Tuesday, November 20, 2012
EE4NJ
Evaluation reform is one of the many issues facing teachers today. In the state of New Jersey that reform comes in the form of Excellent Educators for New Jersey (EE4NJ). This is a comprehensive teacher and principal evaluation system reform that began with a pilot program in the 2011-2012 school year. The goal of this new program is to provide meaningful data based feedback to teachers and school leaders to help them in their on-going effort to in increase student achievement. Feedback from the districts involved in the pilot program are aiding in this endeavor. The change stems from legislation that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and his administration enacted to bring more accountability to teacher performance.
Based on the information from the state Department of Education’s website, the priorities of the new evaluation system is to establish a “universal evaluation system that is based on common language and clear expectations, provide teachers with timely, actionable, and data-driven feedback that will support their growth”. The end game is to use these, as well as other, measures of performance data to eventually inform personnel decisions including tenure and compensation levels. Under the new evaluation system teachers’ areas in need of improvement will be determined on an individual basis, that information will in turn be used to guide individual professional development plans. The principal or supervisor will use the evaluation results in collaboration with the teacher to create this plan
Some other requirements of the EE4NJ plan require that all districts form a district evaluation advisory committee, a school improvement panel, and adopt educator evaluation rubrics that include state-approved teacher and principal practice evaluation instruments (these must be research based and evidence supported). There is a list of approved evaluation instruments on the NJ Department of Education’s website.
In an article written for NJ Spotlight John Mooney writes that state officials have received a range of reactions and mixed emotions from the educational community regarding the new process. “We’ve been talking about this for more than a year, but it's now becoming real to people,” said Debra Bradley, director of government relations for the principals group. Mooney also points out that “under new tenure reform legislation signed in August, a teacher’s tenure protections will hinge on how they fare in the evaluation” so despite the mixed feelings there is a commitment by the districts to be well prepared.
New Jersey Education Association put out a news release where problems of the new program were discussed. Since the new system requires that up to 45 percent of a teacher’s evaluation be based on “measures of student achievement” improvements in being able to measure this area is critical. For standardized tests the state is currently piloting a growth model of student achievement, however there is no way to link a student to a particular teacher. Without being able to tie student achievement to a specific teacher, it will be difficult to include this as measure of teacher effectiveness. Another area of concern highlighted in this news release regards development of assessments for students in grades and subjects where standardized tests do not exist. The NJDOE reports that “teachers and administrators are not properly trained to design rigorous and high-quality assessments”. They plan to explore ways to support districts in the development of these assessments.
Despite your stance on the issue the process is changing, and fast. The state is requiring full implementation for all districts beginning in the 2013-2014 school year (an extension was granted to ensure enough time is given to effectively implement new evaluation for teachers). There is much that needs to be done and very little time left before the process rolls out completely. The time has come for administrators and teachers across the state to get on board, or they’ll get left behind. For complete details and information regarding EE4NJ visit the website http://www.state.nj.us.
PARCC- The Good and The Bad
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and
Careers (PARCC) is a 23-state consortium working together to develop
next-generation K-12 assessments in English and Mathematics. The 23 member states of PARCC collectively
educate about 25 million public K-12 students in the United States. This assessment is to align with the Common Core State
Standards that are being adopted by the majority of states in the U.S. with the
goal of building pathways to college and career readiness for all
students. As with every
change, especially in the education field, there are pros and cons. Below is an
overview of the pros and cons of the recently
formed PARCC.
Pros
o Students will know if they are on track to graduate
ready for college and careers
o
Includes items across different
levels of cognitive functioning
o Teachers will have regular results available to
guide learning and instruction
o Provides the
opportunity for participating states to come together and collectively move the
field forward and break new ground in assessment design
o
Parents
will have clear and timely information about the progress of their children
o
Has the ability to assess and measure higher-order skills such
as critical thinking, communications, and problem solving
o It
is a summative AND formative assessment
o Can
be used as online digital libraries for sharing of instructional resources,
professional development modules, student support
materials, identification of effective practices, etc.
o States will be able to have valid
results that are comparable across the member states consider that 44%
of students change schools at least once between kindergarten and the end of
third grade
o The nation’s education will be based
on college- and career-ready, internationally benchmarked Common Core State
Standards
o Better
prepare students going to college in English and Math considering one-third of
freshmen must take and pay for remedial courses in math and/or English at two-
and four-year colleges before they can even begin their chosen course of study
o Can
highlight where gaps may exist and how they can be addressed well before
students enter college or the workforce
Cons
o Fear of educators “teaching to the
test”
o Emphasis on informative texts in the
Language Arts section and not enough emphasis on creative writing and
literature
o Public perception of just another
“standardized test”
o Financing- The two coalitions designing the tests won grants from the
federal government to pay for the beginning of the process, but this funding
won’t cover ongoing expenses related to the tests, like paying people to score
answer sheets and the cost of new computers and expanded bandwidth
o Use of individual student growth in determinations of teacher
and principal effectiveness
o
Difficulty in a
standardized test to truly reveal students’ knowledge, skills, AND
understanding
o
Although there are included tests items across different levels of
cognitive functioning, there is no reference to the assessment of students receiving
Special Education services
o The more complex, non-multiple choice
questions will likely require a trained
evaluator to score them
o Difficulty in representing the full range of
knowledge, skills and understanding encompassed in test objectives
While this is not an exhaustive list of all the possible pros and cons
of PARCC, it provides a clear view of both sides of the story. It is evident
one of the dominating, positive features of PARCC is that it aims to encompass
a unitary assessment for all member states in order to provide comparable
results on student achievement and college and career readiness. With over 40
states adopting the Common Core State Standards, it is imperative that a
unitary, research-based assessment paradigm is in place to evaluate these
standards as related to students’ college and career readiness. However, there
is always a debate over the effectiveness and credibility of a “standardized
test” to truly measure all areas of students’ ability. Only time will tell if
PARCC will be an adequate and appropriate measure of these abilities after its
official, planned implementation in the 2014-2015 school year.
Resources
and more information:
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Common Core Standards -Kacey Burke
Educational standards set goals for
student learning within the classroom to ensure students attain the skills and
knowledge in the classroom to be successful in life and in future educational
endeavors. Educational standards indicate when students in the education system
are to learn certain subject matter. These standards do not tell teachers how
to teach but rather provide the proverbial scaffolding while the teachers
design the lesson plans that complete the scheme and delivery of the
information to the children in the class.
In the current climate, each state
individually develops its own educational standards that are to be taught to
students. This lack of uniformity across states means that, in one state,
children might learn algebra in grade 8, but in another state, children might learn
algebra in grade 7. The Common Core State Standards were developed by the
National
Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of
Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to be implemented in the United States by
all states to ensure that student learning is guided by the same standards. According
to the NGA Center and CCSSO, the adoption of the Common Core Standards by the
states also will safeguard America’s competitive edge by students’ ability to
compete not only with their peers, but also with students from around the
world. The Common Core Standards according to the CCSSO and NGA Center are clear
and succinct, aligned with college and work expectations, pertinent in the
global economy, and evidence-based,
When developing the Common Core
Standards, the CCSSO and NGA Center consulted with parents, teachers, experts,
and administrators. In addition, three groups were set up to keep the
development process of the standards open. These groups included the standards
development work group, which was the group responsible for writing the proposed
common core standards; the feedback group, which provided research-based
information as well as expert input on draft document;, and the validation
committee, which consists of 12 governors and chiefs nominated by the states,
which will review the Common Cores Standards to be sure that they meet the
development criteria.
Currently, Common Core Standards
only exist for mathematics and English-language arts. According to the CCSSO
and NGA Center, the reason is math and English-language arts are skills that
other subjects build upon, and they are the subjects that are most repeatedly assessed
for accountability purposes. The CCSSO and NGA Center are not currently looking
to develop Common Core Standards for any other subjects and are instead focusing
on getting the standards for math and English-language arts implemented in the
states. At the present, 45 of the 50 states have formally adopted the Common
Core Standards, as have three territories: the Virgin Islands, District of
Columbia, and Northern Mariana Islands.
Those against the implementation of
the Common Core Standards see them as vague and broad. They do not like how
there will be an increased value on test scores, or that there are no
modifications for students with disabilities. They also complain about how
students will be expected to learn at a quicker rate. Supporters of the Common
Core Standards praise the consistence that they will bring to education across
the country. They also commend how the standards will allow assessments to
cover many skills and how they will be able to compare scores more accurately,
as well as to better allow schools to monitor student’s progress from year to
year. They also like how they will help prepare students for higher education
and/or careers.
Monday, November 5, 2012
School Choice and Vouchers
The school choice program allows students and parents to have the option for the student to attend a school outside of their district of residence. Parents now have the choice to send their child to a student outside of the area in which they live and pay their taxes. The program allows flexibility for families to best meet the needs of their children by sending them to another public school, private school, or a charter school. This gives parents the opportunity to find a school and education program that best fits the educational needs of their child.
In New Jersey, The Interdistrict Public School Choice Program Act of 2010 was passed by Governor Chris Christie. There are 107 school districts in New Jersey approved as choice districts for the 2013-2014 school year. District participation is optional and would be up to the school districts board of education to participate. Each choice school has a set number of openings per grade level. If more students are requesting admittance to the school then there are openings, students will be chosen by a lottery. Any student in New Jersey may participate in the school choice program. There is an application process for students choosing to participate in the school choice program. Several steps have to be completed for a student to attend a choice school outside of their district. More information can be obtained from www.state.nj.us/education/choice/. The Interdistrict Public School Choice Program Act of 2010 can be viewed at www.state.nj.us/education/choice/law.htm
In the voucher system, the parents are given money from the government that would have gone to their home district school. They are given a certificate which gets placed in an educational savings account for the student. Parents have the option of using the funds towards the tuition and costs of attendance to a private school of choice.
Arguments in favor of school choice:
-Parents can decide which school best serves the needs of their child. Parents have the option of sending their child to a school district that could accommodate their child’s needs better than their home district.
-Children living in under advantaged/low income school districts have access to high-performing school districts. Students from impoverished areas get the same education as middle class areas where the districts may have better educational offerings for students.
-Schools compete for students and must be more responsive to parents and students, leading schools to improve their curriculums and programs to increase student performance. This creates competition amongst school districts, leading schools to produce the best outcomes for students.
Arguments against school choice:
-Shifting of funds from one school to another does not address the problems of the poorly performing schools. The education of the other students attending the home district are still effected by the problems of the poor performance of the home school district.
-School vouchers take money from the public schools for students that choose to attend private schools. Schools are already underfunded and will loose more funds when students go outside of their home district.
-The voucher lottery is a terrible way to determine access to an education. All students show receive the same level of education.
-According to the NEA, the National Education Association, a pure voucher system would only encourage economic, racial, ethnic and religious stratification in our society
There are valid arguments in favor of school choice and against school choice. Both sides provide insight into the school choice program. The student’s educational needs must be taken into consideration as the top priority and families need to make the best decision for their child’s needs. Each child has an individual needs and circumstances.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Charter Schools
The idea of charter schools has been a controversial topic
since it originated in 1988. Mr. Ray Budde established charter schools in
an attempt to reform public schools. The NJ Department of Education
states the charter school law was passed to give parents a choice for their
children's education and intended to: improve student learning and
achievement, increase the availability of choice to parents and students when
selecting a learning environment, encourage the use of different and innovative
learning methods, establish a new system of accountability for schools, make
the school the unit for educational improvement, and establish new professional
opportunities for teachers. In 1991, Minnesota was the first state to
pass a charter school law and in 1992, California followed. Katherine
Merseth states, in her book entitled Inside
Urban Charter Schools, "Charter schools are similar to traditional
public schools in several ways: they receive government funds to operate, they
may not engage in religious instruction, and they are open to all interested students."
While charter schools have similarities to the traditional
public schools, they also have differences. For example, a group of
private individuals may open and govern a charter school, the leaders of these
organizations may have little or no formal training in education, many charter
school founders are nonprofit entrepreneurs and these are schools of
choice. Charter schools are primary or
secondary schools founded by nonprofit groups, universities, government
entities, teachers, parents, or activist who feel restricted by the traditional
public school setting. These schools are
authorized to function once they have received a charter, a statutorily defined
performance contract outlining and stating the schools vision, mission, goals,
program, methods of assessments and methods to measure success. These
schools make up their own rules and regulations, are not governed by the
statutes that apply to other public schools, and are also considered nonprofit
entities. Students attending charter schools are there by choice and are not
subject to pay tuition. Although their enrollment is based on a
lottery-based system, the lottery is said to be open to all students. In
2008, it was reported by the survey of US charter schools, that 59% of charter
schools had a waiting list averaging 198 students.
There are
many pros and cons to charter schools.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Provide families with public school choice
options giving parents the ability to choose the school best suited for their
child
|
Small in size and have limited numbers so they
can only provide some families with public school choice options, raising
issues of fairness and equity
|
Can act as laboratories of reform identifying
successful practices that could be replicated by traditional district public
schools
|
Successful reform models such as New American
Schools and Core Knowledge have already been identified. Why not attempt these reforms in existing
schools? If rules and regulations are
so burdensome, they should be waived for all public schools.
|
Competition within the school system is
created, pressuring districts to reassess their educational practices
|
Have an unfair advantage when competing
against district public schools since they tend to be smaller and free from
regulations
|
Will lead to overall systemic reform through
the pressure and competition of the choice mechanism
|
Too limited in scope to adequately pressure
the entire public school system
|
Unlike traditional public schools are held
accountable; if they do not perform, they are not renewed
|
Are freed from rules and regulations intended
to ensure quality in traditional public school
|
Charter schools were instituted to reform tradition public
schools, however, it will continue to be an argumentative topic. Even though most charter schools have waiting
list and it seems as if they are better than the traditional public school, as
of March 2009, 12.5%, over 5000 US charter schools have closed due to problems
in one or more of the following areas: academic, financial and managerial. Still as of September 2012, there are over 100
charter schools serving approximately 25,000 students in New Jersey. Each charter school's rate of success is
unique. Therefore, before choosing a charter, it important to learn about
the particular school of interest.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
The Debate Over School Choice & Vouchers
Rachel Ricci
10/28/12
Fundamentals of Curriculum
The Debate Over School
Place of residency has long been the determining factor of the public school education a child would receive unless a family chose to pay and send their child to a private school. Since tax money funds public education, parents who send their children to private schools pay for both public and private education. This has created a contentious debate in education. Should you be able to take your tax money and spend it where you want to spend it whether it be in a public, parochial, in district, private or charter school? The Interdistrict Public School Choice Program Act of 2010 18A:36B now allows families the opportunity to choose the school their child will attend outside of their geographic location with certain conditions applying. An overview of school choice and vouchers will be discussed, as well as, the support and criticisms that go along with this change in educational choice.
School choice gives parents the opportunity to choose the school their child will attend. School choice does not give preference to any one form of school. It is used when a student attends a school outside of their geographic default. School choice allows for public funds to go to privately running schools. A student therefore could attend a public, private, parochial or charter school or receive a voucher or tax credit for expenses related to schooling. Private education is not then expensed out of the parent’s pocket, but paid for through the use of vouchers that are funded publicly.
In 2010 a new law was passed called the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program. This law enables parents of children of school age to go to a school outside their district of residency if the selected school is participating in the choice program. New Jersey
Any NJ resident student is eligible to take advantage of this program, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, economic status, academic potential, athletic ability and or handicap. The parent must submit an application to the sending school district with their interest in a choice school. The number of openings is set by school choice at each grade level and if there are more students requesting admission to a school than there are openings, the school will admit students based on a lottery. Transportation, up to twenty miles and costing no more than eight hundred and eighty four dollars, will be provided to a student going to a choice school. Any transportation outside of the twenty miles of allowed money amount will need to be provided for by the parent. If the parent chooses to transport their child, he or she will receive eight hundred and eighty four dollars in aid. An annual report to the State Board of Education, the Legislature and the Joint Committee will be made by the Commissioner. That report must include the effectiveness of the interdistrict public school choice program. That report will be made available on the Department of Education’s website.
A school voucher is a certificate issued by the government, which parents can apply toward tuition at a private school or for reimbursement of home schooling. Parents accept the vouchers in lieu of sending their child to the public school to which their child is assigned. A parent may also choose to use an education tax credit to apply toward educational costs of a private school. School choice and the use of vouchers to fund private education has become the new buzz in education and the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program has enacted this into current law. There has been public support and opposition for this new law. Supporters see opportunity for choice in education whereas critics see a weakening of the public school system. Both sides of the argument will be reviewed.
Vouchers and school choice give more control to the parents in educational decision making. Parents want what is best for their children and are paying for public education, and should therefore have influence in educational decision making. Supporters of school choice and vouchers feel that public schools could use some competition in order to raise their efficiency. Public schools will have to compete with private schools for student enrollment by improving test scores and overall wellness. Supporters feel good schools will prosper whereas poor performing schools will be forced to improve or shut down. School choice allows low income children in poor performing schools the opportunity to attend private schools.
The use of vouchers and school choice would take away funding to the public schools. Opponents of school choice argue the public school system would be weakened by diverting resources to non public schools. In most cases, vouchers would only cover the cost of a portion of private school tuition. Would low income families then be able to afford the remainder of the private school tuition? If not, then private schools would still be out of reach for low income families. Opponents argue that parents may be choosing schools for the wrong reasons. Parents may choose a school on racial composition. School choice, therefore, could lead to segregation.
Valid arguments have been presented on both sides of school choice and vouchers. Whether you are a supporter or not, charter schools are popping up in New Jersey New Jersey
Internet References for Additional Information
2. School Choice Overview: http://www.state.nj.us/education/choice/
3. Interdistrict Public School
5. Transportation Information: http://www.state.nj.us/education/finance/transportation/procedures/
6. Approved Choice Districts in NJ: http://www.state.nj.us/education/choice/districts/
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