Blog

Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform December 16, 2015

Report: School funding lower than before Great Recession

A new report on public school funding in the U.S. finds that most states now receive less support per K-12 student than prior to the 2007-2009 Great Recession. In addition, some states continue to decrease funding.

Published by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonprofit research and policy institute, the report cites what is says is the most current data available on each state and local funding. After adjusting for inflation, it found:

In at least 31 states, the funding provided was less per student in the year ended in 2014 than in the 2008 school year prior to the recession taking hold. The cuts surpassed 10 percent in at least 15 states.
In at least 18 states, local government funding per student fell over the same period. In at least 27 states, local funding increased. Very few of the states increased funding made up for the initial cuts in support. Total funding nationally declined between 2008 and 2014 in states where comparable data exists.
While comprehensive data on the current (2016) school year is unavailable, it is known that at least 25 states are providing less “general” funding — the primary form of state funding per school — per student than in 2008. The cuts surpassed 10 percent in seven states.
Most states raised the “general” funding per pupil slightly this year. However, 12 states imposed new cuts in funding, despite evidence that the economy has continually improved. The states, including Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Arizona, experienced the deepest cuts since the recession hit.

The report says that the consequences of K-12 state-level spending include weakening a key funding source for school districts, slowing the economy’s recovery form the recession, and impeding reforms widely acknowledged to boost students achievement, such as improved teacher quality and reduced class sizes.

Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform December 15, 2015

What Factors Make a School Effective?

Although diverse school models exist, a fundamental question remains—how are we to know whether or not a school model is effective, and how can effectiveness be judged? A number of research studies focus on characteristics of effective schools. However, there is debate over which attributes should be considered when describing successful schools.

According to some researchers, student performance should be the primary indicator of a successful school. It makes sense, really, since the sole purpose of schools is educating their students. Other researchers propose that students’ social characteristics, such as personal growth should be included when determining effective schools. Another issue with school effectiveness research is that findings are predominantly based on research conducted in elementary schools or unique school settings in the inner city. Consequently, it is suggested that these findings cannot be generalized to all schools.

In truth, there is no one factor that can accurately determine the effectiveness of K-12 schools. Instead, it is a multi-faceted conversation and one that evolves with each generation of students. As suggested above, the context of schooling will impact factors that contribute to effectiveness in specific schools. At the same time, there are attributes and factors that contribute to effectiveness across schooling contexts. By understanding an array of effectiveness attributes we are able to observe which attributes exist at a particular school and which, if adopted might facilitate effectiveness, given a particular school context.

Common elements of success

A 2008 study describes five common characteristics that make up an effective school; these characteristics, and the theory behind them has also been described as the five-factor theory.

The first factor is quality leadership. In other words, students perform better where the principal provides strong leadership. Effective leaders are visible, able to successfully convey the school’s goals and visions, collaborate with teachers to enhance their skills, and are involved in the discovery of and solutions to problems.
The second factor is having high expectations of students, as well as teachers. High expectations of students have repeatedly been shown to have a positive impact on students’ performance. More attention should be paid to high expectations of teachers. In other words, teachers who are expected to teach at high levels of effectiveness are able to reach the level of expectations, particularly when teacher evaluations and teacher professional development is geared toward improving instructional quality.
The third characteristic of a successful school is the ongoing screening of student performance and development. Schools should use assessment data to compare their students with others from across the country. Effective use of assessment data allows schools to identify problematic areas of learning at the classroom and school levels, so that solutions can be generated as to how to best address the problems.
The fourth characteristic of a successful school is the existence of goals and direction. Administration should actively construct goals and then effectively communicate them to appropriate individuals (i.e., students, teachers, community-at-large). School principals must also be open and willing to incorporate innovation into goals for school processes and practices. It is important to invite input from all stakeholders in the process of developing school goals. Student performance has been shown to improve in schools where all in the school community work toward goals that are communicated and shared among all in the learning environment.
The fifth and final factor of a successful school is the extent to which the school is secure and organized. For maximum learning to occur, students need to feel secure. Respect is a quality that is promoted and is a fundamental aspect of a safe school. There are also a number of trained staff and programs, such as social workers, who work with problem students before situations get out of hand.

Other elements of student success

Apart from the five factors of a successful school already mentioned, the size of the school seems to be a school effectiveness factor. Research has found that the smaller the school, the better students perform, especially in the case of older students. This is the rationale behind the concept of schools-within-schools. Students in smaller learning environments feel more connected to their peers and teachers, pass classes more often, and have a higher probability of going to college.

A number of school districts view preschool education as a factor that will influence overall effectiveness across all schools located within the district. Evidence suggests that children with preschool experiences fare better academically and socially as they enter kindergarten and beyond. Experiences in literacy and numeracy among early learners not only prepares preschoolers for a kindergarten curriculum that has heightened expectations of prior knowledge, but also helps identify early learners who will need additional support to ensure they are able to have positive learning experiences later on.

Additional factors that influence effective schools include time to learn, teacher quality, and school and parental trust. Research supports the commonsensical view that the more time a student spends learning, and the more efficiently that time is used, the higher their achievement. Schools that find creative ways to extend time on learning will likely be more effective. Schools with high quality teachers also tend to be more effective. Schools able to hire teachers from high quality teacher education programs increase the possibility of being an effective school.

School effectiveness can also be influenced by the frequency, relevancy, and quality of the teacher professional development offered by the school and/or school district. Trust and parental participation are also features of a successful school. Trust between all parties of the school community is vital for enhancing the school’s effectiveness because it supports the prospect that parents and teachers believe in the motives and actions of each other. Parental participation is also important because it sends the message to students that the adults in their lives—both teachers and parents—believe in the importance of education and are willing to make time to support students’ educational experiences and efforts.

So there is no simple solution for labeling the effectiveness of a particular school – but it should certainly go beyond assessments alone.

What are some keys to school effectiveness in your opinion?

Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform, Teachers December 15, 2015

Student surveys: Measuring what tests cannot

Student surveys are being viewed by an increasing number of school officials, policymakers and researchers as the most effective tool currently available in measuring social and emotional goals for schools and their students. Qualities such as student-teacher relations, student engagement and growth mindset are not only being examined, but incorporated into accountability systems. This means that along with test scores and graduation rates, student state of mind will come into play when rating schools.

Researchers are convinced that students’ attitudes regarding learning, their skillfulness in working well with others and ability to self-regulate and persevere account for more than half of their long-term success.

Students will now be able to rate themselves on important indicators of achievement, such as social awareness and self-management. It has been documented that short, 20 minute surveys, in addition to teacher reports can accurately predict test scores, GPA, suspension and attendance outcomes.

Several school districts have joined forces with Panorama Education, a for-profit startup to analyze and administer these school surveys. With Panorama’s tools, schools are able to ask questions about what they deem important. Guidance is also provided by the company on which type of questions are backed by the best research. Access to questions other school systems have asked and what they have done to improve results is also provided.

Many school leaders find these non-academic factors crucial and are searching for means to document their progress. Increasingly, schools are viewing the academic component and standardized test results as only a fraction of the puzzle.

Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education December 14, 2015

Higher Ed allows children of immigrants to validate parents’ sacrifices

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

A guest post by Jennifer Olmedo Rodriguez

American employers have an untapped resource: first-generation Americans. The children of immigrant parents constitute a potentially deep talent pool for American companies. Motivated and numerous, these individuals feel compelled to achieve the ubiquitous American Dream not only for themselves, but also as a means of validating their parents’ sacrifices and pride.

The question many American companies must ask, however, is how to harness that motivation, drive and determined spirit and transform it into a skilled workforce. Higher education is the key to building a ready team of loyal workers fiercely dedicated to achieving the American Dream.

The numbers are significant. The Pew Research Center noted that the U.S. has more immigrants than any other country in the world. Heading into the 2014-2015 school year, Education Week reported that for the first time ever minority students were expected to outnumber non-Hispanic whites thereby signaling a shift to a “Majority Minority” school system. In 2012, children who have at least one immigrant parent constituted approximately 11.5 percent of the population and that number is expected to rise to 18.4 percent by 2050.

The importance of this population transformation cannot be ignored. In 2013, researchers at Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce found that over 55 million jobs would become available in the next few years – the majority of which would require education and/or training beyond high school – and there will be a shortage of workers to fill those jobs. Companies must plan ahead to source an educated talent pool from available sources.

The solution is simple and readily available to employers who have the foresight and understanding to tap into it: their very own employees who are immigrants or the children of immigrant parents. Employers who invest in educating this community for future careers are effectively planting the seeds they can harvest to meet their future labor needs.

As a partner at a national law firm, I am often involved in hiring decisions. Being the child of immigrant parents, I understand the challenges that immigrants and employers each face. My parents arrived in this country as children. Throughout our childhood, they instilled in my sister and me the importance of hard work and an education. My parents never attended college. Instead, they and my grandparents were focused on making ends meet and ensuring that my sister and I could strive for more, achieve more. It always was expected that we would.

It was never a question of “whether I went to college” – it was just a matter of “when I went to college.” I enrolled in Florida International University and became the first in my family to obtain a college degree. My sister followed and earned her nursing degree. Thereafter, my hard work paid off and I attended the University of Florida Levin College of Law. When I graduated with honors, I knew I had validated all of the sacrifices my parents and grandparents made when they immigrated to this country; sacrifices I was keenly aware of each time I pushed myself to reach new goals.

When I meet children of immigrants, I feel a connection to their drive, their ambition, their unparalleled desire to succeed. Some employers are recognizing that shared characteristic and have begun playing a role in educating existing workers — especially first-generation immigrant students. By supporting their employees’ educations, employers are nurturing their labor pool and potential leaders from within their own organizations.

How can your company start building tomorrow’s workforce, today? Consider offering:

Tuition reimbursement to employees seeking degrees to further their careers. Work with company Human Resources to inform employees that this benefit is available and work to ensure it is part of any benefits package for future employees.

Scholarships for employees or the children of employees who have expressed an interest in higher education. Sometimes, knowing money is available can prod prospective students to enroll in higher education institutions.

Funding scholarships through community organizations or local universities. There are a wide variety of schools and organizations that offer scholarships, grants and other financial aid to immigrants to further their education. Your company can support these programs through annual giving or by hosting company-wide fundraisers to engage employees and company contacts.

Setting up mentoring programs through which the children of immigrant employees are able to experience first-hand the varying career opportunities available within your company and hosting seminars to provide guidance on topics such as American business culture, higher education systems and financial aid opportunities.

Such programs become part of the very fabric of a company’s commitment to give back to its community, while developing a loyal and incredibly motivated workforce.

In my experience, child immigrants and the children of immigrant parents share a common ethos, a commonality in their DNA. Their parents and elders often overcame extreme adversity and worked long hours in blue-collar jobs to support and provide for their families with, at times, little more than basic schooling. Yet, those elders repeatedly espoused the importance of an education.

In our household, the refrain was constant — “get an education… no one can ever take that away from you.”

So I did. I worked and paid my way through FIU with student loans, earning my bachelor’s degree in three years and receiving the Minority Participation in Legal Education Program (MPLE) scholarship through the Florida Education Fund that provided me a full scholarship to law school. Now it is my time to give back, to mentor.

Today, some would say I am “successful” – an example to the new generation of students who are either immigrants themselves or the children of immigrant parents. Success is a matter of personal perspective. Regardless, employers who support immigrant students are discovering that the same dedication and drive that fueled so many like me translates into stellar employees, motivated by a commitment to make their parents proud and, oftentimes, serve as a role model for siblings and younger family members. In the end, it is relatively simple — family honor transforms the desire to succeed from a selfish goal into a validation of their family’s sacrifices.

For many of these students, education becomes a launching pad to greater success, upward mobility and family honor. Each time my parents learn of something I accomplish, no matter how mundane it may seem to me, they beam.

“That’s my daughter…I’m bursting with pride,” my mom boasts.

Such accolades usually cause me to shift uncomfortably with embarrassment. Any success I may achieve is not solely my own. I owe it to her, my father and the incredible foresight my grandparents had when they fled Cuba for the United States to forge a new life. The enormity of that foresight became readily apparent on my recent trip to Cuba. Walking the streets of Havana among crumbling buildings, the shortages and hardships endured by the people – my people — presented me with a stark realization. I will never know those shortages and hardships thanks to my grandparents’ courage. All opportunities I have had, I owe to them. I cannot and will not fall short of realizing my ultimate potential because they endured unfathomable sacrifices to provide me those opportunities. I must succeed.

I, too, find myself “bursting with pride” each time I hear a story of a first-generation American who achieves the American Dream – a college education – and validates their family’s sacrifices. It’s a shared chorus among immigrant families and the companies that employ them.

U.S. immigrant population projected to rise, even as share falls among Hispanics, Asians, Pew Research Center, Mar. 9, 2015, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/03/09/u-s-immigrant-population-projected-to-rise-even-as-share-falls-among-hispanics-asians/

U.S. School Enrollment Hits Majority-Minority Milestone, Education Week, Aug. 19, 2014, http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/08/20/01demographics.h34.html

Report: Economy Will Face Shortage of 5 Million Workers in 2020, U.S. News & World Report, July 8, 2013, http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/07/08/report-economy-will-face-shortage-of-5-million-workers-in-2020

___________________

Jennifer Olmedo-Rodriguez is a shareholder in the Miami office of law firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC. She focuses her practice on commercial litigation and civil appellate litigation. She serves on the President’s Council at Florida International University and is dedicated to making a difference in the education of first-generation students such as herself by working on the President’s Council’s First Generation Task Force Committee to raise funds to benefit the First Generation Scholarship Fund.

Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education, Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform December 14, 2015

4 Ways That Politics Impacted Higher Education in 2015

Politics impacts education in various ways, and they are not always apparent. Here are the ways that politics impacted higher education in 2015.

Accreditation at the center of reauthorization of the higher education act. A Senate white paper detailed issues with the process that many higher education institutions go through to achieve accreditation. In the paper, the question on how to improve accreditation for post-secondary schools was addressed, but it was done to question if schools are properly preparing their students for the workforce.

As mentioned in the paper, a study produced by two professors from the University of Virginia and New York University showed that just 36 percent of students demonstrated “any significant improvement in learning over the course of their four years in college.” It also showed that many college students lacked basic literacy skills, critical thinking ability, and could discern “if their car has enough gasoline to get to the next gas station.”

What may be worse is that colleges are graduating students who are not ready for the workforce. Many business leaders surveyed said that “new workforce entrants with a four-year college degree are ‘deficient’ in writing, a basic skill.”

So it seems that the report was really asking if the accreditation process needs to change since some students aren’t being properly educated and trained. Some of the information included in the white paper was critical and warranted, but it is tough to discern a student’s ability to learn based solely off test scores and surveys.

On the other hand, there should be some way to judge colleges and universities on how well their students are retaining information once they graduate. For that reason, properly judging and questioning the accreditation process is just and deserves proper scrutiny if our future workforce is in jeopardy due to the lack of academic institutional control.

Democrats want changes to Pell grants. With the cost of college rising and cuts being made to higher education in many states, some Democratic politicians are pushing for changes to how students may pay for college.

According to thehill.com, Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) proposed to allow students to use Pell Grants for three semesters instead of two. She also wanted to “increase the Pell Grant maximum for the 2014-2015 school year from $5,730 to $9,139.”

By way of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), spending on Pell Grants from 2006 to 2011 rose by 158 percent. The data also shows that the increase in spending was due to an uptick in the number of participants in the program. But as of late, Congress has created a bottleneck of sorts around Pell Grants. Restrictions have been put in place, so many students do not have access to receive them.

Another proposal put forth by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) had the aim of providing “two years of maximum Pell Grants to qualifying middle-school students who maintain good grades through high school, to help them pay for a college or university.” According to Stabenow, her bill would encourage middle school students to go after a college degree if they have some form of guaranteed funding starting in the 8th grade.

These ideas were surely meant to secure needed funding for students who would otherwise struggle to pay for college. But they were also a way for Democrats to show their strength on higher education compared to their Republican counterparts.

Both proposals from Stabenow and Hirono will have to be pushed through a Republican-controlled Congress, one that already placed constraints around Pell Grants

so that the program isn’t so economically stressed.
Still, students need new and innovative ways to pay for college. They also need help from the government due to the rising cost of college. Increasing the max Pell

Grant amount and extending the offer to middle school students seem to be good incentives to keep students interested in attending college and tamping costs down.

House bill tackle sexual violence on college campuses. A bipartisan bill introduced by Representatives Jackie Speier, a Democrat from California, and Patrick Meehan, a Republican from Pennsylvania, aimed “to toughen federal oversight of how colleges respond to campus sexual violence.”

According to The Washington Post, the legislation “would require colleges to survey their students on sexual violence every two years, increase the maximum penalty (to $100,000, from $35,000) for each violation of a campus-safety law known as the Clery Act…” In essence, colleges and universities would be heavily fined for failing to properly protect students who claim that their civil rights were violated by sexual assault.

An increase in fines would certainly help, and is a good starting point, but the heart of the bill lies with its language, mandating that the public know more about colleges that are under investigation by the federal government because of sexual violence on campus.

The bill, with almost 30 co-sponsors, was introduced in the right environment. It certainly seems that America has no appetite for sexual violence against young adults, specifically young women.

Because the bill must make its way through a House filled with conservatives, it may be too early to tell if it will pass or not. Even so, this bill is needed. Far too many young women feel uneasy and unsafe at school, a place that is supposed to be reserved for learning and safety. Protecting our students should be a top priority for administrators and this country’s lawmakers. Hopefully we will see positive moment on H.R. 2680 as it makes its way through Congress.

Wisconsin makes sizable cuts to higher education budget. Yet another state may be in the process of cutting funding to higher education. Wisconsin lawmakers grappled with the idea of slashing upwards of $150 million from higher education this year.
According to insidehighered.com, the Wisconsin Legislature may put into a place a mandatory tuition freeze and “a 13 percent reduction in the higher education budget.”

The article stated just how dire the situation may be for the University of Wisconsin system. With no tuition increases, little leftover revenue due to tax cuts, and funding contractions that totaled $300 million, the university’s chancellor Rebecca Blank said that there may be 430 layoffs. “I particularly regret the impact these cuts will have on our employees and their families.”

Delving deeper into the problem that these cuts will have on jobs, insidehighered.com detailed that the University of Wisconsin system would offer “early retirement of more than 1,000 employees…and leave more than 90 vacant positions open.”

Regarding Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and the legislature’s decision to cut higher education funding so severely, this was certainly an undue injustice to students attending schools within the University of Wisconsin system.

As mentioned earlier, the system hasn’t been allowed to approve tuition increases because that decision sits with state lawmakers. With employment reductions and cuts totaling $300 million, the quality of education that students will receive will greatly reduce if these cuts are allowed to stand.

Can you think of additional ways that politics impacted higher education in 2015?

Matthew Lynch published in Ask An Expert, Matthew Lynch, Teachers December 13, 2015

New Teacher Tip: Creating an Effective Behavior Management System

No matter your philosophy of education or your educational beliefs, one thing holds true for all classrooms – a behavior management system should be implemented consistently from day one. A behavior management system might include, at a minimum, a set of rules, a set of consequences, and a set of rewards. Below are some tips for creating and implementing your behavior management system.

Rules

1. Choose no more than five or six of the most important rules. If students have too many rules, they will not remember any of them, and therefore, will not follow any of them!
2. Keep it simple. The fewer words in each rule, the greater the chance that it will be remembered and followed.
3. Be Positive. Set a positive tone in your classroom by avoiding negative words like no, not, and never.
4. Allow the class to help you choose the most important rules. Students are more likely to remember the rules if they participate in the development of them. In addition, it will provide them with a sense of control and responsibility to follow the rules since they are the ones that came up with them.
5. Post them clearly and legibly. Students should be able to remind themselves what the rules are at any moment during the school day.

Consequences

1. Make it a process. Start out with something that doesn’t affect them too much and make each consequence that follows a bit more severe.
2. Develop a way to keep up with it. Developing some way of keeping up with behavior and being consistent is a must.
3. Follow through. Schedule a time each day to address the behaviors and their consequences.
4. Provide feedback. Be sure that students know why they are receiving a consequence and that they know how to avoid receiving future consequences.
5. Avoid punishing the whole class. It isn’t fair to those who do follow th

1. Limit tangible rewards. Tangible rewards are typically not approved for purchase with school money. Therefore, the teacher usually provides them out of his own pocket.
2. Customize the rewards to fit your current class. What are their interests? What motivates them?
3. Change it up! When you notice students are no longer motivated by the rewards, rethink your rewards system and present it to the class.
4. Allow the class to help develop the list of rewards.

Over half of new teachers leave the field within the first 3 years. Why? Many cite the stress of dealing with disruptive and problem behavior in the classroom as the main reasons. However, if you follow the strategies that I have outlined in this column, you will have no problem managing your student’s behavior. Good luck!

Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform December 11, 2015

Is breakfast in the classroom problematic?

According to Nypost.com, New York Mayor Bill De Blasio’s new “Breakfast in the Classroom” program is causing problems for students and teachers.

The idea behind the program is that by allowing students to eat breakfast in the classroom instead of getting up earlier to eat breakfast at school, it should enhance learning opportunities.

But some parents and the PTA state that teachers are spending too much time cleaning up and passing out food.

“[P]arents and teachers say distributing the food and cleaning up takes as much as 30 minutes — a total of 2¹/₂ hours a week.”

One school’s PTA president believes that education is being stolen because of the new rule. The New York Post quotes Vance Gorke, PTA president of Peck Slip public schools as saying that “It’s stealing education from all of our kids.”

The main complaint from parents is that food isn’t healthy and is processed, so it’s not serving the best interest of the kids.

But De Blasio isn’t budging and the United States Department of Education is standing by the program as “many families couldn’t get their kids to school at an earlier time, and that giving free breakfast to everyone would mean poor kids were no longer ‘stigmatized.'”

More than anything, it seems as if the program is so new that teachers haven’t firmly grasped how to manage the program. As one teacher interviewed by the Post put it, “We have not figured out how to manage it.”

Once that bridge is crossed, and maybe a better partnership is formed, the program will be successful. Until then, the PTA and some parents are likely to continue to complain about the breakfast program.

Matthew Lynch published in Equity, Higher Education, Matthew Lynch December 11, 2015

Diverse Conversations: Is a 4.0 at an HBCU the Same as a 4.0 at a PWI?

Historically black colleges and universities or HBCUs have an important tradition in the United States. It’s not necessarily a straightforward tradition, but it’s one we still grapple with.

One of the biggest struggles, perhaps, is the equalizing of values, of recognition, and importance. The problem addressed in this interview – my interview with George Johnson, Student Accounts Manager at Georgetown University, (former graduate of 2 HBCU’s) – is that of academic weight. Does a 4.0 at an HBCU have the same value as a 4.0 at a PWI?

Q: The first question, then, is one that seeks to generalize. Generally speaking, does a 4.0 at an HBCU have the same value as a 4.0 at a PWI? If not, why not?

A: Generally speaking a 4.0 at an HBCU does have the same value as a 4.0 at a PWI. I say this because a 4.0 simply means you were able to master the subject matter being studied with the highest grade possible for the requirements of the degree or course. If we use the old adage of “2+2 = 4”, then in general terms a 4.0 is a 4.0 is a 4.0. I say that because the true debate is not if it has the same value, but is the criteria required to receive a 4.0 more arduous at a PWI vs. an HBCU. To date, there is no real scientific evidence to prove or disprove this theory. Furthermore, this statement falls apart on the merits, as professors from PWI’s teach at HBCU’s and vice versa. In terms of value, what does getting a 4.0 really mean? There are students who graduated without honors who are millionaires. There are students with 4.0’s that are currently out of work. As I stated in a previous article, we should be commending anyone who is able to get a 4.0 regardless of the institution it was received from, for that truly takes hard work.

Q: In what contexts do you think there is the greatest gap in value between 4.0s from HBCUs and 4.0s at PWIs? Is there anything in particular that continues to perpetuate this gap?

A: The greatest gap in value comes from the refusal to change the hierarchy created within colleges and universities across the US. Even PWI’s are separated into “Ivy League” vs. everyone else. When you look at USA Today’s top college rankings, there is no HBCU listed in the top 20. This perpetuates the belief that the education at an HBCU is below the standards of our nation’s top universities which is simply untrue. The formula used to create the top 20 is based on various categories that have nothing to do with academic standards. They rely on stats like graduation rates, retention rates, the high school SAT scores of incoming students, and “education experts” to determine this ranking. There is no true academic valuing tool or method that is being used to determine this. Furthermore, many of the HBCU’s are accredited by the same governing body as the PWI’s. So they are good enough to be accredited by the same academic standards, but the academic standards are still unequal. A very flawed argument at best.

Q: How is the overall relationship between academic excellence at HBCUs versus PWIs determined and how, if at all, is that relationship changing?

A: Unfortunately, perception is reality when it comes to this question. As stated previously there is no scientific method to the determination of this statement. The overall standard is rooted in perceived ranking of Top PWI’s vs PWI’s. PWI’s vs HBCU’s, and the unfortunate ranking of HBCU’s vs HBCU’s. Although not used as frequently, during the civil rights era, the term “The Black Ivy League” was coined for certain HBCU’s that “pulled the best and most privileged black students”. Howard University, for years was deemed to be “The Black Harvard”. Although not heralded as it once was, this hierarchy has created a dissention in the African American community’s views on academic excellence amongst HBCU’s. If we are unable to agree that HBCU’s across the board have an equal standard of learning with each other, how can we debate that they are comparable to PWI’s? I do believe that in recent years, the views of the “hierarchy” of HBCU’s has significantly declined, but I feel that if we want to be perceived and recognized as equals with PWI’s, we must come to an agreement that we are equivalent to one another. The fact that many students that attended HBCU’s for undergrad were able get graduate degrees from PWI’s is under researched evidence of the relationship change.

Q: What have been some of the most significant strategies for equalizing the perceived values of academic excellence at HBCUs versus PWIs?

A: I am not sure if I would necessarily say it is a strategy, but the recent visibility of HBCU graduates, alumni, and dropouts have created a change in perceived values. The commencement speech at Howard University by Sean Combs, the celebrity appearances in commercials advertising HBCU’s have brought a new found attention to these colleges and universities. The addition of new degree programs, including masters and doctoral at many of the HBCU’s are also helping in equalizing this standard. Another strategy that has been utilized is the raising of the academic requirements to attend HBCU’s. Long lives the stigma that HBCU’s are “last resort” or “willing to accept everyone”. Although they do tend to have lower requirements for admission, it does not change the fact that the academic standard is one of high quality. I like to believe that HBCU’s are schools that give “second chances” and are more willing to put in the work to bring out the “diamonds in the ruff” compared to PWI’s. The continuing partnerships that many of the HBCU’s are creating with corporate America, study abroad programs, and STEM programs are also helping to decrease the perceived inequality of learning.

Q: What can administrators and educators at HBCUs do and what can their counterparts at PWIs do to try and overcome the remaining gaps, the remaining discrepancies in values?

A: I feel that administrators and educators need to re-instill that the value is in receiving the college education, and not where you receive it from. Perception is reality on this subject. If tomorrow, ten former HBCU graduates became the CEO’s of ten fortune 100 companies, people would begin claiming that there is something that HBCU’s are doing that PWI’s aren’t. Too much weight is being put on where you are getting educated based on what people are doing with their education. Educator’s need to remind students of the reasons they attended college. Making sure that students are engaged and not only able to repeat information, but also apply it. The 4.0 does not guarantee that you will be more successful in life, regardless of where it is received. It does not guarantee wealth, health, or how you will be able to apply your knowledge to life situations.

It also becomes the responsibility of the student’s that attend HBCU’s who are doing well in their respective fields to be visible. We have to push the message that we are equivalent to those who graduate from other institutions. We must be vigilant in reminding students at HBCU’s that their degrees have worth and value. That Harvard, Princeton, and Yale are excellent schools based on the academic, societal achievements of their alumni and professors, not based on the devaluation of other institutions.

I conclude by saying that the pursuit of knowledge is a valiant one. It brings together people from all walks of life, different shapes and sizes. It should not matter if you choose to attend an Ivy League, HBCU, PWI, or Community College. Your GPA should not be a topic of debate because you got it “here” instead of “there”. The fact that you chose higher education is to be applauded and respected. To devalue that choice in any way is simply unacceptable.

I would like to thank George Johnson for sitting down to talk with us.

Read all of our posts about HBCUs by clicking here.

Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education December 11, 2015

Tips for training your brain to become a faster study

A guest column by Brooke Chaplan

Every student wants to learn faster, but it seems like your brain doesn’t always cooperate. Along with healthy living and brain health supplements, developing smart study habits can really make you a more productive study. Studying effectively and keeping those facts stored and ready to access is a skill not many are privy to. If you want to further define and develop good study and memorization habits, following the four tips below can help.

Regular Exercise
Research from Harvard Medical School shows that regular exercise improves both memory and thinking skills. Researchers have long known that regular exercise has excellent emotional and physical health benefits. However, exercise not only gets the heart pumping, but also temporarily boosts the size of the hippocampus, which is the brain’s memory and learning center. Additionally, intense exercise also stimulates the body to release important chemicals, such as endorphins that fight stress, and other chemicals that stimulate brain cell and blood vessel growth. Exercising also reduces common cognitive impairments, such as stress, anxiety, and poor sleep quality.

Brain Workouts
Weight training involves increasing muscle mass through controlled, repetitive movements. The brain also grows through cognitive exercises and students should practice memorizing new information according to their own personalized system with custom pneumatic techniques. For example, you can practice quickly memorizing other people’s names or things you see in public. In a boring class you could practice memorizing details about students and then trying to recall them. This is important because the brain naturally resists information overload through protectively ignoring random details. Try to systematically train your brain to memorize this unfamiliar information instead.

Explore Different Skills
Learning new skills or information actually creates new neural pathways. The famous cognitive psychologist Howard Gardner postulated that there are actually different types of intelligence, such as spatial, logical, and kinesthetic intelligence. Therefore, IQ tests inaccurately reflect an individual’s intelligence because they primarily test factual knowledge. However, music expands a students’ ability to translate visual information to physical performance. On the other hand, studying art or architecture increases the students’ spatial comprehension. Therefore, students should explore different skill sets in order to increase the time and quality of their brain’s learning.

Academic Training
One of the most comprehensive ways to become a better learner is to formally study education. A degree in education is a great way to learn the fundamental principles of education through teaching others. In fact, an education degree will lead to greater understanding of the socio-cognitive learning processes. Students will learn the most effective techniques for increasing memory, creativity, and comprehension. For example, education degree programs and education masters degrees online provide students insight into how the learning process is highly individualized and as a result, you will be able to assess and understand your own learning preferences.

Clearly, there are proven ways to increase the brain’s learning effectiveness, such as exercise, memorization, skill expansion, and studying education. Don’t fall behind this year in school. If you take the time to rewire your thinking system, you can find new ways of studying faster.

_______________________________________________

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening.

Matthew Lynch published in Equity, list, Matthew Lynch, Mississippi, Policy & Reform, December 11, 2015

6 Reasons Why You Should Care About High School Dropout Rates

The good news is that high school dropout rates are at an all-time low. The national average is 7 percent.

However, there are too many people who slip through the cracks, especially when you consider all the alternate options for finishing school that are available in this day and age. The dropout rate should be negligible.

Having too many high school dropouts is costly. Here are reasons why we should focus on reducing them even further:

The dropout rates cost individuals a lot of money. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that dropouts bring in just $20,241 annually, which is $10,000 less than high school graduates and over $36,000 less than a person holding a bachelor’s degree. The poverty rate for dropouts is over twice as high as college grads, and the unemployment rate for dropouts is generally 4 percentage points higher than the national average. In the end, the lifetime earnings of high school dropouts are $260,000 LESS than peers who earn a diploma.
The dropout rates cost our society a lot of money. The financial ramifications of dropping out of high school hurt more than the individual. It’s estimated that half of all Americans on public assistance are dropouts. If all of the dropouts from the class of 2011 had earned diplomas, the nation would benefit from an estimated $154 billion in income over their working lifetimes. Potentially feeding that number is the fact that young women who give up on high school are nine times more likely to be, or become, young single mothers. A study out of Northeastern University found that high school dropouts cost taxpayers $292,000 over the course of their lives.
The rates are linked with heightened criminal activity and incarceration rates. It’s not just about the money though. Over 80 percent of the incarcerated population is high school dropouts – making this an issue that truly impacts every member of the community. Numbers are higher for dropouts of color; 22 percent of people jailed in the U.S. are black males who are high school dropouts. As a society, we are not just paying into public assistance programs for dropouts, but we are paying to protect ourselves against them through incarceration.

I wonder what these numbers would look like if we took the nearly $300K that taxpayers put in over the course of a dropout’s lifetime and deposited it into their K-12 learning upfront. If we invested that money, or even half of it, into efforts to enhance the learning experience and programs to prevent dropping out, what would that do to dropout, poverty and incarceration rates? Right now the process seems to be reactionary. What would it look like if more preventative actions were put in place?

Those who don’t stay in school are not likely to value a career path over a job. Over 68 percent of high school graduates begin college coursework the following fall. Students who earn high school diplomas are that much more inspired to continue their academic journey and seek out a lifelong career match, not just clock hours at a “job” until retirement. The fulfillment people receive from a job they enjoy should not be underestimated. Studies have found that happier people are healthier and are even able to better fight off common illnesses like colds and the flu. Considering more time is spent working than in any other pursuit, job satisfaction plays a major role in overall happiness. The value of careers go beyond individual satisfaction, however. As a nation, everyone benefits from well-educated workers who earn a living in areas where they possess natural talent too.
Staying in high school allows students to have valuable experiences. The childhood years go by so quickly and high school represents the last stage before adulthood. The social opportunities that high school provides are not duplicated anywhere else, with the exception of a college setting and high school dropouts miss out on both. What’s more, high school dropouts tend to get into more trouble than their in-school peers. The National Dropout Prevention Center reports that 82 percent of U.S. prisoners are high school dropouts. The life lessons found in the later years of high school are more valuable than they get credit for and the peer-level socialization is a vital part of late-childhood development.
To help us value learning for its own sake. In our material society, it is difficult to explain the intangible value of things like intellectualism, particularly to young people. Until greater value is placed on obtaining knowledge for no other reason than to broaden individual and societal wisdom, students will continue to drop out of high school. After all, how can the economic importance of a high school diploma really be explained to children who have never had to earn their own living? Even those in dire socio-economic conditions do not have a grounded concept of what money means in quality of life and long-term happiness.

What’s interesting about high school dropout rates is how far the consequences can reach. It’s not just about someone not finishing school, nor is it even about that individual not making as much money as they could. It has economic and social ramifications for all of society.

Can you think of other reasons we should look for ways to increase high school graduation rates?

Matthew Lynch published in Equity, Higher Education, Matthew Lynch December 11, 2015

2 States That Made Big Investments in P-20 Education in 2015

In order for education in the U.S. to regain its former preeminence, we must start to fully fund education. Fortunately, many state governors got the memo and decided to do just that. Here is a shortlist of states that made investments in education in 2015.

Michigan governor invested millions in P-20 education. Higher education and public schools received a shot in the arm from the Michigan legislature earlier this year when Governor Rick Snyder approved a new funding bill for the 2015–2016 school year.

According mlive.com, the legislature sent $16 million worth of education funding to the governor’s desk for approval in June. Within the budget was an increase of over $18 million for higher education, $1.53 billion for the state’s public universities, an over-$23 million increase for community colleges, and $50 million “for a possible agreement on Snyder’s plans for Detroit education reform. The reform money will go towards paying down “the debt of Detroit Public Schools.” More antecedents included were money for at-risk funding and a bump in per-pupil funding, from $70 to $140.

Because the education budgets received bipartisan support and votes, Snyder signed off on them. He received the money he requested for education reform, and there seem to be no coming cuts to higher education.

State legislatures across the country have struggled to balance budgets without cutting higher and public education. This money addresses the needs of low-income, or poor, school districts and will pump more money into Michigan’s public universities.

Hopefully Michigan sets a trend nationwide where lawmakers will refrain from freezing or cutting money from higher and public education.

Arizona governor invested $3 billion in K-12 education. In October, Arizona politicians took a small sigh of relief when Governor Doug Ducey signed an education bill that will pump over $3 billion into K-12 schools.

According to azcentral.com, the bill was signed after leaders squabbled over coming to terms on funding due to a five-year-old lawsuit “that sets conditions on when the K-12 formula can be denied inflation funding.” This new plan calls for $3.5 billion to go to Arizona schools in the next decade by raising the base amount of K-12 dollars. That base will then be adjusted annually for inflation, and an extra $625 million will be added from the state’s general fund.

It took several weeks of negotiations between Ducey and school officials. Democrats weren’t fully behind the deal, which was championed by Republicans and signed into law by a Republican governor. But in the end, students seem to be the winner, so there’s no reason to grasp for partisanship.

In the next 10 years, K-12 schools in Arizona will see an uptick in funding due to the deal. That could mean more teachers, better facilities, and better resources for students to utilize. Of course, oversight of these funds is essential, and my vote is always to improve education conditions for minority and underserved students (especially in bilingual Arizona), but we will see how it all falls into place.

The semantics of the deal, or how we arrived here, may be debatable. But in the end, students seem like they will come out ahead with Arizona’s latest education law.

Can you think of any additional states that made big investments in P-20 education in 2015?

Matthew Lynch published in Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform December 10, 2015

Why The U.S. Education System is Failing: Part II

In part I, I examined problems hindering the U.S. education system. Understanding these issues and how heavily they will influence student success in the coming decades is vital to making needed improvements in the education system. The rapid changes in learning technology and student demographics, along with the shrinking global landscape, have led to a call for education reform in recent years. There is no time to sit by idly as a diverse group of students wade through average to below-average educational opportunities. Instead, discussions on improvements, advancements and reforms need to be established and ongoing. In part II of my series, I will continue to examine the reasons why the U.S. education system is failing.

Stagnant school spending. As the U.S. economy continues to improve, according to news headlines, one area is still feeling the squeeze from the recession years: K-12 public school spending. A report this month from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that 34 states are contributing less funding on a per student basis than they did prior to the recession years. Since states are responsible for 44 percent of total education funding in the U.S., these dismal numbers mean a continued crack down on school budgets despite an improving economy. If we cannot find the funding for our public schools, how can we expect things like the achievement gap to close or high school graduation rates to rise? It was understandable that budgets had to be slashed when the bottom dropped out of the economy. Now we are in a more stable place, though, it is time to get back to funding what matters most: the education of our K-12 students.

Outdated teacher training methods. With respect to the students of the past, modern classrooms are full of sophisticated youngsters that show up with a detailed view of the world formed from more than home life experiences. Instant access to information from instant a child can press a touchscreen on a Smartphone and widespread socialization from as young as six weeks old in the form of childcare atmospheres – kids arrive at Kindergarten with less naivety than previous generations. Teachers don’t, in other words, get a clean slate. Instead, they get young minds cluttered with random information and ideas, all of which need fostering or remediating.

Lack of teacher education innovation. It stands to reason that if students are changing, teachers must change too. More specifically, it is time to modify teacher education to reflect the demands of the modern K – 12 classrooms. There are policy and practice changes taking place all over the world – many driven by teachers – that address the cultural shifts in the classroom. Public education in America needs teachers who are better trained to meet the needs of specific student populations, though; who understand the necessary role of distance learning, and are willing to speak up to facilitate classroom change. Without these teachers, effective reform to meet global demand is not possible.

The school to prison pipeline. Sadly, over half of black young men who attend urban high schools do not earn a diploma. Of these dropouts, too, nearly 60 percent will go to prison at some point. Perhaps there is no real connection between these two statistics, or the eerily similar ones associated with young Latino men. Are these young people bad apples, destined to fail academically and then to live a life of crime? If some of the theories of genetic predisposition are true, perhaps these young men never stood a chance at success and have simply accepted their lots in life. But what if those answers, all of them, are just cop-outs? What if scoffing at a connection between a strong education and a life lived on the straight and narrow is an easy way to bypass the real issues in K-12 learning? Students who are at risk of dropping out of high school or turning to crime need more than a good report card. They need alternative suggestions on living a life that rises above their current circumstances. For a young person to truly have a shot at an honest life, he or she has to believe in the value of an education and its impact on good citizenship. That belief system has to come from direct conversations about making smart choices with trusted adults and peers.

Well that is the end of part II of on my series. Stay tuned for par III and remember to comment.

Click here to read all our posts concerning the Achievement Gap.