OBJECTIVE Participants will see connection of societal and educational issues with sense of urgency for school redesign

Transforming Our Schools Our education system was never designed to deliver the kind of results we now need to equip students for today’s world.

History of the Factory Model School

Results of the Factory Model School

Sense of Urgency To respond appropriately, we need to rethink and redesign.

Report A Nation at Risk, 1983 Proclaimed a “crisis” in American public education It described a “rising tide of mediocrity” in our country’s public schools. America’s economic security was threatened by a low-skill labor force that was no longer competitive in the global marketplace

Bipartisan “Reform” Declarations A bipartisan national consensus on the importance of ensuring that all students have access to quality schools and a rigorous academic program began to emerge. In the 1990’s “education reform” had become the top priority for state governments. In 2001, with the NCLB legislation, the federal government assumed unprecedented authority over our nation’s public schools.

Results National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests suggest some progress in raising students’ math scores at all grade levels in the last dozen years. However, the average reading scores of both elementary and secondary school age students shows virtually no change since (The Nation’s Report Card-2003, Donahue, Daane)

Results Writing scores increased slightly for fourth and eighth graders Twelfth graders who scored “below basic,” increased from 22 to 26 percent! (The Nation’s Report Card: Writing 2002, Persky, Danne, Jin)

More Disturbing Data Around The percentage of students who graduate from high school The percentage of those who graduate “college-ready” The persistent gaps in achievement among different ethnic groups

National Data Says… Whites and Asians (79%) Percent of Students Who Graduate From High School Whites (72%) African American and Hispanic (50%) Source: Greene and Forster, “Public High School Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the US,” Manhattan Institute for Poilicy Research,

National Data Says… Whites and Asians (37 %) Students Who Graduate “College Ready” African Americans (20%) Hispanics (16%) Source: Greene and Forster, “Public High School Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the US,” Manhattan Institute for Poilicy Research,

Employers and Professors Agree Students lack:  Basic math skills  Writing skills  Work Habits  Motivation  Curiosity  Respect

Percentage of Employers and Professors Saying High School Graduates are Unprepared

“The formulation of the problem is often more essential than the solution” -Einstein What’s the “PROBLEM?” What is the crisis in American Public Education all about? If it ain’t broke, Don’t fix it! Their schools are the problem, Not ours! School reform is just another fad! Incremental change is the only way to go!

“No Shame, No Blame, No Excuses” Reframing the “problem” Schools (teachers and parents) are not failing… The system is obsolete. Reforming our present system isn’t the solution… We need to reinvent it.

21 st Century “Basics” The New Demand of a Knowledge Economy Goes Far Beyond “the Basics.”

Definitions Have Changed The competencies that academics and business leaders now demand are not just the “basics” - the 3 Rs.

Transforming Our Schools Our education system was never designed to deliver the kind of results we now need to equip students for today’s world.

21 st Century “Basic” Reading and Writing Skills Mean Ability to reason Analyze and hypothesize Find, assess and apply relevant information to new situations Write and speak clearly and concisely Use a range of information and communication technologies

21 st Century “Basic” Math Skills Include A working knowledge of statistics, probability, graphing and spreadsheets

Expectations of Having the “Basics” Include Students knowing how  To organize themselves  To motivate themselves  To learn independently  To do quality work  To team with others

The Perception Gap There is a perception gap between teachers and parents and employers and professors about whether public high school graduates have the skills needed to succeed in the work world.

The “Basics” Perception Gap Percent saying a high school diploma means students have learned the basics (PAF Reality CHECK, 2000)

Definitions Have Changed The competencies that academics and business leaders now demand are not just “the basics-the 3 Rs.”

Academic Competencies of the New Economy Basic Skills: Reading, Writing and Mathematics Foundation Skills: Knowing How to Learn Communication Skills: Listening and Oral Communication Applied Skills: Occupational and Professional Competencies

New Reality The realities of today’s economy demand not only a new set of skills but also that they be acquired by all students. An eighteen-year old who is not college- ready today has effectively been sentenced to a lifetime of marginal employment and second-class citizenship

Sense of Urgency This finding suggests that the first task in a successful systemic change process is to generate a greater understanding and urgency for change.

Labor Competencies of the New Economy Adaptability: Creative Thinking and Problem Solving Group Effectiveness: Interpersonal skills, Negotiation and Teamwork Influence: Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership Personal Management: Self-Esteem and Motivation/Goal Setting Attitude: Positive Cognitive Style

The Problem Extends Beyond “all students, new skills challenge ”

ACTIVITY In groups, list five reasons that teachers might give for why academic gain at the secondary level isn’t as rapid as seen at the elementary level

Teachers Polled Said… Students are less motivated to learn traditional academic content Students lack family support for learning Parents fail to set limits and create structure at home Parents refuse to hold their kids accountable for their behavior and academic performance (Johnson and others, Where We Are Now)

ACTIVITY In groups, list five reasons that parents might give for why academic gain at the secondary level isn’t as rapid as seen at the elementary level

Parents Polled Said… Supporting their children’s learning is a significant challenge They don’t know how to motivate their own children Raising children today, is a lot harder, compared to when they were growing up. (Farkas, Johnson, Duffet, Wilson, Vine, A Lot Easier Said Than Done)

Parents Agree… Children today are overindulged and lacking in self-control and self-discipline Young people show less deference toward authority. Lack of respect for adults is a significant problem

High School Students Said… They are often bored in class They want to attend college They need more opportunities for hands-on learning They need closer relationships with teachers who can serve as coaches and advisors

Motivation This question of how to motivate all students to want to learn new skills is rarely raised in the national debate about educational reform. Overlooking this critical ingredient, motivating all students to reform education, is a serious omission

Creating Coherent SLCs Personalization Structure Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment IMPROVED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

More Pieces to the Puzzle Economic transformation to a knowledge economy has been accompanied by deep- seated and less visible social changes that are having significant effects on students and families.

More Pieces to the Puzzle These changes must be taken into consideration as we try to better understand the education challenge facing us.

No One is to Blame All of us who are concerned with education today need to work together to understand the new challenges for teaching, learning and parenting in the twenty-first century.

Unprecedented Demands The need for a dramatically more skilled and highly educated workforce in a global economy-combined with profound changes in students’ and families’ life circumstances-have created unprecedented demands on education leaders.

A Theory of Change Student achievement will not improve unless and until teaching improves. Higher standards, more testing and small learning communities do not by themselves, improve teaching Teachers, working alone, with little or no feedback on their instruction, will not be able to improve significantly- no matter how much professional development they receive The challenge of change leadership is to create a “system” for continuous improvement of instruction, supervision, and instructional leadership.

Seven LAUSD Attributes of Successful Schools Personalization Unifying Vision/Identity Equity and Access Rigorous Standards-Based Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment Accountability & Distributed Leadership Professional Development Collaboration/Parent and Community Engagement

Structure Personalization Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment IMPROVED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Personalization Structure Culturally Relevant & Responsive Pedagogy School-wide Instructional Practices District Initiatives (Special Ed., Gate, ELL) Instructional Intervention Accountability and Assessment Focus on Standards (Rigor with High Expectations) Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment Focus on Standards (Rigor with HighExpectations) Vertical Organization (Minimize Transition Points) Flexible Scheduling Family Support/ Community Engagement Teacher Time for Collaboration and Professional Development School- “Outside the Box”

Personalization Structure Curriculum, Structure, & Assessment Student Connectedness Teacher Collaboration Internships Matching Student Interests School to Home & Home to School Communication Teacher Ownership of Student Outcomes Advisory Program And Family Advocacy Personalization STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Personalization Student ConnectednessTeacher Collaboration Teacher Ownership of Student Outcomes School to Home/Home to School Communication Advisory Program/ Family Advocacy Internship Matching Student Interests

Structures that Support Instruction & Personalization Curriculum, Structure, & Assessment Personalization Small Numbers with Contiguous Space Teacher Time for Collaboration and Prof. Dev. School - “Outside the Box” Flexible Scheduling Family Support & Community Engagement Vertical Organization (Minimize Transition Points) Structure STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Structure Small Numbers with Contiguous Space Vertical Organization (Minimize Transition Points) Flexible Scheduling Family Support/ Community Engagement Teacher Time for Collaboration and Professional Development School- “Outside the Box”

Barriers

NO ONE CARES HOW MUCH YOU KNOW, UNTIL THEY KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE