Tuesday Open Thread
Seattle Schools reports on a recent professional development day for substitute teacher around culturally responsive teaching.
From NPR, Will Algorithms Erode Our Decision-Making Skills? Something to consider for you and especially, your children.
As well, this afternoon the City Council is to vote on upzoning in the University district. One of the things I wrote to the City Council (which was in a comment by the owner of Bulldogs news on the Ave) is that the Council needs to have impact fees included in any kind of legislation in order to support the growth that they believe is coming and that the upzones are needed for. The impact fees would help support issues that Seattle Schools will face as a result of this growth.
Great story from the Seattle Times about Northgate librarian, Kate Eads, who lead a book drive that has collected over 1,000 books for homeless children for Mary's Place, a homeless shelter leader.
What's on your mind?
From NPR, Will Algorithms Erode Our Decision-Making Skills? Something to consider for you and especially, your children.
Sure, such computer code aims to make our lives easier, but experts cited in a new report by Pew Research Center and Elon University's Imagining the Internet Center are worried that algorithms may also make us lose our ability to make decisions. After all, if the software can do it for us, why should we bother?An important day today in Seattle city government. First, the Mayor is to give his state of the City speech, not at City Hall, but at a mosque near Northgate. I live near that mosque and after recall how after 9/11, the mosque was ttacked by a guy with gun and a can of gasoline. Luckily he was stopped and neighbors guarded the mosque. There were many of us who also brought flowers in support. Murray's speech is in support for Seattle being a sanctuary city.
As well, this afternoon the City Council is to vote on upzoning in the University district. One of the things I wrote to the City Council (which was in a comment by the owner of Bulldogs news on the Ave) is that the Council needs to have impact fees included in any kind of legislation in order to support the growth that they believe is coming and that the upzones are needed for. The impact fees would help support issues that Seattle Schools will face as a result of this growth.
Great story from the Seattle Times about Northgate librarian, Kate Eads, who lead a book drive that has collected over 1,000 books for homeless children for Mary's Place, a homeless shelter leader.
What's on your mind?
Comments
LGBT
--SPM
LGBT
Next, yes, Islam has its own views on women including separate entrances. But some parts of Judaism have this as well.
I have no problem with how Islam views women (and indeed how those women choose to follow/embrace it). I just wish I knew that all girls and women are given the chance to be educated, both on their religion and in schools.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/17/german-parents-told-to-destroy-my-friend-cayla-doll-spy-on-children
Germany’s telecommunications watchdog has ordered parents to destroy or disable a “smart doll” because the toy can be used to illegally spy on children.
The My Friend Cayla doll, which is manufactured by the US company Genesis Toys and distributed in Europe by Guildford-based Vivid Toy Group, allows children to access the internet via speech recognition software, and to control the toy via an app.
http://www.npr.org/2017/02/20/516292295/germany-bans-my-friend-cayla-doll-over-spying-concerns
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MYRSTAD: Cayla, can I trust you?
COMPUTER-GENERATED VOICE: I don't know.
---------------
Be aware this doll is for sale in the US. And sends the 'overheard' data back to the company.
-McClureWatcher
LGBT
-sleeper
LGBT
-sleeper
From University of Washington, Tacoma:
https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/university-writing-program/writing-center
discuss
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_terrorism
Look under "Contemporary."
-sleeper
Murray wants to increase mentorship programs for African American males.
Murray wants to increase housing. I did not hear one word about impact fees or providing space for schools.
Gay
Support Schools
LGBT
"emphasize the importance of rhetorical situations over grammatical “correctness” in the production of texts;
be reflective and critical of the practices we engage in;
provide students ways to be more aware of grammar as a rhetorical set of choices with various consequences;"
UW&T needs to be defunded ASAP. This is over the top!
UW Clowns
I do need to listen to the Mayor's speech; I had heard he wants to do more for students of color.
As for UW, I don't have a problem asking teachers/instructors/professors to give credit (probably first and foremost) to what a student writing and how. But grammar is part of a basic understanding about writing. It is not a nicety but a structure to be able to clearly understand what a person is saying.
You might have missed that last sentence in MILO's post at 3:47, but I suspect you would not want to allow that to remain on your blog.
HF
Let's welcome the help and start a conversation! I'm also not convinced SPS could figure out how to effectively engage in this type of strategic effort without screwing it up.
Fix AL
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2015/07/13/history_of_slavery_newspaper_ads_used_to_find_family_after_emancipation.html
After emancipation, many freed people used newspaper advertisements to try to contact their family members. The Historic New Orleans Collection has made available a digital collection of more than 300 "Lost Friends" advertisements that appeared in the city's Methodist Southwestern Christian Advocate newspaper between November 1879 and December 1880. The collection is searchable by name or location, but you can also browse advertisements at random.
In her book, Help Me To Find My People: The African-American Search for Family Lost in Slavery, historian Heather Williams writes that advertisements like these were an ad hoc community measure made necessary because the federal government was largely unprepared to help separated families reunite during Reconstruction. (Willliams was a guest on episode 4 of our Slate Academy podcast, the History of American Slavery; a few weeks ago, Slate published an excerpt from her book.)
-McClureWatcher
Seattle Public Schools is beginning the process for evaluating instructional materials for grades 6 - 8 mathematics. An adoption committee will be formed, and its work will begin in March 2017 with the goal of having new instructional materials in use during the 2018-19 school year.
Apply to Join the Grades 6 - 8 Mathematics Instructional Materials Adoption Committee
The committee will carry out the board-approved adoption process and come to a consensus in order to make a recommendation for instructional materials based upon objective evidence gathered during the process in accordance with Seattle Public Schools Board Policy. The goal is to select an adoption committee that represents the diverse perspectives and experiences of Seattle Public schools, students and families. The committee will be comprised of teachers and principals representing a range of buildings and programs, parents/guardians, community members, and the Seattle Public Schools Adoption Committee coordinators.
Responsibilities of Family/Community Representative(s)
• Attend ALL scheduled meetings
• Assist in reviewing prospective materials
• Communicate to school community
• Serve as a representative of your school community
Tentative Committee Meeting Dates
Round 1: March 21, April 18, May 2, May 16, May 30 (8:30-3:30 p.m.), June 13 (8:30 a.m. to noon)
Round 2: November-December meeting dates (TBD)
For more information
To learn more about the Grade 6 – 8 Mathematics Instructional Materials Adoption Committee or apply for adoption committee membership, please visit the adoption web page at: https://www.seattleschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=627&pageId=17753733
All applications must be received by 9:00 a.m. on March 14, 2017.
To submit your application:
Applications may be:
Saved and emailed to ambox@seattleschools.org
Mailed to: Seattle Public Schools Attn: Anna Box MS-32-156 PO Box 34156 Seattle, WA 98124-1165
Or faxed to: 206-252-0179 Attn: Anna Box
Thank you for your interest!
MS Math Adoption Application for FAMILY.pdf
Anna Box
Mathematics Program Manager
Seattle Public Schools
There is a major problem with the above letter from Anna Box. I think the goal of Math Instructional Materials adoption should be to select the materials that would best produce improved academic learning opportunities for students.
Rarely if ever has this "goal" been reached in the past 20 years, in politically correct Seattle.
Ms. Box apparently has more interest in political correctness than attaining a best outcome for students. She does not even mention improving learning opportunities as a goal.
From her letter:
"The goal is to select an adoption committee that represents the diverse perspectives and experiences of Seattle Public schools, students and families."
Is this type of committee selection appropriate for the task at hand?
It is amazing that Ms. Box in her selection letter makes no mention of expertise in either mathematics or mathematics instruction or the capability to select materials which will optimize student learning. It is particularly naive to assume that the diverse representation of which Ms. Box speaks will produce an optimally efficient materials selection. In making such a statement, she reveals more knowledge of Seattle politics than mathematics instruction.
Nobel Prize winner Richard P. Feynman wrote a March 1965 article in Engineering and Science on "New Textbooks for the "New" Mathematics". He served on the California State Curriculum Commission and was involved in materials selection.
In 1985 he published "Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman!". In this book he stated that a materials selection committee should be composed of people who are very knowledgeable about the subject and instruction. He also stated that a large committee with many members who do not possess such knowledge is NOT recommended.
I think Seattle School students would be better served if Ms. Box took Mr. Feynman's advice.
-- Dan Dempsey
However, I'd caution on the role of PC in Seattle. There's
a lot of lip service about it, but the neighborhood school
assignment plan is anything but progressive.
Then again, PC and true progressiveness are often mutually exclusive.
FWIW
It is the district’s goal to have new instructional materials in use during the 2018-19 school year.
The committee will be comprised of parents/guardians, community members, teachers and principals representing a range of buildings and programs, and the Seattle Public Schools Adoption Committee coordinators.
====================
-- Dan Dempsey
Accountability what is it?
Can Seattle Schools produce an accountable environment at any time in the future?
Looking at past and current structure the answer is likely NO.
Jason Bedrick posted
Getting Accountability Right in which he states: "It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong."
Yet this complete lack of accountability has become the hallmark of the Seattle Schools and apparently will continue ad infinitum.
Two classic examples are former CAOs:
#1 Carla Santorno's selection of Everyday Math and her completely inaccurate statements about it. Yet she became the Superintendent of Schools in Tacoma, while Seattle suffered through years of Everyday Math's poor results and prescribed fidelity of implementation.
#2 Susan Enfield's patently false representation of New Technology Network benefits in a School Board Action Report, which led to the spending of $800,000 for three years of NTN product service to Cleveland HS. She is now Superintendent of Highline Schools.
I see no evidence that "Accountability" or that better decision-making is on the way given the current top-down model.
Effective teaching from effective teachers is not the goal. Teacher compliance with centralized directives is the goal. Teacher accountability is measured by such compliance.
After observing a decade of SPS nonsense I am definitely interested in school choice ideas. Was that the plan ... to frustrate parents so much that the only apparent solutions are school choice options?
-- Dan Dempsey
I try not read too much into language like above that is most likely pro-forma. The reality is that for a successful roll-out of a new curriculum its best to have representatives from as many buildings as possible. First, that makes it more likely that the different mathematical needs and current practices at each site are represented. We don't have uniform levels of performance or pedagogy across the district. Ideally. you want to pick something that works for remedial as well advanced purposes, that is accessible to ELL populations, etc. But on top of that, its good to hear site specific concerns that may hinder a roll-out like "We're doing instructional routine X which we really like and don't want to change." And in the best of all possible worlds, the committee members becomes advocates within their buildings later on for the selected material (so the books just don't sit in a closet).
Yes these representatives should have some level of experience that they also individually contribute. But I assume that just the time demands of the committee are going to mostly self-select for that anyway.
Ben
What Ben described are the discussions should occur AFTER the curriculum has been chosen.
Of course, the reason the language exists in the first place isn't because it is "pro forma" but because the district has a record of excluding the interests and voices of the majority of its families, both in how it assigns students and how it serves them.
FWIW
By contrast, the State of California puts out a list of approved texts from which schools can choose. Ideally, one text could serve a range of students, but that is not how it plays out in SPS. How many schools have waivers? The problem with selecting just one text, as SPS does, and then assuming it will work for all classrooms is that SPS generally selects texts that must be supplemented up rather than differentiated down: CMP and Discovering are good examples. Both leave students with weak math skills. The Discovering series was deemed mathematically unsound by math experts, yet SPS continues to use it. Traditional math texts are shunned by the committees as "drill and kill," while texts get chosen based on more superficial metrics. As a tutor, I've seen the results of SPS selections. It's not good. Yet you could not get me near a SPS materials selection committee. It's unfortunate, as I've used many different materials and worked with students at various levels from a number of different schools.
mathy parent
You raise an interesting point. There are different mathematical needs at various sites. This may be particularly so at elementary schools. Given such variation and the differing views on teaching mathematics from one school to the next, does a uniform district-wide adoption make sense?
With the advent of teaching to grade level standards is it imperative that all schools use the same textbooks?
Your statement about books remaining in closets, might be supported by building dissatisfaction with selected materials. Is a different model which is supportive and tolerant of more diversity in materials purchased needed? Is central administrative support for one particular textbook series all that it is cracked up to be? ... Think back on how one middle school went rogue and greatly improved student performance results.
During the last textbook adoption there was no research supporting a clear "best choice" and several buildings had clear preferences for particular textbooks.
In 2007 the Everyday Math adoption was also accompanied by a bargaining agreement that partially linked teacher evaluations to student test scores. At the same time with the emphasis on "fidelity of implementation" the textbook became an even larger point of emphasis. The idea that "math coaches" would provide valuable service to teachers was questioned when in spite of large increases in instructional time, student test scores declined. Soon some teachers saw "coaches" as the math police.
It seemed completely unfair to require fidelity to a failing proposal.
Getting back to the idea of accountability. Would it have made more sense in the last textbook adoption to allow elementary buildings to select their preferred math textbook series? If all classroom teachers are focusing the same standards, why not? Textbook uniformity under such a model seems far less justified.
==========================
A further point for discussion is shouldn't the district be looking to use the knowledge and practices employed by successful teachers? It seems that many teachers who have a proven track record of success as indicated by annual student testing feel bullied into top-down compliance with instructional direction they see as ineffective.
==========================
In light of all the above and the strong efforts made by most teachers, I am all for more control of instructional decisions granted to teachers within their classrooms and buildings. I am a big fan of JUMP Math use in grades 6,7,8 and would be disappointed if my building wanted it and it was not available for our adoption. (note: I do not teach in the SPS.) Now that said I can certainly see how the divisive mini-revolution involving certain administrators after the last adoption at elementary school led to books in closets.
-- Dan Dempsey
Of course, looking at schools that are effective in teaching math (and what materials they used/use )should be a big part of the discussion. The district
should helping teachers learn to apply those methods to schools when it would fit. But if they had to do it undercover, it won't see daylight.
There should be a range of materials available to meet the needs of the
levels of the students in the building, instead of "you are in second grade,
here's your book." Walk to math should be standard operating procedure, at least
for part of the math instructional time.
Of course, in a system that functioned better, highly trained and effective
teachers would be able to do what was needed for their students.
FWIW
FWIW
Let's address both these concerns by getting the best teachers from Mercer Middle and Franklin High on the adoption committee. Both those schools have a high percentage of minority students and have been very successful in dramatically improving their test scores. Franklin even has excellent AP Calculus test scores. Probably much of Franklin's success is due to getting well-prepared students from Mercer Middle.
It's my understanding that both Mercer Middle and Franklin math teachers have resisted the "inquiry math" push that has been going on for decades. I bet that those teachers would select really good textbooks!
Ted Nutting
According to NAEP 2015 (the latest reported) testing,
I find that in grade 4 math the national white-black score gap is 24 points
as 248-224 = 24
In WA State the gap is 22 points
as 251-239 = 22
In grade 8 math the national public school white-black gap is 31 points
291-260 = 31
In WA State the gap is 37 points
294-257 = 37
Summary in grade 4 the WA gap is smaller than the nation's by 2 points.
In grade 8 the WA gap is larger than the nation's by 6 points.
There is a serious problem at the middle school level in regard to
the opportunity gap for Black students.
Why?
Could it be that the push for inquiry based programs does not serve a large portion of the Black population well?
I find it interesting the number of committees and commissions that have addressed this problem in the past and yet the results at grade 8 are horrid. None of these concerned agents has cared to address the instructional practices pushed by SPS math admin, OSPI admin or UW college of Ed in math.
At the 8th grade level only 6 states had a larger gap than WA State.
The 2015-2016 Smarter Balanced Assessment given state-wide showed
grade 4 Black student pass rate 34.7% with 29.5% at level 1 (the lowest level)
grade 8 Black student pass rate 27.0% with 43.5% at level 1 (the lowest level)
Compare those with scores for state's White students
grade 4 White student pass rate 63.0% with 10.5% at level 1 (the lowest level)
grade 8 Black student pass rate 53.6% with 20.0% at level 1 (the lowest level)
For SPS students
The 2015-2016 Smarter Balanced Assessment given to Seattle students showed
grade 4 Black student pass rate 38.8% with 29.7% at level 1 (the lowest level)
grade 8 Black student pass rate 34.1% with 37.5% at level 1 (the lowest level)
Compare those with scores for state's White students
grade 4 White student pass rate 78.0% with 3.6% at level 1 (the lowest level)
grade 8 Black student pass rate 72.3% with 7.6% at level 1 (the lowest level)
Seattle Percents above show 5 times larger for Black students at level 1 in grade 8 than White students in grade 8. In grade 4 it is about 8 times larger.
To put this in perspective according to SBA testing 1 in 13 White students enter high school with minimal math skills and more than 1 in 3 Black students enter high school with minimal math skills.
In Tacoma the push for Algebra for all in grade 8 seems absurd; but apparently goes unquestioned.
Tacoma 2015 SBA for grade 7 found 41.3% of Black 7th graders scoring at level 1.
As 8th graders that same cohort in 2016 SBA testing found 50.5% scoring at level 1.
Yet administration continues to push a completely failed agenda.
Accountability = NONE.
Orca k-8 in Seattle pushes the same algebra for all in grade 8 plan.
2015 Black grade 7 SBA scores showed 61.5% scoring at level 1
2016 Black grade 8 SBA scores showed 65.2% scoring at level 1.
Yet the 2016-17 Continuous School Improvement Plan states that "All Middle School Students will be taught Algebra".
-- Dan Dempsey
At the 8th grade level only 6 states had a larger gap than WA State.
The 2015-2016 Smarter Balanced Assessment given state-wide showed
grade 4 Black student pass rate 34.7% with 29.5% at level 1 (the lowest level)
grade 8 Black student pass rate 27.0% with 43.5% at level 1 (the lowest level)
Compare those with scores for state's White students
grade 4 White student pass rate 63.0% with 10.5% at level 1 (the lowest level)
grade 8 White student pass rate 53.6% with 20.0% at level 1 (the lowest level)
For SPS students
The 2015-2016 Smarter Balanced Assessment given to Seattle students showed
grade 4 Black student pass rate 38.8% with 29.7% at level 1 (the lowest level)
grade 8 Black student pass rate 34.1% with 37.5% at level 1 (the lowest level)
Compare those with scores for state's White students
grade 4 White student pass rate 78.0% with 3.6% at level 1 (the lowest level)
grade 8 White student pass rate 72.3% with 7.6% at level 1 (the lowest level)
AP curious
Income Gap
It's hard to know what to make of this; I could see that those kids would do about the same, but significantly worse? The money quote in the article (hah; see what I did there?) is probably here:
"The new voucher studies stand in marked contrast to research findings that well-regulated charter schools in Massachusetts and elsewhere have a strong, positive impact on test scores. But while vouchers and charters are often grouped under the umbrella of “school choice,” the best charters tend to be nonprofit public schools, open to all and accountable to public authorities. The less “private” that school choice programs are, the better they seem to work." (from the NYT article; don't construe this as endorsement of charters on my part, but maybe endorsement of openness, transparency, and accountability)
I got the scores for AP Calculus AB and AP Statistics by FOIA request from the district. I'm to dumb to know if or how I can attach them here. Email me at theodorenutting@msn.com and I'll forward the 2016 results to you.
Ted Nutting
http://www.bsd405.org/get-involved/advisory-committees/inactive-committees/middle-school-math-adoption/
-transparency
If this is true, why send low-performing kids to school at all? I mean, if teachers, counselors, et al, have no effect on student success, why are we wasting all this time and money on all these kids who traditionally underperform?
It's the fault of their parents and "influences at home" anyway. We should just send their kids straight to the work camps.
Think Straight
- Muddy data
Just Think
They do celebrate the successes they are having at schools with at-risk kids like Mercer and Aki Kurose but I'm not sure exactly what they are doing and, if they are seeing success, why some of those activities are not being farmed out to other schools.
The district has never been good at duplicating success.