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All Students Can Learn
High School, Postsecondary, and Career Education
Adult Education and Literacy
Trend Watch
All Students Can Learn
President George W. Bush's enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002 brought hope to parents of school-aged children nationwide. One year later, support runs high for the law that strives to improve student achievement, empower parents with information, provide options for children who are not learning, and tap new sources for talented teachers to serve in our nation's classrooms. In fact, 91 percent of the public wants high academic standards and accountability for results, annual report cards on school performance, and highly qualified teachers in every classroom.
Regrettably, not every educator or administrator relishes the virtues of the No Child Left Behind Act. A principal from Mesa, Arizona summed up his concerns in a March opinion-editorial: Educators know the truth but are afraid to say it: All children cannot learn." According to President Bush, it is this soft bigotry of low expectations that can defeat a child, not increasing the academic rigor of a child's coursework.
When the President announced his plans for vocational education's future in the proposed fiscal year 2004 budget, some raised similar arguments. There are those that argue increased academics will force some high school students to drop out and never earn a diploma. These are the same people who believe that not all students can learn, and that there must be a less challenging education "safety net" for these students.
The Bush Administration whole-heartedly disavows this presumption. The No Child Left Behind Act is based on the converse principle - all children can learn, and they will rise to the occasion when presented with academic challenges and high quality instruction and support. Research proves as much. American students perform, at best, squarely average in reading and math compared to students in other industrialized countries. Studies show that when challenged, students perform better. One particular study shows that at risk students who take rigorous academics in high school are more likely to attend postsecondary institutions, and that they succeed once there. In fact, students know they are being shortchanged. Sixty-seven percent of principals and 48 percent of teachers rate academic standards as being high, as compared to only 23 percent of students.
The 2004 budget and the Secondary and Technical Education Excellence proposal will not eliminate vocational training. Rather working in tandem with No Child Left Behind, these programs will foster modern technical education programs that allow every high school graduate to be equipped with the skills to succeed, whether in postsecondary education, apprenticeships, or other forms of employment-connected training.
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High School, Postsecondary, and Career Education
Colleges Outline Academic Expectations for High School Graduates A recently released report on foundational skills and content standards expected of successful college freshmen will be sent to all high schools. Understanding University Success provides examples of content knowledge that can also help states align their education standards with university standards. The publication is part of the three-year Standards for Success project funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Association of American Universities and is based on meetings with 400 faculty members from 20 leading research universities. The project also includes a State High School Assessment Database providing information on the assessment policies and practices currently in use in all fifty states, and University Work Samples from freshman courses in five disciplines.
New Report Encourages Outcomes Data
More than half who earn a bachelor's degree enroll in two or more institutions, but there is little or no data following student progression from community colleges or other institutions, says a new report. Currently 39 states maintain separate unit record databases, although typically including only public institutions. Following the Mobile Student: Can We Develop the Capacity for a Comprehensive Database to Assess Student Progression?: recommendations include using an alternative identifier to avoid privacy concerns about the social security number; supplementing state records with data from other sources; developing common reporting standards for key data; and voluntary participation in data-sharing. The report is by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems and released by The Lumina Foundation.
PDFEarly College High Schools See Boost The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $9 million commitment to the California Community Colleges (CCC) to create 15 early college high schools throughout the state. This grant builds on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's effort to strengthen America's high schools and ultimately raise high school graduation rates, particularly among African-American and Hispanic students. Students will be able to earn either college credits or an associate's degree and ultimately go on to earn a four-year degree.
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Adult Education and Literacy
Possible House Action on WIA Reauthorization
The House of Representatives may take floor action during the week of May 5 on H.R. 1261, Workforce Reinvestment and Adult Education Act of 2003. Title II of the bill reauthorizes the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, a key program implemented by OVAE. The House bill contains some important elements of local accountability and program rigor recommended in Assistant Secretary Carol D'Amico's testimony of March 4
MSWord. The Bush Administration will release a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) prior to floor action; this SAP will be posted in a future edition of OVAE Review.Adult Education's Goal Shifts to College Readiness
Now is the time for adult education programs to change their goal from high school completion to college readiness, according to a comprehensive research review in
PDF by Portland State University's Steve Reder. Reder concludes that high school credentials are no longer sufficient for success in the workforce. Further, the earnings gap reflecting the economic returns of higher education is widening. Reder found a significant skills overlap between students in adult literacy programs and those in remedial programs at postsecondary institutions. His analysis of data from the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), the Beginning Postsecondary Student Survey (BPS) and other national studies revealed that almost three million postsecondary students have literacy skills below those of average GED graduates. Of this group, about one third were enrolled in two-year degree programs and slightly more than half in four-year degree programs.Top
Trend Watch
U.S. Math Skills Less Than International Counterparts
PDF [597K]According to the Ed Trust report Mathematics in the US: New report shows mathematics education in the U.S. just doesn't compute, based on the latest Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS):
- Students in several nations who score high on TIMSS and outperform American students had far fewer of the resources at home that Americans typically credit for producing high achievement, such as well-educated parents, books in the home and computers.
- American 4th graders scored above the international average, however American 8th graders slid below the average and behind 20 other countries in math. By the 12th grade, American students slipped even further and outscored only 2 countries. Our top students scored below the international average and outscored no other countries.
- American students are less likely to be taught by a teacher who majored in math than our international counterparts. Among the countries who participated in TIMSS, 71 percent of 8th grade math teachers majored math in college, while only 41 percent of U.S. math teachers majored in the subject.
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Last Modified: 10/02/2006
