Public Education Essay

A free public education is unmatched of the many aspects of American culture that makes it one of the some desirable countries in which to live. In fact, education in America has been a standard duty of the government, particularly the conveys, since public develops were begun in the days of the pilgrims and pioneers. Unfortunately, as the course of studys progressed, education became more(prenominal) than complex and more rigidly structured.Conversely, achievement seemed to lag behind the acceptable level. Therefore, learning for learnings sake was replaced by the trend towards high gearer(prenominal) and higher standardized test scads. Bushs No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandate pushed trains and teachers into greater accountpower processes. informs created scripted course of study guides that left little room for creativity. The competitive march towards the highest carapace score was on Unfortunately, to the groom systems, its employees and its students, failure to m arch properly carried stiff penalties. Schools faced a variety of sanctions if scores did not rise to the appropriate level or at the appropriate rate. First, schools faced order or even federal intervention.Evaluative and prescriptive teams would work show up the schools to mandate changes in policy, curriculum and even staffing. An different obstacle was p arental prize. For the wealthier, private schools assimilate been an alternative to lagging public schools for years, but in the earliest 1990s, the school voucher plan made this option executable to a wider spectrum of families. Ultimately, the voucher propositions never passed the state legislatures (Pipho, 1994).A few years later, charter schools veritable outside the sphere of both public and private schools. These charter schools developed as a way to reform schools and received funds from private organizations and business. The approximation took off even though researchers are quick to note that charter schools ready done little to raise test scores (Vine, 1997) Lastly, the idea of be payment directly appealed to the pocketbooks of teachers and administrators by offering monetary reward for good scores. While observers feel it is wrong to base a teachers pay just on his test scores, researchers feel that because the amounts involved are relatively short, its worth experimenting (Keller, 2006). Each of these new options moved American education appressed and closer to the idea of privatizing schools. The privatization of schools has right off expanded to include the realm of educational consulting. These high-paid individuals are hired by the school systems to aid individual schools in be after strategies for curriculum, classroom management, discipline, finance, and teacher recruiting, to name a few (Sheffer, 2002). In 1994, the Minneapolis school system became the first to hire a consulting firm to run their district. In California, the state superintendent of public instruction was a man who had a background in business as a consultant who helps financially ailing corporations (Pipho, 1994).In 1997, Phyllis Vine reported that twenty-eight states had passed legislation to provide for the hiring of management companies. In the last nine years that number has grown, with both positive and negative reactions from the customers. Teachers complained that the new curriculum was too restrictive and gave them no freedom to teach what they wanted. The consultant responded by asserting that restrictiveness was needed to get the teachers, kids and schools back on track (Hayden, 2005). The conclusion to link private business to school systems does make sense for approximately. Sheffer notes that the obvious similarities between academic work and consulting are the emphasis on analytic thinking, make-up and the focus on research (2002) Thus, more and more states are turning to educational consulting firms to help them refocus on their educational goals. On such state is disseminated multiple sclerosis. Mississippi, as a state, has typically been at the bottom of lists comparing states educational achievements. In the 2005 Smartest State rankings published by Morgan Quitno Press, Mississippi fell devil floating policy from the previous year to 49th (Vermont,2005).Spencer, (2004), attempts to explain the states low achievement and scores by pointing to the socioeconomic and achievement gaps between flannel students and minority students. Even in younger grades, the black and Hispanic subgroups lagged behind the white students in manner of speaking and reading. In middle school, the gap widened alarmingly. Ninety-six of white students scored at proficiency or get around in language, and 94% scored at this same level in reading.But Hispanic students numbers were 9 percentage points start in both domains than whites, while black students were 8 points lower in language and 19 points lower in reading. He goes on to note that the difficulty got progressively worse in the 1990s. Overall, by high school, only one in 50 Hispanic and black 17-year-olds can read and gain cultivation from specialized text-such as the science section of a newspaper compared to about one in 12 white students (Spencer, 2004).Yet, when education officials like Randy McCoy, who is the tupelo Superintendent, are confronted with these figures, they are quick to point out that students of all races do well and students of all races do not do well. The fear seems to be that teachers bequeath be accused of teaching students of different races differently. Yet, Mike Walters, who is a former Tupelo Superintendent, agrees that the achievement gap is due to a difference in expectations.He points to the strongest teachers and notes that their students, regardless of race and socioeconomic status, achieve. Walters offers, We are not expecting students to achieve, and expectations are everything ( Spencer, 2004). The Tupelo district is about 65 % white with most students from lower income homes. Its scores have held steady in the low 80% passport range with an odd surge into the mid 90s in 2003 (Mississippi DOE tryout Data). JBHM has tardily started working with the Tupelo Municipal schools. (Experience, n.d.).One way Mississippi is trying to combat their ailing system is by restructuring its testing program. In September of 2000, the Mississippi visiting card of Education (MBOE) approved State Board Policy IHF-1. IHF-1 changed the graduation requirements beginning with the freshman class entering in 2000. Among the requirements was to pass the subject range test English II, generally administered in the 10th grade. Thus, the first available scores for the class entering in 2000 were recorded in 2001 (MBOE, 2000). This group was expect to graduate in 2004.Another way is by hiring a local educational consulting group to help them work with curriculum. Former Tupelo Superintendent, Mike Walters is now a consultant with the JBHM Educ ation Group in Jackson. JBHM is a general consulting agency that also ope evaluate the JBHM Education Group, LLC. This group was opened in 2000 as an educational management go company with a mission of assisting school communities in their efforts to better organize themselves, and, in turn give the families the support needed to envision the success of their children (Services, n.d.). According to the group, the consults go into the schools and analyze the areas of need as specified by the hiring body. They then, if directed, design a curriculum fashioned after Robert Marzanos viable curriculum, one of his eleven factors of student achievement (Marzano, 2003)JBHMs mission was developed by Mike Walters and cofounder Gary Bailey. It is simply to enhance a schools ability to prepare children for success (Vickers, 2005. p. 3). JBHM has focused recently on developing curriculums for algebra, biology, English, United Sates history and middle school math. Walters says, These are highly- structured, full-blown plans that start with day one and go by means of the end of the school year (Vickers, 2005, p. 3)JBHM, as of their most recent website posting, serves 34 school districts in Mississippi. The do work in other states, including their contract deal of blemish 2006 totaling 1.6 million dollars to work with the Caddo School District in Louisiana (Brumble, 2006). They achieved this contract by boast statistics that ninety percent of the schools they back up showed a rise in test scores (Brumble, 2006). Undoubtedly numerous Mississippi schools are on this list.According to the Mississippi Board of Education schedule from September 10, 2004, a contract was approved with the JBHM Education Group to assist in providing technical assistance to implement the school improvement process in antecedence Schools (MBOE, 2004). As explained in a news release dated December of 2004, Schools that do not meet achievement goals or show judge academic improvement receive a ran king of Level I (Low Performing) with the lowest of these deemed Priority Schools (Town Meetings, 2004).Part of the new Board Policy IHF-1 makes difference the English II test required for graduation for the graduating class of 2004, who were first tested in 2000/2001 school year. These first scores were used for developing scale scores, according to the Mississippi Statewide Testing Program website.The English II test, which replaces the previous language and reading tests mentioned in earlier, has been consistently difficult for low achieving schools in Mississippi. Betty Rose Breazeeale, the Lamar County testing coordinator, agreed by saying that she recognized the need to work on the English II, adding that It is our lowest score, and I think thats a statewide problem (Mees, 2005). According to the Mississippi Department of Education Subject Area Content Test website, the English II testmeasures knowledge of language conventions, reading comprehension and effective writing ski llsThe test consists of two separate administration English II Multiple Choice and English II composingThe 85 multiple-choice, passage-based items are divided into two sections Language Conventions and Reading Comprehension. The writing test includes four writing prompts two level mode prompts and two enlightening mode prompts. Students will select and respond to one of the narrative prompts and one of the informative prompts. Even though the MBOE approved the contract for JBHM to consult in Priority Schools statewide in 2004, some districts had already contracted its services well before then. These districts paid for the services themselves through grants or other local musical accompaniment mechanisms. The tunic school board hired JBHM Education Group for the 2000/2001 school year (Hayden 2002). The Hinds district is actually featured on the JBHM Education Group website, boasting its rise in scores from 2001 to 2003. Others, like the North Bolivar and Neshoba joined the clu b as a result of the Priority School initiative administered by the MBOE. both scores on the English II tests may be compared to the figures reported on the Mississippi Statewide Testing Program website administered by the MDOE. They report figures for 2002 as 70% passing the multiple choice reading and 84% passing the narrative/informative writing test. In 2003 these percentages rose to 78 and 94 respectively, and settled into 85% and 84% narrative/89% informative for 2004. It should be noted that in 2004, the state began reporting the writing fragment of the test as two separate scores, listing the narrative first, then the informative. Analysis seems to aim that scores dropped slightly when this shift took place with the greater drop being in the narrative score (MDOE Test Data).One of the first schools to take advantage of the JBHM consultants, the Hinds AHS school is worthy of its spot on the JBHM website. Hinds County School District is a pretty large district. Hinds AHS is described as a rural, integrated school with an amount to below-average socio-economic base (Hinds AHS, 2006). Beginning with passing rates at only 18% on the English II multiple choice test and 40% on the writing portion when JBHM came aboard, they jumped to 22% and 55% respectively in one year and, from there, to 77% and 92% respectively in the second year ( MDOE Test Data) .For the county itself, which contains seventeen high schools in the area of Clinton, Mississippi, the scores went from passing rates of 72% (reading) and 75% (writing) in 2001 to an 81% in reading and a an 83% in writing (Mississippi Test Data). In the JBHM-operated school (Hinds AHS), more remarkable gains were noted, while other high schools showed less of an improvement. It is hard to deny Hind AHSs phenomenal rises in English II scores. They started out well below the rest of the county and ended up with a passing rate higher than the district average.The Tunica district, an even more rural, plantation area of Mississippi has a past that is rooted in Tunicas plantation lifestyle and its racial separatism. Tunica is a tiny white island in a majority black county (Parker, 2002). Rose Fort High school, associated with JBHM since the onset of the new testing requirements, is comprised of extremely unfortunate black students with only1 % white and 1% other racial students (Rose Fort High, 2006). JBHM director Mike Walters recognizes how Tunicas social issues are reflected in its education when he says, Tunica is in a residential area-building stage right now. They are divided racially still. You cant just dump money in a community like that and expect things to happen. Its going to take a long, long time. (Hayden 2002). Despite its circumstances, however, this single Tunica high school has also made some significant gains in English II scores. The data was not recorded for 2001, but the 2002 scores of 33% passing on the multiple choice portion and the 57% passing on the writing port ion jumped to 54% and 83% respectively in only one year (MDOE Test Data). Again, the advances are astounding.Lamar school district also serves a rural county. It, like Tunica, far exceeds the state average of students on free and reduced lunch, which is generally the yardstick for mensuration the socioeconomic population of a school. The only difference is that students in Lamar are predominantly white. Only one high school of the four reflects a more integrated population (Lamar High Schools, 2006).Their English II scores have shown growth as well. The reading and writing scores have risen from the 87 and 89 percent passing to highs of 92 and 95 percent passing in two years with an odd dip in the reading regurgitate choice scores in 2004. (MDOE Test Data). Even though Lamar began in a less desperate situation, its gains with the help of consultants are also significant. though the percentage gain seems less impressive, most educators realize that gains like this are harder to ac hieve as students scores improve and that each subsequent gain is emphatically cause for celebration.Neshoba school district located in Philadelphia, Mississippi, is a more integrated district that has shown gains through the use of consulting. Classified as a small town district, the students in Neshobas four high schools are more integrated than those in Lamar or Tunica . While more students than the state average qualify for free or reduced lunch, they are socioeconomically better off than Lamar or Tunica students (Neshoba County, 2006). Paid for by a NCLB grant, JBHM began consulting in Neshoba County for the current, 2005/2006, school year to aid primarily with English II and Algebra I in its high schools (Edwards, 2006).The countys English II scores in 2002 were 67% passing in reading and 76 % passing in writing. The scores rose in 2003 to 85% and 89% respectively, but then in 2004 rose to an 89% in reading but fell to 86 % in writing (MDOE Test Data). Some schools fared wors e than others. The system hopes to post scores in the 90s with the consulting firm if the teacher can get on board. Joey Blount, principal of Neshoba fundamental High School, admits to Edwards that the presence of the consultants and the frequent observations make his teachers nervous. Anytime youve got people coming to observe your work, its going to be an uncomfortable situation (Edwards, 2006). Superintendent for curriculum and instruction Beth Jackson concurs. Change can be very difficult for a kettle of fish of people, but in some areas we needed change. We werent happy with our test scores. I think they (the teachers) realize we needed to change, but some are better at it than others (Edwards, 2006). Likewise, the administrators in Moss Point and Meridian Schools are also impressed. Tressie Harper, Moss Point Superintendent, is proud of the gains made in her students English II scores. Moss Point has been working with JBHM since 2003 and in that time has noticed a steady inc rease in reading scores from 55% in 2002 to 60% in 2003 to 63% in 2004 (Vickers, 2005 and MDOE Test Data) to 75% in 2005 (Moss Point High School, 2005).As in Neshoba and Lamar, the writing scores seemed the most erratic rising from 74% to 91% to 71% to 75% in the same four years (MDOE Test Data and Moss Point High School, 2005). Perhaps this could be explained by the aforementioned change in the reporting of writing test scores in 2004. It is possible that the focus of the test shifted slightly at that point as well. Likewise, the single Meridian high school shows similar improvement in English II with a three year rise in percentage passing scores from 2002 to 2004 from 57 to 74 to 77. The writing scores showed a similar rise (MDOE Test Data). Sylvia Autry, Meridian Public School Superintendent claims that she has worked with several educational consultants and that JBHM has been the most focused (Vickers, 2005, p. 3). Both Moss Point and Meridian are characterized by a slightly hi gher black than white student body with the majority on free and reduced lunch (Moss Point High School, 2006) and Meridian High School). North Bolivar is another recent addition to JBHMs client list. A year ago, the MBOE asked the Governor to deem the North Bolivar School District a state of emergency. This designation is reserved for school districts that have over half of the schools coming upon Priority School status. State Superintendent Hand Bounds issued to investigations and concluded that the students needs were not being met (Mississippi Board, 2005). North Bolivar is an exceptionally poor small town district which is 97% black. Its reading scores have barely reached 80% (MDOE Test Data). Score released in 2006 will spread abroad whether or not JBHM will be successful there. all the way JBHM consulting or any consulting agency is not necessary for all school districts. Wealthier more urban areas such as Jackson and Laurel counties consistently post English II scores in the high 80s high 90s. However, when one compares the multiple choice scores of Hinds AHS (77% reading), whose population is significantly more challenging based on socioeconomic factors, to Jacksons (85% reading) , the aforementioned achievement gap appears to be closing.The comminuted role that JBHM plays in this factor is undetermined since all factors cannot be factored in statistically. For example, the threats of school closings and consolidations due to a lack of funds plague systems across the acres as will as in Mississippi. One mother in Lamar district commented about the dip in Lamars 2004 reading scores They the students and teachers) went through so much with the school closingsEverybody here was upset. The teachers were upset. If it werent for that fear, the scores probably would have been just as good as last year 2003 (Mees, 2005).In addition, the 2005 hurricane season devastate education in many parts of Mississippi. About 160,000 students in 271 public schools in 44 school districts in the path of the hurricane have been impacted, said Steve Williams, special assistant to the state superintendents. State Superintendent Bounds said that some schools were unable to have classes for 2-3 months. Some schools were completely destroyed (Hayden, 2005). Clearly this crisis would impact test scores at all levels. One thing is clear. Schools are in need of support services from somewhere. Initial data seems to indicate that consulting firms, while not the perfect answer, do provide the structured support that some schools need. Their exorbitant costs will be prohibitive for some school districts, but perhaps with grant programs, they may still benefit from their services. As the first decade in 2000 pulls to a close, school reform will be steadily underway. The extent of the change and the consultants role in it remain uncertain, but hopeful.ReferencesBrumble, Melody. (2006). Caddo School Board Debates Merits of Consulting Proposal. The Shreveport Ti mes. Retrieved environ 29, 2006 from www.shreveporttimes.com/ Apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20060321& kin=NEWS.Edwards, Jeff. (2006). Neshoba Schools Employ Consultant to Improve Scores. The Neshoba Democrat. Retrieved touch 28, 2006 from www.neshobademocrat.com/ print.asp? ArticleID=12190&SectionID=2&Subsectional.Experience. JBHM Education Group, LLC. 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