From New York City, Lessons for America

Report after report, we keep seeing the same things when diverse groups get together to study poor performance in our schools. They recommend a lot of the same things that we at ED in 08 are - standards, effective teachers, time and support for learning.

The latest report comes from the New York City Council Middle School Task Force, which was created last spring to look at "persistent low performance of New York City's middle-grade schools."

This group included every segment of the New York community concerned about the city's students and schools -- parents, teachers, principals, academics, community organizations, foundations, businesses and unions.


Middle school test scores in New York have improved only slightly since the 1970s and have stagnated since the '90s. This is no different than what has happened all across the country -- teacher attrition, low standards and not enough time or support for students to learn.


This task force recommended steps that you will find more than a little reminiscent of ED in 08:

• Encourage schools with middle grades to expand the school day to create more opportunities for instruction for students and professional development for principals and teachers through flexible scheduling.


• Develop incentives to attract and retain qualified and experienced middle school teachers in low-performing schools. (Compared with elementary and high school teachers, middle schools have the highest teacher turnover.)


• Provide incentives to get more qualified teachers in math and science. (Almost 30 percent of the middle school math and science teachers "do not have the knowledge" to teach their subjects, and overall half of the teachers in New York City are not certified in the subjects they teach.)


• Develop a career ladder for middle school teachers. (The task force points out that employees in other professions have the chance to take on more responsibility and earn more for doing so.)


• Expand the Lead Teacher Program in the lowest performing middle schools.


• Expand Regents level courses to all schools with middle grade students by 2010. In the interim, create and implement a plan to provide access to Regents courses to students in schools without them. (This refers to Regents level or high school level/college prep class with clear, high standards and based on the Regents exams.)

Presidential candidates and their policy staffs should read this report. It's only 84 pages long. It's not just about kids in middle school or New York City; it's about America.