REPORT- A Nation at Risk

1. REPORT-A Nation at Risk • 1982 - Large economic downturn • 1983 - President Reagan indicated that the the nation was at risk due to low standards in the public school system • claimed the nation was at risk due to these low standards • repercussions: public confidence in education system was destroyed, states began experimenting with a “free market” system for education • Signaled a shift from equity to excellence • NAEP reported the opposite: Schools were not suffering, but was actually showing a slow, steady incline

2. Push for Reform • Government “monopoly” on education system • Proposed solution: Competition and free market ideals applied to education • Choice would allow parents to choose, would force schools to offer the best “product” • “Product” was measured through high stakes testing • If schools did not meet bottom line or fill seats, they were shut down (NYC, East Harlem) • Schools in East Harlem District did improve, went from last place to middle of the pack (based on student achievement)

3. School shopping: Creating a marketplace • Expanding school choice eventually results in four alternatives to traditional public schools: • Magnet schools; smaller focus-option public schools. • School vouchers; allow public education dollars to fund private school attendance. • Charter schools; public schools run by teachers and sometimes parents that are approved and overseen by the state board of education, rather than the district. • Homeschooling.

4. Magnet schools • With school choice, smaller alternative schools called “magnet schools” are introduced as an alternative to traditional public school options. • The first magnet schools open in 1974 in East Harlem in a desperate attempt to save a failing school. They prove successful and magnet schools grow in popularity in the 1980’s. • Magnet schools are often a “school within a school”, housed inside larger school buildings and offering smaller, specialized programs with one of any number of focus options, such as visual and performing arts, environmental science, humanities, etc.. • Regardless of the school; magnet or traditional, the goal was ultimately the same: To raise overall academic performance, measured through standardized testing.

5. Vouchers: Public funds to private schools. • With the popularity of magnet schools, there is momentum to take school choice in a controversial new direction: School vouchers. • In 1990, Wisconsin becomes the first state to pass legislation for vouchers that allow tax dollars assigned to public education to fund a small number of low-income students in Milwaukee to attend non-religious private schools. • Supporters claim that the voucher program evens the playing field for low-income families who do not have the same choices between public and private afforded wealthy families. • Opponents argue the voucher system funnels money away from public education, only serves a handful of students, and lacks standards for quality of education in private schools accepting public funds.

6. The E.A.I. Experiment Baltimore MD- 1992 • Hired private company to run 9 of their 180 public schools for 5 years. • E.A.I. used outsourcing to lower costs. • Schools were refurbished and modernized with computer labs. • “Tesseract”- their high tech curriculum was implemented. What Happened? • After 3 years, independent studies showed no improvement in test scores. • Baltimore was paying 11% more per student in E.A.I. schools. • The school board determined E.A.I. did not deliver the improvement in education that was promised. • The contract was terminated at the end of the 4th year.

7. - Charter Schools - Big push during the Clinton years • federal funding to create and expand • part of the public school system • publicly funded • run by teachers and parents • Often focused around a “theme” and/or school-wide mission statement Choice and competition would drive improvement

8. Curricula Emerged to raise the achievement levels of all students. Core Knowledge • Teacher-centered (teacher as expert) • Traditional • All students master the same content at the same time. • “You can’t teach a child to think, unless you have something to teach them about.” Progressive • Student-centered (teacher as guide) • Project-based • Master critical thinking skills • Community of learners • Learn by “doing”

9. A Push for Rigorous Standards Core Knowledge- • The basic knowledge that all grades should know. • All teachers required to teach the same content at the same rate. • Teacher centered curriculum. Common Core- • The basic knowledge that all grades should know. • Standards set by Federal Government. • All teachers required to teach the same content at the same rate. • Curriculum is “more” student centered. • Standards are very rigorous and designed to help students gain a deeper knowledge of content.

10. The Problems Continue... Biggest problems in 2001… • Overcrowding • Under-funding • Lacked of trained teachers • School violence Biggest problems in 2014… • Overcrowding • Under-funding • Lack of trained teachers (ie. ESOL, Special Education, etc.) • Rigor of the New Common Core.