5 Disturbing Ways America Fails Educators

1. The Ambush of Education: 5 Disturbing Ways America FailsEducators Startling information about the trends that are crippling our educators and strategies they can use to take charge

2. Sponsored by: Researched and produced by Empire Research Group

3. Why did we commission a study? We understand the overwhelming challenges facing educators today We engaged an independent research firm to investigate critical impact trends and identify solutions steps that can help educators rise to the challenge

4. Areas Covered The education landscape The 5 Disturbing ways America fails educators Practical strategies and actions that educators can use to cut through the complexity and reach their goals

5. The Current Landscape

6. How does education in the U.S. compare U.S. students are the “C” students of the world, neither leading nor trailing in reading, math, or science Consistent “A” students in international assessments include Finland, Korea and Singapore Are these comparisons accurate indicators? Source: National Center for Education Statistics, PISA Results

7. The U.S. spends more per child The U.S. spent $8,750 vs. $7,500 in Finland, for example—but the figures can be misleading Finland's government provides equal per-pupil funding, unlike disparities between Beverly Hills public schools, for example, and schools in poorer districts How far a dollar actually goes is another issue. Average 2 bedroom apartment: • Helsinki: $800 • Washington D.C.: $3,298 • New York/SoHo: $6,983 • New York/Harlem: $2,331 Source: What Makes Finnish Kids so Smart? Wall Street Journal, February 29, 2008; REIS; Rental Report 2010, Real Estate Group NY, March 2010

8. U.S. compared to Finland Finland is largely homogeneous, and has a strong national culture In U.S. schools 9.7 million children speak another language at home Finland gives teachers and school administrators complete control and does not mandate standardized testing, unlike NCLB woes in the U.S. Source: Finland: What’s the Secret to Its Success? PBS, September, 2008

9. U.S. compared to Finland "In most countries, education feels like a car factory. In Finland, the teachers are the entrepreneurs,”—Schleicher, OECD Teachers in Finland must hold a masters degree, but since college is free, this is not a barrier Unlike the U.S., the profession is among the most respected, parents are highly supportive and discipline problems are rare Source: What Makes Finnish Kids so Smart? Wall Street Journal, February 29, 2008

10. Violence is not the same 75 percent of public schools recorded violent incidents of crime at school in the U.S. In 2007, rates of violent crime victimization at school were higher than away from school Finland and other leading countries in international assessments do not track serious crime at school because the incidence is so low Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education 2009; Center for Disease Control, Understanding School Violence, 2008

11. Bullying comparison Comparisons of moderate to frequent bullying underscore the difference: • Finland: 11% • Korea: 17% • U.S. bullying: 59% In the U.S., 160,000 students go home early on any given day because they are afraid of being bullied Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, The nature and Extent of bullying at school, Drake, Journal of School Health, 2003

12. Comparisons within the U.S.—easier? One study created a fictional school that researchers called “Mayberry” Based on test scores, achievement gaps and yearly progress, they found that “Mayberry’s” status would be very different from state to state: In some states, “Mayberry” would be high performing school held up as a role model In other states, "Mayberry” would be a crisis school in danger of being closed! Source: Achievement Gaps and the Proficiency Trap, Michael Dahlin and John Cronin, Kingsbury Center at NWEA

13. “Mayberry”—superstar & miserable failure STAR! FAILURE! • The conclusion: “Simply put, NCLB makes it impossible to determine whether schools are actually making any progress” Source: Achievement Gaps and the Proficiency Trap, Michael Dahlin and John Cronin, Kingsbury Center at NWEA

14. The 5 Ways America Fails Educators Shrinking budgets, expanding expectations The 3R’s: Ridiculous Role Reversal Lack of support Political ambush The only thing in abundance: Criticism

15. Failure #1: Shrinking budgets…—expanding expectations

16. American Recovery & Reinvestment Act The ARRA increased federal funding to schools by 235% Cumulative funding shortfall is still estimated at $85.6 billion 91% of the average district’s funding is state and local 87% of superintendents receiving ARRA funds noted that federal dollars were offset by state and local cuts Source: U.S. Department of Education, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Impacts; One Year Later: How the Economic Downturn Continues to Impact School Districts, AASA, October 27, 2009

17. The funding equation is more complex 93% of districts report budget cuts at state or local levels Unemployment is at its highest level since 1948, creating stress and poverty among families Homelessness among families rose by 42% in 2009 It costs 50% more to educate a child in poverty than a child of middle-income Source: Homelessness Up in Suburban U.S., NewsMax, Feb. 18, 2010; Economic Snapshot for February 2010, Center for American Progress, February 24, 2010; Poverty in America, United States Government Office of Accountability, January, 2007

18. NCLB increases expectations The NCLB mandates have increased expectations to levels that many experts label ‘impossible’ Impossible tasks prompt desperate action: Mass firing of hundreds of teachers and principals in efforts to avoid sanctions and preserve federal funds The mass-firing tactic is used to ‘turn around’ 20-30 schools annually Source: An Impossible Job? The View from the Urban Superintendent’s Chair; Wallace Foundation, July 2003

19. Can we retain “highly qualified teachers”? Two thirds of schools eliminated teachers for the 2009/10 year 83% expected further jobs to be eliminated in 2010/11 Teacher attrition is up by 50% over the last decade 1/3 of new teachers leave the field after 3 years • 46% are gone within 5 years Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, How the Economic Downturn Continues to Impact School Districts, AASA, October 2009

20. Failure #2: 3R’s—Ridiculous Role Reversal

21. Remember when educators…educated? “Accountability has promoted a profoundly anti-intellectual definition of education” –Diane Ravitch Increased ‘accountability’ and pressure to “run more like a business” thrusts new roles onto educators: Marketing, Customer Service, Fundraising and even Chief of Security: • 55% of schools have security cameras • 85% record crimes at school • 87% have violence prevention practices Source: 'The Death and Life of the Great American School System' by Diane Ravitch

22. Mandate: Run like a failing business? 50% of businesses fail within their 1st year and lack of capital is a leading reason 76% of districts describe themselves as ‘inadequately funded’ 21% face short-term borrowing to meet payroll and accounts payable in 2010 Source: Why Small Businesses Fail, U.S. Small Business Administration

23. What does ‘the customer’ think? 45% of districts reported that even with federal monies, they were unable to save art, music and physical education programs When asked how important it is that students get exposure to arts, drama and athletics, 72% of parents considered it very important What kind of business could possibly cut ‘services’ that 72% of its customers consider ‘very important’? Source: State House News Poll, Parent Attitudes, September 2007

24. Failure #3: Lack of Support

25. The gap in parent involvement Parent involvement is linked to better grades, test scores, attendance, behavior and graduation rates Only 20% of schools have PTA units From 12.1 million active parents in 1962, PTA membership plummeted to 5.8 million in 2008 Gaps in parent involvement mirror achievement gaps with up to a 50% difference in participation rates across ethnic and socio-economic groups -48% Source: PTO Today, February 2008; U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2009

26. What do teachers say? 78% say that lack of parental support is an ever-present concern 52% do not believe they can count on parents to support discipline efforts 77% would be “substantially more effective” if they didn’t have to spend so much time on disruptive behavior 1 in 3 have considered quitting the profession because student discipline and behavior have become intolerable HELP Source: Teaching Interrupted: Do Discipline Policies in Today’s Public Schools Foster the Common Good?, Public Agenda, 2004

27. Outreach efforts don’t get an “A” A national study of schools in 35 states found: • Only 3% described results of their parent outreach efforts as “excellent” • Less than 15% described them as “very good” • 40% reported “inadequate” or “no funds” for outreach or partnership development Source: Special Report, 2009 School Update, Johns Hopkins University

28. Failure #4: Political Ambush

29. Education lobby information Political influence spending on education has risen alarmingly over the last decade Lobby spending increased over 500% between 1998 and 2008 (federal only) There were 1,471 education lobbyists to the federal government in 2009 State lobbying efforts are even more fierce, but not as transparent because many states do not require disclosure Source: Education: Long-Term Lobby and Contribution Trends, Open Secrets, April, 2010; Center for Responsive Politics

30. Business influence on education policy Big business is influencing policy through their foundations, but not always responsibly: • "With so much money and power aligned against the neighborhood school, public education itself is at risk”—Diane Ratvitch Example: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: • Spent $2 billion on a program to break up large schools into small ones • Changed their minds, concluding small schools couldn’t provide enough resources and opportunities • Abandoned the project, leaving the schools in complete disarray Source: 'The Death and Life of the Great American School System' by Diane Ravitch, Professor of education at New York University with more than 35 years of research in education

31. Has the take-over of education helped? Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics

32. Why isn’t anyone listening to the experts? Source: How Principals and Superintendents See Schools Today, Education Insights, 2006

33. Failure #5: The only thing in abundance: Criticism

34. The only thing in abundance: Criticism “Education leaders are under attack. We are the marks when society has failed our young people and the news media needs a target. We are easy scapegoats”—The School Administrator Editorial "The job is impossible, the expectations are inappropriate, the training is inadequate, and the pipeline is inverted”—Paul Houston, AASA Source: Leadership’s Time is Now, The School Administrator, November 2005 Number 10, Vol. 62

35. Blamed for a system that cripples them A multi-year study found that the majority of superintendents agree—they believe the job to be “undoable” The study concluded: “What we hear in the voices of these superintendents is their frustration that their commitment to teaching is over whelmed by political demands. They are set up to fail and then condemned depending on the community’s mood” Source: An Impossible Job? The View from the Urban Superintendent’s Chair; Wallace Foundation, July 2003

36. To summarize, America fails educators by: Reducing budgets while constantly expanding expectations and roles Putting the weight of society’s problems on their shoulders while undercutting their support Allowing politicians control instead of education experts Blaming educators for a system they didn’t design that cripples their ability to educate

37. However, there are steps that educators can take to cut through the complexity and take charge

38. 5 Steps to Success Strategic thinking Maximize fundraising Improving test scores—foundation over technique Effective parent engagement Catalyze alliances

39. Step #1: Strategic thinking

40. Strategic thinking: not an event ‘Strategic planning’ is an event—strategic thinking is a daily mindset When problems are legion and time is at a premium, strategic thinking is critical to success Strategic thinkers seek multiple impacts from each tactical action The first step is to change focus from ‘action’ to ‘impact’

41. Impact, not just action For example, the ‘action’ of holding a fundraising event can be strategically designed to create ‘impact’ on: • Student skills and behavior, • Parent engagement • Community support • Raising money Every simple, routine action can be modified for impact on larger goals Rethinking routine actions/interactions to maximize impact opportunity has a powerful cumulative effect

42. Simple actions, cumulative impact For example, sending out the lunch menu may be informative to parents and students. Can it also be made to: • Improve health and attendance by highlighting foods that improve skin, hair, muscles • Advertise events and goals to raise awareness/participation • Contain a link to a “How you can help us reach our goals” section of your website

43. Step #2: Maximize Fundraising

44. Maximum impact, minimum time • Time expenditures to organize lower-return fundraisers can be the same or more than options that produce higher return and higher impact • Fundraising events designed to be novel and fun generate wider participation, as well as favorable publicity

45. What types of events bring people out? Studies show that Arts events have the largest turnout outside of sporting events They also offer the widest opportunity for expanded impact: More than 65 distinct relationships between arts and desired outcomes (both academic & social) have been documented Surprising links have been found in increasing student motivation, persistence and ability to accept constructive criticism Source: Building Participation, The Urban Institute, July 2004; Deasy, Don’t Axe the Arts!, National Association of Elementary School Principals, Volume 82, Number 3 , January/February 2003; Critical Evidence: How the ARTS Benefit Student Achievement, NASAA, 2006

46. Why do they come? You know why you want them to come—but understanding their motivation is critical Interestingly, although ‘support the community’ scored high for all groups, it scored highest for low income and minority groups • 48% higher Your messaging about events should correspond with the motivations of the target audience for maximum impact Source: Building Participation, The Urban Institute, July 2004,

47. Make it strategic, ‘special’ and personal Research indicates that the most promising strategies involved: Programming in which children had funand were helped in making academic and social progress Scheduling ‘special’ events that promoted high attendance Providing food Offering performances and exhibits of youth’s work Source: Special Report, 2009 School Update, National Network of Partnership Schools, Johns Hopkins University

48. Step #3: Effective Engagement

49. First: Access before engagement “Parent involvement encompasses a multitude of complex phenomena—family structure, culture, ethnic background, social class, age and gender represent only a few of the factors” –Boethel There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ engagement playbook—but, all strategies must start with access. The key question is: How can we create access to positive interactions with parents? Experts say that novel and non-traditional avenues can increase your access Source: Scribner and Scribner (2001); 2003 synthesis, Diversity: Family and Community Connections with Schools, Boethel

50. Second: They MUST feel welcome Non-traditional interactions can create a key success component—the feeling of “welcome”: • Invite families in to eat lunch with children • Host special events and activities that include the whole family • Meet on ‘their turf’ by hosting events or meetings in community forums like churches, youth organizations and libraries • Add multi-cultural components Source: High-performing schools serving Mexican American students: What they can teach us, ERIC Digest, A Strategy Brief of the National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, September 2005