Educational Policy and the Minority Student

For those of us that slogged through the years of NCLB and its damaging effects on education, I focus this post on some statistics and thoughts about the American educational demographic (particularly our minority students). Low level facts and mindless tests without the resources needed to compensate for these mandates, loss of jobs, impoverishment, lack of affordable health care, increased incarceration of people between the ages of 18-24, and loss of hope in communities, school systems and the teaching profession; all of these are fall-out from an education policy that just fell short of the needs of students and teachers. Question: Will Race to the Top offer any more hope or will we still have corporate style accountability where competition is sponsored and the approach of the teacher is still criticized and the student teacher relationship is diminished to numbers on a page? There is a lot of criticism that mainstream media have made of teachers that is deeply disrespectful of how hard teaching in schools is now. I have very few doubts that student scores on standardized achievement tests is the best way to judge the immensely complicated job of teaching. Our obsession with national an international test scores have resulted in uncreative curricula and teaching, and has also resulted in the alienation of students and teachers. We have to learn from our failed policies of the past and learn from those nations that consistently out-score us (such as Finland) where educational policy includes more support and professional education for teachers, less emphasis on tracking and standardized testing, more creative curricula, and emphasis on higher-level thinking. If it seems like I am rambling "eduspeak" as my friend and colleague Jeff Walters often times puts it, allow me to provide some statistical data to back my thoughts.

Question: Are U.S. students ready to compete?
President Barrack Obama wants teachers to be dealt the responsibility of creating our nations future security by producing students who will out innovate, out build, and outperform the rest of the world by restoring a badly deteriorated K-12 educational system and a national culture that emphasizes math and engineering through STEM initiatives.
Fact 1: According to U.S. Commerce department studies: If college graduation rates hold as steady as they have for the last two decades, by 2018 we will be 3 million college graduates short of the predicted 101 million jobs that will require a degree.
Fact 2: According to the Bureau of Labor Statisitics, of the 30 occupations that are projected to grow over the next decade, half will require a college degree.
Fact 3: According to the McKinsey Global Institute nearly 2 million jobs will require some post secondary training (many of these Associates degrees or technical training of 18 months or more).

So back to my question, The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is basically the nation's report card when it comes to standardized testing. In 2007, NAEP showed that just 31% of 8th grade students in both the public and private educational arena could read at or above grade level. In math, 32% could perform at or above grade level. Now many of my colleagues would argue that when we compare nations and look at global testing we are not seeing the same demographic. Many teachers will point out that we test every student while many other nations test only their brightest. I looked into this and found these statements are unfounded.
Some examples of data: 22 countries outperform the U.S. Of these, six countries plus Shanghai test all students, including minorities and students with disabilities. They are: Hong Kong 58%, Korea, 56%, Switzerland, Finland 46%, Japan 42%, and Canada 41%. The Netherlands, Austrailia, and Belgium all came in at 38%, but I was unable to determine the testing field. Shanghai led all with 75% oft heir student proficient in math and reading.
Additional data: Socioeconomic status did have some validity with the state of Massachusetts leading all states at 43% of 8th graders performing at or above grade level.Vermont was a close second at 42% and New Jersey 39%. OUR LOWEST??? THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA which scored lower than Turkey, Bulgaria, and Slovakia at 24%

Question: What have successful countries done in comparison to less successful ones? Here is what I have found.
1. They have focused less on tests and more on instructional practice including; team teaching, clusters of innovation and intervention, project-based learning models.
2. They value teacher with good pay and hold them in high regard as public figures and professionals
3. They have developed extensive online learning programs.
4. Parental investment is high.
5, Teacher preparation and development programs focus on the social , psychological, and developmental aspect of teaching and less on current policies
6. There is a high level of recruitment for educators and their talents
7. They offer students choice and autonomy in their course work.
8. The private and business sector is involved with students and schools.
9. They have common standards vs. individual state and district standards.
10. Digital learning and opportunities to learn from home.

How does ethnicity play into the American educational experience?

I believe that achieving a quality education is a civil rights issue for our generation. The research on both public and charter schools indicates that there is a substantial achievement gap within our educational system. Looking at exams such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), both regular public schools and charter schools has become racially segregated in terms of academic achievement. Poor minority Black and Hispanic students lag behind their white middle and upper class peers as much as 20-30 points. If we examine the research done in math proficiency, 42% of white students are proficient in math, while only 11% of African Americans and 15% of Hispanic students are proficient. In reading, 40% of white students are considered proficient, while only 13% of African American and 5% of Hispanic students are proficient. Students who are successful in school have a good chance of competing in a global marketplace, however, even our best and brightest are significantly lower in achievement when compared to students from other countries. Those students who fail are at greater risk of poverty, crime, and a lower life expectancy. If our minorities continue to be pushed aside into special education and mediocre to low achievement, then we are contributing to a cycle of racial inequalities that deny certain people a quality of life equal of others.

The principle of equality of opportunity should include access to training and higher education provided the individual proves their competency.

Unfortunately, schools do serve as one of the society’s first sorting mechanisms. Providing an appropriate education for every student is the purpose, however, students are often tracked from an early age into programs. While everyone has a right to an opportunity, there also has to be requirements and competencies that act to sort talents and abilities.