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Jerry Jennings' Blog

DRAFT Audio Education Online Blog Probe

Audio Education Online Blog Probe
Submitted by Jerry Jennings

January 25, 2010

Can we do better by the students in failing schools?

Sam Redding is the Director of the Center on Innovation and Improvement. The Center on Innovation & Improvement supports regional centers in their work with states to provide districts, schools, and families with the opportunity, information, and skills to make wise decisions on behalf of students.

In this month's interview he makes the following statements.

The picture nationwide is that since NCLB, when we began more consciously identifying schools as they were not making adequate progress. The number of schools in the category of needs improvement has just expanded exponentially and so states are looking at hundreds, in some cases thousands of schools that are not making adequate progress.

We really need to face up to the schools that are persistently underperforming and do something dramatic. And, I think, the dramatic (point to arrive at) is that we realize that it's in large part a human capital problem, we've got to have the right people in those schools to do the right things in those schools.

Someone has to take care to know which people have the skill sets that you need plus which people have the attitude that they are going to get onboard and do the hard work and cooperate in the way that they must to get change.

Get the people with the skills necessary in the school and get their attitudes such that they will (accept) the responsibilities of the greater autonomy and they will put in place the practices that we know will give results for students.

Well, I think we've come to the realization that if you're looking out for the best interest of the students that school has to change whether or not the faculty is ready. And so, if this faculty isn't ready, let's get one that is, or at least replace the people who maybe aren't ready. So I think the notion has moved from attempting to convince a faculty or to sense if they are ready to putting in place the human capital, the people you need to make you ready for the sake of the students in the building.

And so, the more you have people that are teaching and leading and providing curriculum that is aligned with what we know as effective based on the evidence and the research, the more good things are going to happen in that school.

And I think there is a third element that ultimately . . . it's that you have changed the culture and chemistry of the school so that everyday everyone in that school is very cognizant of what they are doing, what is working, what isn't working and they are striving to improve.

I know you will want to listen to the complete interview. Please do so. Here are a series of probes you may choose from as you contribute your thinking to the discussion stimulated by the interview.
Do you think the students in the under-performing school must be provided better learning opportunities? Please explain you answer.

Many schools have gone years and not turned achievement problems around. Can it be so simple that the formula is to have people with appropriate: 10 skills, 2) attitudes and those people then 3) implement known strategies? Please explain your thinking.

Redding is very clear that to turn failing buildings around you have to have the right people in the building. Please react to that.

Could it be that a school with a significantly different staff could dramatically improve learning outcomes? Please explain your thinking.

Can this be true even in school where years of low stude3nt outcomes were the norm? Please explain your answer.

Can having everyone, everyday being cognizant of the important shared work make a significant difference in students outcomes? Please explain your thinking.

Thank you, in advance, for being part of the conversation related to this month's interview.