October 3, 2019 by Philip Lewenstein

Education Lies

In How Schools Work, former U.S. secretary of education Arne Duncan writes about the big lies that pervade the education system. In fact, under the category “lies,” the book’s index lists 20 separate references such as lies about academic achievement, about college preparedness, about efficacy and preparedness, and so forth.

Duncan, who was CEO of the Chicago Public Schools and then one of the longest-serving members of President Barack Obama’s cabinet, says that “the big lies are the ones that the system tells to parents about how their kids are learning—the ones that schools tell to every level of government about how great students are doing.

“In turn, these government offices tell families and students that their children are well prepared to grow up and graduate into an increasingly complex, technically challenging and highly competitive world. The truth is that, compared to students in other countries, far too few of our kids actually are prepared.”

Education lies occur at all levels—state, district, and individual schools. Both success and failure can be found at each level. Yet it is hard to cover up the mediocre achievement seen in state assessments and glaring gaps seen among groups based on racial/ethnic group and income.

Recently, I contemplated Duncan’s conclusions as I read the Minnesota Department of Education’s State of Our Students report and education commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker’s statement that “the state of our students in promising, and it’s up to us to meet their promises with our support.”

Is the Department of Education (MDE) hiding the truth, or lying, about student performance?

The first two pages of the MDE press release highlight aspects of “a promising, comprehensive picture of Minnesota students.”  Not until the bottom of page two does the release note that persistent gaps between student groups remain largely the same from 2018 to 2019 and that 2019 math achievement rates dipped slightly for all students, with rates for each individual student group following suit. Reading achievement rates held steady, and gaps between student groups remained much the same, the release states.

Referring to Ricker’s “surprisingly positive review,” an August 31 Star Tribune editorial, “Face up to gaps in student test scores,” appropriately points out that while some of the MDE findings were encouraging, a major indicator of how state students are doing academically remains flat or failing. Further, almost no progress has been made to narrow the state’s unacceptably large achievement disparities between white students and students of color, the editorial notes.

“It’s a continuing conundrum that calls for using demonstrably effective strategies, replicating successful models and use of innovative instruction,” the editorial says.

Standardized test scores are only one measure of evaluation of the academic performance of students and the educational system. The raw scores don’t tell the whole story. Duncan notes the difference between proficiency and growth. Some students may fall short of proficiency but show improvement. Raw scores are important, but “what we really are after is growth,” he writes. Nevertheless, test scores are an important measure of accountability, and the depressing results should not be buried nor ignored.

In fact, large percentages of Minnesota’s students lack proficiency in key subjects. As the Star Tribune editorial summarized, reading scores from several statewide standardized exams—including the largest test, the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, or MCAs—dropped, with about 58 percent of all students meeting state standards. Math scores fell for the fourth consecutive year; 54 percent of students met proficiency standards in 2018-19.

Every racial group had a decline in student progress on test scores over time, and attendance rates declined for the majority of racial groups. Sixty-three percent of white students met proficiency standards in math compared with 26 percent of black and American Indian students.

Ricker told a Star Tribune editorial writer that the gaps are “pernicious” but can’t be turned around by evaluating test scores alone. She said educational leaders are shifting away from test scores and giving more weight to other benchmarks including graduation rates, attendance, and student surveys on bullying and emotional health.

A Star Tribune analysis found an increasing drop in math scores among schools with many poor students (“Fewer schools beat odds in math,” September 6, 2019). The staff analysis found that fewer high-poverty schools in Minnesota are “beating the odds” and outperforming expectations in math. The analysis found that 13 percent of those schools performed better than expected on last year’s MCAs, down from 19 percent a year earlier.

A few years ago, a third or more of high-poverty schools statewide were beating the odds in math, the story said. “There is a long-standing and well-documented connection between a school’s poverty rate and achievement on standardized tests,” the story added. “As the data show, schools with lower poverty rates, tend to have higher scores.”

This year, no high-poverty schools in the Minneapolis or St. Paul school districts outperformed expectations, according to the analysis. Three elementary schools in the state’s largest district, Anoka-Hennepin, made the “beating the odds” list.

The Minnesota Report Card provided by MDE presents a snapshot of performance for each school district and for each school in the district. I looked up the MCA scores for the inner-suburban district where my wife taught for 17 years. The district has three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.

The report card includes a narrative message provided directly from each school. The glowing description of each school is incongruent with that school’s test scores. Each school boasts some commendable programs and services; clearly, the schools have dedicated teachers doing their best, often under difficult circumstances. About 90 percent of parents say their schools/teachers care about students.

However, the test scores belie the schools’ portraits and parents’ perceptions. Are the local education leaders, like state leaders, lying about their students’ academic performance?

The results in my wife’s former district are shocking. Two of the three elementary schools show especially horrific results. In one of the elementary schools, 19 percent of the students meet state standards in math, 23 percent in reading, and 17.5 percent in science. In a second elementary school, 19.8 percent of students meet state standards in math, 27.7 percent in reading, and 24.4 percent in science. The third elementary school has higher scores, with 31.3 percent meeting standards in math, 41.8 percent in reading, and 36 percent in science. The scores generally have declined over time.

Two of the three elementary schools have been prioritized for comprehensive support because they are in the lowest 5 percent of schools receiving federal Title I funds. The third elementary school is prioritized for targeted support with a focus on students receiving special-education services.

At the middle school, 29.2 percent of students meet state standards in math, 38.7 percent in reading, and 21.1 percent in science. Major gaps in achievement are evident when the scores are broken down by racial/ethnic group. Hispanic/Latino and black students, who make up more than 70 percent of the student population, score significantly lower than white students.

At the high school, 30.2 percent meet state standards in math, 45.9 percent in reading, and 34.9 percent in science. The school is prioritized for comprehensive support because the four-year graduation rate is below 67 percent for students receiving special-education services. The school’s graduation rate improved from 81.4 percent in 2014 to 86.2 percent in 2019 even though the number of students attending regularly is 72.1 percent compared to 85.4 percent for the state.

The low academic performance and gaps among groups have significant implications for college participation and attainment and ability to meet current and future workforce needs. Several state organizations and thought leaders have called for major reforms in the education system.

The Minnesota Business Partnership, for example, points out that historically Minnesota’s K-12 education system has been nationally recognized as one of the top-performing systems; however, the high rankings may be “largely due to student demographics that mask a large achievement gap between white and non-white students.”

Minnesota’s achievement gap is especially concerning because students of color are the fastest-growing segment of the population, the Partnership adds. Further, education achievement gaps contribute to employment and wage gaps.

The Partnership’s membership includes more than 110 chief executive officers and senior executives from Minnesota’s largest employers. The Partnership’s mission is “to maintain a high quality of life for all Minnesotans by ensuring that the state’s economy remains strong and globally competitive.”

In its “Blueprint for Education Policy Reform,” the Partnership notes that Minnesota has much room for improvement given that only about half of Minnesota high school graduates complete a postsecondary certificate or degree within six years of graduating from high school. Closing K-12 student achievement gaps can help more graduates be prepared to complete a postsecondary education and begin to address growing concerns about workforce shortages and economic disparities.

“To help create a dynamic education system that allows for innovation and customized instruction, the state should emphasize world class expectations for all students, provide information on student progress toward standards, give educators the flexibility to design effective instructional strategies, and allow families to choose the school that best meets their needs,” the Blueprint states.

In fact, Minnesota is making slow progress—due to racial disparities—in fulfilling its goal to increase the proportion of Minnesota adults who hold a postsecondary degree or certificate.

(“Push to increase ‘educational attainment’ in Minnesota reveals stark racial disparities,” Taryn Phaneuf, MinnPost, August 22, 2019). Higher education attainment measures the portion of people who hold some sort of postsecondary degree, from a certificate to a doctorate.

In 2015, the Minnesota Legislature set a goal that 70 percent (up 12 points) of Minnesotans from ages 25 to 44 have some sort of degree or certificate by 2025. This attainment rate has risen to 61 percent. The slow progress is attributed to the wide gap between white adults, two-thirds of whom have some kind of postsecondary credential, and people of color. Only a fourth of Native Americans and Latinos have a credential higher than a high-school diploma, MinnPost reports.

Governor Tim Walz says that we should make Minnesota the “Education State” for all children regardless of who they are or where they live. (“Let’s make Minnesota the Education State,” September 4, 2019, Star Tribune). He acknowledges that during his travels he sees how the quality of a student’s education depends on race or zip code. “Disparities in our educational system based on geography, race, or economic status hold back not only our students but our entire state from reaching its full potential,” Walz says.

The Ciresi Walburn Foundation for Children is one of several groups working to create awareness of and support for efforts to address the achievement gap. The foundation was established to serve as a catalyst for creative, innovative, and societal-changing programs and policies to promote education and equitable opportunities for all of Minnesota’s children and youth.

Founded in 1998 with a $30 million commitment as a result of fees earned from Minnesota’s tobacco litigation, the foundation emphasizes the need for truth in discussing the state’s education system. In January 2019, the foundation issued a report, The Truth about Our Failing Schools: Reclaiming the Minnesota Miracle, based on a November 11, 2018, roundtable discussion of Minnesota Foundation representatives and thought leaders.

“Once thought of as a leader in education, Minnesota now has some of the worst graduation rates and test scores in the nation for children of color,” the foundation says. “In addition to the individual tragedies these numbers reflect, our state will face an existential threat to its economic and social viability if we do not correct these inequities.

“We need to work together –individuals, schools, churches, foundations, corporations, and government—toward new solutions to transform our schools.”

The foundation has established six priorities: (1) eliminate the misconception that Minnesota has great schools for all children and raise awareness of our state as the worst state in the nation for educating children of color, (2) expand the number and capacity of high-performing schools serving students of color, (3) support parent and family engagement in schools and their demands for high-performing schools for all students, (4) support students of color with scholarships that include financial aid as well as mentoring with leadership programs, (5) promote efforts to diversify Minnesota’s educator workforce and equip teachers with the cultural intelligence and skills needed to support and educate all students, and (6) promote efforts to make Minnesota a state where all children and youth can achieve their full potential.

To create awareness of Minnesota’s glaring educational disparities, the foundation has implemented a major public-service campaign that includes ads on busses, light-rail, and billboards across the Twin Cities. Its billboards proclaim, “Minnesota schools are the worst in the nation for our children of color.”

The foundation seeks to partner with nonprofit organizations, higher-education institutions, and K-12 schools that support children and families in Minnesota. It has funded early-learning programs, education policy and advocacy, programs that support educators, high-performing K-12 schools, and wrap-around programs focused on children and their families in high-need neighborhoods. The foundation established a scholarship program to help African-American males complete their undergraduate degrees.

Duncan draws several lessons in his book. First, American families should have access to free, high-quality pre-K for every four-year-old. Second, after-school and enrichment programs should be provided to all students. Third, kids’ social, emotional, and physical needs should be met before their academic needs. Fourth, every school needs a great principal, and every classroom a great teacher. Fifth, every high school student should graduate with some college credit, an industry certification, or both. Sixth, high schools need to do a better job of matching their graduates with colleges that are serious about graduating students just like them. Seventh, we must focus on a PK-14 model rather than the current K-12 model. Last, every American citizen should take time to acknowledge that by every important metric our K-12 system ranks  average or below average compared to our industrialized peers.

“I also believe that we should talk to each other more so that we can set goals at all levels of government,” Duncan says “Currently, we don’t have any. That’s a failure of leadership.”

Duncan suggests four objectives. First, provide access to high-quality public pre-K to all American children. Second, reach a 90 percent high-school graduation rate nationally in the next five years. Third, ensure that 100 percent of high-school graduates are ready for a college or career (“We need to stop lying about what this means and stop handing out meaningless diplomas”). Fourth, commit again to leading the world in college graduation rates.

Duncan says that we must face up to the education challenge and not lie. Further, demographics are not destiny. Students from low income backgrounds, specific racial/ethnic groups, or high-poverty neighborhoods are not destined to fail. There are student success stories, many proven best practices, and examples of some schools that succeed. Learning from these experiences can be a starting point for broad-scale transformative change.

The lie underlying all the issues is the one that says America values its teachers, according to Duncan. “But the truth is we don’t,” Duncan writes. “If we really value the women and men dedicated to educating our children, then our teachers would be more respected, better paid, and strong support from all levels of society. They could count on us. But, as it is, they can’t count on us, and we should be ashamed because of it.

“But the root lie on which all the lies in this book are built is far, far worse, and should be the ultimate source of our shame. The truth is that we not only don’t value our teachers. It’s that we don’t value our kids.”

I am appalled and angered to see such low academic results in places like my wife’s former district. Such low-level achievement represents failure and is a tragedy with thousands of students the losers. Yet district and school administrators and school-board members seem okay with the status quo and are resistant to the kinds of significant changes that are needed. Just okay is not okay, as the commercial states.

If my children attended a district where only one-fourth to one-third of students meets standards year after year, I would not be satisfied. I would call for transformational change. I would urge new leadership. Would a corporation that is bleeding money year after year retain its CEO?

Further, I would advocate for major changes to the system, structure, organization, and culture—from top to bottom. Each school needs a clear mission and purpose with goals and objectives and pathways to ensure the success of every student. Standards must be articulated and communicated to ensure accountability. Failing schools may need to be closed and reinvented.

Many other actions also are necessary. I would revamp the curriculum, diversify the workforce, give priority to smaller classes in core subjects, provide major support to struggling, low-achieving students, alter class schedules, and increase significant engagement with parents. I would hire the best teachers, listen to them, and let them do their jobs while holding them accountable.

Most importantly, I would demand that state education officials, school district administrators and board members, and local school administrators eliminate the education lies and tell the truth.