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Learning & Education
Act
60 & Action Planning ... "Successful schools do not happen by accident." So begins the State's Action Planning Guide, a Dept. of Education resource intended to help administrators, school boards, and community members to shape the future of the schools. In the midst of all the huffing and puffing about Act 60, we seem to have spent more time talking about 'gold' than goals. Nonetheless, part of Act 60, admittedly only a small part, set forth certain rules "regarding the action planning process" -- a system whereby schools are required, with community participation, to set goals and then report back to the community on progress toward those goals on an annual basis. ... According to the Action Planning Guide, "The following proposed rules are the only requirements set forth in the Equal Educational Opportunity Act (Act 60) regarding the action planning process."
Each school shall develop and maintain an action plan that is designed to improve performance of all students in the school. For the purposes of this section, “a school” shall mean an individual public school building or combination of public school buildings with one administration. A school district may choose to develop a combined plan for some or all of the schools within the district. In the case of a combined plan, it shall reflect the different needs of individual schools. The plan shall be developed with the involvement of school board members, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members. The plan shall be developed using student performance data obtained from state and local assessments and other information related to student performance such as, but not limited to, dropout rates, retention rates, course enrollment patterns, and graduation rate. At least annually, the school shall review the plan for its effectiveness toward meeting the stated goals and revise as necessary based upon updated student performance data. The school board shall approve the plan and any revision thereof and ensure that the community is informed annually of the school’s progress toward meeting the goals of the plan. The plan shall contain:
b. Educational strategies and activities specifically designed to achieve these goals. (Approved for the Rulemaking Process by the State Board of Education on April 14, 1998) These rules are about as generic as they can be, which may be good inasmuch as it leaves a substantial amount of local control and discretion in place. But it is also somewhat confusing in that it doesn't seem to offer any clear idea of purpose or direction other than "Goals and objectives for improved student learning," and "Educational strategies and activities specifically designed to achieve these goals." These seem like not much more than the most basic statement possible of the purpose of education, something most teachers would have been embarrassed to write in their sophomore ed classes. But the fact that it derives from legislation rather than directly from educational policy initiatives may have something to do with it. In fact, part of the preamble to the above rules sounds more like a strategy for re-election than school reform. It encourages Action Plans to ...
As we enter into yet another term of office under Governor Howard Dean, and as we still hear rumblings about Act 60, we might do well to take the time to ask ourselves, our schools, and our legislators just where we ought to focus our limited educational resources. One answer might be found in a recent article by Vermont NEA President, Angelo Dorta. ... Written for Vermont-NEA Today, December 2000, Dorta authored a piece entitled "What Matters Most? Quality Teaching." In response to the potpourri of research that purports to get us closer to what our schools need, Dorta frames the problem of education clearly, and in a way that many, we think, could agree with. ...
It's a simple assertion: Good teachers make for good education. It's a simple assertion and a straight line ... And, if we can let go of the politics -- and its obsession with costs and 'looking good' through manageable short-term goals -- we may find that what looks like a long haul may actually be the shortest distance between the points of conflict ... and more importantly, the shortest distance to genuine school improvement. lmc . ******* ******* If you would like to submit something for our Learning & Education section, don't hesitate to let us know. Simply e-mail us at learn@downstreetmagazine.com. The e-mail should contain your name, address, and a phone number where we can reach you. You may also send a copy of your proposed article. The text can either be included in the body of the e-mail, or you can send it as an attachment in just about any word processing format. If your piece is accepted, we will pay a small honorarium for your interest & your time. [See Freelancers Wanted for more details.] ******* ******* If you would like to advertise in this section, or throughout the magazine, please visit our Advertising Info Pages ... or call, write, or e-mail ads@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* ******* . |
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