KEY INSIGHTS FROM NATIONAL FORUM ON EDUCATION POLICY

I have been appointed as one of our state’s members of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Therefore, I attended the annual ECS National Forum on Education Policy, held in Portland, Oregon, August 18-20. The conference, titled “America Competes 2010,” covered a broad variety of education topics from early childhood through higher education and focused on current education issues such as Race to the Top, creating longitudinal data systems, teacher effectiveness, and college completion.  Here is a summary of the key points: 
  • We can learn (borrow) from other states: Georgia has developed a performance index to measure career/college readiness and issues a “work-ready certificate” to students based on assessments related to applied math, reading for information, locating information, and work habits.   Georgia also has a rubric for its teacher evaluation system. Minnesota created a governance body for its Longitudinal Data Systems (LDS); also, it has a kindergarten readiness assessment. 
  • Brain Rule #1 is that EXERCISE boosts cognition and buffers against the negative effects of stress. A study showed that 4 months of regular aerobic exercise results in improved math scores. Everyone should get at least 30 minutes of exercise 2-3 times per week if we want our brain to function optimally.
  • NCLB improved the quality of states’ data systems.  However, in regard to student achievement, NCLB had a significant impact only in math and only for white students. NCLB’s Reading results show that the achievement gap narrowed slightly from 28% to 23%; thus the projection is that it won’t be eliminated until 2051.
  • Stanley Rabinowitz of WestEd said, “If we expect our summative assessments to do everything, we will fail.”
  • High schools need to be redesigned to prepare students for college. College readiness is currently measured by high school grades, scores on college entrance tests, and references; the criteria need to be changed to include the following true college readiness skills: (1) cognitive strategies (research, problem formulation, interpretation, analysis, and integration of knowledge into frameworks); (2) content knowledge (key terminology, factual information, linking ideas, and organizing concepts); (3) academic behaviors (time management, study skills, goal-setting, persistence, self-awareness, and self-management); and (4) college knowledge (admission requirements, college types and missions, affordability, and understanding of college culture). 
  • There are academic, financial, and social factors affecting college completion.
  • Teacher effectiveness – The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has a good definition of an effective teacher. We “can’t have a blanket definition for teacher effectiveness; it needs to be different for elementary and secondary teachers.” We need to find the right people to become teachers and help them develop into effective instructors. The teaching gap creates much of the achievement gap (least experienced and prepared teachers teaching least advantaged students).
  • Teacher preparation – We haven’t created a profession that people want to be in. The mission of teaching is different from the 20th century – we expect teachers to enable student learning, not just “get through the book.” The U.S. invests less in teaching than other countries. We need to extend teacher preparation through the first several years of teacher service with induction and mentoring. Licensure creates block to mobility because of differences among states, which causes people to leave the profession. We need a comprehensive system to prepare and develop teachers.
  • The “21st century skills” should be prioritized as follows: (1) communication, (2) critical thinking, (3) collaboration, and (4) creativity.
  • Knowing what to do isn’t enough, because it can be enormously difficult to do it – “elephants aren’t great break dancers.”
  • The research shows that the highest priorities for school funding should be (1) helping struggling students and (2) helping teachers improve through professional development. NOT reducing class size!