Concerned about this.  What do folks think about this?
-Angela

Union proposes ‘bar exam’ for teachers

Carolyn Kaster/AP - President Barack Obama, accompanied by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten in 2011.

By Lyndsey Layton, Published: December 1

A major teachers union wants to create a rigorous professional exam for K-12 teachers that would serve the same function as the bar exam for lawyers and board certification for doctors.

“Unlike law, medicine, architecture and engineering, we hand teachers the keys and tell them to go into the classroom and do their thing,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, who is expected to announce the plan Monday. “This is about raising the standards of our profession and making sure that kids get teachers who are prepared.”

A task force of teachers and education experts Weingarten assembled spent a year developing recommendations to improve teacher preparation and certification.

Under the AFT plan, prospective teachers who have undergone training at an education school would have to demonstrate knowledge of their subject areas, an understanding of the social and emotional elements of learning, and spend a year in “clinical practice” as a student teacher before passing a rigorous exam.

The plan also calls for universities to grow more selective in accepting students into teacher preparation programs, requiring a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average to enroll and to graduate, among other things. There are about 1,400 teacher preparation programs in the country, with a wide range of quality, experts say.

“Some ed schools do a great job, some do not,” Weingarten said. “If we as a profession can come to the point where we say ‘This is what we believe a new teacher needs to know or be able to do on her first day of teaching,’ then we can back map this to the ed schools, so that they can design preparation so that it’s aligned with the professional standards.”

Historically, each state sets the qualifications for teachers, administering its own certification.
“State standards are all across the map,” said Ron Thorpe, president and chief executive of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the nonprofit independent organization that certifies experienced teachers. “It really is a crazy quilt.”

The AFT wants the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to develop the actual “bar exam,” a challenge that Thorpe has embraced and said he thinks could be accomplished within five years.

The proposal for a bar exam comes during a period of increased scrutiny of teachers. Encouraged by the Obama administration, dozens of states have begun implementing new teacher evaluation systems. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has expanded that scrutiny to teacher preparation programs at universities, suggesting as recently as last week that many programs are inadequate.
“We have to look to the states that have been approving teacher ed programs for 100 years or maybe longer,” said Susan Fuhrman, president of Teachers College at Columbia University. “And have closed very, very few — even though they have found some wanting — either because of politics or economics.”

At the same time, alternative teacher preparation programs have sprouted up, offering a streamlined path to certification and the classroom. Teach for America, for example, gives college graduates five weeks of training before sending them into some of the most troubled schools in the country.
A bar exam would “just level the playing field,” Weingarten said. “Maybe all the alternative certified teachers will pass with flying colors. But if only 10 percent of TFA passed it and 90 percent of the students from Teachers College passed it, that would say something.”

Measuring Up: A Statewide Conversation on High-Stakes Testing & Accountability

Want to welcome all to a statewide educational forum on high-stakes testing and accountability on Monday, September 24, 2012 from 7-9:30PM, followed by a reception. Location:  LBJ Auditorium, University of Texas at Austin.

7:00 - 8:30 pm Roundtable + Q&A Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium

8:30 - 9:30 pm Networking Reception LBJ School Front Lobby

Free and open to the public. 

RSVP at http://measuringupforum.eventbrite.com

Questions? 512-232-3423 or juliamontgomery@utexas.edu

Join the conversation on Twitter: #lbjmu

Note:  We're actually looking to get this video-streamed live if anyone out there in the world can help out with this in terms of resources, please call or email Julia Montgomery for this as well.

Thanks and see everybody soon! 

Angela

Good article by Sam Chaltain.  We can indeed learn from the NFL Draft.

 

-Angela

 

Democracy. Learning. Voice.

Posted: April 20, 2010 11:48 AM

What the NFL Draft Can Teach School Reformers

Sam Chaltain

This Thursday marks the prime-time return of the NFL Draft -- an annual smorgasbord of possibility when each team fills out its roster with the best talent the college ranks have to offer.

I'm a huge football fan, so I'll be tuning in to see which players my beloved San Diego Chargers select to fill our current holes at running back and defensive tackle. I'm also a huge public education fan, so I confess that I wish the leading voices in my field -- from Arne Duncan to Michelle Rhee to Joel Klein -- would also tune in, and heed some of the most relevant lessons to be learned from the NFL.

In particular, I wish they'd pay attention to three truisms:

1. Don't Fall in Love with 40 Times - A generation ago, the draft was a low key, information-poor event. Today, it unfolds as prime-time drama in which every aspect of a player's performance -- from game tape to vertical jump to 40-yard dash times -- is intensely scrutinized and available to even the casual fan. The good news about this is that NFL teams are now data-rich when making decisions that can make or break a franchise. The bad news is that many teams lack insightfulness and use their information poorly, thus, they are just as likely to ignore the less easily quantifiable factors that make certain players great. 

Case in point: Jerry Rice, the greatest wide receiver ever to play the game, was undervalued by most NFL teams coming out of college because his 40 time (4.71 seconds) was considered too slow for a receiver at the professional level. But one team, the San Francisco 49ers, paid attention to what really mattered -- how he performed in game situations, and aggressively moved up in the 1985 draft to take him. This August, he'll be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Unlike the 49ers of the 1980s, too many of today's reformers have fallen in love with the educational equivalent of a good (or bad) 40 time. 

We judge a school's or a program's or a teacher's efforts based on a single, easily quantifiable measure: basic-skills test scores in reading and math. And we ignore or undervalue just about everything else. 

In a previous Huffington Post column, I suggested a better way to evaluate success. But any sports fan can instantly see the illogic of the idea. After all, it's one thing to make a mistake on a single player on draft day. It's another to offer performance bonuses to every player on your team based on how fast they run during games. It would never happen. So why do we tolerate the illusion that tying teacher performance to a single measure of student success is any less foolish? 

2. Know What You Don't Know - Although some NFL leaders refuse to adjust their long-held beliefs with new realities on the ground -- the Oakland Raiders' Al Davis comes to mind -- the majority of teams realize that all the data in the world can't create a foolproof system of evaluation. Take the uncomfortably high percentage of highly drafted quarterbacks who fail to become stars -- and the surprisingly high number of quarterbacks, like the New England Patriot's Tom Brady, who go on to lead Hall-of-Fame careers despite being lowly regarded out of college. 

School principals face the same challenge as NFL executives. As Malcolm Gladwell has written, "There are certain jobs where almost nothing you can learn about candidates before they start predicts how they'll do once they're hired. So how do we know whom to choose in cases like that? In recent years, a number of fields have begun to wrestle with this problem, but none with such profound social consequences as the profession of teaching."

Our current national attention on the teacher, and on teaching, is a huge development since so many of our past approaches - from evaluation to professional support to defining teacher effectiveness - have been insufficient at best. But why do some of the field's leading voices seem believe they've already figured it out? Last week, for example, on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein said, "We know how to do this" -- referring to systemic school reform -- moments after listing a number of examples of cities where students' 40 times - I mean test scores - had gone up.

Don't get me wrong: helping students improve their literacy and numeracy is important, just as helping NFL players run faster is important. But to cite a single metric while confidently stating you know how to do something as complex as education reform? That's a brand of hubris that's not just misguided -- it's dangerous.

3. Grow Your Own Talent -- Despite the growth of free agency, the most successful franchises develop and deepen their rosters gradually, and over time, via the draft. 

Look at last year's Super Bowl champion, the New Orleans Saints. Their best player (quarterback Drew Brees) was a high-profile free agent pick up. The bulk of the remaining roster -- from Reggie Bush to Marques Colston to the anchors along the defensive line -- were homegrown draft choices who developed in the Saints system over time.

The logic behind this strategy is simple -- drafting good players and developing them yourself costs less than acquiring other teams' players at their peak. But there's another reason to build through the draft: developing players from within helps establish an organizational culture, identity, and clarity that can provide a sustainable competitive advantage. 

I realize there isn't a teacher draft (although I have imagined what it would look like), but the same principle holds true for schools, which require a clear organizational identity, sustained support, and strong leadership to be successful at helping children learn. Why is it, then, that when we talk about teachers these days, it's as though there are only two types: the charismatic master teacher, or the union-protected laggard?

To be sure, both types exist, but of all the teachers in this country, I'd only attribute 5 percent or so to each category. That leaves the remaining 90 percent of our country's teachers, each of whom has the potential to slide up or down the effectiveness continuum, depending on how well -- or poorly -- s/he is evaluated, supported and challenged.

If we really want to see schools improve for the long haul, we should stop emulating the Washington Redskins -- who bring in high-profile free agents and coaches year after year, and then wonder why they can't seem to establish an organizational identity -- and start learning from the Indianapolis Colts, who have won twelve or more games each year for the past decade, and who consistently draft overachieving, undervalued players each April -- and then keep them for the duration of their careers.
To sustain success in schools the way Colts have sustained success in the NFL, we'd need to place less emphasis on scorched earth policies like firing every teacher in a school, and more on helping current and future teachers improve the quality of their professional practice. We'd need to devalue test score data and the illusion of certainty it provides. And we'd need to stop assuming we already have the answers to all of the current questions, and start figuring out how to more strategically question all of the current answers.

Now that would be an effort worthy of prime time.

 

Yes, a dearth of minority teachers is a massive equity issue and national crisis.  So between 1990 and today, there has indeed been an increase in Latino/a teachers but the gap remains constant.  Retention is an issue.  Quote from within:

"During the 2003 school year, for example, 47,600 minority teachers entered the profession — but approximately 56,000 left."  

So these teachers are affected by the same poor working conditions as other teachers that are leaving the profession.

These teachers—many of them older—are also among the first to be fired in today's budget-cut era because they are expensive and districts can always substitute a less expensive teacher (TFA teacher and others) in their stead.  I saw actual data on this in Texas.  Scandalously, this, too, is an equity issue and states should track this—which teachers from which ethnic groups are being given pink slips.  

I'll post later what many of us around the country are working on as part of the National Latino/a Education Research and Policy Project (NLERAP)—specifically a Grow-Your-Own (GYO) Latino/a teacher preparation pipeline in five cities in five states as follows:

Sacramento, California; Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Dallas, Texas, and Brooklyn, New York.  The act of convening a constituency around public schooling and GYO teachers across our five sites underscores community ownership of teacher preparation—

Yes, a dearth of minority teachers is a massive equity issue and national crisis.  So between 1990 and today, there has indeed been an increase in Latino/a teachers but the gap remains constant.  Retention is an issue.  Quote from within:

"During the 2003 school year, for example, 47,600 minority teachers entered the profession — but approximately 56,000 left."  

So these teachers are affected by the same poor working conditions as other teachers that are leaving the profession.

These teachers—many of them older—are also among the first to be fired in today's budget-cut era because they are expensive and districts can always substitute a less expensive teacher (TFA teacher and others) in their stead.  I saw actual data on this in Texas.  Scandalously, this, too, is an equity issue and states should track this—which teachers from which ethnic groups are being given pink slips.  

I'll post later what many of us around the country are working on as part of the National Latino/a Education Research and Policy Project (NLERAP)—specifically a Grow-Your-Own (GYO) Latino/a teacher preparation pipeline in five cities in five states as follows:

Sacramento, California; Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Dallas, Texas, and Brooklyn, New York.  The act of convening a constituency around public schooling and GYO teachers across our five sites underscores community ownership of teacher preparation—not only after pre-service teachers enter the profession but also before and throughout their educational experience in their university program.  Ideally, our pipeline will begin getting built in the early grades through student clubs and peer mentorship opportunities.

Our teachers need a constituency, or support network, not only so that they can be more effective teachers, but also so that they can have a backbone of support as they themselves work toward transformational change in their respective communities.  They never work alone but rather as part of a larger collective effort that supports and sustains the pipeline.

We think that this is a model that all groups can consider. 

Incidentally, Dr. Ana Maria Villegas, a member of our 35-member national consortium (or NLERAP) has researched these trends of national data if anyone wants to pursue this further (just Google her).  

Angela Valenzuela, Director

National Latino/a Education Research and Policy Project  

Patricia Lopez, Associate Director

National Latino/a Education Research and Policy Project  

  Ideally, our pipeline will begin getting built in the early grades through student clubs and peer mentorship opportunities.

Our teachers need a constituency, or support network, not only so that they can be more effective teachers, but also so that they can have a backbone of support as they themselves work toward transformational change in their respective communities.  They never work alone but rather as part of a larger collective effort that supports and sustains the pipeline.

We think that this is a model that all groups can consider. 

Incidentally, Dr. Ana Maria Villegas, a member of our 35-member national consortium (or NLERAP) has researched these trends of national data if anyone wants to pursue this further (just Google her).  

Angela Valenzuela, Director

National Latino/a Education Research and Policy Project  

Patricia Lopez, Associate Director

National Latino/a Education Research and Policy Project  

http://www.newstaco.com/2012/07/12/minority-teachers-in-the-united-states-really-a-minority/


MINORITY

Minority Teachers In The United States – Really A Minority

By Hope Gillette, Voxxi

For decades, the presence of teachers representing minority groups has been sorely lacking in the education system in the United States. That’s the conclusion offered by a report from a study by Education Week  and Flora Family Foundation, that explored data from 1980-2009 taken from a U.S. Department of Education national survey of teachers and school administrators.

Researchers found a significant gap between the number of minority students and the number of minority teachers. During one test year, the percentage of children in school representing minorities was 41 percent, but only 16.5 percent of educators were from a minority demographic.

According to experts, minority teachers are important in the education system; parents of minority children often feel more comfortable discussing school issues with a teacher from similar heritage, and a diverse teacher population ensures children from all races have a supply of role models.

Research suggests that access to minority teachers may increase attendance, lead to higher test scores, and decrease the number of suspensions in the system.

As one of the fastest growing minorities, Hispanics are a prime example of the education gap. Latino children enrolled in school have far surpassed the number of Latino teachers available. The gap was recognized in the 1990s, when the Exxon Education Foundation revealed 11.8 percent of students were Hispanic and only 3.7 percent of teachers shared that heritage. More recent numbers indicate 21 percent of students are Hispanic compared to 7 percent of Hispanic teachers.

• But why is there such a gap?

The Education Week study revealed the gap is not linked to a poor enrollment of Hispanics into college level teaching programs. In fact, the number of Latinos in such university classes have almost doubled from the 1980s, rising from 325,000 to 642,000.

What the research did show, however, was that minority teachers are 2 to 3 times more likely to accept positions in hard-to-staff systems in urban, high-poverty zones. In this manner, researchers say the minority teacher factor has been successful, but it is retention of those minority teachers which contributes to the national shortage.

The data indicates teachers from minority demographics are more likely to move from one school to another, and many leave the profession entirely. During the 2003 school year, for example, 47,600 minority teachers entered the profession — but approximately 56,000 left.

When the process was examined, researchers found that contributing to reasons minority teachers leave a school or the entire profession are issues regarding poor treatment from co-workers and superiors, and a poor work environment in hard-to-staff locations.

To combat minority teachers drop-outs, the Education Week report suggests working on two main areas: teacher recruitment and decision-making input.

Because teachers from minorities are indeed available (based on the number of graduates with a teaching degree), schools and education programs need to design recruitment programs that reach the nation’s diverse ethnic groups. Part of the recruitment process means offering competitive wages and desirable work conditions. Decision making within a school will also keep minority teachers invested in the education program, creating a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction when the school succeeds as a whole.

This article was first published in Voxxi.

Hope Gillette is an award winning author and novelist. She has been active in the veterinary industry for over 10 years, and her experience extends from exotic animal care to equine sports massage. She shares her home with four cats, a dog, a horse, and her tolerant husband.

Angela Valenzuela: A superintendent for DISD’s English-language learners | Dallas Morning News Opinion and Editorial Columns - Opinion and Commentary for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News

Angela Valenzuela: A superintendent for DISD’s English-language learners

Angela Valenzuela: A superintendent for DISD’s English-language learners | Dallas Morning News Opinion and Editorial Columns - Opinion and Commentary for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News

n light of the very high representation of English language learners in the Dallas Independent School District — an astounding 37.8 percent, more than twice the state average — the next superintendent should definitely be someone who knows and understands the research pertaining to this group of students.

This research consists of bilingual education, language acquisition, quality English as a Second Language programs and instruction, student placement and program evaluation. The new superintendent should bring experience in improving and enhancing ESL programs and services. Will transitional bilingual education models be maintained? If so, will these include both early- and late-exit models? Will the new superintendent promote dual-language instruction? If so, what models would apply best districtwide, given a context of school segregation by race or ethnicity and class?

Regarding bilingual education, a study commissioned by the Texas Education Agency in 2000, the Texas Successful Schools Study: Quality Education for Limited English Proficient Students, showed that English-language learners who remained in the bilingual program until they were designated as “English proficient” met or exceeded the performance of students in the all-English program in the same grade levels and at the same schools. Such findings are typical in research on effective bilingual education programs. This debate is more about politics than evidence.

For nonbilingual education and non-ESL personnel, the superintendent needs to consider how general education teachers can be better prepared to serve English language learners in their classrooms. Improving collaboration between ESL and general classroom teachers is often overlooked, yet this is so vital to a welcoming, positive school environment.

The benefits of bilingualism and biliteracy are widely recognized for children’s cognitive development. Both promote academic achievement, cognitive flexibility and problem-solving capacities that are not enjoyed by monolingual speakers. Indeed, all children stand to benefit from knowing a second language at an advanced level. To this end, what we need are rich opportunities for youths both at the elementary and secondary levels that promote the development of the students’ native language to keep pace with their academic development in the English language.

At the district level, central office and campus administrators also need to be prepared to serve the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Clearly, qualified teachers and administrators of English language learners are needed in great numbers, so what plans will the superintendent have to prepare, recruit and retain them?

Standardized tests provide metrics for determining program success. However, the information they provide is not only limited but is also language-dependent, in the case of English-language learners. Hence, what other criteria might this new superintendent use to gauge progress toward closing the achievement gap?

The new superintendent needs to promote high expectations and academically challenging instruction to prepare these youths for college. Minimum-track classes that lead to a minimum diploma should be avoided for all students in general and for English language learners in particular. Unfortunately, being an English learner and a student with college aspirations tend not to go hand in hand. How, then, can the next superintendent work to reverse such mind-sets?

Finally, it is not enough for our children to be bilingual. For them to function at advanced, professional levels in our global society, they must also be biliterate. They must command the ability to read and write at sophisticated levels across all content areas in powerful writing contexts for authentic audiences and purposes.

The future superintendent should promote bilingual or ESL programs that are well-funded, staffed and designed if they are to genuinely address the very achievement-gap problem that otherwise bedevils most superintendents and district leaders.

Angela Valenzuela is a professor in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Her email address is

valenz@austin.utexas.edu.

Our goal: To advocate hiring a strong change agent at DISD and for instituting reforms with records of success.

Our work so far: Since September, we’ve been publishing exclusive commentaries by national education experts on DISD’s future and editorials offering our recommendations.

Coming Sunday: Our editorial on a superintendent wish list

READ the Tactics for a Turnaround series so far. dallasnews.com/turnaround