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US Education UpdateIssue 7, March 2001 Contents
Early Childhood Education: What the Research Tells Us The National Association
of Child Advocates has issued a brief, "Making Investments in Young
Children: What the Research on Early Care and Education Tells Us",
which discusses research in this field and implications for policymakers.
The brief outlines significant research from the past decade all of which
tends to point to the need for quality, especially for less advantaged
children. Furthermore, it outlines factors which define quality in relation
to early care and education.
The National Center
for Education Statistics has issued a report aimed at helping policymakers
and researchers understand what is known about the quality of US schools
in relation to student learning. The report focuses on three areas and
thirteen indicators within those areas: school context - school leadership,
goals, professional community, discipline, academic environment; teachers
- teacher academic skills, teaching assignment, teacher experience, professional
development; classrooms - course content, pedagogy, technology, class
size. Monitoring School Quality:
Business Coalition Launches Campaign to Improve Teacher Quality The National Alliance
of Business, the National Alliance of Manufacturers, the Business Roundtable
and the US Chamber of Commerce have jointly launched a new campaign to
draw attention to teacher quality. The report, Investing in Teaching,
calls for a number of strategies including: higher entry level standards
for trainee teachers; new professional development opportunities; competitive
salaries based on job performance. The report is the result of a year-long
evaluation by the four business groups. They talked with educators, officials
from teacher training colleges and other business leaders. The report
cites examples of states where some of their recommendations are already
in place such as the performance-based pay policy in Cincinnati, Ohio,
public schools. The business groups plan to lobby policymakers at both
state and federal level. It is thought that the participation of business
leaders will add momentum to the teacher reform movement in the way that
business involvement played a significant role in the push for standards
reform in schools. For more information:
Sources: Education Week; Chronicle of Higher Education
Reality Check 2001: annual survey Reality Check 2001 is the fourth annual report of the standards-based reform movement from the perspective of its key stakeholders: students, teachers, parents, employers, and college professors. The survey was carried out as a joint project of the newspaper Education Week, and the non-partisan, non-profit research organisation, Public Agenda. The findings of the 2001 edition mark a noticeable change from previous ones suggesting that the reform movement is finally being felt in the classroom. More parents report that their children must pass a standardised test in order to progress while teachers say there is less social promotion (promoting students to the next grade on the basis of age rather than what they know). Most respondents support the use of standardised testing but also feel that it should not be the sole factor ensuring graduation or grade promotion. Teachers view tests as a good yardstick for assessing a student's progress but believe schools or teachers are not necessarily to blame if a student fails. The majority of teachers fear that introducing more tests will lead to their "teaching to the test" in the future - but few feel that this is a current problem. Students themselves are supportive of the tests with 80% responding that they seem fair and few complaining that there are too many. On the issue of technology, most students responded that they carry out serious learning using computers while most teachers are satisfied with their ability to use computers effectively as a teaching tool. The only note of real
dissatisfaction, as in previous years, came from employers and college
professors who feel young people do not come to the work place or place
of higher learning equipped with basic academic or organisational skills.
School-to-Work Programmes Take Stock A national conference entitled "What Do We Know About School-to-Work: Research and Practice" was held at the end of the year to evaluate the achievements, or otherwise, of the programme introduced by then President Clinton in 1994. The legislation granted funding to states to encourage local businesses to offer job shadowing or internship opportunities to school students . Federal funding for School-to-Work (STW) is due to end in October 2001. Key points from presenters at the conference:
The report highlights
the career academies model in particular. Career academies, the first
of which was established 30 years ago, are typically schools within schools.
Students stay with the same group of teachers for 2-4 years in a smaller
learning environment which integrates both an academic and occupational
curriculum, theme-based around a particular career. The curriculum includes
partnerships with local employers. There are 1500 career academies in
the USA. For more information:
University of California May Abolish Use of SAT in Admissions The President of the University of California, Richard C Atkinson, is proposing to abolish the use of SAT scores as an admission requirement to his university system. Scores from the SAT, a national standardised test, are used by 90% of admissions offices at four-year institutions. The test was established by the College Board and is administered by the Educational Testing Service. (For background on the SAT, please see Education Update 3, item 8: SAT Tests and College Admission.) The most common critics of the test point to research which shows a race and gender gap in scores: non-white student s and women generally score lower. Atkinson is criticising the test on the basis that it is an "aptitude" test which does not reflect what a student has learned. His plan would continue the use of the SAT II, which tests knowledge of subjects such as English, maths, science, for admission purposes. He also calls for a more "holistic" approach to admissions. Supporters of the SAT say that it is the only national test which cuts across state lines and should be used as part of an overall admissions process. Coming from the leader of one of the largest, and perhaps best, public university systems in the USA, the proposal (which has yet to be passed by the University of California) is likely to spark debate throughout higher education on appropriate tests for admission to college - especially at a time when schools are moving towards more testing and accountability. Sources: Los Angeles Times, New York Times
The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education has published the first ever state-by-state report card on higher education (this includes both public and private 2-year and 4-year institutions). The report compares the performance of each state in five key areas: preparation for college; participation; affordability; completion of college; and benefits to the state of its college graduates. The producers of the report view it as an invaluable measuring stick for states to see how they fit into the national picture and how they currently serve their residents. Since the contributing data are from 1998, the report card includes an article highlighting states which have since implemented policy changes likely to raise their scores in the future editions of the report card (planned for 2002 and 2004). All states received an "incomplete" grade for the data on student learning at college. This is explained by the lack of common benchmarks for a meaningful comparison between states. The report, Measuring Up 2000: The State-by-State Report Card for Higher Education, can be downloaded from: measuringup2000.highereducation.org/ Previous issues of the Education Update are available on the British Council's USA website.
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