Edpolicy

Matthew Lynch published in Diversity

Breaking the stereotype: Educating detained youth

By Jeff Knight — 

As adults, we understand the decision making process.  We know good decisions often lead to a favorable outcome, and even one bad choice can potentially affect your life forever.  There are a handful of youth whose bad decisions have ripped them away from life as they know it and landed them into a place few of them choose to be – secure detention.

The Mary Dickerson Juvenile Justice Center (MJDDC) is a 24-bed secure juvenile detention facility located in Camdenton, Missouri.  Usually, there are between 3-12 youth detained at MJDDC, waiting for their cases to be adjudicated in court.  While some are first time offenders, others are familiar faces who have had previous contact with the juvenile justice system.

MDJJC partners with the Camdenton R-III School District to provide educational services to youth while they are detained at the facility.  The average time spent at MDJJC is 8.5 days; some youth are in and out the same day, while others can stay for several months.  No matter the length of stay, every youth is entitled to an education and that is exactly what they get while they are with us.

Most people assume my students are “bad” kids and they are hopeless for one reason or another.   This stereotype couldn’t be further from the truth, at least in my case.  In several instances, I find they are actually good kids who have made a series of bad choices – or at least one very bad decision.  Others may be a product of their environment and could very well be in and out of the system their entire lives.  In either case, it is very rare for me to meet a child who I would characterize as a “bad” kid.

While working with our detained youth, I do my best to provide a sense of normalcy; a regular schedule and familiar learning spaces for students struggling through what may be the worst time of their lives.  I wake up each morning with the goal – and the hope – that I can reach kids teetering on the edge, and help them make a shift in the right direction.

The Juvenile Justice Center and School District Collaboration

Regardless of where a student attends school regularly, while at MDJJC each is considered a member of the Camdenton R-III School District, meaning they have access to the same high-quality education as all of our students.  Just because a student is detained does not mean they should be denied a proper education.

The school district employs one full-time teacher (me), and supplies class materials, computers and access to an online curriculum for students at MDJJC.  If there are ever more than six students in my class at any given time, the district sends a substitute to help.

On every school day, when residents aren’t engaged in other activities, they are in my classroom.  Immediately after breakfast, residents enter a spacious room with six computers and three desks.  Our school day is similar to a traditional school setting; students have specified time to work on English, math, science, and history.  In between, they have lunch, are given small breaks, and participate in recreation time.

At the end of the school day, residents return briefly to their sleeping rooms while there is a shift change for detention staff.  Immediately following shift change, residents return to programming and evening activities.  Outside course curriculum students have access to area youth ministers, and can participate in occasional music lessons.

For many residents, MDJJC is a new and scary experience.  They’re in strange clothes, surrounded by people they don’t know, subject to new rules and expectations, and their contact with the outside world is restricted and supervised.  I find students quickly realize their mistakes and suddenly crave normalcy.  In my eyes, providing a semi-traditional classroom is as close as they’ll get to normal while they are with us.  We have next to no behavior issues and celebrate success often.  At MDJJC, I’m not only a teacher; I’m a coach and a cheerleader to many students struggling to get their life back on track.

In my classroom, students range in age and grade, as well as in skill level and cognitive ability.  While one student might be working on 6th grade English, another may need help on their Trigonometry assignment.  Due to the flexibility of our digital curriculum, Odysseyware, I am able to customize lessons for each of my students to account for this.

Because students are often in and out of the facility so quickly, when they enter MDJJC there is no time for an assessment to gauge where they are in the curriculum or if they are meeting state standards.  When they enter the classroom, I simply ask what they’ve been learning in their classes and that’s where we start.

Bye-bye Paper Binders, Hello Online Curriculum

When I first began teaching at MDJJC, my classrooms were filled with binders of curriculum for each grade and subject.  When a new student arrived at the center, they were handed content from the folders and told to complete the work.  Because our students come from all over mid-Missouri, the binders oftentimes did not closely follow what the students were learning in their home school district.  As I am sure you can imagine, the binders were fairly cumbersome as well.  However, in the event of a power outage, we do have them to rely on.

A lot has changed since those days.  The district adopted Odysseyware as a customizable online credit recovery curriculum, and asked me if it would be a good option for students at MDJJC.  Thanks to its flexibility, I can help them pick up where they left off before arriving in my classroom.  For students in the Camdenton R-III district, credits collected count toward graduation. For students who attend school in another district, a report of all work completed is sent with them once they are released.  After a few days at MDJJC, the majority of my students head back to traditional school.  But for those who will not, we ensure they are on track to take their GED, using online courses as preparation.  Typically, students know whether they’re on track for graduation or not, and in some cases, a high school diploma simply isn’t realistic, so I do my best to help them prepare for the GED while they are in my classroom.

My students often like moving at their own pace without the pressure of a traditional classroom.  An online curriculum is ideal for a detention setting because it is flexible enough to allow students at different grade and ability levels to work independently.  They utilize features like spelling bees, the ‘read-to’ tool, and interactive games.  Students outside of the Camdenton R-III district often comment how they wish their school had a program like Odysseyware because it’s actually fun.  The curriculum perfectly aligns with Missouri state standards, so using it is a no-brainer.

I compare teaching detained youth to coaching my football team.  Every player has different needs and goals, and adjusting on the fly is just the way the game is played.  Though my classroom setting is anything but ordinary, I do my best to educate students who often need it the most.  My job is somewhat easy thanks to strong support from leadership at the Camdenton R-III School District, MDJJC, and flexible, engaging curriculum.

Together, we’re breaking the stereotype of educating detained youth one student at a time.

___

 

Jeff Knight has taught detained youth at MDJJC for eight years. After playing college football at the University of Missouri, he graduated from Southwest Missouri State (now MSU) with his education degree. Before teaching at MDJJC, Knight taught in Ozark, Nixa, Lebanon, and Camdenton. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family and spending time outdoors. He can be reached via email at [email protected]

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform

Top 3 Ways to Improve Learning in Schools…Using School Lunches

As we all know, nutrition and educational performance are related. And with one third of the U.S.’s 300 million residents obese, it is more important now than it has ever been to focus on how healthy the available meal options are for students. While it may seem far-fetched that food may have such a dramatic impact on our students, the truth is that a well-nourished student is able to think more clearly and focus better.

Here are three ways to improve learning in schools with a simple tool: school meals and other food-based initiatives.

1. Free and reduced school lunch programs. Free school breakfast and lunch programs are often credited with higher levels of student achievement in the schools where they exist. Non-profit children’s hunger programs intended to feed at-risk students on the weekends are sprouting up all across the country. There is a connection between what a child eats and how that child performs academically.

2. Healthier school lunches. It is well known that First Lady Michelle Obama is passionate about school lunch nutrition standards. In fact, she says that she is willing to “fight to the bitter end” to ensure that the school lunch nutrition standards she helped draft stay in place — despite a Republican-drafted bill that would allow some school exemption. The First Lady lobbied for higher nutrition standards that went into effect in 2012 that called for more vegetables, fruits and whole grains in school meals, along with less fat, sugar and sodium. Over 90 percent of public schools in the U.S. have subscribed to the standards since their enactment.

The First Lady’s standards have received some pushback from the industry-backed School Nutrition Association, which says that fewer lunches are being sold because children do not want to buy the healthier lunches. Furthermore, a House of Representatives bill authored by Alabama Republican Robert Aderholt would give school districts the opportunity to skip the nutrition requirements for one year. According to Aderholt, the change came on too quickly and that schools need time to adjust.

Unhappy teens have also protested against these standards, going onto Twitter to complain. Photos of unappetizing school fare in cafeteria Styrofoam trays have flooded Twitter since the hashtag was born as many teens are declaring that they would rather go hungry (or that they have gone hungry) than eat the “healthy” lunch options offered at their schools.

Despite the growing pains many schools are going through with the new nutritional standards, this is still an important initiative for students and their well-being.

3. Holistic food movements. This is perhaps the most interesting method of getting students what they need in terms of nutrition. An understanding of food and its role in lifelong physical and psychological health is also important because it addresses more than the immediate. Quality of life and longevity are impacted by food lifestyle and healthy eating habits that are formed early in life. In a culture where children grow up with a skewed concept of where food originates, some schools are now stepping in to provide guidance with student-led gardening programs.

The School Garden Project of Lane County, Oregon, for example, boasts 30 gardens at K-12 schools in five districts. Over 800 students are taught to “create, sustain and use onsite gardens” every year.” By simply showing the basics of food growing, students have an informed approach to eating without an official lesson in “healthy eating.” For many K-12 students, working in a school garden is the first time they are making a real-life connection between the items they see in the grocery store and their original location.

The Center for Nutrition in Schools at UC Davis found that garden-based learning does more than just improve nutrition knowledge. Students who participate in garden programs on school grounds have higher overall academic achievement and experience elevated self-esteem and social skills.

It’s clear that food makes a difference in the quality of education, sometimes even in the most unexpected ways. I hope that food-based initiatives are given some attention as we look for improvements we can make to our K-12 education system.

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Matthew Lynch published in Diversity, Equity, Matthew Lynch, OpEducation

Trayvon Martin and the Burden of Young Black Males

Initially, I was hesitant about writing an opinion piece on the killing of Trayvon Martin and the subsequent public outcry because a multitude of gifted writers had already tackled the story from seemingly every angle. However, after reading Charles M. Blow’s, “The Curious Case of Trayvon Martin,” I was inspired by the last line of his piece, which states, “And that is the burden of black boys, and this case can either ease or exacerbate it.” As always, the New York Times columnist delivered his commentary in a poignant and articulate manner. This motivated me to write my own critique of the situation, and hopefully, someone will benefit from my thoughts and observations.

In case you haven’t heard the story, Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old African-American male was gunned down on February 26, 2012 by George Zimmerman, an overzealous neighborhood watch volunteer. His killing outraged people from all around the world, especially once the circumstances surrounding his death were released. More specifically, statements made by Trayvon’s girlfriend, who was on the phone with him during the incident, and reports from eye witnesses who heard Trayvon cry out for help seconds before the shots were fired. This certainly refutes Zimmerman’s claim that he acted in self defense.

What makes this case so appalling is that Zimmerman has yet to be charged with the crime, because investigators purportedly cannot find evidence to dispute his claim of self defense. However, ask yourself this; what if all other things remained constant and Trayvon grabbed Zimmerman’s gun and shot him in self-defense? Police would have taken Trayvon into custody and at the pre-trial hearing he would have been remanded without bail. Seemingly, the Florida law would not apply to young black males “standing their ground.”

Point blank, Trayvon Martin was racially profiled and subsequently killed with an Arizona brand ice tea and a bag of skittles in his possession. That was his crime, craving snacks while watching the NBA all-star game with his father and subsequently walking to the store for an Arizona brand ice tea and a bag of skittles. It seems that “walking while black” is a class B felony in the state of Florida.

Hopefully, this case will entreat the state of Florida to repeal its “Stand Your Ground” law, which stipulates that a citizen who feels as though they are in clear and present danger can claim self defense even if they chose not to flee from their assailant. Since the passage of the law, self defense claims pertaining to homicides have almost tripled, and many of the people killed were unarmed.

Zimmerman’s claim is not viable, because under the law, the instigator of the confrontation cannot claim self defense. The body of evidence that is presently available clearly shows that Zimmerman instigated the altercation and carried out his crime with impunity. He is apparently nowhere to be found, and disconnected his phones before going into hiding. He should know that because of his crime, he will always be in jail, just minus the bars.

Trayvon’s senseless killing illustrates “the burden of young black males.” The burden that I speak of is the burden of knowing that once you reach puberty and start exhibiting adult features, you will be labeled as a threat. The burden of knowing that “I am Trayvon Martin” and that his fate, could be your own.

How do I tell my 12-year-old nephews that once the cute and childish features make way for more mature ones, for many people, they will instantly graduate to “suspect zero” status? How do I tell them that some people will attempt to minimize their success and magnify their failures, simply because of the color of their skin? How do I tell them that minor infractions will be treated as B felonies? To be young and black in America is tantamount to being perpetually on probation.

Talk to young black males all over America and ask them if they have ever experienced discrimination and an overwhelming majority of them will tell you vivid stories of police harassment, profiling and blatant racism. We all remember the point when we received our “education.” When we first realized that for some people, nothing we could do would ever be enough. When we learned that the measure of a man in America is not the content of his character, but the color of their skin. When we realized that we had to adhere to a different set of rules and, instead of complaining, we took note of this inequality and worked diligently to combat it.

No matter how hard you try, unless you have been in our shoes, you cannot fully understand the damage that these experiences can have on a person’s psyche. However, we have a choice; we can wallow in self pity or we can resist the stereotypes that are thrust upon us and become the men that our creator wants us to be. Our young black boys need our help; they are under attack from all sides, even from within their own race. They cannot weather the storm on their own.

We have to demand justice and put America on notice. It needs to stop racially profiling young black males, and imprisoning and executing them inequitably. How long will we allow the genocide to continue? A black male in America is indeed an endangered species, especially in the country’s urban cities, where the unemployment rate is well above the national average and going to prison is “business as usual.”

Going forward, let’s write a new chapter; not only for ourselves, but also for our children and grandchildren. Our forefathers did not die so that our young males can be gunned down in the street for no other reason than being black. This has happened before and unfortunately will happen again. However, when it does, we will exhibit the same outrage and resolve that we’re exhibiting in response to the killing of Trayvon. In the words of the great Eldridge Cleaver, “You’re either part of the solution or part of the problem.” Which will you be?

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Matthew Lynch published in Ask An Expert, Matthew Lynch

3 Ways to Become a Culturally Responsive Teacher

Given the wealth of diversity in our nation’s public schools, it is no wonder that culturally responsive pedagogy is becoming more of a presence. Culturally responsive pedagogy is a student-centered approach to teaching in which the students’ unique cultural strengths are identified and nurtured to promote student achievement and a sense of well-being about the student’s cultural place in the world.

It’s great that instructional theory is advocating a shift toward a pedagogy that emphasizes a comfortable and academically enriching environment for students of all ethnicities, races, beliefs, and creeds. However, implementing this type of educational style in the classroom can be complicated if a few things are not first taken into consideration.

This article discusses some factors to consider as culturally responsive educators.

  1. Teachers: knock down your own biases first.

For many teachers, who hail from a middle-class European-American background, a common side effect of being raised in that dominant Euro-American culture is the self-perception that “I’m an American; I don’t have a culture.”

This is actually untrue—European-American culture simply dominates social and behavioral norms and policies to such an extent that those who grow up immersed in it can be entirely unaware of the realities of other cultures.

Fortunately, initial cultural biases can be overcome via hard work and reflection.  The necessary element for discarding pre-existing biases is a willingness to go through a process of rigorous self-appraisal in order to learn what needs to be changed to teach in a culturally responsive fashion.  A good way to start this process is by writing down reflections about family history, upbringing, and interpersonal relationship styles and how one’s experience may differ from the experience of a person raised in a different culture.

Eventually the focus of this reflection must turn toward one’s ideas about and racism and bias.  The culturally responsive educator should reflect on the fears, stereotypes, and biases that they have about individuals that are different from them. Once the educator can recognize that their own personal tastes are not objectively better than those favored by other cultures, they can begin to investigate and appreciate the traditions and values of those cultures.

  1. Now take a deeper look into the cultures of your students.

It’s easy to be superficial and fall into the twin traps of over generalization and stereotyping when learning about the different cultures of your students. What is important to keep in mind is that each student’s culture is dynamic and individualized.

A person’s culture represents the sum of many spheres of influence, including context within history, gender, age, religion, family relationships, group memberships, cultural beliefs and practices, historical context, and level of education. To avoid stereotyping, the educator must view each student as possessing a personalized culture instead of as a member of a homogenous group. At first blush this may appear to be a daunting task, but in practice there are a variety of methods that can be employed to learn more about a student’s cultural heritage and identity.

For example, classroom assignments can provide a primary window into a student’s cultural beliefs.  Writing assignments can play a significant role in gathering information about student thought patterns and tendencies.  Interviews with family members, assignments asking students to write about learning experiences that occur outside of school, and assignments involving family stories and traditions all can play a significant role in unearthing information about a students’ cultural heritage.  Students’ parents can often be solicited as sources of useful personal information and visiting the neighborhoods where diverse students live can help give educators an idea about the level of social support present and the types of challenges that the student might face outside of the classroom.

  1. Consider how cultural differences might affect academic performance.

A person’s culture and upbringing has a profound effect on how they see the world and how they process information. This fact was discussed by Richard Nisbett in his work, The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently. Nisbett worked with psychologists in Japan and China and determined that the holistic way of viewing the world typical of many students from those countries differed from that of their American counterparts, who tended to view the world in parts or distinct classes of objects that could each be defined by a set of rules.

This information is helpful when we consider how cultural background might influence approach to both learning and school performance.

There are a number of theories that seek to explain differences in school performance among different racial and ethnic groups. Three theories particularly stand out: the cultural deficit theory, the expectation theory, and the cultural difference theory.

The cultural deficit theory states that some students do poorly in school because the linguistic, social, and cultural nature of the home environment does not prepare them for the work they will be required to do in school. As an example, some students may not have as many books read to them as children in other homes. Not being able to read has a negative influence on their vocabulary development. Vocabulary development may also be stifled by the amount and nature of verbal interaction in the home. As a result, some children arrive at school lacking the level of vocabulary development expected. The cultural deficit theory proposes that deficiencies in the home environment result in shortcomings in skills, knowledge, and behaviors that contribute to poor school performance.

The expectation theory focuses on how teachers treat students. Teachers often expect less from students of certain racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. When teachers expect students to perform poorly, they approach teaching in ways that align with their low levels of expectations. In these instances, students tend to perform at the low levels expected of them by teachers.

Rosenthal and Jacobson tested this theory in their Pygmalion effect study. A group of teachers were told that their students were due for an intellectual growth spurt during the school year. Even though the students were average in terms of academic performance, the teachers interacted with them based on this expectation. All students in the experimental group improved both academically and socially by the end of the year. Based on the notion of a self-fulfilling prophecy, students who experience high expectations seek to reach the level of expected behaviors. Correspondingly, students who experience low expectations act to meet the level of behavior expected of them.

The cultural difference theory is based on the idea that students who are raised in different cultural settings may approach education and learning in different ways. It is important for teachers to be aware of the differences between the school atmosphere and the home environment. People from different cultural traditions may have an approach to education that differs from the mainstream approach used in American schools. For instance, differences can be noted in the Polynesian concept of learning, whereby younger children are generally taught by older children rather than by adults. This is a very different approach to learning and one that may need to be considered in an American school that is attended by Polynesian students.

Teachers need to ensure that they incorporate methods of teaching in their classrooms that accommodate various beliefs and cultural notions students bring to school. This requires each teacher to develop an understanding of their student’s culture, but also to know who their students are as individuals. It is important for teachers to ensure that they treat all students the same and to have high expectations for each one, so that they may all strive to reach their full potential.

References

Culturally responsive teaching is a theory of instruction that was developed by Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings and has been written about by many other scholars since then. To read more of her work on culturally responsive teaching and other topics, click here to visit her Amazon.com page.

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Matthew Lynch published in Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform

Is “School Choice” an Anti-Public School Sentiment?

There are a lot more options for receiving K-12 education today than when I was growing up. Long gone are the days when parents had to pick between the public school in their district or paying pricey private school tuition out of pocket. The rise of public charter and magnet schools, state-led voucher programs, online learning, and homeschooling options has meant that parents now have no reason to settle on the closest school or pay a premium to avoid it.

Do so many options undermine the purpose of public schools though? Should all of the energy that is going into building, naming and analyzing these other schools really be channeled into strengthening the basic schools that the government gave us?

In theory, I suppose there is an argument for refocus of educational pursuits where schools already exist, instead of creating new versions. But that theory hinges on the false assumption that given the chance, public schools would find the motivation, both within and outside school walls, to improve. Since the 1918 decree that all American children must attend at least elementary school, public schools have been considered a basic right. That widespread access certainly led to a better educated public but in the process the privilege of learning has been lost.

Despite spending more on public education than France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Japan, Brazil AND the U.K. combined, the U.S. lags behind these nations in math and science. Only 25 percent of high school graduates have the literacy skills they need to get a job. What’s more, every 26 seconds a U.S. student drops out of high school. In the democratization of education process, indifference to learning has risen and the standards at public schools have dropped.

Enter school choice – a movement that strives to improve education at ALL schools through the old-fashioned business concept of competition. Public charter and magnet schools are tuition free, just like public schools, but must make some promises in their contracts in order to stay open. If these schools of choice habitually do not reach their goals, they close. Can the same be said of public schools? The accountability level that these young additions to the public school arena bring ensures that students achieve more – and if they don’t, those schools do not stick around long.

School choice is not simply about non-traditional public schools though. The movement goes much deeper than that and empowers parents to take the reins of their children’s learning paths. Since 2007, the number of K-12 students enrolled in online public schools has risen an astonishing 450 percent. Home schooling is also on the rise as 1.77 million K-12 students are homeschooled – a number that has more than doubled since 1999.  Parents are pushing back against simple acceptance of educational opportunities based on geography; they are still choosing traditional public and private schools but only after educating themselves.

At the end of January, National School Choice Week will take place. Last year, there were over 3,600 independently-held School Choice events across the country meant to celebrate choice in education.  Parents, administrators, politicians, students and other community leaders are encouraged to hold rallies, open houses or other events to shine the spotlight on choice in K-12 education.

Traditional public schools are not excluded from the events and are an important part of the discussion. It is meant to be a time of K-12 enlightenment, when misconceptions about choice in education are resolved.

So can public schools thrive in a school choice environment? I think so, yes. Options like charter, magnet, private, online and homeschool curricula are not meant to undermine the nation’s public schools but to build them up through shared quality standards. There is room for all choices in K-12 schools and students benefit from the options.

What is your stance on school choice?

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Matthew Lynch published in Equity, Higher Education, list, Matthew Lynch

4 Reasons Why We Need More Minority Instructors in Schools and Colleges

The number of minority students enrolled in U.S. schools and colleges is growing at a rapid rate, yet student enrollment is not matched by minority teacher representation.

In this article, I will discuss four reasons it is important to have more minority instructors in our schools and colleges.

1. The numbers don’t match up.

In K-12 schools, black and Hispanic students are two to three times more common than teachers of the same ethnicity. The gap is typically the widest in areas of the country with high percentages of students of color. Meanwhile, nearly 82 percent of public school teachers are white.

In colleges, the numbers are even more dismal. A report from the National Center for Education Statistics found that full-time faculty on college campuses heavily favors white candidates (at just over 1 million) over black (not even 100,000), Asian (86,000) and Hispanic (under 60,000) faculty. These numbers may not mean much out of context however, so let’s take a closer look at why they matter.
While nearly 30 percent of undergraduate students around the nation are considered minorities, just over 12 percent of full-time faculty are minorities. That number drops to around 9 percent for full-time professors of color. Though half of all undergraduate students are women, roughly one-third of full-time professors are women. In 1940, the number of women faculty was at 25 percent, showing just how slowly this particular minority group is climbing. The numbers are going in the right direction, but not quickly enough.

2. Minority students will perform better. Students will perform better when they can identify with and relate to their teachers. Minority teachers are in a position to put a stop to negative stereotypes and act as role models and mentors for students of color. Teachers who can relate to their students’ backgrounds usually are better able to look past biases of their abilities.

Even the research seems to support this point, as a study in Economics of Education Reviews tells us minority students perform better with minority teachers.

3. Minority instructors will influence the culture of the school in the long run. As far as colleges are concerned, yes, it is important to have diversity in student populations but those groups are temporary college residents. Faculty members have the long-term ability to shape the campus culture and make it more in sync with the rest of the real world. This idea can apply to K-12 schools as well.

4. Non-minority students can benefit. Increasing the number of teachers of color will help students who are not of color too. Putting minority teachers in front of children who are not minorities could prevent stereotyping and promote acceptance of diversity and equity.

The education gap is a serious obstacle our country faces – and I think that the “diversity gap” is a major part of our struggle. The education gap is staggering and it is hindering our country socially and economically. We have to find ways to get more instructors of color in our schools. Students perform better when they can relate to their teachers, and teachers who can relate to their students are less likely to have a preconceived idea of how each student will perform.

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Matthew Lynch published in Education Leadership, Matthew Lynch

The 4 Dimensions of a Positive School Culture

As today’s school leaders seek to acquire the skills and knowledge that are necessary for effectiveness in current educational institutions, they should realize that there are no simple answers or shortcuts to achieving leadership excellence. The most important task is to find the right combination of qualities and characteristics that will consistently provide the leader with the skills and knowledge required to succeed on a regular basis. To that end, there are four dimensions that are essential to creating a positive school culture – optimism, respect, trust and intentionality.

  1. Optimism

Optimism is the belief that people have untapped potential for growth and development. The optimistic leader is an individual who is capable of reframing problematic situations as opportunities and considering the impossible to be merely difficult. School staff are pushed towards success by a leader who is both encouraging and enthusiastic, qualities that are vital for effective leadership. When an administrator is enthusiastic and positive, spirit becomes contagious and spreads. Attitude is contagious! When leadership remains positive at all times and is constantly communicating visions for the school that are uplifting and visionary, they are building a positive school environment.

Optimism does not, however, mean that negative behaviors aren’t dealt with. Administrators should never be afraid to confront negative issues, but rather should face them head on and attempt to turn negative attitudes and behaviors into positive ones. This is the core of optimistic school leadership. One good rule to implement is “Praise in public, constructive criticism in private.” This allows leaders to continue to pursue optimistic leadership while confronting and engaging problems in a constructive and productive way. It is undeniable optimism contributes tremendously to increase members’ desire to work while assuring excellence and success.

  1. Respect

Respect is the recognition that every person is an individual of worth. The value of respect in the area of leadership is basic to organizational effectiveness. It denotes the simple belief that people have worth and value and should therefore be treated as such. When respect is a central pillar to school culture, it represents school leadership recognizing the fact that all individuals are valuable and therefore must be respected. This creates not only an inviting and inclusive school culture, but also fosters diversity and offers every individual within the school setting the opportunity to flourish. so as to create an inviting and inclusive workplace where diversity is seen as the norm and every individual has an opportunity to flourish. Respect is commonly identified as a critical element of overall leadership effectiveness. When a school principal shows respect for his or her staff, a positive atmosphere is created that brings about excellence and satisfaction within the school. Respect is absolutely pivotal to the successful acquisition of effective leadership.

  1. Trust

Trust is the possession of confidence in the abilities, integrity, and responsibilities of ourselves and others. Trust is a crucial component of effective leadership. Trust nurtures all of the other dimensions of effective leadership. Trust is an important value, and it contributes directly to the success of an organization. On the other hand, lack of trust is a barrier to cohesive teamwork and efforts. Trust is at the heart of any functioning cohesive team. In its absence, teamwork is all but impossible. Therefore, building trust is quite a critical element that any successful leader should have.

  1. Intention

Intention is a decision to purposely act in a certain way so as to achieve and carry out a set goal. It is having knowledge of what we intend to bring about as well as how we intend it to happen, thus giving clarity and direction to our work. Intentionality is the ability of individuals to intertwine their inner consciousness and perceptions with their actions. It is simply having an end in sight. The ability to be purposeful and focused is a very significant aspect of building a positive school culture. Leaders of effective schools are more distinctly purposeful in their vision and mission than are the leaders of less effective schools. Thus the leaders of effective schools are more likely to believe strongly in the aspect of intentionality than the less effective school leaders. Everything that an administrator does must be with clear intent. If you don’t know where you’re going you’re never going to get there. As a leader it is critical that everything is done with purpose. As with the other characteristics, intentionality is a key element that school leaders should adhere to in their desire to bring about effectiveness, long-lasting change, and excellence in their schools through a positive school culture.

These four dimensions of a positive school aim to include all interested stakeholders in the journey towards student success. The messages of optimism, respect, trust and intentionality are sometimes transmitted by interpersonal action, but are mostly disseminated through the institution’s policies, programs, practices, and physical environments.

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Matthew Lynch published in OpEducation, Policy & Reform

Why the business community cares about Common Core Standards

By Matthew Lynch

In the education community’s frantic pace to stay accountable with each other and the government, I think some other aspects of our society get inadvertently left out of the education process. The business community is one. If you think about it, business organizations SHOULD be very concerned with the quality of education in our schools, starting as young as preschool and stretching through the college process. These students are, after all, our future workers and the drivers of the American economy.

That’s why I’ve really enjoyed a new video series put together by the Committee for Economic Development that emphasizes the importance of educational standards, like Common Core, on America’s future economy. Education and business, the videos argue, are forever intertwined and should rely on each other for success. Spend a few minutes watching this particular video on “Education Through the Lens of Business.”

What is being taught in our schools today matters to the business community and it should. I’ve heard the argument that teaching our kids in a way that prepares them for the competitive global workforce is treating them as “commodities” and not like children. I suppose there would be some merit to that if science hadn’t proven time and time again that kids thrive in learning environments and that the economic status of your life impacts its quality immensely. Setting our kids up to succeed economically on the world stage not only benefits our nation as a whole, but provides those kids with lifelong skills that will elevate their own quality of life through adulthood.

I look forward to seeing more initiatives like this one in the business community. You can view the rest of my commentary on the CED video series here.

Check out:

How Common Core levels the educational playing field

A look at how strong educational standards help the U.S. economy

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Matthew Lynch published in list, Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform

3 Unusual Statistics about the U.S. Educational System

As a former public school educator, and someone who watches public school policy closely, I believe the K-12 system here in America is on its way up. I see improvements as schools raise accountability standards, offer more social services, and focus more intently on high school graduation and college prep. Our schools are better preparing students academically and for productive lives.

But it is not that simple. The statistics and research I’ve reviewed over the past few years show mixed results when it comes to the educational system. I will discuss three unusual—even contradictory—facts in this article.

  1. Parents with children in the public school system are happy with the education system…but the general public is not.

Nearly half of American adults are pleased with the operation of the K-12 public school system in the nation. A recently released Gallup poll finds that 48 percent of Americans say they are “somewhat” or “completely” satisfied with the public K-12 system in the U.S. The poll has been conducted since 1999 and that highest satisfaction rating in this category was 53 percent in 2004.

Respondents with children who are actually in the public school system currently showed higher levels of satisfaction (57 percent) with the system than adults as a collective group. Parents who answered how satisfied they were with just their oldest child’s education were at almost 75 percent.

The fact that many parents in the poll responded positively to public schools and members of the general public responded negatively was labeled an “optimism gap” by the Gallup poll staff.

The results of this poll tell me two things: One, American confidence in the public school system has a ways to go to reassure the general population that it is doing its job; and two, that those who actually interact with the public schools are less influenced by things like news stories when it comes to shaping their personal opinions.

  1. 80 percent of students are graduating high school…yet less than half of these students are ready for what’s next.

The U.S. Education Department reports that the high school graduation rate is at an all-time high at 80 percent.  Four out of five students are successful in studies completion and graduate within four years. While these statistics sound like a reason for a standing ovation, they are overshadowed by the crisis that is sweeping the United States. While 80 percent of high school seniors receive a diploma, less than half of those are able to proficiently read or complete math problems.

The problem is that students are being passed on to the next grade when they should be held back, and then they are unable to complete grade-level work and keep up with their classmates.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the largest standardized test administered in the United States, reports that fewer than 40 percent of graduating seniors have mastered reading and math and are poorly equipped for college and real world life.  These students who are passed to the next grade are at a serious disadvantage and have an increased chance of falling behind and dropping out of college.

  1. We spend trillions of dollars on education…but we have not seen any improvement in public schools since 2009.

The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress has some shocking news: since 2009, there has been no improvement in math and reading performance among our nation’s high school seniors.  Despite the trillions of dollars we have hurdled into our schools, our students aren’t better off in those subjects.

How can that be? It seems to me that the problem lies in that we simply teach to the test.  We train thousands of students to learn a few of the “core” subjects so they score well on tests – but that doesn’t really make the students better educated. Higher test scores in any subject does not mean these young adults are smarter. Think about the utterly essential part of success: learning how to write well.  This is a prime example of a subject that no multiple-choice test can measure.

To really learn, students must have the thirst to drink from the fountain of knowledge.  They must feel compelled to understand problems and have the urge to find the solution, even if that means they answer incorrectly.  Yes, the core subjects are important for students to learn – but let’s not forget about literature, music and the arts – and the other subjects that help teach students to explore.

What the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress tells us is alarming. How have ten years passed, and these trillions of dollars not rendered any improvement in math and reading performance among high school seniors?

There are some schools out there that are taking a better approach at teaching today’s diverse student population but so much more needs to be done. What public education needs is the ability to implement more practical models of teaching to guide students instead of following master plans devised to ensure students test well.

 

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Matthew Lynch

The Future of K-12 Assessment

Many educators view standardized testing as a necessary evil of the improvement process. More cynical educators view it as a completely useless process that is never a true indicator of what students actually know. Proponents of K-12 assessments say that without them, there is no adequate way to enforce educator accountability.

Love it or hate it, K-12 standardized testing is not going away. It is just changing.

The No Child Left Behind Act uses standardized testing results to determine progress and outline areas for improvement in K-12 schools. This standards-based approach to education reform has often been attacked for its disconnection with what kids should really know and what they are simply required to regurgitate for the sake of a test.

The Gordon Commission on the Future of Assessment in Education released a report in March that outlined steps needed to make K-12 assessments vehicles “providing timely and valuable information” to both students and educators. Among the recommendations made by the 30-member commission was a permanent council to evaluate standardized testing be created. The report also calls for a 10-year research study intended to strengthen “the capacity of the U.S. assessment enterprise.” The Gordon Commission Report admits that the assessments of the future are not yet in existence but that their creation needs to begin now.

Commission chairman Dr. Edmund W. Gordon said:

“Technologies have empowered individuals in multiple ways — enabling them to express themselves, gather information easily, make informed choices, and organize themselves into networks for a variety of purposes. New assessments — both external and internal to classroom use — must fit into this landscape of the future.”

Based on the report, and what we know as educators, what do future standardized tests need to include to be successful in an increasingly digital classroom?

  • More assessment of HOW to obtain knowledge. Dr. Gordon touched on this point when he mentioned access to information and networking. There is more information available than can ever possibly be processed, so the way that this and future generations of students make informed decisions matters more than ever. Assessments of the future will need to ask more questions about the how of knowledge and not just focus on the what.
  • Higher levels of digital access. All facets of education are being impacted by the rapid evolution of technology and assessments are not immune. Not only should educators be able to tap into digital resources for assessment preparation, but students should be able to take assessments using the technology that makes them most comfortable. Filling in bubbles with number two pencils needs to become an assessment relic, replaced by convenient, streamlined technology options.
  • More critical thinking options. This goes hand-in-hand with how to obtain knowledge, but takes it a step further. Everyone can agree that applied knowledge is crucial to the learning process so standardized tests need to do better when measuring it. Every child needs to be able to articulate what he or she knows, not just repeat it.

Assessments in K-12 learning are sure to change in the next five years, and beyond, in order to adapt to changing classrooms. There will never be a perfect formula for assessment, but educators should never tire trying to make standardized testing as applicable and helpful as possible.

What changes would you like to see in K-12 assessments?

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