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.