1-8-14 THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG - The Why Question — Whole Child Education

The Why Question — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

The Why Question

January 8, 2014 by John Hines

Along with my schedule of social studies classes, I also serve as an advisor for 15 students once a week. Through advisory I spend time looking at their grades, checking in with their lives, and mostly building relationships that are often lost between teachers and students in high school. While I love the chance to have such a close relationship with a handful of students, it seems like a week does not go by without one or more of them asking me about why they have to study this subject or another. "Why do I need to take Calculus?" or "Why do I need biology when I am not going to be a biologist?" For a long time, I would simply tell them that learning math, science, English, and history were all part of what made them well-rounded students, able to succeed in college and beyond. Recently, I came to a different conclusion.

With continuing pressure from many groups to push the idea of making students successful in the 21st century employment market, to focus on STEM, and to teach classes that have a direct and measurable economic impact, social studies are often neglected. It seems as if in the short time students have in school, they could spend their time much more effectively learning computer programming, or physics, or calculus than "soft skills." As a recent New York Times article by Gerald Howard stated:

We live in a time when college enrollment in the humanities is declining precipitously, in good part because majoring in such subjects seems unlikely to result in gainful employment in a strapped economy.

Yet the social studies themselves allow me to answer these recalcitrant students. It is the social studies that answer the why question in education. Social studies are the reason why we learn everything else in school. It

Are We Providing Safe and Supportive Environments for Each of Our Students?

Recently ASCD's Educational Leadership staff were contacted by a reader who, while doing research, came across an article from the December 1992/January 1993 issue on students at risk that struck close to his personal experience. He wrote, Having come from an abusive home and just recently graduated, I think this needs to be read by every educator. I grew up middle class, and was a very "b

by Klea Scharberg / 53min hide  //  save

The Why Question

Along with my schedule of social studies classes, I also serve as an advisor for 15 students once a week. Through advisory I spend time looking at their grades, checking in with their lives, and mostly building relationships that are often lost between teachers and students in high school. While I love the chance to have such a close relationship with a handful of students, it seems like a week d

by John Hines / 53min 

How Do We Help Each Student Succeed?

We help students succeed by personalizing instruction to meet the needs of the learner. This may seem like a daunting task because it takes front-loading at the beginning of the year and ongoing progress-monitoring. Teachers can design activities and assessments that focus on personal interests, strengths, and academic standards. When teachers personalize instruction through various assessments,

by Dianna Minor / 53min 

ED Pulse Poll Results: What Is the Most Important Task That Could Be Accomplished by Teaching Using Essential Questions?

ASCD continually seeks to provide solutions to the challenges that face educators of all levels. Recently, the ASCD SmartBrief ED Pulse poll asked readers about tasks that can be achieved by employing essential questions. In their recent ASCD book, Essential Questions: Opening Doors to Student Understanding, authors Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins explain the usefulness of essential questions in

by Kit Harris, ASCD ... / 53min 

Different Ways to Personalize Learning

The classical way of teaching is very industrialized. Students file in, receive education in one format, and then leave being considered educated. Educators around the world like Ken Robinson have felt this way for a long time and in the past years we have seen some major changes that have allowed students to learn in different ways and in different formats. It all started with multiple detail

by William Lester / 53min

How Do We Help Each Student Succeed?

We help students succeed by personalizing instruction to meet the needs of the learner. This may seem like a daunting task because it takes front-loading at the beginning of the year and ongoing progress-monitoring. Teachers can design activities and assessments that focus on personal interests, strengths, and academic standards. When teachers personalize instruction through various assessments, i

by Dianna Minor / 23min 

1-7-14 THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG - ED Pulse Poll Results - Whole Child Education

The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: ED Pulse Poll Results: What Is the Most Important Task That Could Be Accomplished by Teaching Using Essential Questions?ASCD continually seeks to provide solutions to the challenges that face educators of all levels. Recently, the ASCD SmartBrief ED Pulse poll asked readers about tasks that can be achieved by employing essential questions. In their rec

by mike simpson / 20h 

1-8-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter:

Anthem for High Stakes Testing Era (with apologies to Country Joe McDonald)

To be sung to the tune of “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die” by Country Joe and the Fish (see video below)Well come on all you teachers and tykes,Uncle Sam’s made a problem he’s tryin’ to hype,He got himself some pressure to privatize, All the schools in the nation right before our eyes,
So put down your books and grab a #2, We've got a whole lot of testin’ to do.
And its 1,2,3 what are we learning f

by Jim Horn / 20min 

 

1-7-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter: Quantitative Research of 2013 that Reflects Reality, Part IIThe inherent flaws of attaching stakes to value-added estimates of teacher effectiveness were obvious from the beginning. Even if a statistical model magically found a way to control for poverty, race, and other factors, there was no guarantee that systems would adopt the model that was most fair. Even if an algorithm was

by mike simpson / 15min

Diane Ravitch How Embarrassing: Support for School Choice Based on Political Affiliation and Race/Ethnicity | The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice

Support for School Choice Based on Political Affiliation and Race/Ethnicity | The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice:


How Embarrassing for the Friedman Foundation

The Friedman Foundation, named for free-market economist Milton Friedman and his wife Rose, is the nation’s most fervent advocate of vouchers. It commissioned a national poll to ascertain the depth of support for vouchers, and much to its surprise (and, no doubt, embarrassment), the public prefers smaller class sizes far more than vouchers. Furthermore, the least favored option among those present

4 by dianeravitch / 37min

Support for School Choice Based on Political Affiliation and Race/Ethnicity

Dick Carpenter Posted: January 7, 2014

Dr. Carpenter is a professor of leadership, research, and foundations at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) and a director of strategic research at the Institute for Justice.

In a new Friedman Foundation report, I used survey data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study (CCES) to examine several specific questions about public opinion and school choice: 

1. Is there a significant difference in support for choice based on reasons for school choice? (“Reasons” were defined as increasing equality, introducing competition, or facilitating freedom.) 
2. Is there a significant difference in levels of agreement with reasons for school choice?
3. Which type of choice enjoys the strongest support?
4. How does a policy of school choice compare to other reform initiatives in their perceived efficacy for school improvement?

Noticeably absent is a type of question frequently addressed in other school choice survey research: Are there differences in support for choice (specifically vouchers) based on personal characteristics like political party affiliation or race/ethnicity?

The absence of this type of question was entirely intentional. There are numerous fine survey studies done on a regular basis that report just this information. What use is one more? 

But curiosity being what it is, I peeked into the data to see if there were, in fact, any such differences, beginning with political party (Democrat, Independent, and Republican). Our survey in the CCES had not one but four different questions related to vouchers. 

The first question asked about vouchers as a form of school improvement or reform. Republicans were more likely than Independents to think vouchers would be effective as a form of improving education, and Independents were more likely than Democrats to think so. All comparisons were statistically significant.

The second question asked about support for “universal” vouchers available to all families. The results were similar to the question above, although there was no significant difference between Democrats and Independents. 

The third question asked about support for vouchers only for children from low-income households (i.e., “means-tested” vouchers). Here, support was reversed, with Democrats showing the most support, followed by Independents and then Republicans. Only the difference between Republicans and Democrats was significant. 

The fourth question asked about support for vouchers only for children with special needs. The support levels were similar in pattern to the means-tested voucher results, but the differences between the three groups were not statistically significant. 

Turning to race/ethnicity, subjects were identified as black, Hispanic, white, and “other,” the latter of which included groups such as Asian and Pacific Islander whose numbers were too small to analyze separately. 

For the first question (voucher as reform), Hispanics showed the greatest agreement, followed by “other,” whites, and then blacks. None of the differences between groups were statistically significant.

On the second question—universal vouchers—the greatest support was among blacks, followed by “other,” whites, and then Hispanics. Again, none of the differences was significant.

On the third question, means-tested vouchers, “other” showed the greatest support, followed by blacks, then Hispanics, and then whites. Only the differences between whites and blacks and whites and “other” were significant.

Finally, for the fourth question (vouchers for children with special needs), “other” showed the greatest support, followed by blacks, Hispanics, and then whites. None of these comparisons was significant, however.

Sometimes simple curiosity can lead to new and interesting discoveries, and other times not so much. Anyone who pays even mild attention to politics could have predicted differences in support for vouchers based on political party affiliation. But the lack of significant differences based on race/ethnicity contrast with prior survey work that has found significant differences. 

These are, of course, simple analyses. A more sophisticated approach might find significance where at first glance there appears to be none. Curiosity being what it is, future research might do just that.

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, January 8, 2014

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

California Democrats propose universal preschool for 4-year-olds

Education Headlines

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

FCMAT provides links to California K-12 news stories as a service to the industry. However, some stories may not be accessible because of newspapers' subscription policies.

Kern High School District superintendent to retire

Kern High School District Superintendent Don Carter has announced that he will retire at the end of the school year. Carter has been with the district for 38 years, serving as superintendent for the last 10.

District paid $900,000 to settle whistleblower lawsuits

The Kern High School District has agreed to pay two former employees a total of $900,000 to settle wrongful termination lawsuits. John Fox and Clemon Williams Jr., former assistant directors in the district's maintenance and operations department, sued in September 2011, saying they were fired after calling attention to problems in the way maintenance contracts were awarded.

Norwalk-La Mirada school board takes first step toward $375 million bond

The Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District Board of Education Monday took the first step toward placing a $375 million bond issue on the ballot in November.

Anti-AB1266 referendum's fate hinges on LA County signatures

Unless signature-gatherers in Los Angeles County got a higher rate of valid signatures than their counterparts in 52 other counties, an effort to halt a new law giving additional legal protections to transgender public school students looks doomed.

California Democrats propose universal preschool for 4-year-olds

In a move that would broadly expand public education, California Democrats on Tuesday proposed creating universal preschool for 4-year-olds, to try to enroll more children from immigrant and low-income families.

LA Unified staff received free iPad before contract

Los Angeles Unified School District employees received free iPads from the global curriculum company Pearson as part of a 2012 conference sales pitch - and one of them later served on a district team that selected Pearson and Apple for a contract to provide every student and teacher with a tablet, according to testimony Tuesday.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

District withholds details on whistleblower lawsuit settlement terms

The Kern High School District has finally reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by two former employees who alleged they were wrongfully terminated more than two years ago for calling attention to the way maintenance contracts were awarded.

Smooth day at Stockton USD

If you're part of Stockton Unified's vast after-school program - 4,000 children at 39 elementary schools - staying late has its advantages.

Arcohe Union School District seeks principal

Arcohe Union School District is looking for a new principal to head its sole school, the first time in several years there has been a division between that position and the superintendent's.

Transgender student rights law goes into effect

As classes resumed in many Southern California districts on Monday, a new law is in effect that gives new legal rights to transgender public school students.

Anaheim High School violated AP exam rules

Officials at the 3,200-student Anaheim High School risked losing their ability to administer critical Advanced Placement exams after testing policies were violated, according to a recently-released letter.

UPDATE U.S. Depts of Ed and Justice Release School Discipline Guidance to Enhance School Climate and Improve School Discipline Policies/Practices

U.S. Departments of Education and Justice Release School Discipline Guidance Package to Enhance School Climate and Improve School Discipline Policies/Practices | U.S. Department of Education:

U.S. Departments of Education and Justice Release School Discipline Guidance Package to Enhance School Climate and Improve School Discipline Policies/Practices

JANUARY 8, 2014

Contact:  

 U.S. Department of Education, Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov 

U.S. Department of Justice, Press Office, (202) 514-2007

Español

The U.S. Department of Education (ED), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), today released a school discipline guidance package that will assist states, districts and schools in developing practices and strategies to enhance school climate, and ensure those policies and practices comply with federal law. Even though incidents of school violence have decreased overall, too many schools are still struggling to create positive, safe environments. Schools can improve safety by making sure that climates are welcoming and that responses to misbehavior are fair, non-discriminatory and effective. Each year, significant numbers of students miss class due to suspensions and expulsions—even for minor infractions of school rules—and students of color and with disabilities are disproportionately impacted. The guidance package provides resources for creating safe and positive school climates, which are essential for boosting student academic success and closing achievement gaps.

"Effective teaching and learning cannot take place unless students feel safe at school,"U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "Positive discipline policies can help create safer learning environments without relying heavily on suspensions and expulsions. Schools also must understand their civil rights obligations and avoid unfair disciplinary practices. We need to keep students in class where they can learn. These resources are a step in the right direction.”

The resource package consists of four components:

• The Dear Colleague guidance letter on civil rights and discipline, prepared in conjunction with DOJ, describes how schools can meet their legal obligations under federal law to administer student discipline without discriminating against students on the basis of race, color or national origin;
• The Guiding Principles document draws from emerging research and best practices to describe three key principles and related action steps that can help guide state and local efforts to improve school climate and school discipline;
• The Directory of Federal School Climate and Discipline Resources indexes the extensive federal technical assistance and other resources related to school discipline and climate available to schools and districts; and
• The Compendium of School Discipline Laws and Regulations, an online catalogue of the laws and regulations related to school discipline in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, compares laws across states and jurisdictions.

"A routine school disciplinary infraction should land a student in the principal’s office, not in a police precinct,"Attorney General Eric Holder said. "This guidance will promote fair and effective disciplinary practices that will make schools safe, supportive and inclusive for all students. By ensuring federal civil rights protections, offering alternatives to exclusionary discipline and providing useful information to school resource officers, we can keep America’s young people safe and on the right path."

The guidance package is a resource resulting from a collaborative project—the Supportive School Discipline Initiative (SSDI)—between ED and DOJ. The SSDI, launched in 2011, addresses the school-to-prison pipeline and the disciplinary policies and practices that can push students out of school and into the justice system. The initiative aims to support instead school discipline practices that foster safe, inclusive and positive learning environments while keeping students in school. The Department of Justice enforces Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race or national origin in public schools, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin by schools, law enforcement agencies, and other recipients of federal financial assistance.

The guidance package also results from President Obama's Now is the Time proposal to reduce gun violence. It called on ED to collect and disseminate best practices on school discipline policies and to help school districts develop and equitably implement their policies. To both continue ED/DOJ efforts in connection with SSDI and fulfill the administration's commitment to "Now is the Time," the guidance package was developed with additional input from civil rights advocates, major education organizations and philanthropic partners.

To view the resource documents, visit www.ed.gov/school-discipline. State Education Agencies, Local Education Agencies and schools may also request a copy of the package by calling Education Publications at (877) 433-7827.

Ensuring Discipline that is Fair and Effective

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Catherine Lhamon

Research shows that the use of suspensions has steadily climbed since the 1970s and that most suspensions today are for minor and non-violent incidents of misbehavior. These misbehaviors could be better addressed through measures that keep kids in school than by turning our kids away from the classroom door.  Further, federal data my office, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), collected for the 2011-12 school year indicates that students of color disproportionately bear the burden when schools use exclusion as punishment – they are disciplined more harshly and more frequently than other students, resulting in serious, negative educational consequences. For example, black students without disabilities represented 35 percent of students suspended once, 44 percent of those suspended more than once, and 36 percent of students expelled – but only 15 percent of students total in the OCR’s Civil Rights Data Collection. And over 50 percent of students involved in school-related arrests or referred to law enforcement are black or Latino.

Secretary Arne Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder announced new school climate and discipline guidance today at Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore. Photo courtesy of David Johns.

Standing alone, disparate discipline rates like these do not necessarily indicate that a school or district is violating civil rights laws in every situation. Unfortunately, OCR investigations, which consider statistical data as part of a wide ranging examination of evidence, have revealed patterns of discrimination in certain cases.

Racial discrimination in school discipline is real, and it is a real problem. That’s why today, my office, OCR, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, released first-ever federal policy guidance aimed at addressing the problem of racial discriminatory discipline practices in elementary and secondary education.

We sent our policy guidance, in the form of a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), to help schools and districts identify and remedy discriminatory discipline practices. The guidance explains federal non-discrimination requirements under Titles IV and VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the legal approach the Departments will take when investigating complaints or compliance reviews alleging race or national origin discrimination in a school or district’s discipline practices.  The DCL also provides concrete examples to help schools and districts understand the potential civil rights violations that may arise when disciplining students.

Importantly, the DCL provides a number of recommendations that schools and districts can implement to ensure that discipline is fair and effective. These recommendations align with a set of guiding principles the U.S. Department of Education developed and also released today.  I encourage all educators, from the classroom to state education agencies, to take time to review the discipline guidance and other resources released as part of the Department’s overall discipline package.

I know that educators across the country are working to provide students with safe school environments where students can receive an excellent education. Teachers and principals make difficult, yet appropriate, decisions involving the use of school discipline each and every school day. And yet, in some of our schools and districts, the unfair and unnecessary use of suspensions and expulsions undermine this essential work. Students must be in school to be successful. When schools exclude their students as punishment, then students not only miss valuable learning time but also too often lose a sense of belonging and engagement at school. This lesson in civic disengagement becomes further compounded when we send our students the message that they are being singled out or treated differently because of their race, ethnicity, or national origin. Exclusionary discipline practices place students at risk for experiencing a number of correlated educational, economic, and social problems, including school avoidance, increased likelihood of dropping out, and involvement with the juvenile justice system.

President Obama has challenged us to once again lead the world in college graduation rates. We cannot possibly hope to meet this challenge of preparing all students for college and career if we continually sideline some students with suspensions and expulsions rather than employing methods proven to work to teach kids responsibility for their actions and their learning, commitment to their peers in the educational process, and the value of school engagement. Let’s work together to support schools, to remove barriers to educational opportunity, and to ensure students’ safe passage through the critical and formative stages of their educational experience.

Catherine Lhamon is assistant secretary for the Office for Civil Rights.  

Visit www.ed.gov/school-discipline for more information.

1-8-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University):

Standards Won’t Change Inequity: A Reader

The new Common Core and related tests are likely to continue a three-decade pattern of traditional schooling either integrating the new standards and tests into the existing structure of schools or using the new standards and tests to justify existing practices. And thus, I offer a reader below, highlighting a demonstrable set of interrelated problems with U.S. public schools and higher education:

8 by plthomasedd / 6min 

1-7-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Behind the Advocacy: TFA Remains Mostly Spin, DistractionSchools Matter: Behind the Advocacy: TFA Remains Mostly Spin, Distraction1 by plthomasedd / 1h 1-6-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdDthe becoming radical | A Place for

by mike simpson / 32min 

1-8-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

De Blasio to Eric Cantor: Go Screw Yourself

Ok. maybe just a little hyperbole on my part. The charter lobby is trying to overturn the NYC mayoral election where the man who beat the Republican candidate by 50 points ran on a platform of charging charters rent. Charters claim they want choice. Well, that was CHOICE of the voting public in NYC thrown right up in their faces."The Republican agenda in Washington doesn't even scratch the su

by ed notes online / 1h 

Randi Weingarten After VAM Reversal Now Supports US Entry into WWII

Randi's giving up on VAM is more of her covering her ass in prep for the AFT natl convention this summer where Chicago will take the lead in fighting it - and maybe common core too - so watch her begin to move on that too -- pretty soon Leo Casey will be castigating those who support common core and find unique ways to justify his turnabout without admitting he was wrong.I have so much to say on t

by ed notes online / 7min  

1-7-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Alan Singer, Mixed Feelings on Fariña, de Blasio.... as far as I can see, Carmen Fariña has closer ties to the top 2% income bracket than the other 98% of the population and has always been willing to play political games... It remains unclear to me what Fariña has to offer the working class and poor Black and Latino students who have been left behind in the Bloomberg years....Ala

by mike simpson / 3min 

‘We Need Teacher Leaders’: Joint Initiative Launched to Elevate Education Profession | NEA Today

‘We Need Teacher Leaders’: Joint Initiative Launched to Elevate Education Profession | NEA Today:

‘We Need Teacher Leaders’: Joint Initiative Launched to Elevate Education Profession

January 8, 2014 by twalker  
Filed under Featured News, Top Stories

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By Tim Walker and Celeste Busser

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel remembers how incredulous he was when he sat in the audience at NBC’s first Education Nation in 2011 to listen to a panel of non-teachers talking about teachers. Even though it was merely a television broadcast, the event was symptomatic of the absence of teacher voices in the national dialogue about public education.

Which is why NEA has taken the lead through a series of initiatives that aim to empower teachers to lead, shape education policy, and prepare the next generation of teacher leaders.

On Tuesday, at NEA headquarters in Washington D.C.,Van Roekel, joined by Ron Thorpe of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and Barnett Berry of the Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ), announced the national Teacher Leadership Initiative (TLI), a joint endeavor between the three organizations to advance the profession through teacher leadership.

“This is truly the beginning of something great,” Van Roekel said. “This initiative will ultimately develop expertise and engage thousands of teacher-leaders in leadership work in schools, with NEA affiliates, and in state houses throughout the country—because every student should have the best possible educators in their schools.”

“It is our strong belief that positive change in education must be driven by the profession and shaped by the invaluable experience of teachers working in classrooms. The TLI initiative marks an important milestone in our collective effort to elevate the profession,” added Thorpe.

The long-term goals of the TLI are: 1) design accomplished-level-teacher standards; 2) develop relevant experiences and supports to help teachers meet those standards; and (3) activate teachers to be leaders for their profession as a result of their participation in this process.

One hundred and fifty educators representing Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan and Mississippi have been chosen for the 2014 pilot year. Participants in the pilot will engage with an interact

Why online teaching requires rigorous training (Mary Burns) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Why online teaching requires rigorous training (Mary Burns) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

Why online teaching requires rigorous training (Mary Burns)

Mary Burns, Education Development Center

http://www.educationforallblog.org/education-and-technology/backwards-and-in-high-heels-teaching-well-online 

(All references appear in above link)

 December 18, 2013

I am presently working in South America—a continent of gente amable, stunning vistas, and an exploding online learning environment.  In my work with the Government of Ecuador’s National Education University (helping to conceptualize and design its online and blended programs), I have had numerous conversations with various representatives from universities, governments, and online learning programs—in Europe and North and South America—about online learning.

One impression continues to nag at me from these conversations — there seems to be a lack of concern for preparing instructors to teach online.  We know that