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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve their world." ~Unknown
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve their world." ~Unknown
We have been trying to improve things like student achievement and eliminate student discipline problems for many decades. These problems continue despite decades of effort, involvement of millions of teachers and students, endless federal and state legislation and regulation, and billions of dollars spent on school improvement. To do this we have attempt to improve teachers and students. Yet the chronic problems remain basically the same as when we started school reform in 1982 with the highly critical report “A Nation at Risk.”
We have been trying to improve things like student achievement and eliminate student discipline problems for many decades. These problems continue despite decades of effort, involvement of millions of teachers and students, endless federal and state legislation and regulation, and billions of dollars spent on school improvement. To do this we have attempt to improve teachers and students. Yet the chronic problems remain basically the same as when we started school reform in 1982 with the highly critical report “A Nation at Risk.”
Low student achievement, the achievement gap, student discipline problems and dropouts are Chronic problems. Chronic problems have chronic causes. W Edwards Deming has informed us that these chronic problems are caused by the system and the only way to improve them is to make changes in the system. To date the system has remained basically unchanged. Nonetheless to improve the system, we need ways to assess the system. We need to be able to identify what needs to be changed and guide and evaluate our efforts to make those changes.
Low student achievement, the achievement gap, student discipline problems and dropouts are Chronic problems. Chronic problems have chronic causes. W Edwards Deming has informed us that these chronic problems are caused by the system and the only way to improve them is to make changes in the system. To date the system has remained basically unchanged. Nonetheless to improve the system, we need ways to assess the system. We need to be able to identify what needs to be changed and guide and evaluate our efforts to make those changes.
Although greatly stressed by school improvers, present assessment obviously has failed to bring about the improvement we need. That assessment takes two forms: teacher evaluation and student achievement tests.
Although greatly stressed by school improvers, present assessment obviously has failed to bring about the improvement we need. That assessment takes two forms: teacher evaluation and student achievement tests.
1 Testing students as a means to improve them is like weighing Cows as a means to fatten them.
1 Testing students as a means to improve them is like weighing Cows as a means to fatten them.
2 Evaluating teachers in a structurally dysfunctional system has also failed to bring about the improvement we need.
2 Evaluating teachers in a structurally dysfunctional system has also failed to bring about the improvement we need.
For an excellent explanation of how a system’s structure determines its effectiveness/productivity and how to assess and improve it with specific examples see Chapters 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 in the book. Seven topics included are:
For an excellent explanation of how a system’s structure determines its effectiveness/productivity and how to assess and improve it with specific examples see Chapters 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 in the book. Seven topics included are:
1. Alternatives to present tests and assessments
1. Alternatives to present tests and assessments
2. Assessment of the system not the teachers.
2. Assessment of the system not the teachers.
3. Needs Assessment surveys for systemic Self-assessment.
3. Needs Assessment surveys for systemic Self-assessment.
4. Assessment of writing programs
4. Assessment of writing programs
5. Assessment of Mathematics programs
5. Assessment of Mathematics programs
6. Assessment of reading programs
6. Assessment of reading programs
7. Assessment of any program (curriculum)
7. Assessment of any program (curriculum)
This book provides means to do all these system assessments and how to use results to improve the system.
This book provides means to do all these system assessments and how to use results to improve the system.
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