The SOLS before The SOLS before 19951995

The SOLS before The SOLS before 19951995

Alisa, Beth, Bruce, Jack and Alisa, Beth, Bruce, Jack and MartyMarty

Problem # 1• Review the History of Virginia’s SOLS up

to the 1995 version. Review back to the introduction of the term. Provide an overview including the revision, reform and accountability processes. Remember standards other that 4 core classes. Include reference to your text in terms of your belief of the model or theory found in the development of the Virginia SOLs.

Why do we have standards?

• Americans expect standards in everything that we do.• We expect standards in the way buildings are

constructed and roads are build. It makes life safer.• We expect standards in the food we eat and the air

we breathe.• Standards are created because they improve the

quality of life.• Why should we not expect standards in education to

improve the quality of life as well?• (Former Assistant Secretary of Education, Diane

Ravitch)

The Reform of Schools, 1939

• “Effective standards in public education are deplorably and inexcusably low”

• “The subjects are being taught but they are not being learned”

• “Values come from learning and in standards which operate, not just going to school. Young people accumulate credits, pass courses and come out knowing little or nothing, it is intolerable”

• “Research demonstrates that the average pupil in school fails to learn but succeeds in passing”

• (The Reform of Schools by James L. Mursell)

The Committee of Ten

• 1894• Called for an established academic

curriculum for all high school students

• Considered: methods of instruction and assessment among other things

Interview # 1: Science Teacher

• How did you know what to teach?

• Did you feel pressure?

• Assessment?

• You followed the book• The English Department

choose a book and we did a unit around the book

• Myths –taught stars• A Day No Pigs Would Die –

taught soil

• Forget the SOLS. Do fun stuff. Do “feel good activities”

• 1996: The pressure began

• LPT

Interview # 2: Math Teacher

• How did you know what to teach?

• Did you feel pressure?

• Assessment?

• It was based on Units, the novels the English department read.

• Covered what they thought was important (but not necessarily what they liked)

• List of skills to teach and followed the list for Algebra

• Hands on activities

• 1998: The real pressure began

• LPT• Liked SRA tests and the Stanford

9 because they liked knowing how we compared to others.

Interview #3: Science Teacher - Administrator

• How did you know what to teach?

• Assessment

• Taught the SOLS. “I was the only one and the principal wanted to know what I was teaching”

• 1987: Taught units but still followed SOLS

• Teacher made tests• LPT (Math/Science

Blocks… around LPT time double up on math)

• “SRA and Stanford 9 were worthless”

Opinions of then and now

• SOLS are much better.• We know what to teach.• Kids are learning more• Teachers are teaching more.• Hate the pressure but like the

results.

LPT: Literacy Passport Test

• Criterion based• 1989-90: The LPT was developed to

determine if every student in Virginia was prepared for high school in the basic areas.

• Test was given to 6th graders• Covered reading, math, and a writing

sample• Skills and knowledge assessed were

based on Virginia’s 1988 SOLS

LPT con’t• Developed as a requirement for students to

be classified as 9th graders.• All students, no exceptions, were required to

pass to earn a Standard of Advanced Diploma

• Students (except Special Education students) must have passed by the 9th grade to participate according to VHSL rules and cannot hold class office because they are not considered 9th graders.

Stanford 9• Norm referenced test• Designed to provide information on academic

achievement of Virginia Students as compared with those in other states

• Reading: vocabulary and comprehension• Math: problem solving and procedures• Language: prewriting, composing and editing• You didn’t teach to the test as with SOLS but

you didn’t want your students looking bad compared to other schools around the nation.

Iowa Testing• Measures the skills and achievement of

students from kindergarten through grade 8

• Tests include reading, language arts, math, social studies, and science

• Provides information about development of student’s skills and their critical thinking skills.

National Assessment of Educational Progress

• Assesses what student should know about geography, reading, writing, math, science, history, the arts, and civics

• 1969: surveyed achievement at ages 9, 13 and 17• 1980s: grades 4, 8, 12• Not given to every school but to random schools

nationwide• 1994: Virginia’s NAEP reading scores are the lowest in

the nation.• 1995: Virginia first adopts the SOLS in response to

NAEP test scores

SOLS other than 4 core content areas

• Pe/Health: 2000• Music: 1983, 1987, 2000• Art: 1989, 2000• Correlated Dance and Theater to

the 1995 SOLs

The Remainder of the presentation…..

• A Nation at Risk and the early SOLS• Charlottesville Summit and NCTM

standards• SCANS Report• Goals 2000 Act and the Allen

Administration

A NATION AT RISK

Published in 1983 by the National Commission on Excellence in

Education

I. Goals

• Asses the quality of teaching and learning• Compare American education with other

industrialized nations• Study the relationship between high school

achievement and college admissions• Identify programs which result in student success

in college• Assess how reforms have influenced student

achievement

II. Findings

• Regarding Content

- No central purpose in curriculum

- Cafeteria style curriculum

- Too much student choice

- Too many electives in non - core areas• Expectations

- measured through graduation requirements,

exams and college admissions

• Deficiencies

- not enough homework

- not enough time in class

- no foreign language requirements

- too many electives

- minimums becoming maximums

- weak textbooks

• Regarding Teaching

- mismanaged time in classrooms

- unqualified teachers

- subject content not being taught

- shortage of teachers in significant areas

- study skills not being developed

III. Recommendations

• Teach the Core Curriculum

• Use outside resources to aid education

• Introduce foreign language sooner

• Elementary education should involve fundamentals and a love of learning

• Vocational and fine art courses should be included in high school

- More homework

- Instruction in study skills

- Longer school year and school day

- Removal of students who have no interest

in learning

- Ability grouping

- Teachers should teach

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

NTCM, 1986

What did NCTM do?They took the first step toward preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges.

It charged the Commission on Standards for School Mathematics to create:

1. A coherent definition of what it means to be mathematically literate, and

2. A set of standards that would guide efforts to revise and improve school mathematics curricula and to evaluate the success of mathematics reform.

NCTM developed its Standards in response to a recognized need for

change in the teaching and learning of mathematics.

The NCTM Standards

1. Learn to value mathematics.

2. Learn to reason mathematically.

3. Learn to communicate mathematically.

4. Become confident of their mathematical abilities.

5. Become mathematical problem solvers.

The Charlottesville Education Summit, September 1989

President George Bush

The “Education President”

And

The Nation’s 50 Governors

Why?

There were growing concerns about the educational preparation

of our youth.

What else contributed?

A Nation at Risk

Insignificant improvement of student achievement scores

The need of better educated labor to remain competitive globally

A need to stimulate public support for state and local schooling

Highly controversial wall charts

Six GoalsAnnually increasing the number of children served by preschool programs with the goal of serving all “at-risk” 4-year-olds by 1995.Raising the basic skills achievement of all students to at least their grade level, and reducing the gap between the test scores of minority and white children by 1993.Improving the high school graduation rate every year and reducing the number of illiterate Americans.

Six Goals, continuedImproving the performance of American students in mathematics, science, and foreign languages until it exceeds that of students from “other industrialized nations”.Increasing college participation, particularly by minorities, and specifically by reducing the current “imbalance” between grants and loans.Recruiting more new teachers, particularly minority teachers, to ease “the impending teacher shortage,” and taking other steps to upgrade the status of the profession.

The President and the Nation’s Governors Agreed to:

Establish a process for setting national education goals.Seek greater flexibility and enhanced accountability in the use of Federal resources to meet goals through legislative and regulation changes.Undertake a major state-by-state effort to restructure our education system.Report annually the progress in achieving our goals.

SCANS

• Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (June 1991)

• Report prepared as part of “America 2000”

• Asked to examine demands of the workplace and evaluate young people’s ability to meet the demand

Findings Were Disturbing!

• More than 1/2 of all students were leaving school without the foundation or knowledge required to find & hold a good job!

• Echoes of “A Nation at Risk”?

Workplace Know-How

• Part of the “World Class Standards”

• Three Part Foundation

• Five Essential Competencies

Resources: allocating time, money, materials, space, and staff;

Interpersonal Skills: working on teams, teaching others, serving customers, leading, negotiating, and working well with people from culturally diverse backgrounds;

Information: acquiring and evaluating data, organizing and maintaining files, interpreting and communicating, and using computers to process information

Systems: understanding social, organizational, and technological systems, monitoring and correcting performance, and designing or improving systems;

Technology: selecting equipment and tools, applying technology to specific tasks, and maintaining and troubleshooting technologies.

5 Essential Competencies:

Basic Skills:reading, writing, arithmetic and mathematics, speaking, and listening;

Thinking Skills:thinking creatively, making decisions, solving problems, seeing things in the mind's eye, knowing how to learn, and reasoning

Personal Qualitiesindividual responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, and integrity.

THREE FOUNDATIONAL AREAS:

SCANS “Action Items”

• Examine creation of an assessment system for teaching students to understand what they need to know and CERTIFY that they have MASTERED COMPETENCIES so that their performance in high school may be honored by employers and colleges

SCANS “Action Items”

• Consider the implications of the findings for curriculum development, school organization, teacher training, and instructional materials & technology … AND

• Help the administration establish the partnerships called for in “America 2000”

• Part 1

“For Today’s Students: Better and More Accountable Schools & World Class Standards”

• Part 2

”For Tomorrow’s Students: …help communities create schools that will reach the national education goals, including World Class Standards”

EXCERPTS FROM AMERICA 2000'sFOUR-PART STRATEGY

GOALS 2000: GOALS 2000: EDUCATE AMERICA ACT EDUCATE AMERICA ACT

passed in 1994passed in 1994under President Clintonunder President Clinton

Goals 2000Goals 2000To improve learning and teaching by To improve learning and teaching by providing a national framework for providing a national framework for education reform; to promote the education reform; to promote the research, consensus building, and research, consensus building, and

systemic changes needed to ensure systemic changes needed to ensure equitable educational opportunities and equitable educational opportunities and high levels of educational achievement high levels of educational achievement for all students; to provide a framework for all students; to provide a framework

for reauthorization of all Federal for reauthorization of all Federal education programs; to promote the education programs; to promote the

development and adoption of a voluntary development and adoption of a voluntary national system of skill standards and national system of skill standards and certifications; and for other purposes. certifications; and for other purposes.

The 8 GoalsThe 8 GoalsGOAL 1: All children in GOAL 1: All children in America will start school America will start school ready to learn.ready to learn.

GOAL 2: The high school GOAL 2: The high school graduation rate will graduation rate will increase to at least 90%.increase to at least 90%.

GOAL 3: All students will leave GOAL 3: All students will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having grades 4, 8, and 12 having demonstrated competency over demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter including challenging subject matter including English, mathematics, science, English, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, government, economics, arts, history, and geography, and every school in and geography, and every school in America will ensure that all students America will ensure that all students learn to use their minds well, so they learn to use their minds well, so they may be prepared for responsible may be prepared for responsible citizenship, further learning, and citizenship, further learning, and productive employment in our productive employment in our nation's modern economy.nation's modern economy.

GOAL 4: The nation's teaching GOAL 4: The nation's teaching force will have access to force will have access to programs for the continued programs for the continued improvement of their improvement of their professional skills and the professional skills and the opportunity to acquire the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills needed knowledge and skills needed to instruct and prepare all to instruct and prepare all American students for the American students for the next century.next century.

GOAL 5: United States GOAL 5: United States students will be first in the students will be first in the world in mathematics and world in mathematics and science achievement.science achievement.

GOAL 6: Every adult American GOAL 6: Every adult American will be literate and will possess will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise global economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.of citizenship.

GOAL 7: Every school in the United GOAL 7: Every school in the United States will be free of drugs, States will be free of drugs, violence, and the unauthorized violence, and the unauthorized presence of firearms and alcohol presence of firearms and alcohol and will offer a disciplined and will offer a disciplined environment conducive to learning.environment conducive to learning.

GOAL 8: Every school will promote GOAL 8: Every school will promote partnerships that will increase partnerships that will increase parental involvement and parental involvement and participation in promoting the participation in promoting the social, emotional, and academic social, emotional, and academic growth of children.growth of children.

To have access to funding To have access to funding under Goals 2000, states under Goals 2000, states

had tohad to submit grant proposals;submit grant proposals; submit "improvement plans" for the submit "improvement plans" for the

U.S. Secretary of Education's approval; U.S. Secretary of Education's approval; receive penalties for failure to comply receive penalties for failure to comply

with their own improvement plans; with their own improvement plans; form "partnerships" between local form "partnerships" between local

schools, businesses, and institutions of schools, businesses, and institutions of higher education; andhigher education; and

coordinate their Goals 2000 efforts coordinate their Goals 2000 efforts with School-to-Work and other social with School-to-Work and other social reform programs.reform programs.

Goals 2000 also Goals 2000 also established aestablished a

NATIONAL EDUCATION NATIONAL EDUCATION STANDARDS AND STANDARDS AND

IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL tto certify and periodically o certify and periodically review voluntary national review voluntary national

content standards and content standards and voluntary national student voluntary national student

performance standards that performance standards that define what all students define what all students

should know and be able to should know and be able to do, etc.do, etc. No one was ever appointed to this councilNo one was ever appointed to this council

Goals 2000 was Goals 2000 was amended in 1996amended in 1996The amendment, among The amendment, among other things, refocused other things, refocused

the accountability the accountability provisions of the provisions of the

legislation, but did not legislation, but did not change the framework change the framework

for the standards-based for the standards-based reform plans States were reform plans States were

to develop and to develop and implement.implement.

With the final language of the With the final language of the No No Child Left Behind ActChild Left Behind Act came the came the

withdrawal of all authorization for withdrawal of all authorization for Goals 2000. Just before leaving Goals 2000. Just before leaving

town on December 21, 2001, town on December 21, 2001, Congress passed the Fiscal Year Congress passed the Fiscal Year 2002 Education Appropriations 2002 Education Appropriations Conference Committee report Conference Committee report which eliminated spending on which eliminated spending on

Goals 2000. Goals 2000 no longer Goals 2000. Goals 2000 no longer authorized and now no longer authorized and now no longer

funded, was dead. funded, was dead.

http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200209010.asphttp://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200209010.asp

Meanwhile, Meanwhile, in Virginia…in Virginia…

Virginia was one of two Virginia was one of two states to refuse Goals states to refuse Goals

2000 funding. Governor 2000 funding. Governor George Allen rejected George Allen rejected the funding because the funding because “the federal dollars “the federal dollars came with too many came with too many strings attached.” strings attached.”

Allen reversed his Allen reversed his position for FY 96 and position for FY 96 and

97 and accepted 97 and accepted funding, because, funding, because,

according to a according to a spokesman, “the strings spokesman, “the strings

to federal oversight to federal oversight have disappeared. “have disappeared. “

Cavalier Daily, 1/17/97Cavalier Daily, 1/17/97

Governor AllenGovernor Allen In 1993, appointed a gubernatorial In 1993, appointed a gubernatorial

transition team for educational policytransition team for educational policy In 1994, charged the state legislators to In 1994, charged the state legislators to

do four things: do four things: establish rigorous establish rigorous Standards of LearningStandards of Learning (SOLs) for (SOLs) for students,students, establish new Standards of establish new Standards of AccreditationAccreditation (SOAs) for schools (SOAs) for schools and school systems,and school systems, develop a plandevelop a plan of action for meeting new standards,of action for meeting new standards, hold school systems accountable for hold school systems accountable for the performance of their students the performance of their students

New VA New VA Standards of Standards of

LearningLearningIn 1994, 4 lead In 1994, 4 lead school divisions school divisions were selected to were selected to

head the process of head the process of developing new developing new

SOLsSOLs

Lead School DivisionsLead School Divisions

FAIRFAX COUNTY— FAIRFAX COUNTY— MATHEMATICSMATHEMATICS

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTYPRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY—SCIENCE—SCIENCE

VIRGINIA BEACH—ENGLISHVIRGINIA BEACH—ENGLISH NEWPORT NEWS—HISTORY/ NEWPORT NEWS—HISTORY/

SOCIAL STUDIESSOCIAL STUDIES

In September 1994, an initial draft for In September 1994, an initial draft for each core academic area was each core academic area was

presented to the Superintendent of presented to the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The standards were Public Instruction. The standards were

then presented initially to the then presented initially to the Standards Subcommittee of the Standards Subcommittee of the Governor’s Champion Schools Governor’s Champion Schools

Commission and, finally, to the full Commission and, finally, to the full commission. Following the revisions, commission. Following the revisions, the draft standards were ready to be the draft standards were ready to be presented to the Board of Education presented to the Board of Education for final adoption. In all, more than for final adoption. In all, more than

5000 Virginians were involved in this 5000 Virginians were involved in this processprocess of of evaluation and evaluation and

development.development.VA DOEVA DOE

June 1995June 1995New SOLs approved by New SOLs approved by

the state Board of the state Board of EducationEducation

July 1995July 1995SOLs distributed to local SOLs distributed to local

school divisionsschool divisions

ReferencesReferences www.pen.k12.va.uswww.pen.k12.va.us   http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/suptsmemos/1997/inf152.htmlhttp://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/suptsmemos/1997/inf152.html http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/VA_Board/bd-mtd-updt/mtg1-898.htmlhttp://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/VA_Board/bd-mtd-updt/mtg1-898.html http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Parents/ptasolna.pdfhttp://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Parents/ptasolna.pdf www.riverpub.comwww.riverpub.com www.edaction.orgwww.edaction.org www.has.vcu.eduwww.has.vcu.edu www.sjraiders.orgwww.sjraiders.org What Should Children Learn by Paul Gagnon (1995)What Should Children Learn by Paul Gagnon (1995) The Reform of Schools by James L. Mursell (1939)The Reform of Schools by James L. Mursell (1939) A Comprehensive Guided to Designing Standard-Based Districts, Schools and Classrooms by Robert J. A Comprehensive Guided to Designing Standard-Based Districts, Schools and Classrooms by Robert J.

Marzano and John S. KendallMarzano and John S. Kendall Informal interview of teachers, staff and testing coordinatorInformal interview of teachers, staff and testing coordinator http://www.ed.gov/G2K/GoalsRpt/append-e.htmlhttp://www.ed.gov/G2K/GoalsRpt/append-e.html http://www.policyreview.org/fall95/thhim.htmlhttp://www.policyreview.org/fall95/thhim.html http://www.cblpolicyinstitute.org/goodleaders.htmhttp://www.cblpolicyinstitute.org/goodleaders.htm http://www.cavalierdaily.com:2001/.Archives/1996/April/26/nsgoals.asphttp://www.cavalierdaily.com:2001/.Archives/1996/April/26/nsgoals.asp http://www.edweek.org/ew/vol-15/28summit.h15http://www.edweek.org/ew/vol-15/28summit.h15 http://www.ncpa.org/press/allenfedpr.htmlhttp://www.ncpa.org/press/allenfedpr.html http://www.cblpolicyinstitute.org/lil.htmhttp://www.cblpolicyinstitute.org/lil.htm AFT, AFT, Making Standards Matter, Making Standards Matter, http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed356553.htmlhttp://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed356553.html http://www.education-world.com/a_admin/admin042.shtmlhttp://www.education-world.com/a_admin/admin042.shtml http://www.cavalierdaily.com:2001/.Archives/1996/April/15/lead.asphttp://www.cavalierdaily.com:2001/.Archives/1996/April/15/lead.asp http://www.policyreview.org/fall95/thhim.htmlhttp://www.policyreview.org/fall95/thhim.html http://www.cavalierdaily.com:2001/.Archives/1997/January/17/nsjay.asphttp://www.cavalierdaily.com:2001/.Archives/1997/January/17/nsjay.asp http://commons.somewhere.com/reportcard/1994/DAILY.REPORT.CARD51.html#Index8http://commons.somewhere.com/reportcard/1994/DAILY.REPORT.CARD51.html#Index8 The Significance of the NCTM The Significance of the NCTM Standards Standards to the to the PathwaysPathways Critical Issues in Mathematics, Critical Issues in Mathematics, www.ncrel.orgwww.ncrel.org Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, www.mcrel.orgwww.mcrel.org The Road to Charlottesville, the 1989 Education Summit, Maris A. Vinovskis, The Road to Charlottesville, the 1989 Education Summit, Maris A. Vinovskis, www.negp.govwww.negp.gov

ReferencesReferences http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/koha0002.htmhttp://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/koha0002.htm

http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200209010.asphttp://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200209010.asp

National Commission on Excellence in Education. A Nation AtNational Commission on Excellence in Education. A Nation AtRisk, 1981.Risk, 1981.

Dr. Robert Grimesey, Jr.  Superintendent, Alleghany CountyDr. Robert Grimesey, Jr.  Superintendent, Alleghany CountyPublic Schools. interview.Public Schools. interview.

Mrs. Mary Jane Mutispaugh. Supervisor of Instruction, AlleghanyCounty Public Schools.  interview.Mrs. Mary Jane Mutispaugh. Supervisor of Instruction, AlleghanyCounty Public Schools.  interview.

Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Education, CurriculumCommonwealth of Virginia Board of Education, CurriculumFramework United States History.  Richmond, VA.  2001.Framework United States History.  Richmond, VA.  2001.