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US Education UpdateIssue 13, March 2002 Contents
New Study A major new study from the RAND Corporation, an independent research organsation based in California (www.rand.org/education/), looks at the evidence of the effectiveness of charter schools and school vouchers (charter schools are privately run public schools, free from many of the regulations of public schools; voucher programmes provide children in "failing" schools with public funds - vouchers - to attend a private school). The RAND study is an analysis of many recent studies. It examines academic achievement as well as racial and socio-economic integration in charter schools and voucher programmes. It acknowledges that much of the evidence raises more questions than it answers such as why African-American students seem to perform better in voucher programmes yet Hispanic students do not (see Education Update 3, item 5 plus a report from Mathematica Policy Research Inc. "NYC School Choice" at: www.mathematica-mpr.com/). Critics of charters and vouchers feel that they are a distraction from the important topic of improving public schools which should emphasise teacher quality, smaller classes, and all day Kindergarten for low-income pupils. Supporters say giving parents choice, thus ensuring competition, is the only way to make the public schools improve. The report concludes that while the jury is out on the long term effects of these school choice options, they are worthwhile continuing and watching closely. "Rhetoric vs. Reality: What We Know and What We Need to Know About Vouchers and Charter Schools", is available online at: www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1118/ Cleveland Voucher Case Hailed as the biggest education case to be argued since the hearings on segregation in the 1950s, the US Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether the voucher programme in Cleveland is in violation of the US Constitution. The Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program began in 1995 in response to a public school system in crisis. The programme gives tuition vouchers of up to $2,250 to approximately 4,200 children from low-income families to attend private school. Statistics show that 99% of the pupils attend a religious school (usually Roman Catholic) thus raising allegations that public monies are being used for religious schools, violating the Constitution's separation of church and state. (Catholic schools charge low tuition - the vouchers would not cover the tuition required at most other private schools). Supporters of vouchers say it is constitutional as it is parents, not the government, who opt to use vouchers at religious schools which are just part of the school choice options in Cleveland. Opponents say it is unconstitutional to use taxpayers' money to pay for sectarian schooling, plus 33% of pupils receiving vouchers were already attending private or parochial schools (the state therefore is paying for pupils who would not have been in the public school system anyway). Critics also point to evidence that the number of white students receiving vouchers is disproportionately high in a predominantly black public school system. The Supreme Court is expected to make its decision in early July. For more information: www.rethinkingschools.org - This Urban Educational Journal has been following the voucher movement from the beginning and provides commentary and a series of articles www.edexcellence.net - The Thomas B Fordham Foundation is pro-vouchers and provides articles on the subject www.edweek.org - Education Week provides an overview of vouchers. Click on "Hot Topics", then "Vouchers" (Sources: Education Week, New York Times, Public Education Network online) Privatisation Experiment in Philadelphia Schools The Philadelphia school district, the country's eighth largest with 264 schools and 210,000 pupils, passed into the hands of the State of Pennsylvania in December 2001. No-one seems to disagree that the embattled district is in dire need of academic and fiscal help. However, the method of intervention has been the cause of heated debate and controversy. The most controversial aspect is the involvement of Edison Schools Inc, the largest for-profit private manager of public schools. Hired as a consultant to the district, it is likely that Edison will manage Philadelphia's worst-performing schools thus making the district the largest experiment in educational privatisation in the country. Final decisions on the running of the Philadelphia school district will be made next month. Fourteen states have the authority to intervene in schools judged to be "failing" based on the school's accountability system. States use reconstitution (ie taking over or closing the school or replacing all or any of the staff) as a method of dealing with their worst performing schools. The threat of reconstitution by the state can lead districts to intervene where there are early signs of trouble. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is currently targetting fourteen of its lowest-performing schools for extra attention to prevent a possible state takeover. The schools, populated by poor students whose English is a second language, are staffed by mostly unqualified teachers. LAUSD is offering additional training for teachers and administrators in the schools. Please click here for background on Edison Schools Inc. Federal Report Calls for Earlier Reading Comprehension Skills A federal report suggests children need reading comprehension strategies to be introduced in earlier grades. According to the report, the push to improve early reading via skills-based instruction, sometimes delaying reading comprehension skills until 4th grade (10/11 years old), could undermine literacy goals. The report calls for more research on comprehension skills, methods for nurturing good readers and how teachers assess reading proficiency. "Reading for Understanding: Toward an R&D Program in Reading Comprehension" was produced by the RAND Corp. under a contract with the Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). It can be read at:www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1465/ Teenage Technology Entrepreneurs in Massachusetts Teenagers at eight high schools in Massachusetts can combine technology/ business training and community service with the support of a programme called Youth Technology Entrepreneurs (YTE). This four-year old non-profit organisation, which works with the state Department of Education and several private companies, was born from simple necessity according to its founder Michael Goldstein. Some Massachusetts school districts had purchased computers only to find they could not afford the maintenance, support and training necessary to maximise the benefits of the new technology. YTE provides the means for schools to train and make use of their own students. The students, mostly from low-income neighbourhoods, benefit from a curriculum which encourages the pursuit of further education, an environment of cooperation (where more experienced students teach help others), and a programme of outreach to the community. A full report on YTE, by Terri Evans of the British Consulate-General Boston, can be read at YTE Report.doc. The District of Columbia has introduced several initiatives to improve services for its youth (who have low academic achievement and one of the highest juvenile violent death rates in the nation). The initiatives focus on improving after school activities and establishing a collaboration of service-providers who share common goals. One such initiative is the Children and Youth Investment Partnership (CYIP) which seeks to improve the quality and quantity of youth services in the District. To read more, please
see: "Creating a Seamless Web of Services for Youth: National Commission on Service Learning: Final Report In 2000, the W K Kellogg Foundation launched the National Commission on Service Learning chaired by US Senator John Glenn of Ohio and comprising representatives from education, government, business, and citizen- advocacy groups. The mission of the committee was to urge schools to make service learning (volunteering linked to academic credit) a part of every child's curriculum. The Commission spent 2001 researching best practice and making recommendations on how to include more students in service learning. The final report of the Commission is now available online. It concludes that "linking curriculum and community service builds better students and better citizens". For more details, please see: www.servicelearningcommission.org/pressrel.html For further information on Kellogg's initiatives, please see: www.learningindeed.org Non-Traditional Routes to Teaching Pathways to Teaching Careers Program For over six years the Urban Institute, an economic and social policy research organisation, has studied Pathways to Teaching Careers Program. Funded by the Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, it encourages non-traditional candidates into teaching such as paraprofessionals or returning Peace Corps volunteers. The programme works closely with colleges and universities in partnership with local school districts. Its goals are to increase the retention rates of new teachers, increase the pool of minority teachers (the racial imbalance between pupils and teachers is growing), and a secondary goal is to get more men to teach. An analysis of the data from the programme shows an increase in the teaching force (and higher retention after three years than regular novice teachers); an increase in the number of minority teachers recruited; Pathways teachers perceived by their peers as more effective teachers than regular novices; effective recruitment to "high-need" schools with new teachers prepared to meet their needs (having worked in close partnership with the local school district. Overall, the non-traditional programme is viewed as a successful (affordable and effective) way to increase the supply of teachers. To read more of the study "Absence Unexcused: Ending Teacher Shortages in High-Need Areas" , please see: www.urban.org/education/absence-unexcused.html The New Teacher Project Based in New York, the New Teacher Project enjoys high profile supporters such as First Lady Laura Bush and Senator Hillary Clinton. The Project recruits and trains middle-aged professionals to become teachers. It is part of the Department of Education's Transition to Teaching which is set to receive $35 million in 2002 and almost $40 million next year. The Project funds "Teaching Fellowship" programmes across the nation. Each programme is unique although all provide their recruits with a few weeks of training before they enter the classroom. New teachers then work towards their teaching license while teaching. For more information, please see: www.tntp.org Two Policy Briefs on Recruiting and Retaining Teachers The Southeast Center for Teaching Quality, based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, recently released a policy brief suggesting that more than money will be needed to attract and retain teachers in schools facing recruitment difficulties. It recommends non-traditional routes into teaching; providing scholarships to retrain teachers; identifying skilled teachers to lead reform efforts. The brief, "Recruiting Teachers for Hard-to-Staff Schools: Solutions for the Southeast and the Nation" can be read, along with "Recruitment and Retention Strategies in a Regional and National Context" at www.teachingquality.org/ Policy Dialogue on Lifelong Learning: 7 - 8 February 2002, Washington, DC As part of a collaborative effort between further and higher education leaders in the United States and the United Kingdom, the British Council USA facilitated the establishment of a UK/US Policy Forum to discuss key issues surrounding lifelong learning. The forum, consisting of representatives from the British Council USA, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the UK FE sector, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Education Commission of the States (ECS), met for the second time in February. Discussions focused on Workforce Development and Work-based Learning including: · US &
UK Policy for workforce development (WFD)/work-based learning (WBL) In addition, there
were representatives from the Department of Education and Skills, the
US Department of Labor, the US Department of Education, the US State Department,
Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the Morino Institute. For More Information
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