Closing the Achievement Gap: What Are We Learning and What Do We Need to Do

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Closing the Achievement GapWhat Are We Learning
and What Do We Need to Do?

• Raymond J. McNulty, Senior Vice President
• International Center for Leadership in Education

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Results

• Why, man, I have gotten lots of results! I know
  several thousands of things that dont work.
• Thomas Edison modernized quote

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So how were your results?

• WHAT WORKED FOR YOU?
• WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
• WHAT DIDNT WORK?
• WHAT WILL YOU DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT YEAR?

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Simply said, we get what we design for!
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SUCCESS BY DESIGN NOT BY CHANCE
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THEMES

• Challenge is complex
• NET Generation
• Assessment
• Creativity and Innovation
• Strategy

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THEMES

• Challenge is complex

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We need fewer, clearer and more rigorous
standards, but that alone wont get us the
results we need!

• OUR PROBLEM IS NOT SIMPLY STANDARDS, BUT DESIGN
  AS WELL!!!!

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Texas NESS StudySubgroup Rankings
ELA Skill Give clear and concise oral
directions.
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Texas NESS StudySubgroup Rankings
Math Skill Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to
right triangles.
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We need more artists, so heres our plan.

• REQUIRE ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO TAKE MORE ART!

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We need more scientists and mathematicians, so
heres our plan.

• REQUIRE ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO TAKE MORE
  MATH AND SCIENCE!

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What Works Best?

• REQUIRE
• MANDATE
• FORCE

• EXCITE
• CREATE PASSION
• MOTIVATE

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Motivation is a key ingredient for success in
learning.
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Talking with kids

• Its not us against them!

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THEMES

• Challenge is complex
• NET Generation

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• The Internet has created the greatest generation
  gap since the advent of rock and roll.

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Todays learners are no longer the people our
educational system was designed to teach.
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What does the net generation expect from us
based on their lifetime experiences with
technology?
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This Generation

• Teenagers surveyed
• Use MySpace and Face Book
• use texting instead of e-mail (parents)
• nearly 60 would rather use e-mail than a
  telephone
• are likely to have 6 applications running at once
  on their PC

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This Generation

• The killer application for todays students
  isnt You Tube, Face Book, My Space, Google,
  Moodle, Pod-casting or some Wiki-site
• For digital teens, the one and only killer app
  is speed
• Consider this

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This Generation

• The fastest growing segment of computer-users
  today in the U.S. is 5 to 7 year olds

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Teens Use of Cell Phones in ClassJune 18, 2009

• Store information to look at during test 26
• Texts friends answers 25
• Search Webs for answers 20
• Take photo of test to send friends 17

Source USAToday/Common Sense Media
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Teens Text MessagesJune 18, 2009

• 440 per week
• 110 per week in class

Source USAToday/Common Sense Media
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The primary aim of education is not to enable
students to do well in school, but to help them
do well in the lives they lead outside of school.
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ALL STUDENTS

• RIGOR
• RELEVANCE
• RELATIONSHIPS

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ALL STUDENTS

• Relationships
• Relevance
• Rigor

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Knowledge Taxonomy
6. Evaluation
5. Synthesis
4. Analysis
3. Application
2. Comprehension
1. Recall Knowledge
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Assimilation of knowledge
Thinking Continuum
Acquisition of knowledge
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Application Model

• 1 Knowledge of one discipline
• 2 Application within discipline
• 3 Application across disciplines
• 4 Application to real-world predictable
  situations
• 5 Application to real-world unpredictable
  situations

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Action Continuum
Acquisition of knowledge
Application of knowledge
Relevance of learningto life and work
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Rigor/Relevance Framework
Knowledge
6
5
4
3
2
Application
1
1
2
3
4
5
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We dont have TIME to teach in this deep a manner.

• So how do we find the time to keep teaching
  material over and over?

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THEMES

• Challenge is complex
• NET Generation
• Assessment

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ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
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Standardized Assessment

• Necessary but NOT SUFFICIENT

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Find X
3x 7 43
There it is!
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STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES ARE AN ACCURATE MEASURE
OF STUDENT LEARNING AND SCHOOL SUCCESS.
We behave like..
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LETS ROLE PLAY FOR A FEW MINUTES.

• You are the superintendent of a school district
  that last year missed AYP overall by two
  percentage points.

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150 High Priced Houses with Country Club
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Test scores in the school

• Are going up
• Are going down
• Will stay the same
• Dont know

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OOPS 200 Subsidized Low Income Housing
Units Community Playground
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Test scores in the school

• Are going up
• Are going down
• Will stay the same
• Dont know

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OUR WORK IS COMPLEX

• A test score is not a synonym for what a student
  has learned or a school has accomplished.

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TO DO THE JOB WELL

• QUANTITATIVE DATA
• QUALITATIVE DATA
• GREAT QUESTIONS

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Years working in schools
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The school administration created a climate of
trust.
Year Three (75)
Year One (60)
Year Two (50)
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Teacher Student Comparisons
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I can apply what I learn to my everyday life.
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Teacher Student Comparisons
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U.S. vs. Highest Performing Nations

• Highest performing nations assessments have
• More multi-step problems, problem solving, etc
• More on numbers and measurement -- less on
  algebra and geometry - more B and D
• United States
• More standards
• More A and C
• More short answer questions

Source American Institute for Research
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Since leaving school, few if any people have
taken a standardized test to judge their ability
and knowledge.
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THEMES

• Challenge is complex
• NET Generation
• Assessment
• Creativity and Innovation

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We have a flawed perspective of always listening
to our best customers They tell us how good the
system is working for them!
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AS A SYSTEM WE NEED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO..

• LEAD
• ADAPT
• INNOVATE and CREATE

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A Story.

• Sir Ken Robinson

• Paul McCartney
• George Harrison

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In the beginners mind there are many
possibilities in the experts mind there are
few.
-Shurnyu Suzuki
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Sustaining Innovation and Disruptive Innovation
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System
Innovation
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Sustaining Innovation
Disruptive Innovation
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Attributes of an Innovative
Organization
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Empowerment Professionals feel that the culture
of the organization is the right mix of a
tight-loose structure, and new approaches are
welcome. Risk taking Members feel like they can
make decisions and take action in the face of
uncertainty. Critical Conversations Members
feel like they can be critical of ideas and
approaches openly. (SPN)
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Pride and Involvement Members take pride in
their work, and the challenge excites them to
focus on constant improvement. Conflict/Tension
There is a degree of tension and conflict that
causes members to hold back from thinking
openly. Fun This is a fun place to work, we
work hard but we have fun.
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Collaboration There is a spirit here that we all
work together, share our thinking and help one
another. (SPN) Idea/Reflection Time We have
time to think about our challenges and develop
new ways of thinking about our work. (SPN) Idea
Support Team members encourage one anothers
ideas. (SPN)
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Pride and Involvement
Risk Taking
Empowerment
Critical Conversations
Collaboration
Idea Support
Idea/Reflection Time
10 innovative organizations
Fun
Conflict/Tension
Your team
5 stagnant organizations
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Themes

• Challenge is Complex
• Net Generation
• Assessment
• Creativity and Innovation
• Strategy

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SUCCESS BY DESIGN NOT BY CHANCE
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INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION
STRATEGY
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Themes

• Learning
• Collaboration
• Continuous Improvement
• Implementation

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Not About

• Judgment
• Individuals
• Past
• Criticism

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Components of School Excellence
Learning Criteria to Support 21st Century
Learners
Rigor/Relevance Framework Supported by
Relationships

• Embrace a Common Vision and Goals
• Inform Decisions Through Data Systems
• Empower Leadership Teams to Take Action and
  Innovate
• Clarify Student Learning Expectations
• Adopt Effective Instructional Practices
• Address Organizational Structures
• Monitor Progress/Improve Support Systems
• Refine Process on an Ongoing Basis

Foundation Learning Stretch Learning Learner
Engagement Personal Skill Development
FIDELITY OF IMPLEMENTATION
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You will need to plan to improve the design of
your system, but plan to learn, not plan to be
right.
LEARN YOUR WAY INTO THE FUTURE.
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Theres no silver bullet!!NO EPIPHANY
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Closing the Achievement GapWhat Are We Learning
and What Do We Need to Do?

• Raymond J. McNulty, Senior Vice President
• International Center for Leadership in Education