by NNPA ESSA | Oct 21, 2018 | commentary, ESSA, Every Student Succeeds Act, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Featured, Featured, K12 Education, National, VIDEO
By: Dr. Elizabeth Primas,
Program Manager, NNPA ESSA Public Awareness Campaign
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines standards as, “something established by authority, custom, or general consent as a model or example. For example,” the Egyptians established the 365-day calendar, recording 4236 BC as the first year in recorded history. Around 1100 AD in England, it was determined that the length of King Henry Beauclerc’s foot would be used for the standard measurement of a linear foot.
These standards of time and linear measurement are still widely used and accepted today. During the Civil War, America recognized a need for standardized gauges for the railroads so that parts were easily inter-changeable. Standards continue to remain essential aspects of organization as societies increase in size and complexity. The same concept applies to academic standards in education.
In the mid-twentieth century, educators adopted academic standards. Those standards were designed to ensure that all students progressed at relatively the same pace while acquiring the skills necessary to become contributing members of society.
One example of this is the adoption of a Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) by the District of Columbia in the 1980s. CBC consisted of a series of skill sets within a hierarchy. Students were required to demonstrate mastery of the skills at one level before progressing to the next. Teachers were required to teach/test/reteach (if necessary) and then retest. Once students demonstrated mastery, they received a score that reflected such. The score did not entail how many times the teacher had to reteach and retest before the students acquired the intended skillset.
A more recent example of academic standards is the 2009 states-focused effort to create clear, consistent, and competitive learning goals, resulting in the Common Core State Standards. Common Core State Standards were adopted by 48 states, two territories and the District of Columbia. The federal government supported the validity of Common Core Standards by providing financial incentives for state adoption.
Proponents of Common Core Standards argue that the standards provide students with the necessary knowledge to succeed in college and career regardless of geographical location. However, many critics have argued against this, emphasizing resulting ambiguity, lack of training, and lowered student expectations as the key points the identify a policy in need of revision. In 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act, a re-authorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA), offered a resolution.
Under ESSA, states have the option of keeping Common Core State Standards or creating their own state standards. The financial incentive to adopt Common Core by the federal government no longer exists and the option to work with a consortium of states to develop standards is also available to state educational leadership.
Guidelines set by ESSA for state-developed academic standards is a step in the right direction. ESSA allows for states to decide how to best set goals and meet the needs of students. It is obvious from the widespread criticisms of Common Core that uniform education standards have not worked. As states continue to develop academic standards they must keep this in mind, understanding that every child does not learn and/or demonstrate knowledge in the same way.
Unlike widgets, children will never fit perfectly into standardized molds. They learn to walk at different ages. They learn to talk at different ages. And each child has a different set of interests and learning style. Students’ ability to demonstrate mastery in one area over another has a lot to do with their previous knowledge and exposure to out-of-the-classroom experiences.
As a mother to many children, I have observed that some of my children are good in math, while others are musically inclined. A select few demonstrate the ability to make fantastic meals out of simple ingredients, while others have a hard time boiling water. We must understand that every child is capable of achievement at high levels as long as we encourage their strengths. Whatever their gifts and talents, we need them all.
Dr. Elizabeth Primas is an educator, who spent more than 40 years working towards improving education for children of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds. Dr. Primas is the program manager for the NNPA’s Every Student Succeeds Act Public Awareness Campaign. Follow Dr. Primas on Twitter @elizabethprimas.
by NNPA ESSA | Apr 6, 2017 | ESSA, Every Student Succeeds Act, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), K12 Education, National
Since almost everyone has at some point in their life spent a good amount of time in a K-12 classroom, it’s safe to assume that many believe they have knowledge and insight into what works and what doesn’t. Is it also safe to assume that these perceptions are likely to be a little off the mark? Probably, but very few if any studies exist that answer this question one way or the other. Ulrich Boser, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and author of Learn Better, recently conducted a survey to find out what the general public really knows about effective teaching and learning.
Using Amazon Mechanical Turk, Boser, assisted by a team of researchers, polled 3000 people, a sample weighted by race, income and education level, about their opinions on a variety of classroom-related issues. Boser believes it is the first survey to guage the public’s understanding of teaching and learning.
Overall, the responses are interesting, maybe a little discouraging, but not altogether surprising. To Boser, they collectively reveal a general misunderstanding about what makes effective classrooms and effective educators. The implications are important because misperceptions feed off each other, whether they begin with the public, politicians or the media. Furthermore, Boser says there is an abundance of research into the “science of learning” that should be gaining more traction in our schools, not to mention teacher preparation programs.
Here are some of the highlights from the survey. What do you think they say about the public’s understanding of effective teaching and learning?
Praise and Content Mastery
Nearly all respondents believe that are “relatively skilled” at identifying effective teaching strategies, and 72% say they are “above average” in evaluating instructional practice. But when they were asked to evaluate specific strategies, Boser says things go awry.
For example, 72% said praising students for “being smart” is an effective instructional strategy and 39% believe that mastering basic content is overrated, agreeing with the statement that “facts gets in the way of understanding.”
On the first point, Boser cites the work of Carol Dweck, the Stanford professor whose research has shown that praise – or the wrong type of praise – can actually be detrimental. “Too often nowadays, praise is given to students who are putting forth effort, but not learning, in order to make them feel good in the moment,” Dweck recently wrote.
What did those respondents mean when they appeared to shrug-off the importance of facts? It’s possible some are commenting on rote memorization, which advocates of deeper learning believe should be scaled back. Nonetheless, facts are needed for effective understanding, and the idea that academic content is practically obsolete has its followers, but is a view not supported by the evidence, Boser says.
What Makes an Effective Teacher?
Forty percent of respondents believe good instructional skills are more important than subject mastery, agreeing with the statement, “a great teacher can teach any subject.”
Also, many underestimated the amount of formal training it takes to become an effective educator, with more than one-quarter believing six months of practice teaching is sufficient preparation. This belief, Boser writes, “stands in stark contrast to the significant body of research that shows that novice teachers are less effective than their more experienced peers, as well as the experts who believe that most people need at least a year of residency training.”
Boser believes the responses demonstrate how devalued teaching – a craft that involves a lot of science, Boser says – has become. “If people believe that it’s easy for someone to perform well in the classroom, then society shouldn’t reward teaching because the job doesn’t require rigorous training. In contrast, it’s widely accepted that doctors and lawyers need a great deal of training to succeed, and people in those fields get paid a lot more.”
Fixed Intelligence
One-quarter of the American population believes that “[i]ntelligence is fixed at birth,” despite the fact that there’s plenty of research that shows that intelligence can be developed. Boser points to interventions such as preschool and reading to young children that demonstrate clear benefits.
Do Learning Styles Exist?
According to the survey, 90 percent of respondents believe that students should receive information in the classroom in their own “learning style.” Boser says the research on this issue is clear: learning styles don’t really exist.
“It’s important to note that researchers have a very specific definition of learning styles, which revolves around student preference for landing new skills and knowledge in a certain manner,” Boser says. “This doesn’t mean that everyone learns in the exact same way. Some people have more prior knowledge. Others have more inherent interest. This will shape how they learn – and how teachers teach.”
Read the full results of the survey
Top 5 Myths and Lies About Teachers and Their Profession.
The debate over education is critical, but unfortunately the widespread dissemination of misinformation. Consequently, many citizens conception of K-12 public education in the United States is based more on myth than reality. Here are some of the myths pertaining specifically to teachers and their profession.
Source: NEA Today
