This web site and blog have been created to identify and articulate the meaning of  the term "21st century school."  From there we will explore the "what", "why" and "how" of creating authentic, meaningful education for our 21st century students.  We invite your ideas, information and suggestions.

Have you watched the steady destruction of education in the United States since the inception of the No Child Left Behind Act?  Not only did nothing improve, things got much worse.  In my own work as a professional staff development consultant and curriculum designer I have worked with educators from all over the United States as well as from many other countries.  I have watched in horror and disbelief as education has been steadily undermined.  I have watched teachers go from being enthusiastic, creative and open-minded to being angry, depressed, and afraid.  Now, instead of creatively designing truly rigorous, relevant, curriculum teachers are, for the most part, focused on one thing - getting their students to memorize as many facts as possible.  Their belief is that if they do this the students will perform better on their standardized tests.

I am baffled by the fact that so-called education reformers turn a blind eye to the schools that truly are succeeding.  About a year ago I attended a conference at one of the largest school districts in the nation.  The new superintendent began to speak;   he remarked that the charter schools in their district were doing an excellent job.  He said that students at the charter schools were learning at high levels, and he said that he expected rest of the schools in the district to achieve the same results.  But, instead of saying that they should be looking at how the charter schools were accomplishing this great success so that the same strategies could be implemented district-wide, he explained different strategies for the rest of the district.  I was astounded when he announced that they were going to start giving new cars to students who took - and passed - 5 AP exams!  He also stated that they were going to be intensively evaluating all the teachers;  he expected that about 20% of the teachers would receive very bad ratings, and that they would give them assistance, but if they did not improve they would be fired.

I will not disagree that there are some people in classrooms who should NOT be there!  I actually observed a middle school class in that district that same week.  I could hardly believe how  this truly awful that teacher was.  She stood up in front of the class and lectured for over an hour.  Many of the students had pulled their hoods up over their heads and laid their heads down on their desks to sleep.  Others just sat there looking utterly miserable.  I was miserable, too!  There was definitely no thinking or learning happening in that classroom.

Why is it that administrators, policy makers and many educational organizations think that the answer is "more of the same".  Make the school day longer, make those kindergarten children hit the books harder, take away the kindergarten nap time and play time, let's get rid of recess, art, music, play.  Let us do more drilling of the students on their basic skills, let us get the students to move as quickly as possible through the textbook, memorizing as much as they can.  "We just do not have time to do any inquiry or project-based learning.  We must get these kids ready for their tests." 

How is it that supposedly intelligent, educated people insist on ignoring the research?  There are schools all over this country achieving great success.  They can be found in areas of every social and economic strata.  They are not test prep factories;  their students are engaged (unlike the students in the middle school class that I observed) in very rigorous, problem- and project-based curriculum. 


There is more than ample research to support the development of successful schools.  There are schools in existence that are structured as truly 21st century schools - and their students are succeeding at incredible levels.  They are not focusing on prepping for the test, they are involved in rigorous, relevant, real world, in-depth learning.  Their test scores are excellent.  Their graduation rates are excellent.  The ACT scores are excellent.  They have developed critical 21st century skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, working collaboratively, communicating, creating and designing.  They go on to college.

This web site and blog, Becoming a 21st Century School, will gather the research into one place.  This web site and blog will bring to you evidence of actual schools that are 21st century and successful. 

 


Comments

Robert L. Arnold
03/07/2011 06:03

What criteria are applied that define what an excellent school is?

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