NBCTs do it better!

Or at least according to a new study reported on by USA Today. According to this study, students in classes taught by National Board Certified teachers make bigger gains on standardized tests than students taught by other teachers.

Interesting. The question, though, is the process of getting certified according to national board standards what makes teachers better or are those who are certified already top performers? What changes are the national boards process making to the face of public education today?

The number of teachers is growing, but is still fairly sparse. According to the survey, a mere three teachers in five schools are national board certified. States that supply additional incentives for those certified--such as South Carolina and its northernly neighbor--have high numbers of teachers who go through the process. However, teachers who are going through the process are less likely to work with marginalized learners, those students who need someone with passion, drive, and expertise.

So, are national board teachers making great gains or are they in a point in their career where they get to work with the kids who would pass the test anyway? It is an interesting question. I know some NBCTs who aren't changing the face of education dramatically. But what they are doing is reflective practice. One thing that the process is good for is forcing teachers to become more reflective in their teaching. The journal entries and videoed lessons help teachers look closely at what is and what is not working in the classroom. Teachers learn to look back at themselves when something doesn't go quite right instead of always looking back at the students for the answer.

Should you run right out and get certified if you haven't already? Not necessarily. If you live in a state that gives incentives, then it sure does help with the rising gas prices. But you can be a reflective practitioner. Keep a journal. Reflect on the drive home. And for goodness sakes, stop looking outwards and start examining what you can do differently.

What Really Works with Struggling Readers

I just finished deeply reading a 2004 article from English Journal by Dauna Howerton and Cathy Thomas. Their article, "Help for High School Students Who Still Can't Read," gives powerful insight into what secondary teachers can do to help their struggling readers in high school classes. There were many interesting points made, with vignetters offering realistic examples.

So what does matter with struggling readers? What does work? I recently sat through an extensive sales pitch (even though it wasn't supposed to be) that offered lots of options for testing and identifying needs in struggling readers, but I did not run out and buy anything. There is really only one thing that works for struggling readers. Reading. That's it. That's the magic answer. They just need to read more. And they need to read stuff that they like.

The fact is that our students start to see a decrease in the desire to read around the 4th grade. What does this coincide with? Standardized testing, for one. But also an increase in nonfiction texts in science, social studies, and health. Not exactly page-turning-reading, you know?

Unfortunately, as Howerton and Thomas pointed out, our reading programs lack the systematic instruction to help students with these new types of texts. From third to fifth grade, students can receive at least sporadic skill instruction, but this instruction is buried in a content-focused ELA class more and more as students move into upper grades. They simply do not get the skill instruction that they need. However, regardless of skill level, students can gain leaps and bounds in reading ability by simply reading more and reading at their "life level" (Tatum).

We use book clubs in human growth & development at NHS. The teacher has selected several texts that support the curriculum covered over the course of the semester. These students, mostly tenth graders, are tested using the Measures of Academic Progress test at the beginning of the year, sometimes the middle, and at the end. Students in the lower percentile of reading levels showed large gains in RIT ranges after participating in the content area book clubs.

Another guaranteed method for increasing student fluency--something recommended by every great literacy thinker and tried and proven in classrooms--is reading to students. This something else that has been tried at NHS. The teachers that do it always come back to me and can't believe that even their hardest kids will sit still and be read to. The students love it, no matter the age. As Howerton and Thomas point out, "story time" is often long gone by high school, but the benefits are not. Hearing someone read expressively from a text can help improve student fluency levels and that can only aid in comprehension of more difficult texts.

So want to see great gains in your student acheivement? Read to them and give them time to read for themselves. That's really all it takes, believe it or not. If you want the hard data, stay tuned. I'm gathering and will post it as I find it. Happy reading!

Is grafitti art?

My principal brought an idea to me today that I'm struggling to turn into a reality. Our kids put grafitti all over the walls, the lockers, the bathrooms, themselves...anywhere that is still long enough to draw on, they are all over it. So how do we channel that into positive writing experiences?

He wants to do a grafitti wall in our school so that students will have a place to write freely and maybe we'll see the outside grafitti decrease. This intrigues me. How does this work in a school? Do we use plywood? Chalkboard paint? How do we keep gang signs off the board? Where is it located?

So this is my mission...and I need some input. Has anyone tried a grafitti wall in their class or their school? What works? What doesn't? What are the benefits? Advice needed!

For the Class of 2008

Its hard to believe that all around us, newly diplomaed high school graduates are being released unto the world. Look out. Trust me, I've seen these kids for the past 4 years and you are not ready for them.

But for the class of 2008, I do have some advice. I've stood in front of our school every morning for the last two years and preached to them the importance of thank yous, you're welcomes, and a profanity-free vocabulary. Here is my last installment of this year's words of wisdom...

• Read. There are things that you cannot possibly find out in the real world, things that are only afforded to you through a book. Open one up every now and then and see you life be enriched beyond your wildest imagination.
• On that same note, read to your children. You will save them some of the heartache that you have suffered as students if you just open a book for them early in life. Show them the power of the written word and remind them of it daily. They will soar as high as you will let them.
• Wear sunscreen. This advice was given to the class of '99 in a fairly popular song of the time. It has not dimished in its power--wear sunscreen. Some of you will be alligator hides in a matter of years. Seal the lid of your tanning bed, put on at least some 15, and take care of the skin that you are stuck with for the rest of your life. If nothing else, look at Priscilla Presley as your Glamour Don't--plastic surgery CAN ruin your life.
• Open-toed shoes are great. Pairing them with panty hose or tights is your worst idea yet. Go with one or the other. No matter what the fashion mags say, let your cute pedi show!
• Invest in a nice set of slips. A nude, a white, a black...maybe more than one of each color. Some may tell you that these are out of date as well, but they aren't. Buy one that fits properly and it will give you a nice smooth line in your dresses. (BTW--don't look for them at Target. Apparently they don't have enough demand for them and they don't carry them anymore.)
• Learn something new every day. The world does not end at high school. There is much more to be learned and gained out there. Get out and explore and learn all that you can about the world around you.
• Look both ways before you cross the street. Look before you leap. Think about the lifelong implications of the day to day decisions that you make. Taking that path may not seem big now, but how will it effect you later on in life?
• Be kind. Above all else, be kind. Good karma will surround you for all of your days and will bless you endlessly.

So, that's it. That's my recipe for a good start to the next phase in life. This does not guarantee success. If you want that, stir in some hard work, diligence, and perseverance. At this day, the world is at your fingertips. But you have to be the one to get up and grab it.