Dr. Amy B Hollingsworth Berkhouse
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Why do I believe so strongly in Common Core standards and testing?

4/1/2014

3 Comments

 
Why do I believe so strongly in Common Core standards and testing?

First, if you are not aware of the Common Core, here is a crash course from NPR.


Then, several articles featuring reasons for the Common Core, and what they do.

The Common Core and the Common Good: Our educational system is not keeping up with that of many other industrialized countries, even as the job market becomes more global and international competition for jobs becomes steeper. “American students rank 25th in math, 17th in science and 14th in reading compared to students in 27 industrialized countries.” That same report found that fewer than half of our students finished college. This ranked us 14th among O.E.C.D. countries, below the O.E.C.D. average. In 1995 we were among the Top 5.

Some rightly point to the high levels of poverty in our public schools to adjust for our lagging performance, but poverty — and affluence — can’t explain all the results away. One strategy of changing our direction as a nation is the adoption of Common Core State Standards, meant to teach children the skills they need to be successful in college and careers — skills like critical thinking and deep analysis.

The problem is that, in some states, Common Core testing has been implemented before teachers, or the public for that matter, have been instructed in how to teach students using the new standards.

Bill Gates: Commend Common Core: Right now,45 states are implementing new academic standards, known as the Common Core, which will improve education for millions of students. Unfortunately, conversation about the standards is shrouded in myths.

The standards are just that: standards, similar to those that have guided teachers in all states for years, except these standards are inspired by a simple and powerful idea: Every American student should leave high school with the knowledge and skills to succeed in college and in the job market.

Today, 80% of students say they expect to go to college while only 40% of adults have an associate's degree or higher. Clearly, the old standards didn't help them achieve their goals. Common Core was created to fix that. And at least 75% of teachers support them, according to several surveys.

Inconsistent standards like the ones we've had until now punish students who have to switch schools. Either they're expected to know material they've never been taught, or they're re-taught material they already know. But with standards that are not only high enough but also consistent, students will be able to move without falling behind.

Myth: Common Core was created without involving parents, teachers or state and local governments.

In fact, the standards were sponsored by organizations made up of governors and school officials. The major teacher unions and 48 states sent teams, including teachers, to participate. 

Myth: Common Core State Standards means students will have to take even more high-stakes tests.

Common Core won't necessarily add to the number of annual state tests students take. States will introduce new math and language arts tests based on the standards to replace tests they give now. 

Myth: Common Core standards will limit teachers' creativity and flexibility.

These are standards, just like the ones schools have always had; they are not a curriculum. They are a blueprint of what students need to know, but they have nothing to say about how teachers teach that information. It's still up to local educators to select the curriculum.

Six Ways the Common Core is Good For Students:

1. Common Core Puts Creativity Back in the Classroom

2. Common Core Gives Students a Deep Dive

3. Common Core Ratchets up Rigor

4. Common Core is Collaborative

5. Common Core Advances Equity

6. Common Core Gets Kids College Ready

Student success is the outcome every education professional works so tirelessly toward, and the Common Core will help them get there if it’s implemented well, according to the panel of educators.

“Yes, it’s an extra workload as a teacher, and it’s difficult…but it’s for the betterment of the students,” says Davis-Caldwell. “And if we keep that our focus, I don’t see why we can’t be successful.”

The Common Core's Unsung Benefit: It Teaches Kids to Be Good Citizens: The Common Core has started to take political flak from the right and the left. Conservatives worry about the overreach of federal incentives, while unions don’t want the standards connected to teacher evaluations. What is being lost?  The standards’ significant emphasis on reinvigorating the democratic purpose of public education. Making good on this promise presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine and reprioritize the special role that schools play in preparing students for active civic participation.

The Common Core identifies three texts—and only three texts—that every American student must read: the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution (Preamble and Bill of Rights), and Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. 

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I will make an amazingly bold, perhaps unbelievable claim. If a school district would hire me as “The Common Core Director,” within four years – if allowed complete control over the system – I could take any low-performing district, and get them to over 80% passing the graduation tests. This would be without firing ANY teachers, with ANY population of students (poor, rich, white, black, brown, ESL), and without expending ANY additional funds. How much do I believe I could be successful? I’m willing to stake my paycheck on it. An average Ohio school superintendent makes $150,000 a year. As a teacher, I made $50,000 a year. Pay me $50,000 a year for a director’s position for those four years, putting the extra $100,000 in a savings account for me. At the end of four years, if I have been successful, everyone wins. The students see success, I get the paycheck. If I have been unsuccessful, take that money and provide free tutors for the students.

How do I know I would be successful? I have done it all before, as part of the science department in Eagle Pass. We went from a 39% passing rate on the state science tests, to an 89% passing rate in four years.

I believe in the Common Core. A bare minimum helps all kids get at least a rigorous education, and a shot at college. Schools are always free to extend education, and should – teachers can still teach fun and exciting lessons in their content area, while providing each child with a quality education. And every teacher in the public school system is being paid using taxpayer dollars. Those teachers can teach however they choose, as long as they provide AT LEAST the common core that every other teacher is responsible for. It just makes sense.


3 Comments

Developing a Study About Teacher Stress Using Q Methodology.

1/18/2014

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I was particularly inspired this morning by a question asked of the Q Methodology community (a particular research methodology that blends quantitative and qualitative techniques to scientifically study subjectivity) about developing a study using Q, that addresses the needs of teachers related to "teacher stress." Anyone who has taught has been through stressful times in their teaching, which is what I discussed with this Q Listserv member. Here is how I proposed she put together a study:


Hi Rachel,
As someone who taught high school for ten years, and who just just completed a doctoral dissertation using Q Methodology, one of the ways I imagine you could put this together is:

There is a TON of literature on teacher stress. Just thinking back to my own experience, issues such as motivation, burnout, standards, high-stakes testing, feeling inferior, feeling unsupported, family/career balance, challenges with peers, stressful students, etc.... I think just by doing a thorough lit review (as I'm sure you have), you could come up with 40 - 50 statements easily. Heck, I could probably give them to you! As you brainstorm, put all of the statements into an Excel spreadsheet or other software you use for keeping track, code them according to theme, and then have some teachers look at the statements. You could find out pretty fast if you are missing anything. 

Then, as you work with your set of statements, think about your research questions. One of the things that helped me immensely was checking out 20 or so dissertations from the school library that used Q or used needs assessment (that was my topic) to see how others have written the research questions. I also feel the Watts and Stenner book helped immensely in visualizing my project. There is a ton of great lit on the qmethod.org site to guide you. Eliminate statements that are too similar, or that hit the same theme. Figure out how many statements and in what distribution you want your Q Sort to look like. I would pilot your Q Sort on a small number of teachers, to see if the sort works, or if anything the teachers find out of place should be corrected.

Do you have a specific set of teachers you want to work with? Purposefully choosing your sample of teachers is appropriate in Q. In my study, I worked with teaching assistants in the Biology Department at my university. I wasn't looking at every teaching assistant in the USA - too big a P Set - but I purposefully chose this set of TAs because they were who I wanted to help improve their teaching and support.

I imagine that you will come up with between two and four "types of teacher stresses" or "types of stressed teachers." At that point, after the analysis, I would give an exit interview to these teachers which asks for their input on coping mechanisms, professional development, or support systems that could help each of the types of stressed out teachers. Maybe some teachers need a forum to discuss their stress, small groups that meet at school to talk, or a teachers lounge that is inviting and soothing. Maybe other types of teachers need individual therapy, because their school stresses are a manifestation of their own personal problems. Maybe a third type of teacher needs a professional mentor who is a veteran teacher. There's a world of support systems out there - it's figuring out which teacher needs which type of support. In my dissertation, I found three types of TAs. All of the TAs in my sample needed a basic instructional training program, but then each of the types of TAs needed their program scaffolded to address their particular needs. I called it "additive scaffolding," and am writing an article about it now.

If you'd like a copy of my dissertation to see how I laid out my problem and research questions and Q Sort, I can send. I think you've got a great idea for a dissertation, and there are certainly a lot of ways you can approach this. I like brainstorming like this :) Also remember that what ever you propose will change dramatically when your committee gets a hold of it. Use the professionals around you, and in the Q community to explore.

Best of luck,
Amy


What are some other types of teacher stress, and what could your school have done to better support you through stressful times? Is there a way your could have approached stressful situations better? Would professional development have helped you better approach stressful situations? Are there online resources you use? I'd like to hear from teachers what kinds of things could help?
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    Dr. Amy B. Hollingsworth

    Author

    Dr. Amy B Hollingsworth has worked in education for over 20 years. Most recently, she was a Learning Coach at the NIHF STEM School in Akron. She served as the Executive Director of Massillon Digital Academy. She was the District Technology Specialist at Massillon. She also was the Natural Science Biology Lab Coordinator at The University of Akron. She specializes in Biology Curriculum and Instruction, STEM education, and technology integration. She has written six lab manuals, and an interactive biology ebook. She has dedicated her life to teaching and learning, her children - Matthew, Lilly, and Joey, her husband Ryan, and her NewfiePoo Bailey.

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