WASL AND BEYOND
What are the Best Short Term Strategies?
Student Motivation
Strong Relationships and
Caring (8 Comments)
Finding ways to connect with kids is the most important
ingredient. If we could add counseling services or more teachers for
higher needs students, there would be more time to connect with
kids.
It is important that school have systems that assure that each and every
student is linked to an adult and we understanding what their needs
are.
Focus on decreasing overall teacher loads at the HS level, not just on
class size. Teachers need to be handling 90-100 students not 150-200 if
we truly want the feedback on inquiry-based, experiential learning.
Increase funding so that districts/building can build in regular
collaboration periods so that teachers can talk to teachers daily about
learning rather than struggling to "fit that in".
Individual attention.
Programs that bring struggling students back in to supportive
systems.
Provide not only additional instruction that best meets the students
needs but also allows for those important relationships to be built
between students and adults.
I think we should look more at relationships.
Provide an individual adult support system for all students.
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Get to Know Student Needs (3
Comments)
For us the best short-term solution has been a direct
approach on a one-on-one basis between a teacher/administrator and the
individual struggling student. With the support of I-728 and local
funds, we have encouraged our teachers to develop individual and small
group extended learning opportunities before and after school designed
to deliver very specific instruction in the areas of need to
underachieving students. In most cases the teacher presents the
proposal, with the rationale, target group and area to be served, and
the expected outcome, to the building principal, it then goes to the
superintendent and school board for approval.
It is important that we understand what their needs are and how we are
responding to them (i.e. advisories, alignment of teachers with
counselors, alignment of special needs students, special needs teachers
and counselors, collaborative planning, ongoing conversations, training
and critical discussion groups about effective instructional
practices.
Ongoing collaboration of school staff to look at each child to determine
the best possible way to help them learn.
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Build a Culture of
Confidence (3 Comments)
Re-assigning teachers regardless of negotiated
agreements.
Struggling students are fantastic learners; we have just taught them the
wrong things to learn. Many students who struggle significantly in our
system have learned previously that in many ways the system doesn't have
time for them. The old question we can easily imagine a teacher saying
to a struggling student is, "How many times do I have to teach you
this?" and the answer from the student should be, "Apparently one more
time, but this time in a way I can learn it." I don't think much work
has really been done in the area of student motivation or inclinations.
This is NOT about learning styles, but just honest to goodness systems
that connect the rigor of the course/content, to the relevance of the
topic, with the student on the basis of a relationship. Missing any one
of these elements is devastating to the creation of a powerful learning
culture; great students may be able to outlive the relationship aspect
if it were missing, but students at risk for failure seldom can overcome
a classroom where this variable is absent in the presence of high
standards and high relevance. If we were to ask a struggling student,
"What motivates you?" or "What would you be willing to work extremely
hard to achieve?" this might go a long way toward maximizing student
achievement. It is a short run solution, because teachers may get an
initial jump in student achievement due to relationship variables.
Students tend to tell us in BEHAVIOR what they can find no other method
of telling us. My analogy for trying to help "struggling students" is to
think of trying to help "struggling dieters." Think about it. Change is
tough, learning new things is really tough, and trying to do so in an
environment where your deficiencies are repeatedly brought up is fraught
with difficulties. Who among us would like to be put on a diet by
someone else (aka NCLB), surrounded by Hostess Twinkies (aka Ipod, text
messaging, teen culture, fun!) to be rung up at the end of the entire
process as unhealthy (aka, WASL failure). I don't think I will ever do
well on a diet I don't choose myself; feel empowered to be successful
on, with necessary supports, and the right technical assistance to reach
my goals. (Sorry for the rambling....but few ask these kinds of
questions and this might be why!) One of the short/long term hopes is
that the emphasis on RTI and Differentiated Instruction will result in
creating a new axis to measure the health of our district level systems.
Any school district system that wants to operationally define
"educational excellence" must confront the reality that we have data to
suggest that for many learners our system is designed to manufacture
student failure.
A recognition that, while the idea of EVERY student graduating with 100%
skill and knowledge acquisition is the most desired goal, we are
preparing INDIVIDUAL students with what THEY want in an education for
the kind of life style they choose to have.
Invest in Quality Teachers
Collaboration (3 Comments)
Increase funding so that districts/building can build in
regular collaboration periods so that teachers can talk to teachers
daily about learning rather than struggling to "fit that in".
Build consistent time for schools and districts to collaborative and dig
deep about what is really working and what is not. Have districts
support each other...joint efforts...sharing resources. Implement
programs like AVID and Capturing Kids Hearts.
Our local schools and district would be helped if the state would pay
for teacher to collaborate outside of the 180 student-day calendar
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Instructional Practice (9
Comments)
Increasingly public classrooms, that is, all classrooms
are open to viewing by principals, other teachers and parents, has
created a desire to be the best quality educator. High quality educators
produce high quality results. (Ref. Heather Jordan, Robert Mendro, et
al.)
Training of teachers on use of current curriculum and best instructional
practices. Celebration of the small gains utilizing varied measures.
Ongoing training for staff in strategies that will help students learn
when they are struggling to learn. Mentors for our young staff for two
years rather than just one.
Intensive professional development for teachers with research based
instructional programs and strategies emphasized.
Increasingly public classrooms, that is, all classrooms are open to
viewing by principals, other teachers and parents, has created a desire
to be the best quality educator. High quality educators produce high
quality results. (Ref. Heather Jordan, Robert Mendro, et al.)
Deep, common understanding and powerful common professional supports for
the most high impact research-based strategies. For example, everybody
talks about the achievement gap, but one single intervention that could
have the greatest impact is direct vocabulary instruction to close the
gap in academic vocabulary acquisition already evident at kindergarten
(see Marzano, Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement).
Get some common language and powerful professional support about high
impact instructional strategies (see Marzano, Classroom Instruction that
works; note especially that cooperative learning is only one of these
strategies, not THE strategy, as OSPI's current audit stuff implies.
More attention to the pedagogy involved in teaching struggling learners
and providing onsite coaches who can help teachers actually implement
these practices.
Quality intentional learning.
Teaching effective strategies to teachers including SIOP(ELL), using
collaboration to evaluate student work, and using something like STAR
protocol.
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Focused Professional
Development (3 Comments)
Increased targeted training based on school based
data.
Professional development in critical teaching areas for teachers.
Our professional development is much more targeted and is helping but
much more needs to be done and I am supportive of requiring all teachers
to have at least twenty days of professional development, fully funded,
each year in order to maintain their certificate. There is no choice and
it is non-negotiable. our coaches are doing tremendous work.
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Instructional Coaches (2
Comments)
Building level instructional coaches (the building of
experts in instruction, subject specific, and management).
Math coaches and high expectations for staff.
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Administrative Training (2
Comments)
We are working toward assuring that our instructional
leaders and instructional staff all understanding the data/information
and use this in delivering and modifying instruction.
Teach principals how to utilize the strengths of their staff to
encourage ongoing development of new ideas and strategies for teaching
students.
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More Dedicated Time for Professional
Development (4 Comments)
More funds to invest in professional development at the
local level.
$ for prof. development to local districts allowing for local/regional
decisions. The $ from the legislature this year was a good start, but
too prescriptive. Clear/simplified targets from the state (revised
GLE's).
We are struggling with time to have beneficial staff development for
everyone involved.
State-wide calendar with built-in staff development days (paid for) that
could be regionally based. For example 190 teacher year with and 180
student days. State will dictate the content for those days.
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Assign Best Teachers to Neediest
Students (7 Comments)
Assign best teachers to most fragile learners; even
through powerful community members believe that their children have a
birthright to the best teachers.
Placing the most skilled teachers with the most challenging
students.
Smaller class sizes with experienced teachers who can target
instruction. Time is crucial.
Provide quality teachers to our most needy students in small class size
ration of no more than 10 students.
Classes with lower pupil teacher ratios, very competent teachers in
them, allowing more individualized and personalized instruction, and
allowing students to proceed at their own level and rate of
learning.
Provide quality instruction and this may mean re-assigning teachers
regardless of negotiated agreements.
Provide quality instruction and this may mean re-assigning teachers
regardless of negotiated agreements/ provide high quality professional
development.
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More Flexibility to Assign / Replace
Teachers (2 Comments)
Re-assigning teachers regardless of negotiated
agreements.
Lessen the grip of unions to stop the work to improve achievement.
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More, Better Prepared Math
Teachers (9 Comments)
Funding to hire more math teachers.
We must also invest immediately and heavily in increasing the number of
math and science teachers. Requiring students to take additional math
and/or science if they can't pass those sections of the WASL makes
sense, but the candidate pool we had to draw from for math teachers this
pass summer was quite honestly pathetic. Students would be better served
in classes of 40 with a highly skilled math teacher than in classes of
20 with a substandard math teacher.
--an infusion of highly trained and skilled math and science coaches at
every level....
More qualified math teachers.
ACCESSIBLE, LONG TERM (1-3 YR) PROFESSIONAL DEV. IN MATH AND
READING...PD THAT HAS FOLLOW UP FOR TEACHERS.
Math support from the state ($ to increase # of math teachers.
Best short term would be to provide quality math coaches for every
school. Providing the resources necessary (staff, materials, funds) that
will enable districts and schools to provide not only additional
instruction that best meets the students needs but also allows for those
important relationships to be built between students and adults.
Understand that math is concept sequential and that students learn at
different rates. Based on this understanding, retool math teachers to
restructure math courses into smaller chunks and develop their skills to
deliver open-entry, open-exit math courses with differentiated
instructional practices to meet the needs of each child, each day, in
each of our classrooms. I think our greatest challenge at the middle and
high school levels is teaching to the average in the majority of our
math courses.
Math coaches and high expectations for staff.
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Invest in Teacher Pay / Morale (3
Comments)
Caring teachers. The morale level of public schools is
shrinking, as is the pool of qualified candidates for employment in
public schools. The teachers are feeling overwhelmed and
underappreciated especially in schools where ELL issues loom large.
Improve the classroom teaching; pay teachers who are willing to stay
after and tutor students via state funding allocated for such rather
than the school having to find and fund such people.
More qualified math teachers - to get that, we must offer incentives
like tuition reimbursement, bonuses and/or differentiated pay.
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Alignment of … (3
Comments)
Aligning our learning standards with assessments with
effective instructional practices and the use of data in our problem
solving processes. We have taking a deep look at the student performance
data on the WASL, assessed available instructional interventions and
supports and assured that we have maintained our focus on the
differentiated needs of our students. We are working toward assuring
that our instructional leaders and instructional staff all understanding
the data/information and use this in delivering and modifying
instruction. It is important that school have systems that assure that
each and every student is linked to an adult and we understanding what
their needs are and how we are responding to them (i.e. advisories,
alignment of teachers with counselors, alignment of special needs
students, special needs teachers and counselors, collaborative planning,
ongoing conversations, training and critical discussion groups about
effective instructional practices.
Clearly aligned standards, curriculum, and instruction.
Our CARE team approach, leveling of students, restructuring subject
content, adding support classes and raising expectations for teachers
and students.
Assessments
Use Data to Inform Instruction (2
Comments)
Increased targeted training based on school based
data.
Use central resources to assist schools in disaggregating data on
success rates in classes (F's, credits earned etc.) so that schools can
focus on groups of students.
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Use Common Assessments (1
Comments)
Teach item writing, range finding and scoring of the
WASL to teachers.
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Teach to the WASL (4
Comments)
WASL like testing formats as a regular part of the
student experience. Makes the test seem normal and provides teachers
with the opportunity to assess these kinds of assessments.
Develop segmented end of course assessments in math and writing.
Teachers looking at student work together, using the data to drive
instruction.
Teach item writing, range finding and scoring of the WASL to
teachers.
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Find and Use Diagnostic Assessments
(12 Comments)
A diagnostic assessment and teachers willing to provide
the type of support the diagnostic data provides in a group level
approach.
Interventions focused on the weak areas. This takes quality
data and the WASL does not always provide data that shows
growth. Students need to be prepared for the future. Taking a low level
math class is not a help even if the student wants to attend voc. or
comm. college. They can't pass that test either. Require at least a high
school level math class. Cost -yes, staffing issues-yes, lots of
issues.
For the short term we have to stop requiring that struggling learners
fail the 10th grade WASL before they can take an alternative. We have
several years of data which proves that raising the bar higher doesn't
improve the struggling student's success in passing the WASL. Instead
they worry and become less motivated.
Also, use the Collection of Evidence as a guideline for
high schools to embed that across the curriculum beginning in 9th gr. It
not only prepares students for WASL, and provides them a Collection of
Evidence already done in case they don't meet standard, but it helps
align the entire curriculum to reading and writing GLE's and state
standards.
COE
Use MAPS to check student progress and give incentives
to teachers to teach our struggling students.
Less emphasis and money poured into the WASL. We get much more timely
and useful results from MAP. The WASL has been a money pit. Give us
money to pay teachers to work with our neediest students. The segmented
math classes have been a worthwhile investment.
Funding of assessment systems like MAP that give
teachers real-time data to improve instruction.
End of course assessments in algebra and geometry.
End of class assessments in math and science.
Since the legislature has already changed the math requirement, then
make use of segmented math classes and other options
that will help the students gain the knowledge and skills of our
standards and use this time to research best practices and solutions so
that we have something in place at the end of this transition
period.
True state support for interventions, such as segmented
math. If we need more math instruction, for example, support
it.
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Other (2 Comments)
Change math standards and move toward a NAEP type exam
in math.
Replace the WASL with an assessment that takes less time, is more widely
accepted throughout the nation, and gives feedback quickly.
Interventions
Acceleration through pre-teaching
(3 Comments)
Pre-teaching through an academy Extending learning
through AM/PM and summer Extending learning through double block
schedule Advisory system at MS and HS.
Offer student support classes during school, like AVID.
Follow the research: High expectations for all, High support including
someone to connect with and support them, accelerated learning support
classes, AVID...
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More Time (11 Comments)
Provide support classes for those students needing
additional time to learn the required skills.
Extending learning opportunities that are focused and strategic.
Providing more time for struggling students.
Extra time.
We have created resources to provide additional Para-educators in our
district to provide more intense service.
Use I 728 funds to hire Para educators who can assist teachers and
counselors in tracking/"hounding" students time. I think we need to
rethink time. Time for the school day needs to be expanded. The 1.0
student fte needs to be expanded beyond that. The same holds true for
the school year especially for students who are having difficulties or
want to go beyond the norm. If there is such a thing. We need to agree
on a definition for basic education. I personally thought the Washington
learns study provided a real portrayal as to what should be done, what
needed to be done, what to emphasize and what to de-emphasize.
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Early Intervention (2
Comments)
Early intervention all students readers by 3rd grade
concurrent with addressing time as a variable.
Focus on middle grades education. Get serious about time in core
academic areas at grades 4-8 and schedule students according to need
rather than just a function of grade level. High school is just too
late.
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Alternative Programs (1
Comment)
Enhanced funding for alternative programs for middle and
high school students.
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Student Learning Plans (3
Comments)
Identify individual deficiencies for reading and develop
strategies to solve them. Do the same for math as soon as the standards
quit changing.
--continue the practice of requiring students to be enrolled in high
school level math classes as a option for fulfilling the CAA
requirement.
Building flexibility into the daily schedule and flexibility into the
teacher work day allowing for the provision of additional help to
students combined with a requirement for students to access the
additional help.
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Intentional Instruction (12
Comments)
For us the best short-term solution has been a direct
approach on a one-on-one basis between a teacher/administrator and the
individual struggling student. With the support of I-728 and local
funds, we have encouraged our teachers to develop individual and small
group extended learning opportunities before and after school designed
to deliver very specific instruction in the areas of need to
underachieving students. In most cases the teacher presents the
proposal, with the rationale, target group and area to be served, and
the expected outcome, to the building principal, it then goes to the
superintendent and school board for approval.
Individualized instruction or tutorial support for struggling students
has been an effective instructional strategy in reading, writing, and
math.
Provide … highly trained and qualified staff to provide more so
learning can be accelerated. When districts have been able to create
this type of schedule for kids, growth happens.
Targeted Instruction.
A variety of teaching strategies with a focus on hands on
activities.
Prevention and intervention with creative problem solving done at the
building levels with powerful instructional coaches. WASL emphasis may
be secondary but still need some accountability built in for graduation
requirements.
Classes with lower pupil teacher ratios, very competent teachers in
them, allowing more individualized and personalized instruction, and
allowing students to proceed at their own level and rate of
learning.
Additional teaching strategies for students who struggle in their
deficient areas.
Availability of more direct student interventions, smaller class size,
changing special education WASL requirements, trans-disciplinary
curriculum that teaches basic skills across content areas, more common
planning etc....
Reasonable modifications of expectations for ELL, Sped, etc.
Interventions focused on the weak areas. This takes quality data and the
WASL does not always provide data that shows growth. Students need to be
prepared for the future. Taking a low level math class is not a help
even if the student wants to attend voc. or comm. college. They can't
pass that test either. Require at least a high school level math class.
Cost -yes, staffing issues-yes, lots of issues.
True state support for interventions, such as segmented math. If we need
more math instruction, for example, support it.
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More Funding/Student Accountability for
Interventions (7 Comments)
Offering the greatest level of flexibility to the
remediation resources being provided (e.g. PAS funding, math/science
professional development allocations, etc.). I understand that the
legislature wants accountability, but the amount of PAS funding
recovered clearly demonstrates that the solutions/parameters imposed by
the legislature are not always in sync with the realities of
schools.
Required extended day or extended year. Many students who qualify for
PAS support refuse services.
We need more "teeth" in the BECCA Bill and more support for extended
learning that is not optional, i.e. Homework support, summer school,
mandatory interventions...and paid time for the staff that deliver the
help.
We can't expect students that are behind to gain and surpass the
standard goal in the exact same time frame as typically developing
students. Provide funds, and highly trained and qualified staff to
provide more so learning can be accelerated. When districts have been
able to create this type of schedule for kids, growth happens.
take off the time constraints... the one size fits all idea is
ridiculous.
Additional staffing to support intervention needs.
We find that schools cannot do it alone. When external support programs
for at risk students are cut or reduced the impact reverberates
throughout that student’s time with us.
WASL / Graduation Requirements
Stay the Course (6
Comments)
Stay the course. Creating end of course assessments will
move accountability from school and district to individual teachers. We
don't need more nonsense going on.
Maintain the goal.
Don't change the expectations, but realize that students will need
different levels of time to reach/achieve the expectations.
Maintain the standards; we would not have made the progress we have seen
with voluntary standards, lower standards or no standards.
Short term solution is to stay the course. We change our message and
then we create an atmosphere that tells staff and students that we'll
alter our expectations.
We've already started on this slippery slope when we changed the grad
requirements and provided an alternative in math.
Keep WASL in reading and writing Lower pass scores in math and
science.
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Modifications for ELL and SpEd (5
Comments)
Test ELL students in their language (top 3 or 4
languages in the state)
Set realistic AYP goals.
Provide appropriate alternative assessment options for students with
disabilities and language barriers.
Test ELL students in languages they speak. Use IEP's rather than
high-stakes tests for Special Ed students. Walk away from Title l funds
and the ugly ideology that is tied to them.
1. Understand that many of our special needs students do not have the
capacity to meet the standards and take their number out of the loop. 2.
Understand that limited English students need more time to learn the
language and make additional allowances to take their numbers out of the
loop.
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Two Tiered System … More Time
(13 Comments)
Allow districts to graduate kids who have tried on the
WASL but not met standards. They have met all other grad requirements.
We simply have not had our act together on Math.
Have a differentiated diploma. If a student passes all their required
course work they earn a standard diploma. If they pass the WASL and
credits they earn an honor diploma.
Maintain options for students who may enter a "trade" or 2 year
college.
Use the high stakes test as a guide but not cut off.
There is no, I repeat no, short term solution for struggling students.
When you are trying to improve an institution like the schools, it takes
almost a generation of time. If you have a standard, not all will meet
that standard, some will fail. Helping those that fail find another
route for success, with a different measure, becomes not only necessary
but practical.
Move the students as far along as they can go. If a student starts high
school with a 5th grade reading and math level, move him to the highest
high school level possible. Add a 13th year at the high school or
community college.
We need to have the funding to provide fifth and sixth year options for
our students. Possibly in the small districts a consortium of sorts,
especially around the K-20 concept of instruction.
Face the fact that students do not learn at the same rate and develop
plans for some students to take longer at grade levels and to graduate
from high school. There is nothing magic about 4-years.
Of 150 students, roughly 20 are struggling to meet WASL standards. Two
groups of students are struggling (1) special education students and (2)
low achieving students. The spec ed students can graduate by earning the
CIA. The lower achieving students (the can't do) students who try very
hard are being left behind because they will struggle with passing the
WASL. The state needs to find a way to allow low achieving students to
earn the CIA as well so they can earn a diploma. We are going to use PAS
money for struggling seniors by providing intense instruction in reading
and writing during the school day this last semester. Hopefully,
students will be able to meet the WASL standard.
Have different benchmarks for poverty students, rather than for
ethnicity.
We have to have some incentive for them to continue. Struggling students
are giving up because they don't see that they can pass the WASL and
don't care if they pass or not.
At least let kids move on to an adult community college program if all
other graduation requirements are met. A student should be able to
access vocational programs in CC while continuing to work toward passing
the WASL and achieving a diploma. A certificate of completion seems a
viable option. Schools still have the incentive to help the student so
that the AYP sanctions do not kick in.
Formula for graduation: credits for graduation, portfolio with plan for
future, senior board or project, and exit exam. (Three of the four for
diploma. Special seal on diploma if you accomplish all four from
OSPI.
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Remove the WASL as Graduation
Requirement (11 Comments)
Take away the WASL as a grad requirement, but do not do
away with the WASL. It should have never become a grad requirement, but
rather an incentive for a more advanced transcript for post-secondary
education. It should go on a transcript and allow colleges and employers
to choose to use it, or not to use it.
Get rid of the WASL.
Do away with the WASL graduation required and trust teachers to do a
proper job of teaching and assessment. The professional opinion of an
excellent teacher is worth much more than all our WASLs.
The WASL is a test, not an assessment. Its central purpose is to rank
students and districts, and it weighs far more heavily on accountability
rather than improvement of teaching. True assessment is ongoing--even
daily--not once a year. Keep the WASL, but remove the graduation
requirement for 10th grade.
Eliminate the WASL as a graduation requirement.
Slow down the train--ed. reform is working but the assessment system is
broken--let's get that fixed. Here we are in late October and we don't
yet have WASL score results from the summer re-takes and we are already
talking about whether or not kids should walk at graduation if they
don't pass the WASL. This is crazy.
Abolish centralized high-stakes testing. It doesn't work. Let the people
who know student’s best serve them: parents and local school
districts. The appropriate role for the state is to insist that local
districts be accountable, not do dictate or inappropriately control
curricular choices or pedagogical approaches.
Also the target keeps moving. One day they can't take a DAW in 11th the
next they can. The LDAS is very promising. The sped kids have so much
data associated with eligibility that can be utilized to determine which
level of GLE they can pass. Let’s agree on an achievement test and
use the rest of the dollars to teach.
Be a voice supporting local control of graduation standards.
All local districts to determine high school graduation and let the CAA
and CIA be "endorsements" to the diploma.
FOR EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS TO BAND TOGETHER AND DO AWAY WITH THE WASL
AND GO BACK TO THE ITBS OR CTBS.
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Fight NCLB (4 Comments)
Fight the federal rules around reporting for special ed
and poverty.
Set realistic AYP goals.
Get out from the NCLB shadow.
Reject the federal government's attempt to break down the public school
system.
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Parent Involvement (2
Comments)
Parent help.
Better communication with parents as to what they can do and more
importantly communication between business and parents as to the
relevancy of the new standards for our students. Many parents don't
understand how the playing field has changed and how "what was good when
I went to school" may no longer be sufficient to provide their students
with the same opportunities they had when they entered the work force.
Enlisting mentors from business and community organizations.
Curriculum
Common … Aligned Curriculum
(2 Comments)
Though over simplified-it is past time for an OSPI
developed and provided math curriculum. Local control about math should
be surrendered to a curriculum that is assured to be aligned with the
WASL. When it comes to offering targeted teaching to levels 1 & 2
when you are small, it is difficult to comply with the rainbow of
program rules to a reality check would help-one approach really does not
fit all.
Our materials in the area of literacy and math are having a positive
effect.
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Increased Relevance (3
Comments)
Struggling students are fantastic learners; we have just
taught them the wrong things to learn. Many students who struggle
significantly in our system have learned previously that in many ways
the system doesn't have time for them. The old question we can easily
imagine a teacher saying to a struggling student is, "How many times do
I have to teach you this?" and the answer from the student should be,
"Apparently one more time, but this time in a way I can learn it." I
don't think much work has really been done in the area of student
motivation or inclinations. This is NOT about learning styles, but just
honest to goodness systems that connect the rigor of the course/content,
to the relevance of the topic, with the student on the basis of a
relationship. Missing any one of these elements is devastating to the
creation of a powerful learning culture; great students may be able to
outlive the relationship aspect if it were missing, but students at risk
for failure seldom can overcome a classroom where this variable is
absent in the presence of high standards and high relevance. If we were
to ask a struggling student, "What motivates you?" or "What would you be
willing to work extremely hard to achieve?" this might go a long way
toward maximizing student achievement. It is a short run solution,
because teachers may get an initial jump in student achievement due to
relationship variables. Students tend to tell us in BEHAVIOR what they
can find no other method of telling us. My analogy for trying to help
"struggling students" is to think of trying to help "struggling
dieters." Think about it. Change is tough, learning new things is really
tough, and trying to do so in an environment where your deficiencies are
repeatedly brought up is fraught with difficulties. Who among us would
like to be put on a diet by someone else (aka NCLB), surrounded by
Hostess Twinkies (aka Ipod, text messaging, teen culture, fun!) to be
rung up at the end of the entire process as unhealthy (aka, WASL
failure). I don't think I will ever do well on a diet I don't choose
myself; feel empowered to be successful on, with necessary supports, and
the right technical assistance to reach my goals. (Sorry for the
rambling....but few ask these kinds of questions and this might be why!)
One of the short/long term hopes is that the emphasis on RTI and
Differentiated Instruction will result in creating a new axis to measure
the health of our district level systems. Any school district system
that wants to operationally define "educational excellence" must
confront the reality that we have data to suggest that for many learners
our system is designed to manufacture student failure.
I think we should look more at relevance of curriculum. The CTE model of
blending industry standards, academic preparation and real world
application show students the need and the why of academic learning.
Continual application of traditional academic learning techniques and
strategies have not raised the bar on student scores. More equivalency
credit.
We need to start providing more relevant instruction that allows these
students to apply their learning not practice on WASL like items.
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Research Based Curriculum (4
Comments)
Love not war!!!! America's Choice Ramp-Up to Algebra
curriculum. The teachers received excellent teaching strategies through
the professional development required for this curriculum. Good results
from kids who took the class last year.
Understand that math is concept sequential and that students learn at
different rates. Based on this understanding, retool math teachers to
restructure math courses into smaller chunks and develop their skills to
deliver open-entry, open-exit math courses with differentiated
instructional practices to meet the needs of each child, each day, in
each of our classrooms. I think our greatest challenge at the middle and
high school levels is teaching to the average in the majority of our
math courses.
Build consistent time for schools and districts to collaborative and dig
deep about what is really working and what is not. Have districts
support each other...joint efforts...sharing resources. Implement
programs like AVID and Capturing Kids Hearts.
Deep, common understanding and powerful common professional supports for
the most high impact research-based strategies. For example, everybody
talks about the achievement gap, but one single intervention that could
have the greatest impact is direct vocabulary instruction to close the
gap in academic vocabulary acquisition already evident at kindergarten
(see Marzano (Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement).
Get some common language and powerful professional support about high
impact instructional strategies (see Marzano, (Classroom Instruction)
that works; note especially that cooperative learning is only one of
these strategies, not THE strategy, as OSPI's current audit stuff
implies.
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What Works (8 comments)
In the short term we need to look at growth to standard and objectively
examine which programs are working and what programs need to be
trashed.
Build consistent time for schools and districts to collaborative and dig
deep about what is really working and what is not. Have districts
support each other...joint efforts...sharing resources. Implement
programs like AVID and Capturing Kids Hearts.
Deep, common understanding and powerful common professional supports for
the most high impact research-based strategies. For example, everybody
talks about the achievement gap, but one single intervention that could
have the greatest impact is direct vocabulary instruction to close the
gap in academic vocabulary acquisition already evident at kindergarten
(see Marzano, (Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement).
Get some common language and powerful professional support about high
impact instructional strategies (see Marzano, (Classroom Instruction)
that works; note especially that cooperative learning is only one of
these strategies, not THE strategy, as OSPI's current audit stuff
implies.
Love not war!!!! America's Choice Ramp-Up to Algebra curriculum. The
teachers received excellent teaching strategies through the professional
development required for this curriculum. Good results from kids who
took the class last year.
Follow the research: High expectations for all, High support including
someone to connect with and support them, accelerated learning support
classes, AVID...
State should provide additional support to help educators in the field
to work smarter, not harder.
Avid and Early College have helped tremendously and we are seeing some
very heartening results.
Our esd's have become reactive and do so in a timely fashion. They are
in tune with their local districts and are very helpful. I would hope we
would move some of the help from ospi directly to their level. They
network exceptionally well particularly amongst themselves and are a
great resource. They need to be emphasized rather than ospi.
Standards (5 Comments)
Clear/simplified targets from the state (revised
GLE's).
Change math standards and move toward a NAEP type exam in math.
Requiring 3 credits of high school level math
Test content in mathematics rather than process
Clear direction that does not change or be in jeopardy of changing at
each moment from the state. I.e. Will we have to pass the math test or
not, will this writing prompt count or not.
Smaller Class Size (6
Comments)
Lower class size and decent facilities.
Smaller class sizes with experienced teachers who can target
instruction. Time is crucial.
State must work on reducing class size for individualized
instruction.
Focus on decreasing overall teacher loads at the HS level, not just on
class size. Teachers need to be handling 90-100 students not 150-200 if
we truly want the feedback on inquiry-based, experiential learning.
Teachers need to be handling 90-100 students not 150-200 if we truly
want the feedback on inquiry-based, experiential learning.
Classes with lower pupil teacher ratios.
Other (5 Comments)
There are no short term solutions.
What we have now seems workable for my district.
Re-focus what we are doing. More added to district and school plates,
taking away resources and time needed to devote to student learning.
Provide the funding without all of the "strings" and reporting
requirements so that more time is spent on task helping students learn
rather than managing all of the paperwork.
More money.
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