The Participation Gap

Raymond J. McNulty, Senior Vice President

International Center for Leadership in Education

Happy Holidays Cabell County!!!

The Participation Gaps

Raymond J. McNulty, Senior Vice President

International Center for Leadership in Education

Happy Holidays Cabell County!!!

• Not an expert

• I’m a learner and I change my opinion based on what I learn.

THEMES

• The Challenge is Complex

• Motivation

• Participation Gap

• Change – Creativity - Innovation

• Closing Thoughts

THEME

• The Challenge is Complex

SUCCESS BY DESIGN NOT BY CHANCE

WE need to become the agents of change.

Stop waiting for the cure … you are the cure!!

We need fewer, clearer and more rigorous standards!

Texas NESS StudySubgroup Rankings

ELA Skill: Write clear and concise directions or procedures.

Group Rank

Overall Texas 9

Business/Industry 2

Other Non-educators 10

English Language Arts Teachers

Other Educators 8

Texas NESS StudySubgroup Rankings

ELA Skill: Write clear and concise directions or procedures.

Group Rank

Overall Texas 9

Business/Industry 2

Other Non-educators 10

English Language Arts Teachers 25

Other Educators 8

Texas NESS StudySubgroup Rankings

ELA Skill: Give clear and concise oral directions.

Group Rank

Overall Texas 7

Business/Industry 3

Other Non-educators 9

English Language Arts Teachers

Other Educators 7

Texas NESS StudySubgroup Rankings

ELA Skill: Give clear and concise oral directions.

Group Rank

Overall Texas 7

Business/Industry 3

Other Non-educators 9

English Language Arts Teachers 28

Other Educators 7

Texas NESS StudySubgroup Rankings

Math Skill: Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to right triangles.

Group Rank

Overall Texas 20

Business/Industry 29

Other Non-educators 31

Mathematics Teachers

Other Educators 24

Texas NESS StudySubgroup Rankings

Math Skill: Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to right triangles.

Group Rank

Overall Texas 20

Business/Industry 29

Other Non-educators 31

Mathematics Teachers 4

Other Educators 24

Texas NESS StudySubgroup Rankings

Math Skill: Understand accuracy and precision of measurement, round off numbers according to the correct number of significant figures, and determine percent error.

Group Rank

Overall Texas 12

Business/Industry 3

Other Non-educators 10

Mathematics Teachers 30

Other Educators 8

We need fewer, clearer and more rigorous standards!

OUR PROBLEM IS NOT SIMPLY STANDARDS, BUT

“DESIGN” AS WELL!!!!

The primary aim of education is not to enable students to do well in school, but to help them do well in the lives they lead outside of school.

We’ve created false proxies for learning…

• Finishing a course or textbook has come to mean achievement

• Listening to lecture has come to mean understanding

• Getting a high score on a standardized test has come to mean proficiency

Learning should have its roots in..

• Meaning, not just memory

• Engagement, not simply transmission

• Inquiry, not only compliance

• Exploration, not just acquisition

• Personalization, not simply uniformity

• Collaboration, not only competition

• Trust, not fear

• Basic Knowledge/Skills

• English Language (spoken)

• Reading Comprehension • (in English)• Writing in English • (grammar, spelling, etc.)• Mathematics

• Science

• Government/Economics

• Humanities/Arts

• Foreign Languages

• History/Geography

“Are They Really Ready To Work?”

Applied Skills

•Critical Thinking/Problem Solving

•Oral Communication

•Written Communication

•Teamwork/Collaboration

•Diversity

•Information Technology Application

•Leadership

•Creativity/Innovation

•Lifelong Learning/Self Direction

•Professionalism/Work Ethic

•Ethics/Social Responsibility

THEME

• Motivation

We need more artists, so here’s our plan.

REQUIRE ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO TAKE MORE ART!

We need more scientists and mathematicians, so here’s our

plan.

REQUIRE ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

TO TAKE MORE MATH AND SCIENCE!

What Works Best?

• REQUIRE

• MANDATE

• FORCE

• EXCITE

• CREATE PASSION

• MOTIVATE

Motivation is a key ingredient for success in learning.

Talking with kids…

It’s not us against them!

CULTURE TRUMPS STRATEGY

Theme

• The Participation Gap

• Rigor

• Relevance

• Relationships

• Relationships

• Relevance

• Rigor

You can’t teach kids you don’t know….

Participation Gap• Self-Worth: Self-Worth occurs when

students know they are valued members of the community; have a person they can trust; believe they can achieve.

• Active Engagement: Active Engagement happens when students are deeply involved in the learning process.

• Purpose: Purpose exits when students take responsibility for who and what they want to become.

STUDENT ASPIRATIONS / PARTICIPATION GAP

SELF WORTH

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT

PURPOSE

BelongingHeroesSense of Accomplishment

Fun & ExcitementCuriosity & CreativitySpirit of Adventure

Leadership & ResponsibilityConfidence to Take Action

Relationships

Relevance

Rigor

SELF WORTHBelongingHeroesSense of Accomplishment

6-8 9-12 STATEMENT54% 49% I am proud of my school.49% 49% I enjoy being at school.58% 41% Teachers care about my problems and feelings.54% 46% Teachers care about me as an individual.50% 45% Teachers care if I am absent from school.19% 21% I have never been recognized for something positive at school.52% 48% If I have a problem, I have a teacher with whom I can talk.68% 51% Teachers respect students. 49% 37% Students respect teachers.36% 29% Students respect each other .

NATIONAL DATA

Copyright 2008 Quaglia Institute

6-8 9-12 STATEMENT42% 48% School is boring.68% 55% At school I am encouraged to be creative.47% 37% My classes help me understand what is happening

in my everyday life.67% 54% Teachers enjoy working with students 47% 37% Teachers have fun at school.41% 28% Teachers make school an exciting place to learn.79% 71% My teachers present lessons in different ways .

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT

Fun & Excitement

Curiosity & Creativity

Spirit of Adventure

NATIONAL DATA

Copyright 2008 Quaglia Institute

6-8 9-12 STATEMENT62% 64% I am a good decision maker.54% 59% I see myself as a leader.30% 35% Other students see me as a leader.91% 91% I believe I can be successful.80% 77% Teachers expect me to be successful.58% 64% I believe I can make a difference in this world.79% 66% I put forth my best effort at school.44% 36% I know the goals my school is working on.41% 30% Students council represents all students at school.

PURPOSE Leadership & Responsibility

Confidence to Take Action

NATIONAL DATA

Copyright 2008 Quaglia Institute

I am proud of my school. T = 85S = 50

I am excited to be working with students. T = 96Teachers enjoy working with students. S = 56Students have fun at school. T = 78School is boring. S = 47Students make school an exciting place to work. T = 87Teachers make school an exciting place to learn. S = 31I have fun at school. T = 85Teachers have fun at school. S = 39

NATIONAL DATADelusional Discrepancies

Copyright 2008 Quaglia Institute

I am excited to tell my colleagueswhen I do something well. T = 59I am excited to tell my friends when I get good grades. S = 57 I feel comfortable asking questions in staff meetings. T = 66I feel comfortable asking questions in class. S = 66

NATIONAL DATASad Similarities

Copyright 2008 Quaglia Institute

Every student in your school has words and images to describe you. They know who you are.

Do you know who they are?

Theme

• Change, Creativity and Innovation

We have a flawed perspective of always listening to our best

customers… They tell us how good the system is working for

them!

BANKING

• Sears

• IBM

A Story….• Not a bad idea, but to

earn a grade more than a C+, the idea has to be viable! (Yale Professor)

• Fredrick Smith

• The idea FedEx

-Shurnyu Suzuki

“In the beginner’s mind there are many

possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.”

Sustaining Innovation

and

Disruptive Innovation

System Innovation

Sustaining InnovationDisruptive Innovation

Theme

• Closing Thoughts

TO DO THE JOB WELL

• QUANTITATIVE DATA

• QUALITATIVE DATA

• GREAT QUESTIONS…

SUCCESS BY DESIGN NOT BY CHANCE

Learning Criteria to Support 21st

Century Learners

Foundation Learning

Stretch Learning

Learner Engagement

Personal Skill Development

Components of School

Excellence

•Embrace a Common Vision and Goals•Inform Decisions Through Data Systems•Empower Leadership Teams to Take Action and Innovate•Clarify Student Learning Expectations•Adopt Effective Instructional Practices•Address Organizational Structures•Monitor Progress/Improve Support Systems•Refine Process on an Ongoing Basis

6

5

4

3

2

1

1 2 3 4 5

Rigor/Relevance Framework

Supported by Relationships

FIDELITY OF IMPLEMENTATION

BE EXTRAORDINARY

BEING EXTRAORDINARY

• Committed to the truth

• Be committed to delaying gratification

• Be someone who always has the chance of saying “yes”

• Live a life where you do not make others wrong

BEING EXTRAORDINARY

• Be committed to courage

• Be someone who produces results with absolutely no force

• Be a person who is peaceful in chaos

BEING EXTRAORDINARY

• Be committed to courage

• Be someone who produces results with absolutely no force

• Be a person who is peaceful in chaos

• Be committed to managing success, while being aware of its dangers (lottery winners and GM)

There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul

than the way in which it treats its children.

Nelson Mandela

Good things happen when you make good things happen!

The Participation Gap

Raymond J. McNulty, Senior Vice President

International Center for Leadership in Education

Cabell County Happy Holidays