Dr. Yvonne Fournier answering questions from a homeschooling family which moved to a testing state. Some highlights about the inherent tension between homeschooling and achievement tests:
Hassle-Free Homework: Achievement Tests Contribute To America’s Decline
By Dr. Yvonne Fournier,U.S. School System Discourages Divergent, Creative Thinkers
In a world that begs for divergent thinkers (people who can think “outside the box,” meaning thinking the uncommon that could lead to extraordinary innovations), our children are measured, through achievement tests, on their capacity to be convergent thinkers – to select the one right answer to a problem that actually may have multiple answers.
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Homeschooled children, because they read between the lines and think of possible answers that the test writers did not consider, are often penalized. According to standardized tests, they seem to lack ability because they did not or do not follow the “herd” mentality when answering test questions.
Instead, homeschoolers are able to question the questions, yet when a test expects the homeschoolers to stay with “the herd,” straying or adventuring is a definite negative.
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In today’s world, convergent thinkers are no longer as valued in the workplace as divergent thinkers are. The number of pink slips covering the country is proof of this, and a message we certainly should take seriously.
Regardless of what your child makes on these tests, be comforted in the thought that standardized tests are simply another dinosaur in a dinosaur land called the U.S. school system.
Dr. Fournier also offers suggestions on dealing with the tests and testing.
Read the whole piece here.
Tags: achievement tests, creative thinkers, divergent thinkers, Dr. Yvonne Fournier, homeschooling, Testing
Nothing directly impacting homeschoolers yet, but.. But what really?
There are powerful forces at play with a vested interest in the institution of education. Couple calls for legislative reform with the common standards initiative, mix it up with the mad dash for the money, and homeschoolers can not afford to ignore these reforms, panic about them, nor play follow the leader figuring their interests will be taken care of.
U.S. Department of Education Opens Race to the Top Competition
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today released the final application for more than $4 billion from the Race to the Top Fund, which will reward states that have raised student performance in the past and have the capacity to accelerate achievement gains with innovative reforms.
~~~~~~~~The application requires states to document their past success and outline their plans to extend their reforms by using college- and career-ready standards and assessments, building a workforce of highly effective educators, creating educational data systems to support student achievement, and turning around their lowest-performing schools.
The $4.35 billion for the Race to the Top Fund is an unprecedented federal investment in reform. Duncan will reserve up to $350 million to help states create assessments aligned to common sets of standards. The remaining $4 billion will be awarded in a national competition.
To qualify, states must have no legal barriers to linking student growth and achievement data to teachers and principals for the purposes of evaluation. They also must have the department’s approval for their plans for both phases of the Recovery Act’s State Fiscal Stabilization Fund prior to being awarded a grant.
The final application released today includes significant changes to the proposal released by the U.S. Department of Education in July. After reviewing responses to the draft proposals from 1,161 people, who submitted thousands of unique comments, ranging from one paragraph to 67 pages, the U.S. Department of Education restructured the application and changed it to reflect the ideas of the public.
“The public’s input on this application was invaluable to us,” Duncan said. “The comments helped us clarify that we want states to think through how they will create a comprehensive agenda to drive reform forward.”
States are after the money – an overview from Christian Scinece Monitor:
And articles, editorials and opinions from the states:
Liftoff: CA State Senate Passes Race to the Top Education Reforms
Editorial: Don’t let propaganda and fear prevent Michigan from winning $600 million for state education
Bogus fears shouldn’t prevent adoption of reforms to gain $600 million for schools
Minnesota poised to get major federal education grant
Experts say the state’s history of innovation in education give it a competitive edge in the race for a slice of the $4.35 billion stimulus pie.
North Carolina Launches New Race To The Top Website
Source: Governor of North Carolina Posted on: 9th November 2009
RacetotheTop.nc.gov will seek input on educational innovation and reform.
State to pursue school reform grant
By Diane Knich – The (Charleston) Post and Courier
A sinking feeling about the ‘race to the top’
By Russ Dondero
The Forest Grove News-Times (Oregon)
Gov. Gregoire highlights local schools meeting goals of Race to the Top initiative
Wisconsin could be a contender: State lawmakers position the state to land a piece of Obama’s $4.3 billion education package
Most encouraging line (from the Governor of MI’s site): “The Obama Administration is requiring each grant submittal be signed by the state’s governor, state superintendent and education board chair.”
Tags: Christine Gregoire, education reform, federal grants, Race to the Top, Russ Dondero, state education, State lawmakers, U.S. Department of Education
Iowa City Superintendent, Lane Plugge says, “If you want a diploma, you have to go to school here:”
School Board eyes homeschool rules
Daily IowanBY HOLLY HINES | NOVEMBER 10, 2009 7:20 AM
Homeschooled students in Iowa City may need to attend a district high school for at least two years to receive a diploma under a newly proposed policy change.
The Iowa City School Board will conduct a first reading of the policy — which would require the students to enroll full-time for two-consecutive years — at its meeting today.
At the moment, the district has no policies on the issue, officials said.
Superintendent Lane Plugge said district officials have seen a recent increase in homeschooled students transferring into the district for only one trimester to earn a diploma.
“If you want a diploma, you have to go to school here,” Plugge said, and he views district programming as an important element of graduating from the district.
So, families have been homeschooling and then at the last minute squeezing in a little school so they can get the ‘conventional’ diploma. Why?
Chris Kolarik, an administrator for the Iowa City Home School Assistance Program, said the number of homeschooled students reaching a high-school level of education has gradually increased since the program started in 1992.
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Kolarik said the students and district officials would likely benefit from the policy changes clarifying the requirements.
Jan Krieger, a teaching supervisor for the home-schooling program, agreed.
Diplomas are not necessary for homeschooled students to attend most colleges, she said, and many have webpages outlining admission requirements specific to homeschooled students.
The UI admits homeschooled students based on their transcripts, study areas, and ACT or SAT scores, according to the Office of Admissions website.
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As homeschooling becomes more popular, these are issues that need to be addressed,” she said.
Tags: admission requirements, Daily Iowan, first reading of the policy, HOLLY HINES, home-schooling program, homeschool rules, homeschooled students, Iowa City School Board, Lane Plugge, policy changes
If you are concerned about homeschooling your kids you can find encouragement in this story from The Ukiah Daily Journal:
Mathematics, Meyer Style
By Carole BrodskyUkiahan making waves in academia and cyberspace
For the Daily Journal
Holiday shoppers can thank Dan Meyer and his Ukiah High instructors for helping them shave precious minutes off their waiting time in crowded stores. And that’s only the beginning for Meyer – recently labeled by CBS news as “the trash-talking High School Math teacher.”
Meyer lived in Ukiah from ages 5 to 18, homeschooling and attending Ukiah High School, graduating with the class of 2000.
From homeschooling kid to “trash-talking High School Math teacher” to:
That piqued the interest of Google – which has hired Meyer part-time. Google reached out to university professors and high school math teachers, and Meyer was selected for the job.
“I have deferred graduate school for a year and accepted a 10-month position as a curriculum fellow at Google’s campus in Mountain View, California. I just started, which means my understanding of the job is informed only by the application process and not yet by any actual experience.”
Meyer will be working with a handful of other math teachers to embed the Python programming language into traditional math curriculum.
I am no longer surprised to find homeschooling woven into an interesting life narrative. The description of the “Meyer Style” approach to teaching math is part of that narrative and also of interest. Read the entire story.
Tags: Dan Meyer, Google, homeschooling, teaching math
In formal remarks at James C. Wright Middle School in Madison Wisconsin, President Obama outlined the federal government’s 4.3 billion dollar Race to the Top awards. His presentation defined “four challenges that our country has to meet for our children to outcompete workers around the world, for our economy to grow and to prosper, and for America to lead in the 21st century.”
These are defined on White House blog as:
• transforming our lowest-performing schools
• using timely information to improve the way we teach our children
• outstanding teachers and principals in our classrooms and our schools
• higher standards and better assessments that prepare our kids for life beyond a classroom
Excerpts from his remarks:
America’s national mission: improving our schools not in unrealistic ways, not in abstract ways, not in pie-in-the-sky ways — in concrete ways we are putting our resources behind the kinds of reforms that are going to make a difference.
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And I want to get into some details about this because I want you, as parents, as well as the educators, to understand what the data and the science and the studies and the research show actually make a big difference in terms of school improvement — because that’s what we are basing this stuff on. We didn’t just kind of make it up, didn’t just do it because it sounded good, this is what the research shows is really going to make a difference.~~
The first measure is whether a state is committed to setting higher standards and better assessments that prepare our children to succeed in the 21st century. And I’m pleased to report that 48 states are now working to develop internationally competitive standards — internationally competitive standards because these young people are going to be growing up in an international environment where they’re competing not just against kids in Chicago or Los Angeles for jobs, but they’re competing against folks in Beijing and Bangalore.~~
I also challenge states to align their assessments with high standards — because we should — we should not just raise the bar, we should prepare our kids to meet it. There’s no point in having really high standards but we’re not doing what it takes to meet those standards. And I want to be clear. This is not just about more tests, because I know that in the past people have been concerned about, you know, is this about standardized tests, or are we going to have our young people being taught to the test? That’s the last thing we want.~~
And that’s why the fourth measure we’ll use in awarding Race to the Top grants is whether a state is focused on transforming not just its high-performing schools, not just the middle-of-the-pack schools, but the lowest-performing schools. (Applause.) We’ll look at whether they’re willing to remake a school from top to bottom with new leaders and a new way of teaching, replacing a school’s principal if it’s not working, and at least half its staff — (applause) — close a school for a time and then reopen it under new management, even shut down the school entirely and send its schools — send its students to a better school nearby.
These remarks are about public schools but that gives little comfort that homeschoolers will not get swept up in this reform. For homeschoolers, assessments and data collection are the broom and dustpan of this reform. Homeschoolers have seen many reforms and survived, but, not without study, understanding and effort.
Some reading:
The Common Core State Standards Initiative
Forty-Nine States and Territories Join Common Core Standards Initiative
Homeschooling in the Age of Obama
Common Core Standards In The News
Tags: assessments, home-schooling, homeschooling, interntional standards, Obama, Race to the Top, school reform, Standards
In a Letter to the editor published online and in print, Maryann Klaus, with 40 years experience as “teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent” questions testing:
Why, when all of the research points to gains made by a focus on teaching and learning, formative assessment, teacher collaboration, and strong leadership, is the government looking to increasingly restrictive and nonproductive tests? Surely officials have learned by now that standardized testing does nothing but promote a frenzied search for programs supposed to help schools meet those tests’ requirements. This strategy hasn’t worked for 40 years, and it’s not about to miraculously work now.
Ms. Klaus’ experience and allegiances differs from homeschoolers’, yet, for me having those who actually work with kids questioning testing can’t be a bad thing. I will also note that not all homeschool activists have been as helpful in questioning testing.
Tags: common test, homeschool activists, homeschooling, Testing
This disturbing piece is from May 2001 and re-published yesterday online. Counts don’t add up, by Lucy Hood, Edmund S. Tijerina and Sharon K. Hughes. Some excerpts:
To assess the extent of the dropout problem, the newspaper last fall began to track the 1,053 freshmen who enrolled at Holmes in the 1997-98 school year. Holmes was chosen for the study because it is one of the most diverse high schools in San Antonio and, with 3,000 students, represents a typical large urban school in Texas.
The school district cooperated with the Express-News and provided the entire student roll for the research, including students’ names and addresses. The newspaper agreed to keep students’ names confidential, unless they agreed to be quoted in interviews.
The newspaper and school district compared names with enrollment and transfer records and attempted to track down students who transferred more than once. Reporters also knocked on doors to find missing students and sent a survey to the reported address of every student who wasn’t enrolled, sometimes following up with a second and third mailing.
When it hit a dead end with the missing students, the newspaper hired private investigator Manuel Alfaro to track down those who could not be found. Alfaro, a San Antonio investigator for 12 years, located 46 students.
The study found that many of the dropouts had been out of school for several years, had no diploma and had not enrolled in an alternative program. In some cases, they said they would attend home school, but they never did. Others said they were transferring to another Texas school, but they never showed up.
Home-schooling is one of 24 exemptions from the dropout rate permitted by the state. The TEA also lets schools exempt students who enrolled in a certified GED program, who are in jail or state child-protective custody or who reported their intent to return to their home country.
An accurate dropout figure is important, he said, because “you don’t know which schools are doing well and which schools are doing badly until you count them properly.”
Outside of the content you have to wonder why this eight year old piece was dredged up now? Anre Duncan maintains he is big on data, so should we conclude that we will be counted?
In an article titled If School Is Cool, We Win, Author John Lewis takes us through his family’s first day of the school year through their approach to homeschooling. A few enlightening takes on the usual questions. Why we homeschool:
My wife Anne and I have been homeschooling our children for the past two years. Because the kids are generally well-behaved and articulate, we’re often asked where they go to school. Upon hearing they’re homeschooled, people’s responses generally fall into two categories: dismay (”I could never do that”) or curiosity (”I’ve always wanted to do that”). The former far outnumbers the latter, so it’s no surprise that less than 3 percent of U.S. children are taught at home.
And those responses are often accompanied by an assumption that we’re either religious conservatives, off-the-grid types, or averse to public schooling. None of those stereotypes apply, especially the rejection of public education—I’m a product of the Baltimore County school system, and Anne graduated from Western.
Basically, we homeschool because we can. Our work schedules—as editor/writer and musician, respectively—are flexible enough, we love learning, and we like spending lots of time with the kids. Don’t underestimate the importance of that last item. Sure, everyone likes spending time with their kids, but parents of homeschoolers spend a lot of time with their kids, and they wear a variety of hats. Not just teachers, we’re also curriculum setters, guidance counselors, cafeteria workers, activities planners, phys ed coaches, and janitors, too.
And there is always the socialization question:
If you’re a homeschooling parent, you know the s-word. You hear about it constantly, from friends, family members, physicians, and chances are even the mailman has weighed in on it: “Aren’t you concerned about socialization?”
“I might be if my children weren’t homeschooled,” I’m tempted to respond, but usually I tick off how they interact with peers and get outside the house—from sports, music lessons, and volunteering in the community to simply playing with other kids in the neighborhood and occasionally taking classes with other homeschoolers.
Let’s face it, we don’t live in isolated, or isolating, times. In our wired world, there are many people clamoring for our kids’ attention and homeschooling actually helps manage the onslaught.
It caught my eye that the author doesn’t even feel compelled to capitalize the s-word. This encouraging article appeared in the November 2009 issue of Baltimore magazine.
While homeschoolers will continue to live their lives according to their beliefs and convictions, public perception of homeschooling can make life easy or much harder.
With that in mind, NBC’s Housewives series has written homeschooling into their script. From this week’s online summary:
Reading, writing and respect: When Juanita lets a swear word fly in her school play, Gaby tells the principal off for criticizing her parenting. That gets Juanita kicked out of school and means Gaby has to homeschool her. She’s unqualified and uninterested, and the mother-daughter power struggles that follow only wreak more havoc on their already troubled relationship.
It will be interesting to watch as the writers and directors present their take on homeschooling.
Maybe we will be surprised, or maybe not:
Quote of the week:”We just finished gym class, now it’s time to read.” –Gaby to Juanita
“Ironing isn’t gym class!” — Juanita
So, how seriously should we take ourselves?
Tags: homeschooling, Housewives, mainstream media, Parenting, public perception of homeschooling
