Superintendent's Message -- January

EDUCATIONAL MYTHS AND FACTS

Most Everyone Agrees:               Money Matters in Education!!!

n  The public, academic and legal experts all know that “money matters” in education.  Multiple studies in numerous states show the same thing:  money targeted for proven instructional strategies leads to higher student achievement.  Key resources, such as teachers and buildings, cost money.

n  The myth  that “money does not matter” in education goes back to the famous 196 Coleman Report, which said that a student’s background and socio-economic status were the major determinants of his or her success, and that schools have little influence.  “Education Production Function” analyses – which claim to show that money does not matter – are misleading are wrong.

n  In 29 of 30 cases in which state courts have considered the issue, the courts have ruled that “money matters”.  One North Carolina judge concluded, “Only a fool would find that money does not matter in education.”

Highly Effective Teachers

n  The most important determinant of a child’s educational opportunity is the caliber of his or her teachers.  Students’ long-term achievement is linked to the quality of their teachers.

n  Unfortunately, one-third of new teachers quit within three years on the job, and half quit within five years.  The burdens of this turnover are focused disproportionately on students in poor, urban schools and in rural schools.  Providing meaningful professional development, improving working conditions and paying teachers more would go a long way towards keeping qualified teachers in the classroom.

Small Class Sizes

n  Small class sizes, which allow for more personalized instruction, are directly connected with improved student achievement.  Smaller class sizes can produce improvements in academic achievement that persist throughout a student’s educational career.

High-Quality Pre-School

n  Enrolling children in high-quality pre-school may be one of the best ways to improve a child’s chances of academic success.  High-quality early childhood education increases readiness for school, decrease grade retention and special education placement and increases high school completion rates.

Additional Learning Time

n  Additional time for learning – through after-school educational programs or continued learning opportunities during the summer – is a necessary part of any strategy to improve the academic success of at-risk children.  After-school and summer school programs improve students’ work habits and increase their academic achievement.  Six hours a day for fewer than 180 days is simply not enough time for children to learn everything that they must know for life in the 21^st century.

Excerpt taken from National Access Network