Yes, it’s true. I’m thinking about moving to Finland. I want to be at the top of the world, and that’s where Finland is in educating children. So, why don’t we borrow what they are doing? Lots of reasons, but the most significant is our inability to let go of what isn’t working in favor of something that does. It’s simply too difficult because the requirements for change involve thinking about education differently, and standards-based education reform (setting measurable goals through testing to improve student achievement) has a mighty, choking grip.
How Did We End Up Here?
This is what happened: during the 2000 presidential campaign, Bush sold the idea that his brand of education reform was needed to close the achievement gap between whites and non-whites. Who wouldn’t want to support that? The result: No Child Left Behind (NCLB) became law in 2001 and put in place a test-based system of accountability which increased the role of the federal government in education. And, the bill had Democratic support. (August 12, 2011, The New York Times)
The law says every state has to set standards in reading and math, and all children must be proficient in these areas by 2014 to get federal money. Children in grades 3-8 are tested yearly, and districts write up reports as to whether or not schools are making adequate yearly progress (AYP). Schools that don’t make AYP face the possibility of not only less money, but also state takeovers or closings. What a mandate: do this or else!
Ten Years Later
Guess what? Educators complained! Tens of thousands of schools failed, they said, because the law’s requirements are impossible. There are too many variables in working with children (see prior blog posts) for a one size fits all approach. The law also hurts schools that might otherwise be exploring ways to meet student needs. Children are not, after all, cars on an assembly line with identical parts. The emphasis on punishment rather than solutions sets up schools to manipulate test results, not only through cheating, but also in reclassifying sub-groups (like high school drop-outs) to inflate success with minority students.
On top of all this, Democrats felt betrayed by Bush. He promised to provide federal aid to help low-scoring schools and he didn’t. Well, that makes a lot of sense right? Punish the schools for not performing, but don’t provide the needed resources for them to improve. All the money went to funding wars anyway, which everyone knows is far more important than education.
As 2014 looms, at least fifty percent of schools are or will miss the proficiency requirements, and some states (like Utah and Montana) are simply rebelling, telling the federal government to, well, shove it. In October 2009, the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed student achievement grew faster before NCLB. Math scores increased marginally for 8th graders, not at all for 4th graders, marking a six-year trend of sluggish growth since the law passed. Here’s one bright spot: Since attempts to rewrite the law have failed, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says he will use his executive authority to free states from the proficiency requirements. Hallelujah! There’s a step in the right direction! But we need so much more.
The Case for Finland
I watched a segment from Dr. Tony Wagner’s documentary The Finland Phenomenon: Inside the World’s Most Surprising School System. The best education system in the world rarely tests students and values teachers. The hell you say! In fact, just about everything Finland does contradicts what’s happening in the U.S. Children start school at age 7, they take fewer classes, spend less time in school each day (so teachers can work together and plan!), barely have any homework, and get three months off in the summer. Teachers are respected professionals, within the parent community and among administrators, must have a master’s degree, are rarely evaluated, and have a strong union. Schools receive modest funding, develop their own curricula including cooking, art, music, industrial arts, and literacy, research and adopt new technologies, keep class sizes small, value human interaction, and leave no child behind. There is no achievement gap.
On top of that, Finnish children learn three to four languages, are part of learning communities where it’s not about winning or losing, where extra help is standard practice, along with differentiated instruction to meet the needs of gifted students. I saw one room that had three teachers working with the children! Oh my God!
So a superintendent talked to a group visiting from the U. S. He said in Finland they’ve found that a shorter class day produces the best results because it gives children time for other activities (playing outside, music, family time). He said they trust their teachers. If you want to know if the kids are learning, he said, ask the teachers. No one says from outside the education system, do this or do that. Education does not belong to the politicians. I swoon at the thought.
So what’s the problem with trying some of these things? Well, the obvious answer is that politicians and corporations are running the show, and teachers are neither trusted nor valued. Those two factors alone would require huge shifts in our cultural thinking. Critics also say that Finland’s system can’t work here because our population is much larger, there’s greater ethnic diversity, and we have a higher flow of immigrants into the country.
I say, so what? Isn’t it time to try something new? Isn’t ten years long enough on the one size fits all approach of testing? If we continue the way we’re going, curiosity and innovation in this country will die, is already dying. No one will be left who can think and contribute to meeting the needs of a diverse culture. Can we really afford not to change?
