Learning from the best schools, whatever we call them

Learning from the best schools, whatever we call them
By Joe Nathan

(Originally appeared in St Paul Pioneer Press, July 3, 2008)

All kinds of students - eager, indifferent, bright and bored, suburban, urban and rural, will benefit from careful, nondefensive use of several recent reports about Minnesota's district and charter public schools.

The reports came from Minnesota's Legislative Auditor, the University of Minnesota/Minnesota State College/University System and the Center for School Change, where I work. Here are six lessons:

1. A growing number of Minnesota families are seeking educational options. While the number of students attending Minnesota's district public schools has declined by more than 50,000 in the past decade, the number attending charters increased by more than 23,000. Last year, more than 125,000 students used state-created opportunities like Post-Secondary Enrollment Options, area learning centers, open enrollment and charters. Charters enroll a higher percentage of low income, limited-English-speaking and students of color than district schools, in Minnesota overall and in Minneapolis.

2. Minnesota and the nation have some district and charter public schools that are challenging the brightest students and bringing low-income, often limited-English-speaking students of color up to very high achievement and graduation rates. The CSC "Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schools" report describes how we helped increase Cincinnati's district graduation rate by more than 20 percent and eliminated the graduation gap between white and African American students.
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We should learn from district and charter public schools with no admission tests that have produced VERY high achievement and graduation rates with students from extremely challenging backgrounds.

3. Both district and charter advocates can cite studies showing "their schools" are superior. This gets us nowhere. As someone told me recently, "when you've seen one charter school, you've seen one charter school." (Also true of district schools.) They vary enormously in philosophy, curriculum and instructional approaches. We should learn from the best, period.

The Legislative Auditor found that a higher percentage of charters than district public schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul were making required progress under No Child Left Behind, while Minnesota district schools had higher average achievement. However, the Legislative Auditor also found that when comparing similar students in these schools, average achievement differences were "minimal."

4. While some district and charter educators regard each other as "the enemy," wise leaders like St Paul Mayor Chris Coleman are bringing them together to achieve important goals. Coleman convened district and charter public leaders with local university presidents. They helped establish several local sites where students can get college applications and scholarship information after school, on weekends and during the summer. The group is developing goals for increasing the number of St. Paul students who graduate from high school fully prepared to enter, and then graduate from, a two- or four-year college, university or technical school. District and charter leaders also have identified a common concern: much better prepared teachers.

5. Both the Minnesota Association of School Administrators and Minnesota charter leaders have urged state adoption of a "value added" or "growth" model of assessment. This will show which schools are improving achievement of students. District and charter leaders also agree that faculty, families and students need more immediate feedback on test results. The MnSCU system uses computer-based tests that gave results immediately — not the four to five months K-12 schools must wait for state tests to be returned.

6. One of our national strengths has been a willingness to allow people with new ideas to try them, so long as they are responsible for results.

Progressive state and local policies encourage creation of research-based schools. Boston Public Schools has benefited greatly from creation of small "Pilot Schools" within their district. St. Paul area charters such as Yinghua Academy (Chinese immersion), Math and Science Academy and Tarek Ibn Ziyad have strong records that attract students from throughout the metro area. St. Paul district schools such as Expo, French Immersion, Aerospace Magnet and International Baccalaureate programs offer a great deal. St. Paul created some of the nation's first district options as well as the nation's first charter public school.

Setting aside ideology, we should learn from our most effective schools and recognize that constructive cooperation and competition can occur simultaneously. This will produce huge benefits for students, educators and communities.

Joe Nathan, a former St. Paul public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute. His e-mail address is jnathan@umn.edu. Reports cited can be found at www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us, www.mnscu.edu/media/publications/ index.html and www.centerforschoolchange.org.