A new report by LFA and Grunwald Associates, with support from AT&T, examines how parents perceive the value of mobile devices, how they see their children using mobiles, and what they think of the possibilities for mobile learning.
Equity
Blog Entries
Dr. Susan B. Neuman has received much media attention recently as the apostate former Bush administration official who publicly opposes No Child Left Behind in its current form. As the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education who presided over NCLB's early implementation, she certainly made waves by arguing that schools alone cannot close achievement gaps.
But Neuman has received less attention for her affirmative vision of what we can do to improve poor students' odds dramatically. Her new book, Changing the Odds for Children at Risk, lays out "seven essential principles of educational programs that break the cycle of poverty." On Wednesday, she talked to me about her book and her thoughts on current education policy.
The book uses extensive research on child development and effective programs to make the case for responsible, substantive investment in areas such as early care and education, comprehensive family supports, and after-school. (Not surprisingly, Neuman was an early signer of the "Broader, Bolder Approach to Education," a manifesto urging investment in more comprehensive supports for students' well-being.)
Neuman's thoughts on accountability deserve particular attention. She has famously criticized NCLB's accountability regime for emphasizing sanctions over support, but she is no critic of rigorous accountability. Rather, she argues that accountability structures should ensure sound program goals, adequate resources, timely course corrections, and strong outcomes.
You can download the entire interview here or listen to six minutes of interview highlights:
...
Robert Pondiscio takes on the most uncompromising believers that poverty is no excuse for achievement gaps:
"it is unacceptable for a teacher to lower his or her expectations of a student's capabilities based on economic status. But where this laudable belief leaves the rails is when you hold the teacher accountable if she fails to get every child to proficiency.... 'Never stop trying' is an essential character trait for a teacher. 'Never fail' is a silly and ultimately self-defeating standard."
It is necessary to believe every student can learn to a high standard--and critical to work tirelessly towards that goal. But surely this conviction should not preclude any acknowledgement of poverty's effect on student achievement. Pondiscio rightly objects to the false dichotomy ("no excuses" vs. "demography is destiny") that governs so much talk about poverty and student achievement.
Of course we must screen out educators who use poverty as an excuse to do anything less than their best work. Teachers play an absolutely critical role in closing achievement gaps. But it seems equally irresponsible to turn a blind eye to poverty, or to castigate teachers for acknowledging poverty's effects. ...
If you ask George Wood, the federal role in public education is out of whack. His concern: The feds have meddled with teaching and learning--not exactly their strong suit--and forgotten their traditional role as guarantors of education equity.
As executive director of the Forum for Education and Democracy, Wood has been working with leading education luminaries to call for changes to the federal role. The fruits of this work appear in the Forum's report, Democracy at Risk, which offers recommendations for more constructive federal involvement in public schools.
Wood, who is principal of the ironically named "Federal Hocking High School" in rural Ohio, recently spoke with us about some of these recommendations. (These recommendations resemble the recommendations LFA offers in its own recent report on the federal role in public education.)
Download the entire interview here or listen to about six minutes of interview highlights:
A transcript of these highlights appears below.
Alternatively, you can download the following ...
As Americans swoon over Finland's celebrated education system, we often forget about another high achiever just to our North: Canada. Canada scores among the top three countries in PISA assessments of 15-year-olds' reading literacy and science.
What are the reasons for this success? Canadian education leader Dr. Raymond Théberge believes they include Canada's commitment to education equity and its strong support for struggling schools. He also credits the country's general dedication to the health and well-being of its children and families: "We cannot expect the schools to solve all of our society's problems."
We recently spoke with Dr. Théberge, who in 2005 became Director General of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC). (In Canada, responsibility for education rests entirely with the thirteen provinces and territories. The CMEC helps provincial education ministries collaborate with one another and the federal government on strategies for improving Canadian schools.)
You can download our entire 17-minute conversation here (a transcript of highlights appears below).
Alternatively, you can listen ...
Tackling "the Empowerment Gap": An Interview with Jefferson County, KY Superintendent Shelley Berman
As the celebrated superintendent of Hudson, Massachusetts schools, Dr. Sheldon Berman distinguished himself as one of the nation's leading champions of civic education. Since coming to Louisville, Kentucky a year ago, Berman has maintained his passionate commitment to civics, though he has altered his approach somewhat to meet the specific needs of students in his large urban district.
Berman recently spoke with us about his work in Jefferson County Public Schools. He told us about the impact of No Child Left Behind on civics education, the consequences of the "Empowerment Gap" for low-income students, and the implications of this historic presidential election for civics education.
Download the full, 15-minute interview here, or listen to five minutes of highlights:
Researcher Meira Levinson warns of a civic achievement gap that is every bit as troubling as academic achievement gaps. Poor students and students of color know less than their wealthier,non-minority peers about civics and government and they are less likely to vote or participate in other civic activities. Even worse, they are far less likely to believe they can make a difference through civic action.
Just days before an historic presidential election whose results could hinge on poor and minority voters, Levinson spoke with us about these gaps--and what schools can do to narrow them. Download the full, 20-minute interview here. ...
Like many others, I've been wondering what lessons educators and students can draw from the current financial crisis. Certainly, schools should do more to teach financial literacy: Americans could stand to know much more about credit. Schools could perhaps also do more to instill character in students: Financial wizards could have done much more to rein in their greed.
But the crisis offers a third--and I would argue larger--lesson, a real teachable moment: We're all in this together.
This fact seems lost on some people who readily understand the first two lessons. One generally thoughtful education blogger argued against big financial bailouts on the grounds that borrowers who lived well beyond their means should experience a chastening dose of failure. Many others have rejected bailouts on the grounds that Wall Street hucksters shouldn't profit from their sins. ...
Americans often hear about the United States' lackluster showing in international comparisons of student performance. They hear less about education policies and practices in countries that top the international lists. As it turns out, U.S. education policies--particularly our accountability policies--are often out of step with policies in the most successful nations.
This is one conclusion we draw from our recent discussion with Andreas Schleicher, who heads the OECD's Education Indicators and Analysis Division in Paris. Schleicher oversees the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a test often cited in reports about American students' decline in international rankings.
During our interview, Schleicher delivers some familiar bad news: U.S. performance on PISA is below average for the OECD. Socio-economic status has a larger impact on student achievement in the U.S. than in countries that top the PISA rankings. ...
For months now, Washington think tank dwellers have been casting supporters of the Broader Bolder Approach to Education as characters in a morality play about the future of school reform. The storyline goes like this: BBA supporters, who link student achievement to influences both inside and outside of schools, are slothful defenders of the status quo. Struggling against them are righteous warriors for school reform.
As we've noted before, this is a bogus story. No one benefits from this phony battle between school improvement and out-of-school supports for student success. Students need excellent schools, but they also need excellent pre-K and after-school programs, health care programs, and other out-of-school supports for learning. ...
In a story that has received remarkably little media attention so far, eight urban public schools in Connecticut are participating in an experiment to give teachers, parents and communities greater autonomy over curriculum, governance and budgets. The Connecticut Alliance for CommPACT Schools is helping these formerly struggling schools reorganize.
Among the hallmarks of this effort: ...
SIGN UP
Sign up for our e-newsletter on public school success.
A VISION FOR GREAT SCHOOLS
On this website, educators, parents and policymakers from coast to coast are sharing what's already working in public schools--and sparking a national conversation about how to make it work for children in every school. Join the conversation!
