Wednesday, September 08, 2010
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SELECTED READINGS
These selections do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, opinions, mission or action plan of the DFPE. They are provided here to foster thoughtful conversation among those of us interested in the education of children.
"The Flat World and Education: How America's Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future"
by Linda Darling-Hammond, Posted August 23, 2010 (Washington Post Article)
"Today in the United States only 1 in 10 low-income kindergarteners goes on to graduate from college. At a time when education matters more than ever, the U.S. high school graduation rate has dropped from first in the world to the bottom half of rankings for comparable nations. While such sobering facts inform her new book, the author focuses on the successes of effective school systems in the U.S. and abroad in order to develop a clear and coherent set of policies that can be used to create high-quality and equitable schools."
by Linda Darling-Hammond, Posted August 23, 2010 (Washington Post Article)
"Today in the United States only 1 in 10 low-income kindergarteners goes on to graduate from college. At a time when education matters more than ever, the U.S. high school graduation rate has dropped from first in the world to the bottom half of rankings for comparable nations. While such sobering facts inform her new book, the author focuses on the successes of effective school systems in the U.S. and abroad in order to develop a clear and coherent set of policies that can be used to create high-quality and equitable schools."
An Alternative Vision for Public Education - A Pastoral Letter on Federal Policy in Public Education: An Ecumenical Call for Justice
prepared by The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, Posted July 01 2010
"An open letter to the president and Congress, sent May 18, 2010, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA ('a community of 36 Christian communions with a combined membership of 45 million persons in more than 100,000 congregations' in the U.S.) affirms that 'our society's provision of public education - publicly funded, universally available, and accountable to the public - while imperfect, is essential for ensuring that all children are served.' The letter espouses these tenents: 'We value democratic governance of public schools. Public schools must guarantee each child's right to educational opportunity. We reject the language of business for discussing public education. ESEA Reauthorization must expand educational opportunity. We value public school educators. We pledge to partner with you for just reform.'"
prepared by The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, Posted July 01 2010
"An open letter to the president and Congress, sent May 18, 2010, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA ('a community of 36 Christian communions with a combined membership of 45 million persons in more than 100,000 congregations' in the U.S.) affirms that 'our society's provision of public education - publicly funded, universally available, and accountable to the public - while imperfect, is essential for ensuring that all children are served.' The letter espouses these tenents: 'We value democratic governance of public schools. Public schools must guarantee each child's right to educational opportunity. We reject the language of business for discussing public education. ESEA Reauthorization must expand educational opportunity. We value public school educators. We pledge to partner with you for just reform.'"
The Evaluation of Charter School Impacts: Final Report
The report was prepared for the Institute of Education Sciences under Contract No. ED-01-C0039/0010. The project officer is Marsha Silverberg in the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. NCEE 2010-4029, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, June 2010. Posted June 28, 2010
"The evaluation, which we conducted in 36 charter middle schools across 15 states, compares outcomes of students who applied and were admitted to these schools through randomized admissions lotteries (lottery winners) with the outcomes of students who also applied to these schools and participated in the lotteries but were not admitted (lottery losers). This analytic approach produces the most reliable impact estimates. But because the study could only include charter middle schools that held lotteries, the results do not necessarily apply to the full set of charter middle schools in the U.S.
Key findings from the evaluation include:
The report was prepared for the Institute of Education Sciences under Contract No. ED-01-C0039/0010. The project officer is Marsha Silverberg in the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. NCEE 2010-4029, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, June 2010. Posted June 28, 2010
"The evaluation, which we conducted in 36 charter middle schools across 15 states, compares outcomes of students who applied and were admitted to these schools through randomized admissions lotteries (lottery winners) with the outcomes of students who also applied to these schools and participated in the lotteries but were not admitted (lottery losers). This analytic approach produces the most reliable impact estimates. But because the study could only include charter middle schools that held lotteries, the results do not necessarily apply to the full set of charter middle schools in the U.S.
Key findings from the evaluation include:
- On average, charter middle schools that hold lotteries are neither more nor less successful than traditional public schools in improving student achievement, behavior, and school progress.
- The impact of charter middle schools on student achievement varies significantly across schools.
- In our exploratory analysis, for example, we found that study charter schools serving more low income or low achieving students had statistically significant positive effects on math test scores, while charter schools serving more advantaged students - those with higher income and prior achievement - had significant negative effects on math test scores. "
A Cost Analysis for Texas Public Schools
prepared by Moak, Casey & Associates, Texas School Finance & Accountability Experts, Posted June 16 2010
"The latest update for this document was published April, 21, 2009. It describes school district spending practices and examines Texas finance data for equity, adequacy, and capacity. Among the findings: Texas public schools increased expenditures for basic educational costs by an average of $1,116 per student from the 2001-02 school year to the 2006-07 school year (the first year of implementation of HB 1). This is a roughly 17% increase, which amounts to an average annual increase of 3.2%..."
prepared by Moak, Casey & Associates, Texas School Finance & Accountability Experts, Posted June 16 2010
"The latest update for this document was published April, 21, 2009. It describes school district spending practices and examines Texas finance data for equity, adequacy, and capacity. Among the findings: Texas public schools increased expenditures for basic educational costs by an average of $1,116 per student from the 2001-02 school year to the 2006-07 school year (the first year of implementation of HB 1). This is a roughly 17% increase, which amounts to an average annual increase of 3.2%..."
Performance Incentives: Their Growing Impact on American K-12 Education
by Richard Rothstein, Posted May 05, 2010
"This working paper was supported by the National Center on Performance Incentives (NCPI), which is funded by the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES). This is a draft version of a paper that was presented at a national conference at Vanderbilt University on February 28-29, 2008. NCPI conducts scientific, comprehensive, and independent studies on the individual and institutional effects of performance incentives in education. A signature activity of the center is the conduct of two randomized field trials offering student achievement-related bonuses to teachers. The Center is committed to fair and rigorous research in an effort to provide the field of education with reliable knowledge to guide policy and practice..."
by Richard Rothstein, Posted May 05, 2010
"This working paper was supported by the National Center on Performance Incentives (NCPI), which is funded by the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES). This is a draft version of a paper that was presented at a national conference at Vanderbilt University on February 28-29, 2008. NCPI conducts scientific, comprehensive, and independent studies on the individual and institutional effects of performance incentives in education. A signature activity of the center is the conduct of two randomized field trials offering student achievement-related bonuses to teachers. The Center is committed to fair and rigorous research in an effort to provide the field of education with reliable knowledge to guide policy and practice..."
Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas: A Work in Progress for Conversation and Further Development
Respectfully Offered by Superintendent Participants in the Public Education Visioning Institute, Posted May 03, 2010
"Transforming our Schools from Bureaucracies to Learning Organizations Bureaucracies value power and authority, while learning organizations are driven by beliefs and values. Schools must be transformed from their current bureaucratic form, characterized by rules and sanctions, punitive accountability systems, routines, and standardization of everything, to learning organizations where only the mundane is standardized and standards are used to nurture aspirations and accommodate human variables..."
Respectfully Offered by Superintendent Participants in the Public Education Visioning Institute, Posted May 03, 2010
"Transforming our Schools from Bureaucracies to Learning Organizations Bureaucracies value power and authority, while learning organizations are driven by beliefs and values. Schools must be transformed from their current bureaucratic form, characterized by rules and sanctions, punitive accountability systems, routines, and standardization of everything, to learning organizations where only the mundane is standardized and standards are used to nurture aspirations and accommodate human variables..."
Looking Past the Spin: Teach for America
By Barbara Miner, Spring 2010 issue, Rethinking Schools Online , Posted April 19, 2010
"Most Teach for America recruits are idealistic and dedicated. But who is behind the organization, and does its approach bolster or hinder urban education reform?"
By Barbara Miner, Spring 2010 issue, Rethinking Schools Online , Posted April 19, 2010
"Most Teach for America recruits are idealistic and dedicated. But who is behind the organization, and does its approach bolster or hinder urban education reform?"
Diane Ravitch: No Child Left Behind, Reform Killing Public Education
By Kenneth Terrell, U.S. News & World Report, Posted March 25, 2010
"In the spring of 1991, education scholar Diane Ravitch got a phone call from Education Secretary Lamar Alexander inviting her to lunch in Washington. He asked her to become an assistant secretary, and - excited by this high-profile opportunity - Ravitch accepted and stayed until 1993. Since then, as a writer and blogger, she has become known as an advocate of reform via school choice, charter schools, and accountability. But to the surprise of many, Ravitch now opposes those strategies in her book "The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education". Ravitch recently spoke with U.S. News about her new views." [Link to Article^]
By Kenneth Terrell, U.S. News & World Report, Posted March 25, 2010
"In the spring of 1991, education scholar Diane Ravitch got a phone call from Education Secretary Lamar Alexander inviting her to lunch in Washington. He asked her to become an assistant secretary, and - excited by this high-profile opportunity - Ravitch accepted and stayed until 1993. Since then, as a writer and blogger, she has become known as an advocate of reform via school choice, charter schools, and accountability. But to the surprise of many, Ravitch now opposes those strategies in her book "The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education". Ravitch recently spoke with U.S. News about her new views." [Link to Article^]
Why Public Schools Need Democratic Governance
by Diane Ravitch
Ravitch believes local school boards are the first line of defense for public education against the "business model" of education - charter schools and privately run schools. She cautions that the "business model" assumes that democratic governance is a hindrance to effective education; that competition among schools and teachers produces better results than collaboration; that local school boards are a nuisance and an obstacle rather than the public's representatives in shaping education policy; and assumes that schools can be closed and opened as if they were chain stores rather than vital community institutions. The author provides examples and case studies that decry this "latest fad" of education sweeping the nation.
Ravitch is a historian of education at New York University and author of The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education (Basic Books, 2010).
by Diane Ravitch
Ravitch believes local school boards are the first line of defense for public education against the "business model" of education - charter schools and privately run schools. She cautions that the "business model" assumes that democratic governance is a hindrance to effective education; that competition among schools and teachers produces better results than collaboration; that local school boards are a nuisance and an obstacle rather than the public's representatives in shaping education policy; and assumes that schools can be closed and opened as if they were chain stores rather than vital community institutions. The author provides examples and case studies that decry this "latest fad" of education sweeping the nation.
Ravitch is a historian of education at New York University and author of The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education (Basic Books, 2010).
Weighing the Case for School Boards
by Frederick M. Hess
School boards govern school districts. That raises two linked questions: the desirability of boards as a form of governance and of districts as a way to organize schooling. Reform proposals routinely ignore this second question. This is a mistake, and it complicates governance challenges with organizational ones.
Frederick M. Hess is director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and author of Education Unbound: The Promise and Practice of Greenfield Schooling (ASCD, 2010).
by Frederick M. Hess
School boards govern school districts. That raises two linked questions: the desirability of boards as a form of governance and of districts as a way to organize schooling. Reform proposals routinely ignore this second question. This is a mistake, and it complicates governance challenges with organizational ones.
Frederick M. Hess is director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and author of Education Unbound: The Promise and Practice of Greenfield Schooling (ASCD, 2010).
Choice without Equity: Charter School Segregation and the Need for Civil Rights Standards
by E. Frankenberg, G. Siegel-Hawley, and J. Wang
On February 4, 2010, the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA issued "Choice Without Equity: Charter School Segregation and the Need for Civil Rights Standards," a nationwide report based on an analysis of Federal government data and an examination of charter schools in 40 states and the District of Columbia, along with several dozen metropolitan areas with large enrollments of charters. The report found that charter schools continue to stratify students by race, class, and possibly language, and are more racially isolated than traditional public schools in virtually every state and large metropolitan area in the country.
by E. Frankenberg, G. Siegel-Hawley, and J. Wang
On February 4, 2010, the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA issued "Choice Without Equity: Charter School Segregation and the Need for Civil Rights Standards," a nationwide report based on an analysis of Federal government data and an examination of charter schools in 40 states and the District of Columbia, along with several dozen metropolitan areas with large enrollments of charters. The report found that charter schools continue to stratify students by race, class, and possibly language, and are more racially isolated than traditional public schools in virtually every state and large metropolitan area in the country.
The Educational Crisis Facing Young Men of Color: Reflections on Four Days of Dialogue on the Educational Challenges of Minority Males, The College Board Advocacy & Policy Center, January 2010
"For every 100 girls enrolled in kindergarten, there are 116 boys.
For every 100 girls enrolled in high school, there are 100 boys.
For every 100 women enrolled in college, there are just 77 men."
- Victor Saenz, "The 'Disappearing' Latino Male: Setting the Stage." A presentation at the College Board's Dialogue Day on Hispanic and Latino Males, Chicago, Ill., May 21, 2008
"For every 100 girls enrolled in kindergarten, there are 116 boys.
For every 100 girls enrolled in high school, there are 100 boys.
For every 100 women enrolled in college, there are just 77 men."
- Victor Saenz, "The 'Disappearing' Latino Male: Setting the Stage." A presentation at the College Board's Dialogue Day on Hispanic and Latino Males, Chicago, Ill., May 21, 2008
The Forgotten Choice? Rethinking Magnet Schools in a Changing Landscape: A Report to Magnet Schools of America
By Erica Frankenberg & Genevieve Siegel-Hawley with a Foreword by Gary Orfield
The Civil Rights Project, University of California, November 2008
By Erica Frankenberg & Genevieve Siegel-Hawley with a Foreword by Gary Orfield
The Civil Rights Project, University of California, November 2008
