Board Bulletin - Educational Observations, Insights and Commentary for State Policymakers

Should computer programming be part of the basic curriculum for the state that is home to Silicon Valley? Says Neil McAllister:

“maybe it’s time we incorporated fundamental computer literacy into the curriculum of U.S. public schools. If eighth graders should know algebra, by the tenth grade, they should be programming in Java…

What modern school-age kid doesn’t have access to a PC — and with it an e-mail address, IM accounts, a MySpace page, games, applications, and all the resources of the World Wide Web? Today our phones are digital, our cameras are digital, our music is digital, our DVD movies are digital, even our television is turning digital.

Computing devices are everywhere. But the one thing that hasn’t changed is the idea that computer programming — real, deep-down, core computer literacy — is something for nerds, geeks, and outsiders. Guess what? It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Today’s kids have every incentive to learn programming. Whether it’s to trick out a Web page, interface with Facebook, or write scripts to help with homework, programming has real-world applications that have relevance to kids’ lives.

Instead of labeling their enthusiasm for computers as disruptive or aberrant behavior, we should harness it as an educational tool. By integrating computer literacy into school curriculum from an early age, we would give students a learning experience that more accurately reflects the modern world around them…

Where traditional math problems can be unforgiving, programming languages like Python or JavaScript offer students interactive environments that encourage them to explore and experiment. The immediate feedback they receive when they solve problems gives them individual encouragement and positive reinforcement — things that textbooks alone can’t provide.

The problem isn’t that computers don’t fit with the standard educational curriculum. The problem is that the curriculum hasn’t evolved to incorporate the realities of the Internet Age.

Of course, if we can’t get schools to teach algebra, mandatory computer literacy is a pipe dream. In most states, the funding necessary to give every child access to a PC simply isn’t there. And teaching computing implies that teachers at the middle and high school levels will be sufficiently computer literate themselves.

If we dare to dream, however, he benefits of a modernized, computer-centric education system would be enormous. Some advocates of education reform favor re-establishing trade schools as an alternative to college education. But if we integrated computer training into mainstream school curriculum, high-school students would graduate with skills that would be applicable to virtually all walks of life.

Among white-collar occupations, no fields would benefit more than IT and software development. Today, too many students waste time at the university level learning fundamental programming concepts. As a result, computer science undergrads often end up strong on specific tools and practices but weak in high-level concepts like algorithms, design patterns, and computing theory…

Make no mistake; the days when knowledge of computer programming was a ticket to a golden future are over. In today’s globalized job market, computer literacy should be seen as a baseline skill for the U.S. workforce, not a differentiator. Unfortunately, there’s every indication that the education reforms needed to create such a workforce will be an uphill battle.

And other volunteers to serve on its Standards Committee revising the state’s curriculum.

The Iowa State Board of Education wants the legislature to require writing tests for 3rd, 6th, and 10th graders.

The California State Board of Education could ask Secretary Spellings for a hiatus from federal accountability rules while it implements its new 8th grade Algebra standard.

Meanwhile, the state’s school board’s association and school administrator’s association have sued the state board over the new end of course 8th grade Algebra test.

Reports the Sacramento Bee:

the groups claim the board failed to give adequate notice prior to its July 9 meeting that it would be considering a change of such dramatic proportions. “This was a huge change in public policy done at the last minute, with no opportunity for school districts to weigh in,” said Holly Jacobson, assistant executive director of the School Boards Association.

The lawsuit also claims board members appointed by the governor exceeded their authority by effectively changing the state’s curriculum for middle-school math – a task that belongs to the Legislature.

All GPA calculations in Texas are to be standardized, says the Attorney General. The rule is important since the top 10 percent of each graduating class gets automatic admission into the state college system. 

The LA Times editorial page is not a fan of the state board’s new Algebra I requirement. Funny. In all the years past when Algebra I was touted as a “gateway” course and reformers were urging that it be made an 8th grade requirement so that high schoolers could take more advanced math courses in their upperclass years, I never heard a peep about all of the underlying issues and concerns that are now being raised by California opponents.

The Boston Globe reports:

Connecticut’s education commissioner says the state Board of Education is compiling a comprehensive proposal to overhaul the state’s secondary schools.

Commissioner Mark McQuillan said the plan is still in the works, but will emphasize ways to improve student engagement and their performance in math and science.

A local superintendent’s opinion about the California State Board of Education’s new 8th grade Algebra I requirement.

The Washington, DC State Board of Education recently approved a policy requiring parents to be annually approved by the state board to homeschool their children.

The Waco Tribune editorial board says the legislature punted the issue of Bible classes to the Texas State Board of Education and that “the State Board of Education should help avoid the confusion, anger and lawsuits by providing specific teaching guidelines and constitutional guidance for teachers and school districts.”

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger favors climate change education but doesn’t like imposing specific state curriculum standards. Thus, he vetoed a bill that would have added climate change to the state’s science curriculum.

“The Mississippi Board of Education is raising testing standards again in its effort to put the state’s students on par with those in the rest of the country…Officials announced that it will impose tougher standards that will make it more difficult for students to earn the “advanced” and “proficient” designations based on state test results,” reports WAPT.com.

By raising our educational expectations, we are ensuring our children receive a quality education that makes them competitive, both in higher educational pursuits and the global workforce,” Gov. Haley Barbour said in a statement. “I commend Dr. (Hank) Bounds and the State Board of Education for working to improve Mississippi’s public education system.”

Students lobby the Washington State Board for higher graduation requirements.

A man who gets paid to manually push a small ball into a hole with a stick tells Congress about the importance of advanced science and technology education. Then again, even the weekend duffer and golf tourney couch potato know of the complex physics calculations that are fundamental to the “game.”

The Washington State Board of Education’s adoption of higher high school standards and graduation requirements gets major statewide coverage. See here, here , here, and here. However, the higher standards are contingent on the legislature coming up with more money for education.

The highlights from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

The new plan, dubbed Core 24, would raise the minimum requirement for a diploma from 19 to 24 credits, largely to better align with the entrance requirements for four-year public colleges.

The goal is to ready students for life after high school, whether that means attending college or entering the work force, said Mary Jean Ryan, the state board’s chairwoman, in a written statement.

“The state board firmly believes that Core 24 represents a step in the right direction for Washington students,” she said…

Under the Core 24 plan, all students would take a stronger set of core academic classes. The classes would include an extra credit of English, raising the total to four; an extra credit each in math and science, meaning three classes apiece rather than the two now required; and another half-credit of social studies, for a total of three credits. Students would also take two arts credits and two physical education and health credits.

The remaining seven credits would depend on which of three pathways students chose. Those seeking a college emphasis would take at least two years of a foreign language, for example; those opting for the career emphasis would focus on career and technical classes to prepare for a job or apprenticeship. A third option would prepare students either for college or to enter the work force after high school.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s editorial board thinks the Washington State Board of Education as in “good position” to set new graduation standards to prepare students for the future.

The Texas State Board of Education has approved Bible classes. No word on whether they’ll use the Old or New Testaments.

The Texas State Board of Education gave final approval Friday to establishing Bible classes in public high schools, rejecting calls to draw specific teaching guidelines and warnings that it could lead to constitutional problems in the classroom.

The Legislature passed a law in 2007 allowing Bible courses to be offered as an elective. They are supposed to focus on the history and literature of the Bible without preaching or disparaging any faith.

State officials are still waiting for an attorney general’s ruling on whether the classes must be offered to students or left to school districts to decide….

Supporters say schools will have all the constitutional guidance they need. The purpose of the classes is to teach biblical content and its context in modern society, including culture, art and public policy.

What happens to students between elementary and high school to cause their academic scores to drop off? An upcoming NASBE study will try to shed light on and solve those questions.

If Newt and Nancy and Al and Pat can agree on climate change, maybe it isn’t so surprising that former conservative House Speaker Newt Gingrich and activist leader Rev. Al Sharpton can get together to focus on changing public education. The unusual union was made orchestrated by Sharpton and NYC schools Chancellor Joel Klein, as detailed in this Rocky Mountain News article.

More background, opinion and insights about California’s bold move to require all 8th graders to take Algebra (and test them on it). Hint: funding, test consequences, and number of failing students all figure prominently. Here, here, and here.

The California State Board of Education has approved a new policy requiring all 8th graders to be tested on Algebra. The move is controversial because of the low proficiency rates for middle school students who currently take Algebra - in LA half the students took Algebra but only 21% scored proficient. The move is also controversial because…wait for it…the No Child Left Behind Act.

The state’s curriculum for eighth grade has long included algebra, and schools get penalized on their own report card, the state’s Academic Performance Index, for every eighth-grader who doesn’t take the algebra test.

But requiring state testing in the subject means that the Algebra will now be part of the NCLB mandated math assessment (grades 3-8 in reading and math). That, in turn, means that the scores will be calculated into a school’s AYP goal and practically guaranteeing a surge of new middle schools into corrective action.

Ohio State Board member Jane Sonenshein’s NASBE study group work on “early secondary education” gets local notice.

Gubernatorial reform + charter concept + more flexibilty - local control/regulations = “Readiness Schools” in Massachusetts.

The Keystone State Board is considering revisions to the state’s Commonwealth high school graduation standards. Public input it being sought as the policymaking process slowly advances.

The state Department of Education is seeking public comment on proposed changes to graduation requirements for high-school students.

The state board of education has proposed a change that would require high-school students to pass an exam before they can graduate.

“We are really anxious for people to express their views on what we are proposing,” said Karl Girton, chairman of the state board of education, said Tuesday.

The public-comment period ends June 16. It could take eight months to a year before the proposed change makes its way through the approval process.

Students have several options to meet this requirement: pass the state standardized test, take a state-provided graduation exam, or take a district-based graduation exam that has been approved by the state.

Comments about the proposed changes can be mailed to the state Department of Education, c/o Jim Buckheit, 333 Market St., 1st Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126.

The Virginia State Board of Education is revising the commonwealth’s special education rules to align with federal regulations. As part of the process they are soliciting input from the public and they’re hearing plenty from parents - and Governor Kaine - about the proposals.