Although the news in New York City three days ago (9/22/06) was disappointing, some of the results were postive for the city. However, the real problems, and their real causes sometimes get obscured by such stories. For example, the real cause of these declines is linked to vocabulary and content knowledge that is not getting well taught to students in earlier grades: 

The steady erosion of student achievement through eighth grade offers a particularly bleak outlook on New York State’s chances of meeting the goal of No Child Left Behind, which seeks 100 percent proficiency in reading and math among all categories of students by 2014 and imposes sanctions on schools and districts for failing to make annual progress. Since the state began testing in the fourth and eighth grades in 1999, the middle school results have lagged behind.

In one disappointment for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the state results cast doubt on extraordinary gains by the city’s fifth graders last year. The state results showed 56.7 percent of the city’s fifth graders on or above grade level, a decline of about 10 percentage points from the previous city test.

The pattern in New York State can be found in Michigan and Florida and is showing up around the country as states expand their testing systems. Some researchers say the problem is not in middle schools, where the scores are weak, but in earlier grades. E. D. Hirsch Jr., the author of a recent book, “The Knowledge Deficit,” said students do not learn enough vocabulary and content knowledge at younger ages. (The rest of the New York Times story).

New York State's students are steadily scoring less well on standardized tests as they progress from grade to grade. We are now able to chart this progression by complying with the No Child Left Behind law, that mandates standardized testing in grades 3-8. Previously, we only gave standardized tests in 4th, 8th, and 10th grades. The New York Times reports (9/22/06) on this disturbing decline in scores:

The share of students in New York State who are reading and writing at grade level drops sharply between the fifth and sixth grades and keeps declining through middle school, according to the first results of a new state testing system adopted to comply with the federal No Child Left Behind law’s requirements for tracking year-to-year progress. The Test Scores for the 2005-6 school year, which were released yesterday by the state education commissioner, Richard P. Mills, also showed an increase in the proportion of students in the state performing at the lowest level.

“The overall pattern is disturbing,” Mr. Mills said at a news conference in Albany. “literacy is the problem. This pattern is not inevitable. This pattern has to change. All youngsters have to emerge from middle school ready for high school. We still have a lot of work to do.” He added: “We have to do something different. We have to change our tactics, our curriculum, our approach.” (NY TImes story).

Bill Clinton is tackling the intractable problems. Tonight, on Larry King Live, former President William J. Clinton was superb in articulating why the world is unequal and unsustainable. By starting his Clinton Global Initiative project last year, he has set the pace for defining AND dealing with tough issues such as energy, climate, health and poverty. His focus for last year was HIV/AIDS and he raised awareness and 100 million dollars. And of course this story ties into improving education. Today, Voice of America reports that First Lady Laura Bush helped Bill Clinton's conference by organizing money for clean water and how that relates to time in the classrooms for many girls:

Around the world, more than one billion people do not have safe water to drink or to use to keep themselves and their homes clean," said Laura Bush. "A child dies every 15 seconds from illnesses related to unsafe water. Without clean water, people suffering form HIV and AIDS cannot take their antiretroviral medicine safely and easily and their weakened immune systems are exposed to dangerous waterborne diseases. Finding clean drinking water is the central daily task of women and girls in many parts of Africa, a task that keeps girls out of the classroom."

First Lady Laura Bush was in New York Yesterday working on global literacy. She will also join former President Bill Clinton at his conference, and she will travel extensively in this second term of her husband's presidency to talk about literacy, women and education, and the role of education in developing nations. As a former teacher with a degree in library science, she is a marvelous ambassodor for literacy. Here is how TIME magazine reported on her work:

"The White House Conference on Global Literacy was held Monday at the New York Public Library, with booths providing simultaneous translations in Arabic, Portuguese and other languages. Guests included her mother, Jenna Welch, and mother-in-law, Barbara Bush, who had made literacy her signature issue when she was First Lady. Here's how it originated: When the United States re-entered UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 2003, the group made her Honorary Ambassador for the Decade of Literary. The First Lady, who has a master's in library science from the University of Texas, wanted to do something substantive so that it wasn't just a title."

"By investing in literacy and education, governments build their economies," First Lady Laura Bush told Monday's gathering. "When people read, they're more likely to participate in business and trade, which leads to greater economic development."

The New York Times reports on Harvard's decision to end early admissions programs for equitable reasons: "Harvard officials argue that the program gives yet another leg up to well-off students, who don’t need to compare financial-aid offers from numerous colleges and who often attend high schools where counselors help put together applications. After the announcement, many people within education urged other colleges to take a similar step." (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/weekinreview)

Yet, their announcement generates more questions for me, such as: Why would the most popular college squeeze all of their admissions decisions into a smaller time frame? Why is Harvard not worried that other colleges will skim off the best applications through their continued use of early admissions programs? Does ending Harvard's early admissions program really eliminate the leg up to well-off students? Will Harvard really increase their help to students who are poor, or come from failing high schools, or who otherwise are disadvantaged in the admissions process? And now for the really big question...do colleges have to work on equity in their admissions process? After all, they are private institutions. Do community and public colleges have to work on equity outside of their streams of income, i.e., outside of their community funding agencies? Should we work on making this world more equitable when it clearly is not? Should we work on equity through better preparation of all children in K-12 systems of education so that where-ever they go to college, they will be ready to learn how to learn?