October 18, 2004 © Houston A+ Challenge

Crafting Cutting Edge Teachers

Linda ClarkeFormer Executive Director

Houston A+ Challenge

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge2

Issues

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge3

Why change?What is small?Why small?The 3 new RsWhat can higher education do?

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge4

Why Change?

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge5

“The world our kids are going to live in is changing four times faster than our schools.”

- Dr. Willard DaggettDirector

International Center for Leadership and Education

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge6

Understanding the Global Context

1. CHANGES IN THE WORKPLACE:What does the new “knowledge economy” mean?- All Students: there is no such thing as unskilled work!

skills for work, citizenship and college readiness are now essentially the same

wages of h.s. grads have declined 70% in 20 years- New Skills: most work today requires skill we don’t know how to assess or

teach to all students Learning how to learn Problem solving Teamwork and Communication

© Copyright 2003 Tony Wagner, Harvard University

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge7

Information Doubling

It took mankind about 50,000 years to acquire that first unit of knowledge.It took 1,500 years to double that first knowledge unit.In the early ’70s, mankind was doubling knowledge every six years.Human knowledge is now expected to double every year by the year 2012.

Toffler, Alvin “Communications Revolution Just Waiting to Happen” www.indiainfoline.com Jan. 25, 2002; Barlow, Ed, Creating the Future, Inc.

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge8

Global Context (cont.)

2. CHANGES IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE LEARNING PROCESS- Active Learning: “To understand is to invent” – Montessori, Dewey,

Piaget- Diverse Learning Styles-Howard Gardner- Exponential growth of information:

Memorizing factsVersusLearning how to find, use and apply knowledge

© Copyright 2003 Tony Wagner, Harvard University

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge9

Global Context (cont.)

3. CHANGES IN THE REQUIREMENTS OF CITIZENSHIP: CRITICAL THINKING, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, CIVILITY- Critical Thinking: Increasing complexity of issues- Civic Engagement: Need for active and informed citizens

50% decline in voting & involvement in community efforts- Civility: Importance of “Emotional Intelligence” or people skills for

work and citizenship An increasingly multicultural society requires understanding different

perspectives and cultures A more respectful dialogue is needed everywhere Students say there is a lack of respect in schools-only 41% say most of

their teachers respect them

© Copyright 2003 Tony Wagner, Harvard University

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge10

Global Context (cont.)

4. CHANGES IN STUDENTS’ LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES:- Diminished motivation to learn

Less fear and respect for authority Fewer believe hard work = success = happiness “Shopping mall” culture = passive consumption & instant

gratification

- Adults less present in students’ lives Students spend as much time alone as with friends Less than 5% of their time is spent with adults

© Copyright 2003 Tony Wagner, Harvard University

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge11

77%66%

39%33%

74%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Students Teachers Parents Employers Professors% saying a high school diploma means students have learned the basics (PAFReality Check 2000)

The “Basics” Perception Gap

© Copyright 2003 Tony Wagner, Harvard University

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge12

Class of 2001 (Texas)58% of the students graduated who entered the 9th grade four years earlier 54% of graduates entered a college, community college, or accredited technical school in Texas51% who went to college were “college ready”

Source: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge13

Class of 2001 (cont.)

28% of all 2001 graduates and 17% of those who entered in 9th grade were “college ready”

Source: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge14

Use factory model of education invented at the turn of the 20th centuryNo other industry uses 100-year-old toolsComprehensive, large, impersonal, a few students get advanced curriculum, rest don’tCurriculum not relevant to real world issues

Characteristics of Today’s High School

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge15

Why Small?

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge16

Allows for instruction to be: Rigorous Relevant Relationship driven Connected to business/workforce Internships/Externships Service Learning

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge17

Higher graduation rateHigher student academic achievementIncreased student attendanceReduces student, teacher isolation

Source: Kathleen Cotton, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge18

Narrowed achievement gap (Small Schools: Great Strides, June 2002, Bank Street College)Fiscally more efficient (Stiefel et al., 1998)Safer school community (Franklin and

Crone, 1992; Zane, 1994)

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge19

What is Small?

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge20

Characteristics

Ideal size of 300 students per learning communityTheme-basedAdult advocate for each studentHigh expectations for studentsEnvironment that encourages respect and personal responsibility

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge21

Characteristics (cont.)

Collaboration between staff membersPerformance-based curriculumTechnology as a tool for learning and assessmentTeachers have more than one role

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge22

Characteristics (cont.)

Organized variety of ways Free-standing School-within-school Looping Academies

Models Early College High Tech Fine Arts Other

YES/KIPP

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge23

Houston A+ Challenge High School Initiative

Created model to transform comprehensive high school into small learning communitiesPartnered with Houston ISD to restructure all 24 comprehensive high schoolsPartnered with four other districts to restructure 14 additional high schoolsOpening new small schools

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge24

3 New Rs

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge25

Rigor

Uniformly high academic standards for all students

Allowing for different ways in which students can show mastery

Rigor today is less about coverage and much more about mastery of core competencies: analysis, communication, problem-solving, teamwork

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge26

Relationships

You can’t motivate a student you don’t know. There is no learning without trust and respect, and neither are granted automatically by today’s students. They must be earned.

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge27

Relevance

The traditional “college prep" academic curriculum doesn’t make sense to many students.They are not motivated to mastery. The curriculum has to be both challenging and connected to “real-world” applications such as service & internships.

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge28

What We KnowStudents whose teachers conduct hands-on learning activities outperform their peers by about 70% of a grade level in math and 40% of a grade level in science.Students whose teachers emphasize higher-order thinking skills outperform their peers by about 40% of a grade level in math.

Source: How Teaching Matters: Bringing the Classroom Back Into Discussions of Teacher Quality, 2000, Harold Wenglinsky, Educational Testing Service

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge29

Professional DevelopmentIn science, students whose teachers received professional development, in a key form of hands-on learning, laboratory exercises, did better than their peers by about 40% of a grade level. In math, students whose teachers received professional development in higher-order thinking skills also did better by about 40% of a grade level. Source: How Teaching Matters: Bringing the Classroom Back Into Discussions of Teacher Quality, 2000, Harold Wenglinsky, Educational Testing Service

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge30

ContentMajoring or minoring in a subject is associated with improved student academic performance. Students whose teachers majored or minored in the subject they were teaching outperformed their peers by about 40% of a grade level in both math and science.

Source: How Teaching Matters: Bringing the Classroom Back Into Discussions of Teacher Quality, 2000, Harold Wenglinsky, Educational Testing Service

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge31

Pedagogy

Command of subject matter alone is insufficient

Good teachers have solid foundation of specialized professional knowledge about pedagogy

Knowledge is backed by research and is reliable

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge32

What Can Higher

Education Do?

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge33

Link to high school to prepare students for the challenge of college Challenge Early College High School Dual credit

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge34

Assist veteran teachers in focusing on a more rigorous curriculumDevelop bridging between high school and college/community collegeHave high expectations for preservice teachers

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge35

Have best and brightest math, science and fine arts instructors at research institutions teaching the pre-service students.

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge36

Mentoring

A 2004 study by Richard Ingersoll and Jeffrey Kralik corroborates previous evidence that comprehensive mentoring and induction programs positively affect new teachers and reduce the attrition rates. All beginning teachers should participate in a multi-year induction program in which they work closely with a mentor/master teacher for at least their first two years.

http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/50/36/5036.htm

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge37

Add arts to pre-service core content curriculum. Fine arts part of Texas Essential Knowledge

and Skills for first time Fine arts part of No Child Left Behind

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge38

According to Senate Bill 1: Texas Education Code, by law, the fine arts (music, art, theatre, dance) are a part of the “Required Curriculum.” Students graduating from high school are required to complete 1 credit in the arts in the “Recommended” and “Distinguished Achievement” high school programs. The arts’ Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), what every student should know and be able to do, are required to be taught in every Texas school.

For further information go to the Center for Education Development in Fine Arts (CEDFA) website. http://finearts.esc20.net/

Source: Texas Education Code 28.002 [c-d] and Texas Administrative Code 74.1 [b-c] 78th Legislature, Senate Bill 815

State Law and the Arts

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge39

National Law and the ArtsIn 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act. The act defined the “core academic subjects” as

the ARTS, English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, history and geography.

Source: Reference HR1-534, Title IX-General Provisions, Part A-Definitions, SEC.9101

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge40

Texas All-State Music Student Average SAT Scores

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004Mixed Choir 1177 1191 1163 1153 11795A Concert Band 1227 1176 1122 1185 1196Jazz Ensemble 1160 1189 1164 1127 1120Philharmonic Orchestra 1233 1275 1291 1274 1284String Orchestra 1301 1315 13815A Symphonic Band 1191 1135 1207 1206 1230Symphony Orchestra 1286 1293 1294 1317 1352--------------------------------------------------------------------------All State Comp.Score 1215 1213 1193 1209 1209National Average 1019 1020 1209 1026State Average 993 992 991 993

Source: Texas Music Educators Association

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge41

TAAS – All tests BethuneAcademy

1994 2002 CampusChange

All students 44.9% 90.2% +45.3%African American 30.6% 90.1% +59.5%Hispanic 39.0% 90.4% +51.4%White 75.0% 89.4% +14.4%Economically Disadvantaged 34.6% 89.9% +55.3%

ReadingAll students 67.9 94.2 +26.3%

MathAll students 50.5 97.8 +47.3%

WritingAll students 68.6 89.6 +21.0%

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge42

What Teachers Need to Know

How to: Translate subject matter knowledge into

curriculum Plan standards-based units Continuously assess student progress and

adjust instruction to meet student need. Accommodate individual, language and

cultural differences

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge43

Teachers (cont.)

Deep knowledge of contentSchool and district policiesClassroom managementFitting into the school organization

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge44

Monitoring and Adjusting

Teachers should solicit structured feedback from their students so they can begin to distinguish between what they think they are teaching and what students are actually learning. Supportive and disciplined reflective communities of teachers can help teachers understand that their students' learning is central, and that their own teaching is subordinate to and in service of that goal.

Source: Seeing Student Learning: Teacher Change and the Role of Reflection, Harvard Educational Review, 2002, Carol R. Rodgers

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge45

Advocates

Most importantly, they need to be advocates for their students.Speak up when they see a need.Have the courage to act on students’ behalf.

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge46

PolicyIssues

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge47

Conditions of teachingCommunity-based schools

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge48

“Sounds of Learning”Produced

under the direction of

Dr. Pedro ReyesVice Chancellor for Accountability

University of Texas at Austin

October 18, 2004 © 2004 Houston A+ Challenge49

Houston A+ Challenge1415 Louisiana, Box 9

Houston, TX 77002713-658-1881

www.houstonaplus.org