Education Reform Survey
(Update: spoke to OSPI. The survey is live only thru tomorrow (Thanksgiving). Apparently it was live for a couple of weeks but strange that Charlie or I didn't see it elsewhere sooner. Still waiting to see who wrote it and who paid for it. Apparently this is in response to RTTT.)
Thanks to an alert reader, we bring you this story from the Seattle P-I which will lead you to a survey from the OSPI on Education Reform.
Here is your chance to answer: Great idea or Greatest idea?
Thanks to an alert reader, we bring you this story from the Seattle P-I which will lead you to a survey from the OSPI on Education Reform.
Here is your chance to answer: Great idea or Greatest idea?
Comments
Who wrote it? What are their affiliations? Who benefits? Who paid for it? (Better not be me!)
You don't have to include all of the goals or strategies in the rankings. You can leave some out.
Second, I took it and put all this ed reform stuff at the bottom and put interventions and early help at the top.
But yes, who wrote it and who is paying for it are good questions.
it is long though- I hope more people find out about it.
SPS survey did not allow skipping questions. Inadvertently, one would support Ed. Reform measures without realizing it. i.e Do you want an excellent teacher in every class? Of course, everyone would say "yes", thereby agreeing to Ed. Reform initiatives.
for example, if you do not want life in the SPS to be governed by ALIGNED standards you can not rank that (no stars) and not do the priority 1-4 box, then put a note in the comment/suggestion box.
I just took the survey and all the details are on the opening page. Who, why, what they'll do with the info.
Did folks miss that?
In the absence of other information, I would guess it's the education lobbyists, STAND and LEV who drove the content.
But hell, if they'll pay for full day K, I won't complain.
There are education reform actions that are state driven. Not everything comes from private entities like LEV and STAND.
Our school systems need help and I for one am glad the state is actually taking some initiative on their own.
It's the means, not the goal, people are suspicious of and skeptical about.
Granted it takes a lot of skill to make a truly objective survey, but the pro- Ed Reform slant of this one is pretty apparent. Nice that they've already answered for us and merely ask us to rank them.
Where's the opposing view represented? Oops!
I just think that when you lead, you have to show something and not do the typical "I'll listen to everybody and try to make everybody happy" because you get exactly what we have--a state that no matter what the issue is, can't get things handled because of the process.
Again, I'm happy the state is taking initiative here. I'll participate and add my input when asked and will make a trip to Olympia if necessary to voice my opinion.
Response: What about safe neighborhoods, quality jobs with decent salaries, adequate healthcare and nutrition, neonatal support services, library services, police & fire protection that respects and engages local citizens, etc?Who is collecting this information?
Ensure that what is taught, expected, and assessed in preK-grade 3 is closely coordinated (i.e., align standards, assessment, instructional, and programmatic practices)
Response: Alignment and assessment shouldn't even be considered as priorities. Giving children the opportunities to engage with other children, other adults, that encourages them to explore and be creative is far more important.
GOAL: All Washington students compete in mathematics and science nationally and internationally.
Response: Why does anyone accept, without question, that "Competing on the Global Stage" in any subject should be the driving force for educating children? It's the worst way to inspire learning in children. Did Bill Gates & Paul Allen get excited about computer programming because they knew it would prepare them to compete on the world stage? Read Yong Zhao's, Catching up or Leading the Way. Singapore and China consider their education systems in great need of renovation. Why? Their students are prepared to ace int'l science & math tests, but lack the key skills to succeed in the global business environment. As McKinsey & Co pointed out a few years ago for Chinese graduates. Do we want to base success on passing tests? Or, would it make more sense to check how well these students were doing as adults, several years later. A large, longitudinal study at UCLA found that one of the best determinants for success as an adult was a student's exposure to the arts from 8th-12th grades.
Briefly describe any expected results you believe are missing from this particular goal area. (Strategies for increasing participation and performance in STEM subjects)
Response: Wow! The Fun, the Challenge, the Creative Inspiration, the Sharing of Ideas seems to have escaped out the back emergency exit of this yellow bus.
GOAL: All Washington students attain high academic standards regardless of race, ethnicity, income or gender
Response: Where's all the money for this coming from?
GOAL: All Washington students attain high academic standards regardless of race, ethnicity, income or gender
Response: Again, Where's all the money for this coming from?
ken berry
1) What does "ready to learn" mean in this context? Ready to sit still, shut up, and take a computerized assessment? Why are we engineering our children to fit our educational system rather than the other way around?
2) Noting the mission of university is to help those whe are already capable, rather than those who need it? Is this the best use of tax dollars?
Just makes for some interesting thinking.
This was in 2009.
Be careful what you ask for.
I am simply relaying some information. If we cannot figure out how to control our own District, apparently, it is a possible/likely consequence.
I also cringe at the thought of the Mayor's Office taking over.
And I NEVER say, "Well, it can't get any worse" because it always seems to.
Sorry.
Remember that legislature must be involved to allow the mayor to take over. If there is one institution that the legislature trusts LESS than the Seattle School District, it is Seattle City Government. A small consolation.
My pie in the sky fantasy is a parent take over. I am envisioning a 60s style sit-in. No, a camp-in, bring your toothbrush and groceries. A coalition of us with math, statistics, database, software engineering and financial analysis skills barricade ourselves into the IT department in JSCEE and staying until we have done all the statistical analysis we have ever wanted. We can set up a twitter account and anyone can tweet us there top questions.
What was the "correct" figure Brad was looking for? Remember he missed some CTE courses and probably missed those who took advanced math in middle school, summer stretch or Running start. What was the corresponding percent for GPA of 2.5?
Break down the AP courses taken by electives vs required courses?
Compare PSAT scores by middle school attended (they were all using different math at the time)
What happened to Winter MAP scores?
We could set up an account with the college tracking to find out more on who starts but does not finish a two year degree, who starts and does finish a four year degree. How does that relate to the rubric Brad used? (even though he undercounted. THAT's what gets me. That he realized he undercounted and did not come clean. That's a different and worse sin than realizing your metric was imperfect.)
Where is all the money and how did it get spent?
The AG's office normally defends public officials and often from the Public.
The only way to get the AG to act is with a request from
A.. A county prosecutor
(will not do anything with out a Police complaint and the Police will not file a complaint about school officials they refer you to the State Auditor)
B.. A request to investigate from the Office of the Governor.
C.. A request from the State Auditor but the State Auditor's Office only makes referrals based on significant findings.
Any complaints that are in anyway involved with current litigation will not be referred to the AG's office until the litigation has been concluded.
Pretty tough to get an action against a Superintendent for even a Class C Felony under this system.
OSPI is no kind of watchdog either. I'm not even sure they have watchdog status at the district except over grants.
But as I say, I feel that storm coming.
include NSF/EHR the Darth Vader arm of the National Science Foundation .... Education and Human Resources.
When I tried to get some form of accountability for NSF/EHR spending in Math at UW to help SPS, YIKES ... I got this:
(1) NSF checks to see how the Project Director stated the money would be spent.
(2) A check is made to see if the money was spent as stated.
Note there is NO analysis of academic results.
I filed a complaint long ago with the Office of the Inspector General of the NSF and as might be expected nothing has happened as the investigation is still ongoing.
Yeah ... sure it is ... I'll believe most anything.