Measurement Performance Task

On Monday and Wednesday one of my eighth grade classes completed their performance task for their measurement unit titled Bake Shoppe.  Bake Shoppe is detailed below:

BAKE SHOPPE

You were just hired as the newest baker at SILA Bake Shoppe!  A customer has just arrived with a tough order- he wants you to recreate his grandmother’s famous brownies and he insists that they be perfect!  Below is the recipe he left with you.

Granny’s Brownies

402 grams sugar

½ pound butter

64 grams cocoa powder

4.93mL vanilla

4 eggs

192 grams flour

2.46 mL baking powder

2.46mL salt

Directions:

1. Melt the butter or margarine and mix all the ingredients in the order given.

2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes.  

*Brownies must provide at least a 150cm3 portion for 12 people*

Sounds easy, right?  If only you had the necessary measuring tools. You only have:

• mixing bowl
• spatula
• measuring cups (1/4 cup, ½ cup, 1 cup)
• measuring spoons (1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon)

• 9” x 9” x 1” pan
• 9” x 13” x 1” pan
• 8” x 8” pan

To Complete This Task:

1.  Convert all measurements to units you can measure using the following conversion factors:

            1 cup (sugar) = 201 grams

            1 cup (cocoa, flour) = 128 grams

            1 teaspoon = 4.93 mL

            1 pound = 4 sticks of butter

            1 inch = 2.54 cm

            1 mL = 1 cm³

Explain why it was necessary to convert the units, and how you completed the process.

2.  Determine what size pan needs to be used.  The batter will be approximately 1800 mL when mixed.  Explain why you selected the pan in one paragraph.  

3.  Measure all ingredients.

4.  Bake the brownies.

5.  Calculate the density of the brownies.

On Monday, students completed all calculations individually.  Using unit converters, students were able to convert all metric measurements into standard, American units.  After completing this task, students had to check in with me to ensure that their measurements were correct before moving on.  9 of 11 students had all conversions correct, one student had one error, and the final student had two errors.  While checking in, students orally told me why they were converting units and walked me through one of their problems.  I wanted students to explain me their thought process, which is incredibly helpful in scenarios where student work is incorrect.  I identified students converting score and response on each individual student's rubric.  I identified conversion problems that were incorrect, and encouraged students to continue persevering through the problems.  Eventually, all students completed all conversions correctly.  A sample conversion is shown below:

Students were then grouped in pairs (one group of 3), where they were tasked with determining the correct size baking pan.  Many groups quickly identified that pan measurements were in inches, yet the volume of the batter was given in metric units.  Students quickly began converting the pan sizes into metric units.  A sample student conversion is shown below:

Pairs of students briefly described their thought process of both the ingredient conversions and pan measurements.  One student stated, "We had to convert units for the pan because it was in inches and the batter was not.  The batter was in milliliters.  I decided to first change the milliliters into centimeters.  To do this I divided by ten because there are ten millimeters in a centimeter.  Next, I started to change the pan into centimeters.  I had to change the length, width, and volume.  There are 2.54 centimeters in an inch so that is the converter I used.  Once I found the volume of the pan and batter both in centimeters I could figure out if the batter would fit."

On Wednesday students eagerly entered the classroom, ready to start baking.  We relocated to the cafeteria where students brought their updated recipes, containing standard, American units.  Pairs of students quickly measured out all ingredients and baked their brownies.  At the end, students measured their brownies with a (clean) ruler and calculated the mass using a triple beam balance.  This enabled students to find the density of the brownies.  

I added a little twist at the end.  I brought in some chocolate frosting and "toppings" such as m&ms, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and colored decorative frostings.  Pairs of students had five minutes to decorate their cooled brownies which were then judged by their peers solely on appearance! 

Overall this performance task was incredibly successful.  Not only were students beyond excited to participate, they also demonstrated a mastery of their measurement unit.  Students were capable of transferring what they had learned in the classroom into the kitchen, successfully converting, measuring, and baking brownies.  It was very empowering to see how engaged students were in the activity.  

ED652- Course Analysis

This course, Evaluation & Assessment Policy & Practices, was designed with four major goals.  Below, is my self-analysis on reaching each of those four goals.

1.  Demonstrate a knowledge of assessment policy at the national, state, and local levels.

In reading Diane Ravitch's The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education, I gained an in-depth historical analysis of reforms in the United States educational system.  Ravitch led me through the different movements and dilemmas in the United States ranging from the A Nation at Risk, to the history standards controversy, to San Diego and New York business model reforms to charter schools and vouchers.  I feel knowledgable and well versed in the history of assessment and reform in the United States.

The course encouraged me to take an interest in current educational hot topics such as Common Core Standards and the NAEP tests.   I had the opportunity to review NAEP scores and reflect on them.  I also have a greater understanding of who makes educational decisions in the United States.  By following Diane Ravitch on twitter and blogging, I have also been exposed to a plethora of hot topics that I was unaware of prior to this course.  I have read extensively about common core lessons and assignments that are controversial, uproar in New York about tests with increased difficulty, and parents demanding their child's exemption from assessments.

Overall, the course has deepened my interest in current educational topics that I once thought were not applicable to me as a private school educator.  I frequently used my private employer as an excuse for not being "up to date" with the latest educational issues.  I now understand their importance and impact on my students and myself, and our nation as a whole.  As an educator, regardless of the school in which I work, it is crucial that I understand the history of education in our country and the current topics that affect our education system.

One area that I hope to I hope to expand on is to read a little further into assessments in Baltimore City.

2.  Critically analyze various assessment instruments and their varied implementation.
3. Identify different models of curriculum and instructional evaluation and identify their underlying philosophical rationale.

Throughout the course I was able to learn about and analyze various standardized tests such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Program of International Student Assessment (PISA), Maryland School Assessment (MSA), Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS), Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for COllege and Careers (PARCC).  I analyzed the most recent NAEP and PISA scores and investigated other professionals' opinions on the assessments.  Regarding the MSA, DCAS and PARCC, I was able to learn more about the administering and purpose of the test.

A large portion of the course was focused on performance tasks.  Through the works of Linda Darling-Hammond and Edutopia, I have gained a deeper understanding of what a performance task is and why they are so valuable.  These assessments are catered to the ever-changing skills that are needed to succeed in the 21st century.  Other nations are flooding their curriculum with these realistic assessments and their students are excelling.

I also have a deeper understanding for many reforms that once hoped to improve our education system.  The ideas of dividing up large schools as "schools within a school", charters and vouchers, No Child Left Behind, and Balanced Literacy were all well-intended when they were created but poorly implemented resulting in little to no long-term success.

4.  Take and defend a position about a current assessment policy issue.  

Although I did not formally take a stand on a current assessment policy issue, I feel confident that I could take a stand and debate many of the issues that plague our education system today.  I can defend my opposition to charter schools, the lack of validity of state-created standardized tests, the United States' weak performance on the PISA, and corruption that business models bring to the education system.

As previously mentioned, my overall understanding of the American Education System has grown tremendously throughout this course and I now feel that I can engage in more meaningful conversations and debates about our system and policies as a knowledgeable educator.

Performance Assessments- An International Review

Linda Darling-Hammond is a professor at the Stanford School of Education.  Darling-Hammond is a strong advocate for performance assessment in schools, an assessment approach in which students are required to "construct and answer, produce a product, or perform an activity"(Darling-Hammond, Beyond Basic Skills)

Darling-Hammond believes that performance assessment is necessary because learning expectations are changing.  For example, 21st century skills like the ability to communicate, collaborate, and innovate are gaining priority and our assessments must align with these skills.  As our schools are under pressure to perform, curriculum is narrowing on teaching to tests and we are getting further and further away from these necessary life skills.

Other nations, specifically those that constantly out perform the United States on international assessments like the PISA, have a stronger focus on higher order thinking.  Their standards are defined as concepts, not individual tasks, leaving space for creativity.  Test scores are not used to determine students' graduation or rating schools, but rather to improve curriculum.  In addition, teachers receive extensive training prior to entering the classroom.

Performance Assessments are a natural part of learning in these nations.  Students design labs, create portfolios, and help assess their peers.  Finland has a national performance assessment in 2nd and 9th grade.  Sweden has a similar assessment structure, asking students to solve real life, open ending questions on their tests.  In both cases, and many others like Great Britan, Australia, and Hong Kong, teachers are involved in the creation and scoring of these assessments.  Hong Kong has even developed an online "bank" of performance tasks for teachers to easily access and incorporate into their teaching.

I strongly agree with Darling-Hammond's push for performance assessment.  Students learn by doing, and these assessments and tasks assure us that the knowledge we are sharing is being absorbed in a usable and transferable way.

PISA 2012 results

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results were recently released by the U.S National Center for Education Statistics for the 2012 testing cycle.  The PISA assesses 15 year old students math, science, and reading performance.  The test, given every three years, is administered in sixty-five different countries.  This year, Florida, Massachusetts and Connecticut participated in the PISA,

In Mathematics, the United States scored an average of 481, placing us lower than 29 countries, and above 26.  There was no measurable change on the math results since the test was last administered in 2009 (nor 2003, and 2006 for that matter).  Many other countries followed suit, but 18 demonstrated significant improvements.

In science, the United States scored a 497, scoring lower than 22 other countries, and above 29.   Again, this score did not demonstrate gains from previous testing cycles where thirteen other countries showed improvements.

Thirdly, in reading the United States scored lower than 19 other nations, and above 34 with a score of 498.  In reading, there was no noticeable improvement.  21 other countries demonstrated measurable reading gains.

The PISA scores have caused a lot of hype.  The Washington Post anticipated this chaos in saying, "[the scores] don't mean much, if anything, but that doesn't stop people from saying they do" (Dec 1).  This year, a website was created specifically for the release of the PISA scores, where different organizations can post their announcements and reflections (PISADay.org).

U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, described the results as "straightforward and stark... educational stagnation", frustrated by our nation's lack of progress since the test was first administered in 2000.  Duncan pointed out that the United States has had other educational gains, such as improved NAEP results and less drop outs but ultimately declared that redesigning schools was necessary.  (www.ed.gov)

President Barak Obama compared the United State's position in the test results to the Space Race between the Soviet Union in the late 1950s, fearing that the global economy is slipping away from America.  (www.nytimes.com)

Educational Historian Diane Ravitch reminds us that the United States was never at the top of international assessments.  Realistically, our country has been producing average scores for years.  She proceeds by pointing out that nations' economic growth has no correlation with its test scores (according to Keith Baker "Are International Tests Worth Anything?").  She further supports this in saying, "Never do they explain how it was possible for the U.S. to score so poorly on international tests again and again over the past half century and yet still emerge as the world's leading economy, with the world's most vibrant culture, and a highly productive workforce" (DianeRavitch.net, Dec 3).  Ravitch concludes her recap of the PISA results with 4 lessons.  First, the PISA results are indicative of failed public policy in the united states.  Testing and accountability are not the answer.  Secondly, Florida, a state that puts strong emphasis on testing, is proof of this.  Thirdly, we must improve the quality of life for students in poverty if we want improved scores.  And finally, a standardized test only measures a limited portion of a student.  There is no result that demonstrates imagination, instinct, creativity, etc. (DianeRavitch.net)

I am torn.  I agree with Ravitch that we should take these scores lightly.  As previously stated, a "bubble" test is not a precise instrument that can be used to assess a nations' success and failure.  On the other hand, the scores are alarming.  Way are so many nations leaping forward while the United States is standing still?  We don't need to be first in the rankings, and the scores may not directly correlate with our economy, but the scores are evidence that our students are not receiving the best education that is out there.


All PISA data from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/12/03/key-pisa-test-results-for-u-s-students/

Comprehensive Assessment- Self Reflection

As described by Edutopia, Comprehensive Assessment is ongoing feedback so that both a teacher and student can constantly improve.  Comprehensive Assessment uses a variety of tools to assess the whole student, ranging from written tests and essays to experiments and role play.  These assessments demand student accountability, student self-reflection, and life skills such as being able to present in front of a group.

Assessments can be split into two groups; formative and summative.  Formative assessments are administered periodically throughout a unit to help gauge student progress and adjust instruction when needed.  Summative assessment is delivered at the end of a unit to determine student understanding.

Below is an analysis of all assessments given throughout a unit in my seventh grade life science course.  Assessments are listed in the order they were administered.

formative-textbook questions- chapter 2, section 1
formative/summative-vocabulary quiz: producer, consumer, decomposer, carnivore, herbivore, omnivore (matching)
formative-worksheet packet- chapter 2, section 1
summative-food web project- use internet to determine animals' diets and then create a food web showing their relationships
formative/summative-food web quiz
formative-worksheet packet- chapter 2, section 2
formative/summative-draw a diagram of the 3 cycles of matter
formative-textbook questions- chapter, 2 section 4
formative-rain forest comparison- compare and contrast tropical rain forests and temperate rain forests in one paragraph
summative-biome research- Research one biome's location, climate, and biotic factors.  Draw an image of your biome.  Record yourself giving a weather/nature report in your biome using an ipad.
formative-in class jeopardy
summative-chapter 2 test

I found it very hard to determine if some assessments were formative or summative.  For example, a small food web quiz both identifies if students are comfortable enough with the concept to continue.  If students are doing poorly, I can then adjust lessons and reiterate the needed vocabulary (formative).  However, the quiz is given at the end of a "section" making it summative.  That being said, I don't think that the categorization of the assessment is important.  What is important is that teachers are constantly aware of student progress and that they alter lessons to supplement this pace of learning.  Teachers should be gaging this process not through students rattling off facts, but through deep, transferable knowledge that is demonstrated when students transfer what they have learned to other situations.

Take the money?

Mega-rich foundations are always looking for a good investment.  In the late 1960s, the Ford Foundation supported community schools.  In the early 90s the Annenberg Foundation demonstrated its support of education reform with $500 million.  In the early 2000s the Gates Foundation supported small schools.

The Gates Foundation, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates, had an admirable reputation prior to its work with schools.  The foundation was a frontrunner in global health issues, supporting researchers across the globe.  This reputation ensured that the Gates foundation was reputable and powerful.

Not long after, the Gates Foundation decided that high school graduation rates and college entry rates could be improved.  Their weapon of choice: creating smaller schools with a $2 billion budget.  Money was pumped into public schools.  Large schools were broken into several smaller institutions and some were operated as "schools within a school", where multiple, independent schools ran in the same building.  In some cases, resources were scarce and tensions were high.

Data demonstrated the the Gates Foundation's reform had little impact on academic achievement.  Curriculum continued to lack rigor and math scores continued to unimpress.  Small schools quickly became stereotyped and segregated.

Several years later, Bill and Melinda gates abandoned their small school push and opted for a new, accountability approach.

Trying reform after reform is not going to change the American education system.  Countless innovative systems have been installed and abandoned in schools, none of which has been the solution to the problems teachers and students face.  As Ravitch (2010) puts it, "With the best of intentions reformers have sought to correct deficiencies by introducing new pedagogical techniques, new ways of organizing classrooms, new technologies, new tests, new incentives, and new ways to govern schools" (pg. 224).  The Gates foundation is proof that all the money in the world is not going to fix education.  The American schools need a change from within.  The insiders, the teachers who work with students first hand, need to have their voices heard if we want an effective change to take place.

Ravitch, D. (2010) The death and life of the great American school system: How testing and choice are undermining education.  Philadelphia, PA: Perseus Books Group.

The Results Are In!!!

They're here!  The 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test results have been posted at Nation's Report Card.  Before sharing the results, I want to discuss the precautions that were taken to ensure that these results are valid!

The NAEP requires that 70% or more of students in a state participate in the test annually.  If the percentage of participants is between 70% and 85%, a bias report is conducted to investigate why students were absent from testing.  In addition, students with learning disabilities and those who are English as a Second Language Learners are included in tests.  In 2013, all 52 states and districts met these requirements with 93%-100% participation on the test with one exception; Maryland did not meet the minimum requirement for reading assessments.

Overall, the assessment results were promising.  In all four categories (4th grade Math, 8th grade Math, 4th grade Reading and 8th grade Reading) student scores demonstrated improvement by 1-2%.  This increase denotes the change from the 2011 to 2013 test dates.  Overall, since 1990, scores have improved tremendously.  4th grade Math has increased by 28%, 8th grade Math 22%, 4th grade Reading 5% and 8th grade Reading 8%.  Maryland, however did not show significant improvement in any area.  (My home state of Delaware only demonstrated an increase in 4th grade Math by 3%!)

Regarding specific ethnic groups, increases of students demonstrating proficiency were shown across the board between 2011 and 2013.  In 4th grade Math, white students increased by 2%, black students increased 1%, hispanic students increased 2% and asian students increased 2%.  Since results were first introduced in 1990, these groups increased by margins as great as 44%!  In 8th grade reading, similar results were found.  White, black, and hispanic student groups each demonstrated a 1% increase, while asian students' scores jumped by a large 5%.

Reading results were no different.  For fourth graders, all ethnic groups increased by 2% with the exception of black students who increased by 1%.  For 8th grade Reading, whites increased by 3%, blacks increased by 2%, hispanics increased by 3% and asians increased by 5%.

I don't know much about the NAEP, but I am assuming that a National test does not feel the need to "fudge" tests like states do.  Ravitch clearly described all of the short cuts that can be taken (and have been taken) to ensure that a state passes its exam.  I am impressed that each state's passing mark is genuine, and am happy to see that results are still climbing since the initiation of the test in 1990.

School Visit #1

On Friday, November 8th I visited a charter school in Baltimore, Maryland that prides itself in its alternative assessment styles.  The school's mission statement deliberately states that they will use project based learning to help students obtain high academic achievement.

I met with the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade science teacher during my visit.  When I entered his classroom, a group of four students were finishing up their club period where they were listening to Brazilian music and drawing what they felt in the music.  The students explained to me that their club meets on Fridays, and they take turns listening to music from around the world.

During this time, the teacher showed me two students science notebooks.  Their notebooks were divided into four sections: notes, lab, writing, and vocabulary.  When skimming through the notebooks, I found a lot of open ended questions that involve critical thinking and the application of prior knowledge such as, "Do you think there is life on other planets?  What supports your answers?"  This type of question could be described as a "constructed response" question that "requires students to formulate and develop ideas and arguments" (Darling-Hammond and Adamson, 2010).

It was explained to me that in addition to regular science class that meets two times a week for one hour each, students have two more science periods a week that are specifically dedicated to writing.  Students select a topic that interests them and use the period to independently research and write their paper and design their class presentation.

On the day of my visit, students were walking to a nearby park to launch model rockets.  The model rocket project was an introductory activity for Newton's 3rd Law of Physics.  They had already completed the first and second law.  Students had been working on a "space unit" since the start of the school year, exploring things such as galaxies, the sun, the atmosphere, and gravity.  In the model rocket launch, students would time the rocket's ascent and descent, and ultimately use the data to calculate the rocket's peak height during the launch.  The teacher told me that students would be assessed based on their calculations, but also on a written reflection in their lab notebook where they would describe their results and why they think the said results happened.  During the space unit, students were assessed with small quizzes and other writing assignments.

While walking to the park I asked students about Newton's first two laws and they were all able to state the laws and explain them to me.  They did not do "hands-on" experiments or projects for the first two laws.  In addition, I asked students about other projects that they have done in science in previous years.  They described to me an incredibly detailed project where they made aquatic robots and tested them in a pool at the local YMCA (none of them could tell me the purpose or unit of the robots) and also a project in which they created turbines to provide electricity.

While walking home from the park, a student was talking to the teacher about her rocket that "got lost in space".  The student assumed that because she did not see her rocket come down, that it was still floating around.  The teacher used this students' statement to create a teachable moment where he asked students what they thought happened to the lost rocket.  He told the students that this would be a writing prompt when they got back to school.

I was very impressed with my visit to this school.  The rocket launch project was designed as a performance assessment for one major task; could the student accurately determine the rocket's height using the force of gravity? The project demonstrated that the school was dedicated in providing hands on learning experiences to students.  The students were incredibly engaged and knowledgeable on the topic at hand.  In depth responses were given to all questions, and students were able to support their thinking.  I believe that these eighth grade students were working at the "application" level of Bloom's Taxonomy, clearly able to transfer prior knowledge to their outdoor learning experience.

Darling-Hammond, L. & Adamson, F. (2010). Beyond basic skills: The role of performance assessment in achieving 21st century standards of learning. Stanford, CA: Stanford University, Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.

Why Testing Is Problematic

In Diane Ravitch's The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and CHoie are Undermining Education, she does an amazing job of explain the flaws of standardized testing.  In Chapter 8, The Trouble with Accountability, Ravitch presents the reader with a plethora of defects and glitches in the testing movement.

I was incredibly moved by Ravitch's proclamation that standardized tests are not in fact precise.  Maybe it is my science background that drew me to the passage, but Ravitch blatantly describes that a test is not a unit of measurement with an even scale.  She states, "The problem with using tests to make important decisions about people's lives is that the standardized tests are not precise instruments.  Unfortunately, most elected officials do not realize this, nor does the general public.  The public thinks the tests have scientific validity, like that of a thermometer or a barometer, and that they are objective, not tainted by fallible human judgement.  But test scores are not comparable to standard weights and measures; they do not have the precision of a doctor's scale or a yardstick.  Test very in their quality, and even the best tests may sometimes be error- prone, because of human mistakes or technical foul ups."

As if this statement isn't enough, Ravitch breaks down all of the flaws with the modern testing system.  For starters, teachers and administrators have developed numerous ways to "game" the system.  Some schools are home to full blown cheating, where an employee literally changes student responses prior to submitting tests for grading.  In other schools, administrators leaked test questions prior to the big day.

At other schools, admissions procedures help to filter the student population of the school.  By requiring interviews, student essays, letters of recommendation, and attendance records, a school has the ability to refine the "random" population that enters the school each fall.  And, this filtering doesn't only happen in the fall.  Often times, disruptive students are encouraged to transfer, and low performing students are encouraged to leave quietly before failing a class.

But, this isn't enough.  Weeding out low scores before they even enter the school and then again before the test isn't sufficient in some schools.  Here, students are asked to stay home on testing days or mysteriously suspended right before testing.

In addition, states have the ability to alter their proficiency percentage.  In some states, the passing percentage has dropped drastically over the years.  For example, in New York, officials made it easier for students to pass tests, falslely demonstrating a large increase in student performance.  According to Ravitch, "in 2006, a student in seventh grade [in New York] was required to get 59.6 percent of the points on the test to meet state standards in mathematics; by 2009, a student in that grade needed only 44 percent to be considered proficient."  Not sure about you, but I am still trying to figure that one out!

Data driven education has forced state officials and school leaders to go to extreme measures to come out on top.  As Ravitch points out, when the purpose of the tests is informational and diagnostic there is no need for foul play.  But when that purpose shifts to accountability,  a state of panic and "whatever it takes" develops.  Data driven and high stakes testing education has not only completely taken over schools in the United States, but it has lead to dishonest behaviors by almost all stakeholders.


Ravitch, D. (2010) The death and life of the great American school system: How testing and choice are undermining education.  Philadelphia, PA: Perseus Books Group.

Student-Led Conferences- Follow Up

My student-led conferences were incredible!  For the first time in my 4.25 years of teaching, I left conferences calm and pleasantly pleased with how the evening went.

For starters, I did not not hear one of the following conversations that make me cringe:

Me:  Well, your son rounded out the first quarter with a 78, which is a C+.
Parent: A C+?!?!? How did you get a C+?
Student: I dunno... 
Parent: That's it.  No more video games, football, ANYTHING!

That was enough to let me leave happy.  But what was even more magical, was that students took complete responsibility for their grades.  The boys that I teach were able to explain the grade that they earned by identifying their strengths and weakness.  For example, students could clarify if their "non A" grade was a result of missing homework, low test grades, etc.  Although not all graders were not perfect, parents were content because students did not try to point the blame on other students or myself.  They owned up to their work.

To top it off, students were able to describe a plan of action to their parents.  They came to the meeting prepared with a list of 3 things that could help them improve during the second quarter.  Students were able to present suggestions to their parents such as creating a different study environment, proofreading work, and reading out loud.

Overall, conferences were very beneficial and rewarding.  I will definitely continue to use this model throughout the rest of the year.

Working the Charter System in Princeton, NJ

Diane Ravitch recently tweeted a link to a blog post referencing an article about public and charter schools in Princeton, New Jersey.  In the article, titled Segregating Suburbia: A Princeton Story and taken from the School Finance 101 blog, author Bruce D. Baker hi-lights the elite charter schools that are developing in suburban areas.

Choice in schools began in 1954 as a result of Brown vs. Board of Education.  Individuals were given the opportunity to chose a segregated or desegregated school.  This idea of choice morphed over the years cause many hot debates about how government money should be used in education.  While some thought that federal funds should be available for any type of education, others argued that religious based school must be eliminated from this choice.  The idea of selecting one's school moved into the 1990s, when voucher programs and charters became buzz words in the United States.

A voucher program enables a family to receive federal funds to use at the school of their choice.  This money can be used at any school- religious, private, etc.  In some cases, the voucher may only cover a portion of tuition.  Vouchers are administered using a need-based system (Ravitch, 2010).  It seems as if charter schools in Princeton, NJ are operating on a similar system.  Families are receiving a discounted tuition at the school of their choice; the charter is technically public and therefore receiving federal funds and the families are paying a "discounted price" to supplement their child's "tuition".  Princeton is not alone either.  Similar findings were made in Washington DC.  Although DC charters have a high number of poor students, they have an extraordinary low number of students with high needs such as ESL students (Ravitch, 2010).  Sounds like a scam to me.

If charters are going to be developed they must be available to anyone who expresses interest in them, regardless of one's socio-economic standing.  In addition, if a school is running as a charter there are certain federal guidelines that the school must follow, specifically non-discrimination policies.  The data displaying the segregation in Princeton schools is incredibly alarming.  How is it that Princeton's charter has no students with autism, emotional disturbances, and other health issues,while the public schools are monopolized by these "at risk" students?

I am curious to the academic performance of students at the Princeton charter in comparison with those in the standard public schools.  While it is assumed that competition of charters will make public schools raise their standards, I have a hard time believing that is accurate in this case.

Ravitch, D. (2010) The death and life of the great American school system: How testing and choice are undermining education.  Philadelphia, PA: Perseus Books Group.

Student Led Conferences- Preparation

Today I had students in each of my classes complete a self-evaluation as preparation for their student-led conference tomorrow.  Students were given a "grade report"that summarizes their first quarter performance by breaking the grade into the following categories: test, participation, homework, labs/projects, quizzes.  A sample grade report can be seen below.

Upon reviewing their grade report, students completed a self-reflection form using a Likert Scale.  Students read statements regarding their academic and behavioral performance and efforts and determined if they agreed or disagreed with the statements.  The self-reflection form is shown below.

Lastly, based on their grade report and self-evaluation, students identified their area of weakness and formulated three points to create an "improvement plan" for the second quarter.  

Students were informed that they would be the leading facilitator of their conference.  They will be equipped with their documents from class today to help guide them in their discussion with their parents and myself.  Tomorrow at the start of class students will be gathering a piece of work that they are proud of and disappointed in from this quarter to create a small portfolio to supplement their conference.  

Boycott Reforms? Or Offer Suggestions...

Diane Ravitch recently reposted a letter from a concerned mother of a seven year old second grader.  The mother was writing her frustrations about the common core test in New York.  Her young daughter, a strong student, was incredibly nervous and distraught about an upcoming math test.  The mother, a former teacher, studied countless hours with the daughter, review methodology, and making sample test questions.

At one point, the mother expresses her frustration with common core by saying, "Come on parents, we change our shoes if they are uncomfortable.  We switch doctors and seek second opinions if we don’t like our course of treatment.  Our grocery store loyalty is fickle if we don’t have a positive experience or they ran out of the brand of pasta we like.  And here we are sitting back, watching our children suffer."

While I completely agree with this concerned mother's "go get 'em" attitude, I also feel that "shop around until you find the right solution" is detrimental.  There have been countless educational reforms over the years; none of which has proved successful.  The 1960s and 70s plethora of reforms lead to the infamous A Nation at Risk, where the National Commission on Excellence in Education hi-lighted the educational flaws in the United States.  The document only lead to more reform turn over.  Balanced Literacy in New York was soon followed by professional development heavy model in San Diego.  New York rebutted once again with a business model education system, starting the charter movement.  Perhaps, if one of these reforms had stuck around a little longer we would be both celebrating its successes while amending its flaws, rather than starting from scratch over and over again.  

This is not to say that I firmly support common core and the testing movement, or privatization and charters, etc.  I do, however, feel that the United States needs to pick a central focus and work with that, flourishing its pros, and fixing its flaws.  Personally, I think that common core is a brilliant idea with poor implementation.  The standards and assessments need to be evaluated and tweaked regularly until they more accurately assess what is actually happening in grade level classrooms.  

So in response to the concerned mother in NY, I sympathize for you and for the teachers who are given little freedom in what they do.  I worry about your daughter, dealing with such high stress at such a young age.  And lastly, I urge you to take a stand, but make sure you think carefully about what you are arguing for and against.  

Diane Ravitch & Jon Stewart

On Wednesday, October 30th, educational historian Diane Ravitch was the featured guest on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show.  Stewart invited Ravitch to the show to discuss her most recent book, Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools.  Stewart begins the interview by asserting that Ravitch makes a bold, thematic statement in the book, arguing that the American Education System is not in fact "broken" as many reformers ahead of her have declared.  Ravitch supports this assertion by arguing that students today are actually members of the smartest generation yet, with lower drop out rates and higher test scores than their predecessors.  

Ravitch proceeds in saying that the root cause of educational issues is poverty and hardships that relate to this underlying source.  Ravitch continues by saying that all students should have the opportunity to attend a school with health clinics, nurses, physical education, etc.  Stewart interjects and asks why she is so opposed to charter schools that provide these options if she feels students should be granted these basic educational and personal needs.

Ravitch's main gripe with charter schools is that charter and independent schools create consumerism in the educational world.  Parents go out and "shop" for a school when the time is right.  The Baltimore City School district is an example of a "broken" district, with the underlying root of poverty.  Charter schools are popping up all over the city with the hopes of amending some of the city school statistics.  While I support the intent and mission of these schools, I do not think that they are successful.  Many of these charters face the same issues as their local district school- teachers are over worked and students are underserved.  A testing focus provides temporary results but deep down, little learning is occurring.

A few years ago, while job searching, I applied to a KIPP school.  My interview took place in the faculty room, where teachers names and test scores were posted along the walls.  While KIPP is cranking out graduates who are scoring competitively, their graduates are not matriculating on to higher learning institutes at very high rates (Rotherham, 2011).  This example completely supports Ravitch's statement that poverty is the underlying root in education.

Perhaps instead of bouncing students between schools, revamping dead public schools into charters, and commercializing education, a stronger focus can be made on placing supports in our already existing schools.  Providing low income students with the structures and supplements that their homes are missing may be the first step towards educational successes.

Student Led Conferences

Student-led conferences are a trending topic in the educational world.  The idea of a student-led conference, as described in the YouTube video titled Student Involved Assessment, is that a teacher meets with both a student and their parent, with the hope of shifting accountability back to the student.  Having both a student and their parent in the room with the teacher during a conferences opens up communication between the three parties.  According to When Students Lead Parent-Teacher Conferences by Countryman and Schroeder (1996), what parents hear at home from their student is often quite different from the information that a teacher expresses during a conference, forcing parents to side with one party or the other.  Teachers are then forced to either advocate for the student, or act on the defensive about their own practices.  During student-led conferences, students are forced to have an honest conversation with their parent about their grades and classroom performance.

I am lucky enough to work at a school that requires students to enter the room with their parent during conferences.  However, these meetings have never been deemed "student-led", nor have I put much effort into making the student the initiator during the conference.  After viewing this YouTube clip and doing a little further research, I have decided to make my upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences (on Wednesday) student-led.  Although student-led conferences take a great deal of preparation, I believe that I can slowly start to implement this now, although time is limited, and build upon it in the coming quarters.

To begin, I will need to prepare students for their conference.  Students need an opportunity to reflect upon their performance and evaluate their efforts.  According to Countryman and Schroeder (1996), students should be assessing five different areas of focus that I have described below:
            -Do I express my ideas clearly?
            -Am I self-motivated to do my work, and do I take the initiative when I need help?
            -Do I think deeply, or give up on difficult work?
            -Am I involved in school activities?
            -Do I collaborate and work well with others?
Students will be given these questions during a class period prior to their conference, and have adequate time to journal about their responses.  I particularly like these reflection questions because they cover student performance on multiple levels, not just academics.

It is then suggested by both Countryman and Schroeder (1996) and the YouTube video that students create a portfolio of work to share with their parent.  My plan is to simplify this, and have students select two pieces of work; something they are proud of, and something that demonstrates what they need to work on.  Students will share this work with their parents during the conference.

The final piece of advice that I gathered from When Students Lead Parent-Teacher Conferences is to allow students uninterrupted time to present their reflections and portfolios to their parents.  By asking parents to write down their questions on an index card during the conference and saving them until the end of the meeting, it allows the student to calmly present their self-evaluation without feeling threatened or nervous by an angry parent.  I plan to use this practice as well during my conferences on Wednesday.

I have sat through many conferences when students deny any awareness of their low grade and parents angrily begin punishing students before they even leave my room.  It is my hope that by slowly changing students to the moderator of their own conferences, parents will give their child an opportunity to explain their progress and weaknesses.

Countryman, L.L., & Schroeder, M. (1996). When students lead parent-teacher                                                     conferences. Educational Leadership, 53, 64-68.
 

Performance Based Assessment- Self Reflection

With all of the anti-testing going on in the educational world, I am often very hard on my self regarding how I assess my students.  My typical unit includes some lecture (broken into small chunks), small quizzes, a lab or two, and a test at the end of the unit.  I have struggled to move away from the culminating test.  I think that this is partially due to my own schooling, which was incredibly structured and traditional.  I also think it is due to a false idea of performance tasks that I had and the amount of extra work that goes into planning a true performance assessment task.

I am going to describe a unit that I recently completed with my eighth grade Physical Science class, to demonstrate the types of assessments that I use in a typical unit.  The unit started with a small intro to electricity, relating it to their previous unit on magnetism.  During the first class, the boys were given laboratory supplies and tasked with making a light bulb light.  Students were able to complete this task, and concluded that they had to make a circular, connected path for the electricity to flow.  The following class period, the students took notes (using the SmartBoard and lecture) about the features of circuits.   Another day, the students were given a battery, piece of wire, lightbulb, and miscellaneous items such as crayons, toothpicks, paperclips, etc.  The students had to determine which objects completed the circuit, and which objects stopped the flow of electricity.  For homework, students had to describe conductors and insulators.  Small quizzes were administered about these topics.  The unit took a turn when students began calculating different factors of a circuit such as voltage, resistance, and current.  At this point, students did a lot of independent work solving equations.  At the end of the unit, students took a written test.

Although I pride myself in the small laboratory/hands on lessons that I do in my class, it is a challenge to make these activities open ended and explorational.  In addition, I find that my tests are often heavy with recalling information, and light on "constructed response" (Darling-Hammond, 2010).  However, I do believe that my free response questions (although few) are often thought provoking and demand students to recall and apply information.  Below are three example questions from the test that my students took on electricity.

--A travel toaster uses three 2Volt batteries and has a power rating of 1.8Watts.  What is the current of the circuit?
-- Draw a series circuit with two resistors and one switch.  If the switch is closed, will all of the resistors function?
--Compare and contrast series and parallel circuits.

The examples that I provided are very similar to those given by Darling-Hammond from the New York State Regents Exam.  On that assessment, students were asked to draw and label a circuit and analyze the circuit under certain circumstances.  I  believe that my constructed response questions would be in the "analyzing" or "applications" area of Bloom's Taxonomy.  The questions require students to recall information, and either relate it to other information or translate it into a different situation.  I struggle to find ways to develop higher order thinking assessments with my young students.

The small explorations described in my electricity unit are examples of performance tasks that I use with students.  In addition, I have had students design and implement their own labs to help during this unit.  I have always had the false idea that a performance task needs to be an incredibly large project that occurs at the end of the unit.  This is in fact, untrue.  All of the small hands on work that I do with my students is a form of assessment.  Perhaps with time I can find more merit in these tasks and minimize the weight of written tests.  Until then, I need to work on rewriting my tests so that they require students to synthesize their own ideas, using what they learned throughout a unit.

test anxiety--> school shooting

I found myself incredibly frustrated by a recent blog post from Diane Racitch.  In the post, Ravitch presents a letter from an administrator in Spark, NV where a school shooting recently occurred.  The administrator, Dr. Debra A. Feemster, argues that the school shooting was partially due to the amount of testing occurring in the district.  Feemster states, "I feel that given the relentless, inflexible and unyielding focus on "test-taking" and school rankings and scores, etc., could have possibly contributed to this horrible school shooting.  When teachers and counselors are spending an inordinate amount of time preparing, worrying, and focused on test results, their time to connect with students is limited and scarce."  I feel that the negativity towards education reform is incredibly contagious.  Parents and teachers are quick to blame the reforms for any non-ideal results or incidents they see. 

I often feel that Diane Ravitch falls in this category.  Her views on standardized testing and common core are incredibly strong and she is incredibly vocal.  Many teachers and parents who do not take the time to educate themselves on current educational reforms, hear Ravitch's opinions loud and clear.  

The comments on this blog post are intense.  I actually stopped reading them because it pains me to see educated adults argue the way that these bloggers were doing, especially when hiding behind the keys of a computer.  (It's the same feeling I get when I watch The Real Housewives of New York.)   One blogger comments that they think the post is outlandish, the next responds by accusing her of being insensitive to Feemster's loss, etc.   

I think that people need to focus their energies on what is at hand; grieving a teacher's loss or standardized testing stresses.  The two are not intertwined.  Before one blames common core for a school shooting, they need to educated themselves from varying viewpoints on both the shooting and educational issues.  

Thoughts on San Diego School Reform

In the late 1980s, the San Diego school district hired a non-educational superintendent.  Alan Bersin, a former federal prosecutor, entered the district with a strong force.  Having previously worked for Clinton's drug and immigration administration, Bersin brought a very political approach to the already well-admired school district.  With the help of Anthony Alvarado from New York City's District 2 schools, the duo changed the face of education in San Diego.  Bersin dominated the politics and PR of the reform, while Alvarado oversaw the instructional side.

The duo quickly mandated the Balanced Literacy program, increased professional development for all teachers and staff, and more principal observations of teachers.  While the teacher unions objected the incredibly fast implementation, the plans moved forward and in 2000 a formal plan was released, titled Blueprint for Student Success in a Standards-Based System.  This plan focused on prevention, intervention, and retention.

What happened in the following years was that a large percentage of San Diego teachers and administrators left the school system.  With brand new teachers coming in, Alvarado and Bersin were given the "clean slate" that they needed- fresh teachers who would not object to the district mandates.  However, even these teachers disagreed with the totalitarian model.  One San Diego teacher comments by saying, "[The teachers] bonded, we spoke in code words.  They spied on us, videotaped our staff development meetings, with the camera pointed at the audience, not the presenters.  Sometimes we agreed that no one would talk.  We would sit quietly, in a form of passive noncompliance" (Ravitch, 2010).

The common theme of all major school reforms of modern day is why are non-educational leaders running schools and school districts?  From Bersin in San Diego, to Bloomberg in NYC, business model reforms are failing.  Schools are not factories that can grind out numbers day in and day out.  Threatening teachers and schools only drives teachers to raise test scores untraditionally, where little learning is being done.  To learn is to truly understand material, so much that it can be transferred and applied to other applications.  Why not ask the teachers, the ones in the classroom, how to best assess this understaning?


Ravitch, D. (2010) The death and life of the great American school system: How testing and choice are undermining education.  Philadelphia, PA: Perseus Books Group.

The Validity of a Test

While browsing the Facebook page for the Badass Teachers Association, I came across the following post:

A large group of Facebook followers commented on Chace's regarding students who simply draw imagines in the "bubbles".  Urban Dictionary refers to this phenomenon as "Christmas Treeing".  It was then stated that these score sheets are removed from the testing sample and simply shredded.  Other readers responded that they are familiar with students who attempt to create patterns on their answer sheets.  I believe that there are also a large number of students who simply make a mistake.  Students fill in answers on the wrong section of an answer sheet.  Students accidentally skip a problem and then all of their answers are out of place for the remainder of a section.  I am certain that in addition to the Christmas Treeers, a large students fall into the "oops" category.  Lastly there are the students who are simply having an "off day".  This group includes the students who woke up or went to bed too late, or perhaps students who got in trouble that morning and have simply shut down.

How can we take the results of a test seriously if we know that student responses are flawed?  Throwing out score sheets of students who simply do not care is not a solution.  These students, who I am assuming fall into the lower academic range, are a testimony to what is being taught and learned in classrooms.  It is possible that the removal of these students scores are raising the overall average.  Is it right to have so much merit leaning on one test?  Perhaps smaller, more frequent assessments gives a larger data pool for each student, allowing one to average their test scores.

In my classroom, I am under the approach that more assessment is better.  No, I don't test or quiz my students daily.  However, I do check in with them, near daily, to assess their understanding.  This allows students to have a large range of grades when I am calculating quarter or semester grades.  It's possible that a student who ends up with an A had an F or two along the way.

I am in favor of some testing. It is necessary to track student progress over time, and also to evaluate the efficiency of a school as a teaching institution.  However, I don't think that testing once a year is the way to accurately obtain this data.