Author Archives: Thomas J. Mertz

by | March 22, 2007 · 2:39 pm

Gifted Issues

Excerpts from Reaching Gifted Children (Education Week chat) Guests: Karen Isaacson and Tamara Fisher, the co-authors of Intelligent Life in the Classroom—Smart Kids & Their Teachers

On Self Advocacy:

…I tell my kids that if they are going to self-advocate, they need to follow the 3 P’s: 1) Be polite (don’t say “this is boring.” 2) Do it in private (not in front of the rest of the class.) And 3) Provide proof (that they’ve actually mastered the content.)

On Mixed Ability Classrooms:

Question from Pat Cernadas, Middle School EFL teacher:
How can gifted children benefit from a mixed abilities classroom like the ones I have in my school?

Karen Isaacson:
They can learn to appreciate other children’s gifts! They can also learn how different abilities and different gifts compliment each other.

On Under Identification of Minorities (Not much help here and I found the statement “I suppose it does happen” offensive as a near dismissal of a well documented and serious problem – tjm):

I’m not sure what to suggest. I suppose it does happen, but I feel grateful not to have encountered much of that in my district. I suppose changing those low expectations may take a gradual process that would include their coming to know a gifted minority student and then extrapolating out that yes, there are gifted students of such-and-such minority. I wish I had more ideas to offer you on that portion of your question. Perhaps with new identification methods, this obstacle can be overcome.

On Pull Outs:

Question from Vicki Templet, mom of three and former teacher:
What is your opinion on the way schools label children as Talented and Gifted, pulling them out of regular class for a full day every week? Is the special service worth the labeling stigma, especially in the elementary grades?

Karen Isaacson:
Yes, the special service is worth it, in my opinion. One of the biggest needs of these children is to have an opportunity to meet together with other children to whom they can relate. I do think some care should be taken as to how the label is handled and the feelings of the individual child. In our elementary school, we refer to the program as “Extended Studies.” This seems to work well.

More on Differentiation and Pull Outs:

Tamara Fisher:
…The kinds of services provided by pull-out programs varies greatly, so one would need to look into just what kind of pull-out services a particular school/program offered to know if it would be appropriate for a particular gifted student. Nonetheless, pull-out programs can often have the flexibility to adapt to differing student needs, and they are a great means by which to work with gifted students on social/emotional needs. Inclusion with differentiation by the teacher is an equally viable option, provided the teacher has had some training in just what to do. (Most teachers don’t learn these strategies in college, at least not in relation to how they apply to gifted students, so some assistance in the beginning is realistic to plan on.) I have found that once teachers begin differentiating, most of them love it and wish they had known how to do it all along. One great thing about differentiation in the classroom is that it is good for all kids, meaning not just the gifted students benefit from it.

Thomas J. Mertz

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by | March 22, 2007 · 2:00 am

Fins know secrets to school success

AMPS listserv member Lisa Pugh sent out this article from the recent U.S. News and World Report about why the Fins are leading the world in educational success for their students while also having the smallest achievement gap in the world.

What are they doing that we could learn from? They have:

— Scrapped their tracking system and developed heterogeneous classrooms grades 1-9;
— Given local schools great autonomy in choosing supplies, curriculum, etc.
— Kept class size relatively small.
— Offered universal preschool.
— Made teaching a high-status, advanced-degree profession to equip and attract the best teachers.

Beth Swedeen

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by | March 20, 2007 · 6:06 pm

Red Herring

In this morning’s Wisconsin State Journal there is a story that again misrepresents the place of Madison School Community Recreation and Fund 80 in the district and the community.

The chart comparing Fund 80 levies in Madison to those in other districts ignores the fact that most or all of those locales have municipal recreation programs paid for by municipal taxes. Due to a historical quirk, Madison has very little in the way of a municipal recreation department and programs and services that other locales fund via municipal or county taxes are funded and governed by the school district via Fund 80. In order to get a realistic comparison of Madison’s spending on recreational and community education programming one must look at total levies devoted to this. The last time I did this (early 2006) I found that the combined spending on MSCR and the Madison Parks Department was about $20 million. De Moines, IA (about the same size) has a parks and recreation budget of about $20 million. Ann Arbor, MI is about half the size of Madison and has a Parks and Recreation budget of $12 million. Green Bay, also about half the size has a Parks and Recreation Budget of $8 million. In other words, the spending in these areas is very much in line with what others spend.

Particularly galling in the oversimplification is this paragraph comparing Madison to Milwaukee:

The district levied $9.9 million this school year for community service and recreation programs, triple what was levied in 2001-02. It also tops the levy in Milwaukee, which has roughly triple Madison’s population.

One thing missing here is a recognition of the fact that Milwaukee Recreation (funded via Fund 80), is supplemented by much more exstensive County services than there are in Dane Co. This accounts for some of the discrepancy. What I would guess accounts for most of it is the combination of incentives and disincentives in the State School Finance system. Madison is considered a property rich district and therefore any new money collected via local property taxes in areas under the revenue caps is “shared” with property poor districts elsewhere in the state via reduced state aid to Madison. Currently each new dollar Madison wants to spend under the caps requires collecting about $1.60. Because of these tertiary aid or “Robin Hood” provisions, local taxes account for about 67% of the district’s revenue. This, along with the fact that the combination of the QEO and the caps and rising costs for goods and services has forced major cuts in programs and services for a number of years, acts as a powerful disincentive for MMSD to have programming under the caps. Since Fund 80 is not under the caps, every dollar collected is spent in the district. Milwaukee also struggles with the structural gap in the state school finance system, but unlike Madison as a property poor district local taxes account for only about 20% of the Milwaukee School Budget. For every $1.00 Milwaukee collects in capped funds, the state kicks in about $3.00. The combination of incentives and disincentives is very different. It makes sense for Madison to want items moved from under the caps; Milwaukee must balance the need to direct money to core educational programming with the prospect of tripling the power of local tax money via state aid.

Fund 80 seems to always show up as a Red Herring around election time. In the linked article one Board member seems to be calling for Fund 80 expenditures being subject to referenda. Should we also place the entire school, municipal, county, state and federal budget before the voters for a yea or nay, or should our elected officials retain the traditional powers of the purse and be held accountable via the traditional means of standing for election? On this, I’m a traditionalist and would like to see greater power of the purse given to school boards via removal or reform of the revenue caps. I believe that all board members have expressed similar wishes and wonder why any would now broach the topic of diminishing these powers.

Thomas J. Mertz

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Filed under AMPS, Budget, Local News, School Finance

by | March 20, 2007 · 11:47 am

Young at Art March 3rd thru April 15th State Street Gallery in the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art at 227 State Street.

Organized biennially,Young at Art presents works of art by Madison Metropolitan School District students in kindergarten through Grade 12. The exhibition is the result of a long-standing collaboration between MMoCA and the school district’s Fine Arts Department. Each of Madison’s public school art teachers is invited to submit up to three works of art for the exhibition. This process yields a full range of technique,subject matter, and media, including drawing, painting, collage, photography, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, fiber, and computer-generated art. All works on view in Young at Art demonstrate students’ imagination and talent.

Young at Art underscores the value of early and continuing exposure to high-quality art education. The exhibition calls attention to children’s creative potential, to the scope and variety of individual expression, and to the excellence of art instruction in Madison’s public schools.

Young at Art is organized by the education department of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and Madison Metropolitan School District. Funding has been generously provided by a grant from James and Sylvia Vaccaro; the Theda Clark Smith Family Foundation; the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission with additional funds from the Madison Community Foundation, the Overture Foundation, and the American Girl Fund for Children; a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin; and the Art League of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.

The Memorial Art Department is proud to announce its deep participation in the 2007 ‘Young at Art’ exhibit taking place at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMOCA). The dates of this biennial exhibition run from March 3 to April 15th, 2007, and features the . Young at Art features works of art by Madison Metropolitan School District students in kindergarten through grade 12. The location for this exhibit is the State Street Gallery in the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art at 227 State Street. Memorial community members are encouraged to view this show and see these artists represented by their art works:

Anna Hutchcroft submitted an 8×10 digital photo she created using photoshop techniques she learned in Photo 2 after being asked to write a paper on a professional photographer and then create work inspired that photographer.

Samantha Starich painted a watercolor self portrait for her painting and printmaking class.

Daniel Kazel’s work is in nickel silver with black onyz bezel settings.

Grisha Kamyshnikov’s Charcoal Drawing is a reconstructed composition from a photo, his attention to details make this piece stand out.

Spencer O’Rourke’s Charcoal Drawing is also reconstructed from a photo, his subtle treatment of texture brings this portrait to life.

Lauren Peterson’s silver gelatin print is a self-portrait, impeccable printing technique as well as hand coloring add to this images story.

Randa Soubra’s submission is a 5 part illustration created in Adobe Illustrator that contemplates life’s journey
with images and text.

Sarah’s art uses subtle color and detail to allow a moment of thoughtful reflection and was created in Adobe Photoshop.

Maggie Peterson’s art is a statement about the connection between consumer necessity and the animal spirit and was crafted in Adobe Photoshop.

Alex Renier created a ceramic tea bowl capturing the elegance and spirit of the tea ceremony, while adding a beautiful surface through employment of engobes and salt-glaze firing.

Samantha Starich designed and sculpted a very refined and detailed mask based upon a myth, while doing a superb job of revealing emotion and character.

Claire Ostroms’ form is perfect for the 2oo year-old Japanese Raku firing, and is equally well-married to her inventive and expressive motivations.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING EAST HIGH SCHOOL ART STUDENTS:
Grade 12: Julie Meyer, Lauren Knepper, Ashton Schwerin, Amanda Murray, Lewis Oleksy
Grade 11: Amy Hoag, Alexandra Jefferson, Natiesha Bailey
Grade 10: Catherine Kim.
Their artwork was selected to be featured in the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’s “Young at Art” exhibition.

Posted by Janet Morrow

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by | March 19, 2007 · 2:57 pm

Educating the Whole Child

Excerpt from TeacherKen (posted here and here)

As a teacher I know that what occurs in my classroom is a small part of educating my students, even in my own domain of social studies. As a music major who teaches government and also coaches soccer, it has always been clear to me that school is about far more that mere intellectual development. History is replete with examples of the damage done when we develop the intellect and fail to develop behavior, morality, concern for others, physical awareness, and so on. And in a liberal democracy (for those two words are an accurate description in political science terms of our form of government) we should not be attempting to force all students to be the same – our society is enriched and enlivened by our variety and our differences, and our educational practices should be informed by an awareness of the importance of and respect for those differences.

The post is about a report from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Reading the post and the report, I was struck by how many of the ideas and approaches are similar to the work of the MMSD Equity Task Force. For example, the report calls for “cooperative effort by communities, schools, and teachers, each responsible for providing part of the necessary context,” and the charges to each include:

Communities:

family support and involvement
Government, civic, and business support and resources

Schools:

challenging and engaging curriculum
a safe, healthy, orderly, and trusting environment
a climate that supports strong relationships between adults and students

Teachers:

evidence-based assessment and instructional practices
rich content and an engaging learning climate
student and family connectedness

The Equity Task Force draft guidelines include:

Create a climate that welcomes and values all students, families, and community members.

Engage families and community members in schools, children’s education, and the success of all students.

Challenge teachers and students to develop an appreciation for all cultures and to learn to thrive in a multicultural society.

Make opportunities and resources available for teachers and staff to promote recognition that students must take different roads to learn.

Adopt consistently rigorous, culturally inclusive, evidence-based curriculum, and teaching and assessment practices district-wide.

The Equity Task Force is currently scheduled to present to the Board of Education on April 9th.

Thomas J. Mertz

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by | March 18, 2007 · 5:32 pm

School Board Election Update Information

Election Day is April 3. Madison has a mayor’s race, several city council races and three city-wide Board of Education races. In the next two weeks, there will be a multitude of candidate forums for the public to learn first-hand what each candidate is all about. Please see the calendar section of madisonamps.org for details on upcoming forums.

And remember, Election Day is during spring break. madisonamps.org has detailed information on absentee voting in its elections section. March 29 is the last day you can request an absentee ballot. Any ballot not received by April 3 will not be counted.

Beth Swedeen

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by | March 16, 2007 · 3:24 am

Finally, a big bright light to shine on Reading First

Coverage in today’s NYT of yesterday’s Congressional hearing on the Reading First program saw Education Secretary Margaret Spellings defending the program that has been plagued by accusations that states were steered toward a handful of commercial reading programs and testing instruments. Madison was the focus of a recent Times article outlining some of the program’s problems and why our district declined Reading First money.

Money quote from today’s reporting comes from Robert Slavin of Johns Hopkins University, whose Success for All reading program was shut out of many states under Reading First. He said “he did not think the secretary’s promises went far enough. “I haven’t seen the slightest glimmer of even intention to change,” Dr. Slavin said.

Because schools had already chosen their readng curriculums, promises to clean up Reading First now meant little, he said. He compared them to finding eight innings into a baseball game with a score of 23 to 0 that the opposing team had been playing with cork bats.

“Then they say, ‘From now on, we’re using honest bats.’ ” Dr. Slavin said. “I’m sorry, it’s 23 to nothing. You can’t just say, ‘From now on.’ ” “

Robert Godfrey

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by | March 16, 2007 · 2:52 am

Truthiness in Education

Most reports from education policy think tanks are not worth the paper on which they are printed, according to a new education policy research center called “The Think Tank Review Project,” a collaborative research project at the University of Colorado at Boulder and Arizona State University. It seeks to review reports from think tanks and to comment on their research methods, reliability, and validity.

The worst offenders, according to the Project, are the Arlington, Virginia-based Lexington Institute, the Washington-based Thomas B. Fordham Institute, the Harvard Program for Education Policy and Governance (PEPG), and the New York City-based Manhattan Institute. These think tanks, according to reviewers, published reports that were “selectively data-mined” and “seriously lacking in methodological rigor.” To list a few charges, Welner and Molnar criticized these organizations for their presentation of “conclusions that their own data and analyses flatly contradicted” and also for their “resolute use of statistics to achieve a desired outcome.” You can read the report here.

Robert Godfrey

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by | March 16, 2007 · 2:31 am

Think Recent Test Scores Show Schools are Failing? Think Again!

Despite some recent media reports about declining student test scores, some with problematic methodologies, the author of this piece suggests such reporting has obscured some real successes and that we lose sight of the gains taking place in education.

Excerpt:

Average test scores, despite the play they get in the media, have very little meaning as measures of student achievement, because they can hide gains made by increasingly large minority populations. This is known as Simpson’s paradox, which is explained here. For example, the twelfth grade NAEP data for English language learners showed a slight increase in the last 15 years (though not by a statistically significant amount). ELL students, who tend to score lower, make up a much greater percentage of students today than in 1992, and thus have the effect of “bringing down” the average despite stable or improved performance.

As Michael Martin, a research analyst at the Arizona School Boards Association, has noted, today’s population of students are much harder to teach. Minority populations, English language learner populations, and populations of students from single-parent or foster homes have all increased. In addition, more students today are in college preparatory programs; many of the students who are today achieving lower scores would have, in past decades, been tracked into non-college preparatory classes such as vocational education.

Finally, Martin also notes that graduation rates for students of all races and backgrounds are significant higher today than in previous decades and are increasing. Lower twelfth grade test scores, he argues, are the result of our successes in keeping students in school who would otherwise have dropped out. We are looking at the wrong measures of success, he argues, and we are therefore drawing the wrong conclusions.

When we judge the achievements and failures of students based only on a few selected test scores, we lose sight of real measures of success in education and do ourselves and our children a disservice. If we want to grade our schools, we should do it based on figures that matter – graduation rates, preschool enrollment, or other real measurements of the quality of education schools are providing. In these areas, states around the country have seen marked improvement, and that is something worth talking about.

Robert Godfrey

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by | March 15, 2007 · 11:05 pm

Are you listening Gov. Doyle?

COLUMBUS – Gov. Ted Strickland yesterday laid out a dramatic series of new spending proposals and budget cuts in the first State of the State speech by a Democratic governor in almost two decades.

Strickland proposed eliminating the state’s school voucher program except for the Cleveland program, giving record funding increases for Ohio public universities and ending a tax break for gasoline producers to save money in a budget that will shrink state spending next year.

Among his education goals, Strickland wants a moratorium on new charter schools and a ban on for-profit management companies running charter schools.

Concerned about the state’s high tuition costs, Strickland will recommend record funding increases for public colleges and universities in exchange for no tuition increases next year and only 3 percent the following year.

Strickland called for large increases in the state share of education funding, including a 7 percent increase in funding to close gaps between rich and poor schools.

His plan would boost the state share of education to 54 percent, the biggest portion since the state’s school-funding system was repeatedly declared unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court.

More here, full text here.

Overviews of Ohio school finance are here and here

Thomas J. Mertz

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