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Showing posts from December, 2020

A Lost Year or a Lost Decade in Basic Education

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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

Thank You For Standing Up For Equity In Education

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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

Merit Lottery for Admission to Thomas Jefferson High School

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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

Major Problem in Special Education in Virginia

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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

Fourth Graders in the Philippines Score Last in Math and Science

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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

Who Clamors for School Reopening Amid Surge in Coronavirus Cases?

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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

Do We Simply Wait for More Buddy Programs?

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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