teachers into a role that forces them to have to deal with other aspects of student’s lives outside of academics, a role that most teachers cannot handle or do not want. Teachers are challenged daily to inspire students to strive higher. I could not imagine how difficult it must be to motivate 25 plus students on a daily basis, each with their own issues. The PBS documentary that you featured in your blog raised many important issues and gave viewers and readers a glimpse into the harsh reality of the effects of the recession. Many times people look at a school as a whole and not at the individual students. This blog and the PBS documentary brought up the often-overlooked fact that growing up homeless causes children to have emotional problems. Tiberius was used as a key example of this in the PBS documentary. He impressed me with his ability to articulate his feelings of sadness and lack of confidence because of his homelessness. This glimpse into Tiberius’s life showed that he was wise beyond his years. Students growing up homeless are never given a break; they are challenged inside and outside of the classroom. While the teachers know of these challenges, I think it is beneficial that they do not “under teach” homeless students. Mr. Hannemann’s approach to teaching was extremely valuable to Tiberius’s future because he treated him like every other student in the class instead of just letting him slip through the cracks of the education system. Although Mr. Hannemann was able to show success with Tiberius, many teachers are not able to do the same because homeless children tend to miss several days of class and then it is difficult for them to catch up in their school work. What do you believe would be the best way to keep homeless children in school? If you could address Secretary Duncan, what plan of action would you propose he take? Additionally, how can schools keep these beneficial social workers through the tough times of budget cuts and layoffs? Thank you for posting such an interesting blog that truly examines the affect of poverty on the future of education in public schools.

"During Test Week the Poor Kids Get Breakfast in Philly"
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In reading your article, I was intrigued with the teachers outlook on whether or not an impoverished student should be given breakfast during the school day. I completely agree that, “Principals should be evaluated on whether they ensure children eat breakfast.” Principals need to be the voice and the backbone of the school. With the growing rate of poverty, educators should do everything possible to set students up to succeed, even in difficult circumstances. I was appalled by some of the teachers when I read the Philadelphia Inquirer article that you included in your post. It is shocking that some teachers would rather have a student go hungry than to allow them to eat breakfast in first period. While I agree with a “no excuses” standpoint, I believe that there needs to be some guidelines instilled. Teachers do not necessarily need to give homeless students preferential treatment, but they should focus on ways to help them succeed. Although scientific research has proven a positive correlation with breakfast and learning, many teachers neglect apply this to daily life. It is pathetic for some teachers to only want students to eat breakfast during test weeks when they too are being evaluated, instead of being concerned with student’s constant success and well being. With “one third of poor kids coming to school hungry every day”, action needs to be taken.
In reading your blog several questions came to mind and I was hoping to hear your opinion. What do you think would be a successful way to implement breakfast into a daily school routine? What are the flaws of having an in class breakfast service? What action do you think Secretary Duncan can take to improve homeless student’s success in the classroom? In another blog that I read on the same topic, the issue of laying off several school social workers was brought up, how big of an impact do you believe the reduction of social workers will have on the homeless students? Do you think teachers can fulfill this duel role they may be given? Thank you so much for your input and perspective on this crucial topic. I look forward to your response!

Teacher Layoffs: Kids Will Pay the Price

Two weeks ago, more than 25,000 California teachers and other school staffers, including more than 8,800 in the Los Angeles Unified School District, received possible layoff notices. These notices were informing them that they may not have their jobs when the next school year begins in September. This was because the state’s public education budget was recently cut by $11.6 billion. Even before the budget cuts, California was ranked 47th in the nation for spending per pupil, according to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell.  The layoffs will not be final until May, when the state have a final budget that includes funds from the federal stimulus package. In the meantime, teachers are fighting back. The California Teacher’s Association organized protest events throughout the state called “Pink Slip Friday,” on Friday, March 13 to raise awareness about the layoffs. Pictures of protesting teachers and their supporters, wearing pink and black, were all over the local and national news. The local teacher’s union, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), is organizing another protest for the March 31 Los Angeles School Board meeting. Even if the actual number of laid-off teachers is half of what the state is expecting, it’s still too many. Because fewer teachers mean more kids in every class.  Although the United States is in an economic crisis, the focus should remain on educating the youth not cutting back on education.

In a recent survey sponsored by UTLA, 88% of teachers believe that smaller class size results in higher test scores. It seems like common sense. Yet the connection between class size and performance is actually the subject of a lot of debate. The effects of class size on literacy, math skills and test scores have been difficult to measure. Critics of California’s Class Size Reduction Program (CSR) say that it is impossible to separate the effects of the program from other initiatives such as improving teacher credentials that may have improved test scores. In addition, critics have pointed out that districts have to take money from other programs to fund CSR.  According to statistics from the California Teacher’s Association, class size matters a lot to California families and communities because the state ranks 49th in the nation for number of teachers per student. Their fact sheet on class size includes a 2001 study from Princeton University that showed that smaller class size improved test scores for African-American students by almost 40%. A 2005 study of the Tennessee class size program, Project STAR (which stands for Student-Teacher Achievement Ratio), showed that reducing class size improved high school graduation rates. A 2003 study of a class size reduction program in Wisconsin concluded that smaller classes helped to diminish the achievement gap between African-American students and white students.

Some experts believe that students perform better in smaller classes because teachers execute lesson plans better when they have fewer students to manage. The theory is that there are fewer distractions in the classroom and teacher morale is better.  According to findings from studies conducted in England, Hong Kong, Switzerland and the U.S. that were presented to the American Education Research Association in 2008, students in smaller classes tend to behave better and focus more. In other words, it might not be about whether teaching smaller classes is easier for teachers. It might be about how students actually feel and respond when they are assigned to smaller classes. For example, students in smaller classes may expect to get more one on one time with the teacher. Or they may feel like they can’t get away with misbehaving in a smaller class.  No matter what the studies, statistics and test scores show, no parent would want his or her child to learn in an overcrowded classroom. At Foothill Ranch Elementary School in Orange County, parents felt so strongly about the Class Size Reduction program, they raised $50,000 in one month to protect the program from budget cuts in 2008.

The mission of the Accelerated School is “to graduate students who are prepared to succeed at the University of their choice; who will enter the workforce as informed and productive employees, entrepreneurs, and community leaders; and who will act as socially aware and responsible citizens.” The educators who started the school in 1994 were convinced that a school can have a big impact on its community. And they have convinced their community that quality education will make the community stronger by educating children who will grow up to become responsible adults who are committed to the community and equipped to solve its problems. The Accelerated Schools treats all students as if they are gifted students. The school takes an active,  learning by doing approach, rather than by listening or reading passively. This is a more labor-intensive way to teach. I work as a volunteer in a third grade class at The Accelerated School in South Central. I go once a week to help the teacher, Ms. Croteau and every week she is glad to see me because she is spread pretty thin. She has 28 kids in her class and they are eight to nine years old so they can get pretty crazy at times.  The Accelerated School is a charter school, which means that it has more flexibility than ordinary public schools, but the school is more accountable for student performance and teachers are measured by how well their students perform. So the prospect of larger class sizes is likely to hit the school very hard. Ms. Croteau does a really good job with 28 kids and I am sure she will continue to do her best no matter how many more kids are in her class next year. But it will be much harder for the school to fulfill its mission, if her classroom becomes even more crowded than it is today. Moreover, the teacher layoffs will make it harder on her students and may affect their future success.

The large budget cuts is an issue that is greater than California, it is a nationwide problem. With these cutbacks, many schools are suffering.  Teachers are being overwhelmed by larger class sizes and students are not always challenged to reach their full potential.  California teachers, staff, and parents are currently fighting to prevent the layoffs that occured "Pink Slip Friday" because they know the full extent and ramifications that come with decreasing the number of educators.  With all of the detailed research done on the affect of teacher layoffs, it is concerning that the state of California would allow this to continue without taking a stand.  After all, children are the future.

National Assessment of Educational Progress: Present and Future Issues

This week in the blogosphere, I chose to examine the National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP. The NAEP is a standardized tests that is used in both public and private schools.  Students are tested in arts, civics,economics, geography, mathematics, reading,  science, U.S. history, and writing.  The first blog I read and responded to addressed an interesting statistic that public schools are currently outscoring private schools in the NAEP math test. The author, Jim Horn, PhD closely examines a Science Daily article in which the results of the NAEP math assessment are released showing that public schools are outperforming the private schools. In his blog, he discusses the current issues of why public schools are thriving in areas such as math, while private schools are not. I enjoyed reading this article because everyone naturally assumes that students in private schools would achieve higher scores on standardized tests than public school students, but this blog proves that that is not necessarily true. The second blog I chose to respond to was addressing how the NAEP will add a tech literacy component to their test. The author, Sean Cavanagh, looks at the changing face of the “nation’s report card”. The tech literacy component added to the NAEP should help better assess the student’s ability to see the “interconnections among technologies.” I was unaware of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, so I found the blogs useful because they provided background about current assessments, such as math tests and future tests, such as tech literacy. It will be interesting to see if the test will be able to successful incorporate technology. Additionally, it will be fascinating to see if public schools and private schools will perform on a level playing field or if one will outshine the other in both math and technology literacy.

Public Schools Outperform Private Schools in NAEP Math Assessments
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It was quite interesting to read about the contrasting school curriculums and lifestyles of public and private schools. The outcome of the NAEP math results surprised me because of all the attention that private academic institutions receive for their academic standards. This blog and article raised the interesting question, is private schooling necessarily better than public? In terms of math scores you brought up the point that, “Lubienski thinks one of the reasons that private schools don’t adopt a more reform-minded math curriculum is because some parents are more attracted to a “back-to-basics” approach to math instruction. The end result, however, is students who are ‘prepared for the tests of 40 years ago, and not the tests of today,” she said.”’ With new technology and developments, one would think that parents and teachers would gladly change with the times to maximize a child’s learning experience. Do you think that private schools will be able to reform and get back on track to be able to compete once again with public schools? For the higher rates parents have to pay for private education it is shocking that teachers and administrators would not raise their standards in the classroom. Do you believe that private schools are suffering because they are not following education trends? How might private schools better distribute their money to have more academic success? Teacher development and certification should be a top priority for all schools because in all studies done an effective teacher is more influential than having a small classroom. Do private schools set an illusion of higher success by using small class sizes as a selling point? It is sad that parents are investing large sums of money into their child’s education only to find out that their counterparts are doing better in the public school system. Math is a foundational life skill that every child needs to have so that they are able to thrive in the world. Private schools are greedy and selfish because they are not willing to go the extra mile to ensure that the money they are receiving is put towards the betterment of each child. For the high costs of private schools, the students should be outshining their public school counterparts instead of falling behind them. Parents send children to private schools assuming that they are getting the best possible education, the least that private schools could do would try and have certified teachers and updated teaching methods.

Testing Tech Literacy
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The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is seen as the “nation’s report card” may be receiving modifications as soon as 2012 when they add a new technology aspect to the test. With increasing technological advances and technology used daily in classrooms, it is naturally assumed that all children are knowledgeable about it. The proposal of adding a new component to the NAEP brings up the intriguing question if whether students will be able to excel at this kind of test. With the constant new developments, how long do you think these test will be able to be used before they are outdated? In your blog you wrote about Friedmen’s view that, “the goal is to evaluate their understanding of ‘interconnections among technologies,’ with technologies including processes from the designed world, he said. This could include not only computers but technology's relationship to processes such as metallurgy (in the manufacture of buildings, or individual products) or woven textile technology (used to make clothes and fabrics).” Do you think this integration of technology and topics such as textiles is useful for younger students? How much of the NAEP test would be dedicated to technology? Is there another way to incorporate technology that might be more successful? Would technology mainly be used to assess areas of science? In the upcoming years it will be interesting to see how all standardized tests change in order to accommodate the ever-changing educational developments. In another article I read addressing the NAEP, the author discussed how public schools did higher on their math assessment than private schools. Do you think that private or public schools will have the upper hand in tech literacy? Will school funding play a role in tech literacy? I hope that the tech literacy program is successful and is able to properly assess student’s technical knowledge. I really enjoyed reading your article and look forward to your response!

Best of the Best :10 Ways to Make American Education Competitive

There is no such thing as a quick fix for education in this country.
Political bickering about whether the states should have more power or
whether the federal government should impose (and pay for) nation-wide
reforms has created the current mess we’re in. When President Obama
addressed Congress on February 24, he spent a lot of time talking
about education. He said, “The countries that out-teach us today will
out-compete us tomorrow.”

He talked about reducing our nation’s high school drop out rate,
offering teacher incentives, supporting charter schools, and getting
parents involved. However education needs all that and more. Here’s a
list of what our nation can do to lead the world in education.

1. Make high school more interesting. According to a 2009 report
published by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, only 71% of our
students earn a high school diploma. Only 58% of Hispanic students and
55% of African American students graduate from high school. Half of
dropouts surveyed in a poll sponsored by the foundation in 2006 said
that they dropped out because they were bored and unmotivated.
We need to study what motivates students and then train teachers to
develop classroom activities and assignments that will be interesting
as well as educational.

2. Give high school students learning opportunities that they can use
in real life by adding practical subjects to secondary school
education. College students are choosing practical majors because of
the times we live in. The 2008 Princeton Review ranking of the top 10
college majors puts business at the top. Other top 10 majors include
nursing, biology, education and computer sciences. The Gates
Foundation report says that a major reason that students drop out is
that they “Did not see its relevance outside of school.” High school
students should also be able to study subjects that will help them
find jobs and get ahead. For example, the National Science Board
recently sent President Obama a list of recommendations for improving
science, technology, engineering, and math education so that students
will be better prepared to join the skilled workforce in our
technology-based economy.

3. Focus on early education. According to the Gates Foundation report,
high school students who have fallen behind their grade level are at
higher risk of dropping out. The Gates Foundation says we need to help
kids caught up once they’re in high school but improving learning of
reading and math skills in early grades would be a good way to stop
the problem before it starts.

4. Make pre-K programs more available to children in need because this
would be an even better way to stop the problem before it starts. For
example, only half the children eligible for Head Start benefit from
the program currently.

5. Invest in teachers. The Gates Foundation says that having a strong
teacher is even more important than having a small class size.
President Obama said that his budget includes incentives and rewards
for teachers. It should also include training for teachers. Teaching
methods for reading and math are constantly changing and there is
always more to learn about the best way to get students excited about
all subjects. Experienced teachers also need to stay current on
technology, psychology and sociology.

6. Get parents more involved. President Obama encouraged parents to
attend parent/teacher conferences, help with homework and limit the
amount of time their children spend watching TV and playing video
games. In addition, schools can help by changing the ways they
communicate with parents. For example, a recent article in Education
World encourages school principals to use email to communicate with
parents about what’s going on in the schools. Paper messages sent home
with students can be lost or discarded. Students can delete voice
mails before parents have a chance to hear them. But email is more
secure.

7. Put technology in the classroom. The Gates Foundation report says
that today’s children live in a digital age. Old-fashioned schools and
old-fashioned ways of teaching won’t connect with kids who are the
ones who have to teach their parents about texting, Facebook and using
the Wii. For example, the One Laptop Per Child program is trying to
get inexpensive, solar-powered laptops to underprivileged children
around the world to give them the tools they need to learn how to live
in the modern world.

8. Support charter schools. President Obama mentioned charter schools
in his speech and talked about his support of them throughout his
campaign. Obama supports charter schools even though the teachers
unions and Democrats don’t because they give parents a choice and they
give educators an opportunity to try different approaches than
traditional public schools. The Gates Foundation says we need better
data to make better decisions about education. Charter schools could
serve as education laboratories where education theories can be tested.

9. Improve school lunch nutrition because studies show that good
nutrition is linked to learning and memory. Underprivileged children
are more likely to have less healthy eating options so healthy school
lunches would help kids learn better. Alice Waters and Katrina Heron
of the Chez Panisse Foundation recently published an editorial in the
New York Times about changing the National School Lunch Program to
replace processed foods like chicken nuggets and pizza with more
nutritious and organic foods.

10. Modernize school buildings because schools that were built in the
last century aren’t equipped to teach the students of today. Bill
Gates says that “Training the workforce of tomorrow with the schools
of today is like trying to teach kids about today’s computers on a 50
year old mainframe.” According to the National Center for Education
Statistics, 75% of schools are in disrepair and it would cost $127
billion to fix them. In June, the House of Representatives passed the
21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act to
modernize school facilities. This bill would have authorized $6.4
billion dollars for school modernization in 2009. Unfortunately, the
Senate didn’t have a chance to vote on it before the end of the last
session of Congress.

KIPP Schools: Do They Make The Cut?

In my previous post, I examined how the economic stimulus bill passed by President Obama will affect the current education problem in America. With the huge budget cuts during the economic crisis, schools have been hit the hardest. Teachers are being laid off, children are not able to learn to their fullest potential, and many schools are closing. President Obama budgeted $100 billion towards education. While this seems like a large sum of money, it will not even put a dent in the current problem. The first blog that I read by Jim Horn, Ph. D discussed how KIPP schools (Knowledge Is Power Program) are cutting out recess from their daily schedules. There is strong evidence linking this decision to be problematic because physical exercise and being out in nature typically increases a child’s ability to focus in the classroom. People are unable to focus to their maximum potential if they do not have a break during the day. The article also argued that not having recess takes a toll on the teachers by not giving them a break during the day. The second article that I read by Clay Burell again addressed KIPP schools, but looked at the pros and cons of charter schools. President Obama is putting millions of dollars towards renovations and reforms, but how much of this money will actually help and make a change. The public school system is working its hardest to stay afloat during these tough times. Instead of just temporarily slowing down the problem, lawmakers need to look to make a greater change because the children are the future. Every child needs to be put in a situation where they have a chance to succeed. Right now, it seems as though, the youth in America are being set up to fail because people are not willing to stand up and fight for them. Education is one of the essential pillars in a person’s life. Lawmakers need to step back and evaluate how to make schools more successful, especially schools in lower-income neighborhoods. While it seems a daunting task to try and change how the education system works, if it is broken down piece by piece, the cracks can be fixed and higher learning can be established.

"School Matter: Why Play Comes Naturally and KIPP Doesn't"
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In reading your article, I completely agree that taking out recess from a child’s daily routine is a detriment to their overall academic success. Is the removal of recess in KIPP schools because of lack of funding or desire for more control? Recess is the only time when children are freely allowed to socialize and I believe that the removal of this will stunt social development. Children are scolded when they socialize during class, so I think that taking away recess only further encourages them to act out during class. Do you think that the manipulation of recess is successful for teachers such as removing recess privileges when a child misbehaves? As an educator, do you believe there are more useful methods available? What long-term effects could you see occurring if schools removed recess altogether? It is interesting to note that in all major studies recess and physical activity have been helpful to student learning, yet schools are so quick to cut out recess and cut back on physical education programs. With the current increase of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, it seems as though it would be crucial for recess programs to remain. The Journal of School Health reported that, “The more physical tests children passed, the better they did on academic tests. The study of 1,800 middle school students, suggests that children can benefit academically from physical activity during gym class and recess.” With all of the evidence found supporting recess and physical activity it is disturbing that the government and school districts can so quickly disregard all of this information. According to Tara Parker-Pope in your blog, “Direct attention is a limited resource. Long hours in front of a computer or studying fro a test can leave us feeling fatigued. But spending time in natural settings appears to activate involuntary attention giving the brain’s directed attention time to rest.” After reading your blog and the New York Times article I am a firm believer that recess is crucial to a child’s overall development and future success. It is of the utmost importance to let a child remain a child.

"WaPo Urges Caution re: Matthews' KIPP Book"
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Thank you for this in-depth look at issues regarding KIPP charter schools. In recent years, KIPP charter schools have become a popular choice in public schooling. While I was mainly aware of more popular programs such as Teach For America, it was interesting to read about other teaching options for low-income communities. With the economic crisis at hand, it is unfortunate that the education system in America is suffering. I believe that the longer school days and longer school years will definitely have a negative impact on the children. With KIPP schools having an application process, do you think that it “weeds out” children who might need the program more because their parents are unaware or unable to complete this task? What implications come with having a child apply to the KIPP schools? Will they be more successful? In the article it discussed how many KIPP schools have more middle class than lower class students. Do you think that KIPP schools have unintentionally furthered segregation between social classes? While the KIPP schools have been flourishing in recent years, I found it disturbing that 60% of the children leave the program. Why do you believe the drop out rate of the program is so high? Does the accountability of the charter schools have an impact on the type of education a child receives and the type of teacher that is hired? Teachers are playing a larger role now more than ever with overpopulated classrooms. I feel that it is extremely important for the teachers in the KIPP schools to be well educated and properly trained to overcome the huge deficit in the student to teacher ratio. Hopefully, the KIPP schools will be able to provide this type of teacher to the students so that they can ultimately thrive in society and in life. Education in low-income communities has been a constant problem in American society. With the new economic stimulus package, it will be interesting to see if the money will make any impact in the lower tiers of the education system.

What is Ahead for No Child Left Behind: The New Economic Stimulus and Education

President Obama's recently passed stimulus package includes $25 billion for special education and the No Child Left Behind program. NCLB funds will be especially important to California schools, now that the new state budget will be reducing spending for K-12 public education by $8.4 billion over the next two years. But NCLB funding will not be a quick or easy fix for school budget problems.  NCLB was originally established to create more standardization in the U.S. to allow  students to be able to compete with their foreign counterparts.  Many studies have shown that the U.S. education system ranks lower than almost every other industrialized country. Other countries have had more success in education because they distribute the wealth better within the system than the United States. With all the money that is directed towards education, the standards should be raised. Higher education standards will ultimately allow Americans the ability to compete at an international level. While the recent stimulus package is intended to help the education system in the U.S., if we are not able to breakdown the flaws and compete with our foreign peers at a higher level then the money is useless.

NCLB has been controversial since President George W. Bush signed the act back in 2001. It was intended to make schools accountable for teaching poor children basic skills in math and reading. Schools that instruct low income children receive educational assistance funds based on how well students perform. Students are measured by standardized tests that vary from state to state. As stated by a Gallop poll, public opinion of NCLB grew more and more unfavorable between 2003 and 2007. At the same time, an increase of money has been spent on the program. Groups that have been critical of standardized tests have attacked NCLB because they believe that students spend too much time preparing for the tests instead of learning. Opponents of standardized testing in general, and NCLB in particular, call this "teaching to the test." These critics believe that preparing students for the NCLB tests takes time away from other subjects, such as art and social studies. Some critics maintain that standardized tests can't provide a fair and unbiased way to measure a student's abilities. But according to a 2003 Pew/Kaiser opinion poll, Americans believe that standardized tests are important for measuring students and teachers. And, last week, the president of the American Federation of Teachers published an editorial in the Washington Post calling for national standards. Standardized tests may have their drawbacks but they are here to stay. So is No Child Left Behind.

Recently Arne Duncan, the U.S. Education Secretary, has called for doubling NCLB funding. But just spending more money will not solve the problem. When Barack Obama talked about NCLB during his presidential campaign, he stressed that it was important to improve how students are assessed. He also said that the government should to support schools that need improvement, instead of punishing them. But no one has defined exactly how the government can support those schools. And no one has made any decisions about how to change the ways in which students are measured. It does not make sense to spend more money on NCLB until we have plans in place to ensure that we are going to make the program better.  The first thing that Arne Duncan and President Obama can do to support schools that are struggling is to change the program's deadline. Right now, all students are supposed to be proficient at reading and math by 2014. That is not a realistic goal. The program has not been able to make enough progress in its first seven years and the deadline is now only five years away. Currently, NCLB focuses on subgroups of students within a school, rather than the overall performance of the school as a whole. This means that one or two underperforming students could prevent an entire school from qualifying for funding. And that would hurt all students at the school. So it would make more sense to focus on measuring individual improvement.

For NCLB to shift its focus on individual improvement, it needs to ensure that there are enough teachers in the schools. This is where the economic stimulus funds can make a difference. If students get more individual attention from their teachers, they will not need to spend as much time focusing on the skills that the tests measure. They will be able to learn faster. Having more teachers equals smaller class sizes. Having smaller classes means that teachers will have the time to create lesson plans that not only prepare students for the tests but also teach reading and math skills in ways that will be useful in life, not just for passing the tests. NLCB should also provide training for teachers so they know how to teach the skills to be tested and how to make time in the classroom for other subjects. NCLB should also focus on helping states to strengthen their standards for grades K through 3. According to the New America Foundation, research by the American Federation of Teachers shows that state standards are weakest in early elementary years. But these important years give students a strong start in the basics they need to succeed in upper grades. The Foundation for Child Development advises that NCLB could have an impact on students even earlier. In a 2007 report, they recommended using NCLB funds to give disadvantaged children more access to pre-K programs such as Head Start.

We need to remember why NCLB was established in the first place. It was created because children in poor school districts were at a disadvantage when it came to education. Education Secretary Duncan recently admitted that NCLB hasn't made good on its promises yet. Duncan stated, "I think we are lying to children and families when we tell children that they are meeting standards and, in fact, they are woefully unprepared to be successful in high school and have almost no chance of going to a good university and being successful."Shortly before President Obama's economic stimulus package passed, Secretary Duncan announced that he would be talking to teacher's unions and asking school officials and parents around the country for input about how to improve No Child Left Behind. While it will not be easy, the investment and commitment towards education is well worth it. Schools should have to pass tests to make sure that they are teaching their students the necessary skills to be productive members of society. But NCLB has more homework to do before it makes the grade.

Hand in Hand : Money and Education

President Obama’s economic stimulus bill passed providing funding for two years for education.
Basically here’s how the money is allocated to K-12 schools and higher education. The Detroit Free Press summarizes the education allocations within the stimulus package:
$53.6 billion in direct aid to states, including $40.6 billion for local school districts, $5 billion in bonus grants for meeting key education performance measures and $8 billion for public safety and other critical services.
$2,500 annual tax credit for higher education expenses.
$500 increase in the maximum Pell Grant for low-income college students to $5,350 in 2009 and $5,550 in 2010.
$13 billion for Title I grants for schools in low-income areas.
$12.2 billion for special education.
$2 billion for the Child Care Development Block Grant program to help low-income parents.
$1.1 billion for Early Head Start and $1 billion for Head Start.

Will the economic stimulus bill bolster education so it is no longer a national
shame? Probably it will be years before we know the correct answer to that question.
However, I’m optimistic that $100 billion earmarked for education will at the least draw more attention to the sad state that our education system is in. I guess I’d like to have a say in how to spend that money for education.

Not to say that the money won’t be useful, but perhaps the focus should be on other aspects of reform for education and alternative ways to spend that money. One such area is the role of technology in the classroom. The economic stimulus package has $1 billion is funding available for Title II-D (Enhancing Education Through Technology) of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) on top of the $275 million already available. Another $13 billion is available for Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which can be used for technology as well.

A creative use of technology in the classroom is the use of smart phones. At a lower cost than that of laptops many in the mobile learning industry are suggesting that using cell phones in schools will make kids smarter. Since kids are already familiar with the device and most enjoy using them it makes sense that it would be easy to take advantage of this in the educational setting. Qualcomm recently granted $1million to Digital Millennial Consulting to conduct research on the use of smart phones in the classroom.

The findings of the research done at four North Carolina schools in low income neighborhoods is promising. Ninth and tenth grade math students were given cell phones which ran Microsoft Windows and programs to help with algebra. Students with the phones did 25%better on the algebra final than students without the phones in their algebra classes. The teachers who administered this technology commented that it really excited their students and made them collaborate and focus on their studies outside of school.


As well, last year in New York public schools partnered with Samsung and 2500 free cell phones were used as a reward for good behavior with prepaid minutes for high-test scores. The use of texting to remind students of assignments and deadlines was also successfully used until the project was dropped because of lack of finances. These creative uses of technology may improve the academic performance and behavior in the classroom making it a “yes “for my wish list for spending.

The next item would be pay-for-merit salaries for teachers. A recent study done on Los Angeles demonstrated that “four consecutive years of having a teacher from the top 25 percent of the pool would erase the black-white testing gap." This means that good teachers are the most important factor in a good education. More important than small class size, good school or neighborhood. Having a good teacher overcomes all other deficits. So we need to reward these teachers who are actually educating students as evidenced by test scores, grades and behavior. We need to improve how we determine which teachers are the most effective since especially at the lower grades a teacher with a graduate degree, high SATs or Ivy league college degree doesn’t always mean that they are a good teacher. Our present educational system rewards complacency for teachers- don’t be creative, or strive for excellence- just don’t make waves seems to be the mantra. A huge part of the fix will be in establishing better teachers who will go into the disadvantaged schools- at present there is no reward for accepting this type of challenge.

Another important item on my spending list is to provide better professional development for teachers. This is crucial in helping to narrow the gap in functional education that our teachers have in the areas of use of technology as well as how to work with children with learning differences who are in main stream classrooms. The lack of specialists and the funding for them requires that classroom teachers take on these additional skills to better serve their students.

We continually must ask why the U.S. spends more per student than any other industrialized country to get the worst results? The economic stimulus plan and its $100 billion for education is certainly an attempt to change these results. We must stop throwing money away and examine what has and hasn’t worked. Certainly, national testing or statewide testing hasn’t worked. We have teachers instructing for the test rather than testing to measure instruction. Since these testing mandates scores have gone down.“We do know that the existing national school system is broken and that we aren’t trying hard enough to fix it.”In short, thinking about the influx of $100billion for education has stimulated many into thinking about the importance of education in America.

Welcome!

Welcome! After countless hours researching early childhood education and the different practices and techniques used worldwide, I have come to some realizations.  The internet is full of amazing information- some good and highly useful and some completely irrelevant and very often incorrect.  If you are anything like me, you will realize that it can be a difficult and somewhat daunting task separating the credible sources from the inaccurate ones.  In an effort to help those of you out there like me looking for good, credible, and relevant information I have taken a step to enter the blogosphere, which is a completely new realm for me.  But I am sure that there are others out there that share my passion for childhood education and I welcome your input.  Through my searching I have found sites that were relevant and credible to my field of interest and added them to my linkroll.  And as the world (and web) change rapidly as time goes on, I am sure that more site will be discovered and added to my linkroll.  I found many helpful search engines such as the Internet Public Library and USA.gov.  The websites I selected were based on the Webby Awards and IMSA criteria.  I applied the Webby Awards criteria by analyzing each site to see if it has " content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity, and overall experience."  Once the site passed all of the criteria I added it to my linkroll and found it appropriate to incorporate it into my blog.  Additionally, I applied the IMSA criteria to my blog when posting other's blogs.  It is important to me to make sure that the blogs that I chose were from credible bloggers that have a high degree of knowledge in the field of education before I chose to share what they had to offer with you- my readers.  Additionally, any blogs that I have selected to support or initiate a topic were blogs known to be influential in the educational field.  I do hope that you will be bookmarking this blog as one of your favorites and that you will stop by again soon for more updates into the educational world.