Ever since the release of A Nation At Risk, Education reformers have been crying doom and gloom. The report outlined issues like the following (The National Commission on Excellence in Education):
- Student grades have increased despite a reduction of homework and Student performance
- A high number of low rigor electives courses can be used for credit toward graduation
- Many students are able to "master" course content without ever using the textbook, which hints at lowered levels of expectations for students
- Teachers have to supplement their incomes by gaining other modes of employment
- Many teachers are technically unqualified to teach courses like mathematics and the sciences
The intent of the report has been to help those who could not seem to help themselves, like minorities and the impoverished who are underrepresented in politics, by shedding light on these problem areas, so it is thought. The ripples of the report have led to several recent federal directives, like No Child Left Behind (DOE, 2001) and Race to the Top (DOE, 2009).
Yet, as most things in life, there was something deeper happening in the world of policy-making and education. The information in the Nation At Risk Report may have been guilty on technical grounds. The Sandia Report exposed a statistical issue, defined as Simpson's Paradox (Ansary).
Simpson's Paradox is a phenomenon best described by the change in statistical direction that can occur when looking at data from disaggregate sets and its aggregate set. Ender (1998) uses an example to illicit the paradox by showing how several minority groups can have an increase in test scores, but when the aggregate data (total information) is formed, it shows a different -- overall declining -- result. It ultimately stems from disproportionate subpopulation numbers that can be misleading when grouped as a whole.
Simpson's Paradox is a phenomenon best described by the change in statistical direction that can occur when looking at data from disaggregate sets and its aggregate set. Ender (1998) uses an example to illicit the paradox by showing how several minority groups can have an increase in test scores, but when the aggregate data (total information) is formed, it shows a different -- overall declining -- result. It ultimately stems from disproportionate subpopulation numbers that can be misleading when grouped as a whole.
A skeptical person could interpret the error as purposeful. Or, it may be ignorance of statistics on a grander scale, which has permeated the upper echelon of education researchers. In either case, it is imperative that data in education be used very carefully, especially when evaluating teachers (Karadimos), entire School districts, or a national education system.
The focus on minorities in education have encouraged some educators to cite a 'sphere of control' defensive argument. They point to the detriments of low socio-economics, like language skill deficits, high drop-out rates, and reduced learning speeds (APA). A new study connects absenteeism in schools to mental illness and depression (Wood).
Focusing on negatives, although necessary to understand the limitations of a learning community, is a less than effective way to approach school improvement. Doing so would be called 'deficit thinking,' where educators view students living in poverty as lacking and consequently blame students and their parents for barriers in the classroom (Jeffords).
Instead, institutions have been leaning toward the implementation of Danielson's Framework and focusing on improving teacher performance (University of Chicago). Student performance indicators, like test scores, has been finding its way within teacher evaluations (Hunsberger). If it is to be done properly, to help teachers and schools reach their true potential, this data must be used with more care than has been used in the past.
The track record of schools has indicated they use data improperly. For instance, there is a school district (purposefully unnamed) that noticed high test scores of students who take college preparatory courses, like four years of mathematics and the trifecta of sciences: biology, chemistry, and physics. Consequently, this district mandated students to take these courses, thinking it would raise test scores.
However, it was a spurious correlation to assume the courses alone was the key to raising student performance on test scores. Hidden connections were overlooked. For instance, it is possible that the students who would normally take such course loads would have had sufficient background skills, the necessary support structure at home, and the intrinsic motivation to help them be successful in those courses.
What is not in debate is that student data should be harvested and used for school improvement purposes and for teacher evaluation. How it is gained, which data to analyze, and to what proportion the data is used within an evaluation is in question. The goal is to make teachers a quintessential part of the improvement process, not alienated or somehow separate from it.
According to School-Based Management, called SBM (Wohlstetter and Mohrman):
"The role of teachers also changes in a fundamental way. Although they have always managed their own classrooms, SBM implies an extension of their focus to include participating in shaping the school environment, creating the school vision, working with other stakeholders to determine goals and objectives, and taking responsibility for resource allocation and use. Their influence shifts from individual control over their classroom domain to influence exercised in a variety of collective forums, including councils, problem-solving groups, and various kinds of work teams."
Within this School-Based Management strategy, teachers are inherently necessary in gaining success in a learning community. This requires mutual respect and autonomy among teachers, administrators, and community members.
When Michelle Rhee ran Washington schools, she expected principals to maintain orderly hallways and classrooms (Whitmire). This certainly can only be accomplished by empowering teachers and making them mutual partners in the education process.
When Michelle Rhee ran Washington schools, she expected principals to maintain orderly hallways and classrooms (Whitmire). This certainly can only be accomplished by empowering teachers and making them mutual partners in the education process.
Despite the necessary partnership that must exist to gain an effective school, part of the problem is the lack of teacher respect. Making teachers serve breakfast to students (Libman) and endure students who taunt and then video tape teachers (Downey) speak volumes of the impact politics has had on the role of being an effective teacher these past few years.
When we acknowledge these roadblocks and create mutually inclusive decision-making practices, schools will be able to overcome them. Until then, schools will continue to dodge stones cast by outsiders who see fractured systems and less than optimum learning taking place.
Resources
Ansary (2007) Education at Risk: Fallout from a Flawed Report. Accessed on December 26th, 2011 at: http://www.edutopia.org/landmark-education-report-nation-risk
American Psychological Association (2011) Education and Socioeconomics. Accessed on December 26th, 2011 at: http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/factsheet-education.aspx
Downey (2011) Cyberbaiting teachers: In the media, but is it in the schools? Atlanta Journal-Constitution Blog. Accessed on December 27th, 2011 at: http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2011/12/22/cyberbaiting-teachers-in-the-media-but-is-it-in-the-schools/?cxntfid=blogs_get_schooled_blog
Ender (1998) Education Introduction to Research Design and Statistics: Simpson's Paradox. Accessed on December 26th, 2001 at: http://www.philender.com/courses/intro/simpson.html
Jeffords (2011) Helping poor students 'comes with a cost.' Niagara Falls Review. Accessed on December 26th, 2011 at: http://www.isbe.state.il.us/peac/pdf/nat_implications_uoc.pdf
Hunsberger (2011)The War Over Teacher Evaluations Misses the Point. Huffington Post's Teach Plus. Accessed on December 27th, 2011 at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/teach-plus/the-war-over-teacher-eval_b_1162891.html
Karadimos (2011) Education The Politics of Data in Education. Accessed on December 26th, 2011 at: http://gigagod.blogspot.com/2011/01/politics-of-data-in-education.html
Libman (2011) Why so much disrespect toward teachers? Chicago Tribune Opinion. Accessed on December 27th, 2011 at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-perspec-1127-school-20111127,0,6535204.story
The National Commission on Excellence in Education (1983) A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. Accessed on December 26th, 2011 at: http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/findings.html
U.S. Department of Education (2001) No Child Left Behind. Accessed on December 26th, 2011 at: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html
U.S. Department of Education (2009) Race to the Top. Accessed on December 26th, 2011 at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/legislation.html
University of Chicago (n.d.) National Implications of “Rethinking Teacher Evaluation” Accessed on December 26th, 2011 at: http://www.isbe.state.il.us/peac/pdf/nat_implications_uoc.pdf
Whitmire (2011)What's Working in Urban Schools. Huffington Post. Accessed on December 27th, 2011 at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-whitmire/whats-working-in-urban-sc_b_1153297.html
Wohlstetter and Mohrman (1993) School-Based Management: Strategies for Success. Accessed on December 27th, 2011 at: http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/CPRE/fb2sbm.html
Wood (2011) School Absenteeism, Mental Health Problems Linked. Accessed on December 27th, 2011 at: http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/12/25/school-absenteeism-mental-health-problems-linked/32937.html
