Academic content, 261–263
Academic content standards
excellent teaching and, 65–66
impact on education, 63–64
national, 287
performance standards, 287–288
Academic remediation, college-level, 54
Academic rigor
in education, 109–112
Larry Rosenstock on, 209–210
Accountability systems
assessing student education, 52–53
creating, 274–279
criticism of the current state of, 125
impact of NCLB on, 124–125
Kentucky, 121–123
overview of, 115–121
performance-based assessment, 115–118, 122–123, 281, 287–288
for student mastery of core competencies, 280–285
Achieve (nonprofit education organization), 103
Achievement gap
closing, 277
in DoDEA schools, 61–63
in “early colleges,” 43–45
socioeconomic, 8
in suburban high schools, 46–59
See also Global achievement gap
Action component, of International Baccalaureate Program, 283
Adaptability, 30–32
Administrator development
“community of practice,” 160–164
Hawaii, 158–163
Administrator preparation
criticisms of, 144–146, 147–148
new programs in, 146–147
Administrators
competencies, 152–153
the culture of the education profession, 154–157
See also Principals
Advanced math, 92–93
Advanced Placement (AP) courses
International Baccalaureate vs., 284
Larry Rosenstock on, 209–210
overview of, 105–106
student performance in college and, 106
students and teachers on the qualities of, 106–110
used in standard ranking of schools, 45
African American males, closing achievement gap for, 277
Agility, 30–32
Alvarado, Anthony, 157
Art, disseminating on the Internet, 174
Assembly-line work, 31, 198–199. See also “Blue-collar” professions
Assessment. See Accountability systems
“At I.B.M., a Smarter Way to Outsource,” 24
Attention, “continuous partial,” 175
“Back-to-basics” movement, 11
Benjamin, Roger, 115
Big Picture Company, 170, 229–230, 231, 232
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 43, 147, 164, 228, 231, 288
Blankenhorn, PJ, 180
Block, Jerald J., 187
“Blue-collar” professions, 265–266. See also Assembly-line work
Board certification, 148–149
Booher-Jennings, Jennifer, 71–72
Borderline students, 71–72
Boston Public Schools, 289
Boston Scientific Corporation, 169
Boston Teachers’ Union, 289
Brown, John Seely
on discovery-based learning, 180, 181
on education in Singapore, 192
on gamers, 186
on growing up in the digital age, 170–171
“information navigation,” 179
observation of multitasking in young people, 175
on parent-child differences, 188
on Toyota assembly lines, 199
on young people and dignity, 195
Brown, Louisa, 188
Bruck, Andrew, 188, 191, 193, 194–195, 197
“Bubble children,” 71–72
Building a Better Legal Profession, 191
Bush, George W., 78
Business Roundtable, 211
Cambridge Latin School, 209
Canada, use of digital portfolios in, 285
Carnegie units, 110
CAS. See Creativity, action, service
CELL. See Center of Excellence in Leadership and Learning
Cell phones, 171
Center of Excellence in Leadership and Learning (CELL), 289
Center on Education Policy, 69–70
Certification
principal, 287
teacher, 287
Change Leadership Group, 131–132, 147, 160, 161
Chaplin, Charlie, 41
Charter schools, 228–229
education research and development and, 288–289
See also Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School; High Tech High
Chief academic officer (CAO), 222
Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)
on employment and educational skills, 1–3, 5–6
See also Corporate employment
China, 76
Christensen, Clayton, 285
Cisco Systems, 15, 31, 33, 288
Citizenship, 99–100
Civics tests, 99
Coalition of Essential Schools (CES), 240–242, 281
Collaboration, 22–25
College
academic remediation and, 54
student preparedness and, 101–109
student use of computers, 172–173
College and Work Readiness Assessment (CWRA), 116, 275
The College Board, 105
College preparedness
AP courses and, 105–109
“habits of mind” concept and, 104–105
high school alumni on, 101–103
weaknesses of high school students in, 103–104
College students. See Young people
College teachers, focus groups with, 275
Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA), 115–118
Command-and-control leadership, 25–26
Common Cause, 265–266
Communication skills, 34–36. See also Writing skills
Community
determining desired outcomes for graduates and, 276
as partners in student success, 277
“Community of practice,” 160–164
Compass to 2015: A Strategic Plan for Student Success, 276, 278
Compositions, state tests and, 95–98
Compton, Robert, 271
Conley, David, 104–105
Connectedness and connection to others, 175–177, 179, 182–184
Content. See Academic content
“Continuous partial attention,” 175
Core competencies, assessment of student mastery of, 280–285
Core knowledge, 261–263
Corporate employment
agility and adaptability skills, 30–32
analyzing and accessing information, 36–38
CEOs on employment skills, 1–2
communication skills, 34–36
critical thinking and problem solving skills, 14–20
initiative and entrepreneurialism, 32–34
leadership skills, 26–27
unknown corporate responses to critical thinking by employees, 29
See also Chief Executive Officers; Workplace
Council of Chief State School Officers, 287
Creating, learning by, 181, 185
Creativity, 38–41
Creativity, action, service (CAS),
International Baccalaureate
Program and, 283
Critical Friends Groups, 249
Critical thinking skills, 14–20
assessment of, 278–279, 280–282
See also Problem-solving skills; Question asking
“Cross-curricular competencies,” 73–74
Cultures, understanding and appreciating, 24–25, 27–28
Curiosity, 38–41
Daniels, Mitch, 289
Darling-Hammond, Linda, 287–288
Del Valle, Gabriel, 224–226, 227
Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools
excellent teaching at, 65–66
“learning walk” through, 61–63
overview of, 59–61
principals as instructional leaders, 66–67
standards-based education and, 63–64
Digital divide, 172
Digital portfolios, 284–285
Disrupting Class (Christensen), 285
Disruption, 31
DoDEA schools. See Department of Defense Education Activity schools
D’Olier, Mitch, 160–161
Doyle, Denis, 10
Dropouts
student motivation and, 114
teacher dropouts, 146
“Early colleges,” 43–45
Economic Development Corporation, 211
Educating School Teachers (Levine), 145–146
Educating the Net Generation (Oblinger & Oblinger), 172–173, 176, 177
Education
academic rigor, 109–112, 209–210
accountability systems, 115–125
achievement gaps, 8–14
CEOs on the quality of, 2–3, 5–6
recent history of, 9–13
reform in Hawaii, 157–163
reform in Kentucky, 121–123
reform in Nebraska, 120–121
reform in Rhode Island, 230–231
research and development in, 288–289
scientists on, 7
young people on how to improve, 189–192
See also Learning
Education profession, culture of, 154–157
Educational skills. See Communication skills; Critical thinking skills; Problem-solving skills; Question asking; Survival Skills; Writing skills
Educator preparation. See Administrator preparation; Teacher preparation
Educators for Responsibility, 141–142
Egocentrism, 268
Elective courses, 113
Elementary schools
current state of instruction in, 68–69
teaching for standardized tests and, 69–72
teaching skills in, 263–264
Emotional intelligence (EQ), 268
Employee performance reviews, 120
Employers, focus groups with, 275
Employment. See Corporate employment; Workplace
English language arts (ELA), 69, 70–71
Entrepreneurialism, 32–34
Essays, state tests and, 95–98
Excellence (Gardner), 266
ExEL program, 147
Extended essay, International Baccalaureate Program, 283
Featherstone, Jay, 133
The Fifth Dimension (Senge), 16
Finland, 152
FIRST, 206
Focus groups, 275
Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School
curriculum and assessment, 243–244
learning in, 244–248
origin of, 240–242
student population, 242–243
students’ perspectives on, 250–252
success of, 242
teacher development and, 248–249
teacher preparation and, 260–261
teachers’ perspectives on, 248–249
Frand, Jason, 179
Free Schools, 11
Fried, Rob, 169–170
Gallagher, Chris, 121
Garcia, Ruth, 224–225, 226–228
Gardner, John W., 265–266
Gateway Exhibitions, 243–244
Gee, James Paul, 180
Gibson, Stuart, 94
Global achievement gap
historical background to, 9–13
No Child Left Behind Act and, 72
steps to overcome, 273–290
Global Awareness, 25
Global collaboration, 23–25
Goldstein, Stanley, 230
Goleman, Daniel, 268
Goodman, Paul, 11
Goodstein, Anastasia, 176–177
Google, 197–198
Gordon, Rob, 21–22, 31, 35, 36, 169, 205
Graduate school of education, 224
Graduation portfolio, 281
Graduation requirement, portfolio as, 281, 282
Greene, Jay, 114
“Habits of mind,” 104–105, 214
Hamamoto, Patricia, 143, 157–158, 160
Harold K. L. Castle Foundation, 161
Harvard University, 133–134, 146–147
“Helicopter parents,” 193
High concept, 40
High school alumni, on preparedness for college, 101–103
High school graduation rates, 89, 114, 275
High school state tests
impact on math and science education, 91–95
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, 6, 7, 82–89, 96–98
preparedness of students for college and, 101–105
questions on the efficacy of, 90–91
readiness of students for citizenship and, 99–100
student writing skills and, 95–98
Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, 78–82
See also Standardized tests
High schools
accountability, 259
achievement gap in, 46–59
appearance of, 46–47
“learning walks” through, 47–51, 54–59, 278–279
narrative of teaching in, 135–139
restructured, 228–229
shared characteristics for quality in, 257–261
See also Department of Defense Education Activity schools; Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School; High Tech High; Met Schools
“High-stakes” tests. See High school state tests; Standardized tests
High Tech High (HTH), 280, 285, 289
absence of standard test-prep at, 208
campus of, 213
expansion of, 213
goals of, 213–215
origins and founding of, 208–212
student population, 212
students’ experiences at, 224–228
success of, 207–208
teacher assessment and development at, 222–224
teacher preparation and, 223, 260–261
a teacher’s perspective on, 220–222
teaching at, 215–220
High-tech industry, 15–17
High touch, 40
Hiring interviews, 120
History, state tests and, 99–100
Holt, John, 11
Horace’s Compromise (Sizer), 240
How Schools Change (Wagner), 267
Imagination, 38–41
Immigrants, naturalization tests and, 99
IM terms, 185
India, 75–76
Indiana, High Tech Highs in, 289
Individual Learning Plan, 232
Information, accessing and analyzing, 36–38
Information, Communication, and Technology Literacy Assessment, 118–119
“Information navigation,” 179
Information revolution, 36–38
Initiative, 32–34
Innovation
America and, 75
creating culture of, 288, 289–290
education in foreign countries and, 75–77
importance of, 38–41
Innovation grants, 288
Inquisitiveness, 38–41
Instant messaging (IM) terms, 185
Intel, 288
Intelligence, types of, 119
Interdisciplinary studies, 101
“Interest-based learning,” 232–233
International Baccalaureate (IB) program, 45, 105, 282–284
creativity, action, service (CAS), 283
extended essay, 283
teacher collaboration and, 285–286
theory of knowledge, 282–283
Internet
addiction to, 187
gaming on, 186–187
learning or conducting research on, 179–181
ISkills Test, 118–119
Jacobs, Gary, 211–212
Jacobs, Irwin, 212
Japanese teachers, 164
Jury-readiness, 100
“Just-in-time” manufacturing, 198–199
Kaiser Family Foundation, 172
Kamehameha Foundation, 161
Kamen, Dean, 206
Kearns, David, 10
Kentucky, 121–123
Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA), 122
The Kids Are Alright (Beck & Wade), 180, 186
Kline, Steven, 115
Knowledge, theory of, 282–283
Knowledge workers, 33–34
KnowledgeWorks Foundation, 289
Kozol, Jonathan, 11
Krupnick, Catherine, 142
Kulick, Matt, 190, 193, 197–198
Kumata, Ellen, 20–21, 31–33, 169, 194
Laboratory schools, 289
Lahey, Lisa, 152
Landmarks of Tomorrow (Drucker), 34
Leadership
“community of practice,” 160–164
lack of skills in young people, 26
leading by influence, 28
in modern corporations, 26–27
team-based, 22
transitioning from a hierarchical model of, 25–26
Learning
adaptation to contemporary needs and, 255–257
as connectedness, 179, 182–183
developing students’ passion for, 205–206
as a focus in successful schools, 258
project-based, 208
through multimedia, 178–179, 183–184
Web-based communities and, 179
young people and new styles of, 178–187
Learning labs, 131–132
Learning Organization, 16
Learning walks
defining critical thinking and, 278–279
in DoDEA schools, 61–63
in Hawaiian schools, 157
in suburban public high schools, 47–51, 54–59
LeMoine, Kaitlin, 251–252
Levine, Arthur, 145–146, 147–148
Licensing, 150
Lino, Tim, 160
Literacy
mathematical, 94
scientific, 94
Littky, Dennis, 170, 229–231, 232
Maddox, Mark, 18–19, 31, 32, 168
Making the Grade (Wagner), 267
Manhattan Institute, 114
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)
example student essay, 96–98
high school graduation rate and, 89
high school graduation requirement, 82
questions from, 83–89
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 92
Math
advanced, 92–93
in elementary school education, 69, 70–71
legislation to improve teacher education in, 91
as ranked with other skills for new employees, 91–92
Mathematical literacy, 94
McKinsey & Company, 40, 151, 152
McNeely, Ben, 188, 190–191, 192, 195
McWalters, Peter, 231
Me, MySpace, and I (Rosen), 171–172
Merrill, Jim, 274, 276, 279, 280
Met Schools
enrollment, 232
Learning Goals, 233–234
origin of, 229–232
South Providence campus, 232
student perspective on, 239–240
teacher development at, 238–239
teaching and learning at, 232–233, 234–239
Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center. See Met Schools
Metros, Susan, 183–184, 189, 194
Microsoft, 288
Military
adaptability and agility skills, 31
communication skills, 35
critical thinking and problem solving skills, 21–22
global consciousness and, 23–24
See also Department of Defense Education Activity schools
Minoura, Teruyuki, 198–199
Mission Hill School, 282
Mitrano, Tracy, 183, 186, 189, 192, 194
Modern Times (film), 41
Moore, Randy, 142–144
Moral education, 267–268
Motivation, 205. See also Student motivation
Mountjoy, Helen, 121–123
Multimedia learning, 178–179, 183–184
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 118
National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs), 149–150
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), 148–150, 287
National content standards, 287
National Education Goals Panel, 60
National Student Clearinghouse, 275
Naturalization tests, 99
Nature/Nurture, 154–155
“Navigation,” of the Internet, 179
NBCTs. See National Board Certified Teachers
NBPTS. See National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
NCLB. See No Child Left Behind Act
Neal, Annmarie, 15–17, 23, 25, 31, 35, 36, 39, 168–169
Nebraska, 120–121
Net Generation. See Young people
Networks, collaboration and, 22–25
Newsweek, 45
New York City, 228
New York Performance Standards Consortium, 120
New Tech High, 289
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act
aim of, 3
George W. Bush and, 78
“high-stakes” testing and, 12
impact on assessment, 124–125
impact on elementary school curricula, 69, 70
impact on the global achievement gap, 72
science testing, 91
student achievement levels following implementation of, 12–13
Nonprofit organizations, 141–142
Nurture/Nature, 154–155
O’Bannon, Frank, 60
Oblinger, Diana and James, 172–173, 176, 177, 178
Open-response tests, 115–118, 122–123
Oral communication skills, 34–36
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 72–74, 93, 118
The Organization Man (Whyte), 10–11
Parents
as partners in student success, 277
rethinking the authority of, 193
Parker, Clay, 1–3, 30, 39, 169, 271
Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 15, 24–25
Pay-for-performance plans, 280
Pedra, Christy, 4–6, 22–23, 34
Peer review, International Baccalaureate Program and, 286
Performance standards, 287–288
Performance tasks, 120
Performance-based assessment, 115–118, 122–123, 281, 287–288
Perkins Vocational Education and Applied Technology Act, 209
Piaget, Jean, 268
Pilot Schools, 289
Pink, Daniel, 39–40
PISA tests. See Programme for International Student Assessment tests
Poldrack, Russell, 182
Portfolios
assessing teachers through student, 280–281
digital, 284–285
principal, 287
senior projects and, 281–282
teacher, 286–287
Post-secondary-degree programs, enrollment and persistence in, 275
Premji, Azim, 75
Price Charitable Fund, 211
Principals
certification process for, 287
competencies, 152–153
course of study for, 147–148
data-driven decisions and, 61, 64
instructional leadership and, 66–67
narrative of, 139–141
portfolios for, 287
professional development in Hawaii, 158–163
standards-based instruction and, 61, 63–64
Private schools
narrative of teaching in, 137–139
See also Met Schools
Problem-solving skills
importance to corporations, 14–20
PISA test of, 73–74
See also Critical thinking skills; Question asking
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests, 72–74, 93–94, 118, 151, 152, 288
Project-based learning, 208
Public Agenda Foundation, 141–142
Public schools, narrative of teaching in, 135–137
Public/Private schools. See Met Schools
Qualcomm, 212
Quest High School, 281
Question asking
CEOs on the importance of, 2, 5
example of excellent teaching, 65–66
in high school education, 52–53
See also Critical thinking skills; Problem-solving skills
Religions, understanding and appreciating, 27–28
Remediation. See Academic remediation
Research and development, education, 288–289
Resnick, Alec, 107–109
Rhode Island, 230–231
public schools, performance-based assessment in, 281
Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), 231, 281
Rigor. See Academic rigor
Rindge School for Technical Arts, 209
Ritz-Carlton hotels, 266–267
Rosenstock, Larry, 208–211, 212, 214
Rudenstine, Neal, 37
Rutgers, Henry, 191
San Diego, California, 211
Sankaran, Nirmala, 75
Sarah Lawrence College, 98
SAT. See Scholastic Aptitude Test
Schleicher, Andreas, 94–95, 152, 260
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
assessment of analytic intelligence, 119
writing exam, 98–99
School-based Teacher-led Assessment Reporting System (STARS), 120–121
Schrader, Teri, 242
Science education, 91
Scientific literacy, 94
Secondary school redesign, charter schools and, 288–289
Senge, Peter, 16
Senior projects, 281–282
Service component, of International Baccalaureate Program, 283
Shanmugaratnam, Tharman, 77
Siemens Hearing Instruments, 4–5
Sizer, Nancy, 242
Sizer, Theodore R., 230, 240, 242
Socrates, 255
Soderberg, Nancy, 159
Soft skills, 119–120
South Korea, 186–187
Standardized tests
criticisms of, 6, 12, 13, 274–275
impact on elementary education, 69–72
increased emphasis on, 6
No Child Left Behind Act and, 12
teaching for, 59
See also High school state tests; Scholastic Aptitude Test
Standards Movement, 11–12
Standards-based instruction, 59, 63–65
Stefanakis, Evangeline, 284
Sternberg, Robert, 119
Stone, Linda, 175
Strategic planning, 274–279
outcomes for student success, 277
process, 275–276
strategic goal, 276
strategic objectives, 277
Student motivation
concerns about a decline in, 167–168, 169–170
dropout problem and, 114
factors affecting negatively, 113
passion for learning, 205–206
in successful schools, 258–259
Student success outcomes, 277
Students
achievement levels and implementation of the NCLB, 12–13
assessing skills, knowledge and intellectual challenge, 52–53
borderline, 71–72
not choosing college and, 264–265
overachievers and the unengaged, 199–205
See also Learning; Student motivation; Young people
Student-teacher relationship, 192–193
Survival Skills
accessing and analyzing information, 36–38
agility and adaptability, 30–32
collaboration across networks and leading by influence, 22–30
critical thinking and problem solving, 14–22
curiosity and imagination, 38–41
importance for citizenship, 100
initiative and entrepreneurialism, 32–34
significance of, 14
useful to all vocations, 266–267
will not become obsolete, 267
Taosaka, Sandra, 161–162
Teacher collaboration, 285–288
Teacher credential program, 223
Teacher development
at Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School, 248–249
at High Tech High, 222–224
narrative of, 135–139
successful schools and, 259–260
transforming, 150–152
using videos of teachers, 142
Teacher evaluation
account of, 135–136
at High Tech High, 222–223
standard approach to, 52
Teacher preparation
core competencies vs. content coverage in, 148–150
credential program, 223
criticisms of, 144–146
graduate program, 224
licensing, 150
in pioneering schools, 223, 260–261
Teachers
academic content standards and, 63–65
assessing effectiveness of, 280–281
barriers to removing, 156
certification, 287
the culture of the education profession, 154–157
dropout problem, 146
issues affecting the effectiveness of, 52
Japanese, 164
narrative of teaching in private schools, 137–139
narrative of teaching in public schools, 135–137, 143–144
NBPTS-certification and, 148–150
pay-for-performance plans, 280
in pioneering schools, 260
portfolios for, 286–287
rethinking the role and authority of, 192–193
strategic objectives for, 277
Teaching
adaptation to contemporary needs and, 255–257
creating accountability for, 278
as a focus in successful schools, 258
in private schools, 137–139
in public schools, 135–137, 143–144
Team-based leadership, 22
Teamwork, virtual teams, 22–23
Technology
cautions and concerns, 182–187
digital divide, 172
impact on young people, 170–177
new learning styles and, 178–187
Technology-based public charter schools. See High Tech High
“Test-prep,” 59
Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), 78–82
Thinking Schools, 76
Thoreau, Henry David, 188
“360 reviews,” 120
Tobias, Robert, 124–125
Totally Wired (Goodstein), 176–177
Toyota Production System, 29, 198–199
“Tracks,” 50
Tucker, Adam, 228
Tufts University, 119
Two Million Minutes (film), 271
Unilever Foods North America, 18, 32
U.S. Army, 21–22. See also Military
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, 99
U.S. Department of Education, 228, 288
U.S. history, state tests and, 99–100
University of Virginia, 147
Urban High School Project, 209
“Value-added” assessments, 115–118
Videogame players, 180, 186–187
Violence, in videogames, 186
Virginia Beach City Public Schools, 273, 274–279, 282
Virtual teams and offices, 22–23
Wallace Foundation, 147
Wall Street Journal, 167
Warwick, Colleen, 220–222
Web, 179–181
What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy (Gee), 180
A Whole New Mind (Pink), 39–40
Whyte, William, 10–11
Wilson, Charles, 28
Windham, Carie, 173–174, 177, 178–179, 185, 188, 190, 196
Winning the Brain Race (Kearns & Doyle), 10
Work ethic, 167–170
Workplace
adapting to young people’s needs and interests, 196–199
critical thinking and problem solving, 14–20
implications of young people for, 193–196
See also Corporate employment
World Wide Web, 179–181
Writing skills
importance of, 34–36
need for focus, energy, and passion, 35–36
SAT writing test and, 98–99
state tests and, 95–98
Writing tests, 95–99
Yong Zhao, 76
Young people
cautions and concerns about technology, 182–187
connectedness and connection to others, 175–177, 179, 182–184
cyber world to real world transition and, 188–189
employers’ adaptations to, 196–199
engaging in the workplace, 193–196
ideas on how to improve education, 189–192
impact of technology on, 170–177
instant gratification, 177, 183
as interactive producers, 187–188
new learning styles, 178–187
YouTube, 174
Zhao, Yong, 76