Our view: Schools need hard look
Achievement gaps demand we rethink education
Editorial, Norwich Bulletin, March 25, 2007

Many of Connecticut's schools are a mess. They are under-funded, under-staffed and producing underachieving students. But, the cost of education has skyrocketed so much, it is unconscionable to ask local taxpayers to dive deeper and deeper into their pockets to fund schools that are not producing the world's best and brightest leaders.
It is the kind of problem that should keep every American up at night, wondering what kind of future the country has.

There have been numerous national and statewide studies that suggest the achievement gap -- the difference in achievement between the best performing and worst performing students -- is growing, or at best stagnating. But, closer looks show a horrifying trend that suggests the best and brightest students are not achieving to the same levels of their predecessors.

To assign blame for this problem would be irresponsible. There are many people in the state trying to do better. But, despite the efforts, the country's students are falling further behind the rest of the industrialized world when it comes to achievement.

Changing ideas

Something has to change, and that change must begin with the way we all think about education.
Let's make some assumptions:

• Every student can achieve at the highest levels, regardless of social background and demographics. Take students who are in special education programs out of the mix and social background and demographics become false issues. This has been proven by the success of charter and magnet schools in Hartford and New Haven, where the schools have a number of children who could be considered disadvantaged.

• Money is not the solution to all of the achievement issues. Charter schools and magnet schools have developed a strong track record in the state. They are funded at lower rates than traditional schools.

• Education is not, and will never again be, about the three R's. The world demands students learn much more than reading, writing and arithmetic. Computers are not a nicety, they are a necessity. Science classes must include the latest developments.

Now, let's look at some data. In truth, there are so many numbers, just in looking at Connecticut Mastery Test scores, that an analyst could come up with a variety of assumptions. However, the researchers at ConnCAN, a private nonprofit dedicated to improving student achievement, have taken a look at how students improve year after year. The data are worth considering.

According to their study, the achievement gap between middle school students in Connecticut is the largest in the nation and growing. While there are individual middle schools -- such as Integrated Day Charter School, Griswold Middle School and Wood stock Middle School -- pushing their students to achieve at higher and higher levels, overall the state's middle schools have shown no performance gains in the last two years. Connecticut's middle schools rank in the middle when it comes to national achievement.

Faltering high schools

Elementary schools are showing better performance gains. Children in the fifth grade show significant improvement over their fourth-grade CMT scores. Nationally, the state's elementary schools do well, often in the top 10.

Connecticut's magnet and charter schools make up less than 6 percent of all schools in the state. However, they make up about 33 percent of the state's highest achieving schools.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's National Report Card, high schools are also struggling. A look at transcripts showed students are taking more credits and have higher grade point averages. But, the federal government also found reading and math achievement have taken significant slides. The contrary results have led analysts to suggest curriculum at the nation's high schools has been diluted.

So, what do we do? Gov. M. Jodi Rell has a sweeping proposal to better fund the schools. This is a start, but as we said, money is not the only issue. Rell's proposal offers a bandage, giving us time to figure out the future of our schools.

ConnCAN has proposed two pieces of legislation that would radically change the way we approach education. The time has not yet come for this, but the time has come for investigation.

We must recognize not all children learn the same way. Perhaps it is time to require traditional school districts to take a look at the models being developed by charter and magnet schools. There is no one perfect teaching model for every child. More choice in the public arena will help parents find the right fit for their children.

We must recognize schools are trying to cram more into a school day and school year. But it is time to take a serious look at increasing the school day and/or the school year. The length of the day could be graduated considering the age of the children.

We owe it to our children, to our state and the country, to be leaders in re-establishing America as an intellectual power.