Lee County Lee County Math TeachersMath Teachers

The Ten Root Causes of The Ten Root Causes of Educational FrustrationEducational Frustration

Information brought to you Information brought to you by Lee Jenkins, Ph. Dby Lee Jenkins, Ph. D

Focus of PresentationFocus of Presentation• Identifying the ten root Identifying the ten root

causes for educational causes for educational frustration.frustration.

•Presenting effective strategies Presenting effective strategies for increased learning.for increased learning.

•Setting high standards while Setting high standards while maintaining high success maintaining high success rates.rates.

Examples ofExamples of Failed Strategies! Failed Strategies!

•FearFear

• • EmbarrassmentEmbarrassment

• • RankingRanking

• • IIncentivesncentives

Hope comes from…Hope comes from…•Understanding the root Understanding the root

causes of educational causes of educational frustration frustration andand

•Having solutions Having solutions to these to these frustrations.frustrations.

Root Causes and Root Causes and The Jefferson MemorialThe Jefferson Memorial

Ask “why” at leastAsk “why” at least 55 times to times to search out the search out the rootroot causes. causes.

Beginning with first grade Beginning with first grade spelling, students know they spelling, students know they have permission to forget – have permission to forget –

sometimes after the quiz, but sometimes after the quiz, but almost always at the end of the almost always at the end of the

year.year.

1. Permission to Forget™1. Permission to Forget™

The Cost of Giving The Cost of Giving Permission to Forget™Permission to Forget™

• Teachers spend 1/3 of the school year or Teachers spend 1/3 of the school year or 60 days reviewing. 60 days reviewing.

• 4 years of K-12 education is spent in 4 years of K-12 education is spent in review.review.

• Ten years of a teacher’s career is spent in Ten years of a teacher’s career is spent in review.review.

• 60 days of review each year costs over 60 days of review each year costs over $100 billion a year. $100 billion a year.

2. The Wrong Statistics2. The Wrong Statistics

••Education patterned its Education patterned its statistics after athletics, statistics after athletics, whose aim is to have one, whose aim is to have one, and only one winner.and only one winner.

••Ranking keeps education Ranking keeps education from creating as many from creating as many winners as possible.winners as possible.

The Right StatisticsThe Right Statistics

Histograms should Histograms should progress from anprogress from an “L”“L” to to aa BellBell and finally to aand finally to a

“J.”“J.”

The “L” CurveThe “L” Curve

0

20

40

60

80

100

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

QUARTERS

GRA

DES

The Bell CurveThe Bell Curve

0102030405060708090

100

GRA

DE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

STUDENT NUMBER

The “J” The “J” CurveCurve

0

25

50

75

100

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

QUARTERS

GRA

DES

L to JL to JFrom L to J® From L to J® is used to measure:is used to measure:

1. Learning of Information1. Learning of Information

2. The Performance Expectations2. The Performance Expectations

3. Student Enthusiasm3. Student Enthusiasm

4. All Monitoring (attendance,4. All Monitoring (attendance,

behavior, etc.)behavior, etc.)

5. Special Education requirements5. Special Education requirements

3. The Pendulum3. The Pendulum

Basic SkillsBasic Skills UnderstandingUnderstanding

4. More Pressure vs. Removing 4. More Pressure vs. Removing BarriersBarriers

resistanceresistancepressurepressure

Status quoStatus quo

5. Change, but No Improvement5. Change, but No Improvement

PPlan lan DDo o SStudy tudy AActct

Dr. Deming’s learning cycle Dr. Deming’s learning cycle has four parts:has four parts:

•planplan•dodo•studystudy•actact

Why Are Some Schools SoWhy Are Some Schools SoSuccessful?Successful?

““New instructional strategies, New instructional strategies, … are first piloted in a handful … are first piloted in a handful of schools or classrooms, and of schools or classrooms, and

then refined to make sure then refined to make sure they really work.”they really work.”

p. 1 p. 1 Education Week, Education Week, May 4, 2005May 4, 2005““Sleuths Seek Secrets of High-Flying Schools”Sleuths Seek Secrets of High-Flying Schools”

6. Experience is the Best 6. Experience is the Best TeacherTeacher

““If experience were our If experience were our best teacher, we’d have best teacher, we’d have

no moreno more problems.”problems.”

W. Edwards DemingW. Edwards Deming

7. No Clear Aim7. No Clear Aim•What is the primary What is the primary

purpose of mathematics purpose of mathematics instruction?instruction?

•Set clear expectations and Set clear expectations and goals for student learning.goals for student learning.

•A clear aim unifies people A clear aim unifies people and practices.and practices.

•The primary aim of a school The primary aim of a school system is to system is to increase increase success and success and decrease decrease failure.failure.

8. Poor Psychology8. Poor Psychology

Educators areEducators are responsibleresponsible

for motivating for motivating studentsstudents

Fallacy :Fallacy :

MotivationMotivation Children are Born MotivatedChildren are Born Motivated

Adults De-motivateAdults De-motivate

Most People, Once Discouraged, Stay Most People, Once Discouraged, Stay That WayThat Way

Identify and stop practices that cause Identify and stop practices that cause students to lose their motivation.students to lose their motivation.

Invidious ComplimentsInvidious Compliments

Wrong Definition of “Fair”Wrong Definition of “Fair”

•Fair is not Fair is not everyone using everyone using the same method. the same method.

•Fair is everyone Fair is everyone meeting the same meeting the same standards.standards.

9.Always the Referee; Rarely9.Always the Referee; RarelyTime to be the Coach.Time to be the Coach.

•Coaches Teach, Coaches Teach, Referees GradeReferees Grade

• Ideally:Ideally: 70% Coaching70% Coaching 30% Grading30% Grading

Dr. Deming taught us that …Dr. Deming taught us that …

•96%96% of the of the problems come problems come from the system.from the system.

•4%4% of the of the problems come problems come from the people.from the people.

Improving System ProcessesImproving System Processes

•4%4% of time: Who did this? of time: Who did this?•96%96% of time: Why is this of time: Why is this

happening to us over and over?happening to us over and over?

To improve system results,To improve system results,

work on systemwork on system processesprocesses..

Learning SequenceLearning Sequence

1.1. Gather DataGather Data

2.2. Graph the dataGraph the data

3.3. Gain InsightGain Insight

4.4. Generate HypothesesGenerate Hypotheses

5.5. Gain Knowledge by Gain Knowledge by Testing the HypothesesTesting the Hypotheses

10. Learning not the Constant10. Learning not the Constant

We say “you can We say “you can lead a horse to lead a horse to water, but cannot water, but cannot make him drink,” make him drink,” which means I which means I teach but have teach but have little impact upon little impact upon learning.learning.

• • Teaching is the constant in Teaching is the constant in classrooms; classrooms; learninglearning is the is the variable.variable.

• • Learning should be the Learning should be the constant; teaching the variable.constant; teaching the variable.

Using Data to Improve Using Data to Improve Student LearningStudent Learning