Common Sense Innovation
Using what we know to increase educational achievement.
Last week the United States put the rover Perseverance on Mars to collect data and information regarding past or current life. This is an outstanding accomplishment that took incredible levels of vision, collaboration, innovation, and hard work. Such a feat is commendable and I admire the work of those at NASA for making this possible. However, the bill to get Perseverance to Mars was $2.4 billion and will cost $300 million to operate for its first year on the red planet. When we choose to put our resources behind what we truly value, we are capable of accomplishing amazing things. I simply wish this same value was placed on all of our children’s lives.
When we choose to put our resources behind what we truly value, we are capable of accomplishing amazing things.
In my last article, I commented on the need for state and federal education leaders to take full advantage of the current moment in educational history and end high stakes testing as our sole measure of success and learning in America. We do not need high-stakes testing to tell us which communities or children need the support, nor do we need them to know which teachers are performing at a high level. We have plenty of measures to gauge educational readiness, teacher effectiveness, and whether students are learning or not. We need accountability and we need to act fast, especially for the students with the greatest need. To use the medical analogy from my last article, it would be considered malpractice if a doctor or medical system did not provide the appropriate care for an ill patient or if they did not promote proper health and activity from birth. We cannot accept the same from the educational system and the manner in which we view overall child development.
…it would be considered malpractice if a doctor or medical system did not provide the appropriate care for an ill patient or if they did not promote proper health and activity from birth. We cannot accept the same from the educational system.
We know what children need to be successful. Families with means have been providing this for generation after generation from the womb and beyond. For some reason, however, we as a society don’t feel that all children deserve the same opportunities. We may say we do, however, our actions say otherwise. We hold onto an antiquated system of public schooling. Many of the wealthy opt-out and send their kids to private school because they know it isn’t the best system for all children. There are also schools and communities where the traditional model is being challenged and out-of-the-box thinking is allowing for actual success and transformation for children. However, on a large scale, we refuse to put the vision, resources, innovation, and hard work behind utilizing strategies that work in order to improve the lives of all children and our society for years to come.
Families with means have been providing this for generation after generation from the womb and beyond.
I think every person reading this would agree that every single child deserves an opportunity in our society. After all, we are the richest society in the world and possess more resources than any other nation. The vast majority of people want the same things; steady jobs, healthy food to eat, good schools, access to quality healthcare, equal protection under the law, and the ability to pursue passions or interests through extracurricular activities. Those with means in this country certainly make it a priority to ensure their children have access to these basic aspects of life. If it is good enough for them, it should be good enough for all.
Part 1 — Big Ticket Items (3 of 6)
Early Childhood Matters Most
Countless studies have shown the incredible importance of cognitive development from birth until school age. Neurons and synapses are firing at a rate unimaginable to those old enough to research it and critical networks are being created in this time period. Families able to provide their children with positive stimulating environments and that utilize child-rearing practices made to develop the brain and empower the child usually have better outcomes in school. It is no secret that this is most often a function of money and wealth, however, if we have the research and the knowledge to make the changes necessary for all students then it is imperative that we do so immediately.
If the moral and ethical matters don’t move you on this matter, maybe economic matters may. The prison-industrial complex in this country is well documented. We have no problem building prisons and making sure they are filled with black and brown men on a consistent basis. According to a New York City Budget Office report, the cost to incarcerate a prisoner for one year in New York is $167,731. Meanwhile, to deliver a very high quality early childhood education, you would merely have to spend $15,000 per child. If we shift resources from prison resources to schools and provide young children and parents with the opportunities they deserve, we will not only improve education but we will also save money over the long run. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of “cure.”
…the cost to incarcerate a prisoner for one year in New York is $167,731. Meanwhile, to deliver a very high quality early childhood education, you would merely have to spend $15,000 per child.
Check the Calendar
It is often reported that students have summer off due to the farming calendar. This is false. Rural communities attended school in the summer and winter and worked the farm in Spring and Fall. City schools were open year-round, however, the summer was optional. Attendance was low and air conditioning didn’t exist so the politicians decided to join the movement and officially give kids off. Rural communities followed suit with the calendar as they didn’t want to fall behind.
It is also widely studied and reported that many achievement gaps exist as a result of summer. The amount of learning that occurs in classrooms during the school year is often relatively consistent; however, summer is where achievement gaps and inequalities get exacerbated. A study from Johns Hopkins University of students in Baltimore found that about two-thirds of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income ninth graders could be explained by summer learning loss during the elementary years. Kids with means are taking summer vacations, attending summer camp, and participating in a lot of enrichment activities (experiential learning). Those without are figuring out childcare and doing what they can in order to keep their children occupied and safe. Oftentimes this is more unsupervised play and also more screen time. These differences exist summer after summer, thus increasing gaps.
The amount of learning that occurs in classrooms during the school year is often relatively consistent; however, summer is where achievement gaps and inequalities get exacerbated.
It is time we revisit “past practice” and structure our academic calendar to fit the needs of students hitting specific learning targets. There are ways that kids (and educators) could have breaks intermittently throughout the year, and those students that need it could receive remediation and reinforcement on a more regular and consistent basis. At a minimum, we should invest in quality summer programming at our schools and allow our children to maintain the gains made during the school year.
Health Matters
Children should have access to nutritious food, top-level health care, and regular exercise …period. When talking about success in school and life, we have to discuss the physical body. Scientists continue to uncover new ways that the mind and body are intertwined. Although we don’t know everything, we know that people need to eat nutritious food, be active for an hour a day, and have access to quality preventative care. There is no reason why our schools, when needed, shouldn’t be access points for all of these essential services. As the centers of community, schools have the potential to be “one-stop shopping” for students that don’t have access to quality services outside the building. This will help to ensure that students feel better and don’t have as many health concerns distracting them or preventing them from focusing in class. Long term, it will lead to a healthier population of adults that will possess the potential to live lives less impeded by nagging health concerns.
As the centers of community, schools have the potential to be “one-stop shopping” for students that don’t have access to quality services outside the building.
When America wants to be, it can be the most innovative country in the world. Once we set a goal and put our resources behind it, we not only accomplish this goal, but we often exceed expectations. When we prioritize and invest, good things happen. Everyone has an opinion on how we should solve our issues in education, however, the most innovative solution to raising academic achievement is simply using what we know to work best. Kids that receive quality early childhood services, have access to quality food and healthcare, are physically active, and who have the ability to access quality summer programs perform better in school and have better outcomes when they graduate. It is time we innovate by prioritizing all children in this country, provide them with what we know works, and build a stronger and better tomorrow for all.
Next week I will look at 3 other changes that should be made to increase achievement and ensure student success.
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