These are definitely reading days. Don’t believe me? Check out the front page of today’s Washington Post. Jay Matthews brings us the latest data from Accelerated Reader, an online reading program from Renaissance Learning. Looking at its student usage data from more than 63,000 schools nationwide, AR has identified what books today’s students are reading … and how often they are reading them.
The full Matthews story is here — http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/05/04/ST2008050402168.html?hpid=topnews. The AR study can be found here — http://www.renlearn.com/whatkidsarereading/ReadingHabits.pdf?sid=ST2008050402168.
The results are both interesting and disturbing. Some of the top titles are to be expected. “Green Eggs and Ham” is tops for first graders. “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” for fourth graders. “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” was most read for second graders.
All of these are fun, well-written books that can be found in most independent reading collections for those grade levels. But we’re also seeing a number of “required” reading titles on the list, particularly with the older grades.
“The Outsiders” was tops for seventh and eighth graders. Eduflack remembers that as required reading in middle school. And for high schoolers, “To Kill a Mockingbird” was the most-read book. The Harper Lee classic has long been a mandatory read in ninth or 10th grade classes throughout the country.
Such data is interesting. The most popular titles today, for the most part, were popular titles when Eduflack was in school decades ago. What’s disturbing, though, is the amount of reading these students are doing. We all keep hearing about the Harry Potter effect, and how kids are reading more today than they used to (due, in part, to the tri-wizard champion). But AR’s data seems to tell a different story.
The average seventh grader is only reading seven books a year. Take away the required readings like “The Outsiders,” and it is probably safe to say these junior high students are only reading two or three books independently each year. Even more disturbing are high schoolers. The average 12th grader is reading four books a year, meaning after books assigned in English class, the only thing seniors are reading is the back of a cereal box.
If we’ve learned anything during the RF era, it is that good reading comes in two parts. Students need to gain the instructional building blocks identified under the law — phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Then they need to practice it. They need to read in class and outside of it. They need to continue to develop those skills. They need to become readers for life.
Reading is like any other skill. If you want to play golf, you can get instruction on how to tee off, how to chip, and how to putt. You can learn how to read the greens and choose your clubs. But if you aren’t out there knocking out a few buckets a week and playing on real courses, you will never be a good golfer (though completing those tasks is no guarantee of success, trust me). Developing skills requires practice, practice, practice. And reading skills are no different.
This data also helps us see the need to prioritize independent reading in our schools and homes. And that is due to the continued importance of statewide assessments. When it comes to ELA, the assessment is one big independent reading test. Think about it. The test may include an excerpt from “Charlotte’s Web,” but it isn’t a test on how much you know about spiders and pigs. Assessments are independent, cold reads. We test a student’s ability to comprehend what they read. Do they know the vocabulary? Can they read and process it in the requisite period of time? Can they reach conclusions based on what they read?
Now, we must see what we can do with this data from AR. How do we use it to get good books in the hands of good students? How do we set goals to increase book consumption among students of all ages? How, exactly, do we build the reading skills of all students?
Lots of questions. In RF and in successful schools throughout the nation, we can find the answers. We just need to look. And we need to know how to read the signs.
Year: 2008
And Now a Word from a RF Godfather …
Last week, the education reform community was abuzz with discussion on IES’ interim report on Reading First’s effectiveness. There’s been a great deal of good talk on the topic, particularly from Mike Petrilli and the folks over at Fordham Foundation.
Today, we’ve got a great interview on Educationnews.org with Reid Lyon. If you’re bothering to read anything on RF, then you have to know who Reid is. I won’t try to summarize the interview, for I couldn’t do it justice. Instead, I’ll just forward the link.
Be warned, it is long. But it is chock full of good information and good opinion. Definitely worth the read. And it begs the question — what is the other $140 million set aside for RF assessment/evaluation being used for?
http://ednews.org/articles/25335/1/Interview-with-Reid-Lyon-Reading-First-is-the-largest-concerted-reading-intervention-program-in-the-history-of-the-civilized-world/Page1.html
Happy reading!
Who’s on Deck for EdSec?
This month, Washingtonian Magazine did a two-page spread on who Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama would select for their Cabinet, should they take ownership of the big desk in the Oval Office. Lots of interesting names to ponder and fuel cocktail party discussion.
But one thing troubled Eduflack greatly. There is no mention of the U.S. Department of Education. After all of the money and attention spread by Ed in 08. After the dogged pursuit of the issue by Richard Whitmire and EWA. No mention of who would lead federal education in this NCLB 2.5, merit pay, voucher/charter whack-a-day world.
So Eduflack is going to take it upon himself to fill the Washingtonian’s holes. Let’s set aside the campaign advisors that Alexander Russo so kindly provides on his Campaign 08 wiki. Let’s forget the whispers Eduflack has heard over the last year, mentioning everyone from UFT/AFT Randi Weingarten to Eduwonk Andy Rotherham to even NLNS CEO Jon Schnur. All good fun, yes, but who do we really think will be heading ED in a Democratic administration?
Eduflack’s narrowed his choice down to a top three … and a dark horse.
Candidate A – NC Gov. Mike Easley. Gov. Easley is one of the top education governors out there. He gets it, and speaks passionately about key issues, particularly school-to-work concerns. Sure, he is a lawyer by trade, but not everyone is perfect. One could see him in the Secretary Riley model, a strong southern governor who knows how to lead and motivate. The downside, as a NC governor, he will always be in Jim Hunt’s shadow on education issues. And he has endorsed Hillary in advance of the NC primary, which could hurt him with Obama later on.
Candidate B — Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Cut from the same cloth as Easley, Granholm is smart, articulate, and a true motivator. She’s also made major education moves in Michigan, from PreK programs to instituting a comprehensive reform to high school graduation requirements. The downside, we still time to see the effectiveness of her reforms and Michigan’s test numbers are still waiting to see the Granholm bounce.
Candidate C — NYC Chancellor Joel Klein. He has the results, he has the national recognition, and he is ripe for a new challenge. What more is there to do in NYC. He’s won the Broad Prize and test scores are up. NYC is now the model for urban reform. Let’s see what he can do on the national stage under a reauthorized NCLB. The downside, another lawyer who may try to run ED like he ran his department at Justice. Who at ED is up for that?
The Darkhorse — Rep. George Miller. We seem to look to governors to serve as EdSec. Just look at Lamar Alexander and Richard Riley. Many would say the superintendent experiment with Rod Paige didn’t work (Eduflack doesn’t believe that. In fact, Eduflack finds Paige to be one of the brightest, thoughtful educators he has had the pleasure of working with (post ED). It’s unfortunate that DC saw an overly scripted EdSec, courtesy of DPC, and not the real and true Paige. Paige has gotten a raw deal these past few years, in my opinion). NCLB needs reauthorization. ED needs someone who understands Congress. Who better than a co-author of the original NCLB law, an ed reform champion, and one who has stood up to the status quo. Let’s give the keys to Miller and let him enforce the spirit of the law he helped write in 2001. The downside, of course, is why would he want to give up the Ed Committee Chairmanship to run a tough agency during a difficult time?
Let’s see Washingtonian and the whispering class chew on these names for a while, and see what they think. If not these four, then who?
And don’t worry, Senator McCain, Eduflack has a few names for you as well. As you confer with Lisa Graham Keegan on ed issues, try floating names like Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (if you don’t choose him for VP) or Congressman Buck McKeon. Heck, in another year, Paul Vallas may be ready for another challenge too. He could be McCain’s token Democrat in the Cabinet.
RF: Read All About It
Today’s big education news story seems to be the IES study on the effectiveness of Reading First. For those who have missed the IES announcement of the study, or the USA Today or NY Times piece, or the countless blog entries, the good researchers over at IES determined that Reading First has been ineffective, to date. Looking at elementary schools implementing RF programs, the researchers found that teacher behavior has changed, but student performance still has not improved.
Some are already questioning the methodology, asking if the type of poor-performing school studied by IES impacted the outcome. And more criticisms are sure to come.
Ask Eduflack, and he thinks it is still too soon to know the true effectiveness. If you ask a good educational researcher, they’ll tell you it typically takes at least five years to see the effectiveness of a reform. RF was signed into law in 2002, with state grant applications soon following. That means the earliest checks were likely cut for the 2003-04 school year. So if we’re lucky, IES has looking at year three, maybe year four of implementation. So let’s give it another year or two before we eulogize Reading First.
The bigger issue, though, is the implications of the study. Many will use this to reinforce the IG findings and to validate the attacks that RF has faced from the beginning. Think about it — if the implementation was bad, the awards were skewed, and the impact non-existent, the law must be no good. Right?
But we’re truly missing the bigger picture. The IG investigation and the recent Sol Stern/Fordham Foundation report have reached similar conclusions. RF is a well-intentioned and well-conceived program. The flaw was in the implementation. The feds, the SEAs, and the LEAs have not followed the true letter or spirit of the law. Some cut corners. Some skipped sections of the law. And some simply didn’t understand it.
Read Stern’s report closely. Talk to the brains behind the law — the Reid Lyons and the Bob Sweets of the world — and they will tell you the same thing. The law is strong. We need to better enforce it. We need to better follow it. We need to better live it.
Instead, we let the status quoers use RF funding to support non-SBRR programs. We let schools continue so-called balanced literacy programs. And we failed to ensure that “what works” was really getting into the classroom.
I’d still like to believe that RF can be saved. We have the technology to rebuild her. If the IES study tells us anything, it is that we need to enforce RF with greater fidelity. We need to follow both the letter and the intent of the law. If we don’t, we may hasten the death of RF and the implementation of SBRR. And that’s no good for the teachers who have already changed their practice and for the kids who need to be reading at grade level.
The Measure of a Student
State assessments are always good as an educational conversation-starter. We like to talk about high-stakes tests, teaching to the test, and whether such exams are a true measure of learning in the classroom. Like it or not, we take such exams seriously, seeing them as a measure of the student … and the teacher.
Earlier this week, Eduflack was told a story of a Northern Virginia student and a Northern Virginia teacher. The student is your typical pre-teen boy. He’s smart, but he lacks focus. From an immigrant family, his parents are limited in their English language ability, so many notes and instructions home fail to have maximum impact.
This week, the student took a practice test for Virginia’s SOL in history. Regardless of the reason, he only got about 60 percent of the questions right. He should be doing better, particularly after nearly a year studying the subject in class. The teacher was naturally worried, so sent a note home.
The note was classic passing of the buck. The teacher informed the parents of the poor performance on the practice test. Then the teacher informed the parents that the student had a notebook full of study materials he was required to bring home every night. The teacher reminded the parents he is to “study every night.”
At face value, the conversation seems pretty basic enough. Yes, parents need to take responsibility for their children’s performance. Yes, parents need to make sure their students are studying and successfully completing their assignments. And yes, parents should care about their children’s achievement on state assessments.
But there are two other issues here. The first is shared responsibility, the second the intention of state assessments. Teachers administer pre-tests so they know where their students stand. Such tests allow teachers to administer targeted interventions to address student learning needs. It allows for adjustment in classroom instruction, letting teachers see what lessons have sunk in and what lessons have not.
Students succeed in the classroom when parents, students, and teachers all take responsibility for learning. Teaching is not merely assembling a notebook of study materials. Requiring a notebook go home each night doesn’t translate into learning. Such materials are designed to enhance classroom learning. They can’t replace instruction.
Which gets us to the larger point — the intent of state assessments. In Virginia, we assume the SOLs will measure what a student has learned over the course of the academic year. While some may say teachers teach to the test, SOLs (or similar tests in other states) are not meant to be an exam we cram for. To suggest that SOL success comes from students studying sample questions at home undoes the intent and purpose of the state assessment.
It’s no wonder people have such issues with state assessments. It cheapens the value of the test when teachers give the impression and all-nighter will result in passing marks or students will learn through notebook osmosis or when parents think the responsibility is all on them to prepare their kids for the state exam. At the end of the day, state assessments should never be the vocal point of the classroom. The academic year should be about good instruction. If teachers teach well, students will succeed. And they will achieve on any independent exam the state or nation want to throw at them.
I wish my young friend luck on his history SOLs. And I hope his teacher experiences success with applied instructional methods. It’s good to encourage parents to get involved, as long as the teacher shares the responsibility, instead of passing potential blame.
Tale of the Tape, April 2008
Yesterday, April 28, marked the two-year anniversary of Eduson’s birth. Two years ago, he was born in a tiny village in Guatemala. Seven months later, he officially joined our family, arriving in Washington, DC two days before Thanksgiving 2006.
Today, he is clearly the brightest young toddler of his age. He usually knows to say please and thank you (particularly if the please will get him something he wants). He knows how to get Eduflack and Edugrandma to give him whatever he wants, whenever he wants it. Not only is he bilingual, he knows who to speak which language to. And when he hears Eduflack speaking Spanish, all he can do is laugh.
He is an educational sponge, quickly picking up the words and actions of just about everyone (again, with Dad clearly at the top of his list). He is a mini-me at this point, and even mimics my pacing when I talk on the phone.
No question about it — he is absolutely perfect. And I am reminded of that every morning when I get my good morning kiss and every evening when I read him a stack of books before he will go to sleep.
This morning, this perfect child had his two-year wellness visit, and the numbers are now in for Eduson:
* Weight — 26.2 pounds
* Height — 33 1/4 inches
* Head Circumference — 18 1/4
Yes, he is only in the 5th percentile on the head (while his father wears a size 8 Mets cap). But everyone needs something to work on. The good news — he now has the green light on peanut butter. Nothing but happy days ahead … including the Chuck E. Cheese birthday party Friday evening (the boy’s choice, not dad’s.)
Happy Birthday, Miggy!
The End of Squishy
A decade ago, there was one word that was often used to describe educational research. That word — squishy. Despite all we knew about what worked and what didn’t in education, the research base was often soft or without merit. Once you peeled back all of the layers, so-called research studies would end up being nothing more than consumer satisfaction studies, focus group reports, or public opinion surveys without the intellectual heft.
The issue came to a point with the National Reading Panel, which brought the term “scientifically based reading research” into vogue. (Again, full disclosure, Eduflack was senior advisor to the NRP, and damned proud of it.) Two years later, NCLB took on the term, and used it more than a hundred times in the law. We began to shift toward an industry driven by science and documentable proofs. It was about what works, and a clearinghouse to hold that research. It was about a medical model, with real control groups and replicable research models. It was about proven effectiveness. It was about making a difference.
As part of that shift, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Education Research and Improvement (OERI) met its demise. Many scientifically-based proponents placed the blame for squishy research firmly in the laps of OERI. For decades, it funded qualitative studies and those that would never be mistaken for the medical model. To be fair, OERI also endorsed the findings of the NRP and the call for more rigorous research.
After passage of NCLB, Congress approved new legislation to eliminate OERI and create a new research arm for the U.S. Department of Education — the Institute of Education Sciences. IES became the father of the What Works Clearinghouse and the champion for scientifically based education research. And since its inception in 2002, IES has been led by Russ Whitehurst.
Whitehurst’s six-year appointment ends in November, and we’re already seeing his obituaries. Many tag the recent AERA meetings as his swan song. Today’s Washington Post wrote a quite reflective piece on his tenure, which can be found in full here … http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/27/AR2008042701866.html.
The Post does a good job of laying out Whitehurst’s legacy at the helm of IES. But the big question is where do we go from here. Some seem to think IES should revert back to more of an OERI-style operation, more closely intertwined with ED and more forgiving when it comes to “different” forms of research. IES has taken a hard line and bears the scars. Some fear the Institute. Others try to avoid it. And others more think it is one of the most positive steps we have taken to strengthen education in this nation.
Put Eduflack down in the third of those three categories. We need to do what works. We need good research. And we need to make sure our federal education research dollars are being spent wisely and on replicable research. Unlike healthcare, education doesn’t have a big private-sector investment in education R&D. We don’t have an FDA or a similar organization to vet outside research. But we have IES. And we have several years of good work from the Institute, work that has eliminated our house on the sand, and put it firmly on a concrete slab.
Sure, there are things that IES could do better. It could improve communication with key stakeholders. It could better promote the WWC and the impact it is having. But most of those improvements are in the communications arena. In terms of policy and content, IES is on firm footing.
So where do we go from here? Who is the next Director of IES? And what path should he or she take?
Clearly, many of the likely candidates this administration would offer have been tagged in one way or another by the IG investigation into Reading First. Others may choose to stay away for that same reason. So I’ll leave it to Knowledge Alliance and the true wonks of the policy wonks to throw out some specific names (I have two or three on my preferred list). But I will offer five characteristics the Administration (or the future Administration) should look for to fill the IES Director’s chair come November:
* A Strong Research Background — This should be a no-brainer, but we have to say it. He has to walk the walk.
* Classroom Experience — One of the greatest criticisms of most scientifically based education researchers is they don’t have K-12 classroom experience. Even if it is only for a few years, they need that line on the resume to be able to talk effectively with classroom teachers
* A Collaborator — For IES to grow and continue to strengthen, the new Director must build bridges between ED departments and the ED blob around town.
* An Understanding of Relevance — Methodology is important. Knowing how to take that research and put it to use in the field is priceless. IES must link its growing research base to practice in public P-12 schools across the nation.
* A Communicator — In its second term, IES must better communicate its mission, its goals, and its successes. It is doing great work, but if we don’t know it, they may as well be whistling in the wind. The Director is not only chief researcher, he is also chief spokesman and chief cheerleader. And the latter two are often more important.
That’s not asking too much, is it? Too often, we squander our progress during transition. It doesn’t have to be that way with IES. With Whitehurst’s legacy, and his and ED’s help in transitioning to the next six years, we can build on the successes, and not let them rot from neglect. We have an opportunity here. Let’s hope ED takes advantage of it.
The “Face” of Teaching
We all like to believe our work life is our work life, and our private life is our private life. But despite the best of intentions, we know those lines are blurred. Employers monitor web traffic to see what employees are viewing. Too many individuals use their work emails for personal things (including job searches). Many of us spend far more than the traditional eight hours working, resulting in a blending of work and personal as we try to take advantage of those free moments when we get them.
This is particularly true of teachers. They have their traditional work day, then typically have hours of grading or prep work during their “personal” time. They give up evenings for parent-teachers and before- and after-school time for student conferences and tutoring. Many teachers even make themselves available online to students, offering IM and email addresses for questions or concerns.
Now along comes Facebook. For those living under a rock, Facebook (and similar sites like MySpace) seem to be designed to purposely blur the lines between public and private life. Over the last year, Facebook has grown as a tremendous professional networking tool. Even Eduflack has a Facebook page, with 61 current friends (I know, pathetic, but I am still waiting for fellow U.Va. alum Tina Fey to accept my invitation). It is an interesting tool to keep up with friends and colleagues, and witness how circles of influence spread and grow.
This morning’s Washington Post has a story on the darker side of Facebook, with a piece on teachers “going wild.” See the full story here at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/27/AR2008042702213.html?hpid=topnews.
It is a fascinating piece. The special ed teacher who posts an online bumper sticker using the term “retard.” Risqué photos of scantily clad educators. Vulgar words and semi-smutty thoughts. All the things you would expect from 20-somethings engaging in modern day versions of bull sessions.
These sorts of articles are unfortunate because they tag all teachers with this same judgment brush. Now, when we hear a teacher is on Facebook or MySpace, we expect the worst. It could simply be a way to keep in touch with members of the college honor society or the local bible study group, but all we’ll see is “Teachers Gone Wild.”
When Eduflack first started working on Capitol Hill as a wet-behind-the-ears 20-year-old, one of the first things he was cautioned on was elevator conversations. Never say anything on a Hill elevator. You never know who is in the box with you. You never know what they hear. You never know who they’ll repeat it to.
When I do media training, I always caution my clients about anything they say (or write in an email). They can say it is private and confidential, but you need to be prepared for it to make the front page of the paper, the lead of the evening news, or the breaking story on a blog or website.
Teachers know this too. You don’t see a teacher throwing back a six pack at the high school football game. Too many people are watching. Too many will talk. The same is true about web content. We’ve been googling people for years. Now, we can learn far more than we want to from individual websites, blogs, twitter accounts, and Facebook pages.
We have to believe that virtually all teachers show proper discretion and don’t post information on the web that would embarrass them, their families, or their employers. Heck, we expect this of most professionals, whether they be educators or not. Is it fair to question the professional judgment of a teacher who lacks the personal judgment to distinguish between public and private information? Maybe. Should we monitor the online postings of our children’s teachers? Probably. Is this a problem we need to add to the global worry list? Of course not.
Perhaps newbie teachers just need a little sibling advice from their big brothers and big sisters at the AFT and NEA. Caution new teachers about blogs and websites and such and how public school critics may be monitoring them. Remind them that anything they post on their personal life could enter into their professional life. Ask them if they really want their students and their parents to see those photos of the last beach week or the beer bash at last year’s homecoming.
If those photos and musings are so important to you, keep a scrapbook. If you wouldn’t post it on your classroom’s bulletin board, it probably shouldn’t be on your Facebook site.
God Bless the Texas Higher Ed Board
Many in higher education bemoan the role of regional and state regulatory bodies. Years ago, Eduflack worked with a start-up higher ed company seeking regional accreditation for new graduate programs. We wanted accreditation fast, and we wanted it a week ago. Each, week, we seemed to lament the latest hoop to jump, report to write, and visit to prepare for.
We must remember such processes are there for a reason. Regional accreditors and state higher education boards are there to protect the quality and value of higher education. Not everyone can run a college out of their basement or a warehouse. Someone needs to go in and evaluate the quality of the program, the faculty, the facilities, and the school. Think of these accreditors as the IAB of the higher ed system. No one wants a visit from internal affairs, but all need to pay attention.
We remember this when we see articles like that recently published in the Dallas Morning News. It seems the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rejected a proposal from the Institute for Creation Sciences to establish a “creation sciences” degree for teachers looking to teach an alternative to evolution. No doubt, legal action is sure to ensue. Check out the full article here — http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/042408dntexcreationscience2.917bf873.html.
I’ll leave the problem of teaching creationism in the public schools aside. At some point, we need to respect the authorizing process and recognize these state and regional boards know exactly what they are doing. Opposing this degree in a religiously charged environment like Texas is a hard thing to do. Someone out there owes the Texas board a word of thanks for standing tall on such a controversial issue.
When I was in higher ed, many liked to say the regulators were simply defending the status quo and protecting the establishing institutions from true innovation. Maybe that is partly true. But they also preserve the integrity of our institutions and ensure that a licensed and accredited institution of higher education is held to high standards and is expected to teach proven facts.
Don’t mis-hear me, there is a place for creationism in classroom debate and intellectual discussion. But what proven scientific texts is one using in a creation sciences? Who has peer-reviewed the Bible? And how do you play Devil’s advocate in a discussion on the fourth day of creation?
A Nation in Transition
Virtually everyone in the education community seems to be celebrating the 25th anniversary of “A Nation at Risk.” For many of us, 25 meant two things. First, we got to rent a car without special surcharges. Second, parents and their friends could start asking us the question, “So what are you going to do with your life?”
For more than a decade now, I have heard educated folks — those far more educated than I am — ask the latter, lamenting the future of “A Nation at Risk.” We throw the term around all of the time, but fail to really delve into its deeper meaning. I can try to explain it, but Eduwonk said it far better earlier this week — http://www.eduwonk.com/2008/04/timepiece.html.
So after two and a half decades, where are we … really? We’ve spent a lot of time fighting the status quo, those folks who believed the schools simply needed more time and more money to fix what ailed them. We went through a magic-bullet stage, where schools adopted anything and everything that vendors claimed could boost student performance or improve learning. And we’ve spent the last seven years in the era of scientifically based learning, where research and “doing what works” is supposed to trump all.
I’ll be honest, I am not a true believer, and I don’t drive the Kool-Aid. Eduflack believes in conspiracy theories and things that go bump in the night. I’m a natural cynic who doesn’t worry if the glass is half full or half empty. I want to know who took my damned water. So it is very easy to see flaws and problems in a Nation, 25 years later.
But as I look across the landscape, I’d like to believe — to paraphrase Ronald Reagan — that we are better off now than we were 25 years ago. Today, we are talking about student achievement and student ability on state standardized tests. Today, we are putting research-based instructional models into the classrooms that need it most. Today, we are focusing on high-quality teaching, giving our educators the support, PD, and such they need to succeed in their classroom. Today, we are talking about a common national graduation rate, allowing us to effectively measure high schools across the city, the state, or the nation. Today, we are focused on outcomes, not just caught up in the inputs and processes of education. We look for a return on investment, and we measure that return based on student success.
Don’t get me wrong. We still have a LONG way to go. “A Nation at Risk,” along with other reports that have come after it, provide us a collaborative blueprint on how to improve our schools, and more importantly, how to improve the quality and the impact of our schools. We’re seeming select successes in pilots and programs across the country. We’re seeing Reading First raising the test scores of young readers. We’re seeing STEM programs engage all students in critical thinking. We’re seeing teachers take a greater pride in their craft and defend their field with a zealousness not found in decades.
One author has opined that “A Nation at Risk” should be renamed “A Nation in Crisis.” Based on what I’ve seen in the field, based on what I’ve heard and read from the experts, even this certified cynic has more hope than that. We may be “A Nation in Transition” now, with the possibility of become “A Nation of Opportunity.”
Eduflack By Patrick R. Riccards 