One of the perks of being on the board of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (I'm the current Vice President) is getting to go to various conferences sponsored by the National Association of School Boards for free. MASC pays my way and I bring back what I learn to Cambridge and the state.
Some people consider this work. I like it because I get to meet other folks from different states, learn new things, and occasionally hear a truly great speaker who has the ability to really inspire and get you excited about trying something new, or thinking a different way.
This past weekend, I heard such a speaker in Washington D.C. at NSBA's Leadership Conference. David Warlick has been a teacher and administrator for three decades. Now he travels the world trying to bring teachers (and school board members) into the 21 Century when it comes to literacy and the use of technology.
Why is this so important? In one exercise, he showed us.
Say you are in 5th grade and you are doing a research project on Martin Luther King, Jr. You find your way to www.martinlutherking.org. If your students aren't trained to be "digital detectives,” if they aren't literate in the 21th Century sense of the word, they might just stop there and take the “MLK Pop Quiz” at the top of the page.
But if your students are well taught, they will want to find out the credibility of their source. They'll know that you can click on the webmaster link, go to the organization where the webmaster gets his/her e-mail -- and find that martinlutherking.org links to the official website of the Stormfront white supremacist organization.
Now this isn't a skill being tested on MCAS that I know of. But it should be. (Too bad they'd still have to prove their knowledge of the web on paper.)
The Digital Divide is not merely about who has a computer or not -- it's about who can harness the power of technology and use it most effectively and constructively, says Warlick.
Teachers have discovered that more students love writing (and school in general) when they get to use the computer to post their assignments onto blogs (on-line journals) or “wikis” (communal websites) and receive comments from peers. These new formats, that can also weave in digital photos and oral "podcasts," are making school relevant and exciting to a generation that is taking to ichatting and social networking like fish to water.
I don’t see this happening in many Cambridge schools yet. To be honest, I don't think many schools are doing much of this anywhere. (Warlick’s book, Classroom Blogging, is only two years old.) But it makes me question whether we have the right model for teaching 21st Century literacy in Cambridge.
The schools that are on top of these new web tools have teachers working with students on computers in the classroom with the help of digitally-savvy librarians. They aren’t sending their class down the hall to do it in a separate computer lab with a “technology specialist.” We probably have a mix of things going on in CPS schools, but we should think about what the best model would be as the district completes a five-year technology plan. Hardware is one thing; literacy is the ultimate goal. Separately, the city council and school committee are working to provide wireless access to the Internet, with the initial goal of making sure every entering high schooler (every 9th grader) has access to the web at home.
Some schools are going cold-turkey into the 21th Century. Warlick cites The Beacon School in New York, where students take a technology class and then all their work has to be done digitally. This is good preparation for college, where this is now the norm.
Says Warlick in his blog:
"I maintain that the best solution to integrating contemporary literacy (digital literacy, information skills, computer skills, whatever you want to call it) into what and how we teach is simple. It’s dramatic, but it's simple — because teachers will do what helps them do their jobs. Teachers will do what solves their problems.
So the solution is to give them a problem.
Take all the paper out of every classroom and replace it with access to digital content, and put digital/networked information tools in the hands of every teacher and learner. Then say, “Now teach! Now Learn!”
Of course you’re going to have to provide them with time for retooling, and a little staff development, but it will happen, when they have little choice."
For more on David Warlick, check out his website and blog.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Friday, January 19, 2007
Tackling the Achievement Gap
It’s been called the civil rights issue of our time. But what exactly is the Achievement Gap, and, more importantly, what does it look like in Cambridge?
Also - why is there a gap? What are the solutions? What have we tried, what is working, and what else should we try?
The question of how to define the achievement gap in Cambridge cropped up on the School Committee last year when we found ourselves in the middle of a conflicting situation. According to some reports, it looked like we were making progress in closing the gap; according to others, we were not. Turns out, it all depended on which definition was being used.
That’s when I got the idea that the School Committee should sponsor a series of forums on the achievement gap. The first forum would focus on definitions, especially the definition being used by the school administration and the principals now. The second one would focus on contributing factors -- or the reasons for the gap. The third would focus on potential solutions that involve the schools, families and the community. We would invite guest experts to speak, but also experts from our own school system.
Long story short, there is now an Ad-Hoc Achievement Gap subcommittee of the School Committee meeting weekly (every Wednesday at noon) to plan these forums. I am the chair of the subcommittee. As of this post, we are planning the first forum for later this spring, with others to follow later this fall.
I believe this is a very exciting and ambitious project. I don’t know of any city that is planning such a big community-wide event on this very important topic. (If anyone knows of one, please let me know!)
We started our planning work in the first week of January. Already, the superintendent has surveyed all 13 school councils to ask them: How do you define the achievement gap in your school? As you might expect, the answers varied widely.
One of my goals is for us to learn more about the students who are failing. On the Committee, we are very used to looking at the percentages of students in all sort of categories who score less than proficient on MCAS tests. But how many students are we talking about at each school? Did they go to preschool? Do their parents/guardians attend parent-teacher conferences? What else do we know about these children?
Researchers have identified many patterns in the lives of students that can help both teachers and families to understand some of the basics of school success and the kind of dynamics that can work against it. One of these researchers is Ronald Ferguson, director of Harvard’s Achievement Gap Initiative, who I interviewed recently for the November/December 2006 issue of the Harvard Education Letter.
Anyway, I am excited by how many people have already sent letters and e-mails with suggestions and/or who have come to our meetings. We got a very thoughtful letter, for example, from the Cambridge 0-8 Council, who will be sending a representative to our weekly meetings.
Certainly, we won’t be able to cover every angle of this incredibly complex topic. But as one member said, “At least we can get clarity, if not consensus.” I think clarity can go along way toward rallying the whole community around this important cause. And if that happens, I think we’ll see some substantial progress in closing “the Gap” -- as well as enriching the educational experience of all our students at the same time.
Also - why is there a gap? What are the solutions? What have we tried, what is working, and what else should we try?
The question of how to define the achievement gap in Cambridge cropped up on the School Committee last year when we found ourselves in the middle of a conflicting situation. According to some reports, it looked like we were making progress in closing the gap; according to others, we were not. Turns out, it all depended on which definition was being used.
That’s when I got the idea that the School Committee should sponsor a series of forums on the achievement gap. The first forum would focus on definitions, especially the definition being used by the school administration and the principals now. The second one would focus on contributing factors -- or the reasons for the gap. The third would focus on potential solutions that involve the schools, families and the community. We would invite guest experts to speak, but also experts from our own school system.
Long story short, there is now an Ad-Hoc Achievement Gap subcommittee of the School Committee meeting weekly (every Wednesday at noon) to plan these forums. I am the chair of the subcommittee. As of this post, we are planning the first forum for later this spring, with others to follow later this fall.
I believe this is a very exciting and ambitious project. I don’t know of any city that is planning such a big community-wide event on this very important topic. (If anyone knows of one, please let me know!)
We started our planning work in the first week of January. Already, the superintendent has surveyed all 13 school councils to ask them: How do you define the achievement gap in your school? As you might expect, the answers varied widely.
One of my goals is for us to learn more about the students who are failing. On the Committee, we are very used to looking at the percentages of students in all sort of categories who score less than proficient on MCAS tests. But how many students are we talking about at each school? Did they go to preschool? Do their parents/guardians attend parent-teacher conferences? What else do we know about these children?
Researchers have identified many patterns in the lives of students that can help both teachers and families to understand some of the basics of school success and the kind of dynamics that can work against it. One of these researchers is Ronald Ferguson, director of Harvard’s Achievement Gap Initiative, who I interviewed recently for the November/December 2006 issue of the Harvard Education Letter.
Anyway, I am excited by how many people have already sent letters and e-mails with suggestions and/or who have come to our meetings. We got a very thoughtful letter, for example, from the Cambridge 0-8 Council, who will be sending a representative to our weekly meetings.
Certainly, we won’t be able to cover every angle of this incredibly complex topic. But as one member said, “At least we can get clarity, if not consensus.” I think clarity can go along way toward rallying the whole community around this important cause. And if that happens, I think we’ll see some substantial progress in closing “the Gap” -- as well as enriching the educational experience of all our students at the same time.
Fitter, Healthier Kids in Cambridge
Elementary students are getting leaner and more fit, according to a presentation by the Healthy Children Task Force at last Tuesday’s School Committee meeting.
Over a three year period from 2004 through 2006, there has been a steady decline in the percentage of overweight children in both income categories (eligible and non-eligible for free or reduced lunch).
Overweight is defined as weight at or above the 95th percentile for one’s age group. Nineteen percent of CPS children, or 722 kids, are overweight and 17 percent, or 650 kids, are considered “at risk” of becoming overweight. A hispanic or black child is roughly twice as likely to be overweight as a white or Asian child.
At the same time, though, kids are getting fitter. The percentage of kids not passing their fitness tests has fallen from 70 percent in 2004 to 64 percent -- still a high number, but the trend seems promising. (Don’t ask me to take this test, however.)
The task force attributed progress made to a number of Cambridge initiatives in and outside schools. One of these is a grant that enabled the p.e. department to pioneer an annual “Health and Fitness Report Card” that is sent home to parents. These report cards include information on weight and BMI (body mass index), another indicator of relative health. This effort is now being replicated across the country -- although not always without some controversy.
The task force also credited City Sprouts, a non-profit organization in Cambridge that works with many of our schools, for maintaining gardens on-site and introducing fresh vegetables to students at lunch time. The task force has also worked with the CPS food service director to make healthier breakfasts and lunches, and is starting to work on better options in the high school cafeterias.
Recently, too, the School Committee and the superintendent have funded new gardens at several elementary schools as well as a new p.e. program that introduces ballroom dancing to 5th and 6th graders.
BTW, for a really heart-warming, infectious good time, come to the ballroom dancing exhibition scheduled this year for Thursday, March 15.
Over a three year period from 2004 through 2006, there has been a steady decline in the percentage of overweight children in both income categories (eligible and non-eligible for free or reduced lunch).
Overweight is defined as weight at or above the 95th percentile for one’s age group. Nineteen percent of CPS children, or 722 kids, are overweight and 17 percent, or 650 kids, are considered “at risk” of becoming overweight. A hispanic or black child is roughly twice as likely to be overweight as a white or Asian child.
At the same time, though, kids are getting fitter. The percentage of kids not passing their fitness tests has fallen from 70 percent in 2004 to 64 percent -- still a high number, but the trend seems promising. (Don’t ask me to take this test, however.)
The task force attributed progress made to a number of Cambridge initiatives in and outside schools. One of these is a grant that enabled the p.e. department to pioneer an annual “Health and Fitness Report Card” that is sent home to parents. These report cards include information on weight and BMI (body mass index), another indicator of relative health. This effort is now being replicated across the country -- although not always without some controversy.
The task force also credited City Sprouts, a non-profit organization in Cambridge that works with many of our schools, for maintaining gardens on-site and introducing fresh vegetables to students at lunch time. The task force has also worked with the CPS food service director to make healthier breakfasts and lunches, and is starting to work on better options in the high school cafeterias.
Recently, too, the School Committee and the superintendent have funded new gardens at several elementary schools as well as a new p.e. program that introduces ballroom dancing to 5th and 6th graders.
BTW, for a really heart-warming, infectious good time, come to the ballroom dancing exhibition scheduled this year for Thursday, March 15.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Ten Years Ago
I have been thinking a lot about what I was doing ten years ago this month. Ten years ago, I was busy in an upstairs bedroom packing little red books into padded mailing envelopes. I was filling orders for my book, the Parent's Guide to Cambridge Schools, so parents would have them before the January deadline for kindergarten registration. I was also getting ready to register my first child for kindergarten. This past fall, that same child entered the high school.
In 1997, publishing a book for parents about public schools was newsworthy. I have a clipping from the Christian Science Monitor about me and two other parents across the country who were attempting it. (This was not the kind of project that real publishers would take on -- all of these ventures were self-funded.) And, of course, this was long before district and school websites, before listservs, before NCLB reports cards, DOE school profiles and Google searches.
Suffice it to say that soon after I finished the second edition in 1998, I began to try to work my way of out this job and get the district to do more publishing on its own.
These days someone will occasionally say to me, "Why don't you do another edition of your book?" Truth is, I don't think there is the same need. When I look at the Cambridge Public Schools official website and at the downloadable, info-packed Schools at a Glance booklet, at the Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School website and viewbook, and most recently, the new Tobin Montessori brochure with its stunning photos of Cambridge children, I am amazed at what can happen in ten years. Change is slow; but it can be so worth it.
And now there's this thing called Blogs. I started this one during the last School Committee campaign but then, happily, I was re-elected, got busy with committee work, and started a new day job as assistant editor of the Harvard Education Letter.
But I'm ready to make blogging a regular task. There are things I'd like to communicate that I think are important, especially when seen through the lens of ten years. About the evolution of our schools, about the nitty-gritty of educating children in a diverse district in times of great pressure and expectation. I hope you will follow along.
In 1997, publishing a book for parents about public schools was newsworthy. I have a clipping from the Christian Science Monitor about me and two other parents across the country who were attempting it. (This was not the kind of project that real publishers would take on -- all of these ventures were self-funded.) And, of course, this was long before district and school websites, before listservs, before NCLB reports cards, DOE school profiles and Google searches.
Suffice it to say that soon after I finished the second edition in 1998, I began to try to work my way of out this job and get the district to do more publishing on its own.
These days someone will occasionally say to me, "Why don't you do another edition of your book?" Truth is, I don't think there is the same need. When I look at the Cambridge Public Schools official website and at the downloadable, info-packed Schools at a Glance booklet, at the Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School website and viewbook, and most recently, the new Tobin Montessori brochure with its stunning photos of Cambridge children, I am amazed at what can happen in ten years. Change is slow; but it can be so worth it.
And now there's this thing called Blogs. I started this one during the last School Committee campaign but then, happily, I was re-elected, got busy with committee work, and started a new day job as assistant editor of the Harvard Education Letter.
But I'm ready to make blogging a regular task. There are things I'd like to communicate that I think are important, especially when seen through the lens of ten years. About the evolution of our schools, about the nitty-gritty of educating children in a diverse district in times of great pressure and expectation. I hope you will follow along.
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