{"id":1220,"date":"2011-12-08T11:00:17","date_gmt":"2011-12-08T16:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/convergegroup\/?p=1220"},"modified":"2011-12-09T09:34:50","modified_gmt":"2011-12-09T14:34:50","slug":"education-reform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/convergegroup\/2011\/12\/08\/education-reform\/","title":{"rendered":"Education Reform"},"content":{"rendered":"

Indiana Education Reform causes local concern, preparation<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

by Andr\u00e9 Smith<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\"YouTube<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n

Education reform is causing the Indiana Department of Education<\/a> and schools across the state to change how students are instructed to improve student and teacher performance.<\/p>\n

Law Changes<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The department of education currently uses Public Law 221<\/a> to determine grades for schools. According to the law, schools that receive an F on the grading scale for six consecutive years may be taken over by the state or have to engage in a partnership with a private company.<\/p>\n

After complaints from school administrators saying this old plan was too tough and unfair, the department of education changed its school A to F grading system.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Graphic by Andr\u00e9 Smith<\/p><\/div>\n

The new plan that will go in effect next school year will rate more high schools at A that were previously stuck with a C. Many schools found it hard to prove to the state that students who were ethnic minorities, from low-income families, and in special education made \u201cadequate yearly progress.\u201d \u00a0
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

Changes are also taking place in the local level as four Indianapolis Public Schools<\/a> will undergo a takeover with the old system\u2014\u00ad\u00ad and two, Broad Ripple and George Washington Community High School, will engage in a partnership after both proved that they have made some improvements over the years.<\/p>\n

Local Complaints<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

IPS officials said schools like Broad Ripple should not be taken over because the state combined middle school and high school scores when determining which school to take over.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they looked at high schools separately, and if they looked at middle schools separately, the high schools were well above where they should have been,\u201d Mary Busch, IPS school board president, said. \u201cIt was not until the state stepped in and combined the junior high scores and the high schools scores, did the scores go down.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the 2010-2011 school year, 46.8 percent of Broad Ripple\u2019s students passed both their English and Math ISTEP tests, down from 58.4 percent the previous school year. Bennett said this decrease is what caused the department to decide intervention was necessary. Broad Ripple Principal Linda Davis said she believes the failing scores are due to student motivation, particularly in the younger students.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to ISTEP, the sixth, seventh and eighth graders have been taking this dang test since they were in third grade, and it doesn\u2019t mean anything to them,\u201d Davis said. \u201cIt never has and it never has affected them in any way. The older students know they have to pass the End of Course Assessments, which is the high school equivalent to ISTEP tests, so they\u2019re much more focused.\u201d<\/p>\n

IPS initially threatened to file a lawsuit against the department of education, with the school board voting 4-3 to sue if the takeovers took place, but decided against it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first we talked about a lawsuit, but after our attorneys and our superintendent talked we just put our energies into doing a better job,\u201d Busch said.<\/p>\n

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett said he used a lot of thought when deciding which schools will be taken over and that IPS officials knew the rules when they decided to add middle school grade levels to some of its high schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rules in place on how the state takes into consideration blended schools has been in existence for a long time,\u201d Bennett said. \u201cSo when [IPS Superintendent Eugene] White and the IPS board made the decision to make those 7-12 buildings, Dr. White and the school board accepted the fact those schools would be considered using that blended method.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Graphic by Andr\u00e9 Smith<\/p><\/div>\n

Bennett said the state decided not to completely overtake two of the schools because they showed signs of improvement the others did not.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we saw in Broad Ripple and George Washington was the need for more targeted intervention,\u201d Bennett said. \u201cInstead of putting turnaround school operators in there, we said there are some really good things going on in George Washington and Broad Ripple. But here is what they need to take them from where they are to where they need to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bennett added that he believes the state did not move fast enough in the situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I don\u2019t think we acted quick enough,\u201d Bennett said. \u201cI think we allowed six years of the erosion of the education system, and we allowed children to attend these schools that were failing for six years. So I think we should have acted quicker.\u201d<\/p>\n

New Concerns<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Davis said she has some concerns about the partnership her school will take part in next year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is worrying when you have someone looking over your shoulder and several people from the company will be here every day,\u201d Davis said. \u201cDr. Bennett said if we do not collaborate with the company then they could possibly stay longer or we could be taken over. That is also worrying because it is kind of subjective to say someone is not collaborating enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bennett contended that the partnerships and takeovers would only stay in place until scores make improvements.<\/p>\n

But many teachers say Broad Ripple already does a good job of educating its students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Broad Ripple has done an excellent job,\u201d radio and acoustics teacher Vernon Williams said. \u201cOne of the unique things about Broad Ripple is the fact that it is a humanities magnet and it gives students the opportunity to do things that they love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Current Focus<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Broad Ripple is a magnet school that focuses on the arts and humanities. The school was made into a magnet school two years ago in an effort to show the state that changes were made to help students. Teachers say the arts help students because they are allowed to focus on something they enjoy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Students at Broad Ripple are allowed to choose a magnet in the visual and performing arts. Photo courtesy of Broad Ripple High School<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe are really strong on the arts,\u201d Rusnak said. \u201cMost of the kids are wonderful artists and they do so much for the school. They are in theater. They are on athletic teams. A lot of our kids are involved and it really is like a community here. I think there are more positives at Broad Ripple High School than negatives, by far.\u201d<\/p>\n

After spending his freshman year at Arsenal Tech High School, Junior Christian Peek said he decided to come to Broad Ripple because of its arts program.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to Tech my freshman year and I came here because of the performing arts,\u201d Peek said. \u201cI want to be a theatre music director when I grow up. And the training of our director is phenomenal and I heard how wonderful she is. I hesitated when I came here because it was so new of a school but when I came, I don\u2019t regret it at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

New Changes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Members from Scholastic Achievement Partners<\/a>, the company that will be partnered with Broad Ripple, visited the school once and gave suggestions for improvement.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now we are just sounding each other out and [company representatives are] trying to find where they think they can help,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n

One of the suggestions was for Broad Ripple\u2019s teachers to engage in peer review sessions, where teachers meet to discuss lesson plans and new teaching methods. Many teachers say these sessions have been beneficial.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey just want to help us improve, and offer resources, and allow teachers to observe other teachers which I think is definitely a good thing,\u201d English teacher Katy Rusnak said.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, teachers like Williams said that Broad Ripple faces the same problems all schools face but teachers have to change the way students think to make an impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s lasting is the things that have to do with character, that have to do with resiliency, and more cognitive learning,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThose are the things that are more lasting and are what I think teachers should endeavor to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students say their relationship with teachers is part of what makes the school unique.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think truly here all the teachers know how to get everyone to work,\u201d Peek said. \u201cAnd if you don\u2019t know how to work, they\u2019ll get you there. A lot are encouraging, so that we do our work right and still have time to do our performing arts stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the school\u2019s focus on the arts is what students say they enjoy the most.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Broad Ripple's failing scores made state leaders decide intervention was necessary.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an art school and I feel that draws a lot of people, and different kinds of people, and it just makes things more exciting,\u201d freshman Owen Tate said. \u201cArt to me is doing something no one else can do because it\u2019s your viewpoint. It\u2019ll always be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Freshman Rayauna Wilburn said she believes Broad Ripple will prepare her for a future career in entertainment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came here because it is different from any other school with a challenging education,\u201d Wilburn said. \u201cI came to the theater department because I want to be an actress, so I wanted to challenge myself to do something big.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilburn added that she thinks the school\u2019s many opportunities gives her and many students the experience needed to achieve these goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like it\u2019s a school where kids can actually get what they need as far as what they want to be in life or what they want to do in the music program, the theater department, the band,\u201d Wilburn said. \u201cIt\u2019s a really good experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To listen to Broad Ripple Principal Linda Davis’ school radio broadcast about the partnership, click here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

To view official Indiana Department of Education ISTEP results for individual schools, click here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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