"Stay curious. Stay joyful."

Boy, has it been a crazy ride.

These past four weeks consisted of confusion, intellectual challenges, personal struggles, and questions- lots and lots of questions. But more than anything, this past month has inspired me.

https://plus.google.com/+SudhansuGangdeb/posts/DuMCw1czSAn

Sometimes, life throws things at you and you don't always understand why they happen. Sometimes your beliefs and values will be challenged, even changed. You'll be presented with conflict and forced out of your comfort zone. It may be scary and "messy" at times. And that's okay. Because through it all, no matter what happens, you never stop learning. And that's ultimately what it's all about.

What I learned from everyone I've met in this course is that that is education. Education is about learning about experiences and from experiences. Education is about learning for learning's sake. Education is so much more than just absorbing and regurgitating information and test scores.

http://www.pinterest.com/careerinnovate/career-quotes/

Sometimes you have to do something "out of the box"- even innovative- to enhance your learning. Sometimes what helps you learn isn't what's best for others, and that's okay. Because your education is your education- however you do it, wherever you do it, why you do it. It's your choice. Innovation is yours to make it whatever you want it to be. Your education shouldn't be structured, nothing is set in stone. Use innovation as your pencil- create, erase, and re-create (as many times as you want) the world you want to live in. Only you know what's best for you, only you know what you truly want in life. In an educational sense, innovation is for you and is about creating your own future.

Whether you're a government official, a community member, a principal, a teacher, or a student- that's what education is about.


Of course, when you look into it, things are little more complicated than that. But from what I learned this block, the messiness of education isn't going to change anytime soon. So why stress about it? In this field, you have no other choice but to remain hopeful, or else you won't make it out alive (or so I've been told). So believe in what you want to believe in, stay true to who you are, and run with it. Never compromise who you are, never lose sight of the end goal, and never give up hope.

That's exactly what I plan on doing. Sure, I may not be ready to take on the system just yet, but I am ready to continue learning- however that may happen and in whatever that context that takes place. I know that I care about the future of our nation and I care about the future of the education system as a whole. I'm not sure what my role is in the future of either of those, but I know I'll figure it out. If I can't find my place, I may just have to pave my own way. Either way, I am confident in my beliefs and values, and plan on using them as the backbone for driving whatever impact I have on this world.

I am uncertain about a lot still. From the education system to my future. Regardless, I promise to stay curious and I promise to stay joyful. I encourage you to do the same! Nothing defines success better than being educated and happy- whatever that means to you. :)



Until next time,
Acelynn.

Solutions anyone?

Hello!

Today in class, my classmates and I shared our reflections from our experience in Denver. From the sounds of it, we all learned a ton and now have a better understanding of what innovation in the public education system looks like. We also had a chance to read over Diane Ravitch's proposed solutions to some of the concerns of "innovation" in education.

http://www.leadkc.com/start-stop-continue-feedback-model/

Over the course of her book, Reign of Error, Ravitch stresses the importance of addressing the issue of poverty before fixing schools. As I saw during my two weeks in Denver, poverty is a very real issue in the education system and is left to be dealt with by individual schools. Being an issue too large for anyone to "fix," I really agreed with Ravitch's solution of providing prenatal care for all women and serving disadvantaged families with wraparound services (Ravitch, 2013). I think, for right now, this is the most reasonable solution; to start preventing gaps between impoverished students and their counterparts rather than try to eliminate poverty as a whole. From there, I think it is necessary to find ways to strengthen ALL students' learning by individualizing education experiences like having smaller class sizes, integrating classrooms, and giving children the option to choose how they best learn (work-at-your-own-pace systems, experiential learning, etc). Although not too sure on how this would be best implemented, I think evaluating the "Choice" system and making it easier to access would ensure that students would be able to choose which school is best for their learning. This, of course, would need to be followed with educating parents and students on the benefits and challenges each school provides. Once a child is in the "right" school for them, let the learning begin! Ideally, I, like Ravitch, think all schools should provide an enriched, balanced liberal arts curriculum and assess learning based on non-cognitive skills and full understanding of subjects, not just how well students can absorb and regurgitate information (Ravitch, 2013). I think these are some of the best ways to narrow achievement gaps, provide equal educational opportunity, and ensure social equity. However, this can't happen until systemic change happens.

http://www.reddingeducationfoundation.org/grants.asp

Ultimately, none of these solutions can happen until systemic change. And that isn't happening.

Although it would be ideal to have local stakeholders on the board serving schools and being the chief decision makers, as they know what's best for the schools, that isn't happening. Unfortunately, I don't know that this is ever going to change. Even with innovation on the forefront and revamping the way we think about education, the system hasn't changed and thus, has proven it will continue to stand strong. That, in my opinion, is what's hindering the full success of schools under innovation. I also think the higher-ups in the system are what's stopping the profession of teaching from being valued and professionalized. Although Ravitch suggests "overthrowing" the big-wigs and regaining custody of what's ours, I don't know that this is something that can or will ever happen successfully.

Although this is somewhat discouraging, I think it is still possible to have innovation in education, especially in the classroom- which is where it effects students the most. Under constraint and restrictions from the political authorities of the system, schools have to get creative and find ways to do what is best for their students. It is possible to maneuver around the "cant"s and find ways to serve students successfully. It isn't easy, but it is worth it. The results may be small scale, but that's okay- the innovative practices will be helping a certain community, which is all it is intended to do.

Over the course of these past two weeks, I think the most important thing I've learned is you have to be okay with messiness and things that are not ideal. You have to just try your best with what you've got and hope for the best! No matter what, you have to keep moving forward. I think this is the only way education will continue to thrive.

I look forward to learning more about what I can do to make a difference in the system and where my place is in this "messy" field!


Acelynn

Ravitch, D. (2013). Reign of error: The hoax of the privatization movement and the danger to America's public schools (First edition.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

How do we know what's best?

Hello!

This week, my classmates and I wrapped up our week in DPS schools and said goodbye to Denver! Over the weekend, I stayed behind and decided to spend some time at my alma mater, Abraham Lincoln High School (ALHS).

                                                       (Lincoln's main hallway)

Lincoln has been around since 1959 and is a mecca in the community. The school is known for its two state championship basketball titles, its visit from President Obama, and its English Language Learner programs. Though a pretty credible school in its quality, Lincoln isn't, and hasn't been, performing well on standardized tests. According to DPS' School Performance Framework (SPF), ALHS is an orange school, meaning it is currently on high surveillance and on its way to being on probation and/or shut down for good. As a school with a student body made up of 97% FRL students and 73% ELL students, I'm not surprised Lincoln is struggling (DPS, 2014). But to DPS and the Office of School Reform and Innovation's (OSRI) standards, this isn't an excuse and the school is being monitored and heavily evaluated, as closure is being considered. Now the rumor going through the grapevine is that Lincoln is applying for innovation status as a last resort to save the school..

So while I was watching Lincoln's varsity boys basketball team take home a win on Friday evening, I had the opportunity to chat with some teachers and administration about the future of Lincoln. Initially, I thought this new innovation status would be Lincoln's saving grace- but teachers disagree. One teacher I spoke with said that Lincoln is in the process of being labeled as a turnaround school. She continued by saying that, with innovation status, the school has been given the "okay" to turn into a Career & Technical Education (CTE) school. She said that the Advanced Placement program, along with her class, is being dropped and replaced with a Concurrent Enrollment Program which offers classes in high school that serve as both high school and college credit for community colleges and state institutions.

Some may agree with the path Lincoln is trying to take. I disagree. I don't believe tracking students to community and technical colleges is the right avenue to take to increase a school's grade on the SPF. I don't think this is the right approach to take with innovation status...

As I discussed before, I think innovation is about doing what is best for the students. Maybe Lincoln admin and district officials think this is what's best for Lincoln students. Maybe since test scores are low, college admittance rates are low, and college retention from Lincoln grads are low, people think it is best to create a whole school that lowers standards for ELL and FRL students. Maybe, for this demographic, technical and career readiness is what's best for the students... Who gets to decide what's best?

(What's the point of innovation if it isn't going to make progress in the places it matters most? 
                          http://irrationalpassions.com/opinion-xbox-one-stagnation-before-innovation/)

I will disagree and fight Lincoln's decision until I'm blue in the face, but that's besides the point I'm trying to make. I guess what I'm trying to say is why are we so willing to lower standards for students and hinder their potential, just to give the district the numbers they want? Why would a school use their autonomy just to go back and comply with the system? In the end, the students still lose out and the system still goes unchanged. It's frustrating... 

BUT the school is doing what they are supposed to do with their innovation status. Under OSRI's terms, this change in status will be successful because it will produce "College and Career Ready" kids and scores will go up because standards and expectations will be lowered. (Whitehead-Bust, 2014). Regardless of the underlying manipulations, under innovation status, the school is 1) making an "outside of the box" kind of change, they're 2) changing things in "benefit" of their students, and 3) making a change that will produce higher numbers- because that is ultimately what the district wants to see.

So, as excited as I was to define innovation, and as hopeful as I was for schools like Lincoln, I saw the manipulation that can happen within innovation. I think, until the system changes and stops focusing so much on quantitative data, things like this will continue to happen. I'd like to think that the system will change eventually, but I don't have the first clue on how to make that happen. Though until systemic change, under the disguise of innovation, malpractice and injustice will continue to be served to the kids who deserve an excellent education the most...

Acelynn

School Performance Framework. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2014, from http://spf.dpsk12.org/

Whitehead-Bust, A. (2014) Reform and Innovation at DPS. The Office of School Reform and Innovation, Denver, Colorado.

Innovation is "WE."

Yesterday, I think I was exposed to the true dichotomy of innovation in the public school system. Or at least I thought so...

Yesterday afternoon we were invited to speak to Pastor Vernon Jones, a community activist, school administrator, and education advocate, about innovation within the public school system. He delivered an enlightening perspective on future innovative initiatives in the system and gave me hope for what is next to come. More than just speaking professionally about the system, Pastor Jones spoke positively about life, and how everyone must respect and treat each other as equals. I, personally, appreciated his message and took it to heart.

After meeting with Pastor Jones, we took a trip over to Colorado Academy (CA), an elite, private college preparatory institution. What a contrast that was, let me tell ya. Just as Mr. Jones stressed the importance of seeing everyone as equals, I was thrown into a HUGE building filled with expensive resources and tools... I couldn't help but see inequality. To be honest, it was really tough for me not to be judgmental and bitter. I couldn't help but think about the lack of resources and support in my public high school and some of the schools I've seen during this class... It just wasn't fair. I thought if this was innovation, I didn't want any part of it. I knew that if wealth led to better resources and better resources led to academic success, there was no way that public school students, minority students, FRL students, and ELL students would ever succeed academically. That isn't social justice. This, in no way, was fair. It wasn't fair that, because these students' families had money, they were supplemented with amazing resources and thus, provided the opportunity for a better education. It disgusted me.

Then we sat down will Paul Kim, a history teacher at CA. Mr. Kim explained that despite all of these marvelous resources, exquisite features, and expensive material tools, some kids still don't succeed academically. Then, it all kind of hit me...

At the beginning of our discussion Pastor Jones stated that the problem with education is like a formula. He said, "there's an equality problem and there's an equity problem. That leads to an excellence problem." I agreed, and I certainly saw it first hand at CA. Then, I had to remember what Pastor Jones' true message was. Over and over, he stressed that "every life matters..." and we must recognize the fact that everyone, no matter what our background, is deserving of a good education. WE are all students. OUR main goal is to learn.

That's what innovation is for me. 

After all of the speakers and visits and observations from the past two weeks, I've come to the conclusion that innovation in the school system is supposed to be centered around what works best for the student and community it is serving. For every community, for every classroom, and for every child, innovation will be something different for them. Innovation isn't necessarily about money or materials, innovation doesn't even have to be tangible. Innovation is whatever helps the student learn best. So maybe for CA, the technology and expensive material things in the classroom help the majority of the students learn. That doesn't necessarily mean those tools will support Whittier or Manual HS students' learning. With innovation, we have to look past all the glitter and gold, dust and darkness, the haves and the have nots. As long as whatever innovative practices are implemented work out of best interest for the students' being served, I think we are being fair. I think innovation can be our equalizer. 

Initially, I got caught up in this idea that innovation is some material thing or idea that is always visible or tangible in the classroom, and this thing or idea helped everyone succeed academically. Now, I know that's not the case. In fact, I am content with the idea of innovation and I appreciate it's diversity and ambiguity and messiness. :)

(http://galleryhip.com/innovation-and-creativity-quotes.html)

Now the real problem I have with innovation in the education system, is the business-like systemic aspect of it. But I'll save that for next time!

Best,

Acelynn

Jones, V. (2014) Innovation discussion. Denver, Colorado.

Kim, P. (2014) Colorado Academy. Denver, Colorado.

Approval for innovation?

Hello all!

Today, my classmates and I attended "Breakthrough Schools: Colorado- Schools Design Plan Presentations," an event that showcased schools' plans for innovative designs. For 7 long hours, we listened in on districts' and schools' ideas on how they intend to be innovative through a "competency-based system" (CBS). By proving their plans would be effective and in the best interest of the students, the schools were then awarded with grants.

The whole CBS concept sounded pretty great to me. From my understanding, CBS allows schools to work on developing their students academically, "wholesomely," and professionally. According to the schools that have already tested this model out on their kids, this program seems to have pretty significant impacts. Schools like Holmes Middle School and Trailblazer Elementary in Colorado Springs have seen increased student engagement, collaboration, and academic growth. All the schools agreed that these impacts are directly attributed to CBS and the improvement in professional development, student agency, and personalized learning this new, innovative system brings.

(A chart/mind map I made displaying the effects of CBS according to the Breakthrough Schools: Colorado- School Design Plan Presentations event.)

Personally, I think this should be something implemented in all schools. And that's my exact point of confusion. Why can't all schools be innovative without applying for grants from private donors or going through avenues of privatization? Why can't schools be innovative without changing their status from traditional to charter, innovation, private, or otherwise?

Many would argue that innovation isn't possible because of bureaucracy. Though as Avi Trooper and Micheal Solguero both said in their discussions, "innovation isn't about breaking rules or standard structures," so bureaucracy isn't an excuse... In fact, any "restrictions are simply self-imposed." I have to agree.

We know that schools aren't meeting the needs of all children. We know that, as Nora Flood the President of the Colorado League of Charters said, there "is no one landscape for education." Innovation can be a tool for moving away from cookie-cutter solutions in the education realm and a tool for better serving our nation's children. But unlike Flood and the schools I saw today, I don't think charters or innovation schools are the only places that can be "incubators for ideas" (Flood, 2014). I think all schools can.

An interesting point I noticed was that most schools wanted flexibility in scheduling for increased time for personalized learning/teaching, and increased time for professional development and collaboration. I think through this CBS system, the teachers are just asking for the autonomy to do their jobs a little more effectively. As Diane Ravitch says in her book Reign of Error, right now, teachers are the core of student performance. She continues, "If a teacher is effective, the corn grows to a certain height. If the teacher is not, the corn does not grow or grows very little... But children are not corn... they are not empty vessels waiting to be filled by a teacher" (2013). Teachers know that they must teach their kids, but they also know that their kids need to be supported more than anything. Teachers know how much their kids are capable of. Teachers know that each student has weaknesses and strengths. Teachers want to help their students. Teachers know how much is on the line for their kids in the classroom, they care about their kids, and they want to meet the individualized needs of each of their kids. So through this CBS system, they ask to be innovative, and thus work on achieving that goal; getting to better know their kids and work with them in whichever ways they need.

What if schools could bypass grant proposals and status applications and waivers, and still be innovative? What if schools could take it upon themselves to be creative and make changes within their schools that best fit the needs of their students? What if schools didn't need approval for innovation? What if we just went for it? What would happen? I don't know about you, but I don't think we could end up any place worse in the system than the scary places we've already been.. So why not give it a shot? Certainly something to grapple with..

Acelynn

(2014) Breakthrough Schools: Colorado - School Design Plan Presentations. Denver, Colorado.

Solguero, M. (2014) Eagle Rock School and Center for Professional Development. Denver, Colorado.

Trooper, A. (2014) Northfield High School. Denver, Colorado.

Flood, N. (2014) Colorado League of Charters. Denver, Colorado.

Ravitch, D. (2013). Reign of error: The hoax of the privatization movement and the danger to America's public      schools (First edition.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

End of Week 1: Unexpected Observations

Hello all!

Over the last few days, I've taken in a ton of information and have really been trying to focus on connecting it to my observations. Although not easy, I've been trying my best.

During my observations at Highline Academy, I've noticed something that I haven't noticed at any of our other school tours or visits. To me, Highline stands out because of it's building layout.

Highline is structured in a way so that each grade has two classrooms, typically side by side. Then, moving counter-clockwise around the building, grade levels increase respectively. So, in the shape of a square or rectangle, you start with kindergarten and end with 8th grade. Initially, I didn't think anything of this kind of layout. Then watching students move from class to class, I began to see this structure as one systemic chain. Some may think this design is a bit too structured for elementary and middle school grades, but I think this simply portrays an educational journey. To me, I think this layout promotes overcoming obstacles and moving up the chain, kind of like how life is (ideally). I think this structure also promotes an inclusive culture because doors are typically always open and students move in and out as they need. Another interesting thing I picked up on at Highline is the fact that rooms are named after innovative, inspirational historical figures like Jane Goodall, Frederick Douglass, and Gandhi. To me, this interesting aspect of the layout encourages well rounded character and respect of diversity within the school.

I think all of these innovative features in the structure at Highline are special to the school and support all of their students' learning. Because impoverished students seem to be the highlight of the week with our experience with public transportation and our "Poverty 101" training with DPS Homeless Liaison, Jackie Bell, I can't help but consider how this structure is beneficial to the FRL (Free and Reduced Lunch) students at Highline. Ultimately, I think this layout is valuable and advantageous for HA's students in poverty because it provides structure, consistency, inclusion, and diversity. These elements are important to have in schools because they endorse safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, all of which are part of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for impoverished students' success (Bell, 2014).

Overall, I believe this is a great start for helping their students in poverty. As I observed during Highline's PD (Professional Develoment), most teachers are solely concerned with getting their children to read at grade level or perform as well as their peers. Based on the readings and guests I've learned from this past week, I know the best way to get those kids to perform academically is to care about them and support them in every way possible. So with a little more training, resources, and perspective, I think Highline could be on their way to providing their FRL students with the appropriate tools, resources, and skills to become just as successful as their well-off counterparts. As Michael from Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center said, "Relationship is key... Understanding home can help you understand learning style," (Soguero, 2014). If the true goal of education is to educate all children then schools must understand how to address and support those struggling. After all, as Ravitch states, "... social goals require social collaboration... If we mean to conquer educational inequity, we must recognize.. segregation and poverty..." (Ravitch, 2013).
Although I think Highline has more work to do with understanding and SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) for all of their students', I am surprised and even a bit content with the little things the school has/does, like their school layout, and the impact they have on their impoverished students' educational success.

Though small and kind of hard to discover, I think innovations like this are what we're looking for. We just have to look between the lines to find them.


Best,
Acelynn

Bell, J. (2014) Poverty 101 Institute for Colorado College. Highline Academy Northeast Campus. Denver, Colorado.
Solguero, M. (2014). Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center. Denver, Colorado.
Ravitch, D. (2013). Reign of error: The hoax of the privatization movement and the danger to America's public    schools (First edition.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

School of Choice: Whose choice?

Hi all!

Today was... interesting. As part of gaining experience as an "inner city public school student," my classmates and I had the joyous pleasure of taking public transportation to our schools!

The bus ride to Highline Academy was interesting, to say the least. To get to school on time, my classmates and I had to leave an hour before school started to ensure that we did not miss our bus. So, like responsible students, my group got up early and made it to the bus stop 10 minutes before the bus was supposed to arrive. It really didn't matter how prompt we were though, our first bus ended up being 15 minutes late. Cold, anxious, and impatient, we finally hopped on the first bus and started our journey. After about 20 minutes, we hopped off to transfer to our second bus. Because the first bus was so late, we missed our second bus. Luckily, another bus (not the bus we were directed to take) came about 10 minutes later, so we took a risk and boarded in hopes of getting where we needed to be. Surprisingly, we made it to the bus station! From there, we walked about 10 minutes until we arrived at Highline. After spending a few hours at the school, we had to leave early to make sure caught the bus that would take us to our next destination, downtown Denver. On that ride, we met some interesting people.... and yes, by interesting, I mean creepy. Finally, we hopped on the light rail which took us downtown, right where we needed to be!

Among all the craziness of public transportation, the craziest thing to think about was the fact that this is some children's reality. Some kids have to take the bus every singe day. 

They have to deal with the bus being late and arriving to school on time...

They have to deal with getting on the right bus...

They have to deal with buses in inclement weather...

They have to deal with bus fare...

They have to deal with the weird, creepy people that invade personal boundaries...

They have to deal with being responsible for themselves...

This is a lot of pressure to put on a kid, just for going to school...

And to think, this kind of stress is put on a child before even walking into the school building! Then add all the stress that comes with classwork, homework, grades, standardized tests, socializing, controlling emotions, home life...

What are we sending our kinds into by proving these means of transportation? All because of "School of Choice?" Who's benefiting from "School of Choice?" Whose actual choice is it? Parents'? Teachers'? Students'? Certainly not...

What are we choosing with school of choice? We're choosing to send our kids to better schools? Okay, but at what cost? By implementing school of choice and relying on public transportation as a way to get underprivileged students to "better" schools, we're putting them at risk physically and emotionally.. all to get a "better" education? 

Think about the consequences of sending a child to their "choice" school by way of public transportation. In addition to putting their emotional and physical well-being at risk, there are so many variables that play into this part of "School of Choice." Think about the kid who doesn't have a place to do their homework at night, so they do it on the bus in the morning. The kid gets to school and realizes he left it on the bus. At Highline, he'd get "study hall" or detention for not being prepared. What about the kid who misses the bus, hops on the next available one, and gets to school a little late? At Highline, and at most schools, the student would get a tardy slip and most likely be punished after he receiving too many slips, regardless if it was the bus' fault or not. After not finishing their homework, getting detention, and being tardy too many times, the kid would probably be recognized as a "problem child" or as a child that doesn't fit with that "better" school. In a lot of cases, the child would be removed from the "better" school. In a lot of cases, the child would be sent back to their neighborhood school..

For new schools considering adopting the "School of Choice" system, like Northfield High School, will accommodations to students who have to take public transportation be implemented in their plan? How will kids' tardiness or even absences due to public transportation effect their looping practices? Is this system the best way for children to be able to attend new, innovative schools? Are they willing to give exceptions to some students over others? Is this system best for NHS and mission/goals as a school? Maybe that's why NHS isn't embracing the choice based system quite as much as other DPS schools. As Avi Trooper, principal, explained, although they "value" grit and the stories being an inner city kid brings, "NHS is 35% choice based with priority to those who live in the neighborhood" (Trooper, 2014). Could this be a smart move on NHS' part...?

Think about it.
With all the variables that come with "School of Choice," is it worth taking part in? Should schools, parents, and students be so willing to participate in such a system?

Now, I'm going to take my "critical cap" off and fill you in a bit about my personal experiences with public transportation regarding "School of Choice." My freshman year of high school, I didn't choice into the school I wanted to and had to take the bus to get to the only school I could into; a low performing public high school about 6 miles away from my house. Just like today, I had to wake up early and catch the bus about 90 minutes before my school actually started. I had to pay the fare daily (about $1.10) to and from school. Luckily, for most students, my school provided free bus passes (you got free bus passes if you qualified for FRL which was 98% of the student body). Also, my school opened early so that the people who arrived early because of the bus could sit inside and do homework or stay warm during cold weather. I'm not sure if this is the case for all inner city schools, but this was a huge advantage and very helpful to those who had to use public transportation to get to school. 

So, ultimately, things aren't as bad as I made them seem earlier in my post. I'm sure some public schools provide accommodations to those students who do have to take the bus or light rail to get to school. However, it is important to keep the risks and downsides to children using public transportation in mind. For some students, those consequences are very real and can negatively effect their learning.

Moving forward, I think the ins and outs of the "School of Choice" system should be reevaluated and reconsidered before implemented anywhere else. What is the purpose of "School of Choice?" What does it entail? What are the consequences, negative and positive, of this system? How are the kids who take public transportation to school going to reasonably be held accountable? Who does this system benefit most in the end? The answers to all of these questions should be in the benefit and favor of the children and what is best for their education.

If you have experienced public transportation, what was it like? How do you think this plays into the "School of Choice" system? I'm curious to hear about others' opinions!

With care and appreciation,

Acelynn


Trooper, A. (2014). Northfield High School. Denver, CO.

Day 3 at Highline Academy: Compare and Compete

Hello all!

I'd like to take a moment to thank those of you who have commented on my previous posts. The constructive feedback and questions posed are very helpful in guiding me to think outside the box and look at things a little more critically. So again, thank you.

Now moving on..

Day 3 at Highline Academy! Things are continuing to go well. Kids are still learning, and doing a great job of it. However, over the last two days I have noticed a bit of a disconnect between a few students and their peers in the ELA (English Language Acquisition) block. Yesterday, three children were pulled out into the hall during class. Curious about what was going on, I decided to eavesdrop on the conversations between the teacher and her "misbehaved" students. Turns out, the kids were pulled aside because they were "getting too emotional" about their work. Each of the three students were to the point of tears because they either 1) "didn't understand the problem/assignment like everyone else did so they were 'dumb,'" 2) "couldn't do it as fast as everyone else," or 3) 'didn't get the best part (in the play) so that meant (they) weren't the best in the class." 

I'll be honest with you, I was a fan of classroom competition when I was in elementary school. Though I think that was because it wasn't hard for me to always come out on top (not trying to brag, it's true!). Now I see what it's like for those who struggle to stay at the top of their academic game. Classroom competition isn't fun for those individuals... in fact, it does damage to their self-esteem and self-image. 

I brought this up to the teacher and she informed me that all of her students strive to do exceptionally well in class. She said that all the students in her ELA class are high performing, some of the brightest kids she's ever seen in her teaching career. She then noted that "even with a high performing group, you run into a new set of problems." As she later pointed out, one of those problems included intense competition in the classroom.

As for evidence, I've seen firsthand how the students in my classroom will race each other to be the first ones to finish the assignment. I've seen kids make bets on who would get the better score on a test. I've seen students get physically upset because they are so frustrated at themselves for not being able to perform as quickly or as well as their peers.

The performance group system Highline has implemented sends students to different core classes based on how well they do in that particular subject so that they can be in classes with students of their similar academic performance level. Though seemingly intended to benefit and equalize learning for their students, this innovative system has clearly had some underlying impacts on children and their ability to perform. In my opinion, this kind of system makes competition inevitable. Other than simply wanting to be the best at everything and coming in 1st place, as most children desire, the competition continues on different levels. The highest performing kids want to stay at the top and the students teetering on the edge of "high performing" and "average" don't want to fall behind and be labeled "mediocre," and so forth.

Does this system motivate the students to learn? Sure, I think so- to a degree. 

Does this system influence students' self image and confidence when it comes to academics? I'd say so.
Does this system narrow the achievement gap by promoting equality? That I'm not so sure of.

This kind of system doesn't "address the problems of poverty, unemployment, racial isolation" like Ravitch says we must do in order to create an effective strategy to narrow the achievement gap (Ravitch, 2013). Rather, this system puts everyone on a playing field equal to their competitors based on their level of performance. This idea is revered as a successful system and also used in Denver Public Schools district's school evaluation strategies as Alyssa Whitehead-Bust, Chief Academic and Innovation Officer, mentioned in her lecture at the DPS district office today in Denver, Colorado (Whitehead-Bust, 2014). This idea of putting everyone on a level appropriate for them and competing against others that perform similarly to them is certainly seen as an innovative practice on multiple levels of the education system. But is this really equality? Do we need equality- or do we need equity in our education system? Does this system simply foster more competition since these students and schools are competing against each other to stay on track and in business? Is this system successful? In particular, is this system successful and useful for our students?

All of these ideas are important to keep in mind. It's simply a matter of which consequence are we willing to put up with in our schools...

Some further questions I'd like to ask are 1) Is classroom competition healthy and to what degree? and 2) Do innovative practices like performance groups do more good than bad in our schools? 

What do you think? Please share your opinions below!

- Acelynn

Ravitch, D. (2013). Reign of error: The hoax of the privatization movement and the danger to America's public 
                schools (First edition.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.


Whitehead-Bust, A. (2014) Reform and Innovation at DPS. OSRI Office. Denver, Colorado.

"Relationship before rigor.." Week 1 at Highline Academy

Hello all!

Since you last heard from me, I was placed at Highline Academy, a charter school in Denver, Colorado. Before walking into the school, I had high expectations. From what I had heard, Highline was a high performing, liberal arts elementary school with great teachers, dedicated staff, and supportive resources. The description reminded me a lot of the charter school I went to as a child, so I was extremely curious to see how this school was run.

Walking in on Monday morning, I found that the school fit the description to a tee and carried out every expectation I had! The front staff was very welcoming, and the whole building had a warm vibe that encouraged learning and wholesome education. Already impressed, I was then sent to a 5th grade classroom and and became even more fascinated.

Now just finishing up my second day as an intern, I have to say I'm very impressed with the way Highline Academy is structured. In my 5th grade classroom, students get a block of ELA (English Language Acquisition), a block of math, a block of literacy, and a block of D.E.A.R (Drop Everything And Read), all in one day! Also, my teacher's homeroom students switch off between a block of spanish, a block of REACH (a program dedicated to developing character), and a block of time in the library, depending on the day of the week. At Highline, kids are constantly learning! It's really amazing to watch.

What I think makes my class, in particular, so interesting to observe is the relationship between the teacher and the students. In "Reign of Error," (2013) Diane Ravitch breifly dances around the claim that smaller class sizes attribute to the reason for better relationships within the classroom because of the opportunity for individualization (p. 7). However, in Highline's case, this isn't necessarily true. All day, my teacher and I have about 25-27 students in each class/block. That's the typical size of a non-charter public school, and the bond between the teacher and students is still prominent and strong. More than class size, I think what impacts the relationship between this class and their teacher most is due to the fact that they have had this teacher consistently, for about 4 years. I believe this gives both the teacher and the students time to learn about one another, bond, and feel comfortable taking to each other, which is certainly conducive to learning. As I've observed, my teacher genuinely cares about these students; she asks about their home life and family, she asks about their opinions on systemic issues in the school and advocates for them, she involves them in the construction of their lessons, she cares for these kids... and to me, that makes all the difference. As Phillip Douglas, founder of C.H.E.S.S and Project VOYCE mentor, stated, "Relationship before rigor. Emphathy over education." Simple innovative changes like adding care, love, and compassion within the school system can produce rewarding results for everyone.

Though as a society, we typically focus on immediate results from tangible solutions. Regardless, the education system should take a look at the heartfelt practices going on in my 5th grade classroom. I can see that the warmth and encouragement from the relationship between my students and their teacher has really made a difference in academic performance. And if that's solely what the education system is looking for, improvements in academic performance, then they should consider this model; it's free, easy to do, and has a huge influence on students and their academic and personal well-being.

With that, my response to Ravitch would be that in order to produce an effective learning environment, sometimes it's not about cutting students out of high-performing classrooms to make sure everyone gets the attention they need. Why make the problem worse by pushing students out to other places where they still won't get adequate attention? We should try starting from the inside out. Sometimes all it takes is simply caring and putting forth effort into making the individuals already in the classroom feel like they matter... because they do.

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I look forward to seeing how the rest of my time at Highline Academy goes and will definitely be looking for more innovative practices implemented at this school! I will be sure to keep you all posted!

Best,
Acelynn

Citations:
Ravitch, D. (2013). Reign of error: The hoax of the privatization movement and the danger to America's public 
               schools (First edition.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Douglas, P. (2014) Presentation and Dialogue with Project VOYCE, Voices of Youth Changing Education. 
                    Manual High School. Denver, Colorado.

Education..

Will we ever fix education? No, I don't think so. BUT we can work towards bettering the system.

Is It going to be easy? No. Are we going to see improvement overnight? Probably not. There are a lot of uncertainties that come with changing our current education system. However, there is one thing for certain... and that's progress.

If we continue to do the same things, we will get the same results. Therefore, we must think differently, do differently, and in turn, we will see different results. With innovation comes progress. Results and solutions follow. Though in the current education system, effective solutions are nearly unobtainable. So what we need to focus on is progress. Progress will lead to a successful education system..