MA Scores $250 M in Race To The Top.... What Does It Mean?

Last week came the monumental news that the Commonwealth was one of the 12 recipients of the federal government's Race to the Top competition. Largely based upon total student population, Massachusetts was awarded $250 million by the US Department of Education. This is certainly great news.... but to be clear, by no means is this extra money for the operating expenses of cash-strapped districts. Rather, it is an infusion of funds for a four-year period to help accelerate the reforms envisioned by the Obama administration.

As the Massachusetts RTTT application indicates, the vision of the use of the funds is clearly aligned with the RTTT Program priorities: improving standards and assessments, improving teacher and principal quality, improving data systems that support instruction, and support to turn around failing schools. While implementing the four "turnaround" strategies is important for schools with chronic failure as measured by poor MCAS scores, poor graduation & attendance rates, etc., I honestly don't believe that aspect of the grant will affect our world that much in Mansfield. Here are the areas in which I believe it will:

1. Along with 34 other states and the District of Columbia, Massachusetts has adopted the Common Core Standards in English Language Arts and mathematics. This set of rigorous standards will replace the MA Curriculum Frameworks which have been in place since the early 1990's. While the new standards are very closely aligned with the existing MA standards, some curricular adjustments will need to be made in various grade levels. The grant calls for the provision of numerous curriculum maps and resources to help teachers with this change. Also, we can anticipate that the MCAS in ELA and mathematics will change, as a new state assessment (one that is computer-based) will commence in 2014 or 2015. Needless to say, there has been considerable political debate about this potential move.

2. Massachusetts' already rich education data warehouse will become more user-friendly, providing a wealth of information on student performance for teachers. However, accountability will take a quantum leap forward as the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) will require all districts to provide student schedules and teacher names for the data warehouse database. The intent is to link student performance and growth on MCAS with individual teachers and classrooms. For teachers who do not teach MCAS-tested subjects, the grant calls for the creation and implementation of benchmark assessments to be given at all grade levels. Similar to MCAS results, student performance on these assessments would be tracked back to individual teachers.

3. The RTTT grant also will provide for a new teacher and principal evaluation framework that will help both have clearer standards of performance. A huge change here is the provision that student performance (as measured by MCAS results, benchmark assesssment results, MCAS growth factor, etc.) should be a significant portion of the criteria by which teacher and principal effectiveness is evaluated. Needless to say, the is an enormous shift!!

It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out in the coming year. Of the grant, $125 million is staying at DESE to develop these structures. The other half will be dispersed to the districts who signed on to RTTT vis-a-vis Title I eligibility. This money very much will have strings attached, as the expectation will be to have completed targets in the above strategic areas. To see this work through will take a tremendous amount of time and effort, but I believe that it is the next step in the standards and accountability evolution.

ImPACT Testing- A New Proactive Approach

I've heard some startling statistics recently regarding high school student-athletes and concussions. Roughly 1 in 5 student athletes experience one each sports season. Upwards of 85% of all concussions are never diagnosed. Fifty percent of all high school football players will experience at least one concussion during their playing tenure. The below short video clip from CBS News sheds more light on the topic:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

The Mansfield High School Athletics Department has purchased the ImPACT concussion evaluation software that is shown in the above clip.

ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is the first, most-widely used, and most scientifically validated computerized concussion evaluation system.

Developed in the early 1990's by Drs. Mark Lovell and Joseph Maroon, ImPACT is an approximately 30-minute test that has become a standard tool used in comprehensive clinical management of concussions for athletes of all ages.

The ImPact program is a computerized neurocognitive test which evaluates verbal and visual memory, reaction time, and impulse control. The test provides baseline information which can be used to help determine the severity of injury when a student hits his/her head and is believed to have a concussion.

Please refer to http://www.impacttest.com/ for more information.

Baseline measurements need to be taken of each student-athlete. The Athletic Deptartment will begin baseline measurements at Mansfield High School on June 21, 2010 for all high school students who are planning to participate in the fall sports of football, boys' and girls' soccer and field hockey. Students will be given schedules of testing times this week.

Thereafter, only new student-athletes receive a baseline measurement while anyone who is suspected of a concussion is closely monitored according to his/her situation.

Please note that if you do not want your child to participate in this program, the Athletic Department needs to be notified by the student’s parent/guardian in writing.

Outliers and Schools... What are the Implications?

I recently finished Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers: The Story of Success, a fascinating exploration of what factors truly lead to success. This book studies exactly what creates success for any individual person. Gladwell uses the term “outlier” to describe men and women who do things out of the ordinary. These are folks who are really at the top of their game or the best in their chosen field, hence they enjoy success. Furthermore, he debunks the notions that people are “born into greatness” or there’s such a thing as a “self-made man.” Rather, all of us have an advantage in one particular area, and good old-fashioned effort and hard work make the difference.

Interestingly enough, Gladwell asks the following question in the book: How much practice do you have to have before you’re really great at something? Through fairly detailed research, he comes up with the answer which he calls the “10,000 Hour Rule” which is this: For you to become truly outstanding at any cognitively complex task, you have to commit 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to it. Outliers have lived up to the 10,000 hours and probably then some…

The book gives examples from throughout history of famous outliers. For example, Mozart began playing the keyboard and violin at age 3, and started composing at age 6, easily working on his 10,000 hours by creating over 400 concertos before age 12. The Beatles amassed roughly 10,000 hours of live performances in Liverpool, England and Hamburg, Germany when they were still honing their craft between 1960 and 1964. Bill Gates, as a geeky, awkward adolescent, had the opportunity to practice computer programming (his passion from age 12 on) for about 10,000 hours in the elite Seattle prep school he attended from 1968 to 1973. When all of these individuals were presented with the opportunity to follow a passion and improve, they put forth the effort and practiced with a vengeance. Gladwell's point about these outliers having sufficient opportunities to meet these 10,000 hours is well-taken. Imagine if all students could have opportunities such as Gates', where a student could follow a passion to the highest degree in a highly personalized learning environment!

A second major area Gladwell delves into is the relationship between achievement and culture as he aims to untangle long-standing puzzles about success and nationality.

"One of the puzzles that educators have thought about for years is why is it that kids from Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and China vastly outperform their American or Western counterparts in math," Gladwell writes. "They score substantially better than American kids do."

Gladwell states that Asian children might be inheriting a particular cultural legacy from their parents and their society that was helping them succeed in math — and he says he found the answer in the agricultural tradition of rice farming.

"Rice farming lays out a cultural pattern that works beautifully when it comes to math," Gladwell hypothesizes. "Rice farming is the most labor-intensive form of agriculture known to man. It is also the most cognitively demanding form of agriculture … There is a direct correlation between effort and reward. You get exactly out of your rice paddy what you put into it."

While American students often say math skills are innate, Asian students more frequently attribute success in math to hard work. This was confirmed in a 2008 study by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania who dug deeper when looking at the TIMSS (Trends In Mathematics and Science Study) results for 4th grade students in the US and Singapore. They found that when students were interviewed after taking the TIMSS test, both the American and Singapore kids thought the problems were challenging, but there was a stark difference in attitude. Many of the American fourth graders got frustrated with many of the problems and gave up after a relatively short period of time. In contrast, the kids from Singapore had a “can-do” attitude, where they firmly believed that if they gave it their best effort, they would be successful! From this attitude, they would try numerous approaches to a problem until they had success. The UPenn researchers found that it is in the Singapore culture- and most of Asia on a whole- to instill in children starting as toddlers this mindset of strong, consistent effort.

With findings such as these, it is little wonder that so many of the major whole-school reform initiatives (such as the University of Pittsburgh's Institute for Learning or the network of KIPP Academy charter schools) stress organizing for effort as their philosophical underpinnings. I can honestly say that after 20 years as a teacher and principal, effort does determine ability- and everyone can achieve at high levels.

However, do we have systems and structures in place where effort is consistently rewarded? Do our instructional practices recognize that achievement of standards is a process, and effort is a key component? Do assessments that are given to kids reflect this? Food for thought...

Class Day 2010

As is tradition each year, last Thursday was Class Day for the Class of 2010, the 132nd class to graduate from Mansfield High School. It is a special ceremony to recognize individual student and whole class accomplishments. It is a wonderful celebration for our students, their parents, and the community. Below is a copy of my welcoming comments from the ceremony:

Good morning, and welcome to the 2010 edition of Mansfield High School's Class Day! As Principal of Mansfield High School, I wish to welcome our parents, relatives, students, special guests, teachers, and most importantly, our seniors on this special day to recognize and honor the achievements of the Class of 2010. I would also like to acknowledge the presence of some key individuals who have been instrumental in the support and promotion of our students' success: first, the entire Mansfield School Committee, Chair Michael Trowbridge, Assistant Chair Frank Delvecchio, Jean Miller, Lisa Losiewicz, and Jim Perry, our Superintendent of Schools Brenda Hodges, Director of Finance Ed Vozzella, my right hand men and woman, Assistant Principals Dave Farinella, Mike Connolly, and Dawn Stockwell, and the two outstanding class advisors to the Class of 2010, Gail Farrington and Christine Reilly.

When I think of this class, several words come to mind, among them, hard work, perseverance, commitment, and excellence. At 338 strong, not only are you the largest ever to graduate from Mansfield High School, you are one of the finest. Just look at some of the academic indicators- the highest MCAS scores in our region, the highest SATs in our school's history, outstanding AP participation rates and test scores, the number of students that have been inducted into the Spanish, French, and National Honor Societies, and so on... all of these facts can be attributed to this class. Athletically, you were second to none, as you took our school to new levels. Throughout your four-year tenure, the MHS varsity sports teams won 31 Hockomock League championships and 14 state championships in fall, winter, and spring sports, and 38 individual student-athletes achieved all-state or all-region status in their respective sports. You also have been the heart and soul of an outstanding school band, orchestra, and chorus that have won countless regional and national competitions, and might I add, a percussion ensemble that continues to dominate its competition. But most importantly, you are a class filled with young ladies and gentlemen- students who consistently act with class and respect for one another. Your collective character, integrity, and compassion- demonstrated consistently through acts where you gave to others, from tutoring students throughout the district through the ALC, to being a buddy through Project Teammate, to providing community service locally through vehicles such as The Leaf Raking Project and the Great Mansfield Cleanup….to name just a few. This work certainly has defined you as an outstanding class, one of the finest to graduate from MHS.

However, this Sunday afternoon, oh… by 3 o’clock… you will no longer be Mansfield High School seniors, but rather, Mansfield High School alumni. I urge all of you to never forget that you’re Hornets, but also never forget that you are an integral part of the larger community of Mansfield. There certainly is a great deal of pride that resonates in town as being an MHS alum. Please realize that you, Class of 2010, are the 132nd class to graduate from this institution. To be sure, you are a fine class, but you are also one deeply linked with the past, through your family connections and your work throughout the community. Always keep that link with Mansfield alive and strong…. as there will always be many in the community that love and support you, and likewise, the community needs the vitality and creativity that you bring as young adults. Thus the reciprocal cycle begins once again, part of what we are celebrating here at Class Day!

So I offer my most sincere congratulations to all of you! You deserve the many awards and accolades you will hear today. Reflect on your past successes and dream of the excitement of future opportunities. Thank you for serving Mansfield High School so well!

Making Senior Year More Meaningful

When the US Department of Education's National Commission on the High School Senior Year delivered a comprehensive report entitled "Raising Our Sights" in 2001, one of the key recommendations was for schools to "require performance-based assessments such as portfolios for seniors to showcase their best accumulated work... and senior projects where students may demonstrate their capabilities for research, creative thinking, rigorous analysis, and clear written and oral communication." It is with this vision that thousands of high schools nationwide have implemented a senior project program. We too have begun the journey at MHS.

Thirty-eight members of the class of 2010 recently completed this year-long independent project, which culminated on May 14 with oral presentations on their research to panels of faculty members, parents, and community members. During their presentations, each student gave an overview of their study area and also talked about their specific research in the field. Throughout the school year, each student had to identify a mentor who is an expert in their chosen field of study, conduct at least 15 hours of fieldwork, reflect in writing upon their experiences, and submit a research paper on the topics. All experiences are also documented by the students through the use of an online electronic portfolio where artifacts of their learning are uploaded and assessed.

The student topics were diverse and interesting. From topics ranging from the feasibility of starting a ski and snowboard apparel business in light of an economic recession to the influence of intellectual property on the medical field, all projects had one thing in common: they were selected by the students based upon what they have a passion for learning.

Many thanks to MHS Senior Project coordinators Bill Deasy and Ben Caisse for their hard work and facilitation throughout the year. Great work!

Pictures:

Above: Chaelyn Saunders presents on the physics of dance and her work with choreography.

Below: Greg O'Brien presents on his work on creating and patenting an experimental medical device; Ali Dorval presents on her topic of increasing AIDS awareness among teenagers through conducting a charity community event.

MCAS/AYP "Readjustment" In Store?

Over the past decade, the biggest driver of curriculum, instruction, and assessment in American public education has been the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2002. For better or worse, the act has led to the creation of very complex state assessment and accountability systems that measure how well students are meeting state standards in reading, writing, and mathematics. Most states, like Massachusetts, have gone the route of high-stakes testing, where passing a standardized test like the MCAS is necessary for grade promotion or graduation from high school.

A key element of the act was establishing AYP, or the adequate yearly progress each school must demonstrate by increasing the number of students that score proficient on tests like the MCAS. Baseline proficiency levels were established in 2002 with the target of 100% proficiency by the year 2014. Keep in mind that for a school to attain AYP, improvements in both the aggregate and various student subpopulations (e.g., low income, special education, English language learners, various racial groups, etc.) must show improvement. As we have moved closer to 2014, more and more schools across the Commonwealth (and the nation) have failed to achieve AYP, most often because there is an achievement gap among the subpopulation groups and the aggregate. In fact, based upon the 2009 MCAS results, over half of the state's schools have been identified as failing or in need of improvement due to their repeated failure to attain AYP.

Thus, it is interesting news that the state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is considering a new proposal where the 100% proficiency goal will be readjusted to a target of 85% of students scoring proficient or advanced on all grades' MCAS tests by the year 2020. Proponents say that this new target is simply more realistic than the 100% mark and will give educators more time to design curriculum and instruction to address persistent achievement gaps, particularly for those students who are English language learners and have disabilities. It will also give more time to strengthen elementary literacy programs throughout the state. Because this proposal is contrary to the mandates of NCLB, the state cannot act on it until Congress acts on the Reauthorization of NCLB. It is believed that this may occur sometime later this year.

Where does this leave us in the world of MHS? We have already achieved this new target, at least in the aggregate (2009 MCAS results: 94% proficient/advanced in ELA, 89% proficient/advanced in math). Below are some slides from a presentation that I gave to the MHS School Council last fall, showing exactly how MHS was doing relative to the AYP targets. The system contains somewhat of a complicated metric, known as the Composite Performance Index or CPI. This CPI score is what determines a school's AYP is:

NCLB Targets for MHS

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If you look through the above slides, the aggregate CPI for the 10th grade ELA and mathematics tests has been progressively increasing for the past seven years. So have the results for the two significant subpopulation groups, students with disabilities and limited income students. However, you will notice that the CPI scores are much closer to the state target than the aggregate results. If the results for these groups stay static or dip over the next year or two, MHS will not attain AYP and could be labeled as "in need of improvement."

To their credit, our teachers have aptly used the data from previous year's MCAS to make improvements to the ELA and math curriculums and their instructional strategies. When so many students are scoring proficient or higher-say in the 90-95% range- it is that much more challenging to move the last 5 to 10% of students to proficiency. The challenge here is to analyze and use the data at a micro-level. Who are the students who are struggling? What specific standards/content strands do they not understand? What type of interventions and instruction work best with these kids?

While I am not a fan of high-stakes testing and I passionately believe in the use of multiple measures to assess a student's learning, I do think that NCLB has forced us to think in these terms. And that's a good thing...

A Life-Changing Trip

It's hard to believe that it's been nearly five years since the Gulf Coast was forever changed by the devastation that was Hurricane Katrina. For the past three years, a special group of students and teachers have been making the trek to the region, pitching in wherever they could to help the ongoing relief efforts. This year's trip certainly was a memorable one.

Led by MHS science teacher Debbie Fournier, the group of 15 students set up camp in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, a small, rural, coastal town about an hour and 15 minutes east of New Orleans. The group stayed at the Mission on the Bay Camp, a self-contained camp for relief workers run by the Lutheran Episcopal Services of Mississippi. The group was fortunate to have as a guide Mr. Chris Lagarde, special assistant to Congressman Gene Taylor (D-Mississippi). Mr. Lagarde is also a Bay St. Louis native and has spent considerable time working with high school and college students serving as relief workers.

The students worked hard... very hard, removing debris from homes on Main Street in Bay St. Louis. They also worked in preparing houses for painting, performing the arduous task of scraping the shingles (as pictured above). Many of the homes in this devastated region are still abandoned, as people cannot afford to rebuild or insure their existing properties. As chaperone Leslie Gildersleeve points out, "Most people don't realize that the majority of FEMA funds went into rebuilding roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. Many everyday people are so dependent on volunteers to help them recover and restore. As a result, so many of the residents were so appreciative, constantly thanking us."

Mr. Lagarde also connected the MHS group with the University of Mississippi, with a major project to restore the delicate ecosystem by replanting the dune grasses in Biloxi. To be sure, a time-consuming but important task:

The group also had a unique adventure in clearing debris from a house that had been literally blown into the middle of a swamp. Unbelievably, this house was only discovered in March!

As a result, the students cleared pieces of the house crossing a makeshift bridge made literally from planks and plywood that was scattered:
The students had the opportunity to take in New Orleans one day, enjoying such historical features such as the French Quarter. Led by Mr. Lagarde, they also witnessed the areas that still have not recovered, such as the Lower 9th Ward and St. Bernard Parish. They also noted the many oil, sugar, and coffee refineries that still are not up to speed.

Both the students and adult chaperones were struck by how warm and genuine all of the residents were. The residents of the area were consistently friendly and grateful, demonstrating how much they value the work of the students. While the students gained this new service learning, they also gained something more. As junior Justin Deckert, one of the 15 students, states, "We all gained a new perspective- that our community is so much bigger than just Mansfield. The people there were just like us, only that they have critical needs."

Once again, a job well done!