Welcome to the HML POST - For the busy leaders of public education.
November 16, 2015
(Editorials and research articles are selected by
Jack McKay, Executive director of the HML.
Topics are selected to provoke discussions about the importance of strong public schools. Feedback is always appreciated.
It has been one of the most stubborn problems in education: With 50 states, 50 standards and 50 tests, how could anyone really know what American students were learning, or how well? Now Dr. Chester finds himself in the awkward position of walking away from the very test he helped create.
On his recommendation, the State Board of Education decided last week that Massachusetts would go it alone and abandon the multistate test in favor of one to be developed for just this state. The move will cost an extra year and unknown millions of dollars.
As one would expect in academic circles, the language of applying research findings to educational policies has expanded. Canadian researchers Gerald Galway and Bruce Sheppard note that new phrases have entered the vocabulary: "knowledge transfer, evidence-informed policy, data-driven decision-making and knowledge brokering, to name a few.
Knowledge mobilization (KM) has been touted as a useful all-encompassing term because it conveys the notion of direction instead of random interaction and it 'embodies the idea that the use of knowledge is a social process, not just an intellectual task' "
Student agency is about having student's voice and a choice in their own decision-making processes for what and how they are learning. It's about students developing the confidence and self-assuredness to assert their voices or thoughts and to advocate for their choices and ideas. It's about taking ownership of their learning in all situations-in school and in life. It's about developing the thinking behaviors that provide the substance to their ideas and the skills to express those ideas throughout our democratic society.
Nine behaviors--solving problems, managing one's self, adapting to change, conceptualizing, analyzing, communicating engaging, reflecting, collaborating-- are among those cited as key. (PARCC, 2009). These nine provide the skills that lead to the sense of efficacy students have when they have a solid level of college and career readiness. (
Read more.)
The House-Senate conference committee overwhelmingly (39-1) endorsed
an overhaul of the No Child Left Behind, which was the latest (and worst) revision of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The new ESEA, which still must be approved by both houses of Congress, is called the Every Student Succeeds Act.
The ESSA limits the federal role, a direct rebuke to Arne Duncan's belief that he was the national superintendent of schools. The law retains a large chunk of George W. Bush's legacy, including annual testing, a practice not found in any high-performing nation. The law no longer requires teacher evaluation by test scores. (
Read more.)
The majority did strike out one footnote (page 11, footnote 10) about the use of School District No. 20 v. Bryan. A bit interesting as this does revolve around Article IX on funding but they were likely addressing the issue of funding for other education programs. (Read more.)
In a flood of news stories during the last year, we've learned that as many as 16 million autos may be subject to recall due to
defective air bags supplied by the Takata Corporation. After reading this and other stories about recalls in the automotive manufacturing and parts sector, including a huge mess with storied German automaker Volkswagen,
where more than 8 million vehicles in Europe alone are subject to recall, that got me thinking on the topic of other headlines detailing problems recently in another industry.
Here are some examples of problems in that other, non-automotive, non-manufacturing industry:
In the 2014-15 school year, on average, 1,110 minutes were dedicated to the New York State standardized testing process (in reading and math) for students in Grades 3-6 and 1,134 minutes were dedicated to this process for students in Grades 7-8. This represents 2 percent of "required annual instructional hours" for Grades 3-6 and 1.9 percent for Grades 7-8, and exceeds - essentially doubling - the standard set by the state legislature.
Using this common-sense standard, it becomes clear that the time (and resources) dedicated to testing are actually much greater than the tests' duration. This is very important because when students are engaged in this testing process, they are not engaged in learning. And when teachers are engaged in this testing process, they are not engaged in teaching. (Read more.)
They may look slightly different from the IQ tests, but they closely resemble the intelligence tests used by
Charles Spearman (1904),
Alfred Binet and
Theodore Simon (1916), famous psychologists in Great Britain and France, respectively, who created the first IQ tests a century ago.
While these tests may have been at the cutting edge at the turn of the 20th century, today they are archaic. Imagine using medical tests designed at the beginning of the 20th century to diagnose, say, cancer or heart disease. (
Read more.)
The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest, wrote poet
William Blake
. He wasn't talking about football, but administrator
Roger Blake
very much is when he says the game is at a critical juncture: Someday, without changes, it could run out of receivers.
This Blake is executive director of the
California Interscholastic Federation
, which oversees athletics at 1,576 high schools.
He raised eyebrows recently when he told reporters on a conference call that the next two to three years will be crucial for the future of the nation's most popular sport.
Eight high school football players have died since this season began, five from head or neck injuries. Three more died during preseason practice from heat-related causes or sickle cell tied to exertion. And concussion concerns continue apace, as they have for several seasons.
Perhaps because I'm an incorrigible supporter of President Obama on almost every non-education issue, I grasped at straws hoping that his and Arne Duncan's staffing of the Education Department with former Gates Foundation true believers in market-driven reform would not create a mess.
Even though they flew in the face of a large body of social science and the professional judgments of teachers, I hoped the Race to the Top (RttT), School Improvement Grants (SIG), and other innovations wouldn't be a waste of money - or worse.
Before turning to other recent criticisms of the Duncan administration's alphabet soup of technocratic, top-down mandates, I must recall my most naïve response to the RttT, the SIG and, later, NCLB waivers. In 2009, the Obama administration was in the process of saving the nation's schools and the entire economy from the Great Recession. It was (then) investing less than $10 billion on pilot programs, while pushing the $100 billion of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) bailout. In such a situation, the United States could afford a set of competition-driven experiments. (
Read more.)
One of the most poignant summaries of the market for innovative technology solutions in education is that it is forever in its infancy. That statement was true 30 years ago, when the Apple II was introduced into schools and I first started working in education technology, and it is true today.
The problem is not a lack of creativity or great ideas. Nor is the problem one of effectiveness - educators have had access for decades to sophisticated, personalized, and highly-effective online instruction and tutors. The problem is rather one of culture and capital. The demands of practitioners and the market supply of innovation from entrepreneurs are simply mismatched.
The capital markets that fund education innovation - both for-profit and nonprofit - are largely broken. When for-profit investors fund technology solutions, they naturally seek good returns on their investments. To deliver those returns, developers cater to the largest possible market: large urban and suburban K-12 districts.
Unfortunately, these districts are notoriously weak consumers. (
Read more.)
I believe that it is this near-religious fervor that gives the reform movement much of its energy and its moral standing. Thus, it should not be dismissed lightly.
To the degree that it helps us continue to strive-for better schools, and better policies, and better outcomes for kids- it is worthy of celebration.
But there's a dark side, too. Like most religious legends, this one only works well as a struggle between good and evil. So if reformers are on the side of the angels, at least in our own minds, who gets cast as the devil? The unions, which protect incompetent or abusive or racist teachers? Miserly legislators, who refuse to appropriate the necessary dollars to lift all children up? Upper-middle class parents, who hoard educational opportunity for their own progeny? (
Read more.)
States, districts and schools sometimes claim they will lose federal Title I funds if parents, students or teachers boycott standardized tests required under No Child Left Behind (NCLB). However, in summer 2015 the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) acknowledged it has no plans to penalize districts or schools by withholding funds. That was DOE's response after few districts in New York State reached NCLB's 95% minimum participation requirement. While DOE said it could withhold funds if states do not do enough to persuade parents to participate, the chances of that happening are effectively zero.
As far as we know, no school or district anywhere in the country has ever been penalized for failing to test enough of its students. Further, seven states (Utah, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington and California) have laws allowing opt out, and none have been sanctioned. In fact, Oregon made it easier for students to opt out in 2015, but DOE has done nothing. Neither has any state taken steps to cut funds to schools. New York State had threatened to do so, but like the feds backed down. (
Read more.)
Obscure laws can have a very big impact on social policy, including obscure changes in the United States federal tax code. The 2001 Consolidated Appropriations Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton, included provisions from the
Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000. The law provided
tax incentives for seven years to businesses that locate and hire residents in economically depressed urban and rural areas. The tax credits were
reauthorized for 2008-2009, 2010-2011, and 2012-2013.
As a result of this change to the tax code, banks and equity funds that invest in charter schools in underserved areas can take advantage of a very generous tax credit. They are permitted to combine this tax credit with other tax breaks while they also collect interest on any money they lend out. (
Read more.)
Many school systems have ended social promotion by implementing accountability systems where students who fail academic assessments are retained in grade. Additionally, some parents have delayed their children's entry into school, believing that older students have an advantage. While research has examined outcomes for students who were retained or old for grade, it is not clear whether the presence of old for grade or retained peers influences the behavior of other students in the school.
Conclusions:
We find an increase in negative behavior across all students who have higher levels of retained and old for grade peers. Increased opportunities to interact with deviant peers can influence the behavior of youth who do not share the same risk factors for deviant behavior. Thus, grade retention and delayed school-entry policies can influence the entire school community. Policies that help students stay on track academically have the potential not only to benefit students who are at risk for academic failure, but also to enhance the positive behavior of other students in the grade.
Have you ever felt like you're talking, but nobody is listening? Here's Julian Treasure to help you fix that. As the sound expert demonstrates some useful vocal exercises and shares tips on how to speak with empathy, he offers his vision for a sonorous world of listening and understanding. (
View video.)
Superintendent of Year Award to two HML Board Members
Martha Bruckner
Steven Webb
Dr. Martha Bruckner, Superintendent of the Council Bluffs Community Schools in Iowa and Dr. Steve Webb, Superintendent of the Vancouver School District in Washington, have been selected by their state administrator association. Both are on the Horace Mann League Board of Directors. Bruckner is vice president and Webb serves as a director. Brucker and Webb will be honored at the February 2016 AASA meeting in Phoenix and at the HML Annual Meeting on February 12th.
Stellar Awarded Medal of Merit (Art Stellar is a Past President of the HML)
Ohio University presented Art Stellar with The Medal of Merit for his work as a national educational leadership visionary and superintendent. Stellar, who received three consecutive degrees (Bachelors, masters and Ph.D.) from Ohio University, accepted the prestigious award on Oct. 9 at the Alumni Awards Gala.
"These skilled, ambitious and devoted awardees make me feel proud to be a part of the Bobcat family," said Jennifer Neubauer, assistant vice president of Alumni Relations and executive director of the Alumni Association. (Read more.)
Upcoming Event:The 94rd Annual Meeting of the Horace Mann League will be held on Friday, February, 12, 2016, at the Phoenix Downtown Sheraton Hotel, starting at 11:45 am. Registration information, click here.
Special awards will be presented to the following at the annual meeting.
Dr. Andy Hargreaves Outstanding Friend of Public Education. Professor and Author, Boston College
Dr. Gene Glass
Outstanding Public
Education. Professor and Author, National Education Policy Center
Gary Marx
Outstanding Friend of the League. Author and Past President of the HML, President of Public Outreach
Sponsor a Professional Colleague for membership in the Horace Mann League.
Click here to download the "Sponsor a Colleague" form.
Starting the week off with a cartoon.
A gift for your Community Leaders: On the Art of Teaching
by Horace Mann.
The book,
On The Art of Teaching by Horace Mann has been presented to new teachers as a welcome gift by a number of schools district. For orders of 50 or more, the district's name is printed on the front cover.
Ordering Information
Cost per copy: $12.50
Orders of 50 to 99: $11.00
Orders of 100 or more: $10.00
Send orders to: (include name of district, P.O. #, and address)
"Do not think of knocking out another person's brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ from yourself ten years ago."
In 1840 Mann wrote On the Art of Teaching. Some of HML members present On the Art of Teaching to new teachers as part of their orientation program. On the inside cover, some write a personal welcome message to the recipient. Other HML members present the book to school board members and parental organizations as a token of appreciation for becoming involved in their schools. The book cover can be designed with the organization's name. For more information, contact the HML (
Jack McKay)
The Horace Mann League of the USA is an honorary society that promotes the ideals of Horace Mann by advocating for public education as the cornerstone of our democracy.
Officers:
President: Dr.Charles Fowler, Exec. Director, Suburban School Administrators, Exeter, HN
President-elect: Dr. Christine Johns-Haines, Superintendent, Utica Community Schools, MI
Vice President: Dr. Martha Bruckner, Superintendent, Council Bluffs Community Schools, IA
1st Past President: Mr. Gary Marx, President for Public Outreach, Vienna, VA
2nd Past President: Dr. Joe Hairston, President, Vision Unlimited, Reisterstown, MD
Directors:
Dr. Laurie Barron, Supt. of Schools, Evergreen School District, Kalispell , MT
Dr. Evelyn Blose-Holman, (ret.) Superintendent, Bay Shore Schools, NY
Mr. Jeffery Charbonneau, Science Coordinator, ESD 105 and Zillah HS, WA
Dr. Carol Choye, Instructor, (ret.) Superintendent, Scotch Plains Schools, NJ
Dr. Brent Clark, Executive Director, Illinois Assoc. of School Admin. IL
Dr. Linda Darling Hammond, Professor of Education, Stanford U. CA
Dr. James Harvey, Exec. Dir., Superintendents Roundtable, WA
Dr. Eric King, Superintendent, (ret.) Muncie Public Schools, IN
Dr. Steven Ladd, Superintendent, (ret.) Elk Grove Unified School District, Elk Grove, CA
Dr. Barry Lynn, Exec. Dir., Americans United, Washington, DC
Dr. Kevin Maxwell, CEO, Prince George's County Schools, Upper Marlboro, MD
Dr. Stan Olson, President, Silverback Learning, (former supt. of Boise Schools, ID)
Dr. Steven Webb, Supt. of Schools, Vancouver School District, WA
Executive Director:
Dr. Jack McKay, Professor Emeritus, University of Nebraska at Omaha,
560 Rainier Lane, Port Ludlow, WA 98365 (360) 821 9877
To become a member of the HML, click here to download an application.
It has been one of the most stubborn problems in education: With 50 states, 50 standards and 50 tests, how could anyone really know what American students were learning, or how well? 
Student agency is about having student's voice and a choice in their own decision-making processes for what and how they are learning. It's about students developing the confidence and self-assuredness to assert their voices or thoughts and to advocate for their choices and ideas. It's about taking ownership of their learning in all situations-in school and in life. It's about developing the thinking behaviors that provide the substance to their ideas and the skills to express those ideas throughout our democratic society.
The House-Senate conference committee overwhelmingly (39-1) endorsed
In a flood of news stories during the last year, we've learned that as many as 16 million autos may be subject to recall due to
In the 2014-15 school year, on average, 1,110 minutes were dedicated to the New York State standardized testing process (in reading and math) for students in Grades 3-6 and 1,134 minutes were dedicated to this process for students in Grades 7-8. This represents 2 percent of "required annual instructional hours" for Grades 3-6 and 1.9 percent for Grades 7-8, and exceeds - essentially doubling - the standard set by the state legislature.
Perhaps because I'm an incorrigible supporter of President Obama on almost every non-education issue, I grasped at straws hoping that his and Arne Duncan's staffing of the Education Department with former Gates Foundation true believers in market-driven reform would not create a mess.
One of the most poignant summaries of the market for innovative technology solutions in education is that it is forever in its infancy. That statement was true 30 years ago, when the Apple II was introduced into schools and I first started working in education technology, and it is true today.
I believe that it is this near-religious fervor that gives the reform movement much of its energy and its moral standing. Thus, it should not be dismissed lightly.
To the degree that it helps us continue to strive-for better schools, and better policies, and better outcomes for kids- it is worthy of celebration.
States, districts and schools sometimes claim they will lose federal Title I funds if parents, students or teachers boycott standardized tests required under No Child Left Behind (NCLB). However, in summer 2015 the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) acknowledged it has no plans to penalize districts or schools by withholding funds. That was DOE's response after few districts in New York State reached NCLB's 95% minimum participation requirement. While DOE said it could withhold funds if states do not do enough to persuade parents to participate, the chances of that happening are effectively zero.
Obscure laws can have a very big impact on social policy, including obscure changes in the United States federal tax code. The 2001 Consolidated Appropriations Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton, included provisions from the
Many school systems have ended social promotion by implementing accountability systems where students who fail academic assessments are retained in grade. Additionally, some parents have delayed their children's entry into school, believing that older students have an advantage. While research has examined outcomes for students who were retained or old for grade, it is not clear whether the presence of old for grade or retained peers influences the behavior of other students in the school. 
Ohio University presented Art Stellar with The Medal of Merit for his work as a national educational leadership visionary and superintendent. Stellar, who received three consecutive degrees (Bachelors, masters and Ph.D.) from Ohio University, accepted the prestigious award on Oct. 9 at the Alumni Awards Gala.
In 1840 Mann wrote