The Problem? The U.S. Department of Education's School
Improvement Practices do not Guide Real Success
Moving Toward Solutions:
12 Questions that WILL Guide School Improvement Success
Over the past weeks,
I have begun to consult in an inner-city high school that has been on the
state's "Low Performing Schools" list for the past eight years.
Three superintendents later. . . five building principals later. . . and after
spending over $3 million from its School Improvement Grant (SIG), nothing has
changed and, in fact, things have gotten worse.
District leaders are
not helping the school leaders. . . who are not helping the instructional
leaders. . . who are not helping the students. . . who - - approximately 40% of
them - - are dropping out each year.
And the U.S.
Department of Education continues to push its four (now five) "models"
of school improvement on the State Department of Education. . . which employs
School Improvement Leaders who don't have a real clue as to how to do school
improvement in a functional, realistic, and sustained way.
Not that school
improvement is easy to do successfully. But it seems like. . . after almost 14
years of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (originally "No Child
Left Behind"), we should have better systems and better results. And yet
we continue to leave far too many schools and too many students behind.
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A New Federal
Report Describes How Low-Performing Schools are Trying to Succeed
Late last month
(October 28), the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Science
(IES) published a report on "Are Low- Performing Schools Adopting
Practices Promoted by School Improvement Grants?"
Based on Spring 2013
surveys from school administrators in 480 low- performing schools that were and
were not implementing one of the four federal school turn-around models, the
results indicated that:
*** Schools on
average were using only 20 of 32 improvement practices promoted by the SIG
transformation or turn-around models.
*** No schools
reported adopting all practices required under the transformation or
turn-around models.
*** More than 96% of
schools reported adopting each of the 3 most commonly adopted individual practices:
(a) using data to inform and differentiate instruction;
(b) increasing technology access for teachers or using computer-assisted instruction; and
(c) providing ongoing professional
development that involves teachers working collaboratively or is facilitate by
school leaders.
*** For 16 of the 32
practices examined, the SIG schools were more likely to be using those
practices.
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But How are
the SIG Schools Performing?
But
before we conclude that the SIG schools are having greater success because they
are implementing more of the 32 improvement practices, let's remember that this
now-$6 billion program has resulted in:
*** A third of the
participating schools getting worse academic results for their students
*** Two-thirds of the
participating schools showing improvement, but only marginal improvement
*** Schools with two
years of SIG funding and interventions realizing only a three percentage point
gain in reading proficiency - - just about the same gain as all other U.S.
schools not receiving the grant money
CLICK HERE FOR RECENT EDWEEK ARTICLE
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What are
these 32 Improvement Practices?
It is critical to
recognize that the 32 improvement practices promoted by the SIG transformation
or turn-around models are incredibly global in nature, and that they do not
specify the implementation steps needed to guide effective practice.
Moreover, they do not
"drill down" to the essential questions needed for school
improvement.
These practices are
described in the IES report (cited and linked to above) on Page 7,
Table 2.
Here are some
examples:
* Use data to
evaluate instructional programs
* Use data to inform
and differentiate instruction
* Use benchmark or
interim assessments at least annually
* Implement
strategies to ensure that ELL learners master academic content
* Require student
achievement growth as a component of teacher evaluations
* Provide multiple-session
professional development events
* Replace the
principal
* Use financial
incentives to recruit and retain effective principals
* Change parent or
community engagement strategies
* Change discipline
policies
Parenthetically, I
had a recent conversation with a state department of education official who
told me that "my approaches to school improvement were too complex."
She proceeded to say that superintendents and school principals needed
improvement practices that were easy to implement and that did not take a lot
of time.
My response to her
was that, "There is a different between a sophisticated practice that
works, and a simple practice that does not work and that actually may make the
'problem' worse and more resistant to change."
My unstated thought
was to reflect on the things in my life that require sophisticated systems - -
the electrical grid in my community, the planes that I fly on, the medical
doctors that I visit.
I surely hope that
the pilot commanding my flight to New Mexico tomorrow does not do things the
"simple" way. . . I need him or her to do things the right way ! ! !
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What are 12
Essential Questions Needed for School Improvement?
Before presenting to
the School Leadership Team at the low-performing inner-city high school that I
began working with last week, I sat down and wrote out 12 Essential
Questions that I consistently use for school improvement. Critically, my
"ultimately" school improvement goal is to:
Maximize
the academic and social, emotional, and behavioral learning, mastery, progress,
and independent skill levels of all students
Moreover, I believe
that every school should be working to improve to the next level of
excellence.
Finally, I recognize
that there are specific strategies and approaches that are needed to answer
each of these questions (see the Project ACHIEVE website for many of these: www.projectachieve.net).
The 12 Essential
Questions are:
*** Do staff know the
current functional skill level (mastery) of each student in literacy, math,
oral expression, and written expression?
*** Does each lesson,
class, and course identify the expected results relative to the knowledge and
content, and skills and application abilities expected of students? Does
everyone know what mastery looks like?
*** Do teachers and
students assess learning and mastery accurately?
*** Does each lesson,
class, and course identify the prerequisite knowledge/content and
skills/application needed in order to effectively teach (and have students learn)
the expected outcomes?
*** Do teachers have
the curricular materials (direct and supplemental, course syllabi, class
lessons) to effectively teach and differentiate?
*** Are teachers
working in cross-/trans-curricular ways and teams so that they are consistently
teaching and reinforcing common literacy, math, oral expression, and written
expression skills?
*** Can teachers
differentiate instruction given the number of different skill levels of
students in their classrooms?
*** Are students
taking responsibility for their academic and social interactions and progress
and that of their peers?
*** Are
students/staff taught and reinforced for interpersonal, social problem solving,
conflict prevention/ resolution, and emotional coping skills?
*** Are
students/staff taught and reinforced for their skill in the areas of
organization, time and stress management, and ways to prioritize their learning
and social, emotional, and behavioral actions and activities?
*** Do teachers understand
that teaching is a performing art, that they need to constantly hone their
craft, and they are all on-stage together?
*** Are students and
staff receiving the services, supports, strategies, and programs they need to
be academically and interpersonally successful?
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Summary
We are wasting time,
effort, resources, and expertise on global school improvement approaches,
that have not been adequately field-tested, and that do not have the
implementation specificity needed for success.
And because of this,
we continue to lose students, staff, schools, and communities who are
"turned off" of the approaches that actually work.
We have got to work
together-- effectively and efficiently-- to establish and institutionalize
these effective system, school, staff, and student approaches--even if they
involve sophisticated strategies and multiple layers.
And we cannot be
swayed by messages- - or messengers - - who want to oversimplify "school
improvement" to the degree that success can never be attained.
I hope that some of
the ideas above resonate with you. Please accept my best wishes as you
continue to provide the services and supports that all of your students need.
Have a GREAT week !!!
Best,
