1/9/06
Cooperation and sharing of ideas benefits Minnesota's students
Cooperation and sharing of ideas benefits Minnesota's students
Minnesota students are better off because two powerful forces worked together this year. For the first time in about five years, there was an alliance between
* Those who favored more money for public schools, and
* Others who believe changes are needed in how public schools operate
Both sides acknowledged the value not only of their own, but the other position. The result was a significant increase in public education funding, and a major change in how many teachers are paid.
Through increased state funding and increased authority to levy local taxes, hundreds of millions of additional dollars will go to Minnesota's public schools. Depending on how the money is spent, that can help.
One of my favorite education articles is "Why More Money Matters, Sometimes," Richard Murnane of Harvard and Frank Levy of MIT describe 16 elementary schools in East Austin Texas. They received an additional $300,000 per year over five years, totaling $1.5 million.
Achievement and attendance did not improve much in 14 of the 16 schools. Two schools showed considerable progress. In these two, teachers learned how to be more effective in the classroom. And parents learned how to help their youngsters at home.
More money can, but will not always, help improve achievement. And while Minnesota students have scored at, or near the top on many national exams, there's definitely room for improvement.
For example, an important 2005 report by the Minnesota State College and University System (MnSCU) and the University of Minnesota showed startling, disturbing results. 36 percent of students who graduated
from Minnesota public high schools in 2000-2003 took a remedial course when entering a Minnesota public college or university. That was a slight increase from the previous years. Meanwhile, legislators were not content just to put more money into public education.
Q-COMP entered public school language this year. More than $80 million was allocated. Some funds will be used for teacher training some to reward teachers, either individually or at the building level, when students show academic progress.
For many years, we have made merit pay for teachers - but the only forms of merit rewarded were becoming older, and earning advanced degrees. Researchers differ the impact of these factors.
Q-COMP added a new part to compensation. Dozens of districts have signed up to try this approach. It will take several years to see the results.
Meanwhile, the shift from students in Minnesota district-run public schools to charter public schools continued. In just five years, charter public school enrollment has doubled (from about 10,000 to 20,000). The vast majority of students still attend district public schools - but those numbers declined steadily over the last five years (from 831,535 in 2001-2002 to 809,787 last year).
Part of Minnesota's educational success has come from a willingness to try new ideas. And part has from a willingness to cooperate across party and philosophical lines. After several years of strife, 2005 was a
year of compromise - and progress.
(This editorial is a product of the ECM Editorial Board, written by Joe Nathan, jnathan@hhh.umn.edu. Nathan directs the Center for School Change, Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota)
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