1. Education: Part 2

2. Education: Introduction The quality of America’s schools, as judged by student performance on standardized tests, has remained about the same for several decades. Standardized performance in the U.S. does not seem to be as strong as it is in other nations, especially Asian ones (i.e., China, Japan, Taiwan). Standardized performance in the U.S. has improved recently, partly as a result of compliance with the “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB) policy. This increase results in part to teachers “teaching to the test.” Standardized performance is not the only indicator of academic achievement. Students must learn to think creatively and critically, qualities that are difficult to measure on standardized tests.

3. Education: Introduction Certainly, students need to know the topics included on standardized tests. Students need to know math and science. Students need to have strong reading skills. The real bottom line of student performance, however, includes other factors than those evaluated on standardized tests. Do students enjoy learning? Do they have the verbal and written communication skills needed in an increasingly competitive global marketplace? Can they think creatively and critically? Can they work well in teams?

4. Education: Introduction This presentation addresses two important issues for America’s K- 12 school system: Do students enjoy learning? Barry Schwartz: The Debasing of Education. Chapter 39 How do we make schools work? William G. Ouchi and Lydia G. Segal: Making Schools Work. Chapter 41

5. Education: The Debasing of Education Do students enjoy learning? We have turned the play—the excitement of education—into work. Children enter school eager to learn. They get turned into bored adolescents who would rather be anywhere than where they are. Children start out seeking knowledge; they end up seeking approval.

6. Education: The Debasing of Education What are the Causes of This Failure? Common Complaints About Schools Teachers are untalented and unmotivated. Standards are lax because it is easier to let children move through the system than struggle to make sure they learn. Suppose these claims are true? Most proposed solutions (salaries, benefits, incentives) are predicated on the assumption that teaching is a job rather than a calling. Current policies assume that close monitoring will improve teacher and student performance.

7. Education: The Debasing of Education Teachers and the Market This market-based approach works well in the labor force. And it has some justification in the teaching profession. It is true that teaching does not attract as many highly talented persons as do other professions. It is true that accountability improves performance.

8. Education: The Debasing of Education Teachers and the Market But salaries are not the only effective way to motivate people. Occupational prestige also plays an important role in motivating career choice and performance. Teaching does not hold the prestige it once held. The lessened prestige of teaching can be attributed to: Rationalization: Money as indicator of success. Feminism: With increased opportunities in other professional fields, some of the best and brightest females go elsewhere.

9. Education: The Debasing of Education Teachers and the Market Will raising teacher salaries help? There is not enough money to raise salaries sufficiently to make a big difference. Teacher salaries are not the only factor of school success; schools need improvements in many areas. Will greater accountability help? “Standardized” accountability is not a measure of a high quality education. Teaching children to take standardized tests is not a measure of a high quality education.

10. Education: The Debasing of Education What will help? Effective policies require accurate evaluation of the problem. The problem in U.S. education lies not with incompetent or unmotivated teachers. It lies in the instrumentalization of education. Instrumentalization means thinking of education solely in terms of standardized performance. Our school system needs to focus less on teachers and more on teaching. We need to focus on student motivation. We need to focus on the intrinsic rewards of education.

11. Education: The Debasing of Education Students, Motivation, and the Market How do we motivate students? Students can be motivated by extrinsic rewards (e.g., grades, awards, privileges)—ones that have no special relation to the tasks students perform. Extrinsic rewards can turn play into work. Extrinsic rewards encourage conformity rather than imagination. Students can be motivated by intrinsic rewards (e.g., the joy of learning, the fun a making mistakes and correcting them). Intrinsic rewards turn education into fun. Intrinsic rewards encourage creativity and critical thinking.

12. Education: Making Schools Work An Entrepreneurial Approach to Schools Making schools work requires a recognition of the need to improve them and policies that allow an entrepreneurial approach to school administration. Parents want public education to improve. Most most parents believe that the schools their children attend are better than average. Parents must realize that schools can improve. Next, they must recognize which solutions will work and which ones will have limited success.

13. Education: Making Schools Work Theories of School Failure Most theories about the failure of our schools are incorrect. Most needed is greater local control. Least needed is top-down, bureaucratic control. Common but incorrect theories of school failure. 1.Teacher’s are untalented and unmotivated. 2.The students, especially minority ones, are unable or unwilling to learn. 3.We have to spend more money on our schools to improve them.

14. Education: Making Schools Work Teacher Bashing People like to blame teachers for poor student performance. But teacher preparation is better than ever. Teachers are more, not less qualified than they used to be. Student Bashing Some students need more attention than do others. Children from racial and ethnic minorities experience barriers not present for other children. But research shows that, even the most impoverished racial- or ethnic-dominated schools can obtain excellent student academic achievement.

15. Education: Making Schools Work Throwing Money at the Problem More pay can attract a greater percent of highly qualified teachers. But, research shows that raising teacher pay does not correlate highly with student academic achievement. What will work? We need to look at how schools are managed. Local control rather than state and federal control is the key to good schools. School administrators need better management training, not more money for teachers or more ways to blame students.

16. Education: Making Schools Work The Seven Keys to Success 1.Every principal is an entrepreneur. Free principals from the oppression of top-down bureaucracy and allow them to find solutions tailored to their school. 2.Every school controls its own budget. The finances of the school are rarely left to the principal. Let the school administrators control their budget. 3.Everyone is accountable for student performance and budgets. Accountability means openness. Schools need plans for improvement.

17. Education: Making Schools Work The Seven Keys to Success 4.Everyone delegates authority to those below. Let teachers and even students have more input to school decision making. 5.Focus on student achievement. Student achievement can mean different things for different schools. Standardized scores should be included as indicators of academic achievement, but so should other measures. 6.Every school is a community of learners. Find out what the community wants and needs. Teachers, parents, and students are part of a learning community.

18. Education: Making Schools Work The Seven Keys to Success 7.Families have real choices among a variety of unique schools. Allow open enrollment so parents can pick the right school for their children. In summary: Establish a system of locally controlled, entrepreneurial schools that become more responsive to local needs and desires. Such schools will become more exciting, better managed, and more integrated within the community.