As the school calendar begins again, we might ponder the lessons learned after reflecting upon last year: Did we meet the goals we set out to accomplish? Are there student names that stand out on the roster as having done very well or poorly? What changes have we made to our system to ensure that every student succeeds?
It's all data of one kind or another, and high-quality learning organizations use it to evaluate their system against the goals they want to achieve—and then change what is necessary to meet those goals.
Sometimes, our data can offer mixed results. For example, according to a recent report by the National Center for Education Statistics, for every 100 kindergartners who enter our education system, 69 will go on to graduate from high school, 58 will complete at least some college, and 29 will obtain at least a bachelor's degree. The statistics for children in poverty and for minority populations are worse. Is this acceptable?
Because many students fail to reach their academic potential, our public schools have become the lightning rod for all kinds of criticism. In general, elected officials outside the school system are driving the process for school improvement through legislation. Should their recommended school enhancement efforts fail, politicians rarely get criticized for poorly developed ideas—instead, those in the educational system are taken to task. Transforming this cycle of criticism into a constructive critique must be a priority for the education profession.
Talking with Families and Communities
The legislation on most educators' minds today is the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which presents us with seemingly insurmountable challenges as well as opportunities. Let me offer two ideas as good initial steps to address the law.
First, we should use NCLB's mandate for data about subgroup performances to influence changes in our system at the program level and in the structure of our schools. We should not be defensive about the results but use them to open a dialogue with parents and community members about what in our education system may be contributing to the less-than-desirable student outcomes.
Sometimes as educators we run around offering a solution when parents and community members aren't even fully aware of the problem. Open conversations about student performance can build understanding that may help family and community members support the changes educators see as important.
Educators can begin by looking at last year's roster of students, name by name, and questioning how much of an influence we've had on students' lives. Then ask, "What can we do this year to ensure a more successful outcome?" We might start by asking students what goals they have for this year.
Credentials Count
The second opportunity NCLB offers relates to its call for fully licensed professionals. The law requires school leaders to notify parents when their child's teacher is not fully licensed. We need to use this opportunity to let parents know all about the teachers their child will experience in the school year. This includes sharing their teachers' qualifications. Currently, the vast majority of teachers are fully licensed and have advanced degrees and other training that enhances their qualifications. I don't know why we keep this a secret.
At the start of each school year, parents should be advised about the rich experiences and training that each teacher brings into the classroom as a potential benefit to their children. I suggest we mount those teacher diplomas and licenses in our schools. When I visit many professional offices, degrees are displayed with great pride. Our profession is education, so the symbols of our accomplishments should be highly visible to our students and those who visit our places of work.
My two ideas, I believe, offer hope for how we can begin to reshape our vocation—one that is vital to society. The leadership role we must strive to attain during the years ahead may be characterized by an African saying I learned many years ago: "The leader who responds to a drought by attacking the lack of rainfall is not likely to inspire a great deal of confidence." Leaders who are able to drill down and identify underlying issues and then offer a variety of solutions are crucial in our profession. Let's keep this challenge in the forefront as we begin the new school year.