The Answer To More Effective Schools

As this article progresses, you will be presented with proven principles for more effective schools. A previous article I have offered points to some major concerns related to the presently mandated Common Core and its standardized tests. http://www.newswithviews.com/Clark/neil103SO.htm Another article focused on the Smarter Balanced testing that has some major concerns for students and the privacy of families: http://www.newswithviews.com/Clark/neil101SO.htm and a follow up article, http://www.newswithviews.com/Clark/neil102SO.htm .

A lot of time, energy and tax payer money is spent on the development of standards that are supposed to set goals or guidelines for schools to implement. Federal imposed standards are outlined in the Common Core. The federal government is getting their hands into the education pie, despite not having constitutional authority to do so. As we have seen in the No Child Left Behind and Common Core, it doesn't work. Teaching to the standards is not getting any better results in our schools.

Likewise when states have developed a set of standards in the past, and possibly in the future, they also are doomed. The one-size-fits-all approach to education has never worked and will never work because the individual student is forgotten. I am proposing a one line standard by which all schools, states, districts and teachers can use as a goal and here it is: Provide educational opportunities and direction to the levels, needs, and potentials of every student. Do we really need more standards than that, if the curriculum is personalized to each student? I don't believe so, andI will explain how this can be accoplished. Remembering the KISS principle, lets keep it simple – and more effective!

One of the lame reasons for Common Core, was the concept that every child, at a certain grade for example, will be on the same page, no matter where they might move to in the United States. Boy does that ever scream with evidence for neglecting the personal needs of each student! With personalizing that I suggest here, no matter where a child moves to, s/he will start at the level of their present needs and potentials. They start in the new school at the point where they left in the former school in this personalized approach.

One of the lies that Common Core proponents offer, is that the curriculum meets international standards – a concern that we can compete with other countries. Think about this. Can we do any better for a student than to direct that child to reaching his potential? When we are doing this, a great percentage of our young people will meet or better any international comparative results.

Presently, millions are spent on training the teachers to adapt to present standards. The curriculum is directed to doing well on standardized tests. With what I propose here, there would be noneed for extra training related to any set of standards. Using the guidelines I am presenting, along with the teacher training related to their credentials, and a caring attitude for each child, there is no need for any other training.

So how is this personalized approach developed and used?PERSONAL EDUCATION PLAN

The tool that contributes most to teaching success, is the Personal Education Plan,abbreviated PEP. I prefer to call it personal because that is what the plan should be and is. Also, the PEP describes an energy-filled plan.

As adults, we must realize that the attention span of any person who is listening toothers is generally very short. Most of our effective listening as adults, lasts at the mostabout 20 minutes. A child's attention span would be doing good to last about 10 minutes.Young children usually effectively listen for less than five minutes, depending on many factors.One of the mistakes teachers often make, is lecturing to an entire class at one time about some subject. Because students are at different levels, and have a myriad of other

differences, many are immediately lost when the lecture begins. Most students will lose interest or concentration in a very few minutes.

The use of the PEP utilizes almost no lecture time during a school day. Each student will have personal contact with the teacher, and/or aides, several times during the day. The dialogue with the adults will be personally related to the child's needs at the moment of contact.

What about testing? As offered in my previous articles, standardized testing has no direct benefit to the teacher and his/her students. All that is needed is what we call formative tests. These are teacher directed tests at the end of a unit of study for example. This test willlet the teacher and student know right away what may need to be reviewed. It allows the teacher to develop another way to help the student master the material, or to be challenged with the next unit(s) of study.

Each child in this personalized approach, is given an informal test prior to enrollment. The results of this test will indicate reading, spelling, and math levels. Depending on the reading level, the child is then assigned certain tasks that s/he is required to complete each day. The student keeps the PEP in a folder or binder to serve as a guide to directed activities.

TESTING AND EVALUATIONMany students get "up-tight" or anxious when a written test is placed before them,

especially if it is timed or when there are others around. Realizing this, here is a brief test that for the most part is informal. This is an evaluation that is mostly used prior to the school year, even though it could be used at later times to make a comparison.

Using this evaluation, we can place a student at his pretested level rather than at hischronological grade level as in most schools. Completing work at his level generates self-confidence and success that leads to more motivation for learning. In a multi-leveledclassroom, the students are not concerned with each person's levels and do not criticizethose of lesser skills.

Teachers in large systems could, if allowed, spend about 20 to 30 minutes with eachstudent before a school year starts to complete this pretest. Or if necessary, with the help ofan aide, the math portion of the test could be easily administered in large groups when theschool year begins. The word recognition, spelling, and reading pretest would need to bedone individually without distractions. Students should get out of hearing range of the rest ofthe class for taking this part of the evaluation.

Using the sample math test that follows, the approximate grade levels are indicated forthe various skills. These are only estimates, but are good general indication of where thestudent is at the moment.

A preschool or beginning student's evaluation will usually fall somewhere with thekindergarten level. The decimal, such as K.4 or K.6 stands for the month of a kindergartenyear. These two examples represent kindergarten 4th month and kindergarten 6th month.

As a school year progresses, it isn't necessary to grade and record the results ofassignments and tests. It is only important that a student learns the processes, facts, etc., notto be concerned with judgments of good and bad, smart and dumb, and all the other labels.Let the student know why the errors were made on the assignment or test and then let it drop.

As worktexts are completed, an end-of-book test acts as a review and indication ofcomprehension. If a student does well, they are ready to progress. If knowledge is lacking,then a review is necessary before advancement.

Because we are presently stuck with laws requiring evaluations and completion of specific materials and subjects in schools, it is necessary to have evaluations about every quarter of the school year. Use the same evaluation to determine new levels in reading,

spelling, and math. The grades you select for the various subjects will be mostly subjective unless you have been recording test results all along and you can average their results. Hereare two simple evaluations that I have used in the past:

A Reading Score By Word Recognition Directions:Determine the approximate reading grade level by having the student read the words across the list. Mentally keep track of the words that the student doesn't pronounce correctly or doesn't know. Stop the word reading when the pupil misses the fifth word and draw a vertical line at that point. Note the number for this word and subtract five. Match this number to the score on the chart and read the grade next to it. This is the approximate grade level for reading.

Spelling: Ask the student to go back two lines and begin the spelling test just before the first mispronounced word on the reading evaluation. Circle the misspelled words. At the line that has the first two misspelled words, the spelling grade level will be determined by averaging to the nearest whole numberbetween those two missed words.

(alphabet recognition) A C M E O L B C F S I R Z N

(15)a am at ran man I it is in sit cat see red to(29)big work book eat was him how then open letter jar(40)deep even spell awake block size weather should lip(49)finger tray felt stalk cliff lame struck approve plot(58)huge quality sour imply humidity urge bulk exhaust abuse(67)collapse... glutton clarify recession threshold horizon(73)residence participate quarantine luxurious rescinded(73)emphasis aeronautic intrigue repugnant punitive endeavor(84)heresy discretionary persevere anomaly rudimentary miscreant(90)usurp novice audacious mitosis seismograph spurious(96)idiosyncrasy literary pseudonym aborigineRaw Scores (RS) & Grade Ratings (GR)RSG RS GR RS GR RS GR RS GR RS GR RS GR RS GR RS RS GR RS 0 N.7 9 P.6 18 K.6 27 1.5 36 2.3 45 2.8 54 3.8 63 5.1 72 6.6 81 716 91 8.81 N.8 10 P.7 19 K.7 28 1.6 37 2.4 46 2.8 55 3.9 64 53 73 6.7 82 7.7 92 9.02 N.9 11 P.8 20 K.8 29 1.6 38 2.5 47 2.8 56 4.0 65 5.5 74 6.9 83 7.9 93 9.23 P.O 12 P.9 21 K.9 30 1.8 39 2.5 48 3.0 57 4.1 66 5.7 75 7.0 84 8.0 94 934 P.I 13 K.O 22 1.1 31 1.9 40 2.5 49 3.1 58 4.2 67 5.9 76 7.1 85 8.1 95 9.45 P.2 14 K.I 23 1.2 32 2.0 41 2.6 50 3.2 59 4.4 68 6.0 77 7.2 86 83 % 9.5

6 P3 15 K.2 24 13 33 2.1 42 2.6 51 3.3 60 4.5 69 6.2 78 73 87 8.4 97 9.67 P.4 16 K3 25 1.4 34 2.2 43 2.7 52 3.4 61 4.7 70 6.4 79 7.4 88 8.5 98 9.78 P.5 17 K.4 26 1.5 35 2.2 44 2.7 53 3.6 62 4.9 71 6.5 80 7.5 89 8.6Estimated grade levels: Reading = _______ Math = _______ Spelling = _______

The evaluation above is a Wide Range Achievement test option. Below is a math evaluation that provides an estimate of the achieved grade level. It also provides a way to see the point at which astudent can begin his/her math curriculum. The math test is what I developed and used for years, and is easy to create a version for your use.

MATH EVALUATIONAsk the student to do as many problems as possible, without any help. No time limit. Show the work on this page. Approximate grade levels are posted above the problems.

(1.1) (1.2) (1.3) (1.4) (2.0) (2.3) (3.4) (3.4) (3.4) (3.5) (3.7)

3+ 4

7+ 8

8- 3

14- 8

52+ 36

44- 13

246+ 388

3x 4

6x 3

34 78+ 26

$2.37+ 6.88

(3.8) (3.8) (3.9) (4.3) (4.4) (4.5) (4.9) (5.7) (5.8)

243- 106

___8) 56

23x 4

2413- 1726

49x 23

____7) 497

_____34) 6324

1/3+ 3/4

7/8- 1/3

(5.9) (6.2) (6.4) (6.8) (7.1) (7.2)

.767x 5.2

2⅓ x ⅞ = _____1.6) 800

4 in

Perimeter = Area =

4/5 = _____% 40% of 300 = _____

(7.3)(7.4) (7.5) (7.7)

Diameter = 20 ft

Area = _____

6 = _____% of 30

4in |---4in---|

Area = ____

$300 @ 6% for3 months = _____

Name __________________________ Date____________________ Present School Grade ______

Estimated reading grade level = _____ Spelling grade level ______ Math grade level ______The Common Core Standards are promoted to be “college and careeer ready. This is

putting every student in the same box, ignoring individuality. In my proposed program, we willfind students achieving 4 to 10 times the levels now achieved in public schools. This means that the greatest majority of students who develop their levels and potentials to attend college,will be adequately prepared. When applying for a college, the student's transcript will indicatethe courses they have taken and to some degree an idea of their achievement levels. No

7 in

-------6in

SAT or ACT or any other college entrance exam will be needed.For those students whose interests and curriculum focus on some other vocational

interest, they will have taken the appropriate courses to pursue their interests. These interests can be useful after high school graduation, and would have prepared them for possible further courses along the line of their interests, if they desire.

In our times, the internet and its smorgasboard of classes and activities, allows all students to use this medium to enhance their interests and skills. Some of these activities can become part of a middle or high school student's PEP, being given credit for accomplishing what is needed to master their area of interest.

Here is a sample PEP that is kept in the student's binder, and is easily accessed by theteacher or aide for keeping track of progress.

Personal Education Plan Student__________________________________ When a student completes an assignment, record your initials or page number.

Assignments Dates

Assignment Dates

Assignment Dates

Along the left hand side is the list of prescribed daily activities for that individual. The activity or text description may or may not be the same as the activities of the other students. The activities are at the child's level, so that s/he may begin to achieve success immediately.Across the top of the page is the date of each scheduled school day. The date is written above a column of squares that are lined up with each activity. As the student completes eachassignment, the teacher will review it for completeness and its high degree of accuracy. If acceptable, the teacher will initial the square next to the listed assignment in the first empty square. During that same contact, the teacher dates in ink, the pages that were completed in the student's text. Getting involved in this daily PEP allows the teacher to really know what and how a student is doing—continually.

Students have the freedom to do whatever assignments they wish, in any order, exceptfor flash cards and rebound learning, if these are scheduled. If they complete their day's PEP before it is time to go home, they may work ahead, do homework, or some other educational

activity, as long as no one else is disrupted. They may also serve as an aide to other students. A student may have about five or six activities on his PEP. This provides at least thismany times to have personal contact with the teacher, plus the times s/he may require help for rebound learning, homework assignments, and/or assistance. Students should beencouraged to figure their own answers.

This use of the PEP will work well when the students are required to complete their assignments. Too often in schools, the student isn't required to do his work and just gets the bad grade for the incomplete work. Students will learn only by being involved with their assignments.

If students don't apply themselves to their daily PEP, they may find themselves falling behind. Then steps must be taken to see that the student puts extra time into studying, perhaps choosing to catch-up during the times he would rather be doing something else. Better yet, insist that the PEP for the day be completed before the student leaves for the day. If s/he chooses to not complete the assignments in school, then they become homework assignments.

Ideally, a student should be able to learn what he wants, when he wants. They can choose to do whatever activity in any order they choose. I am not suggesting that a child should have complete freedom. We see the need for at least basic academic teachings for success and form a foundation to build a future. As people who love and respect the freedom of a child, we must develop a certain responsibility to give loving direction.

PEP assignments, in a school setting, are directed towards mastering the basics and developing self-esteem. If a student is fulfilling possible state requirements and is succeeding with the basics, allow the student to commit to other activities! These may be crafts, academic subjects, home economics, games, sports, gardening, or whatever. Selected activities should also be signed on the PEP, to help keep on top of what the student is doing. By the way, another advantage of using the PEP, is to be able to show it to an adminstrator or parent. It offers a daily record of what a student is doing.

For the rare student who chooses to not complete assignments and is falling behind their potential, they can be informed of other alternatives. They could be required to work on their assignments during special school activities, to stay after school, or some other option they will choose.These options need to be explained as possible choices when the student begins to fall behind. A student must learn, as we all do, that life is made of choices that we make all the time. When wise choices are made, then good results and good feelings occur. If a student chooses to "goof off", then thepoor choice for negative results occur. Students must learn that they make the choices, not the parent orteacher. We only define limits for their benefit.

What I have offered here, is a proven tool to help direct students towards their interests and potentials. More detail related to this process and other education and self-help topics will be found on my homeade website www.personalassistedlearning.info .

Of posible interest is another important topic I would like to share. It offers sensible (and “centsible”) solutions to involve more parents in the education of their children. It truly returns local control to our schools, districts, and teachers as well. Here is a link to “Every School A District”. C:\Users\Stafford\Documents\My articles and letters\Oak Norton - every school a district.pdf