Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

What Would the American Education System Look Like If Its Design was Based on the Principles That Guide the Education Systems of the Nations With the Highest Student Performance?

Ten Myths About Education in the U.S. and What It Will Take to Fix Our Schools

Many Americans believe that the comparisons made with student performance in other countries are unfair or irrelevant. Even those who concede that other countries might have something to teach us continue to embrace solutions for our education problems that have never been embraced by the countries that are surpassing our performance with increasing frequency. Indeed, many of the things we accept as truisms about education in the United States are simply not supported by the facts. Among those myths are the following:

The international divide


The international divide

The essential message: those places aren’t doing any of the stuff we have focused on — charter schools, alternate certification, small classes and pay for performance, to name a few of our ‘magic bullets.’ Instead, they have developed comprehensive systems: their teachers are drawn from the top of the class, are trained carefully and, if hired, are paid like other professionals. They spend more on the children who are the toughest to educate, they diagnose and intervene at the first sign of trouble, they expect their best teachers to work in the toughest schools, and they expect all students to achieve at high levels. They do not rely heavily on machine-scored multiple choice tests but are inclined to trust and respect the judgements of teachers. Their curriculum is coherent across the system, which eliminates problems created by students moving around.
And the paper doesn’t spare unions. In other places there are professional unions, whereas here both the NEA and the AFT are industrial unions, focused on salaries and benefits and protections — all adult issues. That must change, the paper says.
By contrast, think about our approach: Here schools of education accept a high percentage of applicants, the training is not demanding, we pay poor starting salaries and provide little assistance to beginning teachers, and the best teachers invariably migrate to the richer districts. The result is a system-wide attrition rate of 40% in the first five years (but that keeps the teacher-training institutions full!) Our curricula are out of sync and often incoherent, and we tend to spend more on the richest kids, not the neediest ones. Because we (perhaps appropriately) do not trust the poorly trained and under-qualified teachers we’ve hired, we spend money on ‘teacher-proof’ curricula and evaluate students using test scores and more test scores.
In the US we don’t have one system, or even 50 systems. We believe in these aforementioned magic bullets, whether it’s charter schools, alternative certification, small classes, pay-for-performance or Teach for America. The others have comprehensive systems that have evolved over years. They benchmark carefully and make changes as necessary to remain competitive.
Toronto Students
These students are from a Toronto elementary school. Is it safe to say they're learning more than US counterparts?
The paper was presented on Tuesday in Washington before an audience of policy wonks and others. Education Secretary Arne Duncan addressed the group, and that was completely appropriate because he did much to instigate these comparisons and contrasts when he (and the NEA) arranged for the first-ever Education Summit of high-achieving nations. That was held in New York earlier this year in conjunction with WNET’s “Celebration of Teachers.” (Cynics noted — accurately — that the ONLY way the US could participate in a summit of high-achieving nations was to host it, but so what?)
Reporters like me weren’t allowed to attend the deliberations, but I have been told by several people who were on hand that it was a wake-up call for Duncan and his staff to learn that no other country was doing what we are betting on.
In his speech on Tuesday, the Secretary gamely asserted that all the participants could learn, and were learning, from each other. He also appeared to endorse some of the recommendations Tucker’s paper makes, while working overtime to point out that the federal government was NOT going to be setting standards, creating national tests, or doing anything that even slightly resembled a takeover.
“On the Shoulders of Giants” recommends that states step up to the plate and take over financing, in order to end the rich-poor disparities that now exist. It says that teacher training has to be elevated and that admission standards have to be raised.
I moderated a panel after the Secretary’s speech. Two union leaders, AFT President Randi Weingarten and NEA Executive Director John Wilson, were two of the four panelists, and they agreed that an essential step would be the adoption of professional behavior. They said it would be possible to write what one called a ‘slim’ contract of 6-8 pages that laid out essential provisions: due process, some say in hiring, a role in evaluation, a role in developing curricula and assessments, and other professional issues. There’s no need to specify how late a teacher can get there in the morning and how early she can leave in the afternoon, in other words.
Two other panelists, Vivien Stewart of the Asia Society and Mari Koerner, the dynamic dean of the school of education at Arizona State University, deepened the conversation. Ms Stewart has contributed her own paper about the five countries/cities/provinces, which will be released next week — although you can get a preview here. At ASU, Dean Koerner explained, she has raised standards–so much so that she has lost students who were looking for an easy way to earn a diploma. (‘Good riddance,’ she implied.)
So what should teachers who want to be respected and paid like professionals do? If they are impatient, they probably have to move to Toronto, Japan, Finland, Shanghai or Singapore, but be warned: those systems hire only one out of every six or eight applicants!
Otherwise, get working at the state level on systemic change. In my closing comment, I suggested that a more appropriate title for Marc’s paper (had it not been taken already) would have been “An Inconvenient Truth,” because he and the NCEE are calling for ‘climate change’ in education.
Accompanying Marc Tucker’s paper is a fascinating document, “Ten Myths about Education in the US.” Read and argue, but read.
Unfortunately, we Americans cling to our belief in ‘magic bullets.’ But I have news for you. They don’t call them ‘magic tricks’ for nothing. It’s because they are TRICKS. As for bullets, they kill, and “Death by 1000 Magic Bullets” is still dead.
I urge you to read the papers and share your thoughts here.

PISA: It's Poverty Not Stupid


by Mel Riddle,  National Association of Secondary School Principals
There are three kinds of lies; lies, damn lies, and statistics."--Mark Twain

"There are three kinds of lies; lies, damn lies, and statistics."--Mark Twain
The release of the 2009 PISA results this past week has created quite a stir and has provided ample fodder for public school bashers and doomsayers who further their own philosophical and profit-motivated agendas by painting all public schools as failing. For whatever reason, these so-called experts, many of whom have had little or no actual exposure to public schools, refuse to paint an accurate picture of the state of education.
Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, should be providing the nation with a proper vision and focus for public education. He knows our challenges all too well. He confirmed that he gets it when he recently wrote me saying, "We must build a culture nationally where great educators ... choose to work with children and communities who need the most help." I believe his message is sincere and heartfelt and it is spot on. However, overstating a problem in order to increase the sense of urgency around school improvement is just as bad as understating the problem.
This week, Duncan had a golden opportunity to use the PISA results to provide focus for our education efforts and to point us in the right direction. Instead, he dug himself deeper into the pseudo-reformers' hole--more charter schools, more reliance on competition and free-market strategies, more testing, more use of test scores to evaluate teachers, more firing of principals and teachers, more closing of low-scoring schools--when he said, "the PISA scores released this past Tuesday were "a massive wake-up call," because the scores show American students holding relatively steady in the middle of the pack of the developed nations taking the international exam.
There is, however, someone who recognizes that the data is being misinterpreted. NEAToday published remarks from National Association of Secondary School Principals Executive Director, Dr. Gerald N. Tirozzi, that have taken "a closer look at how the U.S. reading scores on PISA compared with the rest of the world’s, overlaying it with the statistics on how many of the tested students are in the government’s free and reduced lunch program for students below the poverty line." Tirozzi pointed out, “Once again, we’re reminded that students in poverty require intensive supports to break past a condition that formal schooling alone cannot overcome.” Tirozzi demonstrates the correlation between socio-economic status and reading by presenting the PISA scores in terms of individual American schools and poverty.  While the overall PISA rankings ignore such differences in the tested schools, when groupings based on the rate of free and reduced lunch are created, a direct relationship is established.

Free and Reduced Meal Rate
PISA Score
Schools with < 10%
551
Schools with 10-24.9%
527
Schools with 25-49.9%
502
Schools with 49.9-74.9%
471
Schools with >75%
446
U.S. average
500
OECD average
493
With strong evidence that increased poverty results in lower PISA scores the next question to be asked is what are the poverty rates of the countries being tested? (Listed below are the countries that were tested by PISA along with available poverty rates. Some nations like Korea do not report poverty rates.)
Country
Poverty Rate
PISA Score
Denmark
2.4%
495
Finland
3.4%
536
Norway
3.6%
503
Belgium
6.7%
506
Switzerland
6.8%
501
Czech Republic
7.2%
478
France
7.3%
496
Netherlands
9.0%
508
Germany
10.9%
497
Australia
11.6%
515
Greece
12.4%
483
Hungary
13.1%
494
Austria
13.3%
471
Canada
13.6%
524
Japan
14.3%
520
Poland
14.5%
500
Portugal
15.6%
489
Ireland
15.7%
496
Italy
15.7%
486
United Kingdom
16.2%
494
New Zealand
16.3%
521
United States
21.7%
500
Leveling the playing field
A more accurate assessment of the performance of U.S. students would be obtained by comparing the scores of American schools with comparable poverty rates to those of other countries.
Schools in the United States with less than a 10% poverty rate had a PISA score of 551.  When compared to the ten countries with similar poverty numbers, that score ranked first. 
Country
Poverty Rate
PISA Score
United States
<10%
551
Finland
3.4%
536
Netherlands
9.0%
508
Belgium
6.7%
506
Norway
3.6%
503
Switzerland
6.8%
501
France
7.3%
496
Denmark
2.4%
495
Czech Republic
7.2%
478
In the next category (10-24.9%) the U.S. average of 527 placed first out of the ten comparable nations. 

Country
Poverty Rate
PISA Score
United States
10%-24.9%
527
Canada
13.6%
524
New Zealand
16.3%
521
Japan
14.3%
520
Australia
11.6%
515
Poland
14.5%
500
Germany
10.9%
497
Ireland
15.7%
496
Hungary
13.1%
494
United Kingdom
16.2%
494
Portugal
15.6%
489
Italy
15.7%
486
Greece
12.4%
483
Austria
13.3%
471























For the remaining U.S. schools, their poverty rates over 25% far exceed any other country tested.  However, when the U.S. average of 502 for poverty rates between 25-49.9% is compared with other countries it is still in the upper half of the scores.
Mathematically Speaking
The results of the latest PISA testing should raise serious concerns.  However, the overall ranking of 14th in reading is not the reason to be concerned. The problem is not as much with our educational system as it is with our high poverty rates. The real crisis is the level of poverty in too many of our schools and the relationship between poverty and student achievement. Our lowest achieving schools are the most under-resourced schools with the highest number of disadvantaged students. We cannot treat these schools in the same way that we would schools in more advantaged neighborhoods or we will continue to get the same results. The PISA results point out that the U.S. is not alone in facing the challenge of raising the performance of disadvantaged students.

U.S. % Poverty
Other Countries
PISA Score
U.S. (<10%)

551

Korea
539

Finland
536
U.S. (10-24.9%)

527

Canada
524

New Zealand
521

Japan
520

Australia
515

Netherlands
508

Belgium
506

Norway
503
U.S. (25-49.9%)

502

Estonia
501

Switzerland
501

Poland
500

Iceland
500
U.S. (Average)

500

Sweden
497

Germany
497

Ireland
496

France
496

Denmark
495

United Kingdom
494

Hungary
494

Portugal
489

Italy
486

Slovenia
483

Greece
483

Spain
481

Czech Republic
478

Slovak Republic
477

Israel
474

Luxembourg
472
U.S. (50-74.9%)

471

Austria
471

Turkey
464

Chile
449
U.S. (over 75%)

446

Mexico
425

Additional observations from PISA results:
·      Shanghai, China topped the list with 556 but is not included in this analysis because Shanghai is a city not a country and because only 35% of Chinese students ever enter high school and because "when you spend all your time preparing for tests, and when students are selected based on their test-taking abilities, you get outstanding test scores."
·      Of all the nations participating in the PISA assessment, the U.S. has, by far, the largest number of students living in poverty--21.7%. The next closest nations in terms of poverty levels are the United Kingdom and New Zealand have poverty rates that are 75% of ours.
·      U.S. students in schools with 10% or less poverty are number one country in the world.
·      U.S. students in schools with 10-24.9% poverty are third behind Korea, and Finland.
·      U.S. students in schools with 25-50% poverty are tenth in the world.
·      U.S. students in schools with greater than 50% poverty are near the bottom.
·      There were other surprises. Germany with less than half our poverty, scored below the U.S. as did France with less than a third our poverty and Sweden with a low 3.6% poverty rate.
·      Having recently listened to Sir Michael Barber talk about the amazing progress of the reforms in the United Kingdom, I was absolutely shocked to see that the UK, with 25% less poverty, scored below the U.S. average.
The Real Meaning of PISA: It's Poverty Not Stupid
If the so-called experts would have honestly and responsibly reported the PISA results, we might now be on the road to responsible school improvement instead continuing down the road of "reform de jour."
President Bill Clinton is famous for his campaign slogan, "It's the economy stupid!" When it comes to student achievement and school improvement, it's poverty not stupid! Researchers report that perhaps the only true linear relationship in the social sciences is the relationship between poverty and student performance. While there is no relationship between poverty and ability, the relationship between poverty and achievement is almost foolproof. To deny that poverty is a factor to be overcome as opposed to an excuse is to deny the reality that all educators, human services workers, law enforcement officers, medical professionals and religious clergy know and have known for years.
PISA reports average scores. The problem is that the U.S. is not average. While the U.S. is the top country in global competitiveness, we also have the highest percentage of students living in poverty and, regretfully, poverty impacts test scores.
To Secretary Duncan, poverty is not an issue that educators must address. At least he won't admit it in public. Apparently, he wants to take away all the excuses from teachers and principals. When I met with Duncan, I asked him if he had read the book or seen the movie, Blind Side. He indicated that he had and that he had enjoyed it very much. I reminded him of the pride and sense of accomplishment felt by the teachers in the private school attended by Michael Oher. In their minds, they had performed a miracle. I pointed out that, in high-poverty schools, a Michael Oher is the average student. In schools like ours we have hundreds of students like Michael Oher who depend on our school for everything including food, clothing, and emotional support.

The Bottom Line
School improvement is not an event. It is an ongoing process that has no end. As a principal, parents and community members would repeatedly ask me, "When can we stop our comprehensive school-wide literacy initiative? I would answer, "We will stop emphasizing reading, writing, thinking and speaking when our parents repeatedly complain that their children are reading too fast with comprehension that is too high and when our students' writing skills are so superior that they are regularly winning Pulitzers and other literary awards." Smiles would erupt throughout the audience. They got it. They understood that literacy skills can always be improved and so can our schools.
There are three compelling reasons why we must improve our schools:
  1. We have a moral and ethical obligation to provide every student with the best education, the kind of education that we would want for our own children.
  2. In a knowledge economy, the country with the best-educated populace will have the highest standard of living.
  3. Every dropout as well as every graduate who is not prepared for at least some post-secondary education and training is and will continue to be an economic and social burden on their local community and on this nation for their entire life.
The challenge of ensuring that each and every student is a life-long learner prepared to contribute in a global community is daunting enough. We don't need more hyperbole, particularly from those education insiders who should know better. For those of us who are deeply committed to improving the performance of every student, this rhetoric is counterproductive because it seriously erodes our ability to hire teachers, obtain resources, and gain the confidence and support of our communities.
We count on our leaders to provide focus and direction. Sadly, our education leaders don't trust us enough to tell us the truth. The problem is that we will never solve a problem that our leaders refuse to admit even exists. The comparison of PISA scores by poverty clearly identifies our strengths and challenges as a nation. Our schools with less than 50% poverty) are some of the best in the world. Our extremely high-poverty schools, with over 50% poverty, are among the poorest performing internationally.
Instead of labeling all schools as failing, we must find a way to raise the performance of our students in under-resourced schools. Instead of looking to low-poverty countries like Finland for direction, we should be looking to take what we already know about educating students in high-performing, high-poverty schools like our Breakthrough Schools and scaling up their successes across the nation. We continually look for gold in other countries when, all along, we are sitting on Acres of Diamonds.
Truthfully, you and I know all too well that Secretary Duncan, who led schools in Chicago, is aware of the relationship between poverty and student achievement, but he doesn't trust us enough to tell us the truth. He is afraid that we will use poverty as an excuse and that we will forget about our disadvantaged students. Ironically, by not acknowledging poverty as a challenge to be overcome, Duncan is forgetting about our disadvantaged students. Duncan needs to deliver the message that all our students deserve not only access to an education, but access to an excellent education. He needs to repeatedly remind us that, when it comes to school improvement, it's poverty not stupid.
Posted by Mel Riddile on December 15, 2010 12:13 PM