Whole Child Education

National Journal's new Education Experts group blog is debating how to close the achievement gap in light of new NAEP figures that show it persisting. Regular readers of this Web site will see some familiar themes.

Richard Rothstein of the Economic Policy Institute replied by referencing the same study on the roots of the achievement gap that this blog recently discussed:

Whether children learn algebra has everything to do with schools. But which children learn algebra better than other children results from differences both in home background and in schools (with most of the impact from the former).

The Child Trends report concludes its documentation of the nine-month and two-year cognitive gap by recommending an emphasis on policy to address the cognitive shortcomings of disadvantaged children before they are ready for school.

Rothstein goes on to laud programs such as school health centers that provide preventative care and high-quality early childhood programs as promising in reducing the gap. Another blog contributor, NYU professor Pedro Noguera, states in a similar vein that

we can make tremendous progress in closing the gap if we do two things: 1) focus on the conditions of learning, namely the quality of instruction and the coherence, relevance and rigor of the curriculum, and 2) enhance the capacity of schools to meet student needs by increasing the availability of personalized academic support services, afterschool and pre-school programs and, most importantly, by enabling schools to respond to the non-academic social and emotional needs that invariably impact learning.

Read more prominent contributors' responses over at the National Journal, and contribute your own answer here. How can we best close the achievement gap?

Research continues to show the importance of early childhood education in reducing achievement gaps. In June, new results from a study of New Jersey's Abbott Preschool Program reported gains in literacy, language, and math skills and less grade retention among students who participated. But another study suggests high-quality preK may only be part of the early childhood equation.

Ed Week's Inside Education Research blog points out Child Trends's new findings, which identified cognitive, social-emotional, and health outcome gaps among children as young as nine months, with low income and low maternal education being the factors most strongly associated with the gaps.

If these gaps begin long before even preK programs begin, how can schools and communities work most effectively to support children and families in narrowing them?

Over at his Edutopia blog, Bob Lenz, founder and CEO of Envision Schools, writes the first in a promised series of posts on how his schools challenge high school students. While he alludes to "standards that are clear, selective, challenging, and attainable—and that kids have four years to achieve," the bulk of the post is dedicated to the College Success Portfolio, a collection of work that students must publicly defend in order to graduate.

Lenz describes a rigorous process of late nights and weekends spent in preparation for this high-stakes defense and presents it as a positive experience that challenges students in a way that properly prepares them for the demands of higher education. This process is intended to counter common cases of senioritis and keep kids focused right until graduation and beyond.

Models of challenging high schoolers abound; just this week, the Alliance for Excellent Education released the fascinating IssueBrief "Preparing Students for College and Career: California Multiple Pathways," documenting efforts to blend traditional and CTE-focused curricula. We'll be following Lenz' blog posts on Envision's model as he goes into more detail on the four years before the big defense.

In the meantime, we're curious: what's your take on high school culminating projects?

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Collecting and interpreting data is essential to creating and sustaining meaningful school improvement and without it, we may not be able to address the obstacles that stand in the way of educating the whole child. This episode of the Whole Child Podcast featured an expert panel recorded live at the Healthy Schools Communities Conference. Panelists and audience members shared varied and concrete examples and strategies for using data to drive meaningful school improvement.

Panelists included

• ASCD's Theresa Lewallen, managing director, Constituent Programs, explained how and why educators should use data to inform whole child practices and improve outcomes.
• Iowa's Hills Elementary School principal Carmen Dixon shared successful strategies for integrating school wide reforms using data.
• Iroquois Ridge High School principal Jacquie Newton from Ontario, Canada, described how her school uses individual and school data to engage and involve students in the school improvement process.

How does your school and community use data to inform decisions? Have you seen results of systemic change? Share your thoughts on the Whole Child Blog.

Collecting and interpreting data is essential to creating and sustaining meaningful school improvement and without it, we may not be able to address the obstacles that stand in the way of educating the whole child. July's Whole Child Podcast features an expert panel recorded live at the Healthy Schools Communities Conference where attendees are sharing varied and concrete examples and strategies for using data to drive meaningful school improvement.

Guests Theresa Lewallen, managing director, ASCD Constituent Programs; Iowa's Hills Elementary School principal Carmen Dixon; and Iroquois Ridge High School principal Jacquie Newton from Ontario, Canada, will talk about how data has used to inform, involve, and improve schools and communities.

Tune in Friday, July 17 to hear all this and more on the Whole Child Podcast: Changing the Conversation About Education.

How does your school and community use data to inform decisions? Have you seen results of systemic change?

A recent National Staff Development Council blog post by NSDC Distinguished Senior Fellow Hayes Mizell contends that "both sides are flawed in the student achievement versus whole child debate." Here at the Whole Child Blog, we are asking, "what debate?" Improving student achievement and supporting the whole child go hand in hand. Kids simply won't achieve if we don't ensure they are healthy and safe, consider their social and emotional needs, tap into their interests, and demonstrate real-world application of the knowledge and skills we want them to acquire. Moreover, standards, testing, and accountability are necessary, if not sufficient, components of a strong and equitable whole child–centered education system.

Debate question aside, Mizell raises valid concerns about the difficulties of implementing a whole child approach given the realities of public schools. He's right: schools can't do it all. That's why we consistently encourage schools to enter into strategic partnerships with community organizations, service agencies, and other groups to help meet the needs of the whole child and boost student performance.

Iroquois Ridge High School in Ontario, Canada, an ASCD Healthy School Communities pilot site, works with a range of community partners—from the Halton Learning Foundation, a charitable organization that supports students in need through nutrition and literacy programming and scholarships, to YouthNet, a mental health promotion program. All of its partners contribute to Iroquois's mission to develop students who are actively engaged global citizens and learners. The result is that almost all Iroquois students are performing at or above desired achievement levels and the vast majority participate in at least one club, team, or organized group.

But collaborating with partners isn't the only way to support whole child education. In his blog post, Mizell makes the important point that helping educators embrace and implement a more comprehensive approach requires professional development. ASCD has a long commitment to capacity-building professional development for educators. We support professional development that is sustainable and customized, addresses specific student learning needs, engages educators in ongoing learning, and includes an evaluation component. And to specifically help educators address the whole child, ASCD has created professional development resources like the Whole Child action tool and has supported networks of schools and districts, such as the Healthy School Communities pilot sites.

Instead of writing the script for a heated and artificial point–counterpoint debate that pits student achievement against the whole child, let's focus on creating an actionable master plan for systemic reform that improves student achievement and ultimately prepares students for meaningful employment, postsecondary education, and active participation as citizens.

We want to know what you think. Are student achievement and the whole child opposing approaches? How can ASCD help districts, schools, and educators support the whole child and strengthen student achievement?

A new study out of Britain looked at seven secondary schools that introduced improvements in the school lunch experience, according to the Guardian. Not only was healthier food introduced, but lunchrooms were redecorated and filled with new furniture, and "tasting sessions" were held. Unsurprisingly, researchers discovered that students were more on task than before the changes. Four control schools showed no change.

The sample size is small, and the number of changes leave one wondering if particular aspects of the overhaul had more or less influence. But perhaps the results will spur Britain's School Food Trust, who conducted the study, to examine this at a larger scale.

Has your school made changes to your lunch "experience"? What have you found to have the most effect?

Today's New York Times story on cutbacks to summer school programs across the country has provoked a broad range of reactions in the blogosphere. This news comes amid a growing drumbeat of support for summer learning, including recent research and statements by Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

The snarky blog Gawker, which usually traffics in political, media, and entertainment commentary, takes this opportunity to delve into education news:

The Way We Live Now: Playin' hooky. Schoooooool's outttt forrrrrrrr summer! Yea! School's out forever! Really. They can't afford summer school any more. Too bad that happened right when unemployment hit double digits. No job. No school. Nada. 

Wyoming blogger and education reporter Jasa Santos writes on her blog, The Last Bell:

My school district didn't offer a set summer school when I was younger, but I do remember my mom taking me to my elementary's Writing to Read lab a few times a week. I would pull up a chair at a computer desk and type long-winded stories...It was the start of my writing career.

Suzanne Morse, president of the Pew Partnership for Civic Change, notes on her blog that "these changes have left many kids home alone with little to do. Experts say that this particular cut affects low-income children more because their parents do not have the wherewithal to find alternatives."

Are budget cuts affecting your school's summer programs? How can schools and communities best support kids in the summer months, even when traditional programs fall victim to tight budgets?