Teaching Today: An Introduction to Education 7 th edition Part 1: The Profession Chapter 3: Challenges of School Reform Armstrong, Henson, & Savage Teaching Today, 7 th Edition Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. 3-1

Change: Educators’ Constant Companion Questions to consider: How do you react to change? Do you desire stability? What is it about the role of teacher that you find attractive? Will you be comfortable with a professional environment that continues to evolve in response to changing social and political environments? Armstrong, Henson, & Savage Teaching Today, 7 th Edition Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. 3-3

Educational Issue Questions: What should be the purposes of education in a democratic society? Who should control education? What should young people learn at school? What characteristics should “good” teachers have? Armstrong, Henson, & Savage Teaching Today, 7 th Edition Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. 3-4

A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform (1983) Detailed potential threats to the nation that might follow declines in test scores and increases in drop-out rates. Perpetuated the myth that schools of the past were excellent but now are poor. Data have failed to confirm many of the conclusions of the report, but public perception and policy debates are still influenced by it. Armstrong, Henson, & Savage Teaching Today, 7 th Edition Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. 3-5

Current systemic reform efforts emphasize: Outcomes of education rather than inputs School choice Redesigned teacher compensation schemes Implementation of Federal Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Programs Armstrong, Henson, & Savage Teaching Today, 7 th Edition Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. 3-6

Armstrong, Henson, & Savage Teaching Today, 7 th Edition Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. 3-7

National subject-area specialty organizations National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Armstrong, Henson, & Savage Teaching Today, 7 th Edition Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. 3-8

Outcome-Based Assessment Demonstration of higher-order learning Authentic assessment High-stakes tests Armstrong, Henson, & Savage Teaching Today, 7 th Edition Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. 3-9

School Choice Voucher Plans Charter Schools Open-Enrollment Plans Magnet Schools Armstrong, Henson, & Savage Teaching Today, 7 th Edition Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. 3-10

Vouchers Do you think that competition is a key element in bringing about change in schools? Why or why not? Do you think vouchers are the best way of bringing about choice? Why or why not? In addition to the points made in the video segment, what are some other issues surrounding vouchers that should be discussed? LINK: What is the current status of vouchers and other choice programs? Armstrong, Henson, & Savage Teaching Today, 7 th Edition Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. 3-11

Compensation Schemes Existing Salary Schedules—salaries based on level of education and years experience Knowledge- and Skills-Based Pay*—salaries based on professional growth and your school’s success in learner achievement Merit Pay*—salary increases based on the performance of your students. *These additional funds may come from the 1998 Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program. Armstrong, Henson, & Savage Teaching Today, 7 th Edition Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. 3-12

The No Child Left Behind Act Requires changes in all public schools in all states. Annual testing of all learners in grades 3–8 Requires annual report cards Qualified teachers in every classroom Armstrong, Henson, & Savage Teaching Today, 7 th Edition Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. 3-13

Other Trends How do you feel about expanding the role of school? School-Business Partnerships Full Service Schools Armstrong, Henson, & Savage Teaching Today, 7 th Edition Copyright ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. 3-14