Philippine Basic Education

Now that we are at the end of year 2020, it is time to reflect on what we are leaving behind. Yes, 2020 may well be the worse year we have seen in this century. And we are all hoping that 2021 will be better. Since this blog focuses on basic education in the United States and in the Philippines, it is sobering to point out that this year only highlights our failures in basic education in both countries not just this year but during the past decade. In the United States, equity in education is still not within reach. Academic achievement gaps between the "haves" and "have nots" remain in schools in the US. And in the Philippines, a decade is lost by foolishly embarking on a new curriculum that does not address the real problems its schools are facing. The achievement gap as seen vividly in the Nation's Report Card in the United States has lingered almost in the past two decades. Students who are eligible for free lunch based on family income are still scoring low

Using a lottery for educational opportunities is the closest we can get to promoting equity in education. Evidence-based research suggests that other methods cannot help increase the enrollment of underrepresented children in special academic programs. Admission programs that use any criteria other than a student's interest and random selection are always open to preparations only families of privilege can afford. Sadly, the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Board chooses to adopt instead a "holistic" approach that can still easily be gamed by savvy parents and the preparation industry. Furthermore, such move ignores the disparity that is already present in elementary and middle school advanced academic programs. There is, however, hope, as four members are in favor of the equitable approach. With time, these four beacons may be able to enlighten the rest of the board in the future. This blog is proud to have supported Ricardy Anderson, Karen Keys Gamarra, Abrar Omeish

As long as we use metrics that place privileged families at an advantage, admission to any advanced academic program will remain inequitable. The reason is simple. Any system can be gamed by families who have more resources. Only a lottery can provide a genuine opportunity for underrepresented groups at Virginia's premier school, Thomas Jefferson High School. There is evidence to back this up. As noted by a professor from Georgia, Charles Pibel, Gwinett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology (GSMST) accomplishes this. Considered as one of the top high schools in the country, GSMST has about a third of its students coming from underrepresented groups. The Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Above copied from USNews One can compare the above demographics with that of Thomas Jefferson High School: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Above copied from USNews The difference is so glaring. Only 2% of students at Thomas Jefferson come from lo

With vaccines against the coronavirus now becoming available, there is reason to look forward to our schools returning to normal. Normal in the past, however, is not perfect and we must continue to address pre-pandemic problems in our schools. Kate Masters at the Virginia Mercury  recently wrote  "‘Devastating’ new report finds major problems with special education in Virginia" , an article reporting the findings of the Virginia's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) on special education. One major finding is the state's general lack of oversight of special education. With the absence of monitoring, the quality of special education in Virginia remains elusive. Unfortunately, the red flags found by the commission also touch on racial inequity in basic education. African American students with disabilities are sadly disproportionately affected. Graduation rates are significantly lower for this group.  The 13-point gap is only between students with disa

When this blog started back in 2012, I noted that second year high school students in the Philippines had the lowest scores in both Math and Science in both 1999 and 2003 TIMSS. The results for the 2019 TIMSS are now available. This time, fourth grade students from the Philippines participated. These students are clearly products of the new K to 12 curriculum and the scores are actually worse this time. These data suggest that the new curriculum has not addressed what really plagues Philippine basic education. The DepEd K+12 curriculum introduced in 2012 only exacerbates the problems of education in the Philippines. Above copied from Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Foy, P., Kelly, D. L., & Fishbein, B. (2020). TIMSS 2019 International Results in Mathematics and Science. Retrieved from Boston College, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center website: https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/timss2019/international-results/ The drop in scores is quite substantial. The black curve is for ma

With the possibility of overwhelming hospital facilities and staff, it is now necessary for the US to do everything possible to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. In the past, we have obviously made mistakes by not shutting down the main avenues through which the virus is transmitted from person to person: indoor gatherings. Early in the Fall, schools remain closed in most areas but bars, gyms, restaurants, churches and weddings continue. And in New York City, with an apparent second wave of infections, schools close doors first while bars remain open.  Current data do indicate that schools in areas where in-person learning continues do not contribute significantly to the transmission of the coronavirus. Nevertheless, at this point where every state in the country is seeing a rapid and uncontrolled rise in COVID cases, it is obviously not prudent to send our young to schools. Yet, in the county I live in, a group called OpenFCPS still clamors for students to have the choice to

There is an ongoing essay contest in my mother's hometown in the Philippines. The essay's topic is: “What will I do to make the town progressive?”  The word "progressive" may have different meanings, but in the US, it seems to be the preferred word over "liberal". To illustrate what progressive thinking entails, I would use the following admirable project started by Dolly Parton in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee. The project called "The Buddy Program" started thirty years ago. In this program, seven and eight grade students are asked to choose one partner (or buddy), and Dolly Parton will give them $500 each if both graduate high school. The program has been a success, reducing the dropout rate from 30% down to 6%. A popular post on Facebook  celebrates this: ___________________________________________________________ Erick Moore J r a m h g n s n t S u p o m a r n s e o y r e h   1 S 9 e d    ·  In 1990, the high school dropout rate for Do

COVID testing sites are currently seeing long lines. There is a troubling surge in cases during the past couple of weeks but the present rush to COVID testing is largely due to a huge misconception. COVID testing is not a pass to celebrate Thanksgiving indoors with family and friends. The rate at which the coronavirus multiplies and therefore becomes detectable needs to be considered. A negative COVID testing result tells us that an individual does not carry enough viral load to be detected only at the time of testing. "At the time of testing" is key to using correctly the result of a COVID test. During the past summer, some tourist destinations resorted to a COVID test as a requirement for travel, which probably added to the misconception that a negative COVID result was enough proof for safety. Georgetown University remained open during the current semester to a few students and researchers but these individuals had been required to be tested twice a week. Without a vaccine

According to CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, it does not make sense that schools are being closed while restaurants, gyms, bars and churches remain open. His argument is based on the observation that while the positivity COVID test rate in New York City is above 3 percent, the rate inside schools is below 0.2 percent. In order to avoid overwhelming hospitals, it is important to curb transmission. A total lockdown obviously comes with collateral damage on the economy. For this reason, it is imperative that the measures taken be the most effective and least damaging. Our measures need to be guided by science. And science can in fact answer the question, "Where do COVID transmissions mostly occur?". Citing a paper in Nature , Dr. Gupta lists the following as high risk COVID locations: restaurants, gyms, cafes, hotels and religious gatherings. Above copied from CNN Looking deeper into the details of the study, one sees that these locations also affect low-income households more than

Fairfax County Public Schools will pause its reopening plans. Expanding in-person earning will be delayed. The updated COVID dashboard of the county shows 400 new cases in the past 24 hours. Unfortunately, this simply portends an exponential growth in the next few weeks. It is true that some are now experiencing a fatigue with these non-pharmaceutical interventions. How long do we have to wait? Are these working, anyway? These interventions only work with majority compliance. And we are failing because we are not recognizing what it takes to open schools, what it takes to control this pandemic. I receive every morning an update from the New York Times. Here is a part of this morning's edition: Schools obviously involve indoor gatherings. Closing schools is therefore a non-pharmaceutical intervention to help control the spread of the coronavirus. If only the schools are closed while restaurants, bars, gyms and churches remain open, then we are basically fooling ourselves. The corona

During the past few years, we have narrowed the learning gaps associated with family income. Parents in low-income households have increased their engagement in their children's learning. Parents are reading to their children more than ever. Visits to libraries, zoos and museums have become less lopsided as a function of family income. Unfortunately, COVID has changed this trend significantly. Not only are these visits not advisable during a pandemic, families, especially those who are socio-economic disadvantaged, are under significant stress during the past months.  Above copied from Bassok D, Finch JE, Lee R, Reardon SF, Waldfogel J. Socioeconomic Gaps in Early Childhood Experiences: 1998 to 2010. AERA Open. July 2016. doi: 10.1177/2332858416653924 A snapshot from Tulsa, Oklahoma shows that parents, children, and their teachers are feeling the impact of this pandemic on their financial, physical and mental health. Here is just one measure: Above copied from Tulsa SEED Study The

“It’s easier today to tell your kids that character matters.”                                                                     - Van Jones - Now, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. First, we need to address the pandemic, racial injustice, climate change, immigrant children who have lost their parents, relief to working families, and for education, equity. I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris. In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America. With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation. It’s time for America to unite. And to heal. We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do, if we do it together. I’m going to speak to the nation tonight and I’d love for you to watch. You can watch my remarks by tuning in to this

I am trying to imagine myself as one of my children. These are very interesting times. I heard one of my children two nights ago questioning the electoral college way of determining who wins in a presidential election. There is indeed a lot of talk out there especially in social media that suggests we abandon the electoral college since votes from various regions of the country do not seem to have the same weight. Then I told them that if the president is solely determined by the popular vote then a candidate may simply choose to cater to the interests of California, Texas, and the Northeast, because that is where most of the votes are. That made them think. Of course, candidates now focus only on a small number of "battleground" or "swing" states. I did not mention that. My children already have plenty to digest during these past few days and the weeks before election. There is, however, one lesson that is crystal clear to them. Every vote counts, but for a country

I am a parent, that's why I voted for my children. I am an educator, that's why I voted for equity. I am a scientist, that' why I voted for research-based evidence. I am a Catholic, that's why I voted for widows, orphans, poor and immigrants. I am an American, that's why I voted for America. I voted Biden. THE BIDEN PLAN FOR EDUCATORS, STUDENTS, AND OUR FUTURE As president, Joe Biden will provide educators the support and respect they need and deserve and invest in all children from birth, so that regardless of their zip code, parents’ income, race, or disability, they are prepared to succeed in tomorrow’s economy. He will: Support our educators by giving them the pay and dignity they deserve. Invest in resources for our schools so students grow into physically and emotionally healthy adults, and educators can focus on teaching. Ensure that no child’s future is determined by their zip code, parents’ income, race, or disability. Provide every middle and high school s