Michigan schools began the 21st century close to the top of national rankings, regularly posting results that were better than scores in most other states, especially those in the south. But the state has endured a long slide from the mid-1990s to today. Michigan’s math achievement ranking declined from 14th to 36th, based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Over the same time frame, Michigan’s reading score ranking declined from 20th to 42nd on the NAEP.
Michigan student school performance ranks 44th in the nation. How can that be?
Clearly, we need to reverse this downward trend. I am not heartened, however, by the calls for action coming from political advocates and interest groups. Our education plan brings to mind a saying often attributed to Albert Einstein: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
What has been done, and what kinds of recommendations are advocates making to improve student learning? It is always more of the same.
- Spend more money: Done that — didn’t make a difference.
- Smaller class sizes: Teacher-pupil ratios are lower than ever.
- More technology: Technology is ubiquitous in schools now. It hasn’t made a difference.
- New curricula: Revisions have been adopted over and over again with no impact on learning.
- New state standards: These have been written and approved and made no difference.
- More training for teachers: More degrees haven’t added up to better teachers.
- More preschool: Kids start earlier than ever, with no measurable improvement.
What would make a difference? Here are a few suggestions. These will require turning away from conventional wisdom and the status quo. But they will make a difference.
First, get rid of the technology for young learners, especially through the fifth or sixth grade. Too much of the technology in elementary school is distractive. It is boring and little better than the old “workbooks” it replaced. It isolates children and deprives them of the student-teacher engagement that fosters relationships and learning. Do not send Chromebooks home with students — in fact, get rid of them.
Second, focus the early years of education, grades kindergarten through third, on reading and math. Students who master reading and basic mathematics are equipped to learn. When schools attempt to teach content before students have mastered these basic skills, they take time away from teaching essential skills and set students up for failure.
Third, get rid of homework for young students. Homework is practice. Practice should occur under the supervision of a teacher. Limited home activities to prepare students for a lesson can build interest and create context, but they should not take significant time away from home activities. Ease more significant homework into the schedule during the middle school years.
Fourth, maximize opportunities for students to write and present. In high-performing schools, students learn to write essays; in low-performing schools, they make posters. In high-performing schools, students learn the skill of oral presentation; in low-performing schools they click answers on a computer.
Fifth, hold teachers accountable for student learning in their classrooms. Hold principals accountable for student learning in their buildings. Replace teachers and principals when student learning lags. The research is clear: Teaching quality is the biggest element in student success.
Finally, make major changes to our university-based system of teacher preparation. Elementary teachers must have the skill set to teach systems of literacy and numeracy. Upper grade teachers must have sufficient knowledge of content to make it interesting to all. At all levels, teachers must have the skills and the inclination to be active partners with the parents of the students they teach.
During a 45-year career as a teacher, administrator and consultant, I was always proud of Michigan’s education system. My experience with Michigan schools began in first grade, when a teacher named Alice Collins shepherded my 41 classmates and me through a tough but uncomplicated course on what we needed to be successful: sit quietly, pay attention, follow instructions and don’t dawdle. In first grade we studied numbers (arithmetic), stories (reading), and writing. Because every lesson involved copying from the chalk board, we did lots of writing. It was a simple curriculum that did not require digital technology or sophisticated theories of education.
Improving results requires a return to fundamentals — to teaching practices that have worked for centuries. It doesn’t require a lot more money. It doesn’t require more technology. It doesn’t require children to work harder — just differently. It requires commitment, relationships and accountability.
We can get better learning results by taking the boredom and busy work out of school and replacing it with teacher-led interactive skill building and knowledge exploration. It can be done. Michigan’s schools can rise again to achieve new standards of success.
