Madeline Hunter was Right! New article from ASCD

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Madeline Hunter was Right! New article from ASCD

by Jan

Jan 20, 2011

I've known this since 1975 and have never once wavered. She's never been wrong...and never proved wrong by new research. In fact, new research has validated what she taught us.

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Jan, with an excerpt The new book about this topic was written by Mike Schmoker....who I love. He has really been on top of it for a few years now. Here's an excerpt from the book:

Chapter 1. The Importance of Simplicity, Clarity, and Priority

As odd as it sounds, simple, well-known strategies and structures drive improvement in any organization (Pf...See MoreThe new book about this topic was written by Mike Schmoker....who I love. He has really been on top of it for a few years now. Here's an excerpt from the book:

Chapter 1. The Importance of Simplicity, Clarity, and Priority

As odd as it sounds, simple, well-known strategies and structures drive improvement in any organization (Pfeffer & Sutton, 2000). In education, this means that the general underperformance of schools can be directly attributed to a failure to implement three simple, well-known elements: a common curriculum, sound lessons, and authentic literacy. We love to talk about these elements. But we have never fully clarified them or obsessed over their implementation. And we haven't done enough to clarify the astonishing impact these three elements would have if they were even reasonably well implemented.

As Allan Odden writes, our failure to improve schools in the last few decades isn't because we lack funding or don't know how to improve schools. What we lack is the "will and persistence" to implement what we already know (Odden, 2009, p. 22). Or as Collins writes, the key to success is not innovation; it is "simplicity and diligence" applied with fierce devotion to our highest priorities (Collins, 2001b, p. 104). First Things First

Let's begin with a general description of what should be our highest priorities, which we will continue to clarify in Chapters 2 and 3 (and for the subject areas in Chapters 4 to 7). I will often use terms like "decent," "sound," and "reasonably good" when referring to these elements. This is to stress that they are so potent they do not need to be implemented perfectly or with any special skill. Their profound impact will come largely from all teachers applying them consistently and reasonably well. Then, as teachers continue to work in teams to practice and refine their implementation, even better results will ensue. We can count on this.

Here are the three elements that we should approach with "simplicity and diligence," until they are satisfactorily understood and implemented in every subject area.

1. What We Teach. This simply means a decent, coherent curriculum, with topics and standards collectively selected by a team of teachers from the school or district—that is actually taught. The number of "power standards" (Ainsworth, 2003a) must not be excessive; it should account for about half of what is contained in our standards documents (Marzano, 2003). This allows us to teach the essential standards in sufficient intellectual depth, with adequate time for deep reading, writing, and talking. Why is this so important? Because such "guaranteed and viable curriculum" (Marzano, 2003, p. 22) is perhaps the most significant school factor that affects learning. But such a curriculum is found in very few schools (Berliner, 1984; Marzano, 2003; Schmidt, 2008).

2. How We Teach. Think of this simply as ordinary, structurally sound lessons that employ the same basic formula that educators have known for decades but few implement consistently. As we'll see in Chapter 3, this formula was formalized some 50 years ago (but is, in essence, thousands of years old). Yet the impact of such lessons, if we implemented them with even rough consistency, would be jaw-dropping (Wiliam, 2007). We'll look at the evidence for this in Chapter 3. Importantly, the pivotal feature of effective lessons is the conscientious effort, throughout the lesson, to ensure that all students are learning each segment of the lesson before moving to the next one.

3. Authentic Literacy. Authentic literacy is integral to both what and how we teach. It is the "spine" that "holds everything together" in all subject areas (Phillips & Wong, 2010, p. 41). In this book, "literacy" or "authentic literacy" simply means purposeful— and usually argumentative—reading, writing, and talking (Lunsford & Ruszkiewicz, 2009). (As we'll also see, explanations and summaries are forms of argument.) Literacy is still the unrivalled, but grossly under-implemented, key to learning both content and thinking skills. But authentic literacy is categorically different from the so-called "reading skills" and pseudo-standards that have wrought such havoc in language arts. We'll be looking at the case for very different kinds of literacy standards in Chapter 4.

It is worth emphasizing here that implementation of the above elements will benefit immeasurably when teachers work in teams—that is, in true "professional learning communities" where curriculum and lessons are continuously developed, tested, and refined on the basis of assessment results (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2006; Schmoker, 2006).

Believe this or don't: These three elements, if even reasonably well-executed, would have more impact than all other initiatives combined. In the great majority of our schools, they will do more than any other combination of efforts to ensure that record numbers of students learn and are prepared for college, careers, and citizenship. A content-rich curriculum, sound lessons, and authentic literacy would wholly redefine what public schools can accomplish with children of every socioeconomic stratum. Because of this, their satisfactory implementation should be our most urgent, jealously guarded priority—the ongoing focus of every team meeting, every professional development session, every faculty and central office meeting, every monitoring and reporting effort. Until these elements are reasonably well implemented, it makes little sense to adopt or learn new programs, technology, or any other innovations. To be fair, any innovation is fair game once these elements are implemented if— but only if—that innovation does not in any way dilute or distract us from these always-vulnerable priorities.

Does this sound too "simplistic"? Can such simplicity really be the elusive key to better schools? To get some perspective, let's step outside our own profession for a moment

Jan 20, 2011

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judy5ca Jan, thanks for posting this. I like it, but I sent you an email asking about purchase. I want to say here that I am THRILLED BEYOND BELIEF to read the words "authentic literacy." We are just having this discussion now in our new collaborative group (which is a mix of 2 schools who operate quite differently). THANK YOU FOR THE AMMO! Judy

O...See MoreJan, thanks for posting this. I like it, but I sent you an email asking about purchase. I want to say here that I am THRILLED BEYOND BELIEF to read the words "authentic literacy." We are just having this discussion now in our new collaborative group (which is a mix of 2 schools who operate quite differently). THANK YOU FOR THE AMMO! Judy

On 1/20/11, Jan, with an excerpt wrote: > The new book about this topic was written by Mike > Schmoker....who I love. He has really been on top of it for a > few years now. Here's an excerpt from the book: > > Chapter 1. The Importance of Simplicity, Clarity, and Priority > > As odd as it sounds, simple, well-known strategies and > structures drive improvement in any organization (Pfeffer & > Sutton, 2000). In education, this means that the general > underperformance of schools can be directly attributed to a > failure to implement three simple, well-known elements: a > common curriculum, sound lessons, and authentic literacy. We > love to talk about these elements. But we have never fully > clarified them or obsessed over their implementation. And we > haven't done enough to clarify the astonishing impact these > three elements would have if they were even reasonably well > implemented. > > As Allan Odden writes, our failure to improve schools in > the last few decades isn't because we lack funding or don't > know how to improve schools. What we lack is the "will and > persistence" to implement what we already know (Odden, 2009, > p. 22). Or as Collins writes, the key to success is not > innovation; it is "simplicity and diligence" applied with > fierce devotion to our highest priorities (Collins, 2001b, > p. 104). First Things First > > Let's begin with a general description of what should be our > highest priorities, which we will continue to clarify in > Chapters 2 and 3 (and for the subject areas in Chapters 4 to > 7). I will often use terms like "decent," "sound," and > "reasonably good" when referring to these elements. This is to > stress that they are so potent they do not need to be > implemented perfectly or with any special skill. Their > profound impact will come largely from all teachers applying > them consistently and reasonably well. Then, as teachers > continue to work in teams to practice and refine their > implementation, even better results will ensue. We can count > on this. > > Here are the three elements that we should approach with > "simplicity and diligence," until they are satisfactorily > understood and implemented in every subject area. > > 1. What We Teach. This simply means a decent, coherent > curriculum, with topics and standards collectively selected by > a team of teachers from the school or district—that is > actually taught. The number of "power standards" > (Ainsworth, 2003a) must not be excessive; it should account > for about half of what is contained in our standards documents > (Marzano, 2003). This allows us to teach the essential > standards in sufficient intellectual depth, with adequate time > for deep reading, writing, and talking. Why is this so > important? Because such "guaranteed and viable curriculum" > (Marzano, 2003, p. 22) is perhaps the most significant school > factor that affects learning. But such a curriculum is found > in very few schools (Berliner, 1984; Marzano, 2003; Schmidt, > 2008). > > 2. How We Teach. Think of this simply as ordinary, > structurally sound lessons that employ the same basic formula > that educators have known for decades but few implement > consistently. As we'll see in Chapter 3, this formula was > formalized some 50 years ago (but is, in essence, thousands of > years old). Yet the impact of such lessons, if we > implemented them with even rough consistency, would be > jaw-dropping (Wiliam, 2007). We'll look at the evidence > for this in Chapter 3. Importantly, the pivotal feature of > effective lessons is the conscientious effort, throughout the > lesson, to ensure that all students are learning each segment > of the lesson before moving to the next one. > > 3. Authentic Literacy. Authentic literacy is integral to > both what and how we teach. It is the "spine" that "holds > everything together" in all subject areas (Phillips & > Wong, 2010, p. 41). In this book, "literacy" or "authentic > literacy" simply means purposeful— and usually > argumentative—reading, writing, and talking (Lunsford & > Ruszkiewicz, 2009). (As we'll also see, explanations and > summaries are forms of argument.) Literacy is still the > unrivalled, but grossly under-implemented, key to learning > both content and thinking skills. But authentic literacy is > categorically different from the so-called "reading skills" > and pseudo-standards that have wrought such havoc in language > arts. We'll be looking at the case for very different kinds of > literacy standards in Chapter 4. > > It is worth emphasizing here that implementation of the > above elements will benefit immeasurably when teachers work in > teams—that is, in true "professional learning communities" > where curriculum and lessons are continuously developed, > tested, and refined on the basis of assessment results > (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2006; Schmoker, 2006). > > Believe this or don't: These three elements, if even > reasonably well-executed, would have more impact than all > other initiatives combined. In the great majority of our > schools, they will do more than any other combination of > efforts to ensure that record numbers of students learn and > are prepared for college, careers, and citizenship. A > content-rich curriculum, sound lessons, and authentic literacy > would wholly redefine what public schools can accomplish with > children of every socioeconomic stratum. Because of this, > their satisfactory implementation should be our most urgent, > jealously guarded priority—the ongoing focus of every team > meeting, every professional development session, every faculty > and central office meeting, every monitoring and reporting > effort. Until these elements are reasonably well implemented, > it makes little sense to adopt or learn new programs, > technology, or any other innovations. To be fair, any > innovation is fair game once these elements are implemented > if— but only if—that innovation does not in any way dilute or > distract us from these always-vulnerable priorities. > > Does this sound too "simplistic"? Can such simplicity really > be the elusive key to better schools? To get some perspective, > let's step outside our own profession for a moment

Jan 23, 2011

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