Based on The Article by JOE FROST

The Changing Culture of Childhood

Maria Calderon

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The Perfect Storm

Standardization of Schooling

PovertyLack of

Traditional Play

A combination of interrelated elements is currently challenging the face of US education and forming a new culture of childhood

US education is at a crossroads- How can this crisis be overcome?

Crisis

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Standardization of SchoolingStates seek to achieve an important goal: improving achievement and reducing drop-outs by implementing High –Stakes (“HS”) testing

What is NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND?

Enacted by Bush 2002.

All students in grades 3-8 and in one grade in high school must

be tested once a year in reading and mathematics.

Students are expected to score at the "proficient" level or

above on state-administered make "Adequate Yearly

Progress” or “AYP”.

Subgroups of students, including low-income, black,

Hispanic, special needs students and English language

learners, also must meet AYP standards. If they do not, the

entire school is deemed to have failed.

• http://www.nea.org/home/1256.htm#

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NCLB Background 20th Century Philosophers (Dewey, Pestalozzi, Froebel, Hall ) did notsupport HS Testing, since they believed in the importance of • Individuality• Creativity • Community involvement• Balancing academics with art and

outdoor play.

The Texas Miracle

Arizona State University findings:

Pressure created by HS testing has had almost no impact in academic

performance

Negative effect on minority students

Bias against non- English speakers

Illuminated SOS education gap

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NCLB Issues

Latino Scholars contend that high

stake testing is harmful to all

children but especially poor,

minority, ELS students

Teaching to the test is becoming

the norm/curriculum

According to Frost, HS Testing is damaging to children and teachers emotionally, physically; and intellectually

Replacing the arts, recess, creative inquire and PE

Most brilliant and creative students languish in mediocrity

Emotional impact evident in all children. Worrisome in young

children. Toll on teaching effectiveness, health and creative powers

Perhaps the most severe consequences result from States dictating to schools the content of instruction down to the last detail

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Dissolution of Traditional Play

"...in the 1970s a Japanese photographer, Keiki

Haginoya, undertook what was to be a lifelong project

to compile a photo documentary of children’s play on

the streets of Tokyo. He gave up the project in 1996,

noting that the spontaneous play and laughter that

once filled the city’s streets, alleys and vacant lots had

utterly vanished.“

New York Times

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Dissolution of Traditional Play

US Play Movement

Supported by Research

The Atlanta Case

40% of US schools are deleting/reducing recess to prepare for tests

Competitive Nature of Society

Summer Camps with a “purpose”

Nature deficit disorder

Technology

Playground Safety

Obesity Epidemic

Why is Play Important?

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Playground Safety Standards

Standardization of US education extends well beyond the classroom curriculum into playgrounds

ARE THESE PLAYGROUNDS UNSAFE?

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Playground Safety Standards

IS PLAYGROUND SAFETY SHAPING THE PLAY CULTURE OF OUR CHILDREN?

55 Page National Playground safety Report …and growing

Litigation replaces common sense

Lack of practice in “Playground skills” make children unsafe

for playgrounds vs. Playgrounds unsafe for children

Obesity

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Impact of Poverty

Source: Unicef. Monroe dragonfly

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Impact of Poverty

Positive Correlation between Poverty and lack of school

achievement

Poverty imposes limits in what NCLB can achieve

Is testing really helping us identify underperforming schools,

or are Poverty levels a comparable predictor?

Half of all children in this decade spend their

childhood in urban slums. Most are not prepared for a

world valuing verbal skills and the ability to thrive in

organizations

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Cycle of Poverty and Low Performing Schools

Testing PovertyLow

Performing Schools

Reduction in

FundingOvercrowded Classrooms

Lack of Resources

Low Student/Teacher Morale

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Important Considerations Who is supporting High Stake Testing?

The need for Content based testing

The need for varied assessment that properly accounts for

diverse learners

The most powerful policy for improving school achievement

is reducing poverty!!!!

THE ENGINE THAT DRIVES HS TESTING, DISMISSES THE VALUE OF CHILDREN’S PLAY AND IGNORES THE POOR IS A POLITICAL ENGINE _ JOE FROST

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What would you do?

Given what J. Frost calls “The Perfect Storm”

please provide three recommendations you

would want to implement as policy.