Make Standards Work in Public Education

"Standards can create learning environments. Standards cannot create learners," synthesized my mentor Brenda Erickson after listening to me ramble on and on about trouble with standards-based reform.

Education is not like other industries.  In public schools, education is a system servicing individual learners.  Often, what is best for the system is not what is best for the learner.  And, what is best for the learner is not always what is best for the system. 

Learning is complex, and the public education system is complicated!

Standards are of industry.

Standards work for environments.  Let's apply standards to ensure equitable learning environments for all children.

In the United States' public schools, standards could regulate healthy lunches.  Kudos, First Lady Michelle Obama, for taking on this important issue.  Brains work best with healthy food and the standard bar can establish minimal expectations for fresh fruits and vegetables.

In the United States' public schools, standards could facilitate equitable building conditions.  Is asbestos present?  Is the water in the water fountains safe?  Does the roof leak? Is there air conditioning and/or adequate heating?  Standards could regulate such inequities.  

In the United States' public schools, standards could create reasonable class sizes.  The standard bar could establish a minimal expectation for class-size capacity. 

In the United States' public schools, standards could provide access to technology for students. The standard bar could establish minimal expectations for technology in a building.

In the United States' public schools, standards could create time expectations for movement or exercise.  Brains need exercise to work best.  The standard bar could establish a minimal amount of time spent each day moving. 

In the United States' public schools, standards could create expectations for a robust library and certified librarian.  The standard bar understands numbers.  Flood schools with interesting books.  

In the United States' public schools, standards could define a reasonable range of per pupil expenditures.  The standard bar could establish a range of spending per pupil for equity purposes.

In 2001, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was reauthorized as No Child Left Behind and took effect in 2002.  NCLB applied standards as the measure of student achievement.

Standards are not of intellect.

In the United States' public schools, standards cannot measure learning.  Standards sort learning using a proficiency bar. Brains are far too complex for learning to be reflected or evaluated using such a bar. Standards are regulatory measures of what should be in the mind of a child and simply do not apply to a learning brain.  

Learning is not an industrial process. Learning is complex, and learning is organic. Learning is so organic that it occurs in the a vital organ, the brain. Brains cannot be regulated by government laws.  

I challenge standards-based reform as standards do not work with learning.

If you do not accept the logic of the standard bar, take a look at some data. Mark Dynarski graphed the stop of some improvement closing the achievement gap.  This link displays Inequality and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Score Gaps from the Brown Center's Chalkboard.  Before NCLB, progress was happening and progress halted after No Child Left Behind. Standards-based reform has not worked because standards do not work with learning!

Standards are currently law.  Standards are law because of No Child Left Behind.  Please take time to read the purpose found on page 15 of the No Child Left Behind Act.  Standards are holding students accountable, teachers accountable, schools accountable and districts accountable.  Soon, standards will hold states accountable. The problem with all of this is standards do not work to measure learning!

Standards need to be removed from measuring learning.  They do not work with learning.

If you are confused, I totally understand.  It has taken me twelve years to sort this out.  Read more about the difference between Curriculum and Standards.  I have gone all over the place wrestling standards and their place with learning.  I've debated in my mind and with other educators.  I treasure literacy and numeracy and know the importance of these basic skills. In fact, as I have been writing, my daughter who just finished first grade just asked, "Is seventeen times five eighty five?"  I had to pause to figure out if she was right. Kids are so much more able than we expect.  We are on the wrong road and I have high expectations for our system to turn this around.  Learning is nurtured, grown, connected and cultivated. Learning is not a product enabled by government regulation.

We need to start with the learner and rethink how we have applied standards to education. What do you think?  What could standards measure in public schools? 

References 

Dynarski, M. (2014). Inequality and NAEP score gaps. The Brown Center Chalkboard. Retrieved from http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/brown-center-chalkboard/posts/2014/04/30-naep-score-gaps-dynarski?rssid=brown+center+chalkboard&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Brookingsrss%2Ftopfeeds%2Fbrown_center_chalkboard+%28Brookings%3A+Brown+Center+Chalkboard%29 

No Child Left Behind (2002). PUBLIC LAW 107–110—JAN. 8, 2002 115 STAT. 1425. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/107-110.pdf