Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 Keeping Up with the Jones: An Educational Context Paper

of 2011 Whether it is purchasing a new home or polishing educational reform efforts, the goal remains the same. Our goal is to keep up with the Jones in our neighborhoods, schools, and educational systems. When I secured my position as the curriculum facilitator for secondary mathematics and industrial technology in a large suburban school district, I pondered how working in this position would challenge me as a professional. I was leaving the predominantly right-brained world of Language Arts and the humanities to explore a more linear world where numbers speak, the world is black and white, and being straightforward and direct are seemingly the only ways to achieve success. I reveled in the idea that my struggle with writing assessments and measuring reading skills was over, at least on a day-to-day basis. I would continue to explore my passion for literacy in the context of volunteer organizations and professional opportunities, not in the constrained world of education characterized as one voice in one classroom with no one to hear me. Furthermore, the shift from literacy to math and technical education would help me acquire a more expansive lens through which I could view education. When I considered education as a system before, I often limited my scope to the challenges associated with elementary and middle school as students learn foundational literacy skills. My analysis was limited to speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills through which students critically solve problems, embrace challenges beyond factual recall, collaborate to utilize technologies in innovative ways that break the walls of traditional classrooms, and achieve monumental tasks, each with the goal of invigorating each and every child to love learning and commit to learning for life. In addition, fulfilling the position as secondary curriculum facilitator meant involving high school, which I soon discovered has its own quirks and challenges that differ from elementary and middle schools. Nevertheless, it took less than a week on the job to determine

Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 that the same issues that plagued me as a teacher in the Language arts and humanities world also ebb and flow in mathematics and industrial technology. In fact, the problems of education and associated reforms leave no discipline or classroom behind. Every practitioner spends their day being influenced by internal and external forces, some local, others national, many international. What follows is a snapshot of the day in the life of an American school teacher, similar to those I work with, who may or may not be aware of all the pressures, both recent and historical, that impact his/her day. Meet Mrs. Jones Its seven oclock and the educational CIA is on the prowl to ensure no child is left behind. Mrs. Jones is quickly organizing her curriculum, instruction, and assessment for the day before attending another Response-to-Intervention (RTI) meeting in which the experts are sharing what it means to implement an intervention with fidelity. She knows that a sound curriculum is key to student success: Why is curriculum important? Its a roadmap. Without a roadmap, you are sure to drive in circles and get nowhere (Ravitch, 426). However, she often wonders why those driving curriculum fail to consider the art of teaching, the idea that learning can take many paths and that it will not be the end of the world if she is, heaven forbid, not on the same textbook page as her teaching partner Mr. Malloy. Her autonomy, that is, her ability to differentiate instruction to meet individual needs is limited to the scripted reading curriculum and smattering of intervention tools approved by her local school district. To differentiate instruction in other organic ways such as student choice in projects, modifying written assignments to elicit student interest, and rephrasing questions or content into language that is kid-friendly is simply outlawed in many scripted programs currently being used to boost student achievement.

Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 Shuffling down the hall, Mrs. Jones recalls the last meeting during which most teachers were cultured into reform submission after voicing concerns about the mandatory, scripted literacy interventions. She read about her colleagues behaviors later when the American Institutes for Research (AIR) concluded teacher buy-in is critical for the success of school reform efforts, especially in the case of School District A (Mrs. Jones district), (Ravitch, 98). Of course it is, she thought to herself. How do you expect to change education without teachers? Furthermore, her district instituted mandatory walk-throughs whereby administrators use a standardized checklist to measure teacher effectiveness adopted from many of the market-based principles and philosophies of the New York City and San Diego schools. What is contained on the checklist? Page numbers, titles of textbooks, pacing guides, and a bulleted synopsis of intervention programs with their characteristics speckle the page. Absent is attention to key factors of learning including: clear learning targets, student engagement and motivation, lesson design, formative assessment, and many others noted by instructional leaders such as Marzano, Pickering, Pollack, and Hunter. Settling into her assigned seat, Mrs. Jones, a fourteen-year veteran of the staff, notes the staleness of the room. Gloom and despair are written on every teachers face, even the newbies, who are doing their very best to swim in the wake of a CIAdriven tsunami, look beaten. Dr. Smith, the educational consultant and researcher conducting the staff development and collecting quantitative data from multiple student assessments, presents himself as elitist and remarks condescendingly to the staff. He has clearly drawn the line between educator and educational researcher as McEwen (1991) opposed, the concept of practice has become fixed in our minds as inhabiting the phenomenal world rather than the theoretical world. But to make such a division between theory and practice is to misunderstand the nature of practice (14).

Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 Reflecting on her own understanding, Mrs. Jones is convinced that Dr. Smith will never be able to assist in improving teaching and learning, nor reform even the smallest educational system because he simply doesnt understand that educational practice is not a black and white system. It isnt scientific; rather, it is an interplay between the social and political forces that mix with the minute-by-minute decisions that are required in classrooms, in turn causing practitioners to reflect on which skills to emphasize, develop a clear rationale for any given decision, and determine whose interests are served within those choices (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009). Mrs. Jones expels a deep breath and prepares for the schoolwide data team review. As Mrs. Jones jaunts back to Room 211, she debriefs with her colleague Mr. Malloy: Mrs. Jones: Can you believe that? Mr. Malloy: What do you mean? Mrs. Jones: Where do they get off [assuming] that higher test scores on standardized tests of basic skills are synonymous with a good education? (Ravitch, 177). Mr. Malloy: I know exactly what you mean. Think about Joey in my class. He can read an entire page in his science book and then talk in his inquiry group about itcompare that to the beginning of the year when he was struggling to make sense of short narrative text and refused to speak. Where does that count? Mrs. Jones: Thats great! But Ive got to be honest with you. Im worried. If we dont meet AYP this year, thats three years in a row. Mr. Malloy: When are those higher-ups ever going to figure out that testing is not a substitute for curriculum and instruction. Good education cannot be achieved by a strategy of testing children, shaming educators, and closing schools (Ravitch, 177). We need time.

Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 Mrs. Jones: I know. When will they know? Im going to do my very best today, but you know we have our quarterly benchmarks today for both reading and math and dont forget we have our practice state writing test on Tuesday next week. I might put off our Science and Social Studies plans this week so we have extra time. What do you think? Mr. Malloy: I really dont want to have to do that. The kids are really excited to analyze our pond water samples and complete their poster displays about how pioneers were challenged with finding clean water. Do you remember our plan to invite parents to a poster session? Wed have to push that back for at least a month. Mrs. Jones: I just dont see how we can fit it all in. Testing is going to take at least two hours today and the kids need time to work on their math facts if were going to pass the math test and meet AYP. Remember, Malloy, the kids cant use calculators even though they have them at their fingertips 99% of the time. Mr. Malloy: I guess that leaves us no choice. Well hold off on our science and social studies plans until next week. Ill see you during plan time to talk it out. Mrs. Jones: Ok. Try and have a good day. Carl Glickman (2009) acknowledges effective educational leaders as those who view the educated American student as a wise and engaged citizen rather than a competent test-taker. One of the unintended consequences of NCLB was the shrinkage of time available to teach anything other than reading and matheven in these subjects, instruction gave way to intensive test preparation (Ravitch, 172). Consequently, test preparation provides students the opportunity to learn and master test-taking methods, but they fail to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for further education and for the workplace. This narrowed curricular focus may backfire. Mrs. Jones quickly places her five warm-up questions on the overhead and begins to provide an

Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 overview of how to eliminate answer choices based on the length of the answer stem. Times are tough and she wants to earn her bonus for increasing student achievement in her class; however, she often ponders, how does one facilitate critical thinking skill development and include lessons that teach the whole child within a standards-based accountability culture? Her thoughts are interrupted by Jon, a nine-year-old with Aspergers Syndrome, who gallops into class disregarding the test preparation items and acknowledging that once again that he wasnt able to complete his assignment due to another outing to Chuckie Cheese. One problem with test-based accountability, as currently defined and used, is that it removes all responsibility from students and their families for the students academic performance (Ravitch, 252). Mrs. Jones takes a deep breath, quickly formulates a reteaching plan for todays math lesson and focuses her attention on Jons chocolate brown eyes that are overflowing with excitement. She can tell he has something to talk about today which she takes advantage of any chance she gets. Mrs. Jones, did you see that new movie Waiting for Superman? Is it really that hard? With a puzzled look, she replied, What do you mean, is it really that hard? Jon began to tell the story of students who played the numbers game with a hope of a better life, of achieving something more than their parents. Little Jon does not know the history of school choice, vouchers, and charter schools. His experience has been completely devoid of school competition marketed as a tactic to improve schools. Historically, Milton Friedman urged that vouchers should be available for all children during the height of the Civil Rights Movement; however, President Reagan proposed that vouchers be available only to low-performing students. The basic strategy in school choice was the market model, which intended to improve schools through competition and limit the bureaucracy of education. But as Ravitch (2010) notes, the

Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 regular public schools are at a huge disadvantage in competition with charter schools[which] attract the most motivated studentsget additional financial resources from their corporate sponsors[and] find it easier to avoid, eliminate or counsel out low-performing and disruptive students (215). Luckily, Mrs. Jones lives in a state where charter schools are not permitted and quickly reassures Jon that he will not have to fight for an education from one school or another; rather, he can continue to work hard and seek help when needed. With a deep sigh, Mrs. Jones glances at the clock. 8:08 AM. Time to test. While this portrays a bleak picture of twenty-first century education, I feel it accurately describes the context in which many educators work, including myself to an extent. This awareness greatly impacts the reform efforts currently underway as teacher morale is low, teacher efficacy has plummeted, and teacher autonomy is a thing of the past. Or are they? Over the last twenty years, much has transpired in education that directly influences teaching, learning, and educational policy. In the debates on teacher effectiveness, improving public education, raising student achievement regardless of socioeconomic status or race, what does the evidence say? What follows is an exploration of problems of practice that pertain to my current context as an educational practitioner. The A Word-Assessment A significant amount of time and money are invested to conduct accountability programs, which consume annually 20 million school days and the equivalent of $700-900 million in direct and indirect expenditures (Berliner & Biddle, 1995). Attention on assessment and accountability has impacted educational systems at all levels, all the way to student-teacher interactions. Parallel each high-stakes assessments alongside the traditional quizzes and chapter tests that teachers urge themselves to administer for any number of reasons and the result is heard in the

Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 cries: We dont have enough time. There is too much curriculum. When can we collaborate? Im just trying to stay afloat in my content area. Teachers spend a substantial amount of time in test preparation activities, leaving a sliver of time to delve into critical problems and interdisciplinary lessons. Clearly etched in black and white, teachers are at the mercy of scientific research as it keeps schools running with grants, both federal and private. Any statistician would purport that data could be configured and presented in such a way that claims are justified by clear, unquestionable data representations. Assessment literate practitioners juxtaposed with checks and balances within the educational system are crucial to both reform efforts and the health of our educational system. Their presence alone promotes responsible decision-making. Legislation and pressures from stakeholders have placed teachers at the epicenter of accountability, which most often equates with assessment. Across our nation, is it no longer deemed acceptable to teach a lesson that builds social skills necessary for lifelong learning. If a lesson is not written as a specific outcome or standard in the curriculum, it is not taught. Furthermore, Few teachers [have] special trainingthat might enable them to conduct a detailed critique of the assessmentsit is much more common for the state assessment to become the theory of writing upon which teachers base their teaching (Herrington, Hodgson, & Moran, 2009). This concerns me because of the wealth of learning that comes from diverse experiences and lessons. For example, if students are taught to write for one test throughout a course, they will become narrow thinkers, rutted in one disposition, one mode, one genre of writing. Equally important, the authors caution, assessment, like writing itself, is an attempt to express what is too multilayered and complex to be reduced (pg. 102). As professionals,

Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 teachers must understand and be able to speak to the value of diverse writing experiences both inside of and outside of the Language Arts classroom, including content areas such as math. Specific to my context and problem of practice, I facilitate the development of curriculum, instruction, and assessment processes used by approximately 140 teachers throughout my district. Secondary mathematics is a crucible for derivatives, algebraic thinking, problem-solving skill development, and abstract thought. It is not often a vehicle used to promote the acquisition of reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Accountability and assessment movements have driven teachers to collaborate less in interdisciplinary efforts and focus more on distinct content without relating concepts across departmental lines. There are two interrelated problems that are key to my context: 1) In order to provide students the educational opportunities they need to complete in todays global market, we need to rethink schools and eliminate departmentalization in our schools; and 2) Students must have a rich environment in which they are able to read, write, speak, and listen in all content areas. To solve this multifaceted problem of educational practice, the collaboration of stakeholders at all levels (Scott & Meyer, 1991) is crucial for educational system renewal to occur. I plan to focus on ways of re-visioning the secondary setting to include literacy across content areas resulting in high expectations, engagement, and lifelong achievement for all students. Key to this study will be evaluating the impact of assessments in mathematics and how literacy integration may enhance mathematics concepts and skills necessary for the 21st century workplace and measures of student learning. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results indicated student learning gaps in the area of mathematical problem solving as defined by real-world problem item analyses (Berliner & Biddle, 1995). As such, organizations such as the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics emphasize problem solving and other in-school measures; however,

Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 dissimilarity exists between the types of problems students are asked to solve on both national and international assessments and those they will confront in their adult lives. Embedding reading and writing experiences may diminish the incongruence between the real world and assessment measures. In 1987, Robert Glaser commented on the value of assessment data in measuring student learning in mathematics, reading, and writing, however warned that curriculum must include other areas to fully prepared students for their future workplaces and lives. Those personal qualities that we hold dearresilience and courage in the face of stressa commitment to justice and caring in our social relationshipsare exceedingly difficult to assess. And so, unfortunately, we are apt to measure what we can, and eventually come to value what is measured over what is left unmeasured. Further analysis of assessment as a cornerstone of educational policy is offered by Comer: Quantification is very important in the academic research community. Thus, powerful behavioral influences [are] not being considered because they [are] not quantifiable (54). As a district-level leader, I must advocate for a balance between life skills and the current reality characterized by core-area assessments. Practitioners should be supported to teach and assess with rich connections across content, not only core academic areas. Allow children the experience to draw parallels between their learning in Geometry class with the welding process they are learning in Industrial Technology. Urge students to investigate social issues of the past, analyze similar situations at present, and write persuasive pieces about what needs to change. Proefreidt cautions, We think we know what is good for our children, and our very certainty blinds us to their individual needs. We mandate a common curriculum and standardized testing, and apply punitive sanctions to those who do not know we have their best interests at heart. (45). Taken collectively, one can

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Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 surmise that teachers focus is meeting assessment demands, possibly too many assessments, which limits instructional time resulting in a lack of literacy skills being reinforced or applied in content-area classrooms. The pressures of reaching lofty curricular goals of these distinct areas coupled with time constraints leads to a perceived lack of initiative or understanding in how literacy is critical to success in all subjects. In my district, students rarely engage in lively debates concerning a potential solution in a Calculus class followed by written analysis of how the problem was solved and verbal peer tutoring; rather, they watch, listen, and do without speaking, listening, writing, and reading. Nevertheless, student achievement cannot change unless Americas teachers use markedly more effective instructional methods, (Stigler & Hiebert, 1999, 4). Our current secondary school structure in inadequate for students to learn in an organic, interdisciplinary way. The structure breaks natural connections. Practitioners, with administrator, parental, and community support, need to collaborate and provide the environment in which students feel compelled to draw parallels amongst the humanities and sciences and their broader community engaging in rich dialogue, both written and spoken, to produce engaged 21st century citizens. A shared vision of literacy at the secondary level is critical to our students as they embrace the challenges of our global world. The B Word-Budget I have already alluded to vouchers and school choice. Budgets for schools are under the direction of political agendas and capitalistic endeavors. For example, in 2000, the Gates Foundation chose to fund solutions to the educational problems of high-school graduation and college-entry rates, especially in urban school districts (Ravitch, 2010). While meeting some of the monetary concerns of urban schools with high dropout rates, funding may have been

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Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 overlooked for primary years programs and elementary schools with similar financial challenges. Berliner and Biddle (1995) argue that American expenditures on primary and secondary education are not only insufficient for our childrens needs, but extremely inequitable. School funding, whether public or private, is incongruent even in neighboring schools. Author and speaker Daniel Pink suggests, in his book Drive, that workers should be paid enough that money is not a primary concern. The same holds true for education. Provide enough funding so that funding is no longer the concern, once again revealing learning as the fundamental purpose of every school in every district in our country. In addition, Berliner & Biddle (1995) disclose the disparity in educational expenditures in the United States compared with other industrialized nationsmany of which our children are evaluated against on international measures of excellence such as the TIMSS. They suggest that American society has tolerated huge differences in funding for schools even as our systems are growing to meet the needs of more and more diverse populations and more and more international measures of excellence. Moreover, income maldistribution creates problems because it is very difficult to provide rich learning experiences for impoverished students and eliminate achievement discrepancies among subgroups when compared to those who come from more affluent contexts. Taken all together, I believe that our schools need equitable funding and the basis for such funding needs to result from collaborative discussions between real stakeholders in educationparents, students, teachersand decision-makers. No longer can we expect schools that are filled with children who come to school hungry and ill-prepared because of a lack of early childhood education to perform in tandem with children from affluent backgrounds and schools. Moreover, the democratic advantage in the United States is uncanny to many other

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Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 nations who require entrance exams even for high school. All of our children come to school. Why not accept responsibility and ensure adequate funding for all? The C Phrase-Changing Educational Contexts Web 2.0. Wiki. Blog. Facebook. Interactive Whiteboard. Internet-based education. Animoto. Wordle. At my birth, these interactive technological tools were nonexistent or existed only in the imagination of their creators. With the ever-changing dynamics and availability of technology, educators must be equipped to deliver seamless lessons that engage students in their digital world while meeting the curricular standards set by our state and nation. Pascopella and Richardson (2009) support: With the advent of Web-based social networking tools like blogs and wikis, YouTube and Facebook, it may be that the next revision of writing pedagogy is upon us, one that emphasizes digital spaces, multimedia texts, global audiences and linked conversations among passionate readers. Placed in the context of integrating literacy in the content area of mathematics, technology must be embraced to engage students and prepare them for the jobs they will have as adults. Furthermore, authors Stephens and Ballast (2011) provide a worldview of technology integration: If the corporate community is moving toward social networking systems and teens are the experts on social networking systems, shouldnt we regard sites like Facebook differently in schools? (pg. 3). Collectively, educators must welcome these changes, collaborate, rethink the process of education, and shift current practices to meet the needs of our student population, which requires interdisciplinary efforts. Stephens and Ballast corroborate: Key to this rethinking process is articulating these shifts throughout the K12 curriculum, across all disciplines, as well as providing professional development opportunities for teachers, (11). The D Phrase-Dedicated Professional

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Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 What does it mean to be a high-performing teacher? How do we measure effectiveness? Kane, Rockoff, and Staiger (2007) investigated the plethora of ways teachers obtain certification and how certification impacts professional prowess. They concluded teachers make long strides in their first three years, with very little experience-related improvement after that. In a related study, Hanushek and Rivkin (2004) projected that having five years of good teachers in a row could overcome the average seventh-grade mathematics achievement gap between lower-income kids and those from higher income families. High-quality teachers can make up for the typical deficits seen in the preparation of kids from disadvantaged backgrounds (21-23). Good teaching matters. What constitutes good? The teaching gap explored by Stigler and Hiebert (1999) is a set of documented differences in teaching strategies and methods utilized by practitioners in Germany, Japan, and the United States. These differences in daily practice accumulate over time and impact what and how students learn, eventually producing different results on international assessments such as the TIMSS. What remains is an opportunity to establish a framework for effective teaching methods that integrate literacy and utilize available technologies. It is judicious to explore how change has transpired in the past decades. From a historical perspective, In 1968, many preparatory programs didnt even require child development courses. And while almost all of them require them now, most do not help teachers learn how to create a positive school environment and to intentionally integrate development, curriculum, instruction, and assessment in the service of good learning and desirable behavior. (Glickman, 2009, 64). Improving teaching requires that teachers learn, which counters the reality that teachers work alone and have little time for collaboration. Schools must be places where teachers, as well as students, can learn (Stigler & Hiebert, 1999). The issue of professional development is illustrated further by a system designed to support teachers and

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Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 improve teaching, because teachers are key to closing the gap. Our current systems of growing teacher professionals are incongruent with the demands of todays classrooms. Continued professional development must be at the epicenter of educational reform. Most important, teachers must be well educated and know their subjects. To impart a love of learning, they should love learning and love teaching what they know, (Ravitch, 811). This breed of teacher is the savior of our educational system. Horton and Friere (1990) concur: For me what is fundamental in the role of the teacher is to help the student to discover that inside of the difficulties there is a moment of pleasure, of joy [in learning] (23). Practitioners are challenged daily with diverse students who may be difficult to engage, motivate or challenge. The star teachers of the twenty-first century will be those who work together to infuse the best ideas into standard practicewho collaborate to build a system that has the goal of improving students learningwho work to gradually improve standard classroom practices (Stigler & Hiebert, 1999, 179). Equipped with these fundamental traits, a well-developed repertoire of content knowledge, and a robust pedagogy, student achievement will soar! It may not reflect 100% of NCLBs goals, but children will be learning and growing, a cornerstone of our democratic roots. As systems change, I will dictate how to provide professional development in contentarea literacy. The following considerations must be made in light of Stigler and Hieberts (1999) pinnacle comparative analysis of teaching mathematics: 1) Restructuring should be done at the district level[it] provides teachers with a critical but often overlooked opportunity for professional growthto enlarge their horizons beyond their own classrooms and their own schools (146). 2) Teachers can misinterpret reform and change surface features--for example, they include more group work; use more manipulatives, calculators, and real-world

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Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 problem scenarios; or include writing in the lesson--but fail to alter their basic approach to teaching mathematics (107). The E Phrase: Educational Excellence Psychologist Irving Janis coined the term "groupthink" as a mode of thinking "that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members' strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action." (143). Consider how many school improvement teams, teacher planning committees and, in considering a larger scale, education systems across our nation struggle with making change occur as a result of groupthink. Historical founders of 19th century education systems such as John Dewey, the Beechers, and other leaders established ideals that shape today's classrooms in a variety of ways. Why do we continue to allow this to happen when educational excellence is the goal? The variables of the educational reform equation have changed and we must react in order to provide an antidote against this format of education. Ken Robinson is an acclaimed educational reformer whose platform is "schools kill creativity." In his experience, Robinson contracted polio as a young child and was sent to attend a school for special needs children. During that time period, high schools in Great Britain were delineated into grammar schools and secondary modern schools. Per Robinson (2009), "the grammar school offered a more prestigious academic education, and...were the primary routes to professional careers and universities. Secondary modern schools offered a more practical education for kids to take up manual and blue-collar jobs." (171). Creative thought was encouraged in grammar school whereas secondary modern schools fostered the development of employability skills.

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Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 By chance, Robinson was able to take the eleven-plus, a series of IQ tests designed to identify the aptitudes necessary for success in grammar school and beyond. His opportunity was "by chance" because most students in special education programs were not given the opportunity to even attempt the eleven-plus, ultimately accepting a lifetime of manual work. Placed in the context of education in 2011, I wonder how many of our students are experiencing a lack of opportunity albeit for other reasons? Consider the label of "special education" or "limited English proficient," whereby we are placing students in silos that characterize their abilities and aptitudes. Our schools must foster the curiosity of all students; thereby paving a way to lifelong learners and a better society. One of the problems with reform is that far too often, researchers and/or practitioners peg themselves into the current system and fail to experiment with ideas that challenge conventional frameworks (Horton & Freire, 1990). Additionally, Ravitch (2010) illustrates the conundrum of successful educational reforms, it is the danger of taking a good idea and expanding it rapidly, spreading it thin. What is stunningly successful in a small setting, nurtured by its founders and brought to life by a cadre of passionate teachers, seldom survives the transition when it is turned into a large-scale reform (230). Educational excellence is characterized as a living, responsive system driven by the daily work and dedication of reflective practitioners. Every institution is interdependent with every other institution and with their social and physical environment created by leaders. These practitioners bring to life the visions and expertise of reformers such as Deborah Meier, who explained, We are all embedded in the larger world, and every act sets off reactions. Life is full of compromises. Its a tautology (Glickman, 2009, 16). They illustrate the conceptualization of Inquiry as Stance by adopting John Goodlads reflection protocol: What did I learn today, what

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Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 does it mean, and how shall I use it? These practitioners are at the epicenter of reform success or failure. As I continue to analyze my context and problems of practice, Hock advises: understanding requires mastery of four ways of looking at thingsas they were, as they are, as they might become, and as they ought to be, (192). And so, the challenge to keep up with the Jones and provide an equitable, adequate education for all continues.

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Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 References Berliner, D.C., & Biddle, B.J. (1995). The manufactured crisis: Myths, fraud, and the attack on Americas public schools. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing. Cochran-Smith, M. and S. Lytle (2009). Inquiry as Stance: Practitioner Research for the Next Generation. New York: Teachers College Press. Eisner, E. (1992). Educational reform and the ecology of schooling. Teachers College Record 93(4): 610-627. Glaser, R. (1987). Commentary by the National Academy of Education. The Nations Report Card: Improving the assessment of student achievement. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Education. Glickman, C. (2009). Those Who Dared: Five Visionaries Who Changed American Education. New York: Teachers College Press. Hanushek, E. & S. Rivkin (2004). How to improve the supply of high-quality teachers. Brookings Papers on Education Policy. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 14-23. Herrington, Hodgson, & Moran (2009). Teaching the New Writing: Technology, Change, and Assessment in the 21st-Century Classroom. Teachers College, Columbia University. Hock, D. (1999). Birth of the chaordic age. San Francisco: Berrett-Kohler, 192. Horton, M. and P. Freire (1990). We Make the Road By Walking: Conversation and Education and Social Change. Brenda Bell, John Gaventa, and John Peters (Eds.). Philadelphia: Temple University Press. Kane, Rockoff, & Staiger (2007). Photo finish: Certification does not guarantee a winner. Education Next, 1, 60-67.

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Janet Larson TEAC 991-Context Paper Wunder, Spring 2011 McEwen, H. (1991). Narrative understanding in the study of teaching. American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL. Pascopella & Richardson (2009). The new writing pedagogy: Using social networking tools to keep up with student interests. Available: http://www.weblogg-ed.com Proefriedt, W. (2008). High expectations: The cultural roots of standards reform in American education. New York: Teachers College Press. Ravitch, D. (2010). The death and life of the great American school system: How testing and choice are undermining education. New York, NY: Basic Books. Robinson, K. (2009). The element: How finding your passion changes everything. New York, NY: Penguin Books. Stephens & Ballast (2011). Using Technology to Improve Adolescent Writing: Digital MakeOvers for Writing Lessons. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Allyn & Bacon. Stigler, J. & J. Hiebert (1999). The teaching gap: Best ideas from the world teachers for improving education in the classroom. New York, NY: The Free Press. Scott, W. and J. Meyer (1991). The rise of training programs in firms and agencies: An institutional perspective. Research in Organizational Behavior, 13, 297-326, Barry M. Staw and L. L. Cummings, ed. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. Varenne, H. and R.McDermott (1999). Successful failure: The school America builds. Boulder, CO: Westview Press

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