Education in America, Is the American Education System Leaving Children Behind?

Essential Questions What is the current status of public education in America? Is our public education system teaching all children? What are the main challenges with public education? What are some possible solutions? How do we compare with other countries? What is globalization?

American Public Schools: Is it That Bad? National drop-out rate is 7% (2012) Massachusetts drop-out rate is 2.2% (2013) Framingham’s drop-out rate is 2.4% (2013) National high school graduation rate is 80% MA graduation rate is 85% (2013) Framingham’s is 83% (2013) Race and socio-economics are important factors in determining success in high school

How many high school graduates go to college? According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 65.9% of 2013 high school graduates were enrolled in colleges or universities in September 2013.

What are the main issues plaguing our educational system?

No Child Left Behind Act, 2001 George W. Bush’s education reform NCLB Increased the federal government’s role in guaranteeing quality education for all children NCLB supports standards based educational reform Increased the accountability of schools

More on NCLB Based on the idea that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education. Requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades Requires all students to be “proficient” or higher by 2014 NCLB does NOT state a national achievement standard  all states set their own standards and assessments.

What does NCLB really mean? Students must take standardized tests. Schools had to show “adequate yearly progress” (AYP). – If schools did not show AYP for 2 consecutive years, they were labeled as “in need of improvement” – Students could request transfer to other schools in the district – Other corrective measures were in place for schools that continually failed to meet AYP.

PROS of NCLB Accountability Results annually reported to parents Standards for teacher qualification Emphasis on reading, writing, math Measures educational status and growth by ethnicity and works to close achievement gap Schools need to provide quality education for often- underserved groups (ex. Students with disabilities, low income students, minority students)

CONS of NCLB Under-funded federal mandates Teachers “teach to the test” Each state creates their own assessments– Do all the state tests have the same level of difficulty? Sets high standards for teachers NCLB faults schools and curriculum for student failure, but critics claim that there are additional factors to blame… – Class size, school facilities, hunger and homelessness, lack of health care

The Move to Common Core What does this video clip tell you about the Common Core State Standards? – What are they? – Why were they created? – What are the goals of Common Core? From the Council of the Great City Schools

Common Core: Where did they come from? State standards developed by governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states, 2 territories, and the District of Columbia Collaboration at the state level from teachers and administrators Designed to better prepare students for life after high school (college or the work force) Standards are for K-12 math, K-12 English language arts and 6-12 literacy in history, science, technology

Common Core Compare favorably with international standards Adopted by all states but Minnesota, Nebraska, Indiana, Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma and Alaska (originally passed in OK and IN, but repealed) Also adopted by DC and four American territories (Guam, American Samoa, US Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands) Developed in 2009, released in 2010, supposed to be implemented school year.

PROS of Common Core National standards to prepare kids for post-high school Increased rigor in the classroom prepares students for post-high school On par with other countries Consistency from state to state. More accurate state comparisons Common assessments from state to state– states share financial burden of test development Helps students develop higher level thinking skills

CONS of Common Core Difficult transition to Common Core for students, teachers, administrators Might push teachers out of profession Younger students need to learn skills sooner and faster than before (increased importance of pre-K) No equivalency tests for students with special needs Watered down standards for some states Need for new textbooks Need for new technology for online assessments High stakes testing What about science and social studies?

How does the US compare? International rankings based on comparison with other OECD countries (34 countries) – OECD = Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development About 500, year olds took the PISA test– focuses on math, but also has sections on science and literacy Test given every 3 years How did the US fair?

US test results BUT… US ranks 5 th in spending/student

What countries are doing things right? (2012 results)

What does Finland do right? Same curriculum for all students nation-wide Compulsory schooling doesn’t start until kids are 7 Comprehensive pre-school program focusing on socialization, not academics Light homework loads Almost no standardized tests Students aren’t given grades until high school  there are no student rankings Schools provide students with food, counseling, medical care

There’s more… Teaching is highly competitive All teachers required to have a Master’s Degree (government pays for degree) Teachers’ status is on par with doctors and lawyers Students separated into academic or vocational track in last 3 years of education Greater school funding in middle school years (most danger for kids dropping out)

Globalization Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity Trade/exchange of goods and services Circulation of ideas, language, and popular culture Globalization contributes to economic growth in developed and non-developed countries

Globalization and Education American students compete for college admissions and employment against American students AND International students Where’s our main competition? India and China!

How do we ensure more effective schools for our children ? What are the solutions? Charter schools Home schooling Raise standards Get rid of poor teachers Higher standards for teachers