The Flat World and Education

How America’s Commitment to Equity will Determine our Future

Book Review by Jacqueline GaffnerEDU 8306 Diversity Frameworks

Dr. Robles-Goodwin

Summary•Part of a Multicultural Series

•The World is Flat – meaning?

“The global competitive playing field was being leveled. The world was being flattened.”

How America is Losing Ground•Opportunity Gap

▫Differences in access to: highly-qualified teachers

Higher pay areas Turnover in struggling schools Unqualified teachers with emergency

credentials high-quality curriculum

Courses offered Cognitive level of instruction

early learning opportunities▫“Education debt” – (Ladson-Billings)

Testing Issues• PISA, NAEP scores lagging

• Pressures leading to discrepancies in testing:▫Lowering expectations

making tests easier reducing passing scores

▫Keeping students out of the testing pool Holding students back Encouraging them to drop out

• Both Texas and Massachusetts accomplished their goal of raising test scores using these methods

Funding Issues•Funding Issues

▫Funding based on local property taxes▫Differences affect per-pupil expenditures▫Poverty rates and social supports▫Salaries for teachers▫Teacher turnover costs districts –

recruitment, hiring, training

Question: What is the biggest factor to improve student achievement?

Examples – Great, Good and California•State Examples:

▫NC and CT Focused on teachers

Built knowledge and skills Equalized teacher salaries Eliminated emergency credentials Subsidies for teachers in high-need areas Mentoring for new teachers Ongoing professional development Pushed for national accreditation

Assessments redesigned Invested in school leadership

California•(1979) Proposition 13 passed

▫Limited property taxes ▫Reduced educational funding for low-income

areas. •Unequal salaries for teachers

▫Great disparities in qualified teachers ▫Emergency credentials to unqualified teachers

•CA has scored in the bottom five on the NAEP since 2000.

•Programs implemented and then cut•Scripted curriculum in low-income districts,•Governmental lack of support

Country Examples•Country Examples:

▫Finland strong emphasis on “multiculturality” “prevention of learning difficulties and exclusion”

▫Korea Education Committee’s ideal educated person -

“Hong Ik In Gan” which means “a person devoted to the welfare of the people”

▫Singapore National bilingual language policy (1966) Government sees the population as their only

natural resource, and the Education system as their primary resource developer

Common Themes of Success Stories• Schools funded adequately and equitably• New perspective on examinations• National standards and curriculum

revisions – less is more, higher level • Strengthen teacher education, sometimes

providing funding – building professionalism and respect

• Ongoing teacher learning supported▫Mentorship▫Providing time for collaboration

• Consistent, long-term reforms – managed by education ministers, less influenced by political interests

Critique•Great book, very informative, a lot of

statistical information provided•Series – great resources for multicultural

education

•Title – “How America’s commitment to equity will determine our future”

Recommendations“We cannot just bail ourselves out of this crisis. We must teach our way out” (Darling-Hammond, 2010, p. 3).

• Focus on teachers as professionals▫ Preparation▫ Mentoring▫ Salaries▫ Support from qualified leaders▫ Seeking input in decision-making

• Focus on assessment to guide curriculum, and personalize instruction to meet all students’ needs

• Provide challenging and relevant instruction for all students• Provide equitable funding• View students as a natural resource• Look at examples of success stories, without losing focus on

our particular situation and needs

ReferencesDarling-Hammond, L. (2010). The flat world and

education: How America's commitment to equity will determine our future. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Friedman, T. L. (2005). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.