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Home Response Judy Cox __** Response #1 **__ __** Written by: Jill Bartholomew **__ __** Email: bartholomewj@bcschools.net **__

**__ Academic Response To: A World Class Education __**

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This was a very informative, eye-opening and enlightening book! To see that students in the United States, in much more detail that I had been aware of previously, scored well below those in other developed countries in the areas of reading, math and science was alarming. How is it that we go from the world leader in education in the 20th century, but fall significantly behind in the 21st century? What I came to realize is that those high-performing countries focus on their systems of learning in addition to keeping their thumb on the pulse of student readiness for the rapidly changing global world.======

The success stories from around the world helped to shed light on what IS working. Some of the characteristics that stood out most to me are as follows: technically training people at all levels, strong collaboration among educators, business and economic leaders, making continuous improvements, the ability to rapidly adapt to change, a commitment to meet the needs of every child, and required graduate degrees for those seeking employment. In reading this book, of course it all makes sense…it’s logical and based upon best practices. So my question is, why aren’t we already doing it? However, I’m afraid I know the answer. We just get caught up doing what we do every year and forget that we need to challenge ourselves as professionals and educators as well as challenge our students. There are so many demands, which only continue to increase over time, that we sometimes loose sight of what we really need to do and settle for what we’ve always done. That’s why this Leadership Academy and this book, at least for me, come at the best time possible…my summer vacation and my time to re-energize!

The aspect of this conference I’m choosing to focus on, and in relation to this book, is based upon Sir Ken Robinson’s thought of revolution! We are living in times of great change, so we must make the attempt to change with it, if not, we will be left behind…as will our students. We’ve all heard the phrase, “Knowledge is power.” And I do believe this to be true. However, I feel that it only becomes power when you chose to do something about it. In reading, for the first time in that kind of detail, I can only express how startling it was to discover not only that students scored low on assessments relative to other countries…but rather HOW low. So, if knowledge is power and we have that knowledge, it’s time to act and do something about it. As Vivien Stewart says..."In the past, the United States was the world leader and other countries learned from us. Now it’s time for us to learn from them!"

Reading about the ways that Singapore, Shanghai, Australia, Finland, Ontario and Alberta have raised their student achievement scores to be some of the best was quite eye-opening. I say this because of what they’re doing, in reality, is really just common sense. Not so much stepping out of the box as logically just doing what makes the most sense and doing what is best for children. Three characteristics really stood out to me. One of their guiding principles was vision and leadership; bringing together all stakeholders and creating a plan for both the near and distant future (how can we prepare our students for 2030?). Another was ambitious standards; the US in known for curriculum that is “a mile wide and an inch deep” while other countries cover less topics but to a much greater depth. Third, was student motivation; whether it is created by intense engagement, viewing school as a priority, discovery or self-directed learning. Knowing what they’re doing, knowing that it’s working, we need to take note and be mindful enough of it that we begin it in our own schools and communities.

Sir Ken Robinson spoke at great length about the importance of thinking and doing things differently and about getting back to the basics. Currently the guiding principles of our education system appear to be conformity, compliance and linearity. However, education is not a one size fits all type of systems…at least it shouldn’t be. But, as sad as it is to say, in many ways it still is. However, we need to set our sights on three new guiding principles, those of creativity, diversity and organic development. Change is here and we must make every attempt to address the needs inherent in those changes as they develop on a local, national and global scale. It is imperative we take the steps toward global and future orientation. For example, Singapore regularly conducts visioning exercises, scanning the global horizon to create future school designs. And Alberta began a province wide dialogue as to what their students should look like in 2039. Education is certainly in a constant state of change…so must we be.

Robinson also discussed the importance for the need to personalize education. It was the Finnish curriculum that struck me the most when it came to it being a broad and individualized curriculum. It is based upon child development and modern learning theory, with an emphasis on creativity and individual responsibility for learning from a very young age. My background is in special education as I am going into my 14th year of teaching. And to read about individualizing the curriculum, for EVERY child, makes me view it as every child having their very own IEP (Individualized Educational Plan). Just imagine of this were true! Every child would receive specific instruction in the exact area he or she needed, on a daily basis, not contingent upon the pacing guide, where the rest of the class was at with that topic, nor based upon the proficiency of anyone else other than themselves. Of course, as educators, we attempt to individualize, remediate, challenge and enrich. But how long do we do it for before burning out, getting exhausted and reverting to our old ways of following the teacher’s guide? There are only so many hours in the day and only one of us to go around. We are only human, and as Michael White said, “Martyrdom is not sustainable.” That said, we need not reinvent the wheel. There are schools around the world already doing these things, they not only are sustaining, but thriving! A World-Class Education is the right book at the right time, as it gives insight into what already is working. We have the resource at our fingertips, now lets tailor the effective strategies to address our needs as a nation, district and within the walls of our own classroom!

Now comes the challenge of applying it to our current positions. I’ve spent 13 years as a special education teacher at the elementary level, with the exception of one year at the middle school level. So, this is my target audience, this is where I need to make the change! One topic I touched upon earlier was technically training students at all levels. And there is no better place to begin doing this than at the elementary level. Despite some of the economically disadvantaged backgrounds that my students may come from, surprisingly enough, they oftentimes do have some forms of technology in their home or within their immediate families. This is the age of technology and it is everywhere. From personal experience, I know that my elementary students know more about computers and other devices compared to my parents who are now in their 70s. Our students are growing up with the knowledge, but it is up to us to foster it and to support it in everyway that we can if they are to have a fighting chance and succeeding in this technologically based world.

This book also highlighted the importance of a commitment to meritocracy. Meritocracy is a system in which advancement is based on individual ability or achievement, hard work pays off. This happens regardless of ethnicity or socioeconomic status. In Singapore, all students are afforded the opportunities to be involved in community support programs, early intervention programs as well as additional pathways to further their education and future careers. Working in a system such as this has instilled the belief that education and hard work is the way to advancement…for all. This is a climate that we can and need to create in our own classrooms and schools. No matter what our students bring to the table, they must been seen as high-achievers, treated as high-achievers, and given the necessary tools and/or programs to be those high-achievers. Despite being from a disadvantaged home, single parent family, or even possibly homeless, we need to address these needs in our students and create opportunities for success…giving them the tools to possibility break out of the generational poverty for example. Many of my students are at or near poverty and I’m always searching for something to spark their interest or start that fire inside of them. I want them to know that they are capable of greatness and breaking away from their current situation…but they will have to work for it, and they’ll have to work hard! But I want them to want it!

I also see equity at a determining factor related to student success. Equity can be defined as the quality of being fair and impartial: "equity of treatment." Finland has demonstrated a true commitment to equity. Achievement gaps among the socioeconomic groups was significant in the 1970s but has now shrunk to be within only 5 percent. In addition, graduation rates were at 99 percent! Finland achieved this by creating a common comprehensive school for grades 1-9. This new structure and system was based on the belief that all students, no matter their background, would get the quality of education, social supports and health care that they deserved. Every child deserves the chance to learn, to grow, to persevere…and it is our job to make sure that happens. Lucky for us, this can start in our very own classrooms. It is imperative that we involve all stakeholders in their education, from school staff and parents to community and business leaders...we are all here to lend support. These students are our future, so we must prepare them in a way that they are confident and ready!

I want to conclude with a quote I found in this book, “In this world, the optimists have it…not because they are always right but because they are positive. Even when wrong, they are positive, and that is the way of achievement, correction, improvement and success.” Let’s remember these words of David Landes and let us begin the revolution within our own classrooms!

Kelly McArdle mcardleka@mps.k12.mi.us Text Responses:





Margaret Doan doanmm@mps.k12.mi.us Academic Response to A World-Class Education by: Vivien Stewart

Penny Church pennykchurch@charter.net
 * Academic Response to** __A World Class Education: learning from International Models of Excellence__

The initial quote (“Everything has changed, except the way we think.” – Albert Einstein) immediately reminded me of Sir Ken Robinson saying, “Revolutions begin with people doing their work differently”. American educators have become complacent while countries across the globe embraced change. Educators are tasked with the job of teaching and preparing children for a world that has not yet been invented or defined. Technology has globalized us in unimaginable ways – both positively and negatively. I was caught off guard by the fact that US students scored well below other countries on core tests. US educators are used to hearing student results compared within our country. It’s time to look at global results and compare ourselves to countries currently out-scoring and out-producing us. I appreciated that the author stressed that there is no perfect education system. We cannot afford to continue to implement an unchangeable system of education in today’s world of fast-paced change. Educators must embrace change in order to learn, unlearn, and relearn. Educational leaders must hold an increased sense of urgency to embrace flexibility and adaptability. Vivien Stewart encourages educators to benchmark our educational systems against nationally acclaimed education systems. This is no different than the approach we take in benchmarking students against other students.
 * __Reflection__**

Stewart touched on how globalization has changed the way the world does business. It would make sense for educators attempting to implement change to form partnerships with businesses in order to prepare students for the 21st century job market. It would also make sense for education to include opportunities for students to form global relationships in order to prepare them to complete, cooperate, and collaborate with the ever-increasing educated talent around the world. We need to start preparing students to do business in today’s knowledge economy. Sadly, our country has become complacent while remaining egocentric in its beliefs that we continue to be leaders in education. We have much to learn from other countries.

Singapore grew exponentially in the field of education by viewing human capital as its most valuable resource. Their vision included “Thinking schools, Learning Nation” and “teach less, learn more”. Out of this came an education system able not only to compete in a global arena, but to excel.

Canada employed strategies including a detailed curriculum to create consistency across provinces, higher teacher salaries, an accountability system, and an action research program in order to improve its system of education. Additionally, they created the Ministry of Education which was staffed by educators rather than bureaucrats. Collaboration between unions and government became key factors in success.

Finland focused on early diagnosis and intervention for all students in order to achieve success. Equity is prioritized. The curriculum is delivered by superior staff and is broad and individualized. Interestingly,Finlandhas no standardized testing until students take a high school exit exam. Parents trust teachers as professionals.

China employs rigorous standards with a strong emphasis on math and science. As a culture, education is respected.Chinaregularly compares itself to other global education systems to stay on top of their game.

Australia recognizes the need to work collaboratively as a country in order to keep up with the rapidly changing needs of preparing students for the 21st century. Collaboration seems to be the key toAustralia’s ability to evolve while maintaining high standards of educational delivery.

We are living in unpredictable, exciting times. We have the opportunity to develop a world class education system. In order to make gains toward this lofty goal, we must employ vision and leadership, develop stringent world-class standards, level the playing field for all learners regardless of their situation, actively seek and train professional educators, employ technology and remain vigilant in accountability by benchmarking our students against others around the globe. Embracing technology and creating partnerships around the world are a great jumping off point for creating a system that flourishes. Technology allows learners to access endless learning opportunities while creating virtual learning communities. It shakes the limits of traditional school settings. Most importantly, technology makes learning materials readily available to all learners while providing adaptable instruction to meet individual needs. It provides differentiated learning in its purest form. World class standards include, but are not limited to, creating learners who are creative, innovative risk-takers. They will produce people who are self-motivated to learn, unlearn, and relearn throughout their lives. Embracing change as a way of life is paramount for 21st century learners.

The GLBSLA reignited my passion for education. Lack of funding, stifling standardization of assessment, and public distain for the profession of education make it easy to become discouraged about teaching. Sir Robinson said that we are living in a time of educational revolution. This is exciting. It is also a huge responsibility. We are tasked with the job of preparing students for a future that has not yet been defined. Sir Robinson stated that the role of a leader is to provide ideal conditions for growth. To do this, we must create learning environments in which communication is multi-faceted, creativity and innovation is valued, and cooperation and collaboration are more important that competition. Additionally, as educators, we must find our passion and encourage our students to do the same. Our education system must embrace an urgency to foster and embrace change as a way of life.
 * __Relation of reading to the GLBSLA__**

Dr. Skilling of Oxford Schools provided an example of a school district that is embracing change. They’ve partnered with international businesses and sister schools in order to reinvent themselves. Schools face extinction without innovation and a willingness to take risks.Oxfordchooses not to focus on things such as what is controlled byLansing, but to focus on things that are in their own control. For example, virtual education is the wave of the future. They’ve embraced this and created opportunities for global learners via technology and partnerships. They’ve also embraced failure as a means to learn and grow. They’re continually changing how they do things. Recalibration allows their school to become innovative in its delivery of education. Their district values communication, trust, and friendship (in that order) as important in paving the way for a world class education. They’re looking to other schools around the world to benchmark themselves against.

The GLBSLA was a positive professional development opportunity to ignite change. Sir Robinson said that “revolutions begin with people doing their work differently”. Teacher and administrator preparation programs are beginning to do the work of preparing educators differently. They’re rethinking the way they prepare educators at a collegiate level. This restructuring includes gaining buy-in from all players in rewriting programs. Maybe this will help move the education revolution in the right direction. Effective, passionate leaders are necessary to implement change.

As teachers, we must begin forming partnerships in order to best provide a world-class education for students. You’ve heard the phrase “It takes a village to raise a child”. Teaching is a team sport. In the past, we’ve become such a competitive nation. I believe its time to start focusing on cooperation and collaboration. We can do this by looking to each other and to successful systems of education in order to improve our own.

It is time to begin looking at ourselves not as Americans, but as citizens of the world. Dr. Skilling talked about teaching soft skills and encouraging learners to become selfless rather than selfish. Serving others creates human worth. Global entrepreneurship that benefits the common good should be a focus of education. Technology has allowed the world to become a more intimate place. We need to focus on teaching our students multi-faceted global communication and empathy.

Reading __A World-Class Education__ and attending theLeadershipAcademy have given me much to think about as a first grade teacher. I’m taxed with the job of preparing students for an unknown future. Although other generations have had this same responsibility, technology has made the unknown a little less predictable. On the flip side, technology also opens doors to limitless possibilities.
 * __Relation of reading to current position (first grade teacher)__**

First and foremost, I feel empowered to create a climate in which my students feel reassured while taking risks. There is a certain amount of core education that must be taught and learned in elementary school. It’s also the perfect place to teach learners to be creative and innovative. Young students are natural risk-takers. They tend to be more flexible and adaptive than many adults. The real challenge lies in helping young students maintain their sense of adventure and flexibility in learning. I must work together with colleagues to come up with innovative ways to present curriculum while cultivating students who are self-motivated to learn. This is daunting in today’s high pressure education arena of standardized testing. We place such high value on these forms of assessment. We must come up with ways to celebrate creativity and innovation as it will lead us to new discoveries.

Several of the countries discussed by Stewart made it a priority to recruit, prepare, support, distribute, evaluate, and compensate high-quality teachers and leaders.Americais currently experiencing an inflation of teacher-bashers. As educators, we have a responsibility to make certain that we’re highly qualified. We can take it a step further by informing the public of what we’re doing well. We must become our own best public relations firm. Educators can let people know how they’re creatively addressing the task of teaching. It is time to band together with other educators to build the public’s trust in us and our education system. Building relationships with our clientele (the public) by asking their constructive opinion would go a long way towards improving our system and our reputation. We could look toChinafor guidance in this area as they have a long-standing history of creating a strong cultural commitment to education.

Another component of successful global education systems is a coherent teacher development system. American teachers must currently continue their education in order to maintain teacher certification. As a nation, we can do better than this. Schools are full of master teachers. You only need to look as far as a colleague to seek out meaningful professional development. Mike White spoke about creating in-house data teams at theGreat LakesBaySummerLeadershipAcademy. It is up to teachers to seek out professional relationships and partnerships to better themselves as educators. It’s time to start sharing our knowledge with each other.

The book talked about countries focusing on vigorous national and global curriculum standards. I’m encouraged by the upcoming Common Core Standards being implemented in theUnited States. With multi-faceted communication, Common Core Standards may help to bridge some of our current achievement gaps. However, it’s only a starting point. As a nation, we need to make a commitment to constant reevaluation of these standards while providing equitable education for all students regardless of their background or situation.

Technology is a vital tool in education. It allows us to create global virtual learning environments. Sadly, my first graders only visit the computer lab once a week. Vivien Stewart has inspired me to make a plan to provide more numerous opportunities for my students to utilize technology in order to become global citizens. After all, my students will spend the rest of their lives living globally.

Teachers have become inundated with data and test scores. Often times, we lament the fact that much of what we do is governed by these numbers. The key to success is to use the data to intervene and prescribe instruction for ALL students. This allows us to become more intentional in our delivery of instruction.

Teaching is not an exact science. There are many nuances to effective delivery of curriculum and instruction. Our job is not simply to teach and hope that students learn. We have a plethora of resources to help us evaluate what we’re doing in order to constantly improve. Our main focus in teaching must be to instill in ALL learners an insatiable need for constant learning, unlearning, and relearning. The word that resonated throughout Vivien Stewart’s book and the Great LakesBakeSummerLeadershipAcademywas **CHANGE**. Embrace it!


 * By: Dave Schwartz**
 * E-mail: Schwartzd@e-hps.net**
 * Academic Response: "A World Class Education"**


 * __#1 Reflection __**

In this day and age, the accelerating pace of globalization driven by advanced technological changes can be seen everywhere you look. Economic trends have increased the demand for highly skilled workers and have intensified the competition for quality jobs. Times have changed and, unlike twenty years ago, quality jobs that support a middle-class living can no longer be attained with just a high school diploma. Employers are constantly aiming to become more competitive and dynamic in global markets thus continually transforming the skills needed for employment. Job seekers in the United States are slowly acknowledging the growing global talent pool and seeing first-hand the competition that comes from job seekers from around the globe. Despite being a world leader in education during the twentieth century and being the first country to achieve universal secondary education and expand higher education, the United States no longer finds itself at the forefront of education. This has lead teachers and administrators to seek our answers as to why education in the United States is at a standstill and what education systems in other parts of the world have done to do better in such a short period of time.

The good news for parents, teachers, and education policymakers concerned about the difficulties facing education advancement in the United States now, is that these problems have already been faced by other nations who have displayed many possible solutions that could be implemented in one form or another by school systems in the U.S. Improving the quality of education students receive, increasing the effectiveness of school systems and improving the accountability of teachers and administrators must remain the top priority.

The simple fact facing the U.S. today is that there are a significant amount of economic costs and benefits related to the quality and amount of education students receive. Consider the cost a high school dropout would have on a community, compared to the amount a high school graduate would contribute to his or her community through their increased purchasing power and taxes.

In many cases, countries that excel in education have a lot in common. They have school leaders who take responsibility for each student’s education, teachers who promote student creativity and engagement, and communities and governments that are in alignment with the goals of the education system. To overcome its difficulties, the United States must continue to invest in teacher and educator development and work to modernize curriculum and instruction for the 21st century. The United States cannot afford to slip any lower in the global context and must strive to provide the world-class education system in established in the twentieth century.


 * __#2 Relation to the Conference __**

Many people would agree that higher educational achievement leads to greater economic success in a country. To give an example, Singapore began its momentous technological rise by viewing education as most central to building its economy and their sense of nationhood. But for education to provide economic stability and propel the United States as a society into the future, we must invest in, and continue to develop, effective teachers and leaders.

One reason why foreign school systems have become so successful in such a short period of time may be due to the tremendous amount of pressure and responsibility that put on teachers and educators. The teaching profession in countries, whose education systems are better than in the U.S., is considered a highly respected profession. Teachers in these systems are not only qualified to do the job, they are also highly passionate about each and every student’s success. They are accountable and take direct responsibility for the students and their education and also reflect a great deal of transparency in the government’s educational policies implemented in every classroom, in every school throughout the nation. Teachers in these societies also make great strides to collaborate with other teachers and educators to help figure out better ways of teaching and improving curriculum. These teachers are not only constantly improving themselves and their curriculum, but their students as well. Educational leaders from these countries would insist that improving their education system first starts with good teaching and up-to-date curriculum and would agree that providing students with elements of growth is the primary goal of teachers and educational leaders.

However, not all students are the same. Some are self-motivated while others are only motivated by a few people, ad still other are not motivated at all. The task at hand for teachers and educators is to motivate every student to become a life-long learner. Successful education systems have teachers that move away from the “one size fits all” curriculum and instead utilize individualized lesson plans to better adapt to student’s skills needs. These teachers also promote creativity, diversity, and organic development in students, which many would argue is of much importance in a twenty-first century student. With job qualifications constantly changing, preparing our students for the future is more important now than ever before. Promoting creativity in our students and offering variety in the type of schooling they receive would go a long way in preparing students for the future. The United States must work to improve dropout rates across the country and strive to improve equity among schools. If the United States wishes to remain on top of the educational ladder it must work to improve the schools that are already performing well and, more importantly, the ones that are not as successful. Promoting creativity and imagination in all students would help to increase achievement across the board. Teachers and administrators from successful education systems stress the belief that imagination is the most important gift any student has and that creativity is putting that imagination sense to work. To begin rebuilding the education system, the United States must first focus on attracting the right people for the part. Meaning, they must attract well-trained, highly-qualifies, ambitious teachers who partner together and collaborate to achieve better success in the classroom. Only then will our school systems start producing the type of student achievement we wish to see.


 * __#3 Relation to Current Position __**

In order to improve the United States’ education standards and increase the quality and effectiveness of our school systems, we must prepare our students for a world where success opportunities require the ability to compete and cooperate on a global scale. The challenge today is not how to better our schools that are already well off, but how to create effective school systems everywhere to bring high-quality education to all students. Educational leaders must embrace the fact that human capital is this nation’s most precious asset and attract well-qualified teachers and educators to promote student growth. As an assistant principal of a junior high school it is my job to make sure the teachers are doing just that.

As an administrator, one of the aspects of my job is promoting teacher development. This is very important because as educational policies change, so too should the teacher and their methods of teaching. The worst thing you could assume as an administrator is that the teachers know how to do things that they don’t. In order to make sure teachers and educators are prepared, a considerable amount of money is invested in teacher training and professional development. Creating teachers who can diagnose problems in the classroom and apply evidence-based solutions to solve them and are not only better for schools but for students as well. There is a broad consensus that no matter what reform strategy is being pursued, the overall quality of a school system depends on the quality of its teachers and staff. A big challenge for school systems today is preparing teachers for the task of arming students with the knowledge and skills they need to compete on a global scale. One of the most important jobs as an assistant principal is evaluating a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom. Our teachers must be able to harness new technologies to help better prepare students for the types of higher thinking skills that many jobs require all the while working with a population of students that are diverse in ethnic and social backgrounds.

Twice a year I meet with each teacher to create an annual professional growth plan which is an assessment of classroom performance. This meeting takes notice of each teacher’s strengths and weaknesses, their goals for the year, and their ability to motivate and engage students in the classroom. During this meeting, we also look at the education goals of the school and the state and make sure the teacher’s goals fall in line and make revisions if necessary. Meeting with teachers to discuss topics like these has made our teachers and our education system more future oriented as we continually search for better or more advanced methods of instruction. Another important aspect of this assessment is monitoring a teacher’s curriculum and teaching strategies. Over the years, we’ve concluded that benchmarking teachers against the previous year’s goals has shown to not only increase standards but has also increased teacher’s leadership abilities and increased accountability towards the students.

These days, too many teachers are thrown into the classroom without the significant mentoring and assistance. This can leave them feeling ineffective and unsupported. Providing educators with effective professional development and long-term support and feedback on instruction methods allows them to feel more connected to his or her school and its academic success. By supporting teachers and working with them to improve classroom instruction we can help improve the alignment between the goals of the education system want to end up. A global orientation among teachers, school leaders, and students would help this country’s education system become more innovative and ultimately, more successful in the global society.