tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331215392024-03-07T04:05:01.700-05:00Grand RoundsBecause sometimes 140 just isn't enough...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650751013466948312noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-25649346603903582692015-12-30T10:49:00.001-05:002015-12-30T10:49:36.073-05:00Adventures in Gender-Specific Language<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
My mother once called me from Chicago to ask, "What's another word for manhole?" No introduction, no context, just the question.</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
I offered "utility cover" and we both hemmed and hawed as it was a replacement but not the same mental image. She pulled the phone about a millimeter from her face, yelled the suggestion to someone I presume was standing a mile away, gave me a harried thanks, and hung up.</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Later it would emerge that she was the editor on a wiki project and helping a team update text. The round discs embedded in roads that cover access points to utility services had nearly brought the group to blows. Did the first syllable imply? Did it even need to be changed? These are things my mother worries about in her retirement and I hope it remains the most stressful thing she worries about.</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Language is a wonderful, messy thing. It can lift us up but it can also hold us back. Whoopi Goldberg once said in an interview: <em>an actress can only play a woman. I'm an actor I can play anything.</em></div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The words we use, the titles we describe can have an impact on how we see the world. One of my recent favorite reads, <span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">The Notorious RBG</span> talks about Justice Ginsberg's first argument before the Supreme Court. Not yet an "Honorable," she used Ms. as her title, even after getting married in 1953. The court's security knew she was a female lawyer and handed her a bar admissions card that read, 'Mrs. Ruth Ginsburg.' No doubt, for the Notorious RBG it was NBD as she won her argument on behalf of a husband who had been denied equal benefits by the Air Force.</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Niki Nakayama is not a chefess, she's a chef.<br />Ava DuVernay is not a dictoress, she's a director.<br />John Williams isn't a composer, he's a .... [record scratch]</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
[I'll admit I didn't search terribly hard but I wasn't able to find any titles that implied male have evolved to be genderless. Heck, I couldn't even think of what a masculine suffix looks like in the English language. (The closest I came was -<em>bro</em> but I don't think that counts.]</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Frustratingly enough, gendered words persist. In the midst of <a data-mce-href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/hamilton-cast-helps-children-in-need-1451442302" href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/hamilton-cast-helps-children-in-need-1451442302" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">this </a>great article about Graham Windham is the phrase, "<em>Mrs. Hamilton served as its first directress for 27 years</em>." It's a fantastic piece and rather than thinking about the story, I wandered off into: what information do the letters <em>-ss</em> serve that the title Mrs. doesn't? Didn't Mrs. and "widow of Alexander Hamilton" effectively communicate she was female? Did someone add those letters because she held the position in the early 1800's? Did the editor sneeze when reading and missed it? How might Carly Fiorina react to being called a "candidatess" for president?</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Musing on that article aside, the inverse linguistic habit often pops up frequently. When the gender is unknown, we're predisposed to default to "<a data-mce-href="https://www.quora.com/Why-is-he-as-a-gender-unknown-English-pronoun-frowned-upon" href="https://www.quora.com/Why-is-he-as-a-gender-unknown-English-pronoun-frowned-upon" style="color: #00aadc;">he</a>", even when the writer is a cis-gendered woman or girl. We're so used to "he" and masculine as the default, that we notice "she's" or experience <a data-mce-href="http://io9.gizmodo.com/5974468/the-most-common-cognitive-biases-that-prevent-you-from-being-rational" href="http://io9.gizmodo.com/5974468/the-most-common-cognitive-biases-that-prevent-you-from-being-rational" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">observational selection bias </a>wherein we notice several female names or stories in a row. (As an aside, the women of the Missed in History <a data-mce-href="http://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/" href="http://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">podcast</a> are fantastic at calling out readers' letters when they complain about "too many" women stories.)</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Cast a group of funny men in a movie and it's a comedy.<br />Cast a group of funny women in a movie and it's a "<a data-mce-href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChickFlick" href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChickFlick" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">chick flick</a>."<br />Write a novel about a man and his family? It's <a data-mce-href="http://www.salon.com/2013/08/07/jennifer_weiner_was_right_whats_the_difference_between_chick_lit_and_literary_fiction/" href="http://www.salon.com/2013/08/07/jennifer_weiner_was_right_whats_the_difference_between_chick_lit_and_literary_fiction/" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">literary fiction</a>.<br />Write a novel about a woman and her family? It's "<a data-mce-href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/books/review/on-the-rules-of-literary-fiction-for-men-and-women.html" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/books/review/on-the-rules-of-literary-fiction-for-men-and-women.html" style="color: #00aadc;">women's fiction.</a>"<br />Boys play district supported sports? Give them a mascot.<br />Girls play district supported sports? Add Lady or -ette to the mascot.</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Chris Lehmann brought it up this summer on <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/chrislehmann/status/618153882355650560?lang=en" href="https://twitter.com/chrislehmann/status/618153882355650560?lang=en" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and received several "yeah, we do that" or "Well, what about?" responses. In each case, it raises a compelling question about how we talk about, define, and describe the things that girls do. What are the implications when we define their sports teams or clubs by the fact they're not boys? There's evidence to suggest that it's <a data-mce-href="http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vols/2015/06/29/lady-team-nicknames-can-harmful-experts-say/29492339/" href="http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vols/2015/06/29/lady-team-nicknames-can-harmful-experts-say/29492339/" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">harmful </a>for girls and it serves little purpose other than to say, "the body under this uniform belongs to a girl."</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
While writing this post, I wandered through some of my old Tweets and once upon a time, I used to call out gendered language like it was the reason I thought Twitter was invented. Then I got smacked down. And told I was wrong and didn't get it. And slowly, I stopped. Now when I do it, I often add a " :) " at the end to mean, "Look, I know you're not a sexist prat. But come on, please think about what you're saying and the words you use."</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
My new habit is to climb right into threads, uninvited, when I see a series of white, male avatars talking about problems with the teaching profession and all the things that a profession that is 75% female has done wrong. I'm thinking it's the next level of the work: to figure out and unpack how feminism, especially intersectionality, can be a force for addressing many of the problems in the modern education system.</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
But, hey, whadda I know? I'm just a bloggess. And not even the cool <a data-mce-href="http://thebloggess.com/" href="http://thebloggess.com/" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">one</a>.</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Postscript 1: None of this is to say we shouldn't attend to sex and gender or should ban related words. The US women's soccer team call each "girl" and talk about their "girls club." Rusty Young, Katie Youngs, and Sarah Thomas were all the first female to hold their particular job title (flight crew chief on a carrier, Blue Angels pilot, NFL ref.) <em>You cannot be what you cannot see </em>is one of my favorite sayings as for me, it speaks to the need for children to see what's possible. It's our job as adults to elevate and celebrate voices, names, and faces that are "firsts."</div>
<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;">
Postscript 2: "Gender-specific language" describes words that imply gender such as "actress." As our language evolves to include, rather than exclude, members of the trans* community and as our understanding of the relationship between sex and gender expands, a new moniker may be coined.</div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-32396593254707020122015-12-28T18:13:00.000-05:002015-12-29T08:10:38.966-05:00For want of a sledgehammerAccording to ESSA, all districts and schools that receive public funds must administer a math and ELA test to at least 95% of their students in grades three through eight, and in High School, once a year.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is no opinion in that statement. No claim. Nothing to refute or disprove. It is what it is.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There are basically three ways the system can respond to this fact. At the upper level, state ed leaders can:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>design and administer tests that look like current ones</li>
<li>design and administer tests that look different</li>
<li>ignore it</li>
</ol>
Door #3 isn't really an option as Massachusetts' attempt at two tests has shown the feds aren't <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/12/23/warns-mass-could-lose-aid-over-two-test-approach/sHKHrOmslFmESgz5aZk9WM/story.html" target="_blank">messing around</a>. Gambling with the dollars that most likely support students in low-resource schools and districts isn't something states should be doing. (I'm looking at state's responses here - what an individual parent of a child in public ed can do is a <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2015/11/lie-back-and-think-of-england.html" target="_blank">different matter</a>.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://nhpr.org/post/districts-experimenting-new-tests-writing-questions-only-half-task" target="_blank">New Hampshire</a> not only went through Door #2, they kicked it off its hinges. ESSA allows for more states to apply for that path, so here's hoping lots of states have the courage to do it. This path though, isn't easy. It requires an incredible amount of work to shift from machine scored, multiple choice tests to capstone projects or portfolios. Time and money. Yet, these kinds of assessments are a worthy goal. They embed diagnostic, interim, and summative assessments into the curriculum and turn tests from something done to students to learning experiences and tasks done with and for them. <b>This ideally is where I'd hope we head as a country. </b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
So that leaves Door #1 - tests that look like what we have now (25 Multiple Choice questions based off a passage or math problems plus a few extended writing or problem-solving tasks). The challenge is with this approach is, as the cliche says, "what gets measured, gets done." If there's poetry on the test, so goes the thinking, teachers will be sure to include poetry in their curriculum. This strikes me as a Faustian bargain. There's no denying that the content of state tests dictates what happens in the classroom - <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15235882.2006.10162888" target="_blank">we've known that for years.</a> That said, there is space to push back. Schools and districts can and <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2015/12/cuomo-and-tests.html" target="_blank">tdo</a>. The larger issue here is if state tests should treated like the tail that wags the dog (driving curriculum) or a flea on its back (a minor annoyance). </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What if, perhaps, there was a door 1.5? One solution I've been mulling (that I didn't explain very well on Twitter and am resisting the urge to delete all of the Tweets where I tried) is shifting the nature of what students read on the ELA tests.<br />
<br />
So basically, there are two types of texts students can engage with during the state ELA tests - informational or literature. Currently, NCLB/ESSA state tests use a combination of these types which means students are answering multiple choice questions about poetry. Which... ew. I get why it happens. I get why they're doing it but it remains one of the oddest things to ever emerge from the public education system. When writing state assessments, states have to narrow down the entire pool of standards to what can be captured by a multiple choice item given to all students at the same time. States already leapfrog the Speaking and Listening standards and pick the most meaningful RI or RL standards to focus on.<br />
<br />
What if the tests instead left literature alone - recognizing there is rarely one right answer when it comes to interpreting narrative fiction - and only used informational texts? The content could alternate between Science and Social Studies texts. For example, in grade 3, 5, and 7 students would read passages and answer questions about scientific experiments, plants, space, or technology. In grades 4, 6, and 8 they would read questions and passages about American history, events, and people.<br />
<br />
Pros:<br />
<ul>
<li>Science and Social Studies would get more attention as background content knowledge will make the passages easier to negotiate (if we assume that the presence of something on the tests ensures teachers teach it)</li>
<li>Poetry and literature can return to their rightful place as a deeply personal experience without one forced right answer as determined by one team of adults</li>
<li>Test designers can make explicit connections to states' SS and Science standards, making the tests primarily an ELA/Reading test, but aligned to the other content that students experience</li>
</ul>
<div>
Con:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>It runs the risk of chasing poetry and literature right out of the classroom - if they're not going to be on the test, will ELA teachers include them? (I say yes but your mileage may vary)</li>
<li>Literature is a key part of English Language Arts curriculum - removing those passages takes it from an ELA test assessing 4 of the 6 CCLS areas to 3 of the 6 (Language, Writing, Reading Informational Texts). The loss of literature passages may cause content and construct validity issues.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Right now, I'm kind of love with this idea. Keep in mind, though, that I'm MORE in love with the idea of portfolio, capstone, and performance-based assessments as the annual measure. If told door #2 isn't a viable option, I'd love to find the nearest sledgehammer and make a space between door #1 and #2.</div>
</div>
</div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-62114273195064181672015-12-28T15:16:00.000-05:002015-12-28T15:45:20.022-05:00To fail or not to fail?There's a compelling challenge around the word "fail" and all it's derivatives. If we accept the truth that the words that we use shape our reality, it becomes especially troublesome given the current climate.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On one hand, we've got the idea behind makerspaces, hacking, and a call to help students experience failure and success like Jessica Lahey describes in her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Lahey/e/B00GRJJPTK/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1451330229&sr=8-1" target="_blank">book</a>. Failure is good. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On the other, we've got bloggers writing extended thought pieces about how many and why children fail the tests. We've got public school advocates talking about <a href="http://dianeravitch.net/2015/02/28/cuomo-releases-list-of-states-failing-schools/" target="_blank">failing schools</a>. Failure is bad. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Failing. Failure. Fail. Were I a linguist, I would be studying the ever loving daylights out the fact that those with opposite positions on so many issues in public ed use the same word in so much the same way. Which of course, raises questions: </div>
<div>
Why are we using the very language we want students to embrace to create a climate of fear?</div>
<div>
<div>
What makes an eight-year-old think they failed a test?</div>
<div>
Who is it that describes schools as failing?</div>
</div>
<br />
I <a href="https://twitter.com/AnthonyCody/status/494900737566973952?lang=en" target="_blank">spoke</a> up once about this tension before and was told in no uncertain terms: "until you are appointed my editor, I will use the word "fail" to describe these lousy tests in every way possible." I wrote a <a href="http://www.shankerinstitute.org/blog/semantics-test-scores" target="_blank">post</a> about the semantics of state tests and was told that we don't have to use the words "failure" for an eight-year-old to know they failed.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So which is it? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If it's the former, failure is good, then let's stop talking about kids failing a test they can't fail. Let's stop talking about failing schools and talk about under-resourced schools. Let's force people to talk about specifics instead of abstracts. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If it's the later, and failure is bad, then why are we surprised when high schoolers are afraid to try or kids are stressed about taking a state test that has no tangible impact on them? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In either case, I suspect if we don't get our linguistic house in order, the feedback loop continues. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-57534117109837445752015-12-28T09:32:00.004-05:002015-12-28T09:42:39.962-05:00What do we lose due to Opt Out? What do we gain? It is not my place to say if a parent's decision to have their child not take a state test is the right or wrong call. Rest assured, there are plenty of people willing to say it's their right and must happen or those who say no, don't. As Joey would say, my take on it is a cow's opinion. It's a moo point. If you're curious, though, I've shared it <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2015/08/is-opting-out-really-only-option.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Defenders of the "right to opt out" claim have a wide variety of opinions behind that claim. In my particular neck of the woods, the claim goes back to parents' rights and policy related to teacher accountability. In other areas, especially NYC and Chicago, it's about larger systemic issues, equity, and the impact of how test scores are used to close schools.<br />
<br />
Critiques of the "right to opt out" claim generally fall back on the "it's the law" rationale and point to No Child Left Behind (now ESSA) 95% testing mandate. Some will attempt to speak to the benefit the scores provide schools and parents, which at times, acts like gasoline on the fires kindled by the opt-out movement.<br />
<br />
So here we are at the end of 2015, gearing up for 2016 and the buzz of large-scale testing endures. New York State tests are in April and I've already seen a flyers in store windows, letters to the editors, blog posts and tweets telling parents to Opt Out now; that this year's opt-out numbers need to be the highest ever. To which, I wonder:<br />
<br />
Why? And at what cost? What do we gain due to the Opt Out movement? What do we lose?<br />
<br />
<i>The Opt Out movement has given the system energy it hasn't seen in decades</i>. It's given parents a name to use to describe their frustrations with school and an outlet for action. Opt Out allows parents to *do* something. Turning frustration into action is mighty, powerful thing.<br />
<br />
<b>The Opt Out movement is working to deprive a massive system of consistent, reliable data.</b> This year's third graders are the first group to take state tests who have only known Common Core. Without state testing data, educational researchers lose key information they need to look at interventions and figure out what works. A quick review of Google Scholar reveals over 8,000 studies and articles published since 2005 that use No Child Left Behind mandated state test scores to look at the success of funding initiatives, after school programs, to defend art and music programs, and to explore different curriculum programs.<br />
<br />
<i>The Opt Out movement has forced a long overdue conversation around what constitutes quality testing.</i> Parents are looking carefully and closely at testing items and raising important questions about how we capture evidence of student learning. Since the Opt Out movement overlaps with the anti-Common Core movement, conversation around textbooks, curriculum, and homework has hit the mainstream.<br />
<br />
<b>The Opt Out movement is making it difficult for the layperson to understand what constitutes quality testing.</b> State tests typically go through several rounds of design. The process includes field testing, statistical analysis, final eyes review, and teacher analysis. I've written <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2014/08/pick-item-any-item.html" target="_blank">before</a> on how terrible adults are at predicting item difficulty and PineappleGate and the implication that an adult can recognize a bad item on sight is making the conversation harder.<br />
<br />
Commissioner Elia <a href="http://www.capitalnewyork.com/sites/default/files/Elia%20to%20USDOE.pdf" target="_blank">shared </a>what she's doing to attend to the Opt Out issue. Yet, it's a loud, local, and unstructured movement. Organizations representing some members proclaim opt outs will continue until, for the lack of a better phrase, their demands are met. Those demands, though, seem highly localized. Parent groups in Chicago and NYC have raised issues of equity, funding, and resources. Parents in suburban areas raise issues of teacher evaluation. If teacher evaluation goes away and tests are shortened back to pre-2012 length, will suburban parents opt back in?<br />
<br />
It's pretty clear that a variety of factors contributed to the rise in Opt Outs in NYS: the Regents Reform Agenda, a state commissioner who went out into the field, longer and more challenging tests, etc. etc. So we hit a tipping point. I continue to wonder though if the fall has been worth it. What have we - members of the American public education system, present and future - gained? What have we lost? What has the education profession gained or lost? Will it be worth it? How will we know?Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-80160610288601400882015-12-23T09:05:00.000-05:002015-12-23T09:05:23.619-05:00How responsible are we for the behavior of others?A former colleague in a teacher workgroup I belonged to designed a unit around the question: <i>How responsible are we for the behavior of others</i>? When she spoke about how her 5th graders wrestled with the essential question, she spoke about the direction their questions and inquiry followed. Rather than focusing on the powerful dynamic between the bully and their target, the students wanted to talk about those bystanders.<i> What do we do? Is it my responsibility to stop the behavior of someone else? Is it my job as a fellow student to speak up in defense of the target? What if the bully then turns their attention to me? </i>It's safe to assume students look to adults to figure out the right thing to do.<br />
<i><br /></i>
There are entire TV shows devoted to what adults do in the 3D world in situations in which it appears someone is the target of a bully. We study the bystander effect. We re-frame bystanders as <a href="http://www.bullybust.org/students/upstander" target="_blank">upstanders</a>. Trump is a prime example of a society wrestling with how we deal with an adult who says and does things that are clearly offensive. (Spoiler alert: His actions cause us to seek out tribes. If what he says resonate, you want to connect with others that feel the same. If what he says is offensive, you want to connect with others that feel the same.)<br />
<br />
The edu-twitter and blogsphere is a different challenge. Education chats happen regularly. Education-related tweeters return to threads that are days, weeks, sometimes months or years old. With Trump and other examples of bullying, in the "real" world, we have multiple data points to inform our conclusions about the speaker. We hear his voice, we see his body language and facial expressions. We see how his words are often a direct response to the feedback he gets from his audience. We don't have that in 140 characters.<br />
<br />
So, this morning, I'm wondering - what's our obligation to our profession? How responsible are we for the behavior of others? If someone says something sexist, racist, or factually incorrect, do we speak up?<br />
<br />
No. As long as the sexist, racist words aren't directed at someone, no one is being hurt. The reader has no idea what the Twitter user's intent is and their gaffe may just be a sloppy or lazy word choice. More the point, it's not an individual's responsibility to police others' words, thoughts, or actions. Report offensive behavior, ignore offensive words.<br />
<br />
Yes. The lack of a specific audience doesn't limit the responsibility we have to speak up for equality and equity. Stereotypes are reinforced when someone makes a statement about a group of people and that statement goes unchecked. It's not necessary to chastise the speaker but it is critical that educators hold each other accountable for perpetuating stereotypes or inaccuracies.<br />
<br />
It depends. If you care, speak up. If you don't... don't. I suspect the heart of the matters lies less around who and when we speak up and more around what we do when someone brings a word or a phrase to our attention. Does it cause us to double-down on our thinking or double-check our work and language and clarify as needed. It remains that we judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their impact. So it would seem that when it comes to this particular essential question, I have no answer.<br />
<br />Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-5276298048486613052015-12-22T07:26:00.001-05:002015-12-29T17:55:33.761-05:00Should have known better... AKA "Common Sense"More than one person with a public image has proclaimed Ahmed Mohamed should have known better. He, a 14-year-old boy with a Muslim name, should have known how his teachers would have responded to him bringing a device with wires to school.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
He should have used common sense.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
More than one educator has criticized Cheryl LaPorte for including a task where students copied an Islamic religious phrase in order to get a sense of the complexity of Arabic writing. She should have known how students and parents in her school district would respond.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
She should have used common sense.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
One child brought a textbook publisher's image and word choice to his mother's attention who then brought the image to the media. As the conversation expanded, people commented that the publishers should have done better. They should have known that it was misleading to refer to slaves as "workers", in the same category as immigrants or indentured servants with a chance at freedom. </div>
<div>
<br />
They should have used common sense.<br />
<br />
In each of these cases, someone has used the phrase "common sense" to defend the exact opposite position.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Ahmed's defenders said his teachers should have used common sense before responding. It was a clock.</li>
<li>LaPorte's defenders said concerned parents should use common sense before responding. The <i>Shahada </i>isn't a magical incantation. Simply writing the phrase doesn't make one Muslim.</li>
<li>The publishing company defenders said readers should have used common sense before responding. The word choice in the single image isn't indicative of the entire slavery-related curriculum.</li>
</ul>
<div>
With respect to Thomas Paine, an appeal to "common sense" is a lazy and counter-productive way to engage in discourse in a multi-cultural, diverse, society with multiple perspectives. If your reader agrees with you, congrats! You've preached to the choir, rallied the troops, and strengthened groupthink. If your reader disagrees with you, congratulations! You've shut down the conversation and implied that anyone who disagrees with you lacks basic, common sense.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've reached the conclusion that if we truly want to engage with others, seek to understand, or get where others are coming from, the phrase it's just "common sense" has got to go. If your fall back position is "it's just common sense", consider instead, the power of claims and counterclaims. Also presented as point/counter-point or pro/con, the approach (albeit an approach steeped in Western civilization and not necessarily the best or right way) forces readers and writers to be transparent in their thinking.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Adopting an approach of claim/counterclaim as the writer forces you to see the topic or issue at hand from more than one perspective. More than that, it removes you from the equation. I've written before about the challenges of confirmation bias and the challenges of changing one another's mind. One way to ensure your reader won't change their mind is to suggest that you are right and they are wrong. Using claim and counterclaim is a small step towards checking your own biases and actively working to see the other position.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
An example: </div>
<div>
Claim: Given recent events, students should get every opportunity to see and interact with the complex stories, people, and aspects of the Muslim faith in order to combat stereotypes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Counterclaim: Given recent events, teachers should back off of teaching about aspects of the Muslim faith that goes beyond the basics. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Neither is about me, my opinion, or my experiences. Both can be supported or refuted with evidence. One isn't right and one isn't wrong. For me, the power of writing down a counterclaim is that it forces me to literally think from the "other side." Not the other side of the issue mind you - it's hubris to suggest all situations are ORs - rather, from the other side of my claim. As a reader, you can refute my claim with a different one or re-state the counterclaim so that it better matches your take on the situation. Pick a topic you're passionate about and give it a try. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
See how it feels and then put your claim out there - and be open the counterclaim. </div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-25441330293066573512015-12-18T08:35:00.001-05:002015-12-18T09:26:54.981-05:00Cuomo and TestsWhile it's not exactly an air of something rotten in the state, there is certainly an eau de confusion in the Empire State. I have long been a fan of our state's history, especially when it comes to education and I suspect 2012-2015 will be the basis for a chapter or two in future books on the topic. You know, all those books, that are written on the history of education in NY. The many, many books.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://ny.chalkbeat.org/2015/12/18/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-latest-teacher-evaluation-changes/#.VnP9FxUrLce" target="_blank">This</a> by Chalkbeat does a nice job summarizing where things stand now in terms of teacher evaluation. It remains, alas, until the guidance documents are released by SED, it's a lot of speculation around the edges and on email listservs. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
In the meantime, Governor Cuomo is providing his <a href="http://wxxinews.org/post/regents-vote-delay-common-core-associated-teacher-evals" target="_blank">commentary</a>.<br />
<blockquote>
Cuomo, asked by a reporter why he decided to reverse his stance and delink the tests from the teacher evaluation, said that’s an incorrect characterization.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
“I think if you read the report you’re going to find out that your two questions are not accurate,” Cuomo said. “There are teacher evaluations that are in the report and they are connected with tests.”</blockquote>
Here's the thing that I will *not* stop shouting. I will stomp my foot, beat my breast, and <a class="" href="http://wondermark.com/1k62/" target="_blank">sealion</a> ALL over Twitter threads that claim the contrary.<br />
<br />
There. Is. Nothing. In. APPR. That. Requires. Tests.* (in the traditional sense as we think of them or as, I suspect, Cuomo thinks of them.)<br />
<br />
It's possible to calculate growth scores without using a 0-100 numerical scale.<br />
It's possible to collect pre/post data using authentic, meaningful tasks.<br />
It's possible to capture evidence of student learning without a bubble sheet and #2 pencil.<br />
It's possible to leverage this mandate so that school is better for students, not worse.<br />
<br />
It's not only possible, it's necessary. This is an unprecedented chance to do the really hard work of creating assessments that are done with, not to, students. It's a chance to make another crack in the wall between curriculum and assessment. The hard part is that schools need to time to revise and strengthen assessments so they meet the APPR criteria so let's hope they get it. Teachers need space to organize their thinking about target setting and they need tools to ensure their assessments are quality.<br />
<br />
*For the "locally-designed" AKA SLO component.<br />
<br />
(It can be done. It is being done. I'm happy to share. Feel free to tweet me at @JennLCI, check out a conference session I did on the <a href="http://www.datag.org/Websites/datagorg/files/Content/5287874/Borgioli_DATAG_October_2015.pdf" target="_blank">topic</a>, or drop me a line.)Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-48169780542690664122015-12-17T07:34:00.001-05:002015-12-17T07:42:45.230-05:00Part 4: 50 States, 50 Sets of Standards v. One Country, One Set of StandardsPart 1, the introduction, is <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-states-50-sets-of-standards-versus.html">here</a>.<br />
Part 2, a defense of resource sharing, is <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-states-50-sets-of-standards-versus_15.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
Part 3, an analogy that fewer choices helps us be more creative, <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-states-50-sets-of-standards-v-one.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Part 4: I give.<br />
<br />
This morning on NPR, Shankar Vedantam reminded listeners that we don't change our minds. It's similar to a <i class="">This</i><i> American Life</i> <a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/555/the-incredible-rarity-of-changing-your-mind" target="_blank">episode</a> that became the basis for a unit and curriculum I helped design that invited students to compare Regents writing to "real" writing. The task was organized around the essential question: <i>What's the point of writing an argumentative essay if we rarely change our minds? </i><br />
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
I've reached the inevitable conclusion that there doesn't seem to be a point. Vedantam's gist was a bit more nuanced: we can change others' minds but not unless we find the right framework. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I can't seem to find the words to persuade someone who believes 50 sets (actually 1000 when you add all up) is better than one, or 20, set(s). I'm not sure how to convince someone who thinks "locally-grown" standards are inherently better because they were written by teachers with a particular accent as opposed to those with accents from multiple states and regions. I'd like to think someone making the alternate claim could find the words to get me to change my mind, but I'm not persuaded by quotes from long-dead Founding Fathers or a general claim of "because it's better." I'll do my best to keep my mind open, though, and keep looking.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So I conclude my series by conceding. Tribe mentality in runs deep. We get a bee in our bonnet, a hum in our dinger, we set up camp and call it home. I'm not sure if I'm a counselor at Camp Common Core but I am on team "Let's Save Teachers' Time" and a card-carrying member of the "We Can't Go Back in Time" club. And yet... and yet....</div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
A writing standard from a national set of standards: <i>Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
A writing standard from a state-developed set of standards: </div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i>Challenge or support a point of view with supportive facts and opinions </i></li>
<li><i>Compare differing points of view in order to draw conclusions </i></li>
<li><i>Determine the validity of both sides of an argument, supporting or refuting one or both sides of the argument</i></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
I'm struck by the similarities. And differences. Both require we help students see the other side of an argument. The first one asks that students consider their audience when writing and to be fair. The second one is about challenging and determining validity. In both cases, I wonder - what are the implications when the adults in students' lives struggle with the demands of the standard? How do we model these standards or find anchors for them if adults are so rarely willing to do it ourselves? </div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-51958717193404609142015-12-16T08:38:00.002-05:002015-12-16T10:23:27.459-05:00Part 3: 50 States, 50 Sets of Standards v. One Country, One Set of StandardsPart 1 <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-states-50-sets-of-standards-versus.html">here</a>.<br />
<div>
Part 2 <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-states-50-sets-of-standards-versus_15.html">here</a><br />
<br />
Freedom to innovate.<br />
Ability to be more nimble.<br />
Unique state personalities. </div>
<div>
"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laboratories_of_democracy" target="_blank">Laboratories of Innovation</a>"<br />
The 10th Amendment.<br />
<br />
When I've asked those who are staunchly against the idea one set of standards or read their writing, there's generally a pattern. If the person has identified as against a particular set of standards, the response is generally about how horrible, terrible that particular set of standards is.* If not, the response tends to be around the reasons listed above. My take away from these conversations and readings is that if each state is allowed to develop their own content standards, then they'll be able to experiment with new ideas and meet the unique needs of their students. I disagree.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My claim: <b><i>One country with one set of learning standards helps increase educational innovation.</i></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you haven't heard her name yet, I'd like to introduce you to <a href="http://www.bravotv.com/people/frances-tariga-weshnak">Frances Tariga Weshnak</a>. She's a chef and all-around badass. She speaks multiple languages and forged a life for herself after her father kicked her out as a teenager. Right now, she's a part of <i>Top Chef</i> Season 13 but I first saw her on <i>Chopped </i>and <i>Cutthroat Kitchen.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
Alas, last week Frances was asked to pack her knives and leave <i>Top Chef.</i> She knew it was coming as soon as time was called and when she presented her dish, my husband and I commented on the difference between this chef and the one we saw on the other shows. Granted, editing may have a great deal to do with but I'd like to use Frances to support my claim that having fewer options can make us more creative. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On <i>Chopped</i>, chefs are given four ingredients and a pantry. Frances was amazing. She was confident, assertive, and a problem-solver.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On <i>Cutthroat Kitchen</i>, chefs are given a dish to cook and access to a pantry for 1 minute. Frances excelled. She dealt with any sabotages thrown her way and served up three great dishes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On <i>Top Chef</i>, chefs are given a meal theme and access to a grocery store and a budget. Frances floundered. She kept changing her mind, substituting ingredients, and doubting herself. She appeared to spend so long figuring how to start, she didn't have enough time to ensure it was a quality dish.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The sheer number of decisions that teachers have to make is astounding. What resources to use, which instructional strategies to use when, which is the right way to frame a question, how to best capture evidence of student learning through assessment, when to push, when to hold back. How to make content relevant for each and every child. If teachers start with the same standards - the grains of sand that make up the castle of a child's education - it is easier to share resources, it is easier to share lessons from experimentation, it's easier to focus on what matters. Kate, a math educator, made a similar point as a <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-states-50-sets-of-standards-versus_15.html?showComment=1450210308637#c1415971227202662739" target="_blank">comment</a> on Part 2. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With a shared set of standards, teachers at least have a shared, specific starting point. When innovation happens, there's one less variable that has to be eliminated in order to figure out what made the innovation successful. With 50 sets of standards, the starting point is "Math" or "Science." Finland, a country held up as an example by some of the same people who cite the reasons at the top of this blog, has <a href="http://edexcellence.net/commentary/education-gadfly-daily/flypaper/2012/real-lessons-from-finland-hard-choices-rigorously-implemented.html" target="_blank">national standards</a>. New Zealand, a personal favorite of mine in terms of culturally competent ed and quality assessment practices, has <a href="http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/National-Standards" target="_blank">national standards</a>. For me, this really goes back to the issue of 50 states or one country. Do we want innovation to stay locked at the state level or do we want it to go national?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
*Most people tend to hate on the Common Core when it comes to "one set of standards." It's worth noting that the following content areas have national standards, and in some cases have had them for years:</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/" target="_blank">Dance</a> (as a form of expression)<br />
<a href="http://www.shapeamerica.org/standards/dance/index.cfm" target="_blank">Dance</a> (as a physical activity)</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/" target="_blank">Music</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/" target="_blank">Media Art</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/" target="_blank">Theater</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/" target="_blank">Visual Arts</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.shapeamerica.org/standards/pe/" target="_blank">Physical Education</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.shapeamerica.org/standards/health/index.cfm" target="_blank">Health</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.nextgenscience.org/" target="_blank">Science</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/teacherstandards" target="_blank">Social Studies</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.actfl.org/publications/all/world-readiness-standards-learning-languages" target="_blank">World Languages</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.nctm.org/Standards-and-Positions/Principles-and-Standards/Principles,-Standards,-and-Expectations/" target="_blank">Mathematics</a> (From National Council of Teachers of Mathematics - foundation for CCSS-M)<br />
<u><a href="http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards" target="_blank">Technology</a></u><br />
<a href="https://www.nbea.org/newsite/curriculum/standards/" target="_blank">Business Education</a><br />
<a href="http://csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/K12Standards.html" target="_blank">Computer Science</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/national-standards-gifted-and-talented-education/pre-k-grade-12?id=546" target="_blank">Supporting Gifted Learners</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tesol.org/advance-the-field/standards" target="_blank">Supporting Students Learning English</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The National Council of Teachers of English has their own philosophy set of standards around reading and writing English</div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-29362308643969527312015-12-15T09:29:00.002-05:002015-12-16T08:38:59.269-05:00Part 2: 50 States, 50 Sets of Standards v. One Country, One Set of StandardsPart 1 <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-states-50-sets-of-standards-versus.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
As I suspected, I've been reframing my claim as I've been writing and reflecting. My original claim: One country with one set of learning standards helps reduce teachers' workload and frees up more time to talk about pedagogy.<br />
<br />
Where I am today: <i><b>One country with one set of learning standards helps reduce teachers' workload.*</b></i><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How I got there: </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is something delightfully powerful about being in a room when designers are sharing their creations - be it young scientists at a fair or teachers at a conference. I had the pleasure of facilitating a middle-level session during a recent TriState Performance Assessment Design Consortium conference. Teachers from three states shared <a href="https://twitter.com/JennLCI/status/654659252946993153" target="_blank">tasks</a> and assessments they'd designed as a part of a professional development program. Students also attended and participated in an eye-opening panel and were available for questions during a <a href="https://twitter.com/JennLCI/status/654677962961240064" target="_blank">poster session</a>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Teachers share. There have always been task, lesson, unit, and assessment warehouses. <i>Teacher Pay Teachers</i> didn't invent something new, they just monetized it. For decades, there was a teacher store in my area whose stock came entirely from retiring teachers or those leaving the profession. New teachers who bought the contents of a retiring teacher's filing cabinet could be fairly confident the materials were quality and would work in their school as they came from local teachers. The store closed at just about the same time as the internet became ubiquitous and sharing moved online. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now, when a teacher is looking for a task for a particular purpose, the process usually starts something like this:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>google the term or concept or visit a favorite website</li>
<li>filter through search results to find something that looks interesting and applicable</li>
<li>review the selected task to figure out if it'll work in her state</li>
<li>revise the task as needed to make it work in her state, for her students, and with available resources</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
Teachers didn't need one set of standards to share lesson plans, units, or curriculum. One set of standards, though, makes it easier. At the PADI conference a 6th grade ELA teacher from NY could sit in on a session with an ELA teacher from CT and know that the task would align to her state standards. A teacher in a CC-adopting state can go to any number of websites:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://achievethecore.org/" target="_blank">Achieve the Core</a></li>
<li>AFT's <a href="http://www.sharemylesson.com/" target="_blank">Share my Lesson</a></li>
<li>NY's <a href="https://www.engageny.org/common-core-curriculum" target="_blank">EngageNY</a></li>
<li>Better Lesson's <a href="http://betterlesson.com/?from=header_logo" target="_blank">collection</a></li>
<li>and are many more</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
Rest assured, I'm fully aware of the counter-claims about this level of standardization. I've been told several times that the coding and organization of CCLS is about publishers and technology, not teaching. I'll leave it to those making that claim to defend it. I'm having a hard time seeing, though, how making it harder for teachers to share quality resources is a good thing.<br />
<br />
*I'm working around to the idea that 50 versions of that one set is better than one identical set. Still mulling that over.<br />
<br />
Part 3 <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-states-50-sets-of-standards-v-one.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-3145625743634743672015-12-14T07:53:00.004-05:002015-12-16T08:39:12.421-05:00Part 1: 50 States, 50 Sets of Standards v. One Country, One Set of StandardsIt took a while to get around to it, but I listened to the <i><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2015/09/25/443413372/all-songs-1-why-hamilton-the-musical-works" target="_blank">Hamilton</a>'s </i>Broadway album last month. I hesitate to say I joined the cult of <i>Hamilton </i>but I've no qualms claiming it's the single best musical every written. Ever. In the history of the world. Forever. And I'm not gonna waste my shot. Part of what makes <i>Hamilton </i>so compelling is the combination America's founders optimism with the personality, music, and lens of today. There's also the sheer adoration creator Lin-Manuel Miranda clearly has for the grand experiment that is America and our founders.<br />
<br />
The musical <i>1776</i>, to which Miranda pays homage during his show, had a revival when I was in my musical theater phase in high school and between these two shows, I often have snippets of songs pop into my head when discussions of American history come up. In both shows, disagreements between representatives from different states are made stark. Both stories go back to the concept of "these American states" and the reminder that we are living in one country comprised of 50 states.<br />
<br />
Therein lies, I suspect, one of the issues at the heart of the Common Core debate. For the sake of this series, I'm setting aside arguments about compulsory education, sorting children by their birthdate into grades, or how we reduce learning to a number or symbol via grades. I want to wrestle with the question of if it's better to have one or 50 sets of outcomes for students.<br />
<br />
Claim 1: 50 states, each developing their own sets of standards, helps empower the concept of states as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laboratories_of_democracy" target="_blank">laboratories of democracy</a>.<br />
<br />
Counterclaim: 50 states, with 50 states of standards, results in silos of innovation as a lack of a shared language makes it difficult to share resources.<br />
<br />
Claim 2: One country with one set of learning standards helps reduce teachers' workload and frees up more time to talk about pedagogy.*<br />
<br />
Counterclaim: One country with one set of standards isn't a problem. The problem is CCSS.<br />
<br />
I'm Team Claim 2. In my first "series", I'm going to share the evidence that got me there and my thinking. Full confirmation bias confession: I haven't found any compelling evidence to support that claim that "50 states, 50 sets of standards" is better or worse than "one country, one set of standards." If you're an advocate of Claim 1, I'd love to hear how you got there and what evidence helped you make up your mind.<br />
<br />
*I'm likely going to end up clarifying and re-wording Claim 2 as I write and reflect but the gist will remain the same.<br />
<br />
Ready for Part 2? <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-states-50-sets-of-standards-versus_15.html" target="_blank">Have at it</a>!<br />
<br />Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-26590154335329875752015-12-10T16:07:00.001-05:002015-12-10T16:07:19.243-05:00On Being A Non-Parental, Tax-Paying Educator<b>Real thing said to me on Twitter: "You don't have kids, do you?"</b><br />
<br />
The first time someone came after me on social media about my parenting status during a discussion about a particular education issue, I laughed it off. The second time, I got angry. Like really angry. I think that particular exchange was what led to me being blocked in some quarters. The last time it happened, I just felt incredibly sad. The speaker picked up on something I said or didn't say and went for the jugular. I wasn't empathetic enough. I didn't communicate that I understood why she* was so angry. I wasn't able to convey in 140 characters that she was heard. That I recognized she was frustrated and angry and confused about the changes she was seeing. And because I didn't say what she wanted to hear, she came back at me in a way that was designed to hurt. Her anger doesn't excuse it. The topic doesn't make it ok.<br />
<br />
<b>Another real thing. Said several times: "You don't have skin in the game. You don't have kids."</b><br />
<br />
I started working at a summer camp for students with special needs when I was 13. I have my BS in Elementary Education, my MEd in Special Education, all of a PhD in Special Education except for that whole dissertation thing. I've taught in several grades and levels. I have my permanent certification. I've taken courses in psychometrics, statistics, and test design. For the last 10 years, I've worked with teachers, schools, and districts around rubrics, quality assessment design, and assessment audits. I'm published in peer review journals, newsletters, and am working on two books related to quality assessment practices. I have to know how quality assessment works because schools and teachers ask me to help them design better ones. Understanding standards, tests, and assessments is mandatory for my chosen career. A career that I adore, am grateful for, thankful for, and cherish. <b><i>tl;dr My skin is in it. It's literally my job to understand these issues.</i></b><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<b>Thing tweeted at me by someone who was, in fact, not my mother: "Once you have children, you'll understand."</b><br />
<b><br /></b> Each time it's happened, I've been tweeting with a stranger. I don't recognize the face and I don't know the name. Had it been a familiar face, they would have known that I don't have children because I chose not to have children. My friends know I'm at this point in my life because this is where I wanted to be. If they knew me back in college, they likely remember that brief phase I went through where I announced to everyone that I was going to be child-free. It was a bit obnoxious but it was my truth then and it's my truth now. I become extra familiar with my gynecologist every five years and I live a quiet life with my husband and cats. If this post does wander past the eyeballs of those who've used that phrase in discussions, I'd ask them to consider the impact of those words on someone who isn't child-free, but is childless. Who wants to be a parent, but isn't or can't.<br />
<b><br /></b> <b>"If you had children, you would see why [Common Core, testing, etc. etc.] is a problem."</b><br />
<b><br /></b> I can do my best to empathize. I can my best to understand that there are things about the system of public education that I cannot understand. I will never sit across from a teacher in the parent chair. This, however, does not mean I don't get a voice or am not allowed to disagree with parents. This does not mean that a parent's reading of an assessment is more "right" than my reading. It does not mean I have to say, "you're right. CCSS is forcing teachers to tell children that gay penguins are better parents than a mom and a dad." There are teachers, doctors, lawyers, psychologists, and others who work with children without being parents. Being a parent isn't a pre-requisite for understanding an issue or doing one's job. At the same time, I know parents who support the Common Core or saw no ill effects on their older children when they took the state tests and sent their younger kids to school on testing day without tears or teeth gnashing. Let's say, though, that the woman who said the quote above was right. Which group of parents should I, a non-parent, trust? What am I to infer around these issues when one group of parents opposes something another group of parents supports?<br />
<br />
<b>"Until [State Ed, the feds, the Governer] listens to parents, the opt-out movement will rise."</b><br />
<b><br /></b> Despite the death of NCLB and the birth of ESSA, 3-8 testing remains. Students will still be taking federally-mandated ELA and Math tests. The Opt-Out conversation here in NY isn't over. It remains to be seen what it will take for white, suburban parents to opt back into the system, if the ESSA changes meet their demands. And make no mistake, I'm not saying parents shouldn't speak up or are inherently wrong. Rather, I'm wondering about what we mean by "public education" and to whom that system belongs to. Even if I wasn't immersed in assessment, I would still be a taxpayer who believes in a free quality liberal arts education for all children. What are the implications when one group of taxpayers is told their voice isn't worthy enough?<br />
<br />
There's a distinct possibility that New York State is going to create a new set of standards, due in part to a backlash from parents about this thing called Common Core. When that happens, it will mean pulling apart and re-doing 3+ years of curriculum and assessment design. It will mean starting over with a new language and a new framework. And it will be exhausting and frustrating and put even more pressure on teachers. My fear is that it still won't make some parents happy. I'm fairly confident that it's going to keep us from, yet again, talking about the concept of "good schools" and the decisions parents make about moving into or out of certain districts.<br />
<br />
I'm fairly confident that my right to participant in any of those conversations isn't dependent upon the status of my womb or a signature on adoption papers.<br />
<br />
*It's always a female presenting Twitter user - based on avatar and name. Male-presenting avatars and names that offer a commentary on my comport speak about my tone or the way in which I approached them with a comment.Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-90681514774449562272015-12-07T17:53:00.000-05:002015-12-08T07:04:17.165-05:00What We Mean by "Student Voice"Like most human beings who communicate with other human beings, I have verbal/written tics. My speech and writing is often peppered with phrases like:<br>
<div>
<ul>
<li>my hunch is</li>
<li>I suspect</li>
<li>I wonder</li>
<li>it's likely that</li>
<li>patterns suggest</li>
<li>invite</li>
<li>consider</li>
</ul>
<div>
And make no mistake, it's not a fear of sharing my opinion, some shrinking violet syndrome, or passive aggressiveness. Rather, I'm working as hard as I can to engage in thoughtful discourse. I often fail. Miserably and in grand, ranty-fashion but, like most, I'm a work in progress. My speech pattern stems from an unwillingness to accept generalities or assume that an anecdote represents the whole. It will likely come as no surprise that I'm agnostic but then again, I'm a registered Democrat. See? #Fail.</div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
Allow me to present the following: </div>
</div>
<div>
<br></div>
Claim: P<b>olicymakers must listen to students if they want to help schools get better faster.</b><br>
<div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
Multiple texts expand on and support this idea:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/students-have-little-voice-in-shaping-schools-one-wants-to-change-that/2015/11/08/1c65d740-826b-11e5-a7ca-6ab6ec20f839_story.html?postshare=1451449499609002&tid=ss_tw-bottom" target="_blank">Source of claim</a></li>
<li>Alex Wiggins <a href="https://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/a-ps-to-the-guest-post-on-shadowing-hs-students-and-the-author-revealed/" target="_blank">wrote</a> about shadowing a student</li>
<li>Students have tried to change the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/kentucky-students-to-state-lawmakers-our-voices-should-matter/2015/02/02/34fad7d6-ab09-11e4-9c91-e9d2f9fde644_story.html" target="_blank">law</a> to get their voices heard.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Counterclaim: <b>Students are as failable as adults and their voices needed to be treated as such</b>.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
This is an example of student voice near where I live. Pictures from <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=WKBW+Lancaster+Redskins&espv=2&biw=1360&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZhqe9mMrJAhVwooMKHVGSAXAQsAQIGw" target="_blank">WKBW</a>:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsPl01ED88W21QRNuApiCFNyjmPratQCbz7nLq9_IR6fs6Ub5Qe98Ht6qe-3pJIMp25Yv4jLUUFYAElsgjJcDfX1t1fuKltqzh0Saa2gv2kgrN6Mlio2x4ookNJwicrofsf8IQQ/s1600/Lancaster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsPl01ED88W21QRNuApiCFNyjmPratQCbz7nLq9_IR6fs6Ub5Qe98Ht6qe-3pJIMp25Yv4jLUUFYAElsgjJcDfX1t1fuKltqzh0Saa2gv2kgrN6Mlio2x4ookNJwicrofsf8IQQ/s320/Lancaster.JPG" width="320"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8vltkrgfYMMAqB8ZSNOdaJY_GwqRdGY0llW9sAjnXUCRz2urBuH6xlXDeUtUXUIDhK9D9MoRb_tMS6J7McH3nVe8_vW9RDs65PD_UwwXU0NWPkoC5V5HTRnr-MSUxJnja_YQkQ/s1600/lancaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8vltkrgfYMMAqB8ZSNOdaJY_GwqRdGY0llW9sAjnXUCRz2urBuH6xlXDeUtUXUIDhK9D9MoRb_tMS6J7McH3nVe8_vW9RDs65PD_UwwXU0NWPkoC5V5HTRnr-MSUxJnja_YQkQ/s320/lancaster.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In South Carolina, a white school security officer handled a black child so roughly, she was injured. The officer was fired. White and students of color <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/10/30/student-walkout-backs-fired-deputy-sc-school/74874920/" target="_blank">protested</a> his firing by walking out of school. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Add to the challenge of these claims and counterclaims is the tension that we tend to listen to voices that say things we agree with (AKA <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/confirmation_bias.htm" target="_blank">confirmation bias</a>.) A favorite data point of those in my district who wanted to keep the old mascot was a poll of the student population that said 95% of students were against changing the name. <i>Listen to the students</i>! they said. <i>It's their school</i>!<i> They know what the want! </i>Except what they wanted was to keep a name that is a racial slur. A few weeks ago, I listened as a young woman receive praise for her testimony at a recent Common Core hearing in which she presented multiple pieces of misinformation about how Regents exams are graded. After the hearing, she was surrounded by adults wearing STOP COMMON CORE and was told how brave, and truthful, she was. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
When it comes to the students in my district, I practice a fair amount of adultism. I look at those young faces holding those protest signs and I think, "oh... babies. You sweet children. You've so much to learn." But then, I read the words of <a href="http://t.co/F2MEZvhADl" target="_blank">Kiana Hernandez</a> on testing and I think, "From the mouth of babes! You go, sweet child, you!" It seems fairly obvious to me that the first group of students is wrong and misguided. Given that, are there are other things students might be advocating for that are also misguided? This is the question that I tend to circle back to when I see people advocating for completely student-directed, self-guided curriculum. That's what I wondered as I watched that girl get praised by adults who agreed with the factually inaccurate thing she said. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
My hunch is that it's not so much about student voice as it is about lifting the voices that are often shouted over. My fear is that we elevate those voices we agree with and continue to ignore the younger voices speaking about their lived experiences. My hope is we adults are listening carefully to what students are saying, not just listening to see if we can use their words to further a particular claim.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Rusul Alrubail wrote a great <a href="http://rusulalrubail.com/2015/12/05/blogging-as-a-self-reflective-tool-is-overrated/" target="_blank">post</a> on how blogging for self-reflection is over-rated. "It’s time," she says, "To make [blogging] a tool for empowerment and advocacy." I suspect the same holds true for elevated student voice and student advocacy. If the things students are saying or asking for isn't about empowering those who are disempowered or advocating for equity and equality, perhaps the goal should be education, rather than elevating. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Recommended reading: This <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/11/student-activism-history-injustice/417129/" target="_blank">piece</a> by Melinda Anderson explores recent patterns in student activism, primarily by students of color, that seems like the student voices we'd want to elevate - and learn from.</div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-42928984338327070222015-12-07T09:20:00.000-05:002015-12-07T09:28:59.392-05:00On JargonI'm working up the courage to start my own podcast. As a part of my brainstorming/courage building pre-work, I've been listening to podcasts at every possible opportunity. As it so often goes, listening to one leads to another and suddenly I'm binging on a <a href="http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/sawbones" target="_blank">podcast</a> about medical history hosted by a doctor and her husband. It hits all my sweet spots with history, a feminist bent, and goofy humor, but the parts I cheer for the most are when Dr. McElroy, the host, busts out medical jargon - and then repeats herself using a more colloquial term. And she does it a lot. Almost every episode, she refers to the same thing using two different terms - the one the members of her profession use and one that her husband, a layperson as it were, would understand. In one episode, her husband scoffs at an especially complicated term and asks her why doctors don't just use the more common, less "doctor-y" term. You can almost hear her shrug as she says something to the effect of, "because we're doctors and that's what we call it."<br />
<br />
Doctors and Nurses get the Physicians Desk Reference and the Stedman's Medical Dictionary.<br />
Psychologists get the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V).<br />
Lawyers get a government sanctioned Glossary of Legal Terms.<br />
Teachers get the Googles.<br />
<br />
And I'm being only mildly snarky. Consider the word "curriculum." There's no shortage of exasperated blog posts from educators explaining the flaws of the Common Core Curriculum or explaining why the Common Core Standards aren't a curriculum and it's wrong to suggest it is.<br />
<br />
How about a word closer to my own heart? Almost daily, there's a tweet or post proclaiming the virtues of a great rubric. I click and pause. The tool being shared is indeed a great resource but it doesn't meet the criteria of a rubric. According to whom, one might ask. And it's a reasonable, frustrating question because it's 2015 and we don't have an official definition. Google the word's etymology and you'll get a brief history of red ink in manuscripts. We don't have an AMA or a Judicial Branch saying, "This word? It means this."<br />
<br />
I've written before about the challenge of assessment literacy among educators. That challenge, though, extends past just assessment and runs deep into the heart of what it means to be a member of a profession. Education nomenclature is a messy, jumbled, chaotic process that is often dictated by publishers and vendors. (There's a reason most people refer to scanned answer keys as ScanTron.) How might things be different were there an official education lexicon? If teachers shifted as comfortably between the language of their field and more common terms non-teacher parents and community members could understand?<br />
<br />
Different sources have attempted to make the final call.<br />
<ul>
<li>The Glossary of Ed Reform takes a stab at some common <a href="http://edglossary.org/" target="_blank">terms</a>. </li>
<li>ASCD <a href="http://www.ascd.org/research-a-topic.aspx" target="_blank">focuses </a>on terms relevant to their publications. </li>
<li>EdWeek spent several days trying to define two words: "<a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/11/11/searching-for-clarity-on-formative-assessment.html" target="_blank">formative assessment</a>"</li>
</ul>
Meanwhile, Diane Ravitch <a href="http://dianeravitch.net/2014/02/07/here-is-the-help-you-need-to-start-an-ed-lingo-bingo-game/" target="_blank">advocates</a> for EdLingo BINGO as a way to deal with "the useless words that fill the air." Carol Dweck had to write a lengthy text explaining what "<a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/carol-dweck-revisits-the-growth-mindset.html" target="_blank">growth mindset</a>" is and isn't. The tension between these two things would be amusing if we weren't talking about a profession. On the other hand, there are 3.5 million teachers in this country. Fewer than one million doctors. There are, though, 2.7 million nurses. Those two groups talk to each other in the same cryptic language that is inaccessible to a layperson.<br />
<br />
<div>
What are the implications when a profession can't talk to each other? I could easily make the claim that teachers talk just fine to each other. It's when others take over the conversation that it gets muddled. If that were the case, I wouldn't be able to link to a teacher blog railing against the federally mandated Common Core Curriculum and one describing how she developed her own curriculum based on the Common Core Standards. Alas, I can. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So what's the answer? Do we crowd-source a dictionary of education terms, using researchers in that field as a check and balance? Do nothing? Right now, I just get ranty when reporters call the 3-8 tests "exams" or I see a Likert Scale labeled "rubric." There isn't likely to be a voice from on high declaring the final word (pun intended) but in the meantime, in the absence of an official dictionary, consider this a call for more thoughtful word choice. A call which goes hand in hand with a need to consult the experts. Which is, as many like to proclaim, something we don't exactly have a handle on in education.</div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-63666145754585338722015-11-28T12:31:00.001-05:002015-11-28T15:36:06.343-05:00The Big Picture of High School Graduation CriteriaIn American public high schools, students generally need three things to be considered done with a free public education.<br>
<br>
1. Passing scores on exit exams<br>
2. Sufficient course credits<br>
3. Be at least 17 years old<br>
<br>
Not all states use the same criteria for exit exams, credit hours, and date for aging out of compulsory education. I'm in NY so I use that as a reference point. Your mileage and experiences may vary. What also varies are the slow, small changes some districts and communities have been taking over time to shift away from these particular criteria, which was all the rage when the United States made the decision to educate all of its younger citizens, not just those who could pay tuition.<br>
<br>
<b>Exit Exams</b><br>
<b>For the majority of students </b>in NY, a passing grade on <a href="http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/hsgen/archive/rehistory.htm" target="_blank">Regents</a> exams is needed in order to demonstrate they've learned what's expected. This idea of "what's expected" lies at the heart of the standards conversation - which is too big an issue for this particular post. Currently, students need to pass 4 or 5 exams, depending on which pathway they are on. NYSED is in the process of expanding the pathways to include an arts degree and revamping the Global Studies Exam with has kept many a student from graduating on time.<br>
<br>
<b>For a minority of students</b> in NY, mastery of the standards is demonstrated via research papers, portfolios, and projects. The criteria for success on their work is determinded through a <a href="http://performanceassessment.org/consortium/cfaqs.html" target="_blank">consortium</a> that operates with the full consent of NYSED and its members are regular ol' public education schools. Anne Cook, the director, <a href="http://hechingerreport.org/nyc-schools-that-skip-standardized-tests-have-higher-graduation-rates/" target="_blank">reports</a> they have fewer students drop out than Regents-giving high schools and their students report being better prepared for college. The consortium is not new. It's been around since the late 90's and as public interest in alternatives to high stakes exams grows, media outlets are covering more and more schools across the country that are quietly looking to document this criteria in a non-exam based way.<br>
<br>
<b>Course Credits</b><br>
<b>For the majority of students</b> in public education across the country, they have to earn a sufficient number of course credits to graduate. These <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_Unit_and_Student_Hour" target="_blank">Carnegie units</a> [Yes, it got its name exactly how you think it got its name] are strictly<b> time-based.</b> A common joke when discussing the issue of course credits is to point out the part of the learner they measure; students get credits based on how long their butt was in the seat, not necessarily how well or much is learned. Typically, students aren't given credit for having sat in a particular seat unless they get a grade that reflects they did what the teacher expected while sitting in that seat AKA pass the course. The challenge of how we describe "passing" is at the heart of the anti-grade movement and likewise a separate issue from this post.<br>
<br>
<b>For a minority of students in public education</b>, measurement shifts from time to mastery. As it is with all things in education, this approach has many names: <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2014/10/07/353930358/competency-based-education-no-more-semesters" target="_blank">Competency-based education</a> (CBE), performance-based, mastery-based, etc. [For what it's worth, I'm fairly confident that it took a while for Carnegie to shake out as the name for time-based education and then it became the only name. So it goes in education nomenclature. <a href="http://edglossary.org/competency-based-learning/" target="_blank">This </a>does a good job trying to define mastery-based learning] This approach is not <a href="http://www.ed.gov/oii-news/competency-based-learning-or-personalized-learning" target="_blank">new</a> nor does it look the same everywhere. It was not invented by Gates, Pearson, or Rocketship. It's based on the basic philosophy held by any adult who has met more than one child: not all children develop in the same way or at the same pace. What is new is the attention it's getting - especially when a publisher or vendor relies on teaching machines (H/t <a href="http://teachingmachin.es/" target="_blank">Audrey Watters</a>) to make learning personal.<b><i> It's important to note - and the purpose for this post - this approach is no more representative of CBE than a pit bull is representative of the subspecies canis. </i></b><br>
<b><i><br></i></b> <b>Aging out of Compulsory Education</b><br>
<b>For the majority of students </b>in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_education" target="_blank">world</a>, passage through public education is based on how many times they've gone around the sun. To paraphrase Sir Ken Robinson - they're organized based on their date of manufacturing. Parents debate enrolling a "young 5" or waiting until they're a "young 6." To put it more bluntly, the "staircase" many point to as a problem with the Common Core was built long before Common Core came along. It's merely a runner on those cement steps.<br>
<br>
<b>For a minority of students </b>here in the states, some districts are shifting how they think about the concept of time and age. The <a href="http://www.adams50.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=1" target="_blank">Adams 50 School District</a> in Colorado is one that moved away from a traditional concept of grades. <a href="http://speedchange.blogspot.com/p/about-ira-david-socol.html" target="_blank">Ira Socol</a> writes a great deal about his district's approach to grouping. For others, the shift away from course credits forced a reconsideration of how students are grouped and graduate. New Hampshire has passed <a href="http://education.nh.gov/standards/faq.htm#credits" target="_blank">policies </a>that allows local districts to determine if demonstrating competencies allows students to graduate "early."<br>
<br>
States, districts, and schools have choices about how they handle the three components of exiting a free public education. To that end, we can make claims about each of them in turn. Some possible ones might include [and note, I'm not married to any of these, just taking my claim writing skills out for a walk]:<br>
<br>
<ul>
<li><i>Claim: Exit exams are the cheapest, most cost-effective way to ensure students have mastered the expected content.</i></li>
<li>Counterclaim: Portfolio-based and performance-based exit tasks, though more costly, are worth it as they allow us to expand what it measured and how students demonstrate their learning.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><i>Claim: Traditional course credits are the most effective way of ensuring students get the full developmentally-appropriate liberal arts experience including group work, discussion, and review of previously learned content.</i></li>
<li>Counterclaim: Competency-based learned shifts the focus from time-based measurement to actual student ability and allows for more varied, personalized engagement with the content. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><i>Claim: A society needs to keep children in school until the age of 17 or 18 to develop their social and emotional skills, regardless of how much learning they're experiencing in school. </i></li>
<li>Counterclaim: By allowing students to exit out of school once they have mastered the outcome expectations for public education, students are free to pursue their own areas of interest. </li>
</ul>
<br>
Looking forward to hearing your claim.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-75252790354017769352015-11-20T11:35:00.000-05:002015-11-23T18:28:16.869-05:00"Thanks for the feedback!" NYSED to NYS Educators<b>Edited on November 23 to add the NYSAPE Common Core Survey. </b><br />
<br />
For years, likely since the first day the website went up, there has been a "Teacher Participation Opportunities" link on the New York State Education Department's Office of State Assessment (OSA) <a href="http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/" target="_blank">website</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxWUWJbZRW7coIdrpshcJNpsgGvvlSdJCjgTuKgvBnd1H_boTxi4ii8W2wRX2XgRdf-EQTv1CZHMmPTXckIRridp3te1M9SJBe1qo4XdyiXZ4xN4VNG_wHNc_NvKanCPW5MGx2Q/s1600/call+for+teachers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxWUWJbZRW7coIdrpshcJNpsgGvvlSdJCjgTuKgvBnd1H_boTxi4ii8W2wRX2XgRdf-EQTv1CZHMmPTXckIRridp3te1M9SJBe1qo4XdyiXZ4xN4VNG_wHNc_NvKanCPW5MGx2Q/s200/call+for+teachers.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Following the link leads to a series of options available to NY teachers to participate in a variety of test design and assessment writing activities. These activities typically require sub coverage and travel to Albany, a 9-hour round trip and an overnight stay for those in the Southern Tier. Some are "once and done" work in which the teachers go to Albany, engage in a particular task, get a nice thank you letter, and not know what will become of their work until the test is published or the scores released. Some are extended projects in which teachers return multiple times to Albany or continue the work back at home. The biggest challenges of this approach to getting teacher feedback: </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li> teachers have to volunteer or be nominated,</li>
<li>SED can filter who they bring to do the work, and</li>
<li>the proceedings aren't public. </li>
</ul>
This novel idea of involving NYS teachers in the design of the NYS tests and exams isn't new. Teachers in 1891 were asked their opinion on the <a href="http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/hsgen/archive/rehistory.htm" target="_blank">exams</a>.<br />
<blockquote>
At least as early as 1891, blanks for suggestions and criticisms "relative to the character and scope of the examinations" were shipped with each set of examination papers. These comments are tabulated and studied carefully.</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So basically, teachers have been involved in the writing of the NYS tests and exams since pretty much the beginning. <b>Opinions about if it's the *right* kind of feedback, if the *right* teachers are giving feedback, and what that feedback looks like in the modern area vary.</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The feedback process around standards isn't nearly as long. The formal presence of standards didn't start until the 90's. Any NYS teacher of a certain age remembers the booklets with the 1996 standards, printed on really thin paper with different colored covers. Inside the front cover of each book was a list of the teachers who participated in their construction and anchoring. This is from the LOTE standards, the only ones that haven't been updated since 1996. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1HIO94JrLd1Tu7jsMIwLHlHLG4tS5G_tvZ94NPM_LRbSG5PjhTWfYbrTOb1LNUmNGO1OVuPg2KwYxSqSz-54dddgH7uxR2532bAD1EkXUFKpQamNfsNWxlGPXSpxzREKQgwobA/s1600/StandardsWriting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1HIO94JrLd1Tu7jsMIwLHlHLG4tS5G_tvZ94NPM_LRbSG5PjhTWfYbrTOb1LNUmNGO1OVuPg2KwYxSqSz-54dddgH7uxR2532bAD1EkXUFKpQamNfsNWxlGPXSpxzREKQgwobA/s400/StandardsWriting.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When the time came to update the standards following the change in NYS law in 2007, Albany came to the field. In April 2008, I was at the Western NY forum and used this new thing called Twitter to share out what was happening. It's interesting to note that many of the things I <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2008/04/nys-ela-standards-forum.html" target="_blank">tweeted</a>, the things the teachers in the room were asking for, are a part of the Common Core design. But I digress. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Shortly after the forums concluded, the committee wrote up their findings and began working on what are now called the "lost" standards by some advocates. I prefer the moniker the "paused" standards as NY stopped that work in order to be a part of a new initiative to create multi-state standards. "Common" standards, as it were. NYSED provides a timeline of those decisions <a href="http://www.p12.nysed.gov/standardsreview/" target="_blank">here</a>. <b>Opinions about why New York made that decision, if the "paused" standards are better or worse than the CCSS, and what it means to have 50 states with 50 sets of standards area vary.</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Which brings us to 2015 and NYS is again seeking out teacher feedback.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Want to comment on each specific Common Core Learning Standard? <a href="http://www.nysed.gov/aimhighny" target="_blank">Commissioner Elia</a> wants to know if the standard is acceptable, if it should be moved, changed, or re-worded.</li>
<li>Want to comment on the CCLS, tests, or APPR in general? Governor Cuomo and his task force are <a href="https://www.ny.gov/programs/common-core-task-force" target="_blank">all ears</a>. (It remains to be seen, though, how discrepancies between Elia's survey and Cuomo's task force will be resolved.)</li>
<li>Want to comment on the latest draft of the Science standards? The Science department at NYSED will open a survey on December 2. Draft standards are available <a href="http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/sci/nys-p12-science-ls-intro.html" target="_blank">now</a>.</li>
<li>Want to comment on the proposed changes to the NYS Social Studies Regents? The look, design, and structure of the exams are open for <a href="https://www.engageny.org/content/global-history-and-geography-regents-exam-development-survey" target="_blank">feedback</a>.</li>
<li>Want to be a part of writing NYS tests, assessments, and exams? The <a href="http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/teacher/home.html#teacher-op" target="_blank">offer</a> from them still stands. (Be sure to check dates though, some have closed for now.)</li>
<li>NYS Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE) created their own <a href="http://www.nysape.org/nysape-common-core-survey.html" target="_blank">survey</a> which touches upon testing, APPR, and the CCLS standards. It's unclear how these data will be used. </li>
</ol>
<div>
In addition, updates from SED frequently appear on the agenda for events like Middle-Level Liaisons, DATAG, Social Studies conferences, etc. It's a safe assumption that those SED personnel are talking to the teacher- and administrator-leaders of those organizations. So let it not be said NYSED in 2015 doesn't want your opinion. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But as we know, that's only step 1. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-6628864340277076332015-11-04T17:23:00.001-05:002015-12-28T16:05:41.237-05:00Lie back and think of EnglandThere is a certain cognitive twitch that occurs only when one is writing a multiple choice question for poetry. It's a brain hiccup caused by the tension of doing something that shouldn't be done but has to be done.<br />
<div>
<br />
Everyone in the room, myself included, knew the non-negotiables:</div>
<div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>goal was to write a common assessment</li>
<li>it needed to include poetry</li>
<li>it had to generate quantitative data (ergo, scanning MC questions versus hand scoring written responses)</li>
</ul>
It simply wasn't a viable option at that moment to switch gears completely to curriculum-embedded, performance tasks like some <a href="http://chappaqua.dailyvoice.com/schools/chappaqua-parents-get-taste-of-kids-school-assessments/562270/" target="_blank">districts</a> had done. Things had been negotiated. Compromises had been reached. So, there we were. Trying to find a poem that was equal parts complexity and simplicity.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As most teachers do, this group found a way through and used student choice, several different poems, and a focus on the CCSS Language standards to make it an assessment that would generate useful information without causing too many brain cramps. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On my travels to my next adventure, I kept re-living the day. Why didn't we push back harder? Why didn't I advocate more vocally for a better assessment when asked to support this group of teachers? Did we capitulate because as a room full of white women, we were socialized to follow the rules? We did what was asked. We met the mandate while doing our very best to ensure quality assessment. No one left feeling like we would be imposing something unethical or unfair on the students but at the same time... a multiple choice question about poetry. Did we do the right thing?<br />
<br />
In a twitter exchange on the theme of the thinking behind certain mandates, Peter Greene <a href="https://twitter.com/palan57/status/459313209363943426?lang=en" target="_blank">tweeted </a>to me, "So just lie back and think of England?" Which, first, no. And second... <a href="http://t.co/b9CtIiuzBW" target="_blank">no</a>. (No time to click the link? The phrase is wrongly attributed as advice from Queen Victoria to her daughter-in-law about producing an heir but has come to represent a trope that women need to suffer through sex for the greater good. Here is where every real nerd will repeat, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUpbOliTHJY" target="_blank">The Greater Good</a>.")</div>
<div>
<br />
It would seem there are three ways to deal with policy mandates with which we disagree.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Refuse it. The <a href="http://www.fairtest.org/get-involved/opting-out" target="_blank">Opt Out</a> approach appears to be about <b>changing policy by refusing to participate</b>. It's not necessarily about finding a way through, it's about finding a way around. </li>
<li>Be excused from it. New Hampshire's <a href="http://nhpr.org/post/districts-experimenting-new-tests-writing-questions-only-half-task" target="_blank">approach</a> to annual testing is asking permission to c<b>ome at it from a totally different direction</b>. </li>
<li>Find a way through it. Leveraging mandates to make the best of what's been asked.</li>
</ol>
<div>
I compulsively read everything I can on cognitive biases and how our brains are lazy by design. So I spend a lot of time while traveling trying to figure out the holes in my logic model. See - I'm okay with #3. I'm okay with schools looking at policy and saying, "Welp. This is silly. But, it's policy. How can we attend to this in a way that honors what we value and protects our students?" And then moving on. I don't see it as capitulation, but I suspect that's because I'm treating it as a narrow issue of assessment/curriculum design. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Some authors like to compare the Opt Out movement to activities through history, especially during the Civil Rights era and each time I read one of those blog posts, I struggle against my instinct to reject them as hyperbole. In some cases, I've no problems connecting parts of a system (impact of cultural appropriation on the well-being of Native Americans) but here... (Opting Out of a state test as a gesture towards more equitable schools), I struggle. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is, I suspect, a great deal to be said about what it means to leverage mandates. It's a close cousin to "asking for forgiveness instead of permission" and lives in the narrow space between doing what is required and what is right. Is it a matter of changing of what we can? Or do I have a giant blind spot around the Opt Out movement? </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-50743690143510018182015-10-30T08:14:00.004-04:002015-10-30T11:07:53.078-04:00What exactly is "standardization" in assessment design?I'm going to do my best to keep this really short and concise and write according to <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/media/2015/10/tumblr-notorious-rbg-book-ruth-bader-ginsburg" target="_blank">The Notorious RBG</a>: 'Get it right, keep it tight.'"<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Background:</div>
<div>
Peter Greene made a <a href="http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-correct-number-of-standardized-tests.html" target="_blank">claim </a>that the correct number of standardized tests is zero.</div>
<div>
I presented a <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2015/10/unintended-consequences-of-making.html" target="_blank">counterclaim </a>that standardization isn't the problem. </div>
<div>
Greene <a href="http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-only-good-standardized-test.html?spref=tw" target="_blank">expanded</a> on his claim to clarify his intentions around the tests. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
While reading Peter's updated claim, I realized that at no point was the phrase "standardized" actually defined. We both gave our opinions on what it means:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
From Greene: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Standardized" when applied to a test can mean any or all (well, most) of the following: mass-produced, mass-administered, simultaneously mass-administered, objective, created by a third party, scored by a third party, reported to a third party, formative, summative, norm-referenced or <a href="http://edglossary.org/criterion-referenced-test/">criterion referenced.</a></blockquote>
From Me:<br />
<blockquote>
<i>Welp, first, minus ten to me because I didn't state a definition, I asked questions that implied one.</i> So to restate the intention of my questions. Standardized means doing the same thing for a group of students. The "thing" can be the nature of the task, the amount of time, the scoring criteria, or the directions to the students.</blockquote>
<br />
This is the quote from Peter that made me consult my bookcase and/or Google.<br />
<blockquote>
This broad palate of definitions means that conversations about standardized testing often run at cross-purposes. When Binis talks about the new performance assessment task piloting in NH, she thinks she's making a case for standardization, and I'm think that performance based assessment is pretty much the opposite of standardized testing.</blockquote>
I wasn't making a case for standardization, I was identifying an example in which a standardized process is used to develop a performance-based assessment. This may be <a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/09/22/434597124/trying-to-change-or-changing-the-subject-how-feedback-gets-derailed" target="_blank">switch-tracking</a> (from The Hidden Brain Podcast - check it out. It's really cool!) by both of us but it remains that when we use the word or phrase, we've a different meaning in mind. So... to the Googles!<br />
<br />
From <a href="http://www.apa.org/science/programs/testing/standards.aspx" target="_blank">Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing</a> AKA "The Testing Standards" (This is basically the sourcebook for writing a quality measure of student learning), written by the AERA, APA, NCME, 2014<br />
<blockquote>
A test is a device or procedure in which a sample of an examinee's behavior in a specific domain is obtained and subsequently evaluated and scored by a standardized process. Tests differ on a number of dimensions... but in all cases, however, tests standardize the process by which test takers' responses to test materials are evaluated and scored. </blockquote>
<b>According to the alpha and omega, a test by its very nature is standardized. </b>Which makes the phrase "standardized test" redundant, it seems.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="http://www.apa.org/science/programs/testing/fair-testing.pdf" target="_blank">Code of Fair Testing Practices</a>, which is a supplementary document for the Testing Standards.<br />
<blockquote>
The Code applies broadly to testing in education regardless of the
mode of presentation, so it is relevant to <b>conventional
paper-and-pencil tests, computer-based tests, and
performance tests.</b>... Although the Code is not intended to cover
tests prepared by teachers for use in their own
classrooms, teachers are encouraged to use the
guidelines to help improve their testing practices.</blockquote>
From Stanford's <a href="https://scale.stanford.edu/system/files/beyond-basic-skills-role-performance-assessment-achieving-21st-century-standards-learning.pdf" target="_blank">primer </a>on performance-based assessments:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
[Describing performance-based assessments] Teachers can get information and provide feedback to students as needed, something that traditional <b>standardized tests</b> cannot do.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
.... in the early years of performance assessment in the United States, Vermont
introduced a portfolio system in writing and mathematics that contained unique
choices from each teacher’s class as well as some common pieces. Because of this variation,
researchers found that teachers could not score the portfolios consistently enough
to accurately compare schools. The key problem was the lack of <b>standardization </b>of the
portfolios. </blockquote>
Here, the authors use standardized in two ways: first to refer to the multiple choice test we tend to picture when we hear "standardized test" and then to refer to the process of creating a uniform approach to scoring student writing samples.<br />
<br />
From Handbook of Test Development, edited by Downing & Haladyna:<br />
<blockquote>
The test administration conditions - standard time limits, proctoring to ensure no irregularities, environmental conditions conducive to test taking, and so all - all seek to control extraneous variables in the experiment and make conditions uniform and identical for all examinees. Without adequate control of all relevant variables affecting test performance, it would be difficult to interpret examinee test scores uniformly and meaningfully. This is the essence of the validity issue for test administration.</blockquote>
Now, for the kicker. Why does any of this matter? Because of <a href="http://hechingerreport.org/how-can-teachers-heed-obamas-call-to-cap-assessments-if-they-dont-know-how-to-give-tests/" target="_blank">this</a> - assessment literacy. If you follow no other link from this post, please follow that one. Peter and I are reading the same book but we're not on the same page, as it were. He's a teacher, I'm out of the classroom, working with teachers around assessment design. This isn't an issue of "He's right and I'm wrong" or "I'm the expert, trust me." It's more compelling, instead, to consider the implications - and there are many of how we talk about testing and assessment. From teacher preparation, to academic writing, to communicating with parents and the public. I suspect, that until the profession agrees on a common glossary, we're going to keep nibbling at the edges.Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-10594096320815926682015-10-27T08:46:00.001-04:002015-10-27T08:46:01.690-04:00Unintended Consequences of Making Standardized Tests the Enemy President Obama's "2%" video has generated a number of claims, counterclaims, rants and praise. Larry Ferlazzo rounded up many of <a href="http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2015/10/24/the-best-posts-articles-on-obama-administrations-call-for-fewer-tests/" target="_blank">them</a> if you're looking for texts that support your opinion or challenge it. There's a lot to be said about it and there's a text written basically for every possible counterclaim or supporting claim. My general take away vacillates between "meh" as unless Congress changes ESEA, state-wide annual tests will persist and yeah! let's talk about what healthy assessment systems look like! The challenge remains, though, around how to deal with mandates - to leverage them to support student learning, to ignore them, to advocate parents opt their children out to send a message, or door #4. Regardless, it's a deeply personal decision every educator, school, and district must make.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That, however, is not the issue at hand or why I dusted off my semi-irregular blog. I get ranty about <a href="http://www.shankerinstitute.org/blog/semantics-test-scores" target="_blank">semantics </a>and I own it. It comes from a place of absolute adoration for the teaching profession. Since my first ed course in college, I've loved the hubris that comes with labeling, describing, and attempting to capture the unseeable. It's the place that made me comfortable as a young teacher to speak up when a teacher's aide referred to my students with special needs as "TMR." In her day, "Trainable Mentally Retarded" was an acceptable moniker for a certain type of student. I had the concept of people first language to fall back on and the rules of the framework to help me find the words to speak up and find a way through the awkwardness. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's the love for the language of teaching and learning that rears up occasionally and results in me offering unsolicited opinions. Before I offer up the claim I disagree with for semantical reasons, I'd like to lay out the evidence for my counter-claim.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ever give the same test or task to a group of students?</div>
<div>
Ever use an answer key to score students' test?</div>
<div>
Ever ask students to hand in their work after a certain period of time?</div>
<div>
Ever assign a grade on a scale of 0-100 with a pass/fail cutpoint (i.e. 65)?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then you've given a standardized test. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ever talk with other teachers to reach consensus around what quality work looks like?</div>
<div>
Ever set aside examples of student work to refer to later as an example of a "good" paper?</div>
<div>
Ever review a task to make sure it's fair, accessible to students with disabilities, free of bias?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If your answer is yes, then you've used standardization to help you do your job.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Peter Greene wrote a post in response to Obama's comment titled <a href="http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-correct-number-of-standardized-tests.html?spref=tw" target="_blank">The Correct Number of Standardized Tests</a>. His claim is that the correct number is zero. He says, "Students need standardized tests like a fish needs a bicycle." If that's the case, then it raises a whole slew of questions about grades, final exams, and what it means to fairly assess students. Meanwhile, the <a href="http://performanceassessment.org/" target="_blank">NYS Performance Consortium</a> uses standardized processes. <a href="http://nhpr.org/post/districts-experimenting-new-tests-writing-questions-only-half-task">These</a> teachers in NH are using standardized tests (which are actually performance tasks) to assess their students. And more to the point, when you ask <a href="http://t.co/F2MEZvhADl" target="_blank">Kiana Hernandez</a> about standardized tests, she talks about those created by the state, her district, and her teachers.<br /><br />I recognize that his point isn't about standardized tests per se but the large-scale once a year tests. However, he ends his post with "the number of necessary standardized tests is zero." I'm all about performance tasks, portfolios, and authentic assessment. I'm all about the maker movement and kids doing things in school that have meaning to them outside of school. I'm also all about the profession of teaching and having a robust public education system. I want there to be a standardized approach to how we collect large-scale evidence of learning in order to inform systemic decisions and policy. Right now, we're using multiple choice because they're easy, familiar, and faster than the alternative. Hopefully, we'll move to a system like what NH is cooking up where the tasks are embedded within the curriculum and assessment is a part of a learning, not an interruption. But even when we get there, there will still be a need for some degree of standardization. To suggest that standardization itself is a problem ... well, that's a whole nother case of worms about the purpose of public education and society.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The aide in my school way back when didn't mean my students were "trainable." She didn't think less of them, she was used to "TMR" and rattled it off as a placeholder for "<i>the students with mild to moderate disabilities in the 15:1 math class but in a general education class for Science and Social Studies.</i>" I suspect Greene is using "standardized tests" as a placeholder for "<i>the tests given once a year that cause an incredible amount of stress and do little to inform what happens in my classroom.</i>" I go back to the questions I asked in my semantics post: What's gained or lost by using or not using precise language? What does the profession gain or lose when using shorthand to refer to a given concept or idea? </div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-7536514579902461392015-10-21T13:13:00.001-04:002015-10-21T13:13:24.537-04:00My CCLS Changes and Recommendations Earlier today, NYSED released the link to the <a href="http://www.nysed.gov/aimhighny" target="_blank">tool</a> they're using to collect recommended changes to the Common Core Learning Standards. The CCLS are slightly different than the original CCSS in a few key ways: NYS added #11 to reading about literature, a handful of other standards around creativity, culture, and choice and one or two to the math standards.<br />
<br />
The survey is clear about what it is and what it isn't. It's not a place to share general opinions about the giant ball of sticky wax referred to as "Common Core." It's a place to comment on individual standards. Each. Individual. Standard. Which, according to my Excel file, is 1115 literacy standards. I will be sharing feedback with SED based on my experiences around curriculum and assessment over the last four years. Some of my feedback will include:<br />
<br />
* Creativity was added during the adoption process - in some grades, though, it appears under <i>Reading Informational Texts</i> and in others, it's in <i>Speaking and Listening</i>, some it's both. I'd advocate for putting them all under <i>Speaking and Listening</i> like it is in 12th grade.<br />
<br />
* Cultural connections in Kindergarten and First Grade (RL.9a) is worded oddly. I suspect it's about inviting students to see connections between their own lives and the experiences of those in a book they're reading but it should be cleaned up and clarified to ensure alignment in curriculum design.<br />
<br />
* The "seek to understand" standard has always been one of my favorites but like cultural connections, the wording seems a bit hastily. I've drafted a proposed re-write based on work from anti-racism/cultural competency educators.<br />
<br />
* The study of dialects and accents appears only in 5th grade. Feels like a waste of an opportunity to invite students to engage with the English language and all its odd quirks. I have ideas for how to expand that into other grades.<br />
<br />
* In some of the original CCSS, there's a sense of writing by committee that becomes clear when you've started at the standards many, many, many times during design sessions. Small things like a word being used in 3rd, dropped in 4th, but re-appears in 5th. Because that's the kind of person I am, I have a running list of those odd quirks and will be passing them along.<br />
<br />
Those who advocate opting out of state tests have reported that, in order to opt back in, they want the standards to be fixed so they are developmentally and age-appropriate. Let's hope they pass along their feedback around what changes need to be made to ensure that happens.Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-50402651904895435812015-08-22T08:01:00.002-04:002015-08-22T10:00:50.592-04:00Why I Remain Committed to Educational MeasurementGene V. Glass's name appears dozens of times in my EndNotes library. I bought his latest book the day it came out and will slow my skim to a read when I see his name, or that of his colleague <a href="http://vamboozled.com/" target="_blank">Audrey Amrein Beardsley</a> in my RSS feed. Like many whose day job involves the messy world of assessment and curriculum, I respect his thinking and value his take on events. His recent <a href="http://ed2worlds.blogspot.com/2015/08/why-i-am-no-longer-measurement.html" target="_blank">decision </a>to shift his title and focus out of educational measurement was likely not an easy one, but it was likely the inevitable next step in his journey. He, more so than most, know the boondoogle that is trying to quantify learning and his voice against large-scale testing used for accountability purposes will hopefully be listened to by those who set policy.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
His points, though, haven't influenced my commitment to educational measurement. When I begin working with a new group of teachers, I often share a part of my educational philosophy: I believe we can talk about, describe, evaluate, measure, and learn about student learning without using numbers. I believe assessment is at its best when it is indistinguishable from learning. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This, I believe, is the next level of educational measurement and why I remain committed to the field. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My EndNote entries that included Glass were from a time when I was studying classic test design, cut score setting, and tests designed to evaluate the system from 10,000 feet. When I got back to the 1-foot perspective and shifted to focus on assessments that are more learner-centered, dynamic, and useful to teachers and students, my citations switched to researchers like <a href="https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/node/46" target="_blank">Linda Darling-Hammond</a>, <a href="https://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Grant Wiggins</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?oi=gsb95&q=Giselle%20Martin-Kniep&lookup=0&hl=en" target="_blank">Giselle Martin-Kniep</a>, and others. It is my firm belief that through the efforts like <a href="http://nhpr.org/post/districts-experimenting-new-tests-writing-questions-only-half-task" target="_blank">New Hampshire</a>'s teacher designed accountability measures, <a href="http://performanceassessment.org/" target="_blank">NY's Performance Consortiuum</a>, <a href="http://hechingerreport.org/should-high-school-students-have-to-defend-their-diploma-like-a-ph-d/" target="_blank">California's exit portfolios</a>, we're learning from the authentic assessment experiences of the 90's and creating a new approach to measurement in which the walls between curriculum, assessment, and instruction are blurred or non-existent; that all that remains is the learning. Our job as curriculum writers, assessment designers, sages, guides, teachers, and/or facilitators to create the conditions for learning and then get out of the way. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The video below was created to talk about measuring learning in moocs but I nearly stood up and applauded at the two minute mark when Gardner Campbell makes the important - albeit simple sounding point: Why is measuring learning so hard? It depends on what you mean by measuring.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_iv8A1pHNYA/0.jpg" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_iv8A1pHNYA?rel=0&start=120&end=465&autoplay=0" width="640"></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-85811949776766886962015-08-19T10:14:00.004-04:002015-08-19T10:38:46.789-04:00Is Opting Out *REALLY* the only option? <div class="MsoNormal">
If I can be so bold, may I beg your indulgence for committing the sin of telling, not showing as I begin this post? Unfortunately, I neglected to take a picture of the student’s work and will do my best to convey its awesomeness. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few years ago, I was working with a group of middle-level teachers designing assessments to meet NYS’s teacher evaluation system. They had a fair amount of leeway around the assessments’ design but had a few non-negotiables:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->There would be no new testing. Any tasks had to be embedded in the curriculum and be seen by students to be a writing task, not a writing test.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->The task had to offer novelty to the students by asking them a compelling, interesting authentic question. This required an interdisciplinary approach. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->The task had to align to the Common Core Learning Standards as well as the district goal of perseverance. So while we were focusing on the craft of writing, the task needed be an opportunity for students to work on a task until they were satisfied with it and see their growth. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The task itself was complex in its simplicity. Students were presented with the essential question, “Does setting influence character?” and two writing prompts. [<i>During the initial discussion of the question, a Social Studies teacher pushed back, raising a concern that the question didn’t cross disciplines. That it was an ELA question and didn’t really fit into SS or into life outside of school. One teacher turned to him and with a lovely raised eyebrow asked, “Any concerns about your daughter going on Spring Break to Mexico with her friends?” The ensuing conversation really highlighted how powerful essential questions can be.</i>] In the beginning of the year, students were prompted to select any character from any text they wanted and place them in NYC on September 10, 2001 and then a second scene dated September 12, 2001. Students’ work was evaluated on their ability to construct a narrative (W.8.3) through dialogue (W.8.3b) and show a change in their character development based on the change in setting. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll date this anecdote by sharing that in the first round of the task, we read a lot of scenes involving Edward, Bella, Jacob, and Ironman in NYC. Although the adults struggled with cognitive dissonance, the students created scenes that were complex, powerful, awkward, and lovely. They struggled with the idea of character beyond just the moveable widgets in their stories but as it was a key component of the curriculum, it was something that could be addressed during the year. After revising the student handouts, we worked to anchor the rubric, revised it as needed, and gave the students feedback using a developmental writing rubric. The teachers took the work and feedback back to their classrooms and used them as a part of regular instruction, giving the students the option of using it for a portfolio piece. [And by the way, we used the work to set SLO baseline scores and targets for teacher evaluation but that’s another post.]<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Time passed and it was time to try out the post-assessment. By then, students had been studying American History for about six months. So, this time, they had to create two scenes, placing a character in Philadelphia on July 3, 1776 and July 5, 1776. During the “try out” period in which the teacher-designers gave the task to one or two groups of students and brought their work back to the group for rubric anchoring, one of the participating teachers floated into the meeting room with a grin that nearly split her face. “Wait. Until. You. See. These.” She laid out her student work and not unlike a group at a baby shower, we ooed and awed over the responses. One particular students’ work elicited the same response from every reader: <i>Well… how about that</i>. It captured the complexity of character, nuance around American independence, and that eagerly sought trait of voice. The student’s first scene began: <i>I am not a patient man but I have no choice.</i> The middle part of the scene involved the unnamed character doing a variety of chores and physical labor on a farm on the outside of the city and ended with the line: <i>Only one thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-nine days until I can earn my freedom and be with my family.</i> The second scene was virtually the same, there were a few small changes in details but the character’s routine was similar. The ending, though. Oh the ending. <i>Only one thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-eight days until I earn my freedom and be with my family. </i>What this student understood was that for the vast majority of people living in the country born between July 3 and July 5, 1776, little had changed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our first task was to use that students’ scene to anchor the top level of the rubric (“The student’s narrative is unexpected, surprising, or otherwise reflects an approach to the prompt that does not follow a common structure.”) The teachers followed the same routine as before; the tasks and feedback went back to the students who revised them and considered them for their portfolios. In addition, this time, they compared their baseline writing to their newer pieces and reflected on their growth as a storyteller. About a month later, the students took the 2013 state assessments. It’s my understanding that the teachers are still doing these kinds of tasks and their students are taking the state assessments. Their “Opt Out” numbers didn’t make the news. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In <a href="http://www.cityandstateny.com/2/83/education/opinion-opting-out-is-the-only-option.html#.VdSLJ2ZRFzr" target="_blank">response</a> to a flurry of recent editorials about the Opt Out movement, Leonie Haimson and Jeanette Deutermann make the claim that “opting out is the only option.” I recognize that my own confirmation bias flared up when I read their first sentence using two of my trigger words: <i>exam</i> and <i>failed</i>. Setting that aside, I’m struggling with their claim. Should the students from the anecdote above have opted out? Did their parents do the wrong thing by not forcing them to opt out? I’m especially struggling with their last line: The Opt Outs will continue until <i>real teaching and learning return to our classrooms.</i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s a part of me that takes umbrage on behalf of teachers who do incredible work to ensure that state tests are only a pause in that real learning. That don’t devote weeks to test prep and support students through challenging conversations. I also want to speak up on behalf of teachers who do devote weeks to test prep because the pressure they feel is so great, they feel they have no other option. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My counterclaim: Opting out is not the only option. What about the option of ensuring that the other 177 days of the year are full of amazing, incredible, powerful learning moments? What about the option of having open conversations about what test prep can be instead of buying yet another test prep book? What about using the science of our profession – <a href="http://t.co/ysFsemgXNS" target="_blank">as troubled as it may be</a> – to push back against what are perceived as poor quality items? <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The thought that keeps rolling around in my head: Opt Out won. The mouse roared and the elephant blinked. Now what? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-1332090944755227142015-06-22T17:59:00.001-04:002015-06-22T18:21:42.566-04:00Gee willikers, Mister! I never thought of that!It's a common theme among those who are not fans of Common Core to use sarcasm and derision when talking about teachers who attribute a change in their practice to those same standards. (I weighed the pros and cons of linking to particular writers who practice this habit and decided no. It's about patterns, not personalities.) The refrain is usually:<br />
<br />
Educator: As a result of Common Core, I started doing this.<br />
Response: Scoff. You needed Common Core to do *that*? Why weren't you doing it before?<br />
<br />
A <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/20/nyregion/english-class-in-common-core-era-nonfiction-joins-the-classics.html?_r=1" target="_blank">recent</a> article in the NYTimes about changes in the English classroom has received the same response. Only this time, the subject of the refrain is the reporter. Several teacher-bloggers took to their pages to share their disdain at the reporter's lack of understanding around English classrooms pre-CCSS and their opinion on her seemingly uninformed understanding of the travesty that the CCSS are.<br />
<br />
It's a provocative writing device as it attempts to establish the author of the response as a voice of authority. A sort of a: <i>*I* knew about this before so my opinion on the matter is more righter than yours. </i>The drawback is the attempt to shame the educator or reporter who spoke about the change in practice. And shame is the really the best adjective as many of these posts imply that the only right thing that teacher can do is hide her head, apologize for not knowing about *that* and rescind all support for the CCSS.<br />
<br />
When I read posts with that tone, I'm reminded of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis" target="_blank">Ignaz Semmelweis</a>. Well, not him personally, I had to Google his name, but of his work. Prior to Mr. Semmelweis, midwives and doctors would rotate between deliveries without washing their hands. Mothers were dying at high rates and it was seen as just one of the consequences of giving birth. So these medical professionals were doing the best they could with the information they had and along comes Ignaz and they discovered they needed to change something in their practice. They weren't bad before, they weren't uninformed. In fact, they likely thought they were doing everything in their power to keep the mothers alive.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There are two connections I see to the education profession. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
First, why the disdain? Why the condemnation of teachers who come forward to share how they've reflected and evolved? Going after individuals who share stories of how their practice has changed is a bit like claiming you've been washing your hands all along. It's possible some doctors were. It's possible some had Clean Room Level 4 birthing suites. At the same time, when the profession realized a change was needed, the doctors who didn't know about hand washing weren't bad doctors the day before the "wash your hands because ew..." staff meeting and then good doctors once they started washing their hands. One would think we'd want to elevate the voices of teachers who share their thinking, not shame them back into silence. More to point, it's possible some doctors never lost a mother or a child. To their thinking, they didn't need to wash their hands as their practices were just fine, thank you very much. To those teacher bloggers, good for you but why not dial up the pride in reflective practitioners and dial back the disdain?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The second, more important, issue is race and social justice in education. Mad props to #educolor for their work on the matter and for offering a place for educators to listen and learn. The conversations about race and social justice aren't always smooth. They're not easy and people are going to get it wrong. 80%-ish of educators are white women, many of whom were good students praised for being well-behaved and doing the "right" thing in school and speaking up takes an incredible amount of courage. To reveal a past mistake in pubic? Not easy for anyone - especially teachers that are in predominately white schools where students are most often introduced to Black Americans in the month of February or via the Social Studies curriculum and slavery. When teachers are getting scoffed and derided for sharing their thinking around pedagogy, what's the benefit to sharing their thinking about the really hard and important stuff?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Teachers are increasingly asking. "Here's where I'm struggling. Where am I stuck?" or sharing, "Here's what I'm trying now. It was hard to get here but I'm glad now that I'm here." It baffles me that anyone would respond in any way other than, "Thanks for sharing. That must have been hard. Can you tell me more about that?"This isn't about protecting delicate white lady feelings or otherwise suggesting teachers can't handle critiques. (I'll refrain from commenting on the patterns when some bloggers are offered critiques via Twitter.) It's about saying, "Dude. Don't be such a jackass." Or fine. Be a jackass but take a moment and consider what happens when that teacher Googles her name.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-65987630557388684742015-04-22T16:21:00.002-04:002015-04-22T16:26:47.079-04:00On Negotiating Nuance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.</i> Mark Twain</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have awesome cats. Two of whom like to hang out in my office when I’m working from home and provide company while I work AKA walk across my keyboard when I’m not honoring them sufficiently. More than once, they’ve been my audience as I’ve scrolled Twitter and mumbled a strongly worded opinion about something I’ve read. And I swear, the cats rolled their eyes at me and I hear my mother’s voice telling me, "there are starving children in China!" when I refused to eat fish sticks as a kid. The message is sort of the same – <i>this thing that is so important to you, Jenn, isn’t that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things </i>and I totally get it. I rationalize my obsession with nuance and <a href="http://shankerdev.ngpvandev.com/blog/semantics-test-scores" target="_blank">semantics </a>around assessment design as my commitment to the science of the craft of teaching. My nuance nudges, in no particular order.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> <a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2014/08/an-invitation-to-increase-your.html" target="_blank"> </a></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://grand-rounds.blogspot.com/2014/08/an-invitation-to-increase-your.html" target="_blank">Assessment literacy</a> requires that we consider the system and recognize that different assessments serve different purposes. Diane Ravitch recently said that the state tests were invalid because they served no “diagnostic purpose.” My nuance nudge: Well neither do the final exams that many students take in High School. So while the state tests provide limited diagnostic data for a particular child, they provide useful information for the system. Case in point? Next year, 2015-2016, will be the first year that the students taking the CCLS tests will have only known curriculum aligned to CCLS. The state assessments are the [likely] most objective way of documenting, or one might even say, diagnosing the consistency of alignment to the standards across the state.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->“Exam” is not the same as “test”. Don’t believe me? Check the cover pages.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 233.75pt;" valign="top" width="312"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvo7Naaw9bSJmmbfAjnTfgi830KZNyGQ7eiWfoGzKwnPxERYU2VD1JEhL9NZX58N0IzZedcXa0b7m4xZGhR5BuwhfxRO5sQ5Plois13A497quk-ZQVDbg1g3IjXyfnDlycXA91g/s1600/Screen+Shot+04-22-15+at+03.06+PM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvo7Naaw9bSJmmbfAjnTfgi830KZNyGQ7eiWfoGzKwnPxERYU2VD1JEhL9NZX58N0IzZedcXa0b7m4xZGhR5BuwhfxRO5sQ5Plois13A497quk-ZQVDbg1g3IjXyfnDlycXA91g/s1600/Screen+Shot+04-22-15+at+03.06+PM.JPG" height="102" width="200" /></a>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 233.75pt;" valign="top" width="312"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEyg5WoyY4qzrERvG2uLsJz2oxNt0H0mVkh9xzUcqam_cKebP0JosBGtEqRNAj42rcsqWLdWNRMVI8Tmu3uIE6Fydm4u1KUBnHMPfWBfQozrAwIaLWu5eRklc8ubIcIJXqZoEUg/s1600/Screen+Shot+04-22-15+at+03.07+PM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEyg5WoyY4qzrERvG2uLsJz2oxNt0H0mVkh9xzUcqam_cKebP0JosBGtEqRNAj42rcsqWLdWNRMVI8Tmu3uIE6Fydm4u1KUBnHMPfWBfQozrAwIaLWu5eRklc8ubIcIJXqZoEUg/s1600/Screen+Shot+04-22-15+at+03.07+PM.JPG" height="118" width="200" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
3. Why does it have to be about “sides”? That is, it’s possible to do all of the following - at the same time.<br />
<ul>
<li>support authentic, curriculum-embedded assessment and portfolio design,</li>
<li>struggle with the intent and purposes of the opt out movement,</li>
<li>be in favor of annual testing as a large-scale measure of the system,</li>
<li>think the Common Core Learning Standards are better than what we had before and not really care about where they came from,</li>
<li>be okay with providing students with direct instruction on how to take a test (AKA <a href="http://lciltd.org/resources/TestPrepWithoutCorruption.pdf">test prep done right</a>), and</li>
<li>be against VAM as it currently being used in teacher evaluation.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
So I guess this is less a statement on struggling to find a place for nuance and more a "here's where I am right now." I think Steve! the cat agrees or at least is pretending to. At the very least, he makes me feel less guilty about not carrying the laundry upstairs on a Sunday morning (Kevin is our tabby, Steve! is behind him. Baby, our oldest, hangs out elsewhere.)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnYlAw-diQ9rC1binWkfBDo5OvecRgnFHwdLmcF2_D_7_kGPeBmD6X9qaqh8YNGwYvlCSjfemxwEbEgJRtxPewkBO2XUCwxeseKSVWVf5bRnmVQ2-4Ab5oHdNAr7TWHphtpeEew/s1600/IMG_20150422_122933_776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnYlAw-diQ9rC1binWkfBDo5OvecRgnFHwdLmcF2_D_7_kGPeBmD6X9qaqh8YNGwYvlCSjfemxwEbEgJRtxPewkBO2XUCwxeseKSVWVf5bRnmVQ2-4Ab5oHdNAr7TWHphtpeEew/s1600/IMG_20150422_122933_776.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33121539.post-60331258973588360012014-12-30T08:06:00.002-05:002015-10-01T07:01:39.619-04:00You say Tomato, I say Tomahto ... it's [almost] 2015, why are we still talking about this?We all like to think we're open-minded; that we arrived at a reasonable, logical and right conclusion after careful consideration of the facts, perspectives, and various opinions. Sometimes we get the benefit of cardiac assessment ("it just feels right") or a gut response to an issue. We weigh the evidence, reach a conclusion, and can rest comfortably in our superiority over those who haven't reached the clearly obvious conclusions we have. Ok... so that last bit may or may not be true, depending on your approach to critical thinking and awareness of <a href="http://io9.com/5974468/the-most-common-cognitive-biases-that-prevent-you-from-being-rational" target="_blank">cognitive biases</a>.<br />
<br />
Here's an interesting experiment. Below are two Kindergarten standards. One is from the Common Core Learning Standards (NYS's version of the CCSS) and one is from the so-called "Lost Standards" (the version NYS was working on when Common Core came along).<br />
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 251.75pt;" valign="top" width="336"><div style="text-align: center;">
Standards A</div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 251.75pt;" valign="top" width="336"><div style="text-align: center;">
Standards B</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 251.75pt;" valign="top" width="336">Ask and answer questions in order to:<br />
• seek help,<br />
• get information,<br />
• or clarify something that is not understood.</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 251.75pt;" valign="top" width="336">• Ask and answer questions about classroom activities<br />
• Request help when needed<br />
• Know when and how to ask permission</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My bias is that standards are the least important part of ensuring a quality public education for all students. I'd co-sign <a href="http://edexcellence.net/articles/the-missing-link-between-standards-and-instruction" target="_blank">this</a> post by Kathleen Porter-Magee on standards and curriculum if it were a petition. So when I make the claim: <b style="font-style: italic;">The text on both sides of the table are basically saying the same thing</b>, it's informed by my bias and hunch that difference between any two set of standards isn't really all that big. In my opinion, the biggest change from the old NYS ELA standards and the CCLS (besides the six shifts) was the introduction of coding, shared language between grade levels, and the explicit inclusion of culture and choice in the language of the standards.<br />
<br />
Someone with a different bias, perhaps that the Common Core are "developmentally inappropriate" will likely see the text in the two columns as different. The would likely make the counterclaim: <b><i>one is more "appropriate" than the other. </i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b> All of that said, here's my question: Does it matter? It's 2015. How will the problems created by the Common Core be fixed by dropping them and going back to standards that NYS walked away from in 2009?<br />
<br />
This isn't about being right or being wrong about Common Core or which is better. This post is about humbleness and hubris. I've been writing this for a while now. While walking through airports, driving home from programs, falling asleep at night, in-between designing programs, and reading assessment research and I'm still struggling to find the right words. Usually, not always, I found myself mentally composing this post after scrolling through Twitter and watching the absolute confidence that a large number of educators speak about a particular issue. Mostly white male educators. Mostly about Common Core. I thought perhaps it was a function of 140 but the language of their blogs is often the same. Just for fun, I've "pushed back" (which I've been told is "trollish" and a "bad habit") and in most instances, I get a response that one might classify as doubling-down. I've reflected on why I feel compelled to comment and poke. It's partially because I'm fascinated by how we engage via Social Media. It's partially because I advocate for process assessments (asking students about HOW they think) and logical discourse. It's partially because I'm annoyed. I'm annoyed by hubris. I'm annoyed by the number of white male educators who write and post their thoughts on issues, rather than boosting the voices of women and men of color who have been writing about the given issue for months, even years. Maybe I'm a little jealous of the sheer hubris that some exhibit as they write and post about an issue, wrapped in a toasty blanket of confidence that they are absolutely, incontrovertibly right.<br />
<br />
Mostly though, mostly it's because I'm angry. I'm angry that at the end of 2014, following months in which Black Americans had to say - aloud - "my life matters", people are still having conversations that feel like they should have been resolved in 2010. I'm angry at the data below.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pA-tu-VBtusnjYq75fnWHn0EKy7j7apIpUzr_kGDz5AaI59T4oUz4EHhRjx0A9UZ4KKF1OS298DNfGmsUP3utHUx4mA8gqnsf5q5Y0D-X_C0OQWB_7_rYJOjz0Ah-GfM_ZdDNA/s1600/preschool+suspension.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pA-tu-VBtusnjYq75fnWHn0EKy7j7apIpUzr_kGDz5AaI59T4oUz4EHhRjx0A9UZ4KKF1OS298DNfGmsUP3utHUx4mA8gqnsf5q5Y0D-X_C0OQWB_7_rYJOjz0Ah-GfM_ZdDNA/s1600/preschool+suspension.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm angry that someone claimed (with a seemingly straight face) that replacing one set of standards that are basically the same as another set of standards will reduce misbehavior among Black preschoolers and therefore, reduce the suspension rate. I'm angry that a number larger than 1 of middle-aged, white men wrote long-form essays on the impact of Common Core - without citing or even referring to the lived experiences of classroom teachers or current college students. I'm angry that many of those who are anti-test (seriously folks, take <a href="http://thejosevilson.com/this-is-not-a-test/" target="_blank">Jose Vilson's</a> advice and advocate for the "Whole Child") aren't offering alternatives to annual testing other than "Opt Out." It's 2014, not 2009. How about we move on from the standards and onto pedagogy, quality curriculum, equity, and <a href="http://teachingmathculture.wordpress.com/2015/01/02/shining-a-light-on-cultural-blindspots-through-teacher-education/" target="_blank">cultural literacy</a>?<br />
<br />
How powerful would it be if instead of continuing the same conversations in 2015 that have been going on since 2009, we start or join new ones? The ones about race and culture and whose voices we trust and the role of public education and the tension between the learner and schooling? How about instead of tweeting "this is the truth", we ask "what makes you think that's the truth?" What if we asked more than told? Questioned more than pontificated? Reflected more than bumper sticker-ed? But eh... whadda I know? I'm just a troll.<br />
<br />
Edit: I wrote this is December 2014. I was going to remove the above few paragraphs as they're repeating what has been said much more clearly and concisely by other authors such as #educolor members and equity researchers. I elected to keep them in an effort to be an honest author. Now that Cuomo has announced his panel, my frustration has flared up again. Instead of talking about the problems and flaws of APPR, we're going to be playing a game of wordsmithing to create "NYS Standards" that basically say the same thing as the CCSS but are juuuust different enough to require new curriculum and assessment design. I for one, am fairly confident, that's not the most effective use of our time, not the thing that should be the top of our "to do" list.Jennifer Borgioli Binishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490308598117294457noreply@blogger.com0