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US Education UpdateIssue 3, September 2000 Contents
The push to reduce the teacher/student ratio under the banner "Class-Size
Reduction (CSR) Program" is high on the current education agenda.
A number of states have initiated class-size reduction programmes and
some have also received extra funding from the federal government. Although
the continuance of federal funding is not guaranteed, it is anticipated
that the government will provide $12.4 billion over 7 years to help schools
hire 100,000 new teachers and reduce the teacher student ratio to a nationwide
average of 1:18. The early years of elementary school (grades one through
three) in low-achieving schools are particularly targetted for assistance.
Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, has reported on the first year
of the federal programme which provides money to help districts hire more
teachers. The report shows that an estimated 23,000 schools, which received
aid under this programme, used the money to hire new teachers. On average
class sizes in these schools have reduced from 23 to 18. The benefits of smaller class sizes are outlined in two research reports:
However, research also shows that making classes smaller is not an automatic recipe for success. For the second year since it implemented its class size reduction programme in 1996, Californian students have shown small gains in academic achievement according to a report from a consortium of research groups headed by the American Institutes for Research and the RAND Corp. Although influenced by the project in Tennessee, California differs in a number of significant ways: its student population is more diverse (with more non-native English speakers), it had to hire a large number of teachers (many of whom only held "emergency credentials"), its small class sizes numbered 22-26 (the size of Tennessee's control group), and due to lack of available space it was forced to make classrooms out of other parts of its school buildings (such as the library). Success arising from smaller class sizes is strongly linked by researchers to teacher quality. This includes effective mentoring by veteran teachers for inexperienced staff and recognition that teaching methods may have to be adapted to suit the smaller class size. The dual challenges of finding additional qualified teachers and space for more classes face the states which are introducing their own programmes to reduce class size. Further information: In 1994 the Aldine School District, situated in a spread-out, lower socio-economic area of north eastern Houston, became very concerned at the number of high school dropouts. It made funds available to Principal, Jeanette Strahan who was in effect told to "go out, track down dropouts, get some staff, and do what you can." Ms Strahan tackled the project with incredible determination. She built up a core of committed, dedicated teachers, tracked down the District's dropouts, identified the high risk dropout candidates, and established night classes geared to helping young adults complete their high school certificates in temporary premises on loan from an existing high school. The result was a Night High School: the W.T. Hall High. The school has grown and now operates classes in core curriculum areas geared to the needs of dropouts or young adults with severe social problems. Classes are held day and night, a child care centre is in operation, vocational classes have been gradually added - Ms Strahan's goal is to ensure that her "dropouts" not only complete their high school education, but that they leave her equipped to earn a salary. She is blunt in that every pupil who completes their education and graduates is a success story, as all were outside the system or on the point of dropping out. What stands out in visiting the school is that it is small in size - 350 pupils, (by comparison with most high schools whose enrolment run into thousands), class sizes are also small, (the largest they have is 20 and most are around 8-10-12 pupils), the staff are all enthusiastic and totally committed to their charges. Visitors are welcome at any time. Report based on a visit to the school by staff at the British Consulate-General,
Houston. Two years ago Californians voted to end bilingual education (known as Proposition 227). It was thought amongst the many who opposed the move that the results would be disastrous for a state where minorities (especially native Spanish speakers) are now the majority. LEP students ("limited-English-proficient") are no longer able to attend classes in their native language for up to four years before being transferred to instruction in English only. Now, they spend one year in an English immersion classroom before joining the mainstream class. However, the second round of state test results show gains in all subjects, particularly for disadvantaged students. Supporters of bilingual education are not convinced and caution against oversimplification of the issue as test scores have not been analysed relative to the kind of language programme the student is in. They feel that California's other school improvement reforms could also have caused a rise in test scores. Both sides of the argument are releasing data in support of their cause. California is in the spotlight as policymakers in other states, such as Arizona, are considering introducing similar legislation to Proposition 227. New York City school district numbers 1.1 million students, the largest
in the nation, and considers 186,000 as LEP students. A new study on 16,500
LEP students in NYC carried out between 1990-99 has just been released.
It reports that those in English as a Second Language (ESL) programmes
were quicker to move onto mainstream instruction in English, and performed
better in districtwide tests, than students who remained with bilingual
instruction. The findings have once again stirred the bilingual debate
with both sides interpreting the findings in their favour. What the report
does show is the high number of LEP students, enrolled in either ESL or
bilingual programmes in the early grades, who went on to do well academically
in mainstream courses. The study shows that LEP students entering these
special language programmes in higher grades (6 through 9) had more difficulty
completing them and moving on than younger students. Further reading: Successful School Reform in Connecticut The link between quality teachers and student achievement is influencing state education policies across the nation with funding targetted at teacher training programmes and more competitive salaries, and the introduction of more rigorous assessment of a teachers's performance in the classroom. Although most states are early in the implementation of their reforms, Connecticut began its school reforms over a decade ago. The latest results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests suggest that they have been successful (NAEP: nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/site/home.asp). Connecticut's 4th and 8th graders have ranked first at different times between 1996-99 and the state has also witnessed a rise in the number of 4th graders reading at "proficient" level (rising from 34% in 1992 to 46% in 1998). The success is being linked to Connecticut's reforms which began with the Educational Enhancement Act 1986 promising $300 million to increase teachers' salaries. As a result, the state now pays amongst the highest teachers' salaries in the nation (average salary is $51,727). Connecticut also imposed a tough entrance exam for those seeking to enter the teaching profession. Teachers also face regular checks of their classroom performance (by means of video taping and work portfolios). New teachers receive support in the form of mentors and a teacher-induction programme: Beginning Educator Support and Training (BEST). There are also measures in place to hold the lowest-performing schools accountable and extra help is available to them when necessary. If those schools do not eventually improve, they face being "reconstituted" ie restaffed. The improved reading results can be attributed to the state's $20 million per year Early Reading Success programme which includes training for teachers and extra classes for students on a Saturday and during the summer. Connecticut's school reforms are being held as a model for other states
in the process of introducing more rigorous teacher training and mentoring,
literacy programmes, and regular student testing. (Connecticut's K-12
students = 545,000.) New Study on School Voucher Programmes The controversial school voucher programme enables parents to use public funds to send their child to private school. So far, vouchers have been introduced in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Cleveland, Ohio; and throughout the state of Florida (although not without a struggle as all three states have faced legal challenges). A new study from a Harvard University researcher examines three privately-funded experimental voucher programmes in New York; Washington, DC; and Dayton, Ohio. It reported that test scores of African-American students who had used vouchers to switch to private schools increased significantly while scores of children from other ethnic groups showed little change. One possible reason cited for the disparity is that the African-American children were attending significantly worse schools before the change to private schooling. The study drew attention from those on both sides of the voucher argument including supporters of California's Proposition 38 initiative (which seeks to grant an annual $4,000 voucher to all families, even those who can afford private school) and groups which felt the study was biased by cooperation with pro-voucher organisations. Supporters of vouchers argue that giving parents a choice is one of the only ways for children in districts where schools are academically poor and even dangerous to escape to a better education. Opponents argue that the voucher system is taking public funding away from public schools and the answer is to fix the public schools first. Vouchers are in the news with both presidential candidates: Governor George W Bush supports vouchers while Vice President Al Gore opposes them. There is one major constitutional controversy as many private schools in the USA have a religious affiliation. The inflow of public funding to those schools in the form of vouchers raises the issue of the separation of church and state. The latest Gallup poll suggests that support for publicly-financed vouchers which take money away from the public schools system is waning. A survey showed a drop of 5% since 1998 in support of vouchers with respondents saying public schools need more funding to improve. Further information: (Sources: The Atlanta Journal; Education Week) The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as
the "Nation's Report Card" has released a study showing trends
in student achievement since the 1970s. According to the study, overall
progress has been made in reading and mathematics with science remaining
the same. However, the gap between white students and their minority peers
has widened in recent years. On the positive side, the level of skills
has risen for minority students since the 1970s but there is a growing
lag behind the progress of white students. One theory on stopping the
expanding gap is investment in programmes such as preschool and smaller
class size which have been shown to benefit African-American students
in particular. A RAND report released earlier in the summer, which analysed
state NAEP scores, suggested that states which had stuck with their education
reforms had witnessed an overall improvement in NAEP test scores and a
closing of the achievement gap between ethnic groups. The NAEP has also released a summary of its 1998 Reading Assessment ("1998
Reading Results for Low-Performing Students") The findings are mixed
through the three grades studied (4th, 8th and 12th). In brief, the lower
grades performed better than in previous years with the higher grade students
performing either the same or worse. Further information: Competition and the Public School Sector A report on the effect of competition on government examines existing literature on the subject, including literature on the link between competition and the provision of public education. According to the report, the "literature strongly suggests that competition enhances public school quality." A number of research reports are cited. One report suggests that students who attended high school in communities with more competition among public schools later earned higher wages, scored higher in tests and completed more years of schooling. Research also examines the effects of competition from private schools and the link between competition and productivity in the public school system. The report concludes that "school spending is lower, academic outcomes are better, and school-district efficiency is higher where parents have more choice in their children's educational provider." The author suggests, therefore, that based on the research cited charter schools and vouchers should only enhance the public school system though increased competition. "The Evidence on Government Competition" by Lori L. Taylor (a senior economist and policy advisor in the Research Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas) can be downloaded in .pdf format from: www.dallasfed.org/htm/pubs/efr.html SAT Tests and College Admission The College Board has released the latest SAT scores. The SAT is the most commonly used standardised test for students seeking admission to college. This year a record 1.26 million students took the multiple choice test which measures verbal and mathematical reasoning (and scores on a scale of 400 - 1600). A press release is available on the College Board's website at: www.collegeboard.com The SAT has attracted controversy for decades with criticism that it
disadvantages minority students who consistently score lower than their
white peers. There is also a question mark over whether it is a true indicator
of academic ability for college: Women score lower than men in the SAT
although their college grades are higher. Schools Teachers (Sources: New Democrats Online; Education Week) With 95% of the USA's public schools now connected to the Internet, a
major concern is that teachers are fully trained to make effective use
of the technology in the classroom. Good training is in great demand.
A growing number of teachers are using WebQuest to aid their Internet
projects. WebQuest was designed by a professor of educational technology
at San Diego State University in 1995. It provides a number of research
projects which, by means of open-ended questions, aim to make students
think about "real world" problems, then offer solutions. (A
popular WebQuest science project on cloning is entitled "Hello, Dolly".)
WebQuest lists relevant websites to reduce the amount of time spent by
students searching the Internet (and possibly finding inappropriate materials).
Georgia's largest school district, Gwinnett County, will offer students at its 14 high schools the opportunity to take one course per semester at home at the beginning of this school year. The courses, which have been designed by the teachers, include algebra, language arts and economics, and will count towards graduation. The courses were developed to give students more flexibility (such as those working or involved in extra-curricular activities). The state expects 300 students to enrol for the courses. An Oklahoma company, Advanced Academics, which offers online courses
for middle school and high school students is one of a growing number
of commercial companies hoping to claim a niche of the Internet lesson
market. Advanced Academics works in partnership with schools to deliver
online lessons to students who might otherwise drop out. This allows the
schools to retain funding as they can count these children as students.
There is no cost to students. If the student successfully completes the
online course, they receive a high school diploma which is no different
from a traditional one. More states are developing statewide virtual high schools in collaboration with state universities. Although financed differently, the virtual high schools follow a similar model (that of the Michigan Virtual High School) where they are a division of a virtual university and share the same infrastructure. Most of the initial courses developed online are Advanced Placement (AP are college-level courses taken in high school which give students credit at state universities). However, educators foresee offering remedial or special education courses online. Some states are buying online courses from commercial companies while others encourage their teachers to develop them. (Sources: The Washington Post; The Atlanta Journal; The Daily Oklahoma; The Chronicle of Higher Education) On September 20th Education Week ran an article entitled "British
'Heads' Reign With Broad Power" showing how schools in England and
Wales have more autonomy than in the USA. This is one article in a series on school leadership all of which can be viewed at: www.edweek.org/sreports/leaders.htm US International Education Week Further to information in the July issue of the Update, the dates for the "US International Education Week" have been announced: November 13-17, 2000. With a theme of "Classroom to Classroom Diplomacy", the administration
has invited foreign ambassadors in the United States to visit public schools
or universities during the week of November 13, and has encouraged U.S.
ambassadors abroad to visit schools in their host countries. In the schools
with the technical capacity, the administration hopes to have the ambassadors
transmit an "e-conversation" to a school in their countries
and connect students to an "e-pal." (source: NAFSA News) Online Education Events Calendar The weekly education newspaper, Education Week, has an online calendar
of education events across the USA. The calendar is searchable and continues
through December 2001. Previous issues of the Education Update are available on the British Council's USA website. If there are any topics
you would like to see covered in future editions of the Update, please
contact: alison.corbett@us.britishcouncil.org Additional contacts
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