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California school superintendent targets racial achievement gap
By: JULIET WILLIAMS - Associated Press | ∞
SACRAMENTO -- State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell laid out an ambitious education agenda Tuesday, saying California cannot wait to raise student achievement until legislators tackle the state's $14.5 billion deficit.
In his annual State of Education address, O'Connell proposed a series of new programs that he said won't cost taxpayers any more money. The programs span from preschool through college and all of them are aimed at boosting the gap in test scores between black and Latino students and their white and Asian peers.
He also called for a frank discussion about race.
"It is time to move past the discomfort of talking about culture and race. It's time to move past this harmful illusion that we live in a truly colorblind society," he said.
While the achievement gap is a nationwide phenomenon, O'Connell said it is most pressing in California where nearly half the state's 6.3 million schoolchildren are Latino, and a quarter are still learning English.
Tom Timar, director of the UC Davis Center for Applied Policy in Education and one of the authors of a landmark package of education studies released last year, said O'Connell proposed an agenda for the remaining three years of his term as superintendent.
That may be a wise move in a year when ambitious plans run the risk of being overshadowed by the budget dilemma, and education advocates are focused on $4.8 billion in education cuts in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed 2008-09 budget.
"Much of what he says isn't directed just to people in Sacramento and to the Legislature, but I think to a much broader audience. It's sort of a statement about our schools and our expectations for schools," Timar said.
Many of the proposals involve long-term reforms that would change the way existing programs operate but don't immediately require any new funding. Others, such as a plan to merge all the federal and state funded preschool programs, could save the state money by becoming more efficient.
Among the proposals O'Connell released Tuesday are:
The superintendent touched only in passing on the proposed cuts. But in a conference call with reporters later, he vowed to fight the governor's budget and plan to suspend Proposition 98, the minimum-school funding guarantee approved by voters.
"I am going to be wearing a path out between my office and the Legislature, and my office and the governor's office," he said, calling the cuts "indefensible."
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Wow, this guy really is a politician wrote on Jan 22, 2008 8:22 PM:American Diploma Project?
What about EAP? Doesn't Jack know about this...you'd think so.
Purposes of EAP Early Assessment of Readiness for College
The goal of the Early Assessment Program is to help California high school students become fully prepared for college-level study or for entrance into the workforce.
The Early Assessment Program (EAP) is a nationally recognized collaboration involving the State Board of Education (SBE), the California Department of Education (CDE), and the California State University (CSU).
DMann wrote on Jan 22, 2008 9:42 PM:This problem is easily solved. Just make Spanish the state language of CA. That way 49% of the students who only speak spanish can learn easier. Another 25% are bilingual leaving only 26% that would not speak the state language. As of now that number is 49%. Since our government seems unwilling to secure our borders we might as well begin to assimilate to the greater country, Mexico. And within years we can all share in the great life the Mexican people do now. What a beautiful future we have.
Carter: wrote on Jan 23, 2008 2:43 AM: It is evident that the State Superintendent is bucking a head wind. Let us not have a leveling of the scores; i.e., bring them down from the top, up from the bottom, and then be satisfied when they have clustered somewhere in the middle. Improve the lower scores by encouraging the students groups that consistently make them. It is also evident that it will take time and a lot of effort to keep the top scores where they are. There is no other acceptable way. And the student in all areas must work very hard. My college experience proved to me it is up to the individuals and their noses in the books that make good scores. School programs may help a little, but the onus is on the students.
Skip wrote on Jan 23, 2008 5:04 AM:It is time to move past the discomfort of talking about Illegal Aliens. It's time to move past this harmful illusion that we live in a truly multi-cultured society. "In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith, becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American… There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag… We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language… and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”— SOURCE: Theodore Roosevelt, 1907
James wrote on Jan 23, 2008 6:19 AM:Here's a radical thought. Instead of these ridiculous schedules lets put these kids in 6 classes a day just like we did in my day. And "GASP" MAKE THE TEACHERS TEACH THEIR SUBJECTS AND STOP TEACHING THE TEST.
How about the teachers wrote on Jan 23, 2008 6:48 AM:getting out there and teaching the 3 R's in ENGLISH! You can become the Ultra Modern Neo Schools when you can teach little kids! Until that time we don't want to hear you whine!
If the majority wrote on Jan 23, 2008 7:25 AM:of your class is failing, it is time you do something positive for the State of California, RESIGN!!!!
Concerned-1 wrote on Jan 23, 2008 8:42 AM:The educational gap between whites/Asians and blacks/Latinos is cultural. Role models such as Bill Cosby and Opra are the ones who can bring about change. Until those cultures recognize the importance of education, we will have this kind of discrepancy.
Former Teacher wrote on Jan 23, 2008 10:26 AM:Caliifornia teachers already must have someing called CLAD CROSSCULTURAL, LANGUAGE, AND ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT certification. This means that any person who teaches in a public school must have taken "Cultural Understanding" classes which include the understanding of the variety of cultures that are taught in the California school system. Stop blaming the teachers!! Start blaming the parents who say race is the reason for their child not doing well. Many students regardless of race, do not take the state tests serious and do not care what the results are, therefore, the scores are not a true test of how the students are doing in class. Get rid of these tests and have alternative tests. It is true that the tests and the curriculum are not culturally sensative, but it is not the teachers fault. Teachers do their best to please everyone, but in the end, you can not please everyone. This is why I got out of teaching. I could not please everyone.
Blame the parents??? wrote on Jan 23, 2008 11:51 AM:When I went to school, my parents didn't get in trouble if I didn't do my homework. I DID!!! And I must say most of my class went on to college, sure it was tough and we had to eat cheese sandwiches everyday, but we did it! How many are now going through public education and going on to college?
Concerned-1 wrote on Jan 23, 2008 12:39 PM:And therein lies the problem Former Teacher. The state has teachers studying "cultural understanding," rather than having the parents learning to adapt their culture to the one they are living in...ours. Talk about getting it wrong!
It's OK to blame the parents & students provided wrote on Jan 23, 2008 12:58 PM:they're given the information they need to understand what's REALLY going on. Grades are too subjective. Too many of our students are being told, by virtue of passing grades, that's all is well..but it's NOT. If school districts truly wanted to give parents, students & the public an accurate picture of how well our students are learning (our State standards), they'd put more weight on district-wide assessments that the districts themselved develop. I'd also hope that these assessments were aligned with the State standards.
Parents need to stop deluding themselves that their children are learning what they need to learn to succeed in life after K-12. Parents also need to educate themselves regarding the skills their children should have & they NEED to figure out a way to provide them (because our public schools can't/won't).
When ONLY 36% of our 12th graders graduate with the courses they REQUIRE to enter a UC/CSU and 49% of those students then REQUIRE remediation in Math &/or English, I think we have a problem. We don't even know how many students, that choose to continue their education at a community college, REQUIRE remediation. Remember too that those make-up/remedial courses do NOT count toward a degree. The cost (Public funds, tuition, fees & textbooks) are wasted.
The system is broken, we need major reform.
WhoWhat wrote on Jan 23, 2008 5:40 PM:Another politician playing buzzword bingo. The solution is simple but not PC, build the fence, take away the jobs and the Illegals will not come, most will leave. No more overcrowding, no more budget problems.
Teachers can then teach to English speakers and the "GAP" will slowly but surely disappear.
Solution wrote on Jan 24, 2008 9:50 AM:Give parents & students REAL school choice options. If, as some say, the "problem" is because parents & students don't care, there will be plenty of kids to fill up those schools that can't teach them what they need to know. Don't think you'd or the CTA would go for that though because you KNOW that once that monopoly's broken YOU, the CTA & those other educrats that feed of this ineffective system (& perhaps even one day, the NEA) would be gone.
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