Teachers Network: TNLI: List Archives

Dear Teachers Network Leadership Institute (TNLI) MetLife Fellows:

Believe it or not, March has arrived! And, true to form, we are sending you the reading information for our March TNLI national listserv conversation. Please find the link (and article information) directly below. We are excited about our Delaware affiliate leading this month’s conversation—with Fellow Cary Brandenberger at the helm, serving as moderator. OK—here goes:

MARCH—Delaware

Moderator: MetLife Fellow Cary Bradenberger

* “High Performance in High Poverty Schools: 90/90/90 and Beyond.” By Douglas B. Reeves. It was published in 2003 by the Center for Performance Assessment. Readers A direct link to the PDF version of the full article is available on the following URL:

www.sabine.k12.la.us/online/leadershipacademy/
high%20performance%2090%2090%2090%20and%20beyond.pdf

Thanks so much—and we look forward to yet another lively listserv conversation—led by Delaware this month!

Ellen and Peter

Hello! My name is Cary Brandenberger. I am this month's moderator for the discussion on assessment. I am a teaching and learning specialist for a school district that serves three high schools. Before taking this position, I taught in an urban high school for eight years.

The article, "High Performance in High Poverty Schools: 90/90/90 and Beyond" opens up many topics related to assessment. The article tapped into many areas that I believe are integral to increasing student achievement in all schools. Reeves' identified five characteristics that were common to all 90/90/90 schools. These characteristics were:

A focus on academic achievement
Clear curriculum choices
Frequent assessment of student progress and multiple opportunities for improvement
An emphasis on nonfiction writing
Collaborative scoring of student work

What I found interesting about these characteristics was that teachers were actively involved, along with administrators, in making these decisions. It seems that some classroom teachers like the autonomy of choosing what to teach, regardless of what the district has prescribed. The 90/90/90 schools "had a laser-like focus on student achievement," and they continually looked to self-improve. It was also very clear that collaboration and scoring of student work was integral to this process. It was also clear that an extreme focus on literacy and math was important, even if that meant a disproportionate emphasis, with regard to science and social studies. It was also very apparent that nonfiction writing across the curriculum was important to success. Here are some questions to ponder as you read the article.

How can we get all schools to have such an exact focus on achievement?
Is there still an overwhelming belief in our communities that poverty and ethnic minority enrollment are inextricably linked to lower levels of student achievement?
Is academic performance highly prized at your school, similar to athletic performance?
Would science and social studies teachers be open to giving more time to math and English?
Would teachers, parents and administrators be comfortable with less grades, if we adopted a "you can do better next week" attitude instead of "get it right the first time" attitude toward grading?
Would teachers in other content areas be comfortable with adopting one nonfiction writing rubric? (It has been y experience that non-English teachers care more about content than grammar or sentence structure)
How do we get teachers and administrators to use school time more wisely?

It seems that all of these ideas revolve around working smarter rather than working harder. I look forward to reading your comments and concerns regarding this model and the gain that these schools made.

Cary Brandenberger
Delaware
3/9/06

The thing that stuck out the most in the article was a total commitment to learning by all parts of the school including the staff.

We have a good staff at my school but they are so busy with discipline that they have little time to work with the academic side of the coin.

The greatest idea was an announcement free staff meeting. Most of our staff meetings are to announce decisions made at either the district level or the site level. We are under the gun for academic achievement as we are a P.I. school but it seems so much time is spent on announcement lists.

The thing that I think they should have talked about was in-class announcements and calls for students. I have kept a record of in class calls and I am losing almost a period a week in answering and dealing with student calls to the office. They are extremely disruptive to the learning environment.

Dan Turner
El Camino Middle School
Lompoc, CA
3/9/06

Sol, Sol, Sol. What interpretation would all the choice schools and vouchered academies put upon history? What indoctrination would they spread to the few who managed to attend them while the vast majority of the remaining students stayed in their public schools?

I contest the notion that test scores, and by them the imputation of knowledge, show decline in American students. In point of fact we in the public schools do more and more with less and less every year than has ever been accomplished in education in the United States.

I choose liberalism because it attempts to uplift the many rather than concentrate wealth, power, and status in the hands of the few. Conservative are fond of saying that a rising tide floats all boats. Those who need them most don't have boats.

M. Burton Hopkins Jr.
Delaware
3/13/06

I thought the 90/90/90 article was an excellent one, one which provides a lot of food for thought. I agree with and applaud many of the results and points: raising standards and expectations school-wide; collaboration and articulation; principal involvement at grassroots; fewer meetings; and more time for analysis of academics.

However, I part company when it comes to shaving all other curriculum to "follow the testing gourd." I don't think that's a land I want for my grandchildren.

Before we even consider this, we must take close scrutiny of the test items content and prioritize them in comparison to the subject matter we are considering cutting. To illustrate, here are some examples:
Is it really more important to:

Identify simile and metaphor or identify body systems, cells, planets in science units we might cut?
Use a comma after a subordinate clause or use the scientific theory & conduct an experiment?
interpret complex poetry or keep geography to identify countries and become familiar with their cultures?
Graph a linear algebra equation or just as valid to graph and interpret trends in habitat destruction and weather?

We can NOT sacrifice the pursuit of science, social studies, art, and music for the sake of some elements of the Reading/Math curriculum chosen by some illusive group or publishers to be test items. We must make the K-12 experience as varied and rich and thorough as it can possibly be. Teach it as if it is the only education these students will ever receive, just in case it is. Then will we choose the same test items as paramount? Will algebra be the highest priority or will science, history, citizenship, and government process move up the priority scale? Will it matter if every comma is in place, or will becoming familiar with the world's greatest artists still have a place?

In other countries, in Europe and Asia, no one cuts "other curriculum." If anything, children begin learning about world geography, history, science, arts much earlier than in the U.S. How? More integration of subjects? Using the commas in the right place while writing about Michaelangelo? Collaboration between not only the Reading teachers but with the "other curriculum" teachers?

If we begin to cut out the sciences and arts in public education, we can expect an even greater flight to private schools. And I will be in the line with my grandchildren.

Oranne Lee
Santa Barbara County, CA
3/15/06

I'm a science coach in San Francisco, so of course, you'll notice my bias.

While I believe it is crucial for students to learn how to read and write properly, I don't understand why they couldn't do this through content. Students need to be more and more exposed to expository reading and writing. The National Science Teachers' Association (www.nsta.org) has been encouraging and supporting literacy and science connections. Their upcoming conference next month in Anaheim offers tons of workshops and strategies on this.

Now, in terms of science, scientists are always discovering something new. Science affects every aspect of our lives. Furthermore, inquiry-based science trains students to question, to provide evidence, and to become critical thinkers, but questioning should cut across the curriculum.

Democracy is alive and kicking when people question the status quo, engage in active participation, demand accountability and hopefully bring about change.

I often wonder if this country would be in such a mess if more people questioned the current state of affairs. We have to start early on.

Claudia Haas
San Francisco
3/17/06

If you are interested in a different "slant" on writing, I suggest this:

Erik Cork does a very interesting workshop called "Rap and Write" -- it's an interactive session, which teaches the kids how to meld popular medium with integral writing processes. I am the same concept to teach elements of grammar, math and history in my own classroom. It works!

Thom Jones
Colin Powell Elementary School
Fairfax, VA
3/17/06

It seems so many people have the idea that reading is only taught in reading or English classes. Truly we can use all classes to teach reading and other subjects that our students need. Yet we need to teach them that reading is a fun thing to do not just academic drudgery. We cannot, I feel, do it through forced reading things like reading logs, or required reading and reading in 15 minute blocks like SSR are being shown by research to be of no use also. We need to model reading for long periods of time and of material that is of interest to us as teachers and persons as well.
Leveled reading is good for the publishing industry but I fear of little use in teaching the love of reading. We need to encourage reading on subjects each child likes and bridge them if it above their level. I know that works because I do it in my classes and I am not a reading teacher.

Dan Turner
El Camino Middle School
Lompoc, CA
3/17/06

I agree that reading is so vital to every strand of what we expose the kids to throughout the entire day. One program that works really well is initiated through the USA Today newspaper. The paper is designed to read at about a fifth grade level, but you can order it with lesson plans attached. I ordered a class set for just one day a week (Friday) and used it as a good lead-in to the weekend. Students were engaged, and it gave us all something to really look forward to at the end of the week. I noticed that both reading comprehension levels and inferencing skills increased markedly.

Thom Jones
Colin Powell Elementary School
Centreville, Virginia
3/17/06

I am the basic math teacher at the high school. That's 4th & 5th grade standards (let's not get into a discussion of the mess of the CA state standards). They have had this curriculum "taught" to them for 5 years. Am I to follow a scripted curriculum and expect them to get it? And of' course, the curriculum and testing are so motivational for these students (90% are boys). I would love to see the research and program which helps this category of students.

Regarding the testing - English/math craze:
What is more important to me is to give the children a reason to read and write and do the math! That happens when you learn about what exists around you - people, culture, science, nature, etc. Also, what about the things that make life enjoyable? Art, music, and drama - don't we want the future generation to enjoy these? And, heaven forbid, we teach about careers and life skills!

Until we have the curriculum that we want for our children and grandchildren, and convince the policy-makers of this- we are not going to be satisfied.

Shelley Klein
NBPT, and former Petroleum Engineer
Santa Maria High School
Santa Maria, CA
3/17/06

Since the conversation has shifted a bit - toward those life skills. I'd like to add my comments on that topic. I have worked in the robotics industry - the "real" world from ground up. During my tenure I never once used my math skills and knowledge that acquired in high school & college.

However, I did have a checkbook, savings account, and a 401K. I also had bills and expenses to deal with - yet, never learned anything about these real life issues in school.

“60 Minutes” had a special on a few years ago about the effect credit card debit had on the rate of suicide among college students. It was disturbing to realize that we don't bother to teach students about the world of finance - I am not talking high finance - I am talking about the everyday work world finance. We need to teach the students a simple lesson about credit card debt - I remember a conversation that I had with one of my seniors a few years back. It went like this:

Student: I am carrying $300 on my credit card.
Teacher: How much do you pay per month?
Student: The minimum.
Teacher: How much is that? $10?
Student: Yes
Teacher: What is the finance & service charge? $5?
Student: Yes
Teacher: Okay, with the finance charge how much do you actually pay on the “loan”?
Student: $5
Teacher: How many months will it be to pay that $300?
Student: 60 months
Teacher: How many years is that?
Student: 5 years – You know Ms. Young, I think I’ll start paying more on that credit card per month!

A simple conversation – taught so much to that student – however, we barely have time for those type of conversations these days with the need to get through the curriculum for the state test!!

BTW – after watching the “60 Minutes” special, I turned to my parents and said thank you! But how many of our young people do not have that luxury of having parents teach them about finances?

Catherine Young
Delaware
3/17/06