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Educators are still in the dark on Arne Duncan’s No Child Left Behind waiver plan. Well kind of, sort of. Speculation is running wild and the gossip through the grapevine is that there will be three different waivers. You may be asking yourself, “What is the catch?”  The catch is that a state cannot choose just one waiver. It will be an all or nothing deal.

So here are the three tentative waivers states can apply for if they fear they will not meet the No Child Left Behind deadline of 100 percent proficient or above by 2014.

1. States will have to adopt college and career readiness standards and assessments. This has yet to be clearly defined. However, student growth might be used to measure achievement.
2. In order to freeze in place the law's system of sanctions, states would have to propose their own differentiated accountability systems that would incorporate growth and establish new performance targets. States also would have to establish differentiated school improvement systems that more accurately meet the needs of schools with different challenges. The accountability systems would not have to include choice or free tutoring. Districts also no longer would have to set aside Title I money for such programs.
3. To waive the law's highly qualified teacher requirement and get funding flexibility, states would have to adopt evaluation systems for teachers and principals that are based on growth and make sure districts actually do what they say they're going to do.

We are on the countdown of a few weeks before a new school year begins and Congress is feeling the pressure to make progress on a bipartisan reform plan for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind). Arne Duncan has not been very transparent when discussing the waivers, but continues to threaten Congress with his “Plan B” waiver proposal. Both the department of education and the White House have been rather hush, hush about the whole thing leaving everyone guessing on the details of the waivers.


Resources:
New Details Emerge on Duncan’s NCLB Waiver Plan,  Alyson Kline, Education Weekly, July 15, 2011.

First Georgia, then the District of Columbia, and now Pennsylvania, which state will be accused next of cheating on their standardized test?

Some will argue that these standardized tests are prohibiting teachers from “actually” teaching the students. The claim is that the curricula are based around spoon-feeding test questions to students so they can regurgitate the answers on the tests and score well. They would have us believe that because the fate of schools and staff salaries are based on the results of these tests, administrators and teachers are more inclined to cheat to keep their jobs. Unfortunately, these types of accusations hold true for a small fraction of educators, yet the majority have utilized these standards to expand their ability to lead their students to success. 

What the No Child Left Behind act has done for our educators is make them accountable for what is happening in their classroom and schools. Our nation’s schools are filled with competent, motivated, and honest teachers and administrators. Everyday they reflect on their instruction and seek ways to improve to better meet the needs of their students. These standardized tests, as imperfect as they may be, have caused bad teachers to become good, good teachers to become great and great teachers to become role models and mentors to others. What NCLB does not do is cause administrators and teachers to make poor moral judgments. Each individual, in this case educator, is independently responsible for their own moral values and the actions they take accordingly.
  
It is extremely troubling for our nation when people are making excuses for this kind of behavior. Some go as far to state that it is not the teachers or administrators fault that they cheated. They blame all the mandates and high standards; so somehow they can’t possibly be held accountable for their actions. Well if this holds true, would it not be fair for a student to cheat? The student could claim that the curriculum is just too difficult and that the teacher is setting the bar too high for him. Would this be acceptable?

It is even more troubling that they make cheating on standardized tests sound like the norm, or that teachers have no other options due to the high standards of NCLB. First of all, each state sets their own standards and constructs the road map as to how they are going to achieve these standards. Many believe that 100 percent of our students scoring at proficient and above is just too difficult to do. Is it? To score proficient or above is simply scoring approximately 72 percent on the test. Is this really unattainable? For some students the answer is yes, so the states have two other avenues they can take to reach their destination.

The first being, Safe Harbor: A school can make Safe Harbor, and AYP, if the percent not proficient the previous year is reduced by at least 10 percent. For example, if a school had 60 percent proficient (i.e., 40 percent not proficient) in the 2010 school year they would need at least 64 percent (10 percent of 40 added to the 60 percent from 2010) proficient in the school year 2011 to make Safe Harbor.

The second one is the Growth Model:  This includes the primary elements of the NCLB law, such as annual testing and reporting of subgroup data, plus increasing student achievement and a narrowing of the achievement gap. It also ensures that progress is being made. A Growth Model uses the same annual test data to determine how much academic growth or progress a student makes between two points in time.
Once a student scores below proficient they have either four years or until 10th grade to reach proficiency, which ever comes first. Assuming a student has the full four years to reach proficiency they must decrease the gap between their initial score and the score to reach proficiency by one-quarter the first year, one-third the second year, one-half the third year and finally be required to reach proficiency in the fourth year. For students that do they are considered to be 'on track to becoming proficient' and will count as proficient for the school and district's AYP determinations. Click here to learn more about making AYP.

There is no doubt that No Child Left Behind with its standardized testing has caused educators to step up to the plate. However, there is much doubt that NCLB has somehow forced teachers to cheat and lie at the expense of their students. Teaching is a profession that is held to a code of ethics. This type of behavior can never be condoned nor should it be brushed aside as if educators are not responsible for their actions.
These naysayers need to stop putting all teachers, administrators, and school districts into the “forced to cheat” category in order to meet AYP and keep their jobs. The majority of teachers believe in themselves, their peers, and their students. They understand the hard work and dedication it takes to be successful. The same educators know that our congress men and women know there are holes in the NCLB and are working towards changes that will benefit all. Everyday these teachers and administrators continue to push their students to be more than they ever imagined just as educators have been encouraged to become more than they ever thought they could be.

Earlier this week close to eighty percent of Atlanta schools have been accused of cheating on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test, or CRCT by independent investigators appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue. The report states that 178 teachers and principals of the Atlanta Public School System were involved in helping students, or changing the answers once students had turned in their answer sheets. 80 0f the 178 educators have admitted to misconduct so far. According to the investigation several educators had reported cheating taking place in their schools as far back as 2001. However, the former superintendent of Atlanta schools Beverly L. Hall and other administrators ignored the allegations.

During a briefing interim Superintendent Erroll B. Davis Jr. told reporters that the teachers and principals who falsified test sheets will face sanctions from the district. “These people are not going to be put in front of children again,” Davis stated. “I don’t know what makes people cheat, but it is not pressure to perform that does that.” Mr. Davis continued to tell his audience that the district expects that its employees will operate within ethical boundaries.

All educators are to uphold local, state, and federal laws and statutes including a code of ethics. The Code of Ethics for educators in the state of Georgia includes the following:

Standard 4: Misrepresentation or Falsification—an educator should exemplify honesty and integrity in the course of professional practice. Unethical conduct includes, but is not limited to:

1. Falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting or erroneously reporting professional qualifications, criminal history, college or staff development credit and/or degrees, academic awards, and employment history when applying for employment and/pr certification or when recommending an individual for employment, promotion, or certification.
2. Falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting or erroneously reporting information submitted to federal, state, and other governmental agencies;
3. Falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting or erroneously reporting information regarding the evaluation of students and/or personnel;
4. Falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting or erroneously reporting reasons for absences or leaves; and
5. Falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting or erroneously reporting information submitted in the course of an official inquiry or investigation.

You can read more on Georgia’s Code of Ethics for educators at http://gae2.org/pdf/KNOW/5.4/codeofethics.pdf.

Other organizations or associations who have laid out code of ethics for educators to follow are The Association of American Educators, AAA and the National Education Association, NEA.
 
So why did they do it? Why did they cheat?
 
Mr. Davis stated it could not be the pressure to perform; however according to an article, “A Nation of Cheaters” written by Kirk O. Hanson there are several reasons people cheat.

1. Some people cheat because they simply cannot get everything done in which needs to be done.
2. Some people cheat today not just because they want to get ahead, but more because they fear the embarrassment of failure.
3. Some cheat because everyone else cheats.
4. Finally, an increasing number of cheaters argue they must cheat to resist unfair new systems of accountability. Teachers in schools are resistant to performance based testing because it may threaten their jobs. (Does this fit in the “pressure to perform” arena?)

Cheating should never be condoned. No matter what these educators’ reasons may have been for cheating it was wrong and there must be consequences for their actions. Atlanta Public Schools have 6000 employees and 178 chose to cheat. This is a small percentage of teachers and administrators who apparently were only thinking of themselves and not their students. With a new Superintendent at the helm and the removal of those who cheated Atlanta Public Schools are ready to show the nation that they do care about their students and are prepared to come back even stronger.   

Do you think the pressures of standardized testing is causing teachers to cave in and cheat or is it motivating teachers to become better at what they do? We want to hear from you.


References:

Hansen, Kirk O., A Nation of Cheaters, January 19, 2003.
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/ethicalperspectives/cheating.html

State Investigation Reveals Widespread Cheating in Atlanta Schools
By Christina Samuels on July 5, 2011
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/District_Dossier/2011/07/state_investigat...

As the No Child Left Behind 2014 deadline approaches schools across the nation continue to work diligently with students and wait as Congress struggles to reform the law. States are seeking relief from the requirements that all students should be proficient on state math and reading standards and have patiently waited several years for the change to take place. With a new school year only a few weeks away Secretary Arne Duncan has grown weary of the delay and has developed a “Plan B” if Congress does not rewrite the law this summer.

What does this mean for our states?
 
If Congress does not reform the law before school resumes session then Duncan wants to offer regulatory “relief in exchange for reform.” He wants to give waivers to states from parts of the NCLB law, but only to the states that agree to embrace the administration’s education priorities. These reforms would compare similarly to the Race to the Top grant competition, which included performance pay for teachers and growth in charter schools. These waivers would require states to meet new reform requirements within the waiver themselves.

Representative John Kline, a Republican from Minnesota, argues that there is a strong concern that the Department of Education’s plan to offer waivers in exchange for reform is not flexibility and could result in additional regulations and confusion for schools. However, Duncan states, “This will give both states flexibility they need and Congress the time it requires to complete work on new bill.” He reassures us that his waivers will not replace comprehensive reform, or give states and districts a pass from accountability. Instead the goal is to give school districts the flexibility they need to raise standards, and improve their lowest-performing schools while Congress works on reforming the law. Duncan has not given any details of his plan as of this date and there are none foreseeable in the near future.

Several state representatives are questioning the legality of Duncan’s plan to grant waivers. Rep. Kline, R-Minnesota, and Rep. Hunter, R-California, requested Duncan to explain by July 1st how the department has the authority to offer waivers for the No Child Left Behind act that has not been approved by Congress and to lay out just what is in the plan. Kline went on to give somewhat of a time frame and the plan that the House of education is taking to reform the law. On accountability, he explained that it will look different than the current “Adequate Yearly Progress” system and everything will not lie in the balance of one test score. He continues to add that he is in favor of data systems and disaggregating data by student subgroups.

The 2011-2012 school year will begin in less than two months. As Congress continues to work towards a bipartisan reform plan and Duncan proceeds to dangle his “Plan B” over everyone’s heads teachers and administrators all around this great nation will begin preparing for their new students with an optimistic attitude that this new school year is going to be their best year yet!

Most teachers have little control over school policy or curriculum or choice of texts or special placement of students, but most have a great deal of autonomy inside the classroom.  To a degree shared by only a few other occupations, such as police work, public education rests precariously on the skill and virtue of the people at the bottom of the institutional pyramid.  ~Tracy Kidder



References:
Williams, Chris Associated Press, “House education chairman questions Duncan’s legal authority on waiver plan” The Republic, Columbus, IN. June 23, 2011.
“States Cautious on Duncan’s NCLB-Flexibility Offer” Education Week, June 20, 2011.

Are you looking for the opportunity to spice up your teaching experience? Expand your

world by teaching overseas.

Currently, over 700 American elementary and secondary schools in international settings employ approximately 35,000 professionals. Most educators are on two-or-three-year renewable contracts however, some schools may hire new teachers for one year. Hiring requirements, salaries, and benefits vary considerably with many offering free housing, vehicle, U.S. tax exemptions, tuition savings for dependent children, R&R (rest and relaxation) trips, and bonuses upon completion of contracts.

American international schools provide education comparable to that in the United States for the children of U.S. citizens residing there. The curriculum is vigorous and highly academic. These schools are always looking for knowledgeable and readily available teachers to fill their openings.

A successful international job search requires an early start and careful planning. Recruiting fairs provide a wonderful opportunity to meet, network, and interview with many prospective employers. The University of Northern Iowa provides overseas placement services as well as the International School Services (ISS). The University of Northern Iowa will be conducting their UNI Overseas Recruiting Fair February 3-5, 2012. Be sure to visit there website and contact them if you plan to attend.

If you have passion for teaching, yet feel like you need a change, teaching overseas may be the answer you have been searching for.




The University of Northern Iowa
www.uni.edu/placement/overseas

International School Services
www.iss.edu

Summer is here so now what?

School is out and many teachers look forward to spending their days lounging by the pool, shopping and spending time with family and friends. Some have planned an exotic vacation or cruise while others choose to enroll in graduate classes. However, there are some who have a need to do something out of the ordinary…something we don’t have time to do during the school year. If you find yourself in the latter category then you will want to check out the five ideas teachers can do during their summer break. Hopefully these will inspire you to make a difference this summer.

•    Take a class: gourmet cooking, painting, yoga, piano, photography, etc.  Let your creativity come to life this summer and learn a new hobby or perfect an old one.
•    Parks and Recreation: contact your local park and recreation board to find out if they are looking for any volunteers to assist with activities.
•    Read children’s books: to stay up on what your students are reading check out the most read books for your student’s age group at your local library and get reading. Surprise your students in the fall with knowledge on some of their favorite books.
•    Volunteer: nursing homes, hospitals, homeless shelters and animal shelters are just a few places that are always looking for volunteers. If you have a talent or skill you would enjoy sharing with adults or children then volunteering may be just your thing to do this summer.
•    Plan an educational summer trip: if you have ever dreamed of taking a summer trip, one in which expands your knowledge and would inspire you in the classroom be sure to check out scholastic.com/instructor. Here you will find a variety of trip ideas.

Have a great summer!

A Link between Exercise and Improved Test Scores: Physical exercise is not only good for the heart, but good for the brain too!

Researchers from Champaign, Illinois conducted a study on forty-nine children, ages nine and ten, on the correlation between physical fitness and the performance of the brain. The study focused on the hippocampus structure in the brain because it is known to be important in learning and memory. The new study used MRI measures to look at the differences in brain between kids who are fit and kids who are not. Previous studies done on older people and animals have proven that the more physically fit individuals tend to have a larger hippocampus and perform better in memory, spatial reasoning, and other cognitive skills tasks.

What these researchers found was that the better fit children performed higher on relational memory tasks than their less fit peers.

Could this be a case argument to not only keep P.E. in our schools, but to also increase the number of times a week students participate in P.E. classes?

For the last seventeen years Naperville Central High School, Naperville, Illinois has had a new name and philosophy for their Physical Education class; Zero Hour, which is teaching physical fitness instead of sports for one hour every morning before class. These students are not only learning how to monitor and maintain their own health and fitness, but they are outperforming other schools on standardized test and the ACT.

Studies are finding students in low income and high income schools who participate in rigorous exercise everyday are raising their academic scores without increasing academic time and tutoring.

No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top are pushing teachers and administrators to work harder than ever in educating our children. Is it possible that implementing more physical exercise and recess into our students’ day will improve standardized test scores? I believe so!


To learn more about Zero Hour at Naperville Central High School check out “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain” Written by: John J Ratey and Eric Hagerman. 

Other sources:
http://www.sciencecodex.com/childrens_brain_development_is_linked_to_physical_fitness

Teacher Appreciation: Thank You!

It should be recognized that the proper status of teachers and due public regard for the profession of teaching are major importance.  UNESCO (Art. 5 of 1996 Recommendation)

This week is Teacher Appreciation week and we here a Quest Education Systems wants to dedicate this blog to all teachers of this great nation. Over the past few years we have had the opportunity to come into contact with thousands of teachers and administrators all across the United States. The one thing we have learned is that the concerns of our youth and the desire to make the education in this country the best it can possibly be burns strong in all their hearts.

A GREAT teacher truly cares for and loves their students. A GREAT teacher understands that school is not just a place for academics, but a place for building friendships, to explore, for growth, taking risk and discovering oneself. A GREAT teacher develops student’s greatest abilities.

On a good day a teacher may want to jump up and down and shout from the top of their lungs “YES!” because they witnessed the light bulb going off or a student accomplishing a personal goal. On a bad day you may want to crawl under your desk or shake your head asking yourself, “Why do I do this?” because you experience a failed lesson or a student set-back. This can leave you wondering why you try so hard…or care so much…

Then you remember it is not about you but about your students. You reflect on your day and make changes for tomorrow…for a better tomorrow.

Some believe anyone can teach and this may be true, but we believe not everyone has the heart or perseverance to be a teacher. We want to share our gratitude. Thank you for shaping the young minds of today for a better world tomorrow. Thank you for being a teacher!

The Best Teachers
Teachers open up young minds,
showing them the wonders of the intellect
and the miracle
of being able to think for themselves.
A teacher exercises
the mental muscles of students,
stretching and strengthening,
so they can make challenging decisions,
find their way in the world,
and become independent.
The best teachers care enough
To gently push and prod students
to do their best
and fulfill their potential.
You are one of those.
Thank you.
By Joanna Fuchs

Having a list of behavior strategies for students with ADD and ADHD to pull from can help significantly with your classroom behaviors, as well as save your sanity. These strategies all work, but not all strategies will work for all students. The decision as to which strategies you will implement will be based on both your professional opinion and your student’s attitude toward the strategy.

The following is a list of strategies to be used if the problem behavior is ability to follow directions.

• Establish Eye Contact: To help students with ADD and ADHD stay focused on what you are saying you should establish eye contact when giving specific directions or instructions to an assignment.

• Use Voice Fluctuation: Raise your voice, soften your voice or even go into animation to capture attention from students who may have already begun to tune you out.

• Repeat Instructions: Ask two or three students in different areas of the room to repeat the instructions. Then have the ADD or ADHD student repeat the instructions to you one-on-one, not to the entire class.

• Vary Ways in Which to Give Instructions: Use video, visual aides, puppets, etc. Fun for everyone and holds attention span longer.

• Write Instructions: Have students copy the instructions you have already written from the board, word for word.

• Record Instructions: Allow students to record instructions or directions while being given to the class.

• Move around the Room: Walking around to different areas of the room while giving directions provides movement and allows students to stay focused

• Encourage Note Taking: As a class, create a study guide for a test and then have students copy it word for word.

The following is a list of strategies to be used if the problem behavior is lack of self control.

• Create Behavior Cards: Having a visible list of class rules on or in their desk can benefit many students.

• Post Daily Schedule: Writing a daily schedule out on the wipe board then erasing items as they are completed allows ADHD students to stay on track and feel more in control.

• Vary Instruction Techniques: Participating in partner work, cooperative groups, visual aides, presentation, as well as individual seat work gives these students opportunities to physically move around the room throughout the day.

• Gum Chewing: Gum chewing keeps mouths busy and works great at decreasing outburst.

• Squishy Balls: Allowing students to squeeze a squishy ball while waiting their turn to speak or only speaks while holding the squishy ball may decrease outburst.

• Use a Signal for Silence: Use a signal such as turning out the lights or a special clap to let students know it is time to get quiet.

• A Point System: Students earn points or pennies for positive target behavior then at the end of each week they may redeem for a prize.

• Use Incentives: The use of preferred activities as incentives work very well.

• Provide One-on-One: Provide more one-on-one with these students. Find a mature student in the class to act as their mentor buddy to help keep them on track.

• Pause after Asking a Question: Allow 10 to 20 seconds after asking a question before calling on a student.

• Reward Desired Behaviors: Reward for sitting still or not out-bursting for short or long periods of time.

• Be Within Proximity: Stand next to or move closer to a student when he or she becomes restless or off task.

• Ignore: Ignore as much negative behavior as possible and give attention to appropriate behaviors.

These behavior strategies for students with ADD or ADHD can be very successful when both the student and the teacher are implementing them. You, the teacher, must catch the student doing the desired behavior frequently and praise immediately. 

Spring symbolizes state testing time for most school districts. With many states in the process of or preparing to administer their states standardized test, this week’s article is going to share with you some of the differences between the states. Every state in the union has retained the right to determine their own state standards and road map for making AYP. With this being said, no two states standardized testing regulations are the same.

Did you know…

In Hawaii students must be given a maximum of three attempts at each assessment; reading, math and science, then the highest score is reported for AYP. In all other states the students only get one shot at it!

Not every standardized test is timed. In Texas students have all the time they need to take the test. If a school in Texas chooses to test beyond the regular school hours then dinner is served to the students.

Not every state includes writing in their standardized testing.

Some standardized tests are multiple-choice only. Others include short answer or constructed response, which require a higher level of thinking such as; making comparisons, contrasts, causes and effects, making predictions, summarizing, drawing conclusions, etc.

Many students are allowed to use such tools as calculators, manipulatives, formula sheets and scratch paper on standardized tests while others are not.

Some states require 30 or 40 students to make up a subgroup while states like Maryland (5), Kentucky and Louisiana (10) and California require 50 students.

15 states now have a growth model with 2 more states utilizing a form of a growth model. A growth model measures individual growth of students and is included in the accountability system along with proficiency (status) and safe harbor (improvement). Putting it simply, growth models help schools make AYP.

For more information about your state's rules and regulations email tkitchen@questeducationsystems.com or go to www.questeducationsystems.com and check out a workshop coming near you.