Kennewick, along with most cities and towns in the country, has relied on standardized testing as a way to improve achievement for the past twenty years despite the arguments of assessment experts (they designed the tests) who said they were not appropriate for this purpose and instruction experts (they know what needs to be taught), who argued for whole child solutions. Kennewick School District has claimed vast improvement over the time period although the results don’t show up in higher graduation rates, greater college admissions, or any other measure than the same standardized tests at some grades, but not others.
Research shows the drill and test strategy has not worked on a nation-wide basis and now a new report adds additional data detailing the failed strategy. The achievement gap on the NAEP declined from 1970 to 1990, but has remained stagnant during the 20 years of “standards” and testing we have just survived. We have spent the last 20 years in a downward spiral based on the so-called reforms being mandated NCLB and RttT. It is time for real reform. What might that reform look like? Here are some possibilities.
Commitment to Whole Child Education
The Kennewick School District Citizens group believes compartmentalized education based primarily on a narrow curriculum and standardized test scores fails the true needs of our children. Academic skills are important, but a child needs much more to succeed in school and in life. Research proves that students learn best when their academic, emotional, physical, and social needs are met. The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) provides a good place to start with their whole-child initiative. They list the following as the basic environmental needs of each child:
*Healthy
*Safe
*Engaged
*Supported
*Challenged
Their website provides background and resources to assist schools in developing and implementing whole-child programs (http://www.wholechildeducation.org/).
KSD Citizens support a personalized education that is designed to meet the needs and interests of each child.
21st Century Learning
A number of futurists have taken a look at the emerging world of work and projected the type of skills workers will need to be successful in the coming economy. The North Central Educational Laboratory developed a list of skills based on eight nationally recognized skill sets as well as literature reviews and input from a wide variety of practitioners. The result is called the enGuage 21st Century Skills and is provided here.
1. Digital-Age Literacy includes basic, scientific, mathematical, and technological literacies. Visual, information, and cultural literacies are also implied along with global awareness.
2. Inventive Thinking is the name given to adaptability and the ability to manage complexity. It includes curiosity, creativity, and risk taking as well as higher order thinking and sound reasoning.
3. Effective Communication includes but goes beyond interactive communication to include teaming, collaboration, and interpersonal skills. Personal and social responsibility are also part of this skill set.
4. High Productivity refers to the ability to prioritize, plan, and manage for results. It includes the use of real-world tools and the production of relevant, high-quality products.
Digital-Age Literacy
Literacy, as the term is used here, does not mean knowing the names of things, definitions, or sets of facts to be memorized and recalled at test time. It implies understanding at a conceptual level with the ability to apply that understanding in the real world. Typical instructional strategies such as lecture, viewing films, or reading about the topic are generally not powerful enough to generate the necessary level of understanding. The brain appears to require many experiences over a period of time to make a solid connection between new information and previously held concepts. If a student has not developed the initial concept they have little chance of assimilating the new learning, even if it is presented in a meaningful way.
Inventive Thinking
Traditional school programs are woefully inadequate in providing the experiences necessary to build proficiency in the skills of inventive thinking. Robert Marzano and others have developed a model called Dimensions of Learning that contains many of the necessary elements. Dimension 5, Productive Habits of Mind, consists of critical thinking, creative thinking, and self-regulated thinking. Possible instructional techniques include helping students to identify and develop strategies related to the habits of mind. The teacher should also attempt to create a classroom culture that encourages the development and use of these habits. Many sources of information regarding Dimensions of Learning are available including some that describe the kinds of learning activities needed to develop this dimension.
Effective Communication
Communication, as defined by the school programs designed to teach it, usually consists of reading, writing papers on school subjects, and perhaps a little public speaking. Letter writing, creative writing, and drama are often also included in traditional school programs. Although each of these contributes to the effective communication skills portrayed here, they usually lack the potent social component required. Fortunately, strategies are available to meet this need.
High Productivity
The school setting is not ideal for the development of the competencies included in the high productivity skills set. At best, a simulation of real world activities can be provided in professional technical programs such as business, auto shop, or broadcasting. Introduction to the necessary skills can take place in these classrooms and laboratories, but crucial skill development can only take place in the world outside school. Service and experiential learning programs that provide experience in the context of the world of work have developed across a wide array of careers and appear to meet the need for high productivity skill development.
Conclusion
We have tried to include a few samples of real reform, but many others exist. Major advances in the cognitive sciences have been ignored in the lemming rush to improve test scores at the expense of our children’s future. Programs have been developed to help children manage their own intelligence, think creatively, and solve problems independently but they have been ignored. We believe it is time to bring these ideas to the forefront and dump the failed “reforms” of the last 20 years.
