By Anne C. Lewis
Watching hours of videotapes of eighth-grade math classrooms in the United
States and in Japan, researchers working with an international study suddenly
realized what observations had missed before. In this country, much of
the classroom discussion concerned tests and quizzes. In the 50 classrooms
studied in Japan, tests never once were mentioned.
Instead, Japanese teachers presented problems (without lecturing first),
urged their students to "struggle" finding different ways to solve
the problem, and led their students through detailed discussions of their
work. The intent of the teachers, say the researchers, was not to have
students solve individual problems but to understand the concepts behind
the problems. The Japanese system does not begin tracking students until
the ninth grade, so students of varying abilities filled the taped classrooms.
Teachers helped them all master the content up to a desirable level, using
national content standards and in-depth instruction.
This information comes from the Third International Mathematics and Science
Study (TIMSS), whose eighth-grade scores among the 41 participating countries
were released in November. Japanese students ranked third in terms of average
scores. Our students ranked 28th in average scores, below the average for
all of the countries. Yet, teachers in this country covered more content
and assigned more homework (a rarity in Japan), and Japanese students watch
as much TV as American 13-year-olds.
Admittedly, there are important differences between the two countries'
education systems. One is the greater status given to teachers in Japan;
another is their lighter teaching loads. Nonetheless, most of the contrast
in classroom environments concerns teacher expectations and knowledge.
In fact, the TIMSS report notes that the teaching in Japanese math classes
more closely resembled the recommendations of the reform movement in this
country than did the teaching in our own classrooms.
The angst expressed by our national leaders over the TIMSS scores mirrors
the disappointment of Louisville educators, parents, and citizens about
the latest KIRIS results. Some want to shoot the messenger--blame the test--rather
than study and learn from the message. Another reaction is to try "to
beat the test" the next time around by drilling students on discrete
aspects of the assessment.
What would happen if, instead, the middle-grade classrooms in Louisville
focused on content standards and higher expectations for all students?
What would teachers need to know and be able to do in order to help their
students know and be able to do what Kentucky's standards-based reform expects
of them? What kind of classroom resources will support this? There are
middle-grades teachers and schools in Louisville engaged in conversations
and work around this goal of being standards-based. Also, the school district
receives additional resources and assistance as part of a network of six
urban districts funded by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation to internalize
standards-based reforms in their middle grades.
A lot has to happen in the systems around middle-grades teachers and classrooms
to assure young adolescents enter high school well prepared and excited
about learning. The most encouraging turn of events, however, is the good
news for teachers. For too long, their professional lives have been isolated
and often tedious. Standards-based reforms give them an opportunity to
transform their professionalism, delve into new knowledge, explore skills
that open up challenging learning for all of their students.
Education reformers talk about world-class standards for students. What's
so important about the messages in KIRIS and in TIMSS is that the doors
are there to be opened by those who want to be world-class teachers.
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