Learning from Abroad, April 6, 2011

This commentary by Robert B. Schwartz, Ben Levin, and Adam Gamoran is the second in series of 7 articles that I will be reading closely.  "Learning from Abroad" is looking at the educational systems and practices in industrialized countries that are faring well in the big international studies such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).  The countries with higher-performing schools include Finland, Singapore, Japan, and Ontario, Canada.   The working group on the "Futures of School Reform" is looking at the question :  "What would a new state system in this country look like if it were redesigned based on the best international evidence and experience?"  I am so relieved to know that scholars and researchers from the Harvard Graduate School of Education are investigating this issue.  It makes a lot of sense to me to be looking at educational systems that are clearly successful and learning from them.  Some of the lessons mentioned in this article:  Successful education systems focus attention and energy on what is going on in the classroom between teachers and students.  Schools provide on-going support and training for teachers. I wonder if this is also paid for by the school districts.  I have seen many professional development workshops for teachers in this country, all with a rather steep participation fee! Time is also set aside during the school day for teachers to collaborate.  A school culture is created where teachers are expected to be continually learning and refining their teaching craft.  Assessments are used not so much to hold teachers accountable for student learning, but to diagnose and create more appropriate lessons.  Successful systems provide early intervention to struggling students.  All teachers are trained to diagnose learning disabilities.  Students and families in need of specialized help receive it.  Funding for education also is more stable and reliable.  These are just some of the factors leading to the success of the educational systems in high performing countries.  Education in the United States seems so political. One of the other things the working group identified as critical is the ability to focus on improvement and not blame.  Having attended school in the United States, Germany, and Austria, I see the value in looking at how other countries and cultures handle education and issues such as assessment, school violence, support for ELL students, inclusion of children with developmental disabilities, etc.  I am looking forward to reading the other commentaries in this series.