Editor's Notes: The PPI "21st Century Schools Project Update" is a bi-weekly email newsletter published by PPI's 21st Century Schools Project. To sign up for a free subscription, click here . (Check the box next to "Education.") Original links are included though some may have expired.
News and Commentary
1.) Higher Ed Happenings
2.) Science, Math, and Sex
3.) Public School Choice is All Around
4.) AP Debate
5.) Making Something Out of a Pig's Ear(marks)
Departments:
6.) Charter News: Charter Legislation Update, Return to Sender, Hawaii 5-d'oh!, Sensible Responses, New GAO Report, New NACSA Resource
7.) Quick Clicks: Liberal Defense of NCLB, Profiling Brad Jupp, The Law of Unintended Consequences, Big Buildings, Small Schools, Trusting Higher Ed, Arizona Mentoring, Quarters from Kids, Calling New Leaders, Broad Residency
And be sure to check out www.eduwonk.com for more daily news and commentary on education, including: Credit Where It's Due, Plenty Of Golden State Action Including The Battle Of Hastings, The Dangerous Sponge Bob!, The Exceptionalism of Margaret Spellings? Pork Out!, More On The Liberal Case for NCLB, Plus much more!
Fact to Consider:
More than half the nation's public school students had a choice of where to attend in 2003. Some 15.4 percent opted for schools other than their assigned ones -- a 40 percent leap in 10 years.
(SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, as reported by Boston Globe. See item 3 below).
Two weeks ago, President Bush announced plans to raise the maximum Pell Grant by $100 over each of the next five years, to a new maximum Pell Grant of $4,550 by 2010. Federal Pell Grant appropriations have risen substantially in the past four years, but the maximum Pell Grant (which indicates how much aid individual students can receive) has stagnated because of increases in the number of eligible students. This move is long overdue because if the maximum grant level does not rise the real value of Pell Grants falls for students. Although increases to the Pell maximum during the Clinton administration slowed this decline, the maximum Pell Grant covers only 40 percent of public university tuition today, compared to 84 percent in 1976.
Pell is a somewhat unusual federal program because it operates like an entitlement for students (any individual student who is eligible receives aid) but is funded by discretionary appropriations, and in recent years increasing numbers of eligible students have caused Pell's obligations to outstrip Congressional appropriations. Bush proposes to address this situation, and provide funding for the $500 Pell maximum increase, by treating Pell funding as a mandatory spending item for the next five years. This policy would be both good for students and politically smart for the administration, helping to dispel furor over their inexplicably timed Christmas-break decision to update data in student loan funding formulas, which rendered several thousand students ineligible for Pell Grants.
The other side of this issue, of course, is that everyone has now been down this road before. Big promising talk, but how serious is the administration about enacting this policy? And how serious are they about funding it responsibly, given the current deficit and tight federal budget situation? After all, four years ago they proposed "enhanced" Pell grants for disadvantaged students who complete a rigorous high school curriculum, an idea that seems to have fallen off the radar screen as soon as it left the president's lips. And financing Pell grants by cutting important programs elsewhere is just robbing Peter to pay Paul. There are indications that the administration will try to pay for Pell increases by reforming the guaranteed student loan program to reduce subsidies to private lenders. We think that's a good policy idea (see Straight Talk on Student Loans, by Robert Shireman, linked below). But lenders in the guaranteed program have plenty of Republican allies in Congress, and it's worth watching how hard the administration is willing to push on this issue.
Also worth watching is how temporary mandatory funding status for Pell impacts efforts to make full IDEA funding mandatory, which some observers think this latest development is likely to undermine.
"Bush Proposes $500 Boost for Student Aid,"
Michael A. Fletcher, Washington Post (01/15/05):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/
A10576-2005Jan14.html
"Straight Talk on Student Loans,"
Robert Shireman, Progressive Policy Institute (September 2004):
http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=110
&subsecid=900023&contentid=252876
"New Pell Proposal...Better Optics?"
Eduwonk, (01/18/05):
http://www.eduwonk.com/archives/
2005_01_16_archive.html#110581466733048610
Harvard President and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers managed to provoke another pseudo-scandal last week, when his remarks to a National Bureau of Economic Research conference were interpreted by some as suggesting women may have less aptitude than men in science and math.
The issue is now being blown out of proportion. Slate's Will Saletan weighs in on that. Besides, it's not even clear what exactly Summers said, since no transcript of his remarks exists. Summers was asked to speak to a NBER conference specifically focused on exploring differences in male and female representation and achievement in math and sciences, and it's hardly certain he intended anything other than to simply provoke debate by discussing a variety of proposed explanations for these differences. His remarks have certainly done that.
As researchers responding to the Summers uproar note, there are likely a wide variety of issues in play. But schools almost certainly play some role in creating or sustaining gaps in women's math and science achievement.
Fortunately, there are some promising approaches to address these issues. For instance, researchers have found that single-sex educational environments can help close the gap. While that's hardly the solution for all girls, it is another argument for charter and public school choice arrangements that can make more single-sex options available in the public sector for parents that seek them. In addition, NCLB's focus on scientifically based curricula could help strengthen math and science teaching for both genders, while calls from groups like Achieve and Ed Trust to strengthen high school course-taking requirements to include four years of rigorous math as well as key science content would also help make sure more girls took such classes. Such policies could help reduce the achievement gaps suffered by students from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds as well.
"Just the Facts, Sir,"
AAUW Response to Summers' Comments (01/18/05) (includes links to reports on girls and math and science in school):
http://www.aauw.org/newsroom/pressreleases/050118.cfm
"Summers' Comments on Women and Science Draw Ire,"
Daniel J. Hemel, Harvard Crimson (01/17/05):
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=505349
"Harvard Chief Defends His Talk on Women,"
Sam Dillon, New York Times (01/18/05):
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/18/
national/18harvard.html
"Lawrence Summers, Provocateur,"
James Traub, New York Times (01/23/05):
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/23/
weekinreview/23trau.html
"Don't Worry Your Pretty Little Head,"
William Saletan, Slate (01/21/05):
http://slate.msn.com/id/2112570/
"Female Professors Assail Remarks by Harvard's President, Who Says It's All a Misunderstanding,"
Piper Fogg, Chronicle of Higher Education (01/19/05):
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2005/01/2005011903n.htm
The Expectations Gap: A 50-State Review of High School Graduation Requirements,
Achieve (January 2005):
http://www.achieve.org/
Three recent articles demonstrate how parent choice is increasingly being woven into the fabric of K-12 public education around the country.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune's Steve Brandt visits a parent choice fair for Minneapolis Public Schools. In addition to their neighborhood schools, Minneapolis parents can choose from one of several magnets operated by the district, numerous independent charter schools, or "open enrollment" options in neighboring school districts. Because the open enrollment and charter alternatives have contributed to falling enrollment in Minneapolis district schools over the last few years, the district is stepping up efforts to market to parents, including the informational fair and a new website that helps parents identify schools offering characteristics that they particularly value.
The Boston Globe's Mary Lord looks at the range of choices available to Massachusetts parents as well as the difficulties they face making choice decisions. Although one in four Massachusetts students exercised some form of school choice in 2003, many choices remain limited or confusing. For example, many higher-performing school districts decline to participate in open enrollment programs that allow students to attend schools in a district other than the one in which they live. Successful charter schools, particularly in the Boston area, have long waitlists, but current state caps prevent expanding the number of new charter schools to meet demand. Despite complaints from some about the complexity and confusing nature of some choice mechanisms, it seems clear that many Massachusetts parents want more -- not less -- choice.
And, the Los Angeles Times' Jean Merl looks at "school-shopping season" in the Los Angeles area. Parents in Los Angeles may consider a variety of magnet and charter school options, and many must also consider the option of moving their children to a different district school from one deemed low-performing under No Child Left Behind. In nearby Pasadena, meanwhile, the district has focused aggressively on attracting families to the district's schools rather than private or charter options, offering full-day kindergarten, magnets, and open enrollment, and marketing all of its schools aggressively to parents of potential students.
While the expansion of choices offers new and better opportunities for many parents to find schools that meet their child's needs, all the accounts note that the process can seem stressful and confusing for many parents. That's not an argument against choice, however, but rather for more information and support to help parents make effective decisions. The Picky Parent Guide, a recent book by Bryan C. Hassel and Emily Ayscue Hassel, themselves parents of young children, provides a valuable resource to help parents work through these important decisions. And the fact that its publisher saw a significant market for such a book demonstrates just how wide-spread choosing is becoming and how seriously parents are taking it.
"Minneapolis Schools Woo Parents at Choice Fair,"
Steve Brandt, Star Tribune (01/09/05):
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5176274.html
"Making Sense of School Choice,"
Mary Lord, Boston Globe (01/09/05):
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/
articles/2005/01/09/making_sense_of_school_choice/
"School Search is an Education,"
Jean Merl, Los Angeles Times (01/09/05):
L.A. Times archives
(Full article only available by purchase)
The Picky Parent Guide,
Bryan C. Hassel and Emily Ayscue Hassel (2004):
http://www.pickyparent.com/
The popularity of Advanced Placement (AP) classes has grown dramatically in recent years, with more than one million students entering college with some advanced credit and educators and policymakers lauding the potential of AP courses to prepare students to succeed in college. But new research is raising questions about whether or not AP courses deserve the credit and attention they've received -- particularly when it comes to college admissions processes. A recent study by Berkeley's Saul Geiser and Veronica Santelices found that AP classes and credit are poor indicators of incoming college students' future academic performance and criticized the emphasis many elite colleges put on AP in making admissions decisions.
AP courses are widely praised for introducing rigor into high school curriculum, but relying on them for making college admissions decisions can also introduce inequities, since students in high-poverty schools are much less likely to have access to AP courses.
A second report, written by higher education expert Robert Shireman for Berkeley's Center of Studies for Higher Education, considers these issues and offers recommendations for a progressive rearrangement of California's priorities for high schools. Specifically, he proposes reducing the focus on college entrance and AP exams, while raising the rigor and number of of core academic high school classes required to graduate. This approach would level the playing field for disadvantaged students, while also maintaining focus on increasing rigor in high school coursework so that students are prepared for postsecondary success.
"Advanced Course Bonus Points Challenged,"
Jay Matthews, Washington Post (1/10/05):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
articles/A64014-2005Jan10.html
"Are Bonus Points for Hard Classes Unfair?"
Jay Matthews, Washington Post (10/28/04):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
articles/A30972-2004Dec28.html
"Advanced Placement Courses Cast Wider Net,"
Kathleen Kennedy Manzo, Education Week (11/3/04):
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/
2004/11/03/10ap.h24.html
"The Role of Advanced Placement and Honors Courses in College Admissions,"
Saul Geiser & Veronica Santelices UC Berkeley Center for Studies of Higher Education (2004):
http://ishi.lib.berkeley.edu/cshe/publications/
papers/papers/ROP.Geiser.4.04.pdf
"Rigorous Courses and Student Achievement in High School,"
Robert Shireman, UC Berkeley Center for Studies of Higher Education (8/04):
http://ishi.lib.berkeley.edu/cshe/publications/
papers/papers/ROP.Shireman.Courses.13.04.pdf
The Washington Times' George Archibald takes a look at some of the 1,175 "earmarks" -- funding allocations placed in appropriations bills by Senators and Representatives for specific programs and projects in their districts, commonly known as pork -- in the 2005 federal budget. The earmarks' total cost comes to roughly $400 million.
Some of these projects may be worthy, but there are many reasons to be concerned about the growth of earmarks. In general terms, federal education dollars should be used strategically to focus on key investments of national significance and leverage additional spending. Earmarks divert money from key purposes and scatter it around to a variety of small activities where impacts are impossible to assess and there is no accountability. They also undermine key federal programs -- for example, the Chronicle of Higher Education notes that so much of the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education appropriation was set aside for earmarks, the Department had to cancel its annual grant competition. Earmarking also further tilts the tables against small and/or rural school districts that already have a hard time competing for competitive grant funds as it is.
Finally, in a time of tight budgets, it's simply unseemly for members of Congress to treat the education budget as a cookie jar to hand out treats in their districts. For much of the history of education funding, key appropriators strictly kept pork out of education appropriations bills, but now they're becoming some of the fattiest in the federal budget. A real reform agenda for today would cut off the pork.
"Education Earmarks Clog Budget Bill,"
George Archibald, Washington Times (01/09/05):
http://washingtontimes.com/national/
20050109-120809-9076r.htm
"Pork Crowds Out the Competition,"
Kelly Field, Chronicle of Higher Education (01/07/05):
http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v51/i18/18a03301.htm
(Subscription required)
"Pork Out,"
Eduwonk (01/19/05):
http://www.eduwonk.com/archives/
2005_01_16_archive.html#110581118078056592
Charter legislation update: There's quite a bit of charter school buzz on the legislative front this year. The California legislature will take another look at expanding authorizing in the state and other charter reforms backed by the Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). The Indiana legislature will examine ways to expand charter school growth in the Hoosier State. Massachusetts will debate charter school funding mechanisms (while possibly fending off moratorium threats), and in South Carolina the House Education and Public Works Committee recently passed a proposal to create a statewide charter district (a plan that failed last year).
Colorado legislators will debate whether the newly created state authorizing institute, intended to charter schools in districts that have resisted chartering, should be dismantled. Legislation authorizing the institute, originally sponsored by Rep. Terrance Carroll (D) and State Sen. Peter Groff (D), initially drew support from many Democrats. But now, district complaints that the law unfairly punishes school districts that place moratoriums on charter schools have sparked efforts to dismantle it. The proposed changes would both abolish the state institute and let local school districts limit both the numbers of charter schools that can be opened in a district and how many students they may enroll. Rep. Carroll warns that such restrictive changes would be a "backdoor attempt to completely undo charter schools in the state."
Return to sender: Cambridge area parents will soon receive a surprising letter in the mail. The Cambridge public school district is directly challenging a new charter school in the city, the Community Charter School of Cambridge, sending letters to parents that question the charter school's academics (and charter school achievement more generally) and warn that students who attend the charter won't be able to join sports and clubs at other public schools. The controversy largely stems from a rivalry between the school district and the Community Charter School's founders, all former principals, teachers, and administrators from the district's alternative secondary school, Cambridge Rindge and Latin. The letter doesn't talk up the district's successes or achievements much (Rindge and Latin was placed on academic probation in 2003 for various reasons, including low test scores), but it does single out the Community Charter School as a threat. Nevertheless, the charter school's founders aren't backing down. They plan to open this September and use ties with Harvard University and MIT to provide their students with an intimate learning environment focused on liberal arts and technology. They eventually would like to collaborate with the school district, as well.
Hawaii 5-d'oh! Hawaii's "poorly written and vague" charter law may be to blame for haphazard oversight of the state's 27 charter schools, according to a recent state audit. The audit found that the State Board of Education -- Hawaii's only authorizer (Hawaii is also the only state in the country that does not have local school districts, placing all school district responsibilities in the hands of the state agency) -- has been aware of mismanagement and financial troubles at many charter schools but has done very little to hold these schools accountable or find better ways to monitor charters. The state board attributes these failures mainly to limited staff specifically devoted to charter schools and to problems dealing with charter school directors. However, Hawaii's charter statute may be too unclear about the oversight responsibilities of authorizers, and the state board has missed opportunities to take leadership and clarify these policies. Although recent efforts have focused on expanding new charter growth in the state, none thus far have focused on improving authorizer quality. Armed with recommendations from the audit, the state legislature is set to consider several improvements to the charter school law this year.
Sensible Responses: Long-time charter school researcher Paul Hill writes in Education Week that recent, high-profile studies on charter school achievement tells us little more than we knew about charters before. Good answers, he explains, take time; making conclusions about charter school achievement required balanced assessment taking into account numerous factors, something recent studies only begin to do.
Also, Johnathan Williams, founder of Accelerated Schools and member of the California State School Board, responds with an "insider's perspective" to Amy Stuart Wells' recent Washington Post op-ed criticizing charter schools. He notes that some of the most notable charter school success stories are found in urban communities and run by teams of dedicated, politically diverse educators and community activists. Williams also notes that charters, nationwide, are doing better and gaining more ground than critics want to acknowledge, and touches on the larger political implications of this.
New GAO report: GAO looks at how states ensure charter school flexibility and promote accountability, the implications of the No Child Left Behind Act for charter schools, and the role the U.S. Department of Education plays in charter school accountability. The conclusions? GAO recommends the Department take more of a leadership role in collecting and tracking data on charter schools (something the Department has already been working on). You can read the full report here:
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d055.pdf
New NACSA resource: The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) has a new authorizer issue brief out this month. The latest article, "Square Pegs: Charter School Authorizers in Non-Charter Agencies," explores the challenges authorizers face when they are part of a larger institution with a focus that extends beyond authorizing and monitoring charter schools. You can find it here:
http://www.charterauthorizers.org/
files/nacsa/BECSA/IssueBriefNo7.pdf
"State universities should be sponsors of charter schools,"
Mercury News editorial (01/20/05):
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/
mercurynews/news/opinion/10688696.htm
"Charter bill could bring 35 schools,"
Staci Hupp, Indianapolis Star (01/21/05):
http://www.indystar.com/articles/4/211141-1214-098.html
"Charter school bill heads to House floor,"
Associated Press (01/18/05):
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/10675312.htm
"Democrats divided over charter-school changes,"
Colleen Slevin, The Denver Post (01/20/05):
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/
0,1413,36~61~2664284,00.html
"Cambridge schools aim at rival,"
Maria Sacchetti, The Boston Globe (01/12/05):
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/
2005/01/12/cambridge_schools_aim_at_rival/
"Charter Schools' Troubles Audited,"
Derrick DePledge, Honolulu Advisor (01/13/05):
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/
2005/Jan/13/ln/ln05p.html
"Assessing Student Performance in Charter Schools,"
Paul T. Hill, Education Week (01/12/05):
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/
2005/01/12/18hill.h24.html
"A Cheap Shot At Charters,"
Johnathan Williams, Washington Post (01/15/04):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
articles/A10928-2005Jan14.html
Intelligent Commentary
A recent NYT editorial on the Evolution/Creationism/Intelligent Design debate addresses these issues with seriousness and respect and is sure to generate debate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/23/opinion/23sun1.html
Winning Hearts and Minds
In an important Education Week commentary, former Urban League president Hugh Price challenges some common assumptions and calls for a "Gospel of Achievement" to lift the prospects of disadvantaged students.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/
2005/01/19/19price.h24.html
Liberal Defense of NCLB
Mother Jones' Bradford Plumer lays out a liberal pro-NCLB case in his personal blog:
http://plumer.blogspot.com/
2005_01_01_plumer_archive.html#110568741853296222
Brad Jupp
A must-read NYT piece profiles Denver Classroom Teachers Association's Brad Jupp, who's been the driving force for the professional compensation/pay for performance plan being implemented there. Jupp's a union organizer willing to call national teachers unions on the carpet today for supporting a policy status quo that short-changes both teachers and kids.
http://www.nytimes.com/
2005/01/16/education/edlife/EDUNIO.html
Reading Red
PPI's Andrew Rotherham reviews Ted Sizer's The Red Pencil in the New York Post.
http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/books/39007.htm
More Strong Arm Action
It's fading from the news, but fall out from the U.S. Department of Education's Armstrong Williams debacle continues. If you haven't been following it, catch up on www.eduwonk.com at these links:
http://www.eduwonk.com/archives/
2005_01_16_archive.html#110615851147783827
http://www.eduwonk.com/archives/
2005_01_16_archive.html#110609039317422210
http://www.eduwonk.com/archives/
2005_01_09_archive.html#110563318778932863
http://www.eduwonk.com/archives/
2005_01_09_archive.html#110548568354191380
The Law of Unintended Consequences
NYT's David Herzsenhorn looks at unexpected -- and negative -- impacts of New York City's school reform efforts in one of the district's schools.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/14/
nyregion/14school.html?ex=1263445200
&en=12fc4d8b01a40b69&ei=5090
Trusting Higher Ed?
The Education Trust, known for using data and advocating high standards for low-income students in K-12, has issued a cutting report that looks at college graduation rates to see which colleges and universities are doing better or worse than comparable schools, based on student population and school characteristics. Ed Trust also identifies key features of schools that exceed expectations, including: academic and social support counseling for first- and second-year students, emphasizing teaching rather than research for professors, and holding administrators accountable for graduation rates. In addition to the report, Ed Trust also has a nifty new online data tool, linked below.
http://www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/collegeresults/
http://www2.edtrust.org/NR/rdonlyres/
11B4283F-104E-4511-B0CA-
1D3023231157/0/highered.pdf
Big Buildings, Small Schools
A new report from Jobs for the Future looks at the small schools high school reform strategy and lays out and discusses key decision issues for policymakers interested in pursuing or supporting small schools initiatives.
http://www.jff.org/jff/PDFDocuments/
smallschools.pdf
Arizona Mentoring
The Rodel Foundation's Carol Peck highlights the importance of mentoring for new teachers, and describes the Arizona K-12 Center's work to support new teacher mentor programs.
http://www.azcentral.com/home/
columns/articles/0103edpeck03.html
Quarters from Kids
Quarters from Kids is a grassroots-based network of relief, religious, civil rights, community education, and service organizations working to engage America's youth and adults who work with them to support relief efforts aimed at helping Tsunami survivors in SouthEast Asia by providing concrete ways kids can help. Learn more here:
http://www.quartersfromkids.org/index.php
Calling New Leaders
Think you've got what it takes to be the principal of an urban public school? New Leaders for New Schools, a national nonprofit that trains promising individuals with education and leadership experience to become principals, and places them in mentorships in urban schools, is looking for its next class of aspiring New Leaders. The final deadline is March 15, and you can learn more here:
http://applynlns.org/nlns/jobboard/listjobs.asp
Broad Residency
The Broad Residency in Urban education is seeking promising emerging leaders with a MBA, JD, or MPP to participate in a two-year residency and training program designed to equip them with the skills to serve as leaders and change agents in district-level leadership and management positions in high-need urban school districts or charter management organizations. Click here for more details:
http://www.broadresidency.org/
The 21st Century Schools Project Bulletin is written by Sara Mead and Renee Rybak and edited by Andrew Rotherham. The Bulletin is published every other week. For more information about us visit:
www.ppionline.org/ppi_ka.cfm?knlgAreaID=110
Do you like reading the Bulletin to start your morning, relaxing with a 21st Century Schools Project paper or report after a long day, or do you just have some extra cash? You can help support our work by contributing online. Small contributions welcome, large ones graciously accepted! Contributions to PPI are tax-deductible. Click to https://secure.ga3.org/05/support to support the 21st Century Schools Project's work on education reform.
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