On the Forefront This Month

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No matter what school you lead, you are part of the larger context.  

Adapted from a speech by Nancy Nestor-Baker, Ph.D.
Ohio Entry-Year Principal Program Institute, August 11, 2008

Some of the very best principals are those who understand that they are part of a much larger effort than can be seen in one school or one district. All of us—K-12, higher education, every grade level, in every type of community—are joined in a common endeavor to defeat ignorance, to build minds and feed souls, to prepare a way toward a future we can only dimly see. We’re going to look at some examples of the larger context of your job as an Ohio principal. It is within that very important, often unconsidered, context that your leadership flows.

But it is not enough to merely acknowledge the connection. We must seek to understand it at a pragmatic level within the context of our own sphere of influence.

The people of Ohio are sending us a clear message to…build an education system, from preschool through college, that doesn’t just compete with our neighbors like Indiana and Kentucky, but rivals the best schools in the world.
Governor of Ohio Ted Strickland

The people of Ohio care deeply about education. They may have differing ideas about it but they believe in its importance. They believe in public education and they know we have to make strides to help our children be prepared for their futures. Poll after poll shows that to be true. Governor Strickland’s comments tell us the beacon he is following—it is a beacon supported by politicians on both sides of the aisle and by educators and businesspeople alike. The crux of the matter comes when we need to decide just what that world class definition means, and how it is impacted by local conditions, opportunities, and challenges in Columbus and Van Wert and Meigs County and Ashland.

Opportunity Map

The “opportunity map” at right was done by the Kirwan Institute for Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State. The information combines educational and economic data at the neighborhood level and provides a visual way to think about what kind of opportunity we have across the state. The darker the color showing on the map, the higher the opportunity level. The good news is that high levels of opportunity exist in the state, despite our concerns about faltering industry and a weak economy. The bad news is that there is a lot of unevenness across the state and even right in the middle of high opportunity areas there are pockets of low opportunity, sometimes separated by less than a mile.

Competitiveness has slipped

The opportunity map is based on recent data. But it points to a significant concern that began to be evident years ago. Over the past 30 years, Ohio’s economic competitiveness has slipped. Our old ways of being and doing and earning a living are gone. Where our per capita income was once well above the national average, we are now nearly 6 points below it.

Economic strength and education go hand in hand. The reality is soberingly clear. To improve our economic standings, we must enhance our educational attainments.

Ohio’s economic competitiveness depends on the ability of its school system to produce an educated and skilled populace.
Creating a World Class Education System in Ohio, Achieve, Inc., 2006

Overall Ohio achievement and attainment levels

We know that education and economic strength go hand in hand. So how are we doing?

Academic preparation—The good news:

• More Ohio students are achieving proficient levels on state and national tests. Judging from Ohio’s state assessment scores, the majority of Ohio students are doing relatively well. In the 2006 exams, for instance, 75 percent of 3rd graders scored at the proficient level or above in mathematics, 71 percent in reading.
• The 2006 scores for 6th graders were higher in reading (84 percent meeting standards) than in mathematics (68 percent proficient or above).
• In 8th grade, 77 percent of students scored proficient or above in reading, and 68 percent scored proficient or above in mathematics in 2006.
• In 2006, 89 percent of 10th graders passed the reading component of the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT), 83 percent passed the math component and 73 percent passed science.

Source: Ohio Grantmakers Forum, 2006

And there is good news on our NAEP scores:

• NAEP 2005 Grade 4 Reading: Ohio ranked 15th out of 50 states
• NAEP 2005 Grade 4 Math: 11th out of 50
• NAEP 2005 Grade 8 Reading: 15th out of 50
• NAEP 2005 Grade 8 Math: 15th out of 50
• NAEP 2005 Grade 8 Science: 16th out of 50

But the achievement gap is alive and well.:

• 30%:  Average percentage point gap at 3rd grade between white and African-American who are proficient in reading and math on Ohio’s state test.
• 30%:  Average percentage point gap at 6th grade between white and African-American who are proficient in reading and math.
• 33%:  Average percentage point gap at 8th grade between white and African who are proficient in reading and math.
• 19%:  Average percentage point gap at 10th grade between white and African-American who are proficient in reading and math.

Source: Ohio Grantmakers Forum, 2006

At first glance, you might think that we diminish the achievement gap by the time our African-American students get to high school. But when do our students start dropping out? 

Eradicating achievement gaps… would strengthen the state both economically and socially.
Creating a World Class Education System in Ohio, Achieve, Inc., 2006

And what about postsecondary education in Ohio? It is true that not every child needs to go to college. However, the decision about college should not be a default decision, based on lack of opportunity or faulty preparation. Our students should be prepared to pursue education after high school. If we do not provide that preparation, we have made the no-college decision for them – and that is not our right.

As part of understanding the larger context of your position, consider the following information that highlights some serious concerns in Ohio’s P-16 educational system – and in our efforts to boost Ohio’s economic strength:

• We are below the national average in college completion (53% nationally vs. 47% in Ohio).
• We rank 29th nationally in the attainment of bachelor’s degrees and 32nd in associate degrees (but we have improved!).
• 24.8% of Ohioans have a bachelor’s degree or higher (national average is 29.5%).
• To reach the national average, about 230,000 more Ohioans would have to earn associates, bachelor’s, or advanced degrees.
• To bring us up to a level of international economic competitiveness similar to what we once knew, approximately 430,000 more Ohioans would need bachelor’s degrees.
• To be competitive with top-performing states would require more than 600,000 more Ohioans would need associate’s, bachelor’s, or higher degrees.

Source: Ohio Board of Regents

As you might expect from that information, our college going rates for just-out-of-high-school students trails states designated as leaders in postsecondary attainment:

Source: Ed Trust, 2007

A more educated population is a key component to Ohio‘s economic future. BUT educational rigor must be maintained.

1. The single most important predictor of college success is successful completion of a rigorous high school curriculum.
1. Over 70% of our high schoolers do not take the full core (Ohio Core is the state’s effort to change that).
2. Students who are poorly prepared in middle school are unlikely to successfully complete a rigorous high school curriculum.
3. Students who are lacking in mathematic and reading literacy in elementary school are unlikely to succeed in middle school.
4. Students behind their age peers when starting kindergarten often widen that gap rather than narrowing it.

We are challenged by the amount of students who must take remedial courses when they go to college.  Viewing our educational system as a P-16 approach will help us align across institutional levels more effectively, providing more opportunity for our students’ success.

All this info adds up to one thing:

Ohio’s Academic Pipeline Leaks!

Out of 170,000 Ohio 9th graders:

• 71% will graduate from high school;
• 60% of those will go to college (120,000);
• 50% of those will graduate in 6 years (36,000 graduates);
• about 21% of the 9th graders will earn a bachelor’s w/in 10 years.

So Imagine with Me…

1. A fresh-faced kindergarten class of 30 children:
1. Choose the 9 who won’t graduate from high school.
2. Out of the 21 who will graduate from high school, choose the 13 who will go to college.
3. Out of the 13 who will go to college, choose the 6 or 7 who will graduate in six years.
4. Explain this to the class’ families and  community.

Ouch.

Now, after seeing all that, think about these questions:

Are you here to help raise educational aspiration levels in your students, no matter what grade levels you serve?
Are you here to implement the district’s curriculum, to strive to meet standards?
Are you here to help teachers do the best possible job for their students?
Are you here to be a role model for students, teachers, and other administrators?

I hope you answered a resounding “YES” to each of those questions. And I hope you know that you have within you reservoirs of power to help build a strong future for your students and for all Ohioans. Knowledge is power. We know more about achievement and more about what helps with success than ever before.

Our challenge is to use our knowledge to build pathways across levels and institutions. Our quest is to foster aspirations and achievement among all students.

Lessons for today:

The stakes are high.
The problems are solvable.

Your leadership is hugely important to all of us, in ways close to home and far-ranging.

Contributor of the Month

Nancy Nestor-Baker, Director, P-12 Project, The Ohio State University