More STAAR Tests, Less Teaching & Learning

Today, May 6, 2019, the Texas legislators are slated to vote on a version of the school finance legislation, House Bill 3, that includes a proposal to add four more writing tests and tie school funding directly to third-grade STAAR results.  The new exams would bring the total number of annual assessments to 21 and would mark the second change to the number of tests since 2012. Currently, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) includes the following assessments:

• Reading and Mathematics, grades 3–8;

• Writing at grades 4 and 7;

• Science at grades 5 and 8;

• Social Studies at grade 8;

• End-of-Course (EOC) assessments for English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology and U.S History; and

• Optional End-of-Course (EOC) assessments for English III and Algebra II.

According to a Texas Monthly article published this weekend, the last-minute tinkering of the recently proposed and significant school finance House Bill 3 to include more STAAR exams and link funding to third-grade STAAR results, by the Senate Education Committee comes at a time when many critics are questioning the accuracy and efficacy of the STAAR exams. Many proponents point to the need to increase the numbers assessments in order to determine student academic progress better.  Moreover, the focus on 3rd-grade assessment levels connects to the significant body of research that links 3rd-grade reading levels to future student success outcomes.  Finally, proponents want to add more writing exams, in particular, because, under the current system, students only have four writing exams (4th grade, 7th grade, English I, and English II).

On the other hand, opponents argue that the Texas Education Agency should improve the accuracy of the STAAR exams before introducing additional assessments.  After all, it is challenging to measure student progress if the instrument is inaccurate.  Opponents also question the Senate Education Committee’s tying funding to 3rd-grade STAAR results, which merely exacerbates educators’ growing cynicism about legislators’ support of public education.

Absent in the arguments of both sides of the debate is the consideration of the real cost of adding more high-stakes tests. Regardless of the timing that additional assessments are implemented, measures such as these will not improve student achievement.  Not only will district administrators, principals, and teachers focus an inordinate amount of their attention on increasing student scores on the new tests, but issues with the accuracy of STAAR academic program and strategies to improve the quality of classroom instruction still will not be resolved or even addressed.  Ironically, adding more STAAR tests, whether now or later, will result in a “miss” with regard to the ideal goal of increasing student learning.  Today's debate will be yet another distraction from the real and pressing need to improve teaching and learning in Texas public schools.

---

yhj

The Individual in Education

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." Leo Tolstoy

It is hard to imagine a segment of our American society in 2019 that has not been impacted by the dysfunction of our current political and social structure. Nevertheless, our inability to find unifying solutions to matters that we agree upon is an indicator of a much deeper problem that we have not begun to understand. Sadly, these issues are magnified in the public education system in America. I am sure we have all heard the adage derived from the writings of Thomas Reid, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Unfortunately, today the strength of character of the individual educator is the "weakest link" and is often overshadowed by the debate over the effectiveness of the United State's public education system.

Collectively, we are channeling billions of dollars into innovative programs to close the growing achievement gaps between students from diverse racial and economic backgrounds, which only result in pockets of change and overall no lasting effects. We publicly claim a focus on student learning and the quality of public education, yet we are growing in our over-reliance on standardized tests and other evaluation systems that don't accurately capture the state of student learning. We have teacher shortages across the country coupled with struggles in the recruitment and retention of effective teachers.  Moreover, increasing numbers of currently employed teachers are crossing the line with students and exercising poor judgment by engaging in inappropriate relationships with students. At the same time, more students are committing suicide and carrying out mass shooting in schools while politicians and the media argue over gun control and mental health support. These problems interfere with optimal academic performance and degrade the strength and vitality of our society. So, how can we begin to solve the issues that plague our public education system?

For starters, we should be asking ourselves individually; How have I contributed to these problems? Before you stop reading let me be clear, I know that no one wants to have the finger of blame pointed at them. As I stated earlier, there are tons of people sincerely working to address these problems on a political, financial, even spiritual level, so there is enough blame to go around. What I am claiming is that we all have a responsibility to examine who we are and the content of our character.  Before we can look at how public education can improve student achievement at the classroom, campus, or school system level, we have to hold ourselves accountable to a higher standard of character and own up to the fact that when we don't, it negatively impacts our students and the communities we serve. Just look at your average elementary teacher. She has the responsibility to make hundreds even thousands of decisions every day that will, in the long-term, impact the lives of hundreds of students. As such, we can't lose sight of how her character, in addition to her professional knowledge and skill, will help her accurately diagnose students' instructional needs and adequately utilize the resources and strategies available. Principals have the added responsibility as the instructional leader, to ensure that teachers have the resources, professional learning experiences, and collective vision for all staff to do their best work. With these weighty charges on the shoulders of a collective few, it is imperative that each educator has the highest moral character and is more cognizant of how their values and integrity impact the broader system.

To this end, the more that teachers and teacher leaders enlist the courage to address their responsibilities and personal character, the more likely it is that more campuses and school systems will be able to take a different approach to mitigate the problems public education faces today. The individual in education makes all of the difference in the world!

Considering Family to Prepare Students for their Future

Remember when “21st Century Skills” was the buzzword plastered across every professional development session? Teachers were told we had to prepare kids for jobs that didn’t even exist yet, for industries so futuristic they might as well have been ripped from a sci-fi novel. The message was clear: teach differently or risk leaving students unprepared for the brave new world ahead.

And we bought in. Many of us were mesmerized by those “Did You Know” videos—glossy, fast-cut reels showing how technology would reshape life as we knew it. We imagined our students stepping into careers filled with wonder, solving humanity’s greatest challenges with cutting-edge innovations.

But here we are, a decade later, watching universities launch degree programs in—wait for it—the cannabis industry. Northern Michigan University now offers cannabis studies. Cannabis! Is this what all that futuristic hype was for? Is this the grand payoff of years spent reinventing classrooms, revamping standards, and retraining teachers?

Let’s be honest. This isn’t just about marijuana. This is about whether education has lost sight of its true North Star: the family. Have we become so enamored with “innovation” that we’ve stopped asking the most basic question: Will this strengthen families—or weaken them?

Because families, not industries, are the bedrock of society. Strong families create strong communities. And when families crumble? Communities crumble. Nations crumble. That’s not ideology—it’s reality.

Just look around. Addiction isn’t just a crisis; it’s practically a cultural identity. We toss around words like smartphone addiction, porn addiction, food addiction, opioid addiction. Some days it feels like Americans are addicted to being addicted. Even our politics runs on addiction—to outrage, to emotion, to attacking anyone who dares to disagree.

Where does self-control—the antidote to addiction—come from? Families. Where do children first learn resilience, restraint, responsibility? Families. Yet our education system, in its blind pursuit of “the next big thing,” often undermines the very institution that teaches those foundational skills.

So yes, whether or not you support cannabis legalization is beside the point. The real question is: when universities embrace controversial industries, do they consider the ripple effects on the family? Do K-12 schools stop to ask how their policies, practices, and trendy new programs affect the home lives of the students they claim to serve? Or are families just an afterthought in the race to be relevant?

Education should be more than a conveyor belt to industry. It should be a partnership with families to raise healthy, grounded citizens who can think clearly, choose wisely, and lead responsibly. Otherwise, we’re just fueling cycles of indulgence and addiction while patting ourselves on the back for being “innovative.”

So, let’s ask the question few seem brave enough to ask: what will the next decade’s “Did You Know” videos glorify? More industries that exploit our weaknesses? Or educational choices that finally honor and strengthen the institution most critical to our collective future—the family?