Northwest Education, Volume 6, 2000-2001. INSTITUTION Northwest Regional Educational Lab., Portland, OR

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AUTHOR Sherman, Lee, Ed. TITLE Northwest Education, Volume 6, 2000-2001. INSTITUTION Northwest Regional Educational Lab., Portland, OR. SPONS AGENCY Department of Education, Washington, DC. PUB DATE 2001-00-00 NOTE 198p.; Published quarterly. Photographs and a few colored pages may not reproduce adequately. For volume 5, see ED 441 654. For descriptions of individual articles, see RC 514 306-311, RC 514 342-348, RC 514 573-578, and RC 514 632-640. CONTRACT RJ96006501; ED-01-00-0013 AVAILABLE FROM Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 101 S.W. Main Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97204. Tel: 503-275-9515. For full text: http://www.nwrel.org/nwedu. PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022) JOURNAL CIT Northwest Education; v6 n1-4 Fall-Sum 2000-2001 EDRS PRICE MF01/PC08 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Charter Schools; *Educational Change; *Educational Facilities Design; *Educational Practices; Elementary Secondary Education; *Physical Education; School Buildings; School Size; *Small Schools IDENTIFIERS *United States (Northwest)

ABSTRACT This document contains the four issues of Northwest Education published from fall 2000 through summer 2001. Issue themes are: (1) "New Moves: PE Reinvents Itself" (Fall 2000); (2) "Think Small: Making Education More Personal" (Winter 2000); (3) "The Wild Blue Yonder: Charter Schools Fly into the Unknown" (Spring 2001); and (4)"Designs for Learning: School Architecture" (Summer 2001). Each issue contains a lead article summarizing current research and issues related to the theme, followed by articles describing theme-related practices and outstanding schools and educators in the Northwest. Issues also include information on related resources, book reviews, commentary by practitioners, and letters from readers. (SV)

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Northwest Education, 2000-2001.

Lee Sherman, Editor

Volume 6 Numbers 1-4

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) U This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. U Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality

Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy.

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NORTHWEST REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY

PE Reinvents Itself tr; \ew V oyes

U C ATI() t PE Reinvents Itself VOLUME6NUMBER 1 FALL 2000

ARTICLES

The Death of Dodge Ball As health advocates, including the surgeon general, issue warnings about a growing epidemic of obesity among American kids, PE is changing its focus from sports to lifetime fitness.

Gym Class Renaissance 14 Seattle is a leader in promoting the "new" PE, which is steering kids toward nontraditional activities (such as yoga, rock climbing, and golf) that they can enjoy for a lifetime. 29Leveling the Playing Field NEW NI® \IIS For kids with disabilities, PE can be adapted to match their abilities and meet their needs, ON THE COVER either in a special class or in the mainstream A climbing wall at Mountain View Middle Schoo PE program. in Beaverton, Oregon, challenges students on both the physical and cognitive levels. PHOTOGRAPH BY RICK RAPPAPORT Dance Like a Caterpillar OPENING SPREAD: 25Movement is essential to the physical and Students at Seattle's Roosevelt High get cognitive development of preschoolers, says pumped for the day in a morning class that includes cardio kick-boxing. the American Academy of Pediatrics. PHOTOGRAPH BY SUZIE BOSS Saving PE: 36The Oregon Story Health and physical education advocates successfully mobilized a grassroots effort to include PE in the state's new standards for mastery.

Raising the Bar Professor Terry Wood of Oregon State University expresses cautious optimism about the future of physical education in the U.S.

DEPARTMENTS 42 Dialogue ention dodge ball and omparied to this, dissecting most people grimace pig fetuses was kind of furl' or groan t's been 30 years since I took n the Northwest suburb my last pairolul whap' in that where I grew up, we called it dreaded gale Yet Ioariistill "pksok ballAfferent name feel the stingto my skin and same object to smack your to my pride Just abut every- E's renaissance, however, opponent mercilessly with a one else, it seems, despises] is threatened by money woes hard rubber bat! Before each dodge ball, too A few monthsand back -to- basics trends PE class, I would say a silent ago when I prop_o_sad doing across the nation Lumped prayer "Anything but prison a magazine on PE, my col- in with other so- called "frills" ball, please, please., anyalt g leagues all made sour fakes_ such as art and music, PE is but thatWhen my prayer "Yuck, I hated PEI" was a a handy target when the pub- went unanswered and the pretty standard reskoise, lic calls for higher academic team captains started choos- lodge ball has not died But standards and lower costs ing up sides, my prayer there are signs that the main- Ironically, trimming this layer changed as my insides stay of the old phy,s ed is ail- of "fat" out of schoolpro- churned "Please let me ing Sure, you can still find grams can add flab to young be the last one Omen And this relic in gyms from Nome bodies The impel of inactiv- don't let it hurt too much to Yellowstone But lots of ity on human health is well- ,its who got hit e slow, schools are repining the knumi Around the North- the fat, the unathletic, the ap- pummeling with activities thatwest, phyLs ed teachers and athetic) had to go to "prison" kids of the 1959s and 196@s health advocates are figl,ag and stand around while more never imagined Students are hard to keep PEthe "new" kids got walloped Always a sealing rook walls Juggling PE with its emphasis on life- scrawny child, I didn't have oolorful scarves Balancing long fitnessuii the Ruirikku- a chance against the brawny or teetering--ok unicycles Inlum To gat an inside look at playersI would cringe and Salmon, Idaho, they're skiing some of the Northweslis best cower behind some other hap-down an artificial mountain efforts to save PEand to less student when the power- behind the sohool In Corval- leave dodge ball in the past ful throwers were winding up,lis, Oregon, they're toning with white lipstick and big murder in their ewes_ up on rowing machines and hairdosread art treadmills In Seattle, they're Lee Shaman playing games of 000paiialtarii shermanl@awitiel@rg instead of oomp.e.titiok fooused on beating their personal best instead of cream- ing their meg Who could have Rrieskelad back in dodge 11) ball's glory claws that the new millennium would bring Fris- bee golf, inline skating and interpretive dam to the sohoolhouseP OF

Alb DODG A GENERATION OF HIGH-TECH COUCH POTATOES BAL MEETS A NEW KIND OF PE By LEE SHERMAN sp

PHOTO BY SUZIE BOSS : .1' II .1I: o Student Requirements: NORTHWEST STATES PE is mandated through Health Enhancement at the ATA GLANCEHere's an updated II state level. Credit is given; look at PE in the Northwest as first reported in seventh- and eighth- Shape of the Nation, a survey on state physical graders receive one-half 0 II ,1 $ I o education requirements conducted in 1997 by unit each year, and ninth the National Association for Sport and Physical I o II o through 12th receive one Education: unit over a two-year pe- o / I " 1/ 00$ riod. At the middle and 011 , I II II ALASKA IDAHOThe state has high school levels, 112

I 1. 0. 0 .I Who Teaches PE: At the developed a comprehen- minutes are required; at

I elementary level most sive PE curriculum. the elementary level, there p 0 ' !' I "!, large schools employ Who Teaches PE: At the is no time requirement. " I . I 1 I1. physical education special- elementary and middle Grades are given, and are

o o ists, which means that levels PE is taught by certi- included in the GPA at most elementary students fied health and PE special- most districts. One unit is :II I II I.: II.I in the state receive some ists. In high school PE is required for graduation. No II. I / I PE instruction each week taught by certified PE spe- substitutions are allowed.

0 I from a certified teacher cialists. Six hours every with a PE endorsement. five years are required to OREGONAll programs I Many of the smallest meet continuing education K-12 must provide instruc- I . ' I schools, however, do not certification. tion in physical education employ specialists. The Student Requirements: through common curricu- 1 1 ' 1.1 001 . I same is true of the middle PE is mandated by the lum goals. The 1999 Ore- 1.11 II I I I and high school levels, state in grades 1-8. Credit gon Legislature passed a I. where the larger schools is given for courses taken bill to include physical edu- have one or more certified as electives in high school, cation in the Certificate of 0 00,01 1 0$. I II teachers with PE endorse- and grades are included Initial Mastery standards. " I ments, while the smaller in the GPA. One credit of The standards and bench-

I/ '1 1 $ 1 schools do not. Teachers health is required for grad- marks currently being I. must complete six semes- uation. No substitutions developed will be imple- I I o I III ter hours every five years are allowed. mented in the 2001-2002 I o I . I to meet continuing educa- school year. tion requirements, but MONTANAThe state is Who Teaches PE: At the I' I NO 1'1 , there is no requirement moving toward a more elementary level, more I I $ that these credits be from health-oriented approach, than half of the schools

I 0 I. 1 'I I .1 I their area of endorsement/ termed Health Enhance- have physical education specialization. ment. specialists. Classroom I Student Requirements: Who Teaches PE: PE is teachers are responsible 1 I I . I .1 I I' I The state has no require- built into this component. for teaching PE in other

1 I 0 , ments for elementary PE. At the elementary, middle, schools. In middle schools, At all levels, time allocation or junior high levels, class- classroom teachers and 1 'I . II for PE is a district decision. room teachers or certified certified health and PE . . o , o I Most districts give grades health and PE teachers specialists teach PE. In and include them in the teach PE. At the high high schools, certified I 1 I !! GPA. One credit of health/ school level, only certified health and PE specialists $ II 1 I 1 I:' PE is needed for gradua- PE specialists teach PE. are required to teach PE. III I I . II SI $ tion. Substitutions are ac- Teachers must earn six However, there are rare $ .1 cepted, but this is a local instances when schools ' 1 1 :11 university credits or 60 in- decision. service credits every five "misassign" other teachers I I I" 11I II years at meet continuing to teach physical education. I:* I education requirements. ing a crisis in children's health. called the Presidential Council on Physical Fitness and 5

1. 1 "Recent studies have shown that the vast majority ofSports in response to a study showing poor muscle

Is Is . s America's children and youth are not physically fit," strength among U.S. students. the U.S. Department of Defense notes on its Web site. But, like so many initiatives in education, the PE pen- 1 1 'I "And more tragically, they are not getting enough phys- dulum has swung back again. Despite continuing calls ' 11.8' . ical education to understand how and why to keep from Congress and others for keeping and/or beefing 5.5 I 1 themselves fit for life." up PE, physical education programs have dwindled or '1 '1 1 1 .1 To address this growing concern for the long-term 1 I 'a 1. died over the last 10 to 15 years. Today, not one state

1 1 .1 1 health and well-being of Americans, PE is undergoingmandates daily PE. Only one-fourth of high school stu- . . a radical transformation. In schools where PE has man- dents take gym every day, according to the landmark 1 I :s, aged to hang on, enlightened teachers are introducing 1996 report of the Office of the Surgeon General, Phys- kids to activities they can take with them through the ical Activity and Health. Between 1991 and 1995 1. years. Instead of dodging a hard rubber ball, kids arealone, the number of kids taking daily PE plunged . 1 di I mastering cool moves on inline skates and cross-coun- steeply, from 42 percent to 25 percent. Fewer than half 1 1 try skis. Instead of doing a million jumping jacks, they're of U.S. middle schools and just over a quarter of high 1 1 . 1 learning to maneuver mountain bikes, balance unicycles, schools require at least three years of PE. In fact, most ... bounce on pogo sticks, juggle plastic bowling pinshigh school students take only one year of PE between 1 1 11 even manipulate wheelchairs with ease. They're paddlingninth and 12th grades, the National Association for 11 1 1 white-water kayaks. Dancing to Latin music. Fishing Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) found in a 1997 S. I /1 for rainbow trout. Climbing vertical rock walls. Doingstate-by-state survey. stuff you might see on the cover of Outdoor magazine "I think we're paying a tremendous price for the or in the pages of Sunday's lifestyle section. rollback in physical education," Surgeon General David 1 1 1 1 "We need to find ways to attract students to the joys Satcher told the convention of the American Alliance for

"1 a 1 O of movement," Professor R. Scott Kretchmar of Penn-Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance in sylvania State University recently told Education Week. March. "One of the greatest contributions you can make x.11 "We need to make it as powerful as the draw of com- to an adult's health is to get them started as a child on .1 ; .O puters and television." a lifetime of physical activity." 1 '1 There is a loud lament among journalists, policy- s . OBESITY CRISIS makers, health advocates, and physical educators over I I o Advocacy for physical education is hardly new. Way what Professor Charles Kuntzelman of the University of

' 11 '1 back in the mid-1700s, no less an American icon than Michigan calls the "substantial erosion" of PE pro- / .1 / Benjamin Franklin was calling for schools to "havegrams. McCallum drives the point home in his April II provisions for running, leaping, wrestling, and swim- Sports Illustrated article, "Gym Class Struggle." ming," writer Jack McCallum reports in Sports Illus- "The saddest thing about the decline in physical ed- trated. But it wasn't until the next century that officialsucation," he writes, "is that we now know so much began linking physical education with public health about the benefits of physical fitness and the perils of a concerns. And yet another hundred years rolled by be- sedentary lifestyle. Principals and school-board mem- fore physical education became a national priority.bers who themselves may be in fitness programs are That's when President Eisenhower created what is nowoften the ones who slash budgets and resources for

NEW MOVES 6 gym class; they do so even as they are inundated with re- methodology classes each ON YOUR MARK, afternoon and practice ports about the obesity crisis in our Twinkie-eating, TV- those new skills in their watching, video-game-playing younger generation." GET SET, GO! student-teaching class- Preparing to Teach PE Among the troubling findings reported by the surgeon rooms each morning. This By Barbara Cusimano allows them to fully inte- general, the CDC, the journal Pediatrics, and other grate theory with actual sources are these: Across the nation, schools standing teaching one practice. Our program also As many as 25 percent of children and adolescents are of education are fighting week and a pink slip the puts student teachers into to survive. Education as next. Even though she three school settings (ele- overweight or obese a discipline is just not as moved to another district mentary, middle, and high The percentage of youths who are overweight has highly valued as programs further away from the uni- school) across the entire school year from Septem- more than doubled in the past 30 years in engineering or computer versity, we continue to technology, for instance. send our students to her ber to June, beginning with Nearly 40 percent of kids ages five to eight have con- And since teaching is not because she models ex- the opening of school. An- ditions that significantly increase their risk of early a highly respected profes- actly what we're trying other unique aspect of our sion in the community, to teach. program includes the use heart disease schools of education have But there is a basis for of a cohort model within Some 70 percent of girls and 40 percent of boys ages had to fight to promote optimism. About the time physical education content. six to 12 do not have enough muscle strength to do more their programs within their Measure 5 passed, the uni- Students enter the program own universities and at the versity moved to a fifth- together and progress than one pull-up same time try to draw in year professional teacher through courses and expe- Using facts like these to get people's attention, health prospective students. preparation model. Prior to riences together. They pro- advocates are fighting to keep or reinstate physical ed- Physical educators that we had an undergrad- vide invaluable support are looking at a double uate program in which stu- to one another as they ucation in places where PE dollars are drying up and the whammy: Not only isedu- dents earned a bachelor's develop new skills. three Rs are crowding out other subjects. There's even cationfighting for respect, degree while earning certi- About 20 students typi- fication to teach K-12. cally apply to our program a Web site where teachers can get ideas for defending so isphysicaleducation. Here in Oregon, physical Under the new program, each year. We admit any- PE in their own schools and communities (http:// education teachers have students first complete where from half to three- fourths of those applicants. pecentral.org/websites/defendingpe.html). watched their programs their bachelor's degree and shrink or disappear under then apply to a one-year, Our acceptance numbers In Oregon, advocates recently won a big victory when the pressure of falling bud- graduate-level program. At are based on how well we they convinced lawmakers to include phys ed in the gets and rising academic the end of the year, they are feel we can mentor the newly developed statewide standards for a Certificate of standards driven by educa- certified to teach across all students and on the num- tion reform. The standards levelsfrom pre-primary ber of quality mentor teach- Initial Mastery (for details, see "Saving PE: The Oregon movement coincided with through high schooland ers available in the area Story" on Page 36). In Washington, D.C., Alaska's Sen- the 1990 passage of Mea- they hold a master's degree surrounding Corvallis. ator Ted Stevens has won wide co-sponsorship for his sure 5, a citizen's initiative in teaching. We have been very suc- limiting property taxes. It's quite different from cessful with our fifth-year Physical Education for Progress (PEP) bill. Currently These two events dove- other education programs program. Ninety to 95 per- making its way through the labyrinth of congressional tailed to hurt Oregon around the country. Most cent of our graduates are schools. The impact was teacher preparation pro- hired each year, mostly in decisionmaking, the bill would authorize grants of $400 felt in OSU's physical edu- grams have students com- Oregon but also in Idaho, million over five years to schools and districts for equip- cation teacher preparation plete their coursework Washington, Arizona, ment, curriculum development, and teacher training in program, as well. Some of beforeplacing them in a Nevada, Colorado, and Cal- our best mentor teachers full-time student teaching ifornia. We get calls from PE. "It's not just to keep the next generation from be- those who work with as- experience. For our stu- administrators every year, coming obese," Stevens told Andrew Mollison, a re- piring teachers in the field dents, coursework and especially from elementary porter for Cox Newspapers, in April. "The kids who lost their jobs. One of practice are braided to- schools, asking for appli- our mentor teachers re- gether. They learn about cants. We often have no are causing all this violence and bullying are not getting ceived an award for out- teaching in their on-campus one to send to them. the organized physical activity where you let off steam

NW Education / Fall 2000 10 . .I . .. . and learn about things like waiting your turn and not win- 7 . to. 1 . ning all the time." .1 II

l o o HALL OF SHAME .4 One hurdle advocates need to leap is the widespread dis- likeeven hatredof PE among parents, policymak- / / ers, and the general public. Many baby boomers vividly remember the hurt and mortification they endured in . ,

. *. punishing games like dodge ball and team sports that pitted athletic kids against clumsy ones, aggressive 1 . against timid. And then there was the cruel practice of choosing up sides. Countless children were deeply II wounded when team captains passed them over again I I I ' / and again in favor of their more agile peers. "For most 8 ' 1.'I of us, the ghost of PE past looms large," writes A. Vir- e shup in Women's Sports and Fitness. "Ask any group . .

1 of 10 adults for their memories of gym class and seven . I of them will launch into litanies of frustration and humiliation: the groans when they came up at bat, the . . failure to do a single pull-up on the annual fitness test, . . 8 the gruesome uniforms." In her 1999 article, "Why . Janey Can't Run," Virshup concludes that "PE seemed , , 1 ' . . less a class than some tribal ritual for jocks to enjoy and 1 . the rest of us to endure." ' 0 McCallum echoes this view when he writes: "We re- 11' member gym class so vividly because it brought out emo- 1. tions and existential crises that are central to our -1 development. Fear. Intimidation. Humiliation. Nausea. I .11 Abject failure. Angst. Neurosis. All thatand showers, too!" . . . Several years ago, a physical educator in Vinton, Iowa, I" 11 championed dignity for kids when she convinced the . school board to build individual dressing and shower stalls " I' , in the locker rooms. "When you ask kids whose bodies

'1 I 0 II are changing to undress and shower in front of everyone, I tt i you've destroyed their self-esteem before they even get into the gym," the teacher, Beth Kirkpatrick, argued. There are still plenty of teachers who adhere to the "old" PE. But defenders of the "new" PE are on the offensive. The Journal of Physical Education, Recre- 1 NEM, MOVES 8 ation, & Dance ran a three-part series in the 1990s calledschooling. The new PE focuses on pursuits that stu- "The Physical Education Hall of Shame" in which authordents can use in the real world for fun and fitness. The and educator Neil Williams lambastes the worst practices. old PE was geared for the physically gifted. The new PE Not surprisingly, the Number 1 "charter inductee" isis designed to let every kid succeed. Describing the dodge ball, which the author calls "a litigation waitinggym-class renaissance in the New York Times several to happen." In this brutal contest of the mighty againstyears ago, Melinda Henneberger describes "a growing the meek, "at most, about half of the students reallycurriculum overhaul in physical education, replacing playthe rest hide in the farthest reaches of the gym." competitive sports with activities that prepare children Another top pick is Duck, Duck, Goose, a circle chasefor lifetime health rather than for varsity teams. The game for primary kids in which "at least half of the stu- goal," she writes, "is not so much to learn to score a bas- dents in the class will never be picked, friends usually pick ket as to develop body awareness, hand and motion friends, and generally, about five students do all of the skills, and the confidence to try new activities." playing," he reports. The author, a PE professor at East- ern Connecticut State University, is also scathing about SIGNPOSTS FOR TEACHERS elimination games like musical chairs. Such games, he To guide schools in designing high-quality physical ed- argues, are "self-defeating, because the students who are ucation programs, NASPE recently developed a set of na- in the greatest need of skill development are immediately tional standards to serve as "signposts" for teachers, in banished, embarrassed, and punished, and then given no the words of Professor Terry Wood of Oregon State opportunity to improve." University "The standards are not a national curriculum, For inclusion in the Hall of Shame, activities or games but a set of criteria that provide a profile of the physi- meet some or all of the following criteria: cally educated student at each grade level," says Wood, Absence of the purported objectives of the activity who served on the task force that developed the stan- or game dards. "Each state or district must determine the ap- Potential to embarrass a student in front of the restpropriate curriculum to meet the standards, which of the class serves as a planning document for states and districts." Focus on eliminating students from participation The most surprising_ thing about the seven standards Overemphasis on and concern about the students is the heavy emphasis on attitudes, social interaction, and having "fun" thinking skills. PE teacher Tom Heath of Jefferson Ele- Lack of emphasis on teaching motor skills and life- mentary School in Corvallis, Oregon, explains that the time physical fitness skills standards fall into three broad areas: movement skills, Extremely low participation time factors lifetime fitness, and interpersonal skills, including self- Organizing into large groups where getting a "turn"management and respect for diversity. The National is based on luck or individual aggressiveness orStandards for Physical Education indicate that a physi- competitiveness cally educated student: Extremely high likelihood for danger, injury, 1. Demonstrates competency in many movement forms and harm and proficiency in a few movement forms The old PE emphasized competition, while the new PE 2. Applies movement concepts and principles to the stresses cooperation. The old PE taught mostly team learning and development of motor skills sports, which have limited application after formal 3. Exhibits a physically active lifestyle t12

NW Education / Fall 2000 I I t 4. Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of 9 physical fitness 5. Demonstrates responsible personal and social . 1 1. 1 . . 1. behavior in physical activity settings . I II . 6. Demonstrates understanding and respect for differ- 01. V' WI ences among people in physical activity settings 1 . . I I 7. Understands that physical activity provides opportu- . I ' nities for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and 'II 1 1 , social interaction .. 1 1 "I ' In its 1995 publication Moving into the Future: Na- I II II IV tional Standards for Physical Education, the NASPE task : s s, II I force provides sample benchmarks at every other grade / el. level, K-12. For example, to meet Goal 2 ("applies move- . , ment concepts and principles to the learning and de- 1 /I a 0 'lost las O O Os velopment of motor skills") a kindergartner should be . / I I I .0.1 III II I' able to walk, run, hop, and skip in forward and sideways directions, and to change direction quickly in response /I 'a 1 I

1 1 to a signal. She should identify and use a variety of re-

O 0 lationships with objects (such as over, under, behind, I .1 I I at" I , . . alongside, and through). She should begin to use the "leg . flexion" technique to soften the landing in jumping. 11'1 0 l By sixth grade, a student should be able to detect, an- 1

1111 . alyze, and correct errors in personal movement patterns. Oa '11 ' II He ought to identify proper warm-up and cool-down techniques and the reasons for using them. And he 'I Ola 'I should know basic practice and conditioning principles l that enhance performance. 0 I II' To meet the standard, a 12th-grader should, for example, be able to participate in a tennis match using all

. 1 ' of the basic skills, rules, and strategies with some consistency. She should be able to pass the Red Cross in- ' " el termediate swimming requirements; get nine out of 10 ' e - l arrows on the target from 40 feet; navigate a kayak skillfully and safely through white water; use advanced 1. offensive and defensive shots successfully in a racquet- t e ball game against an opponent of similar skill; and/or demonstrate the skills for a black belt in karate. The first press run of 2,000 standards documents was

1 , snatched up quickly, Wood reports. But, he says, trans-

NEW MOVER3 10 lating the words into practice is the critical next step. It each and every school day. Chucking their backpacks on could in fact spell life or death for physical education. the perimeter, they quickly find spots on the floor while "There is little doubt that physical educators, pressured Greiner climbs onto a table up front. "All together by the national reform movement with its emphasis on now!" She leads them through a series of warm-ups and content standards, alternative assessment strategies, andintricate dance moves. "Heel, heel, toe, toe, front, side, higher-order learning objectives, were waiting for some back, side!" she calls. Every foot is on cue, every eye is direction," Wood asserts in a 1996 article in Teaching on Greiner, all children are quietly concentrating Elementary Physical Education. "Now that the dust except when they're singing along with the music. has settled after the initial rush to obtain the standards, "Lookin' good! Don't forget that hop at the end!" teachers, schools, and districts are faced with a funda- No couch potatoes here. mental challenge not addressed in the documentim- plementation. How this challenge is met will determine the long-term success of the standards, and to some degree the future of PE in the public school system." Top-notch teachers, like Meg Greiner in the rural Ore- gon town of Independence, consciously build their programs around the concepts contained in the standards. "Good teachers naturally do, because the standards are everything that physical education should be about," says Greiner, who teaches at Independence Elemen- tary. "It's about diversity. It's about movement concepts and manipulative skills. It's about dance, rhythm, and coordination. It's about fitness for a lifetime. It's about self-management and social behavior. My classes are full of all those things." Every morning before the first bell, you can find Greiner alone in the empty gym. Wearing her "PE Rulz" T-shirt and a colorful pair of Hawaiian shorts, the award- winning teacher is thumbing through an eclectic collection of CDseverything from polkas to Irish dance tunes to mariachi, ragtime, country, and zydeco (Cajun music from southern Louisiana, featuring guitar, washboard, and accordion). Not least are the hot pop stars like Celine Dion, Backstreet Boys, and Sheryl Crow. "That's how you get the kids hooked in," Greiner explains. At 8:30 sharp she flings open the gym door and stands back. A herd of 350 gyrating grade-schoolers mixed with a few parents and teachersgallops in for 4 Team Time, the all-school exercise class that kicks off

NW Education / Fall 2000 orzy, hockey. In warmer weather, stu- 11 Mgg0 '0 Ma 1,M, dents go outside to experience ROOSEVE:[email protected] pig ultimate Frisbee, soccer, lacrosse, 'Jr4- gt n flag football, and softball. Although golf occupies a special than public schools, has been the department at Roosevelt at place in his heart, Darrell Mont- offered since Montzingo ob- times uses heart monitors in fit- 'zing° has never met a sport he served a game of it. Students ness classes, so students can didn't like. Now head of the de- can chose inline skating or the see for themselves what it takes partment of physical education circus arts of juggling and unicy-to reach their desired heart rate. at Seattle's inner-city Roosevelt cling. Next fall, the department "Less active kids reach their tar- High School, Montzingo brings will initiate a body-toning class, get just walking, while others to his job a playful spirit and a which the faculty hopes will drawhave to work much harder," fascination with games of all more women into weight train- Montzingo says. "The monitors kinds. "My goal," he says, "is ing. New in February, a rock- are great; kids can check it for to introduce a new activity every climbing wall is a popular themselves, which empowers year." He particularly enjoys addition. them and frees up the instructor." bringing in games from other Ondividual sports offered include Parents have given the program cultures. "I was in Spain last croquet, horseshoes, and what thumbs up. Says Montzingo: year, where everywhere you Montzingo calls create-a-sport. "They say, 'We never had the op- see old men playing bocci ball "I try to get kids to make up portunity to do that!' In fact, par- [similar to lawn bowling] in the games," he says. For this assign-ents are often more articulate in dirt. Next year we'll start that. ment, students typically combineappreciating the program than Buka Ball is an Asian game we two games and change the rules the kids are. Still, we have a lot use, too. It's like a cross be- accordingly. Students have tried of kids who come in from ninth tween volleyball and Hacky Sack blending basketball with soccer grade saying, 'I hate PE. I'll be [footbag]. You use your feet, or basketball with golf. Or they'vethe worst again, and no one will knees, or hands to kick a bam- dreamed up new variations of pick me for their team.' Well, here boo ball over a net, using volley- the old classic, capture the flag. that won't happen. Those kids ball rules. We like it because it true to his real passion, take alternative sports and find equalizes males and females." Montzingo offers golf as well as out that they can be as good and Montzingo was hired at coaching the school's golf teams.as active as the others." Roosevelt in 1992, the physical What he calls it his "inner-city On all their eclectic offerings, one education programconsisting golf project" is sponsored by thething is clear: Roosevelt PE in- of team and individual sports Professional Golfers Association.structors are steering students and weight traininglooked "Hey, you can play golf all the toward forms of exercise they pretty traditional. Over the last way until you're a senior citizen,"can enjoy for years to come. "I eight years, however, the depart- Montzingo notes. "I tell the stu- want them to develop routines ment has moved away from that dents that a lot of them will find they will follow for the rest of approach to offer more choice themselves on a golf course for their lives," Montzingo says. and to focus more on lifetime business reasons or with their leisure activities, including walk-families at some point in their "Snapshots" by Maya Muir ing and individual sports. future. It's a great life leisure ro graduate at Roosevelt, stu- sport." dents must take four PE classes Vraditional team sports have not for two full credits from a smor- entirely gone by the wayside. But gasbord of choices. Tai chi has the old model of kids playing one been available in the past; yoga, sport all semester is no longer aerobics (including walking aer- to be found. Instead, interested obics), handball, archery, and students rotate in the winter swimming are today. Lacrosse, through two weeks each of Buka more frequently played in privateBall, volleyball, basketball, and

/ 12 for excellence in the field. In 7E0111 HUM 1998, Kephart won the Alaska DIMOND NENSCHOOL NASPE award for High School Physical Education Teacher of A;0111;1AC, A11,1k-dWhen (from weight lifting); (5) flexibil-the Year, followed by the North- students take soccer from PE ity; and (6) stress management, west district award, and finally teacher Dale Kephart at Anchor- taught by progressive muscle the national award. age's Dimond High School, theyrelaxation techniques and he video Kephart submitted to don't have the usual all-or-noth-visualization. the award committee features ing experience of playing in a also teach about nutrition, her Lifetime Personal Fitness game or, alternatively, sitting on substance abuse, posture, and class. In it, she has students the sidelines for the whole class miscellaneous subjects like the begin with a warm-up of some period. Instead Kephart, who effect of hot and cold weather basic dance steps, followed by has been teaching one form of on exercise, because here in a stretch. Then students divide fitness or another for 33 years, Alaska that makes a big differ- into groups and move through keeps all the kids busy all the ence," Kephart says. "And we a series of stations focusing on time. They start with warm-ups talk about how exercise helps the difference between moder- then move into a series of exer- prevent cardiovascular disease. ately intensive activity (such cisesfive minutes each of We weave these concepts as aerobic dance) and high- push-ups or crunches, dribbling,throughout so that classes intensity activity (such as jump- playing two-on-two, and mini- actually teach wellness." ing). At each station, students games where everyone is active Cut, she's quick to add, the do a different activity: aerobic before the cool-down period. focus is still on activity. Despite steps, hamstring curls, jump just not enough anymore all the concepts Kephart covers, rope, modern dance move- to throw the ball out there and she doesn't like her students sit-ments, jumping over small plas- have them play," says Kephart. ting still in class for more than tic hurdles, and a shuttle run in "You get some cardiorespiratoryfive minutes. "Sometimes I havewhich a basketball is passed exercise from that, but the otherthem grab their notebooks and back and forth. "They learned components of fitness aren't work for up to five minutes on how their heart rate varied dur- addressed. We really try to builda worksheet," Kephart says. "If ing different kinds of activity," for a lifetime of fitness here, in they are doing circuits of activi- says Kephart. "I finished with all our activities." ties around the gym, they pausecool-down exercises, during °;Sephart is a nationally recog- befote each one to work togetherwhich I reviewed the concepts." nized pioneer of this approach, figuring out questions on the ephart also stresses that she and has been actively involved sheet about that area. Or," she teaches leadership and critical in promoting it since the early continues, "sometimes I deliver thinking by having students 1990s throughout Alaska in her the concepts during cool-down teach each other what they have work on the Anchorage School periods. At the end of the week, learned, and devise exercises to District Curriculum committee. I ask them to work in groups to illustrate concepts for the entire Currently in that state, the most remember the points covered. class. Usually these are done explicit introduction kids get to Every second week, I test them." cooperatively. this approach is a Lifetime Per- In developing curriculum for ''!'ve always taught PE with fit- sonal Fitness Course, one of the district and her high school, ness in mind," says Kephart, three semester-long PE courses Kephart and her colleagues re- "but now we have more infor- required for graduation. Kephartlied on guidance from the Na- mation about how to do that, identifies six components for tional Association for Sport and and we understand why it's im- all-around fitness: (1) cardio- Physical Education (NASPE), portant. Our goal is to have all respiratory fitness, or aerobics; a member of the Alliance for kids be as active as possible (2) body composition; (3) mus- Health, Physical Education, and to understand why that cular endurance (from repeated Recreation, and Dance. NASPE matters." motions); (4) muscular strength recognizes individual teachers Health Enhancement class rein- 13 IC3LVD)HEW forces the message for freshmen egifafflSCHOOL and sophomores. Subjects include nutrition; violence preven- fS-..T1TL, get a good workout hiking up tion; sexuality; communications; Cowboy jitterbug is hot in Mon- and down those mountains." drugs, alcohol and tobacco pre- otana right now. It's also hot at Thomas and her colleagues are vention; and mental health issues Big Sky High School, where kidspreparing about 100 students like stress and time manage- kick up their heels for credit. "Wenow to participate in a five- ment. "We encourage students actually require it," says veteran kilometer community run. "It's to set personal goals for them- PE teacher Maureen Thomas, a walk/jog, and we care more selves in relation to each topic," "but it's also very popular. We about having kids take part than Thomas says. offer it because we want our being front-runners," Thomas Thomas says she took much students to recognize that danc- says. "We're offering practice of the inspiration for these new ing can be part of an active life- in PE twice a week, and asking ideas from annual conventions style." Jitterbuggingsoon to students to practice once a of the Montana Association for be followed by swing if Thomas week on their own." Health, Physical Education, has her wayis part of a strongfine key to the success of the Recreation, and Dance. She at- emphasis on introducing teen- Big Sky program is that, as tended her first convention in agers to activities that can keep much as possible, students the mid-1980s, and came home them active and healthy their choose and take ownership of brimming with ideas. Since then, entire lives. their activities. At the beginning she has served as president and some of those activities offered of the Lifetime Fitness class she is now executive director. "Our for credit at Big Sky, such as teaches, Thomas lists all possi- field is changing so fast," she tennis and softball, can be foundbilities and students rank their says. "Ongoing professional de- at other schools and in most preferences. The class rotates velopment is very important." parts of the country. Other through the choices. "Last se- Thomas was singled out this choices draw more heavily on mester's class chose fly-fishing,year for her contributions to PE the assets of the Montana envi- tennis, golf, folf, and softball in when she was named one of ronment. "Montana Fish, Wild- the fall, and racquetball, bad- four Montana winners of the life, and Parks works with us on minton, the climbing wall, and Milken Family Foundation a fishing unit," says Thomas, downhill skiing in the winter," Awards, which come with "and we have mountain biking she says. a $25,000 prize. on trails near the school. We're Thomas adds, "We have an TO/hen Thomas's name was sub- working with the University of elective every period of the day mitted to the Foundation, some- Montana to introduce kayaking. to make it easy for students to one voiced surprise that it would When possible, cross-country choose, and they are always full,be given to someone who taught skiing is available, and even with more kids wanting in." a subject that was not part of downhill skiing. The response Thomas also encourages stu- the core curriculum. State Su- this year to the latter was tre- dents to take responsibility for perintendent of Public Instruc- mendous. We actually took 450 their own health with heart-rate tion Nancy Keenan responded kids out on four separate days monitors during aerobic activi- that in Montana, PE is core cur- of ski trips." ties, so kids know what to aim riculum. I mother favorite is "folf"(also for in their various sports. "Also, known as "disc golf"), a combi- from the freshman year on, we nation of Frisbee and golf. "You require each student to keep an throw something like a Frisbee activity log," says Thomas. "Even only heavier," says Thomas, moderate activity contributes to "and you have to hit certain health, so we count it, too. This holes. We bus the kids to a technique helps them be aware recreation site for it, and they and take charge." The required i21.--

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PHOTO BY RICK RAPPAPORT 18 SEATTLE, Washington the agility of circus performers. says, in a district that has is to make physical activity so 15 Anyone old enough to remem-adopted content frameworks appealing that it becomes a ber when gym class involved for physical education and em- habitespecially for the 75 ddle choosing up teams for dodge ploys a teaching staff of about percent of high school students Igla ball will be amazed by the trans- 150 PE specialists. And Seattle who are currently not enrolled formation. kids are all the better for it: Testin any PE classes, according to made And that's great news, accord-scores consistently show them the U.S. Surgeon General. At a ing to Bud Turner, coordinator to be some of the fittest young time when American youth are of K-12 physical education for people in the nation. Last year, less fit and more fat than ever awoss Seattle Public Schools. At 54, the district had 6,000 students before, educators make no Turner has spent three decadesearning the Presidential Physi- apologies for using fun to moti- golde selling his community on the cal Fitness Award by scoring at vate kids to get up and get mov- wank.braea. benefits of what he calls "suc- or above the 85th percentile on ingnot just for gym class, but On the north side of the city at cess-oriented PE." It's an ap- each of five fitness challenges. for a lifetime. Roosevelt High, two dozen teensproach that's gathering Two schools in the district are start the day kick-boxing to a momentum nationwide by national demonstration sites forNOBODY SITS OUT funkier rhythm, doing their bestteaching kids to work for their the President's Challenge, and Sue Turner, a Washington State to keep pace with a high-energy personal best rather than best- others receive a steady stream PE Teacher of the Year, can re- instructor named Teri Galloway. ing the opposing team, to ele- of visitors. member what it was like to be a When she calls "time," studentsvate wellness above winning. While Seattle may be the new teacher nearly 30 years ago. pause to check their electronic "It's all about kids saying, `Aha! largest district in the region to She based her curriculum on heart-rate monitors and catch I can do it!"' says Turner. "And embrace the new PE trend, othercompetitive team sports like their breath. In an adjoining then it becomes a personal districts and individual teachersbasketball and softball, just room, classmates line up to thing, to see how far they can are pedaling fast in the same di-as she'd been taught. But she scale a plywood wall that's beengo." The gym offers an ideal rection. Classes in mountain couldn't help noticing that the implanted with plastic "rocks" venue for teaching cooperation, biking, downhill skiing, and othergifted athletesmaybe 10 or 15 to use as handholds. Getting creativity, and critical thinking, thrill-packed adventure sports, percent of her studentswould across the horizontal span with-he adds, right along with physi- along with more relaxing pur- dominate the action while the out dropping to the padded cal skills. suits such as yoga and tai chi, majority of kids seldom touched floor takes not only upper-arm From his involvement on na- are such a departure from gym the ball. When class ended, half strength, but also good thinking.tional advisory committees and classes of old that even Sports the students would swagger out At Sanislo Elementary in southyears of leadership and writing Illustrated has paused from cov-as winners and the other half Seattle, youngsters run a warm- in the field, Turner knows that ering pro sports to weigh in on dragged out as losers. "Kids up loop around the schoolyard his school district "is far ahead their merits. came out of gym class scream- then pour into the gym, eager toof much of the rest of the coun- If these courses sound like ing at each other about who ride unicycles, turn handsprings,try" in reforming its physical the program listings from a pri- had won that day. I knew they and juggle sets of balls, pins, education curriculum. "PE gets vate health club or outdoorsy needed something different," and even tennis racquets with the attention it deserves," he resort, it's no accident. The ideashe explains, "where they could

NEW MOVES 16 compete against themselves who turns a series of hand- successfulis a hallmark of the term, beams instructor Teri instead of against each other. springs so fast, her body seems the new PE. That means no relayGalloway, "They were probably They needed alternatives." to blur. "And they love to show races where a dozen students my fittest students." Not only That's when she started in- off," she adds with a laugh, stand and watch for every kid had their cardiovascular fitness troducing individual activities pointing to a small boy zipping who runs. It means assigning and endurance improved, but like tumbling. Right away, the past on a big unicycle. "I want open-ended tasks that allow they had learned to warm up mood changed. Instead of jeer- to get them to experience the kids to progress as far as they and cool down to prevent in- ing about gym-class victories or thrill of that, so that they'll can individually. It means modi- juriesall habits that promote who got picked last for teams, learn to move for the rest fying traditional team sports so a healthier lifestyle. students would cheer each of their lives." teams are much smaller and ev- Although the new gym activi- other on as they learned to Barbara McEwan, another eryone gets more opportunitiesties can look pretty loose and perform cartwheels or hand- award-winning Seattle PE spe- to practice skills. "You wouldn'tfreewheeling, there's a philoso- springs. Before long, Turner wascialist, shudders to remember teach a group of kids to read by phy underlying the fun. "We adding unicycles and juggling. games like Soak 'Em that were having one book and passing it provide a safe environment (Her husband, Bud Turner, con- par for the course when she down a line of 10 kids," Bud where kids can learn, no matter vinced the district to invest in started teaching 28 years ago. Turner says, "but too often, what their abilities, skills, or at- alternative PE equipment; the "The object was basically for that's how we try to teach sportstitudes," explains PE specialist district now owns a fleet of kids to beat each other up with skills." Instead, he promotes and diversity expert Mona Men- 3,500 unicycles.) balls," she says. Today, she's activities that teach all studentsdoza of Meany Middle School. Teaching at a school that en- more inclined to plan activities "to learn to move and move to "Our kids give respect and get rolls many children from low- that require cooperation and learn." respect." Her school teaches income families, Sue Turner problem solving. "These games Success-oriented PE also predominately low-income, mi- knows that most of her studentswon't work if everybody tries to means broadening the curricu- nority youth, "and they know we would never have been able be the leader. They have to fig- lum to appeal to all kinds of kidshave high expectation for them," to afford private gymnastics ure out ways to work together," the ones sporting tattoos andMendoza says. "We won't allow lessons. Yet over the years, she explains. McEwan has to green hair as well as those with them not to be successful." hundreds of Sanislo students talk loud to be heard over the crew-cuts and washboard abs. Lasting personal success have performed with SCATS, a din of a gym full of first-graders "Some kids would never partici-not a fleeting team victoryis skilled, school-based acrobatic engaged in what looks like a pate in team sports, but they the big goal. In a recent inter- troupe that grew out of her PE mini-carnival. In teams of four thrive in individual activities," view in USA Today, Virginia Tech classes. Their goal isn't perfec- or five, kids try to toss tennis says Turner. Others love the health and PE professor George tion, but participation. "We balls into a tall cylinder, keep a competitive arena. "We need to Graham stressed the power of could practice round-offs over giant ball in the air, or drop a offer something for all of them."positive experiences to get kids and over until they were all ring onto a cone. Each activity Recently, for instance, a group hooked on fitness. "If you can doing them perfectly," she says,requires teamwork along with of girls signed up for a Roo- design a program where kids "but that isn't what we're about.physical skills. sevelt High aerobics class are successful 80 percent of the These kids love to fly," she says, Designing activities so that allbecause they wanted help man- time," he said, "you have a good pointing across the gym to a girl kids can participateand feel aging their weight. By the end ofprogram."

NW EDUCATION / Fall 2000 20 TRY ONE NEW THING estimates. Many teachers grew If Seattle's experience is typi- up on a diet of traditional team cal, it takes time, energy, and sports, and some traditions die creative fundraising to expand hard. "A lot of them are used to PE offerings beyond the old- teaching baseball, basketball, fashioned basics. To stretch its and maybe a little volleyball for budget, Seattle has built part- variety," Turner says. The best nerships with a host of commu- PE classes in the district, he nity sponsors, from the U.S. says, didn't get that way because Tennis Association to golfers of fancy facilities or big budgets. on the pro circuit to the Seattle "Staff is the key. The most im- Sonics basketball team. High portant ingredient is good school weight roomsstocked teaching." with used, donated equipment In his crusade to remake the are functional but not fancy. PE mold, Turner visits at least Instead of leaving boxes of half a dozen schools a day (driv- equipment to gather dust in ing a car with "PE4KIDS" license school storage rooms, the dis- plates). He makes a point to trict operates a PE lending li- bring along something new. One brary. Class sets of everything day it's pedometers to remind from heart-rate monitors to teachers to increase their own bicycles and helmets to yo-yos activity levels so they aren't rotate from school to school, teaching from the bleachers; getting more use from more another day it's posters to students. And the $4,000 rock brighten gym walls and spread walls that are springing up in the pro-PE message. Turner will school gyms all over town are conduct a one-on-one workshop built with wood donated by a any time a teacher requests in- 4,014(0 BY SOilE BOSS local lumber company and otherstruction in teaching a specific A I materials paid for through "buy-activity. Once a year, he puts on SEATTLE MAINTAINS A FLEET OF 3,500 UNICYCLES TO HELP KIDS "LEARN TO MOVE AND MOVE TO LEARN a-rock" fund-raising campaigns. a West's Best PE conference Equipment alone doesn't that attracts several hundred make for an innovative PE pro- attendees and presenters from gram, of course. Just as impor- all over the country. "It's packed tant is a willingness by teachers with ideas that teachers can try to work with kids in new ways. on the spot and incorporate into In Seattle, the average age of PEour classes tomorrow," says specialists is about 50, Turner Mc Ewan. Turner even produces 21 NEW MOVES

sz- Everybody et a group of "We can modify games and PE teachers manage competition," Turner Wins together and explains. Instead of nine- the conversa- person softball teams, for in- 1'1 1 "1

tion naturally stance, students can break 1 '1 1

turns to jock into three-player teams for II 1 talk. They com-"coneball," played on a pare win-loss records for scaled-down diamond where adult softball leagues, share everybody gets more chances training tips for upcoming to hone fielding and hitting I. I marathon races, talk about skills. Instead of training one 'S5 their golf scores and tennis or two students to be pitch- I matches ers, everybody learns and 11 '1" I

"There's nothing wrong practices the fundamentals of 1 1 11 1 with competition," says Bud throwing and catching. Turner 1 1'1 I '11.1 Turner, coordinator of K-12 also suggests structuring ' 11 1' physical education for Seattlegames so that competition is 'I 1 1 " Public Schools and a week- added gradually, as students 1 .5 1 end warrior himself on the acquire new skills. They can 11

coed softball circuit. Indeed, progress from warm-up, to 1 1 II many PE teachers are first at- individual competition, to 1

tracted to the field because competition against a partner, 'I. 1 ' 1'

they've had positive experi- to team games. 1 1 .1 ences in sports. Although there are plenty

But when it's time for PE of PE specialists who enjoy I - II 1 1

class, competition's best left competing on their own time, .1 .1 1

outside the gym. "Athletics "You don't have to be a great 1 1 '

involves only 10 to 15 per- athlete to be a good PE 1 11 S '1' cent of the student popula- teacher," stresses Turner, who I tion," says Turner, but PE is trains future generations of . for everyone PE teachers as an adjunct S. 11

Turning the school gym faculty member at four uni- 11 1

into a place where everybody versities in Washington. "We 1 1 wins doesn't mean that gameswant great teachers to go into I have to be eliminated. this fieldpeople who like .1' ' 1 "1 kids and know how to be in- I 1 l 1 1 1 novative." Ill 1 11I

I s , .

1 1 basic three-ball cascade in to fit the new PE model. Insteadcultural and social ones, as well.know just how much variety they 19 juggling, or build up the arm of just hoisting barbells, stu- Rock climbing walls, for in- were offered here," he suspects. strength to hold a handstand, dents can learn the names of stance, provide an ideal back- By then, with any luck, they will he says, "they feel like they can the muscles, reinforcing what drop for teaching the body and consider fitness not just a goal learn anything. And we see that they've studied in biology. They the mind. At first, students are from those gym classes they attitude carry over to their aca- can learn which exercises are motivated by the sheer physical took as kids, but something to demic classrooms, too. Their most likely to produce gains in challenge: Can they get all the embrace in their daily lives. "Will teachers come back to us and strength or flexibility, and whichway across without touching theI keep doing this?" asks a wiry say, what did you do to get theseones will improve cardiovascu- ground? The instructor can make12-year-old who learned to ride kids so excited about learning?"lar fitness. They can use math the task more challenging by a unicycle when she was a first- skills or computer programmingasking students to use only cer-grader and has been getting Teaching Above the Shoulders to track changes in their body tain rocks, or connecting pairs better ever since. "You bet!" Without a doubt, the new PE re- mass index (BMI) or calculate of students with a "lifeline" and quires more thinkingby stu- their target heart rate. They canhaving them stage a rescue of dents and teachers alike. "We learn to develop their own train-another student. Seattle has de- don't just teach up to here," ing program, tailored to their in-veloped a rock-wall curriculum says Montzingo, gesturing to hisdividual fitness goals. The girl that includes physical activity, shoulders. "We take it all the who's interested in overall ton- problem solving, creativity, and way up to here," he says, and ing will find weight training just cooperation. taps his forehead. as valuable as the guy who wants Do students appreciate the Districts that can't afford PE to build his biceps. variety and depth of today's specialists may still be treating Well-planned, purposeful PE PE? Probably not yet, admits gym classes as "glorified re- offers opportunities to integrateMontzingo. "Not until they're cess," admits Turner. Only sevennot only academic lessons, but adults and look back will they states require PE specialists at the elementary level, according to a survey by the National Asso- ciation for Sport and Physical Education. "There's so much pressure on classroom teachers now to make sure their kids meet high academic standards," laments Turner. "Most of them don't have time to plan a new PE curriculum, too." With a little creativity, however, even a traditional class like weight training can be retooled .0.*' - 23 FIRST-GRADERS PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES THAT REQUIRE MOVEMENT, TEAMWORK, AND PROBLEM SOLVING. NEW MOVES 20 usually gives them some trou- &LE 01,1L ble." Kids who reach the 85th PARK Laff SCHOOL percentile or better on every fit- 4-051M10.9'?Ii rings from the playground, kids ness item qualify for the "presi- "When kids first come to me, were losing arm strength. "I had dential" (highest) award. At they often have a frumpy kind to figure out what else to do," Schmitz Park, 60 percent of stu- of 'try to make me have fun' atti- McEwan says. With the proceedsdents are presidential winners. tude," says PE teacher Barbara of an Eastertime chocolate-rabbit,b1cEwan finds as a rule that en- McEwan at Seattle's Schmitz sale, the school bought a climb- ticing elementary students to run Park Elementary School. "One of ing wall. "It's really helped," a mile is the hardest task. "Basi- my goals is to have enough greatMcEwan says. "Some kids won'tcally, we do it with games," she equipment here that all the chil- ever be able to do a pull-up, but says. "We use games where they dren find something they abso- everyone can learn to hold their have to keep running, or if they lutely love to do." When kids are body weight for a while." are tagged 'out,' they go do five having fun, they're more likely to 1`,rAcEwan likes the unicycles for handstands, then come back in." meet McEwan's even more im- teaching balance to kids from Not only do McEwan's students portant goal: to help her stu- kindergarten on up. She speaks test well, but their squeals and dents raise their overall level of with pride of her class of 10 ad- smiles during class clearly show fitness. In this, she has been re- vanced kids who can idlethat their delight. "I love to see them markably successful. "The kids is, rock back and forthfor five get hooked on juggling or some- get very motivated," she says. seconds to 30 minutes at a time.thing like that," McEwan says. 'You can see their enthusiasm And, although it has been a "And all the time I get kids who the minute you walk into the struggle, she's been able to find have gone on to middle school Schmitz Park gym. Some days, ways to get girls interested. "Girlscoming back to tell me how much you'll see kids climbing vertical are less willing to take falls," shethey miss the PE we do here." rock walls or hauling themselves says, "but if they do it with part- across cargo nets. Or you might ners and take it slowly, they find open the door onto 40 children they like it, too. We're about half zipping around on unicycles or girls, half boys now," she says. balancing on stilts, large spools, The result of this approach is and balls. Other days you can verifiable success. Schmitz Park find them bouncing on pogo has been the Washington state sticks or racing around in an in- champion for 10 of the 11 years tense game of wheelchair tag. it has been participating in the one don't have any kids who President's Challenge Physical need to be in wheelchairs right Fitness Program. McEwan con- now," says McEwan, "but we siders the program fairly de- have had some in the past. Whenmanding. Children are tested on we did, we really wanted to find five skills: pull-ups, reaching be- ways to give them a good exer- yond their toes, running a mile, cise program, too, but the other shuttle running (which tests kids were no match for them in quickness), and curl-ups. The a chair. So now we have many standards are adjusted for sex of our kids learn to steer and do and age. For example a 10-year- wheelies, and they really enjoy it.old boy is required to do six When kids come along who do pull-ups, while a 10-year-old require chairs, they'll have other girl must do three to reach the children to race." "presidential" level. "Most chil- everal years ago, after a lawsuitdren can do at least some of against the school prompted the these fairly easily," says McEwan, removal of the monkey bars and "but at least one item on the test

9 2000 rock wall (which, for a cost of 21 FACENTA1 $4,000, was paid for entirely SALMONNOESCHOOL by renting advertising space to CSIA-14=10 low the school offers three PE local businesses). The unit also Salmon High School, county classes. The first course, for includes fly-fishing and rod trucks are dumping riprap and sophomores, is Beginning Life- building, along with knot- and other materials from their springtime Sports. In autumn, stu- fly-tying. "We have a noncon- clean-up in a huge pile. Soon dents take snorkeling, skin sumption permit with the state 1,000 cubic yards of fill from diving, archery, and Pickle-Ball fish and wildlife department to the excavations for an apart- (a hybrid of table tennis, tennis, catch and release fish," says ment building will be dumped and badminton played with a Abbott. "We often get officials on top of that. Then a landscape wooden paddle). In winter, they from the department to come architecture class at the school try skating (ice, speed, and fig- talk to us about conservation will install a sprinkler system ure), hockey, badminton, alpine at the same time." Mountain and a rope tow. The aspen and skiing, snowboarding, and, in biking is also offered. pine trees they plant will be the their recreational skills segment, Vhe final elective available is finishing touch on Salmon bowling, juggling, line dancing, Coed Strength and Conditioning, High's very own 30-foot tall Frisbee, and yo-yo. The course taken by all kinds of students. mountain. is completed in the spring with This is broken down into three iThe mountain is the brainchild hiking, backpacking, orienteer- sections: hypertrophic lifting, in of Zane Abbott and the PE de- ing, spin-and-bait casting, ten- which students use light weights partment of which he has been nis, golf, and horseshoes. "Withand many repetitions with many a part for the last 21 years. It horseshoes, the state finals com-muscles; basic strength training, will be an all-purpose training petition is held each year in one which involves heavier weights hill, with a jogging course, used of our city parks, where we havewith fewer repetitions; and also for varsity sports condi- a large facility," says Abbott. Olympics-style power lifting. tioning, Nordic skiing, golf, and "We bus our kids there to have I popularity is any indication of field archery. As a bonus, ter- the old-timers give them tips." success, Abbott's approach is a racing will make one side into ,'-iArnid all the activity, Abbott winner. The Strength and Con- an amphitheater, providing the also teaches his students about ditioning Class is in such de- school with its first auditorium. "wellness lifestyles," including mand that students win a slot she mountain is an outgrowth nutrition, the effects of aging, only through a randomized com- of Abbott's longtime emphasis and the specific benefits of exer-puter drawing. Although only on lifetime sports. It's a calling cise. Abbott writes a question one PE class is required, more that has taken him all over the on the blackboard every day, than half of the student body is county, sharing with students and gives out the answer the taking PE classes at any given the many recreational opportu- following day. Students are point. Students clamor for more. nities Idaho provides. trained to figure out their heart When their mountain is finished was not always like this at rates and understand what their this spring, students will have Salmon High. Before Abbott goal should be during exercise. even more opportunities to get arrived, gym class was pretty In elective class entitled Ad- hooked for life on sports Idaho much the way he found it when vanced Lifetime Sports follows. offers year- round. :1 he was a student himself. "The In the fall, this consists of white- coach threw the ball out, and water kayaking (in which stu- the kids played," is how he re- dents are sometimes bused to members it. Inspired by an arti- the area's rivers), bow-hunter cle he'd read years earlier about education, and advanced field programs that taught lifetime archery. In the winter, students sports, Abbott began to initiate learn Nordic skiing and snow- some changes when he was boarding. The spring unit fea- hired. tures climbing on a newly built 22 The girl on third runs home, but another is tagged. Three outs. The teams switch places, and Nathan (not his real name) takes his turn at the plate, the footrests of his wheelchair turned back and out of the way. Toes pointing down and leaning forward in his chair, he waits for the pitch. His teammates call from behind. "Go Nathan!" "Hey, you want someone to run for you?" "Nathan, let him run for you." "No!" Nathan punts the ball and motors to first base. Any grownup watching from the sidelines might think, now there's a kid with a disability who's just one of the gang. And, of course, that's true. But every child is different, Adapted PE brings together kids with and without disabilitiesand Nathan's wheelchair makes his differences particularly apparent. Story and photos by DENISE JARRETT Aware of this, everyone playing kick- BEAVERTON, OREGON ball on the court today is also en- "Oh crap!" the sixth-grader mutters.gaged in a balancing act: treating He's guarding third base on the Nathan like just another team mem- kickball court, and a girl on the ber, yet extending some special treat- opposing team has just kicked the ment to level the playing ground. ball high and long. She runs hard At 12 years old, Nathan's a sea- and lands on third base. The base- soned juggler of both these spheres man, Nathan, leans over the aim of his life, say his teachers. Born with of his motorized wheelchair and arthrogryposis, a condition that hisses at the girl, who hisses back causes stiff joints and weak muscles, triumphantly. Nathan's learned to advocate for his The ball's kicked back into play, independence when he yearns for it, and Nathan shouts, "Throw it to and to accept help when he needs it. me! Throw it to me!" And, like any preteen, he might 26

NW EDUCATION / Fall 2000 23

Sarah Whitman and teacher assistants with students at Beaver Acres Elementary in an adapted physical education program for students with disabilities. shirk a task now and then, or say Social awareness about the needs ties. Schools are required to place consults frequently with his regular a naughty word when the teacher's of people with disabilities emerged students with disabilities in environ- PE teacher, Susan Fatland, at Moun- out of earshot. Mostly, he wants to in the United States in the 1900s. ments that are least restrictive to theirtain View Middle School. Whitman succeed and to fit in with his peers. The World Wars and polio epidemics growth. Sometimes this means plac-suggests ways that Nathan can These are also the goals of adaptedimpelled medical advances in ortho- ing students in special PE classes stretch and exercise his range of physical education (APE). In an APEpedic treatment. Services to individ- where they receive intensive, indi- motion while taking part in activi- program, students with disabilities uals with disabilities grew steadily, vidualized attention and the use of ties with his able-bodied classmates. participate in a regular PE class, and by the 1960s laws were being specialized equipment. Many times, Few adaptations are necessary to with some adjustments made to passed ensuring the education of the most suitable placement is in make the games and activities ac- meet their needs and abilities. It's students with disabilities. Today, the the mainstream class, with some cessible to him. He does stretching one of the latest approaches to pro- Individuals with Disabilities Educa- modifications. exercises in his chair. In volleyball, viding students with disabilities ser- tion Act (IDEA), Public Law 101- Sarah Whitman is Nathan's he uses a larger beach ball, and, in vices that address the needs of the 476, mandates free, appropriate adapted physical education teacher. kickball, he's permitted to "steal" whole child: his social, emotional, public education, including physicalOn staff at the Beaverton School Dis-bases. He can't run laps, but he joins educational, and physical well-being.education, for students with disabili- trict in a suburb of Portland, she the class in turns around the track,

K.: NEW MOVES Sarah Whitman teaches adapted physical education for the Beaverton School District in Oregon.

24 motoring his chair and hooting tarp. Several of the children are up- at those he passes up. When he's right in their specialized equipment, parked, the other kids jostle for the such as mobile prone standers, gait handles of his wheelchair, a place trainers, and tricycles that support of honor. and exercise their muscles. Despite The physical, emotional, and the children's restricted mobility, the social development of the child are bouncing balls and billowing tarp key considerations of any adapted excite great fun. physical education program, says Placing children with disabilities Whitman. Placing a child in a main-in an appropriate program is a criti- stream PE class can help foster posi-cal aspect of special education, and tive self-esteem, social skills, and it's an area most likely to cause par- independence that will serve him ents concern, says Whitman. into adulthood. Yet some children "Occasionally, parents want their with severe cognitive or physical dis-kids in the regular class with kids abilities need the intensive and indi-their own age," rather than in vidualized treatment provided by a mixed-age special education classes, separate, special physical education says Whitman. "They're afraid their class. child may regress or pick up bad At nearby Beaver Acres Elemen- habits from other kids due to the tary, Whitman works with other varying levels of disabilities in a self- members of the district's motor de- contained class." velopment team in an adapted PE How can children with disabilities class that includes the Movement get the attention they need? In what Opportunity Via Education (MOVE) environment will they be most suc- curriculum. The program uses spe- cessful? How will their placement af- cialized equipment to enable stu- fect them emotionally? These are dents to get out of their wheelchairs central questions teachers and par- and into a prone position so that ents must consider, says Whitman. they can work on standing and par- For Nathan, being with his able- ticipate in games. There are about bodied classmates is right where he eight children, each attended by a wants to be. While he sometimes teacher assistant, APE teacher, or gets tired of explaining to them why physical therapist. Holding the edgeshe's in a wheelchair, he enjoys it of a "parachute" in the gym on a when they clamor for an illicit ride recent day, the children, with the on the back. help of their teachers, toss and roll Kids will be kids. El yellow balls on a brightly colored 28

NW EDUCATION / Fall 2000 'She fitness of all 160 of Mans- 25 M7012 20NU V aEYL ingh's eighth-graders is assessed MIDDLESCHOOL according to the standards de- Paul and guys in football, I find the veloped by the President's Chal- Mansingh's eighth-grade PE girls really get into their own lenge Physical Fitness Program. students fill the computer lab, game and start growling and Students develop fitness goals searching Web sites for informa-going after the ball. It's great!" for themselves and work toward tion on communicable diseases. Wansingh's program evenly bal- them every day. Frowning with concentration and ances health and physical edu- Jri the rest of the time, students emitting oohs and ahs of discov-cation, and the curriculum for move through paddleball, ulti- ery, they are cutting and pasting both halves is extensive. In healthmate Frisbee, weight training, facts into reports. Mansingh's education, he starts with a re- capture the flag, touch football, class will return several more view of body systems and func- and weight training, in addition times to the lab during the year tions, using computer software to team sports. In the latter half to research health issues or among other tools. Units on of the year, students bowl and work with educational software drug awareness; tobacco and al- walk, as well as play soccer, programs. cohol; the mental, physical, and flag football, and softball. IThe way Mansingh blends com- emotional aspects of health; and ifhe next step at Lewis and Clark puters with a varied selection of communicable and noncommu- will be for all the PE teachers to physical activities and an exten- nicable diseases follow. work together to create a more sive health curriculum, while in a mental health unit, the chil- uniform program. "There are equalizing participation in the dren discuss how to develop a many teachers here with good gym, sets his program apart positive self-concept and make ideas, doing similar things," from the garden-variety PE decisions, and how to handle Mansingh says, "but currently program. stress, verbal attacks, and emo- we each pick what we want to or example, Mansingh noticed tional problems. Mansingh teach from 25 possible objec- that when his classes played wasn't happy with the work- tives, because if you did it all basketball, aggressive players sheets that came with the text- you'd rush through important would so dominate the game book. "They were too easy," he information. We're working now that nonaggressive children explains. "Now I ask questions on a process whereby we agree scarcely participated. He experi- and have students write whole- on which are the most important, mented to alter those dynamics sentence answers, and they and all work on the same 12." and provide a quality experience communicate so much more. _Meanwhile, Mansingh, who has for all. Now, he has the kids play They gripe, but the material cov- been teaching for only six years, two-on-two, three-on-three, or ered is too important to skim continues to listen and watch his four-on-four, followed by sepa- over." students for clues for how better rate boys' and girls' tournaments. in the unit on illegal drug use, asto help them become healthier, "By then," says Mansingh, "we for others, Mansingh works to getmore active people. "I demand all have a good idea of who is group discussion going. "I pass a lot from them," he says. "I tell and isn't aggressive. The kids a football around, and only the my kids, if you get an A in my split into two groups along thoseperson holding the football can class, you know you've done lines, and they choose. The kids talk," he says. "We have ground really excellent work." like this. They're relieved, actu- rules. No put-downs. All ideas ally. Mostly it's boys who are ag-are valuable. No personal ques- gressive and girls that aren't, buttions. Everything is confidential. not entirely. hey have lots of questions, utafter awhile," Mansingh and they are really open. Some- continues, "among the nonag- times I hear more than I want gressive kids, leaders emerge. to, but that's OK. I'm open about The whole group gets more as- myself, too. We've had great sertive. When I separate girls discussions." 26 awelikeE Movement is a big part of learning for little kids OrlstopherRobinArsppityhoppityhoppity,hoppitybop. Vinstopmegaltizpolitely,t)chopAlagageismpossiblygficp. Alibi

By CATHERINE PAGLIN th lore the world. In the years Research at the Council for Profes- Because of these social changes, PORBIAND,Oregon befOre kindergarten most children sional Recognition, and a consul- it's all the more important for kids Amidst the general hubbub of a pre-mb ter basic motor skills such as tant to the federal Head Start to move vigorously and learn motor school classroom, a little boy sits jum ing,l_.,icpping, and skipping,__13tuue three-contributirig skills at school or in child care. At on a child's rocking chair. While thougheiS-Trauch inctivicrar--factO; heightenedawareness of re when many babies and tod- other kids dabble in sand, play con-variation in development. Movementthe need to protect children, height- dl, rs spend hours in car seats, centration, or clip coupons for an experiencesin addition to stories,ened litigiousness, and heightened stkIllers and other restrictive de- / imaginary store, the four-year-old songs, games, puzzles, blocks, dra- awareness of young children's in- Vices, Oregon Migrant Head Start boy rocks back and forth, slowly, matic play, finger-painting, and all tellectual capacities which make makes freedom of movement a cor- deliberately. Then he lets go of the manner of other stimulating activi-it more likely that caregiv nerstone of its classroom design armrests in a brief "Look Ma, no ties and materialsare a critical place them in front -ofa computer. around the state. "In our infant hands!" gesture while the chair part of early childhood education. Thesecietaltds play out classrooms, we don't allow any rocks full tilt. Finally, he grasps Beyond preschool, young children ntly in different places. Petrinconfining propsno motorized the armrests again, stands up, and can learn to play games with rp le knows that some of her Head Start swings or infant seats that would marches in a small circle, holding and master more difficulyivities pupils are confined to small apart- restrain a child's movement," says the chair to his bottom. such as bike ri, jumping ments and have no yard to play in. Jeanne McNassar, education spe- Whether it's free play outside, rope, andhopscotchLthatwill Ironically, others, lacking adequate cialist with the Oregon Child Devel- dance and exercise in the gym, give themen'oc4ntand boost adult supervision, may become opment Coalition which runs the or just times when kids can roam their self- m. more physically capable because program. Infants are placed on a from activity to activity, a develop- Forrrp young children got they roam free. Steve Paranto, a PEblanket with stimulating materials, mentally appropriate classroom much o their physical activity in teacher in the middle-class suburb such as a mobile, within reach. If gives young children many oppor- unsc ured ways: running aroundof Beaverton, Oregon, sees some- children are learning to crawl or / tunities for movement. "At this age the/ri'eighborhood, climbing trees, thing else: "I've noticed some kids creep, the teacher will place a toy their bodies need to move," says pl4ying informal games in the are more active than kids were 20 a few feet in front of them so that Kelly Petrin, the teacher in this street. Ironically, while educators years ago because their parents they're encouraged to move forward.

1 Portland Public Schools Head Startandthealth professionals tout the have them signed up for every littleWhen children become mobile, `h class. "It's normal and it's some- he benefits of fitness, and even thing, but it's all organized. And they're supplied with equipment \ thing they're supposed to do." the importance of movement in then there's the other extreme such as ramps, slides, and bars Movement is essential to the brain detprnent (see the sidebar of kids who do nothing because in front of mirrorsto crawl up or physical and cognitive developmenton Page 30ldren today have they're doing computers and video for "cruising" (holding on to ob- of preschoolers, says the American less freedom of ino7ent than games and TV. So we have two ex- jects in order to walk). At every Academy of Pediatrics. It's the way ever. Sue Bredekarr, DiRctor of tremes that we didn't have before." stage, teachers are encouraged '------.,\

REYI) I 01 27

PE teacher Steve Paranto helps a to support children's current de- student work on her motor skills and hand-eye coordination with a velopmental challenges instead 'rainbow ribbon' at Scholis Heights Elementary School in Beaverton, Oregon of, for instance, forcing them to Photos by Catherine Paglin attempt walking before they are

reads,. Opportunities for movement are many and varied for the preschoolers in the Portland Public Schools Ilead Start program. The four- and five-year- olds in Petrin's class go outside I as much as possible where they can play on ladders, slides, and swings, drive wheel toys and kick balls, or play follow the leader. They use balance boards, balance beams, and bean bags. In the gym they might move to music or rhythm. They might dance or do movements such as twirling and skipping, move like different kinds of animals, or practice stopping and starting 4 on a signal. "Jingle, jingle, jingle Jive, Walk while I count to five,-

chants Petrie.One, two, three, four, five.- Then she varies the chant, directing the kids to walk backward, run, junip, crawl, walk sideways, skip, hop on one 0 ilk foot, twirl, gallop, and move like NEW MOVES 28 a tall giraffe, a low snake, a big ele-foot during the daily 20-minute under. Psychologist Howard Gardner,wiper." As he talks, he demonstrates phant, and a small mouse. "We try gross motor period, or during group author of Multiple Intelligences, these motions to the children's de- to give them a lot of experiences games such as Simon says. "In our even posits the existence of a "bodilylight. "I bet you can make up some with different music rhythms, program we try to allow children to kinesthetic intelligence"the abil- of your own." music from different cultures, dif- leave here without those kinds of ity to solve problems and express "This is going to be so hard," a ferent ways of movement, and all deficits," she says. She'll suggest to ideas with the body, as do dancers boy says gleefully. The kids rush into the different equipment so that parents of kids who are lagging be- and athletes. the activity, flourishing their rib- they're getting new experiences," hind their agemates that they do The benefits of movement con- bons, some of them consulting the says Petrin. more of certain activities with their tinue in the primary grades. "Chil- drawings as they do so. As Petrin chants, some children child such as walking on curbs or dren who are physically fit do better "Now they can really feel the do the movements smoothly Others skipping together. academically in general," says Carl shape," says Paranto. "In the class- are awkward and have difficulty Though most preschoolers will Gabbard, professor of motor devel- room, sometimes little kids will write walking backward and sideways. Buteventually learn the basic motor opment at Texas A&M University. in sand. It's the same thing. It's Petrin doesn't correct them. "For meskills whether or not they have adult "They have the energy to concen- kinesthetic, but in a different way"

to go up and say, 'No, you're not support and instruction, movement trate and carry out work." And, "ABC...D!" says the boy, draw- doing it right,' would be inappropri-education has physical, social and he says, there's good evidence that ing his "D" in the air. Then he has ate," she says. "What we really try to academic benefits. "When you have when movement activities are used to stop and retrace his steps men-

do is give them the opportunity and skill-building along with physical to reinforce academic concepts, tally "ABCD E!" encourage them to move toward thedevelopment, the child gains in- "children are enthusiastic and tend When the kids have made their goal, but not expect them to get it creased competence and confi- to remember and retain the infor- way through the alphabet Paranto immediately" dence," says Bredekamp. Later, with mation." steps up the pace. "Now we're going Three times a year, in order to additional adult support, that child That enthusiasm is readily appar-to move just to be moving," he says, target instruction, she and the otheris more easily able to learn more ent when first-graders at Scholls flipping on a song with a strong teachers in the program assess eachcomplicated skills such as riding a Heights Elementary School burst beat. "When you turn music on kids child's general coordination and bike or skiing, she says. Petrin notes into the gym where Paranto is bran-start hopping around, using a lot whether they are "careftil enough, that "when children get into ele- dishing a "rainbow ribbon"a more energy" he says as the rain- careless, or overly cautious" in how mentary school, being a little more multicolored streamer attached to a bow ribbons wave and twirl against they move. They're assessed on physically capable actually helps plastic stick. "What are these?" asks the mauve background of the,gym walking on three different sizes of them socially, too. They're able to Paranto, pointing to drawings of a walls. balance beams, jumping over lines take part in the games and have funtriangle, a square, and a circle, set Paranto's PE lessons touch on and off a chair, running, hopping, and not be the one who's the outcastup on cones. The kids call out the many "classroom" concept's galloping, skipping, walking up because they're just too clumsy to answers in chorus. He instructs clockwise and counterclockwise, less and down stairs, and throwing and follow along." In the cognitive them to trace all those shapes in the than and more than, halving and catching. realm, movement activities can helpair with their ribbons, and then do doubling. "I listen at the staff meet- If Petrin finds that a child has preschoolers learn body parts and the alphabet. "After you do the al- ings to find out what they're work- difficulty with a particular skill, understand abstract, spatial conceptsphabet," he tells them, "you can do ing on," Paranto explains. "They such as balance, she'll include moresuch as up and down, backward, some fun things like figure eight, may be talking about how impor- activities such as standing on one forward, and sideways, and over and tornado, rattlesnake, windshield tant it is for the kids to understand 2 NW EDUCATION / Fall 2000 what a pattern is, and then I think, 29 How can I incorporate that into my lessons? How can I at least get the word 'patterns' into my lessons? f because that's a step forward right there. Physical education is important enough to stand all on its own, but there are just some perfect places to make connections with the classroom. If the classrooms are studying a country you can do a dance from that country, you can do games from that country. It's so easy to get math involved in PE. And science, because you're propelling an object some of the time." Paranto's colleague, Rick Knight V01) at Hiteon Elementary in Beaverton, raar4if," also incorporates literacy and math activities in his class. His young students bend their bodies into the shapes of the letters of the alphabet and apply math in games such as 4,:gvt,e...; bingo bowling. In bingo bowling the students roll rubber bowling balls to knock down plastic pins, count the number of pins knocked down, and Above, top A "scooter board" Above, bottom: Kids learn some exercise blends math concepts relationship and physics concepts then mark off the number on a with motor and safety skills when when they experiment with teacher Paranto narrows the making a parachute bigger and bingo sheet. Depending on their available scooter space from half smaller by trapping air inside. math skills, if the number is no the gym to a quarter of the gym, and so on. longer available on the sheet, they can mark off two numbers that when added together or subtracted from each other equal the number of pins knocked down. On a more basic level, Mike Bar- ber, a Portland Public Schools special education teacher, uses

MOVES 30 In recent years, news about the children who have better body bal- brain has been all over the popular ance will learn math more easily? A press and education journals. Brain as the owner of a children's fitness fever has spread through the ranks center stated in U.S. News & World of educators, early childhood advo- Report. Does this mean that there CAUTIONARY cates, and those with a sales pitch. are specific exercises that at any We've heard a lot about brain plas- age can "develop the brain's neural ticity, dendrites, neural connections, pathways," and "integrate the NOTE ON and "brain-based learning." brain's deeper structures" and Some have asserted that brain re- thereby "bring about rapid and search supports playing Mozart to often dramatic improvements in babies, increasing funding for early concentration, memory, reading, BRAIN writing, organizing, listening, phys- childhood programs, using particular teaching strategies or curric- ical coordination, and more," as ula, or timing certain learning one trademarked training program RESEARCH experiences around "windows claims. of opportunity" when the brain is "I see a lot of dramatic kinds of most receptive to them. Assertions marketing because of brain re- like these are pinned on research search." says Carl Gabbard, Pro- findings such the following: the fessor of Motor Development at density of synapses (connections Texas A& M University and past between neurons which create President of the National Associa- pathways in the brain) is highest tion for Sport and Physical Educa- around age three or four and be- tion, who is skeptical of such gins to decline around age nine: extreme claims. Physical activity is the left and right hemispheres of indeed good for brain development the brain process different types of but the effect is general rather than tasks; and "enriched" environments specific, he explains. General early in life stimulate the formation physical activity stimulates brain of synapses, improving the ability development because it supplies to do certain tasks. the brain with glucose, its main en- But there's disagreement over what ergy source. However, "[A]t this the research implies about teach- point it is still quite unclear as to ing, learning, and public policy. the specific types and amounts of Early movement experiences, for experience necessary to stimulate instance, help wire the brain for the formation of particular neural motor control. And, like other ex- connections," he cautions in an ar- periences they may stimulate the ticle in the Journal of Physical Edu- young brain to produce more cation, Recreation & Dance. synapses. Does this mean that Catherine Paglin

) movement to unlock verbal abilitiespreschoolers, says Petrin. "We just soft, squishy balls at each other and returns Kenny to the back room. 31 of his emotionally disturbed kinder- play and move bodies," she says. no one is ever out. If a child is hit "Good-bye Kenny, good-bye Kenny!" gartners. "This population has high "Everybody plays together. But play- by one of the soft balls and doesn't For the primary grades Paranto energy," says Barber. "I like to give ing by a whole lot of rulesother catch it, he just grabs a poker chip focuses on dance and rhythm, games them experiences that are unique, than the rules to keep you safe from a container and puts it in his with simplified rules, cooperative and big, and match their energy. is really not appropriate for four- team's bucket. The team with fewer group activities, and skills such as Dance offers the opportunity to ex- year-olds." Both Petrin and Paranto poker chips wins. juggling, jumping rope, and unicy- perience things they can't in other avoid elimination games and others When first-graders at Scholls cling. Kids can be successful at ac- ways." in which too many students spend Heights play dodge ball with the tivities like these, regardless of their In addition to other dance and too much time doing nothing. "A softer balls, they're laughing and skeletal size or physical maturation, movement activities, Barber, who is favorite one at this age level for a lot concentrating on throwing and which can vary by as much as six a member of the Portland-based of people is Duck, Duck, Goose," catching, instead of cowering in years among eight-year-olds, ac- aerial dance company, Aero Betty, says Petrin, referring to a game in fear of the strongest players. After cording to experts. "When you in- introduces his students to the trapezewhich kids sit in a circle and one the game, it's time to count up the troduce an activity, there's so many which is "full of metaphors of flight the duckchooses anotherthe poker chips with the help of Par- levels that each child can perform and escape and freedom. "We start gooseto chase him around the anto's ventriloquist's dummy, Kennythat activity" says Paranto. "If we with yoga class and do stretching on circle until he reaches the goose's "We're going to count them up," were jumping rope, at a very begin- the floor and then we do a very safe place, whereupon the goose be- says Paranto to Kenny, who's dressed ner level they're going to have the and structured introduction to the comes the new duck. "I don't like in a white shirt, bright blue pants, rope lying on the ground. They're trapeze where they learn about cir- that game and I never play it in my and spectacles. "The team that has just jumping over it. The next step is cles, swings, shapes. During trapeze classroom. Most of the kids are just the most in this game is actually both handles are in one hand and there's lots of language: 'How does sitting most of the time so I don't not the winning team." they're turning the rope and jump- this feel? What are you doing? Can consider it physical activity." "How come?" asks Kenny in a ing over it. They can't miss. The next you describe the feeling of the circle Paranto has modified both the squeaky, nasal voice. level would be one turn at a time. or swinging?' Giving them a visceral equipment and rules for dodge ball "Because they got hit more than The next level is continuous jump- experience like that and then askingso that it's a far cry from the tradi- the other team," Paranto explains ing. In one class of, say, third- them to describe it is just having tional, aggressive melee in which to the dummy "The team that has graders, you're going to see all of them practice using language ap- the object is to get one's opponents `less than' wins." those. You're going to have the low propriately language that de- out by hitting them as hard as possi- "Oh, less than," squeaks Kenny, end jumping over the rope and scribes and expresses." ble with a playground ball. "If this knowingly you'll have the high end doing was done with the wrong ball, it "Do you guys know the sign for double unders."

PONIER-CHIIP DOIDGIE AILIL would not be fun for a lot of kids," that?" Paranto asks the kids, who When teaching fitness activities, Since young children's minds and says Paranto. "I see schools doing draw the "less than" sign in the air Paranto stresses that fitness is about bodies differ from those of bigger that and then you see articles saying with their fingers. working out at your own level. Fit- kids, their activities, rules, and dodge ball's a bad thing. Yeah, you After Paranto, Kenny, and a stu- ness activities are structured to allow equipment need to be modified ac- did it with the wrong equipment dent count up the chips (one batch for individual differences. "Back in cordingly Complicated rules and and it hurt." In his versionpoker-by twos and one batch by fives) the the older days we had kids running competitive play don't work for chip dodge ballthe kids throw kids shout and wave as the teacher the mile and being last and they felt 3 5 NEW MOVES 111,..11

4 r

i2 bad," he says. Today, with a sec- Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. ond-grade class, Paranto turns Before she reads she hands out on two tape machines, one with tiny, stuffed cloth versions of the music, one with beeps that gradu-insatiable caterpillar and all the ally get closer _together. The kids things he atestrawberries, ap- run the width of the gym, then ples, plums, and more. The chil- wait for the beep before running dren listen quietly, getting up back. if they lag behind the beep when it's their turn to stick one three times, Paranto tells them, of the Velcroed images to a felt they are to walk clockwise aroundboard. When Petrin's finished the gym's outer edge. "Remem- reading, she says, "Let's make ber, we're learning how to pace our bodies pretend they're the ourselves so we save our energy,"different parts," and guides the he says. children once again through the "You got to make sure they transformation from egg to cater- know, hey, that's natural, every- pillar to cocoon to butterfly. body develops at a different rate. Clearly, her students under- Kids learn skills at different rates stand the story with every ounce too. Like Yuka's riding the unicy- of their small bodies. "What was I cle. Other kids aren't doing that he doing while he was crawling right now. Maybe she can learn inaround?" she asks the 13 four- five hours. Maybe for me it's 18 and five-year-old caterpillars who hours." are twisting and wriggling, either on their tummies or as they walk WAVING THEIR WINGS around. With each activity or technique "He was founding food!" cries Paranto introduces, he describes a girl. it, he demonstrates it, and then "Yes, he was finding food, so the children enact it. In this way, you can eat while you're crawling three different instructional tech- around," Petrin responds. The niques and learning stylesaudi-children open and shut their jaws tory, visual, and kinesthetic Is they pretend to eat all the foods reinforce each other. The empha-they like until they're big and fat sis, though, is on the kinesthetic. and turn into cocoons. Then, at This multifaceted approach is Petrin's urging, they hold still, also evident in the preschool, not crouched and balled up, for a only in the gym, but in the class- very long time. "We have to wait room when Petrin reads The Very for more than two weeks," says

%Mr 1:111TPATII1AI / 0111111 iteve Paranto's students work on Petrin. Then it's time to take a tiny 33 ine and gross motor skills, balance, ind hand-eye coordination with a bite of the cocoon and push out. vide range of activities such as uggling (opposite page, top) and "Ooo, 000," the children coo quietly, inicycling (this page). reacher Kelly Petrin of the Portland as they step lightly and wave their 'ublic Schools Head Start program big wings. eads her preschoolers through an nterpretive dance exercise in which he students pretend to be caterpil- ars emerging as butterflies. two students not only build motor ;kills, they also learn about patterns vhen they build pyramids with cup stackers."

NEW MOVES 21 34 together focused on improving 13Z2 BARN their skills, developing self- MaDONALD tkIN SCHOOL esteem along the way." SGOW, a o"OK, class, weather," Thompson says. "I'll The school has a climbing wall, let's dance like bacon in a frying say, 'Make your body look like and the approach there is also pan," says Amy Thompson, it's in a storm.' Or we do vegeta- cooperative. "Many children movement specialist at McDon- bles. I'll have them be a carrot don't have upper-body strength ald Elementary School. "You're growing, or a salad. There's to support themselves on our lying there, just getting warmer no right or wrong, but they're wall, which has only handholds. and it feels good." engaged, moving. By fourth But they can travel some dis- Twenty -three first-graders through sixth grade, I move into tance if another child helps by sprawling on the gym floor wig- real dance steps, like line danc- holding their ankles." The wall gle meditatively, dreamy smiles ing, hip-hop, folk dance, maybe has only handholds because playing on their lips. swing. The right music is crucial." Peterson is finding that many "I'Gt's warmer now," says Thomp-Thompson did not always have of today's children need to build son. "Ooh, you're getting hot! this approach. There was noth- upper-body strength. You're about to be crispy!" ing like this at McDonald seven Lit other times, Peterson's classes if they have springs in their years ago when she arrived. look similar to Amy Thompson's. legs, the children hop up, trying But the school has a strong arts Peterson sets Up a maze of col- to keep off the imaginary skillet. component, and Principal Laurie orful six-inch markers and puts They are dancing now, absorbed Austin, a former PE teacher her- on a tape by legendary soul mu- by the challenge of being bacon. self, backed Thompson's ap- sician Wilson Pickett. Students Thompson laughs. "When new proach to fitness. "I did a ton gallop and skip through the maze kids arrive here, they just don't of reading and got to know the to the music. Then Peterson con- get it. They say, 'Tell me what to kids," Thompson says. "Over nects the markers with wands, do.' But I stress creativity from time this is what I've found that making them into hurdles, and the beginning, from kindergarten.works." the kids explode over the jumps What they come up with is 4-'6\my develops the right side of with glee. "They're getting a good amazing." the brain," Austin says. "It's so workout," says Peterson, "but ILcDonald students have 45 creative and dramaticand in- they just think they're having minutes of PE or movement novativethat it really connects fun." every day, and often Thompson to the students." Tack in Thompson's room, a has her fourth-, fifth- or sixth- he sports and fitness classes third-grade class is discussing graders spend a half-hour of thatDan Peterson teaches comple- what to represent next. Giraffe? time choreographing a dance ment Thompson's movement Washing machine? They decide that they present to the class at work. He stresses cooperation on a bulldozer, and with no help the period's end. She finds that rather than repetition of skills or from Thompson they quickly boys are often resistant at first, drill practices. "I use sports as assemble themselves into a but not for long. "Then they vehicles to understand team- hooked shape that will grind its thrive," she reports. "They want work, with fitness woven in," gears and scoop vigorously. The to choreograph as often as the says Peterson. He makes sure student who has waited outside girls, and they do some incredi- that the pitfalls of sports instruc-will come in and guess what her bly athletic moves." tion as offered in the past are classmates have become. They, in kindergarten, Thompson has avoided. "For example, when we too, think they're just having children work on body control start on skills that lead to tennis, fun. II and traveling through space I have two kids work together, making, for example, curvy or but only one has a racquet. The zigzag lines. In first through other tosses the ball for the first third grades, they do more ex- to hit. Instead of two of them plorative, unregimented move- bashing the ball around compet- ment. "We do a lot with the itivelyand missing, they work ampmeyer's work has long 35 AMMOINNT goo VOLIE2 IART been recognized by grateful par- WILLARD BOWMANMOONSCHOOL ents, but last year she received wider acknowledgement. After ANCHORAGEAlaskaKim muscle development and in- encouraged snowshoeing. "We a rigorous selection process, Rampmeyer's preschoolers at crease motor skills. Everything I have so much winter here," she Rampmeyer was named by the Willard Bowman Elementary found was based on imaginative says. "People are stuck inside Council on Physical Education School are playing a favorite play or one-to-one physical being inactive for so long. But for Children (COPEC), a division game: Alaska Highway. On their therapy situations. I observed with snowshoes you can get of NASPE, to the prestigious little "cars" (scooters), they pull the children in their classrooms out." Rampmeyer handed out position of representing all ele- or push themselves around and discussed specific disabili- information about snowshoes mentary physical education "road kill" (a rubber chicken) ties with physical therapists. I before Christmas last year, and teachers from Washington, and through a "tunnel" (a nylon learned. Now I make lessons formany parents bought them as Idaho, Montana, Oregon, parachute). At a make-believe the more able kids and adapt presents for their kids. and Alaska. 0 car wash, paper streamers them for the others." VO raise grant money to pur- hanging from a row of track Vhe preschoolers work on grosschase skis for the third through hurdles tickle the kids as they motor skills by jogging or doing sixth grade, Rampmeyer had to scoot through, and a fan blows animal walks down a wide black make a convincing case that ski- off the imaginary water. line. By simulating tires, they do ing could be made to enhance llwenty -five percent of Ramp- modified pushups. "We pump coursework in math. She did. meye°r's students have physical, up as if we were a flat tire, then "We can measure how far we go, mental, or sensory disabilities. we have a blow out or a slow our stride lengths, etcetera, and That doesn't stop her from in- leak, and try again," Ramp- combine skiing with orienteer- cluding them as fully as possi- meyer says. Preschoolers also ing and map work," she says. ble. "We have one little boy in do modified sit-ups, twirl hula Tampmeyer's students are ex- a wheelchair, who has a tra- hoops around their tummies, traordinarily well behaved, and cheotomy and a feeding tube. practice kicking and striking, this is no accident. Rampmeyer He communicates by blinking and explore some basic climb- uses Don Hellison's Levels of and uses one hand to move his ing and balancing skills. Be- Behavior to make explicit to kids chair," Rampmeyer says. "But cause many disabled kids have what is expected of them, from he always comes on Thursday been carried by parents and iso- unacceptable behaviors (hitting, because it's PE. He loves it. lated from nondisabled peers, pushing, leaving without per- When we play Alaska Highway, they've had fewer chances to mission) to generous (showing we lift the parachute and the car develop physical skills. For concern for others, giving gen- wash streamers above him. autistic or "globally delayed" uine compliments). Kids assess When we do kicking, we help kids, especially, the kinds of ac- their own behavior accordingly him move his foot to kick a tivities Rampmeyer provides are every day. This approach has 48-inch beach ball." crucial to proper development. been judged a success by par- Itysical education is hardly [ ampmeyer's older students ents and other teachers alike. routine for preschoolers, let engage in activities, albeit on a [ndependence is encouraged in alone for those with disabilities. rudimentary level, more often Bowman students, too. Entering When Rampmeyer started at associated with much older the gym, they read warm-up di- Bowman, she had no idea that youth: orienteering, inline and rections on the door and begin she would be pioneering the ice skating, cross-country ski- on their own. Each student has development of curriculum for ing, juggling, and snowshoeing. a choice of equipment for many both. But when she was asked, The district's goals include get- activities, and their choices be- she dove in. "I had no training inting kids started on learning life-come "theirs" for the duration. adapted PE, special education, time fitness skills. Rampmeyer'sAnd they frequently have op- or early childhood," Rampmeyerwork shows that the elementary portunities to create their own recalls. "I searched for curricu- years are not too young to start. games and dances, which they lum that would promote large- g:he is especially pleased to haveshow to their classmates. 36 dawdling along. To an observer, he into a sales position at Nordstrom. subjectsart, drama, music, PE reminisces, "I taught her mother as But the following spring, her got stalled on the sidelines. a fifth-grader." principal asked her to come back. "I don't think it was just Measure "Higher, Mr. A, higher!" a boy Mollala had reconfigured the district5," says Barbara Cusimano, Associ- yells. Rushing right at Anstine, the to create an 800-student middle ate Professor of Exercise and Sports boy executes a "hoop jump" as he school, with positions for four PE Science at Oregon State University. sails by. teachers. "When I asked if it was a "Educational reform hit about the With wiry gray hair and lively sure thing, he said, 'Oh yes, we're same time as the budget cuts. eyes behind tinted glasses, Mr. A, as going to go forward." Schools were being asking to do everyone calls Anstine, has taught So back to Mollala she went. more but with less funding, and for nearly two decades at Glencoe, Things were looking gooduntil school administrators had to face a pretty, mission-style school of 500 spring rolled around again. "The difficult choices." School adminis- kids on Portland's inner-southeast principal called us in and said, 'I trators, stuck between growing de- Saving PE: side. But there was a time 10 years hate to do this, but budget cuts force mands and diminishing resources, ago when his job looked like any- us to lay off the entire department.' reasoned that they should direct re- The Oregon thing but a sure bet. "I was devastated." sources to those areas where the "I was a full-time PE specialist at She began a series of part-time state is holding them accountable, Story the time of Measure 5," Anstine says,PE jobs, moving from school to Cusimano notes. THE PENDULUM OF SUPPORT FOR referring to the property-tax limita- school around the region. Slowly, Finally, though, gym class is re- GYM CLASS HAS SWUNG FROM tion law Oregonians passed in 1990 she worked her way back up to the gaining lost ground in Oregon. New ONE EXTREME TO ANOTHER, that radically cut funding to the 0.8 position she now holds at Moun- research on kids' abysmal fitness AND IS SWINGING YET AGAIN state's 246 school districts. "I felt tain View Middle School in Beaver- has in part fueled that reversal. The By JUDY BLANKENSHIP stressed like all of our specialists did,ton. But for Fatland and hundreds tenacious efforts of dedicated PE and I started preparing for an ele- of her PE colleagues in Oregon, the proponents have also helped sway PORTLAND,Oregon mentary classroom teaching posi- professional landscape had changedopinion. The public and policymak- On this sunny April afternoon, tion by going back to school. forever. ers are once again seeing the need 16 kindergartners at Glencoe Ele- Anstine was lucky. With strong Ballot Measure 5, passed by Ore- for kids to sweat at school. mentary are running 400-yard laps support for PE at Glencoe, he kept gon voters in November 1990, is

around the grassy, tree-lined track his post. But many of his PE col- only the most visible assault to phys-511A5ENG 1831111IDGEIT5 behind the school. To keep the five- leagues were not so fortunate. In theical education in the state. Over the While Measure 5 is not alone to year-olds moving and "out of trou- rural town of Mollala in Oregon's past 30 years, PE in Oregon has lost blame for Oregon's PE woes, it is a ble," PE teacher Jim Anstine walks wet Willamette Valley, Susan Fatlandground to a number of other factors,major culprit. The infamous ballot the track counterclockwise, greeting another longtime veteran of the both fiscal and philosophical. The measure dramatically changed how each child by name and holding up fieldtells a very different story. In biggest hits have come from the the state's schools are funded. The his hand for a high five as they 1995, when the district was forced byback-to-basics movement of the law capped local property taxes and run by. Measure 5 to lay off all but two K-8 1970s and the standards movement required the state to make up the "That's good, Lucy, keep going," PE teachers, Fatland was among of the 1990s. Both movements ze- lost revenue. For the first couple of he urges a dark-haired girl who's those who lost their jobs. She settled roed in on academic subjects. Other years, state coffers and local cash re- 4 NW EDUCATION / Fall 2000 serves were able to cushion the effect 37 of the new law But by school year 1992-93, massive teacher layoffs began. Shock waves were felt around L the state as athletic and activities budgets were slashed, and PE was scaled back or cut altogether The cuts hit a flash point in March 1996, when Portland, the state's largest district, announced it would be forced to eliminate about 500 jobs and cut 15 special programs. At the same time that Mea- sure 5 went into effect, the state instituted a new formula to close the revenue gap between districts and equalize per-pupil spending state-

SAL_ wide. While some rural, low-spending districts saw their funding increase by up to 25 percent, Port- land's school budget shrunk by about $50 million in the six years after Measure 5. By 1996 the district 1' was spending 21 percent less on

N each student. For every 1,000 students studying art, music, or drama, 44, there were just two teaches. For those interested in fitness, sports, and physical education, there were sometimes no teaches at all. "We've cut all the fat out," Park- rose Superintendent Jacki Bottingim told The Oregonian newspaper in March 1996. "Then we cut the meat to the bone. The only thing left is A grant from the city of Portland helps support after-school activities such as kung to and the Twirl Club at Glencoe Elementary. the heart." Ironically, Oregon's economy was booming with an influx of high-tech

NEW MOVES 38

A dedicated jump roper polishes her skills at an after-school jump rope club. Photos by Rick Rappaport.

industries, and in June 1991 the 2010"raised academic standards when PE held a solid position in language arts," Zehrung says. state Legislature had overwhelm- for high school students in English, Oregon schools. "Fifteen years be- Another long-time Oregon ingly passed the most ambitious math, science, and social studies. PEfore the passage of Ballot Measure 5,teacher, Diana Boyte, recalls a rich- school-reform plan in the nation. was not among the subjects requiredthe job situation was a lot better," heness of courses available to high The Oregon Educational Reform for the certificates of mastery high reports. "PE may not have been on school students 30 years ago that is Act for the 21st Centurywith the school students were expected to earn. a level playing field with core cur- almost unbelievable in today's bare- ambitious goal of creating "the best riculum subjects, but it was still rec- bones environment. educated and best prepared work- EDIECADIE5 ®IF DIEGLINIE ognized as an integral part of the "Every high school student took force in America by the year 2000 PE teacher Don Zehrung has been school day. Back then kids had PE two years of PE," says Boyte, who re- and equal to any in the world by around long enough to remember every day, just as they had math andtired last spring after a long career 42 NW EDUCATION / Fall 2000 in the Portland-area suburb of teaching positions were lost, despite teachers and making themselves in- have a toehold but has not yet made 39 Beaverton. "Beyond the required the 1987 recommendation from dispensable to their school commu- a solid comeback, Foster's position is personal fitness class, a student Congress that all schoolchildren nities. Described as the "heart of the classified as half-time TOSA: teacher could elect five other PE courses, have daily, high-quality, physical school" when he won a teaching on special assignment for the dis- which included summer fishing, education from kindergarten award last year from the Portland trict. A physical education specialist winter fishing, archery, tennis, and through high school. By 1995 just Public Schools Foundation, Anstine at Sabin Elementary School in Port- golf, as well as all the traditional 25 percent of the nation's students organizes an annual, schoolwide land for 18 years, Foster, a tall, strik- team sports." attended a daily phys ed class, down Run for the Arts event that this year ing woman in her early 50s, was Summer fishing? Golf? This from 42 percent in 1991. raised more than $20,000 for "ex- encouraged to take her new job by dream world of PE courses available No one can say for sure when the tras" such as arts performances and those who watched her proactive ap- to some Oregon students, albeit pendulum began to swing back in artists' residencies. In addition to proach to the cutbacks of Measure 5, those who lived in well-funded dis- favor of PE. But the 1996 Surgeon teaching six PE classes a day, Ans- and her tireless efforts to profession- tricts such as Beaverton, was too General's Report on Physical Activ-tine has taken on noontime duties alize and strengthen PE curriculum good to last. "Years before Measure 5ity and Health, which portrays a on the playground, where he keeps in Portland's schools. the state made the decision to cut nation of kids out of shape and kids working on their PE skills. He "Around the time of Ballot Mea- back PE and add other academic re- overweight, clearly jolted the nation runs intramural sports for children sure 5, I remember (former Port- quirements for graduation," recalls into taking a second look at physicalwho arrive early in morning, and he land Superintendent) Dr. Bierwirth Boyte. "The PE requirement for education. directs a popular after-school track and the school board saying they high school students dropped to one and field program for the Portland were going to cut all PE and music. year, though it was still offered as an 5WIEMING MEM Parks and Recreation Department. For a few days I just cried. I could elective." After two laps around the track, Ans- "PE has always been a priority at not imagine what I would do. After Zehrung offers an additional ex- tine's kindergartners work their way Glencoe," says Bob Tongue, PTA a week of not sleeping and going planation for the trend away from through a playground obstacle president and the father of a third- through a real bad time, I decided sports and fitness. "In 1969, back course and then, without pausing, grader, "and Mr. A is such an impor-to do two things: I would go back to when I was a student at Portland run into the gym to practice jump tant part of the program that we've school to get my classroom endorse-

State University, Time and Newsweek rope. As they dash from one end of always found a way to fund his posi- ment, and I would start advocating." ran simultaneous cover stories on the gym to the other, some five-year-tion. He's one full-time staff member Foster called every PE teacher she "Why Johnny Can't Read." The olds can only flail the rope above but we probably get one-and-a-half knew in the district. She asked them back-to-basics trend was already be-their heads. Others expertly skip to two times the work from him. to urge parents and kids to write let- ginning, but I think those two storiesover the rope every time. "Very few That's a real bonus." ters to the school board, the legisla- gave it tremendous momentum. It kindergartners can jump in the be- Other teachers took a different ture, and the media. More than 90 marked the beginning of an empha-ginning of the year," says Anstine, approach. parents and children sent letters. sis on academics and the decline of "but by the end of the year, 50 to 60 Emily Foster is just a few months "We packed four different board `extras' such as PE, music, and art."percent know how to jump rope. into her new job as PE coordinator meetings," Foster remembers. "We In the next two decades the mes- The girls seem to be better at this at Portland Public Schoolsa posi-had doctors come and speak about sage became loud and clear: gym than the boys," he adds. tion that fell under the Measure 5 the importance of physical activity. I isn't important. Budgets were cut, Some PE specialists, like Jim Ans- axe, and was reinstated last spring. called Bill Bowerman, the famous facilities fell into disrepair, and tine, survived by being innovative As if to caution that while PE may coach at University of Oregon, and

NEW MOVES 43 40 when he heard the situation he said as they participate in skill stations room certification as a hedge years after Measure 5the district `I'll be right up.' In the end, the they wouldn't dream of cutting against future cuts. was facing cuts yet again. Says Fos- board was inundated." PE out of the elementary curriculum. "This whole thing has been ter: "I was sweating bullets." Among the letters was one from The efforts of Foster, her col- rough on children," Foster says. While PE is far from firm footing Foster's mother, Toby McDonell. A leagues, students, parents, and "Every spring we would hear that weyet, the high-profile organizing has retired professor of physical educa- grandparents had an immediate had to cut back. Music went to half- begun to have long-term impact. tion at the University of Puget pay-off. The Portland school board time, then we lost several instruc- When, in 1996, the Pew Charitable Sound, McDonnell reminded decided not to completely cut PE tional aides, an administrator, and Trusts funded a project to help urban Bierwirth and the board that her from the curriculum. But the inevi- a counselor." PE at Sabin was saved,school districts create content stan- daughter was Oregon's PE Teacher table staff and program reductions thanks to vociferous input from dards and benchmarks in several of the Year in 1993, and suggested meant some teachers had to divide children and parents, and strong academic areas, physical education that if they had ever attended one their time between two or more support from the site-based council. was included. Foster and her col- of her daughter's annual jelly-bean schools. Others took on classroom But job insecurity became an an- leagues set to work to define exem- field days at Sabin Elementary responsibilities. Still others, like Fos-nual headache as predictable as plary physical education programs where 700 students win jelly beans ter, went back to school for class- taxes. In the spring of 2000-10 and common curriculum goals for

Programs like Glencoe Elementary's Twirl Club pull in kids not traditionally drawn to sports.

A1 Act.kihml, f

4I NW EDUCATION / Fall 2000 elementary, middle, and high our legislators have opened their it is punishment. Physical education "There is a new PE on the hori- 41 schools. Two years later, the team eyes to the fact that we've got a is teaching students how to enjoy zon," says Foster. "I see more stan- produced an impressive 90-page health care crisis resulting from ourmoving and what it does for their dards-based teaching, adequate booklet that outlines physical edu- sedentary lifestyles," says Zehrung. bodies." budgets so every kid can have equip- cation content standards for a wide "The good news is that the Legisla- At the national level, the pending ment, and professional development range of skills and topics: motor ture passed the bill. The bad news is Physical Education for Progress Act, inservice days for PE teachers, like skills, active lifestyle outside the that they underfunded K-12 educa- or PEP, sponsored by Republican any other discipline. I see more re- classroom, physical fitness, diversity, tion, so that school districts are still Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, would spect for physical education." and personal and social skills. For faced with the tough choices of whatgive $400 million to state school dis- At Glencoe, Anstine keeps a each content standard, the team to cut back." tricts to improve PE programs$5 watchful eye on a class of third- developed common curriculum School funding remains a gar- million to Oregon alone (a figure graders tossing neon-green tennis goals, benchmarks, and assessment gantuan issue in Oregon. Even so, roughly equivalent to the salaries balls into the field. "Throw higher, examples. there are more promising omens on and benefits of the 100 PE teachers girls, higher!" he encourages. "Everyone tends to think of PE as PE's horizon. The Oregon Depart- the state has lost in the last decade). "I only see these children twice a a soft subject," says Foster. "I'd love ment of Education has given PE a "These are all positive indicators week," Anstine says, "but at Glencoe to see it become core, and as impor- big boost by reinstating a state-level that there will be a turnaround," sayswe use recess and playground time tant as everything else." position that was obliterated by Cusimano from Oregon State Uni- at lunch to make sure that every Measure 5. versity, "but I think it's a little too child gets 30 minutes daily of vigor- EFERMENCIE Rao Or "Physical education now has a early to say we're there. We're not." ous physical activity" There are other signs that change is place within the state education sys- As if to emphasize Cusimano's He pauses and looks pensive. "In on its way. In July 1999 the Oregon tem," says Margaret Bates, who was point, the outcome of a cliff-hanger an ideal world," he says, "every kid Legislature passed House Bill 3307, recently hired to fill the post, Educa-state election in May at first looked would have 40 minutes of PE every a bipartisan effort to add PE to the tional Program Specialist for Physi- bleak. A local-option levy for schools day." I=1 subjects required for certification cal Education. "Our first task will beappeared to have failed in Portland under the Educational Reform to propose, and have approved, a set for lack of the required 50 percent Act. It was a victory for a persistent of standards and benchmarks in voter turnout. But a final tally regroup of health and PE activists thatphysical education. Meanwhile, dis- vealed that a bare majority of eligi- included Zehrung, who teaches at tricts need to recognize the impor- ble voters had sent in ballots. The Conestoga Middle School, and Dr. tance of the Physical Education Bill levy passed. The $78 million tax in- Minot Cleveland, a Portland in- (HB3307) and what it means to crease over five years will restore 170 ternist and chairman of the Oregon them." teachers, reduce class size, and help Coalition for Promoting Physical "People need to know what qual- replace outdated textbooks. Some of Activity Other groups that joined the ity physical educators do and what the cuts to the arts and other special effort included the Governor's Coun- a quality program looks like," Batesprograms will be restored. At least cil on Physical Fitness and Sports continues, referring to the public for the moment, the hemorrhage in and the Oregon Heart Association. perception of PE. "The old sayings funds, personnel, and programs that "I think House Bill 3307 is a of 'give me 10' and 'take a lap' are has devastated Portland has been demonstration that the majority of out. That is not physical education; stanched. 45 NEW MOVES DIALOGUE

42 Dear Editor:

I am writing with regard to the ar- cess during the oversight of one "You don't need to blow out an- ticle, "The Principal Kids Love to principal, the building blocks other's candle to make your own Continued from Page 44 Hug" ( Spring 2000). I was both were usually in place years prior flame brighter." Unfortunately, in shocked that Principal David to that recognition. your zest to make the most of Mr. the lower grades. But we're not see- Nufer at Finger Lake Elementary I find it quite sad that Mr. NuferNufer's accomplishments, this is ing a response to that recommenda- chose to present the situation as chose to detract from the work of what happened, and it is a shame. tion. We thought that when the he did and amazed that it was ac- former Principal Nancy Carder Dr. Carder is a talented and dedi- report came out, it would have a tually published. As an educator and her staff at Finger Lake in the cated professional, who in my and a principal of many years, I comments he was quoted as say- opinion could easily be named positive impact similar to the land- have learned that it is quite easy ing in the article.I believe that "Distinguished Principal of the mark report on smoking tobacco to compare oneself to one's pre- this "competitive" aspect to awards Year" because of her talents, ded- back in 1964that it would change decessor in a favorable light, as and recognition totally detracts ication, and hard work for children. things. Administrators in education the predecessor is no longer from the collegiality we need to there. I have also learned that a build between peers in order to Patricia McRae either are not aware of it or they just school culture and strong pro- improve education for all students. Executive Director have too many other things on their Elementary Education grams are built over many years, A physical education teacher plate. and that while a program might I once worked with had a saying Anchorage School District experience recognition and suc- posted on the gym wall that said, Anchorage, Alaska NW: How have the national PIE standards, which you helped Dear Editor: to develop, been received in

I was somewhat surprised that a and opportunities. No two are ex- work before him. In this case, the field? professional publication promot- actly the same. This does not al- only part of the story was told. WOOD: The last time I checked, ing the positive work of principals ways mean that one is better than over 2,000 copies had been sold. (Spring 2000, "The New Princi- another. It definitely means that Nancy Carder Ed.D., J.D. They can't sell them fast enough be- pal") would in its contents allow your writer could have found Principal a reporter/writer to laud one at theenough of Mr. Nufer's accom- Chugiak Elementary School cause physical educators were de- expense of another. It is my belief plishments to write about without Anchorage, Alaska manding direction, and we gave it that every principal has strengths his negative references to my to them.

Dear Editor: NW: Were there conflicts or sticking points among mem- I just finished reading the article missing in many people today, atic evaluation to be interesting. bers of the Standards and "A City Fit for Kids" (Winter 1999). not just the youth. It is exciting to By identifying the assets that help I was very impressed with the read about young people getting young people succeed, and then Assessment Task Force? commitment to the youth of the worked up over service to the assessing them to check for WOOD: A major sticking point for city of Boise. The ownership con- public good. Specifically, I can development and to identify weak- us was that we came out with seven ferred on the youth of this city is identify with action of Boise's nesses, Boise is preparing its content standards, three of which an example to other cities around youth to build a skateboard park. children for a successful future. the country. These activities and Some young people in my home- deal not with the physical elements events are developing future citi- town are working to this end, but Randy Hartwig of PE, but with the psycho-social ele- zens who will take an active role encountering resistance. I think Science Teacher ment. Three out of the seven! It rein their community and govern- they are doing a great job and Marshfield High School ment. They are also developing hope they are successful. Marshfield, Wisconsin ally shows the trend in schools today. leaders. The idea of service is I particularly found the system- It shows that PE is prepared to address behavioral management issues and some of the interpersonal skills that kids are really going to need to function responsibly in a multicul- tural society. 46 NW Education / Fall 2000 NW: What did you personallyjust finding enough time during WOOD: Yes, I do. I wouldn't blameAnd remember that students are as- 43 argue most forcefully for? their day for all the paperwork is those who say, "I really hated it." sessed in the cognitive and psycho- WOOD: Many physical educators challenging. Much of the motor skillThe individuals who were good at itsocial domains in addition to the do not assess appropriately. So it's testing involves observation. While liked it. Many of those who weren't motor or movement domain. hard to show accountability for ourthis type of assessment is subjective, naturally good at itwhich is the programs. That's one of the main when it's done properly with rating majority of peopledidn't like it NW: Is it important to reasons physical education pro- scales and checklists it's an effective at all. They felt threatened. A lot of get parents involved? grams are cut when there's a bud- assessment of one's skill. We have practices that went on were not ap- WOOD: Parental involvement is get crunch. I've been fighting for the methods for efficient and effec- propriate. But modem physical ed- critical. We're working hard on not accountability through assessment tive assessment. What it's going to ucation teachers are extremely well only advocating for physical educa- for years nowthat is, we have to take is retraining inservice teachers trained in how to deal with kids. tion, but also getting parents in- grade more effectively, and we have and training the new teachers who They're well versed in how to teach volved in PE with their child at to be accountable for what we do. are in preservice right now In the movement fundamentals in a way home. If the attitudes and behav- One of the foundations of the edu- teacher education courses at OSU, that's fun and enjoyable. If kids iors are not modeled at home, it's cational reform movement and the we spend a lot of time on skill anal- aren't interested in physical educa- difficult for the PE teacher to get national PE standards is the assess- ysis and assessment. tion, they're not going to recreate the point across. Also, if parents ment piece. How do you know when when they are adults. And so we don't understand what's going on your students have met the content NW: Do you have any sense spend a lot of time teaching our PE in physical education, it's really standards? You have to assess. That'sof how many people are ac- teachers how to make physical edu-hard to get support for your pro- why in the standards document tually trying to adapt their cation interesting for kids. gram. We work a lot with our pre- there's a whole section on perfor- curriculum to the standards? service teachers on how to advocate mance or "authentic" assessment. WOOD: There are some communi-NW: On the academic side, for their program. I saw it as a key to helping physical ties and states that have really im- reformers are stressing the education become more account- mersed themselves and are doing idea that every kid can learnNW: Do you feel optimistic able and to survive in the educa- an incredible job. Wichita, Kansas, and every kid can be suc- about the future of PIE? tional system. and Kentucky are good examples. cessful. Yet II think a lot of WOOD: Guardedly optimistic. If But generally, there's slow move- educators might hesitate to this country is to come to grips with NW: What's the biggest mis- ment. There are some states that say the same thing about rising health-care costs, we must take that physical educators have hardly started at all. Locally, physical education. Do you focus the health-care system on make in terms of assessment?a few of the larger districts such as think every kid can learn to prevention. One of the most cost- Just not doing enough of it? Portland and Corvallis have adaptedbe skillful in movement? effective interventions is a sound WOOD: That's a large part of it. their curriculum to the national WOOD: The idea here is not to physical education program. Cur- Another problem is the reliance on standards with some modification. mold kids into athletes. The idea is rently, some programs are not as high-inference grading criteria suchHowever, my intuition is that the to give them minimal competencieseffective as they should be, but we as attendance, participation, and ef- majority of districts have done lit- to increase the chances that they'll know how to deliver effective physi- fort rather than low-inference crite- tle. Especially the smaller districts want to recreate as adults and cal education. It's a matter of con- ria such as performance of motor they don't have the funds; it's a have a health-enhancing lifestyle vincing taxpayers, parents, and skill and paper-and-pencil tests of major undertaking. throughout the life span. We have administrators to provide the neces- knowledge. And there are reasons for students set individual goals, not sary resources. As the father of two that. Part of it is lack of sufficient NW: So many people say, "I compare themselves to someone preschoolers, the bottom line for training. Part of it is that they're in- hated PE." Do you see these else. For individuals with a disabil- me is that we owe our future gener- undated with students. They want to new trends that you describedity, we adapt the program to their ations nothing less than the best we get their kids active, they don't want earlier as changing that over- abilities. The idea is to help each can offer. So let's get to it. 1=1 to be assessing all the time. And then all attitude toward "phys ed"?student reach his or her potential.

47 NEW MOVES 44 TERRY WOOD:In the last two are still operating under the more NW:What would be the typical decades, we've seen an increased traditional model. sad program you might see? emphasis on movement fundamen- WOOD:The sad program would be talsteaching kids to move prop- NW:How many programs outa program that lacks facilities. So erlyparticularly in elementary there are good and sound? you get a lot of kids in a very small school. There is still an emphasis WOOD:I would say that nation- space, like a cafeteria with a slippery on sport in the upper grades, but it ally, not a high percentage. Recent floor, and you've got to move the has shifted to leisure-time physical research has concluded that insuf- tables away. A sad program is one activitythat is, introducing an ficient exposure to quality physical with too many kids and too few array of physical activities in such aeducation programs is a primary teachers, many who are classroom way that kids will develop a positivefactor in the major decline of the teachers minimally trained in PE. attitude toward health-enhancing fitness levels of American youth. It'sWhen a teacher spends all of his or physical activities throughout the pretty sad. In Oregon we do com- her time in classroom management, life span. More recently, we've seen paratively well. But we could do a the best they can do is get the equip- the emphasis expand from educa- lot better. ment out and say, "OK, let's play Raising tion of the physical to educating some games." They're not teaching children in three domains: cognitive NW:Oregon has been out skills. I can't blame the teachers for the Bar skills, motor skills, and what I call front by including physical this state of affairs because when you psycho-social skills. The psycho- education as a content area see 300 different kids a week, and An Oreg ©n professor social area includes a multiculturalin its Certificate of Initial you've got them in an inadequate helps bring PE into component, and is aimed at help- Mastery (CIM). space, what more can you do? the standards ing kids with anger management, WOOD:Since 1995, I've been in- movement conflict resolution, taking responsi-volved in the lobby to get physical NW:Aside from the Physical bility for their behavior, and gettingeducation into the CIM and get Education for Progress bill along with diverse populations some teeth into it. That just hap- now before Congress, do you Terry Wood of Oregon State Univer- including individuals with differentpened in August of last year when see any sign of interest at the sity is one of eight PE experts na- sexual orientation. And then there House Bill 3307 passed. The bill federal level for supporting tionwide who crafted the national are certain valueshabits of mindmandates testing in physical edu- PIE programs? PE standards, released in 1995 by if you likethey should have, suchcation by the district at the third, WOOD:In the last few years there the National Association for Sport as an appreciation for physical ac- fifth, eighth, and 10th grades. In was a resolution passed by Congress and Physical Education. Widely tivity and the beauty of movement. addition, the Oregon Department offor daily physical education. It was- published in the area of psychomo-This psycho-social area is receivingEducation recently hired a PE spe- n't a bill, there was no money, but tor measurement and evaluation, increasing emphasis, particularly cialist to coordinate the develop- the support from the federal level Professor Wood was a keynote as we see the increase of violent ment of state content standards so was a real boon for us. speaker at the 1998 International conflict in schools. The struggle in that every program will be on the Sports Teaching Symposium in reforming PE is making the transi-same page. The legislation man- NW:Symbolically, anyway. Taiwan. Northwest Education Edi-tion from the old to the new PE. It'sdates that the state Board of Educa-WOOD:Yes, symbolicallythat tor Lee Sherman talked with him a transition from a sport-oriented tion develop content standards in they at least felt it was important. about the standards and about PE'smodel to a physical-activity model PE to be implemented by the 2001- The other significant event on the ongoing evolution. based on content standards along 02 school year as part of the imple- federal level was the 1996 Surgeon with authentic assessment of stu- mentation of the CIM. I'm hoping General's Report on Physical Ac- NORTHWEST EDUCATION: dents in the three domains. We havethat they adopt the national stan- tivity and Health. It calls for ade- How has PE changed in teachers who've been in the field dards so we can get moving. We quate daily physical education in emphasis and purpose? for many years, and some of them don't have to reinvent the wheel. See RAISING, Page 42

NW EDUCATION / Fall 2000 48 NWREL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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EDUCATION U.S. DEPARTMENT OFand Improvement Office of Educational Research INFORMATION tirE UCATIONAL RESOURCES CENTER (ERIC) This document has beenreproduced as received from the person ororganization originating it. Minor changes have beenmade to improve reproduction quality. NORTHWEST REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY ° Points of view or opinionsstated in this document do not necessarilyrepresent official OERI position or policy. Think Small Making Education More Personal

VOLUME 6 NUMBER 2 WINTER 2000

ARTICLES

Big Lessons on a Small Scale Study after study has tallied up the benefits of both smaller schools and smaller class sizes. Nationwide, educators are finding innovative ways to tap the benefits of downsizing.

Making It Personal 1 In Milwaukie, Oregon, a large suburban high school personalizes its approach to teaching and learning, and emerges as a model of success. Back to the Future 16An expert on small schools returns to her big high school, discovering new energy about learning and a refreshing focus on the future. ON THE COVER: Nye School is a one-room schoolhouse in Montana's Stillwater County. This year's enrollment includes 11 students, grades 1-6, who gather to learn Tacoma's Glass Slipper in this historic stone building. An urban Washington school district concentrates PHOTOGRAPH BY SUZIE BOSS funding where it matters most: helping young OPENING SPREAD: students get off to a Great Start. Highland School in Douglas County, Washington, was built about 1900. Photo by John Martin Campbell also appears in his book, The Prairie Schoolhouse (University of New Mexico Press, 1996). They Wouldn't Teach Used with permission. 28Anywhere Else Award-winning teachers from three rural schools sing the benefits of teaching and learning in small, caring communities. 34 Big Sky Legacy In Montana, small schools aren't a bold new idea. They're a way of life.

Forget Isolation, 43We re Online Now Technology promises to connect students in isolated places with the wider world. But high- tech classrooms won't work without good teaching practices.

DEPARTMENTS 45 In the Library 48 Voices 52 What seems like about ronically, while American a hundred years ago, I schools have been growing stood on a football fieldsteadily larger, researchers at twilight with my fellow have been identifying the graduating seniors from San benefits of smaller learning Ramon High in Danville, Cal-communities, where educa- ifornia. There were 365 of tion is more personal and no-how teaching practices are ussame as the number body feels like a stranger. In changing in these smaller of days in a year. As we took smaller schools and schools classes. We head off on a turns crossing the makeshift reorganized to "feel smaller," road trip to Montana's rural stage to receive our diplo- students have a better attitudeschoolhouses, where build- mas, I was struck by how toward school and make ings are historic but teaching many faces I had never seen stronger connections with practices are in synch with before that night.I wasn't teachers and other adults in some of the latest trends in alone. My best friend leaned the school community. Such education. over partway through the ties can boost student achieve- n a story called "They ceremony to whisper, "Who ment and offer a powerful. Wouldn't Teach Anywhere are these guys?" I suspect antidote to alienation. Else," you'll meet a trio of that many of us were won- or this issue, we went search-prize-winning teachers from dering the same thing: How ing for places in the Northwestour region who have devoted could we have spent four region where educators have their careers to working with years attending the same elected to "think small." As students in small schools. In school and wound up as you'll see, the benefits can places as far apart as Alaska's strangers? be sizable for students and Bristol Bay and Idaho's Long any American youth con- faculty alike. Valley, these teachers echo tinue to attend schools so irst, we visit two Oregon the same refrain: "We really large that they can't possibly schools that have earned the know our kids." As one of get to know the majority of title of New American High them was quick to add, it's their classmates. Nearly three-Schools. Both have found not that teachers and students quarters of today's high creative ways to make their can't get well-acquainted in schoolers share a campus large schools feel more per- larger school communities, with more than 1,000 stu- sonal by reorganizing into "but it's sure a lot easier in dents, and nearly half attend grade-level houses and ca- a small school." high schools enrolling more reer academies. Their experi- s always, we welcome your than 1,500. Elementary ences make for especially comments and reactions schools tend to be smaller, timely reading, with the U.S. whether you're from a big but it's not hard to find a mid-Department of Education school, a small school, or dle school pushing up towardsupporting reforms through one that feels "just right." 1,000 students, especially in its Smaller Learning Commu- Suzie Boss urban areas. nities initiative. Next, we show bosss@nwreLorg you how the Tacoma, Wash- ington, district has managed to reduce class sizes in the earliest grades, and describe AI 1 PR10 KA 10 I&(01' (0,1DDSS0,11I ORO I ,S 140W address

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"When a student deals ter at the University of Washington's Center on Rein- with a limited number of teachers, the effect of a few badventing Public Education. Similarly, the Annenberg experiences is magnified," pointed out Carleen Reck inChallenge, a $500 million public-private venture to im- an earlier ERIC Digest. And acknowledging that some stu- prove education, has supported development of hun- dents manage to do well in larger schools, authors ofdreds of smaller learning communities as a reform Small Schools: Great Strides concede that "not all strategy in Philadelphia and other large cities, and also schools should be small. Children differ so much, those has worked with 700 small communities to sustain that thrive in larger settings should have the opportunity"genuinely good, genuinely rural" schools. to do so." Recognizing the groundswell of support, Small Nonetheless, making schools smaller creates an en- Schools: Great Strides describes the "small schools vironment where good things can happen. Effective movement" that is gaining momentum across the coun- small schools tend to be hotbeds for the teaching prac- try. The report focuses specifically on downsizing in tices associated with student success and school im- Chicago, where at least 150 schools serving fewer than provement. Cotton cited team teaching, integrated 350 students have opened in recent years, but implica- curriculum, multiage grouping (especially for elemen- tions extend well beyond that city's borders. As lead au- tary grades), cooperative learning, and performance as-thor Patricia A. Wasley, newly appointed dean of the sessments as typical classroom practices of smaller College of Education at the University of Washington, told schools. Teachers on a small faculty have more chancesEducation Week, "The evidence is very compelling that to interact with their peers and also report higher lev- small schools serve students much better." els of parent involvement. Reasons of both excellence and equity are behind the What's more, teachers in smaller schools tend to feel push to create smaller schools and restructure large better about their workan important consideration atschools so that they "feel" smaller. "Educators believe a time when many districts are struggling to recruit andthat public education is critical to a democracy but that retain teachers. As Irmsher reported, "Small school size viability requires an important shift so that adults can at- encourages teachers to innovate and students to partic-tend more closely to children," report the Bank Street ipate, resulting in greater commitment for both groups." authors. "While school size is not sufficient in and of it- These benefits are so thoroughly supported by re- self, it is an essential first step in creating productive, eq- search and common sense, and so potent when it comes uitable places where young people can actually flourish." to helping disadvantaged students succeed, that many The appeal of small schools comes from their promise large districts are opening smaller schools or creating to address four broad concerns identified in Small schools-within-schools as a cornerstone of reform ef- Schools: Great Strides: forts. The Department of Education is encouraging a va- To create small, intimate learning communities where riety of strategies to personalize high schools with $45students are well known and can be pushed and en- million in Smaller Learning Communities Programcouraged by adults who care for and about them grants. (See sidebar, Page 5, for a look at NWREL's role To reduce the isolation that too often seeds alienation in supporting smaller learning communities.) and violence Meanwhile, private benefactors are also lending sup- To reduce the devastating discrepancies in the port to small schools. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foun- achievement gap that plague poorer children and, too 5 NW Education / Winter 2000 SUPPORT ehools and districts eager By spring, the Lab expects to Zones may also tap NWRDL for 5 to reap the benefits of have available a CD -ROM tool to training and technical assistance smaller learning commu- help schools assess "where theyto help develop one or more FOR nities can turn to the are and where they hope to go strategies of New American High Northwest Regional Educational with reforms" related to the Schools Currently, NWRDL is Laboratory (INWiliEL) for re- NAHS strategies, Lindner said working with three such sites SMALLER sources, training, and technical She also can p.rioylds schools Compass High School in GI-land- assistance, as well as for help with copies of an 81-page view, Washington, Poplar High LEARNING with limo for long term planning guide developed by School in Montana, and Pine change. Sonoma State University that Ridge High School from the NWRDL is collaborating with suggests "guiding questions" Pine Ridge Indian Reservation COMMUNITIES the Da lifoinia Institute on Human for schools wanting to connect in South Dakota Services at Sonoma State Univer-reform with the concepts of For more information or to re- sity to provide training and tech- smaller learning communities quest assistance, contact Praneie nical assistance for schools that The Northwest is emerging as Lindner at NWREL's Education, received Smaller Learning Com- a hot spot of the good practices Career, and DoriarktuBrly Program, munities gents from the U identified by the U S ljeparitimt(503) 275-9692 She also sug- Deparctigkent of Education this fall of Educetinds New American gests checking online for more The Northwest region was High Schools initiative. In information abut the U S De- well-reples_e_ated in the national November, the Department pattate nt of Educations Smaller awards, with grants going to named Reynolds High School in Learning Communities progrtam Anchorap and Fairbanks North Troutdale, ()regal and Chugach ed gos./koke e saRSE/ Star Borough school districts in High School in rural Alaska as SLDP/) and New American High Alaska, Helena School District in two of the newest New AmericanSchools program (www ed go.v/ Montana, Beaverton, David Dou- High Schools They join about officesMVAE/nahs) glas, Eugat, Hermiston, North 60 others across the country, in- Clackamas, and Portland school cluding David Douglas in south- districts in Oregon, and Edmondseast Portland and Rex Putnarin in School District in Washington Milwaukie, Ciregga, bringing the In addition, NWRDL can guide total to three schools honored in schools that want to use the the greater Portland area "The research-base_d strategies of only other city with multiple the New American High Schools sites is New York City," says (NAHS) as a springnond to re- Lindner Each New American form "The Lab is creating a High School is open for site bridge for schools that are lom- visits so that others can see re- pedkading and that want to de- sea rehkbase_d mactioss in action velop reforms based on the12 NWREL is taking a lead role to strategies of the New American identify future sites to be desig- High Schools program," e)k nated as New American High plains Francie Lindner, a re- Schools. The Northwest Lab is searieh associate with NWRDL's working with three other regional Education, Career, and komau- educational laboratoriesWest nity Program Although New Ed, the LAB at Brown, and South- Amestean High Schools include Eastern Regional Vision for Edu- many large comprehensive cationon identifying possible schools, they have found ways NAHS sites "S_e_h_o_ols that are in- to restructure to tap the benefits terested in being considered eac of smaller learning communities. contact us for more informa- (tSee related stories on New tion," Lindner said American High Schools, starting High schools located within on Page 10) Empow_ anent or Enterprise 6 often, children of color learning environment. To encourage teachers to use their intelligence and Lee and Smith also concluded: their experiences to help students succeed High schools should be smaller than many are students learn more in relatively small high schools; HOW SMALL IS SMALL? learning is more equitable in small places Educators, researchers, and policymakers don't always High schools can be too smallstudents learn less agree on how small a school needs to be to tap small- in high schools with fewer than 600 students, as well as school benefits. in very large ones Deborah Meier, founder of New York's celebrated Cen- Ideal size does not vary by the types of students who tral Park East elementary and secondary schools, makes should attend a case for schools of 300 to 400. As she explained in Ed- Size is more important in some types of schoolssize ucational Leadership, this size works best to promote is especially important for the most disadvantaged students seven strengths of smallness: governance, respect, sim- Researchers also have been examining the potential plicity, safety, parent involvement, accountability, and be- downside of schools that are too small. In an ERIC Di- longing. Not by accident, 400 students can assemble in gest report on curriculum adequacy in small schools, one room for an all-school event. The teaching staff isChristopher Roelke pointed out that, despite the growth small enough to share a potluck supper or fit around aof large schools, approximately one in three public meeting table. And the principal, Meier says, "can take high school students still attends a school of 400 or fewer. the temperature of the school" at a glance. Most of these smaller institutions are found in rural Breaking Ranks, a critical 1996 report from the Na- areas, such as the schools that serve as the heart of their tional Association of Secondary School Principals, in communities in the Alaska bush, Montana plains, Idaho partnership with the Carnegie Foundation, recommended panhandle, and other sparsely populated regions of that high schools break into units of no more than 600 the Northwest. students as the first step toward "personalizing the high Small schools tend to pay staff members less than school experience for students." In addition, Breakinglarger ones, especially in rural areas, making recruitment Ranks called for high school teachers to be responsibleand retention of teachers a challenge. The Montana Of- for no more than 90 students per term so that theyfice of Public Instruction reports that low salaries and could offer students more individual attention. rural isolation are two of the top three reasons many rural The Department of Education sets a goal of no more districts struggle to fill openings. What's more, teachers than 600 students per high school in its Smaller Learn-typically have to cover more subjects in small schools. ing Communities Program. The Bank Street authors, "We're expected to teach six preps and coach, too," meanwhile, define small schools as those with 350 stu- says one longtime rural educator. Some teachers see that dents or fewer. as a challenge that keeps them fresh and staves off bore- Noticing the range of numbers that researchers have dom. However, the Rural School and Community Trust, used to define optimum school size, Valerie E. Lee and in Why Rural Matters, released in August 2000, cited out- Julia B. Smith set out to analyze the literature. Their 1997 of-field teaching as a particular concern in rural schools. report in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analy- To make the most of lean staffs and slender resources, sis found research-based recommendations for en- some small schools are pursuing a "less is more" phi- rollment ranging from 300 to 900. When they correlated losophy, Roelke reports, aligning course offerings with size with students' academic gains specifically in high national education goals. Although they can't afford to school, however, they concluded that 600 to 900 studentshire specialists or match the curricular breadth of offers the right number for a secondary school to reachlarger schools, small schools can use a variety of strate- "an appropriate balance point." It's big enough to offer gies to expand options for their students. Among the a broad curriculum, small enough to create an intimate promising approaches Roelke describes are interdis- 58 NW Education / Winter 2000 ciplinary courses that reduce the number of separate school experience for students and improve student 7 subjects; innovative scheduling, including longer blockachievement and performance. periods to accommodate integrated curricula; and dis- Some definitions and examples: tance learning via online classes, video conferences, and Freestanding schools typically are self-contained in- other applications of technology. In the Northwest region, stitutions, with their own physical plant, budget, and prin- some geographically large districts with high trans- cipal. As an alternative, freestanding schools also can be portation costs are also finding success with the four- housed in a multiplex, where two or more schools day school week. share a building but operate independently. This approach has led to the creation of dozens of new small NOT BRICKS AND MORTAR schools in New York City, beginning with Central Park In Seattle, where students and their families are offeredEast Elementary in 1974. a choice of schools, Nathan Hale High hasn't always In the school-within-a-school model, a smaller been a top draw. Today, though, it's one of the urban dis-school is located within a larger host school. The smaller trict's most sought-after high schools. The increased school is typically subject to the budget and leadership popularity isn't the result of bricks-and-mortar im-of the host building principal, but may have its own per- provements, but rather comes from restructuring the sonnel, budget, and program. Schools-within-schools 1,100-student, comprehensive high school into smaller, typically serve multiple ages and may divide by grade lev- more cohesive units. els, themes, or curricular focus. Seattle's Nathan Hale, The first step toward whole school reform at Nathan for instance, operates an academy for ninth-graders to Hale, in 1998-99, was to organize academies for ninth- ease their transition into high school. graders, with six teachers assigned to groups of 250 stu- Key High School Reform Strategies, a 1999 overview dents. Setting up academies enabled the school to lowerpublished by the U.S. Department of Education, ex- the student-teacher ratio, decrease the number of stu- plains that students enrolled in a school-within-a-school dents individual teachers see daily, and allow time fortend to take most of their classes together from teach- block scheduling. The resultsincluding better atten- ers affiliated with the smaller school. Variations on the dance and greater academic successwere so strongschool-within-a-school theme include: that, the next year, Nathan Hale moved forward with in- Career academies, in which schools organize their terdisciplinary academies for 10th-graders, as well. curriculum around one or more careers or occupations And when the Gates Foundation announced its grants for Houses, in which students across grades are assigned smaller high schools in September, a spokesman singled to smaller units within a larger school; each house typ- out Nathan Hale "as an example of the success of small ically has its own discipline policies, student activities, schools," reported the Seattle Times. student government, and social activities As Nathan Hale has demonstrated, creating smaller Other strategies for making large schools more per- learning communities doesn't have to mean investing in sonalized, according to the Department of Education, inexpensive new facilities. Nationwide, educators are clude advisory systems, in which administrators and using a variety of models and strategies for creatingteachers are assigned a small number of students for smaller schoolsor, at least, schools that feel smallerwhom they remain responsible throughout high school; within existing space. magnet schools, which have a core focus and usually Through its Smaller Learning Communities Program, draw students from the entire district; and block the Department of Education supports strategies for scheduling, in which 50-minute classes are extended to creating schools within schools, career academies, re- blocks of 80 or 90 minutes, allowing for more individ- structuring the school day, instituting personal adultual attention, interdisciplinary lessons, and a greater va- advocates, developing teacher advisory systems, and riety of learning activities. other innovations to create a more personalized high Although high schools are most likely to use these ap-

59 THINK SMALL 8 proaches to restructuring, some elementary and mid- and the most "efficient" size school are cut in half when dle schools are reorganizing into smaller learning com- measured as cost per graduate than as the traditional cost munities, as well. A recent article in Principal magazine,per pupil published by the National Association of Elementary Any higher school finance costs associated with small School Principals, describes how a failing Philadelphia schools virtually disappear when the substantial social elementary school reduced behavior problems and im- costs of nongraduates and the positive societal impact proved school climate and student achievement by di- of college-educated citizens are considered viding its 700 students into three communities, each with Increasingly, educators and policymakers also are con- a collaborative team of 12 to 17 teachers. The sur- sidering harder-to-quantify factors, such as the seat rounding neighborhood continues to struggle with is- time students spend on school buses when their schools sues related to poverty, but the school has blossomedare consolidated or the community connections lost "like a rose in a thorn bush," school administratorwhen a small town shuts its only schoolhouse. School Naomi Booker told Principal. climate and safety concerns, in particular, have mounted since recent outbreaks of campus violence. After the THE COST OF DOWNSIZING worst incidentat Colorado's Columbine High, with an But aren't small schools more expensive than big ones? enrollment of nearly 2,000analysts were quick to It's a fair question, especially since it seems like an ob- point to the tragic costs of school environments so vious conclusion. Elite prep schools are universally small, large that troubled students can go unnoticed. Indeed, averaging fewer than 300 students, and also are expen- the National Center for Education Statistics reports that sive, catering to children of privilege. In public education, fighting and behavior problems get worse as schools the past several decades of school consolidation have been grow larger. carried out for the sake of economies of scale. Michael Klonsky of the Chicago Small Schools Work- Recently, however, researchers have used hard num- shop has pointed out the high costs of large schools, such bers to challenge the logic that if small is expensive then as "deleterious effects on a host of student outcomes, in- bigger must be more cost-effective. cluding achievement, attendance, involvement in school A 1998 study looked at the efficiency of small urban activities, and dropout rates." What's more, he adds, schools for producing high school graduates. "It is far "Impersonal relationships breed anonymity, making it eas- more expensive to allow a student to drop out than it isier for students to act out and more difficult for adults to to invest whatever it takes to ensure that student's grad- curb adolescent tendencies to defy adult directives." uation," researchers reported in The Effects of Size of "The needs of small schools are not outrageous or lux- Student Body on School Costs and Performance in urious," assert the Bank Street authors, "just clearer." New York City High Schools. Similarly, Raywid concluded, "When viewed on a cost-per-student enrolled NO PANACEA basis, they [smaller schools] are somewhat more ex- In a research roundup on school size for the ERIC pensive. But when examined on the basis of the num- Clearinghouse on Educational Management, Larry Lash- ber of students they graduate, they are less expensive than away pointed out that the school consolidation of recent either medium-sized or large high schools." decades was "achieved at the cost of anguished protests Sparsely populated areas that have seen their local by thousand of citizens served by small schools in small schools closed for the sake of the bottom line are also districts." The resulting bigger schools were "viewed by taking a fresh look at the cost data. A new study published most professional educators as a triumph for enlight- by the Nebraska Alliance for Rural Education found: ened schooling," Lashaway said, but research is now sug- High school completion and postsecondary rates in- gesting "that the public's nostalgia for small schools was crease as school size decreases not misplaced." Annual cost differences between the smallest schools Since at least the 1980s, researchers have been point-

NW Education / Winter 2000 ing out the benefits of smaller schools. Today's propo- scpcVsirs/10/c020.html) 9 nents acknowledge that smaller learning communities Small Schools: Great Strides, A Study of New Small are hardly a radical or new idea. An American educa- Schools in Chicago, published by Bank Street College in tion used to be a small-school experience for almost ev-June 2000, documents the benefits of integrating small eryone, noted Bruce Barker in a report for the ERIC schools into comprehensive school reform strategies Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools. (downloadable version at: www.bankstreet.edu/news/ He added, "It would be interesting, perhaps astonish- releases/smschool.html) ing, to be able to identify the number of successful pro- Small Schools Workshop at the University of Illinois fessionals in business, education, science, and otherat Chicago maintains an extensive collection of re- disciplines who received their public education in asources, including research, readings, grant information, small school." and a directory of organizations nationwide that support One of those successful small-schools graduates smaller schools (www.smallschoolsworkshop.org/) spoke in Salem, Oregon, last summer, at the annual con- The Smaller Learning Communities Program of the U.S. ference of the Oregon Small Schools Association. Stan Department of Education outlines program goals and Bunn, Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction,highlights research supporting smaller schools spent his formative years in the little Willamette Valley (www. ed. gov/offices/OESFJSLCP/overview. html) communities of Lafayette and Dayton, where he gradu- ated with a class of 40. "When I look back on my work in high school and later [including law school at the Uni- versity of Maryland] ," he said, "I got no better education, no better attention, than at Dayton High School. I had teachers who knew me, challenged me, pushed me. I believe in the opportunities small schools create for students." More and more, researchers and policymakers are finding reason to believe in those opportunities, too. Even the most enthusiastic proponents, however, caution not to view small schools as a fix-all for education. "Small is not enough," write the authors of Small Schools: Great Strides. Rather, they argue that keeping school communities to a smaller scale is just the starting place for comprehensive improvement. Given the challenges many students face in large schools, they suggest in- verting the ratios: "making small schools the norm, and large schools the exception."

ONLINE RESOURCES ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools provides access to research, online forums, grant information, and a calendar of upcoming events (www.ael.org/eric/) School Size, School Climate, and Student Perfor- mance, by Kathleen Cotton, is available from the North- west Regional Educational Laboratory (www.nwrelorg/

THINK SMALL 61 t

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MN= HOD= Va'PF NISIIARREi I MILWAUKIE, OregonA shy boy like Jesse measures his approach to life. Friends, for example, are made with care, but once earned, are cherished in the fiercely offhanded manner of boys everywhere. So, when it comes time to cross over from childhood into the adult-making years of high school, a boy like Jesse will want to go where his friends go. And this is how Jesse happened to enroll at Rex Putnam High School. To look at, Putnam is unre- markable. It's much like any big, suburban high school. Its territory, a dozen miles from Portland, ranges from forested neighborhoods and small farms going com- fortably to seed, to the thoroughfare at the bottom, of the hill overgrown with franchises and a local strip joint. What's different about Putnam lies inside, at the heart of the school. 4

Ninth- ders use Access Period to prepare their room for homecoming and to do a tittle bonding. 4 612 Jesse's parents didn't know this Because they would share the "Small schools are more likely After reading the letter from 11 when they opted to send their son same students, this trio of teachers to create and sustain conditions Principal Edwards that fall, Shan- to Putnam to be with his friends, could collaborate. They could cre- that are conducive to improving non Evans wrote back: Put my son rather than to the high school pre- ate extended projects integrating allstudent outcomes" such as better in GATE. scribed for their neighborhood. Butthree subjects so that learning in test scores, college-level course- "If the school hadn't had this their choice proved provident. one class would reinforce learning taking, attendance, and self-esteem, house, I don't think my son would "We dodged a bullet," says Shan- in the other classes. Coordinated the authors conclude. However, have made it," she says today "He non Evans, 40. Not because the otherschedules would enable teachers to smaller learning environments might have dropped out." school was a bad school, but becauseshare class preparation time when alone, they stress, are not sufficient. Instead, Jesse is now a senior Putnam happened to be embarking they could plan curriculum or dis- "Most successes of whole-school re-eager to graduate with his best on a restructuring that would trans-cuss how a particular student was form efforts are not the consequencefriends, all pals he first met in GATE. form and personalize the way it coming along. In this arrangement,of one practice or another, but in- While the GATE House started teaches its 1,300 students. And Jesse teachers and students would get to stead the gathering of many prac- as a blended model for ninth- and Evans was a kid who needed that know each other very well. The tices under one roof and the 10th-graders, it has evolved to be- kind of attention. He got distracted GATE House was Putnam's first interactions among them." come a shared house of freshmen easily, and learning was often a structural innovation in what was From the time it embraced stan- only. Though blending grades had struggle. Naturally reticent, he to become a realignment of the dards-based reform 10 years ago, many benefitssophomores tended shrank from competing for the at- large school into kindred smaller Putnam has been carefully con- to model more mature behavior for tention of his teachers or from bud- learning communities. structing multiple and complemen- the freshmen, and ninth-graders dying up with classmates he didn't tary approaches to improving its often worked academically at the know well. As he approached ninth Maki gfflomff000 teaching and learning. The twin pil- 10th-grade levela change this grade, Jesse seemed poised to sink Research shows that smaller learn- lars of its edifice became "houses" year in the sophomore curriculum out of sight in the swell of big- ing environments usually lead to for freshmen and sophomores, and required something different. school crowds and competition. positive student outcomes, state thecareer pathways for juniors and se- A career pathways program was But before classes started that authors of Key High School Reformniors. Three years after opening the introduced to 10th-graders to allow fall in 1997, Shannon got a letter Strategies: An Overview of Research GATE House as a blended model for them to explore their interests, apti- from Deno Edwards, Putnam's Findings, published in 1999 by ninth- and 10th-graders, Putnam tudes, and postsecondary career and principal, inviting parents to con- the U.S. Department of Education. established seven more houses, learning opportunities. This explo- sider placing their youngsters in School size, they write, has an indi- enough to accommodate all of its ration prepares them to choose a something called the GATE House rect but important effect on studentfirst- and second-year students. Focused Program of Study that they (meaning, Gaining Access to Excel-learning, facilitating teacher colle- Today, each house varies in its struc-will follow as juniors and seniors. lence). This "house" would consist giality, personalized teacher-studentture and approach, depending on Because most students aren't ready of three teachersone each from relationships, and less differentiationthe house teachers' preferences. to make these kinds of explorations social studies, language arts, and of instruction by abilitycharac- Some are looped, meaning the in their first year of high school, sciencewho would stay with a teristics that promote increased stu-house teachers stay with one group freshmen are now separated from group of 90 freshmen and sopho- dent learning. of students for two years, through the sophomores. The Focused Pro- more students for two years. their freshman and sophomore gram of Study, introduced by the years. Some are shared houses, in North Clackamas School District which a group of freshmen have the same teachers their first year, then advance to three different teachers for their sophomore year.

433 THINK SMALL (1)

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12 and aligned with Oregon's curricu- the busiest in the building as stu- Looki Back "Kids have to feel good about lum standards, requires students at dents come by seeking advice or to A singular event galvanized the themselves," says Edwards. "If they the end of their sophomore year to use the computers and library to re- school to bring students and teach- don't feel loved and appreciated, choose a focus from six career path- search professions. Last year, stu- ers together in smaller gatherings and that you care about them, you ways: natural resources, health ser- dents participated in 2,225 CRLEs, where relationships, social maturity,can't get to where they can self- vices, human resources, business says Holstrom, including job shad- and learning could be fostered. reflect and learn. So we decided and management, industrial and ows, site tours of businesses, events Though the school's population is we needed to change." engineering systems, and arts and with guest speakers, and other proj-nearly 90 percent White and middle They mustered the school com- communication. ects and activities. Many students classwith few students experienc-munity to gather information, for- Though juniors and seniors are also regularly attend the district's ing the socioeconomic factors that mulate action plans, and solve not grouped into houses, the school venerable Owen Sabin Skills Center, typically put children "at risk"a problems. A Site Council of elected intends for these older students to a professional-technical school survey to parents, students, teachers,teachers and staff and selected par- have personally meaningful learn- serving the area's high school stu- and community members deliveredents and students became the ing experiences, as well. While fol- dents since 1963. The center offers a big surprise to Putnam staff. The school's primary decisionmaking lowing one (or more) of the career students hands-on learning in the 1994 poll showed that, while teach-body. The council created better pathways, students come together district's six career pathways as well ers and administrators believed the lines of communication, placed with peers who share their interests.as in information technology. school was doing pretty well on all teachers in charge of staff develop- Through close contact with each Houses and career pathways counts, students and their parents ment, established an annual plan- other, and with teachers and profes-aren't the only places where rela- decidedly disagreed. They believed ning retreat, recommended hiring sionals from the community, stu- tionships are purposefully fostered teachers weren't connecting with a full-time drug and alcohol coun- dents experience real-world learningat Putnam. The school reserves an students, parents were isolated from selor, and conducted research and linked to rigorous academic 87-minute block of time every other the life of the school, and drugs andvisits to other schools to determine standardswith strong ties to day for an Access Period for all of alcohol were major problems. The which exemplary programs and adults and the worlds of work and its students. This period is an invio- survey jolted Putnam's staff. They practices would be right for Rex college. late time for students to confer with thought of themselves as caring Putnam. In fact, to graduate, all students their designated Access teacher who stewards of these young people's One school they visited was Sir must participate in Career-Related becomes a guide, a friend, and an learning and social development, Francis Drake High School, another Learning Experiences (CRLEs, or advocate, or to meet with other and yet they were being told they New American High School, located "curlies" as they're often called). teachers for help with school work, were missing the mark by a mile. in San Anselmo, California. Like This districtwide program involves or to visit the media or technology Swallowing that bitter pill, they Putnam, Drake is a large, compre- students in a structured learning laboratories. decided to heal themselves. As one hensive high school that is under- experience in the community, work- staff member wrote in a short his- taking whole-school reform by place, or school that connects stu- tory of the school: "Leadership had finding ways to create smaller and dents' academic work with life and changed at Rex Putnam High more meaningful learning oppor- work beyond the classroom, says School." Principal Edwards openedtunities, with strong school-to- Claudia Holstrom, school-to-careers the doors wide for teachers to lead career links. Putnam based GATE coordinator and a key player in the way, urging them, like the for- Putnam's reform efforts. Her office mer football coach he is, to take in Putnam's Career Center is one of risks and double their efforts to take the school where it had never been before.

NW EDUCATION / Winter 2000 1) 2) 1734:3N1liffiC glkaffi 3) Ninth-graders SA 02EReze PrincipalDeno &maw 111. rfitE05- classmates Edwards @HOopen @BMA mid coachesc i l b rag to language aig KORA eachers'CO WM AVM MD@ ups@lead ttil cffiBlig reformingagg alge affic@cd* re on a house Drake had formed for a igeM iJ Aecoguanow Sharing knowledge and experi- ley, California, to identify the core 13 ence is exactly what the New Ameri- strategies exemplary high schools single group of first-year students. In November 1999, U.S. Education were taking to transform the way When Putnam later began forming Secretary Richard Riley named can High School initiative is all they educated their students. These additional houses to serve all of its Putnam a New American High about, says Director Gail Schwartz. Schwartz works for Assistant Secre- schools were creating places of first- and second-year students, School. The award recognizes the learning based on respect, high ex- Drake staff flew up to Milwaukie school for its commitment to edu- tary Patricia McNeil in the U.S. De- pectations, and exemplary practices. to see how they did it. Before long, cating all students to high standardspartment of Education's Office of (For a list of the 12 strategies of the Putnam's staff had taken the schooland preparing them for postsec- Vocational and Adult Education in New American High School initia- a long way, capturing the attention ondary education. As an awardee, Washington, D.C. When McNeil was tive, see Page 17.) of others far outside the region. Putnam is encouraged to share appointed to the office in 1995, she To date, some 60 high schools Improvements were soon evidentwith others its reform strategies, discovered that 65 percent of OVAE's local-level funding was spent on have been recognized with an NAHS in grades, test scores, and student which emphasize personalized award. Each group of awardees, it is behavior, says Holstrom. Sixty per- teaching, project-based curriculum,high schools, and she immediately realized the important role the office hoped, will serve to widen the ripple cent of students in GATE improved performance assessments, indepth could play in high school reform. effect, carrying NAHS principles their grade-point averages. While staff development, connections with throughout the nation's 17,000 20 percent of Putnam's students caring adults, and links to careers Urged into action by her own children's uneven high school expe-high schools. (For more informa- typically received failing grades in and college. tion about New American High language arts, only 4 percent of Putnam uses its $5,000 one-timeriences and by watching, with the Schools, visit OVAE's Web site at GATE's students failed the course. award to host educators, policy- rest of the nation, news coverage of www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/nahs/.) And GATE's absentee rate was low, makers, and community members horrifying violence at high schools "Schools like Rex Putnam and less than 4 percent compared to who come to the school to observe around the country, McNeil began the other New American High Putnam's typical absentee rate of its programswhich Principal Ed-formulating her idea. She wanted to give momentum to a movement Schools are really beacons of 10 percent. wards stresses will always be "under light," says Schwartz. By 1998, improvements were construction." Putnam has hosted stirring in communities and board- rooms to utterly change the high being seen schoolwide. Students' several Design Studios, three-day combined SAT score of 1082 ex- events in which teams of teachers school experience. She asked Eubraciau Rogow Rex Putnam still has much work ceeded district, state, and national and administrators from around Schwartz to help her launch a plan. to be done, says Edwards. He would averages that year, and rose above the country come to the school to "We decided to establish a recog- like to see even more integration of the 1075 score they obtained two observe, to hear testimonials from nition program," says Schwartz, curriculum and more teacher col- years earlier. Fewer students were teachers and students, and to craft and ask the awardees to "serve as laboration. He'd like to see the dropping out of school, about 4 action plans for restructuring their technical advisors, in a sense, to let school's standardized test scores in percent compared to 6 percent in own schools. Learning and sharingthe rest of the country know what math and reading improve. He'd 1996. In fact, 65 percent of Put- with others has been the key to Put-they're doing. We asked schools to disseminate information about theirespecially like to send more of his nam's graduating students were en-nam's success, says Edwards. teachers to visit schools to see other rolling in postsecondary education. "I certainly don't want to rein- good practices. We asked them to innovations in whole-school reform. vent the wheel," he says. "We bor- work on refining their data collec- rowed everything that's helped us tion systems, because we'd have to legitimize why we thought [what become a New American High School except the talent of our peo- they were doing] was a good way ple. There's no substitute for that." to go." After visiting high schools across the country, McNeil and Schwartz worked with a research organization, MPR Associates, Inc., of Berke-

THINK SMALL . I 1

14 And Edwards may well will get his ). wish. The district was recently 1% . awarded a $519,041 grant from the Smaller Learning Communities Program of the U.S. Department of Education. The grants are to help I, districts and schools implement strategies for personalizing the learning environment for students. "Staff development is critical to . I us," he says. "There's more of a cor- relation between a great teacher in the classroom and student improvement than there is anything else." I. I But staff development must be matched by a teacher's inner drive to excel and be open to new ideas, he says. "If you're really going to change, change is going to be hard work," says Principal Edwards. "But if you have fun and laugh together, too, it's okay." Jill Colasuonno, a ninth-grade

house teacher in language arts, 1 embraced the change at Putnam because she saw the potential power of deepening relationships and rel- evancy in the classroom. How does e I she forge those bonds with her first- year students? "By lovin"em up," she says. The returns are ample. "We feed off each other. I'd rather be in my classroom with my kids than in a meeting or conference. I come in and I just . I eII. feel better."111

. II I

NW EDUCATION / Winter 2000 (rgaG09established? just a question of when and Re @@amffar0goodideas avertaboutyaDO (DMMON a McNeil: You may recall, a little how we're going to do it. I'm Limbo wtteN cogpersonhaving who'experiencestrikespa0 convinced that economic and notionaboutsomethingfficl E0§2deeply? over a year ago, Secretary Rich- ard Riley gave a speech at the social forces eventually exert eainanotiongrowsdineonvic- McNeil: As I look back on it Press Club about high schools pressure on all institutions in 41)0Q ansimply C:@shared now, the expectations of teach- WA] MUD@ ellittle ers were pretty low for most of and said that we really need to society to respond to what's going on in the world. Schools about create us. I think only 20 percent of have a national dialogue on high schools. There was a lot of con-are beginning to feel that pres- AmericanNizihSohool my graduating class went on sure. The standards movement initiative to some kind of postsecondary sensus in discussions that the McNeil: With anything in life education. Most kids could get Secretary had with principals is certainly one indication. Stu- dents need to have a much that you end up feeling pas- a job right in the community, and education experts. From different set of academic and sionate about, it arrives through but this was 40 years ago. Un- those discussions it became technical skills to be successful personal experience. As our fortunately, when I visit high really clear that the senior year in today's world. The pressure children were going through schools today, it's like déjà vu. could be used more produc- on schools to raise the level of high school, I began to see the Kids have more tattoos, more tively. A number of principals education and achievement for very different kinds of experi- piercing, the dress is a bit dif- from our New American High all students is a response to ences they were having, how ferent, but basically the content Schools were talking about what the world is demanding. high school is designed for of what's offered in high schoolsome of the innovations that I think those outside pressures only one kind of learner. Our is the same. What is exciting they were doing, like having oldest daughter is like the 20 about going into New American kids take college-level courses, are going to continue to exist and schools are going to have percent of kids who do well andHigh Schools is that they have and doing internships and com- to change. could learn and work within the much higher expectations for munity service, senior projects, What is it going to take? I system. Our other four kids the students, and they believe ways in which the senior year think we're going to have quite faced different challenges. Two that the students can reach could be more compelling for actually dropped out of high those expectations. young people. From that, the a bit of debate about that. My sense is that we're creating a school. I tried to visualize what ammy@cowdifferent Secretary started really focusing movement of outside pressure a new high school would look today on the senior year and thought and internal response that prob- like if it could be redesigned forMcNeil: Yes they are! There's that this might be a way of tak- success, one that would really an intensity today that wasn't ing on the high school reform ably is not going to gel immediately, because education is a support all students in their there 40 years ago. What you'reissues in a way that would res- cautious institution, but I do learning and would create a expected to do to be successfulonate with a lot of people. So think in 10 years, maybe even culture of respect. is so different. And the fact that he announced in his State of sooner, our high schools will scenicshootings Colum- schools are providing the same American Education speech in February (last year) that he look very, very different than REN School (kw oT15- kind of education that they of- they do today. IlitiE4 attention 40 a@ need IT fered then, and still making wanted to support this commission, and that people from both changesboi)otr sehoolsV judgments about students' McNeil: In a very tragic way, abilities, is discouraging. the private and public sectors would serve on it. that event made a difference Fi3,68essential@INsmaller student a;inc@ ed in raising high schools much learning©0fillEunitiestIDNtal higher on the agenda. We'd schoolreform commission been working on this long McNeil: I don't think just creat-McNeil: Yes, Jeremy Solly before Columbine, so when ing smaller learning communi- he's from Rex Putnam! He was Columbine happened, we actu- ties is enough, and I don't thinkjust wonderful at the first meet- ally had some insights into just changing content and in- ing that we had. When he spoke what might be done differently struction are enough. We've gotit was so interesting that every- in high schools to change the to create a supportive learning body who spoke after him ref- culture. It's interesting that the culture in schools. Part of that erenced what he had to say. It first responses to Columbine is curriculum, part of that is in- was very powerful to have him were all about metal detectors structional practice. But you there. He talked about the im- and more police, very much a can't have a really strong learn-portance of the student voice, violence-prevention approach. ing environment unless there isand he talked about the impor- And yet, when you listen to a culture of respect. Personal- tance of personalization in the kids talk about what they think ization is critically important forhigh school, and the importance went wrong, the themes are creating that learning environ- of teachers who care what their about more support, more ment. You have to feel listened students do. adult intervention, closer con- to and appreciated and sup- WWW511J telgal)sustain tact with adults, more positive ported in order to be an effec- schoolreform? culture in the schoolall of tive learner. McNeil: I think that it's not a those things were what kids UVW49'M Iou'Nmission question of whether we're going were asking for. SIG I100Sohool Senior Varr to reform our high schools, it's

THINK SMALL '7 kz\

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The David Douglas Express is a working light-rail system

IIATAW ntsatir distin ..wishedgraduatetialUg place for myself amidst more than Which brings me "back to the Co Students learn about careers and 17 2,000 fellow students. future" at David Douglas. With ap- college opportunities through real- her high It was not easy to "be someone" proximately 2,100 students, it is still life experiences in that environment, but at the time a very large school. It has been rec- 4 Students get extra support from schooltransformedandtoday's I had no point of reference and just ognized by the U.S. Department of adults accepted it as the way life was. It wasEducation as a New American High Schools use new forms of studentsnewlyenergizedabout not until 30 years after graduating School (NAHS)--one of a select assessment learning. that I came to reflect seriously on thegroup of high schools around the Strong partnerships are forged negative impacts of attending such country. This means that school per-with middle schools and colleges a huge high school. A longtime re- sonnel have restructured the cur- eiN. Schools form active alliances search analyst with the Northwest riculum to make it more relevant with parents, employers, community DT fEATROIHN COTTON Regional Educational Laboratory, I to the world outside of school and members, and policymakers PORTLAND, OregonIt has was asked some five years ago to re- therefore more engaging to students. That list did not sound like the been 40 years since I first walked view and summarize the research Their approach has focused success- David Douglas I knew, and I became into that building. I was a bedazzledabout the effects of school size on fully on raising students' academic curious to find out what the staff freshman, scarcely able to believe I students. That meant reading scoresachievement and preparing them had done to make such admirable had hit the big time and was finally of studies about the way school size for lifelong learning. goals a reality. in high school. And it was not only affects students' achievement, atti- The strategies common to the the big time, but the bigplace as tudes, and behavior. New American High Schools are Closer043c1 well, for in those days my alma That assignment dramatically as follows: Arriving at the school in late Sep- mater, David Douglas High School changed the way I look at education 11. All students are expected to tember, I noted that its two main in southeast Portland, had approxi- and education reform. I learned thatmaster the same rigorous academic buildings, though still connected by mately 3,000 students. I recall hud- smaller schoolsthose with 500 material the breezeway, are now also joined dling with my friends from elemen- or fewer studentshave higher L All the core activities focus on by a train track. Puzzled, I made a tary school (no middle schools or achievement, fewer discipline prob- student learning and achievement mental note to ask about it. junior highs back then) in an at- lems, more satisfied students (and 3, The curricula are challenging David Douglas's current principal, tempt to feel a little safer in this school staff), more extracurricular and relevant, and cover material John Harrington, is a friendly, soft- huge, new, scary place. participation, better attendance, andin depth spoken man with an understated As David Douglas's freshman fewer dropouts than larger schools. /3. Schools create small, personal- but unmistakable air of authority. class, we 600-plus students spent I also learned that students from ized, and safe learning environments Harrington has been principal of our days in what was then called thesmaller high schools are just as wellgic, Staff development and planning David Douglas since 1991 and is ob- "junior building." This early versionprepared for college as those from emphasize student learning and viously proud of the positive changes of the ninth-grade house plan had bigger schools. And that smaller achievement he has helped to bring about. He is us separated from the building whereschools don't necessarily have higher1:50 Periods of instruction are longer much more interested in talking the upperclassmen went to school byper-pupil costs than larger ones. It and more flexible about plans for the future, however. a curving, quarter-mile-long breeze-was intriguing to learn, too, that W. Technology is integrated into the Vicki Lukich, also a David Douglas way. So although I did not yet attend"schools-within-schools"smallerclassroom to provide high-quality graduate, coordinates school im- school "up close and personal" with learning communities within exist- instruction provement activities in general and the rest of the student body, I was ing school buildingscould pro- the school's Certificates of Initial still in an environment much largervide many of the same benefits as and Advanced Mastery programs than I was used to. And my prize for stand-alone small schools. in particular. surviving a year of that was to move over to the much-larger "senior building" and try to carve out a

THINK SMALL 18 Harrington and Lukich explained involved that the school's current instructional program dates to the early Resources days of Oregon's Educational Act for the Twenty -First Century, enacted in 1991. This legislation stipulated that, in order to graduate from high Kathleen school, every student would be required to pass core academic course- about work and state assessments, as well career academic as amassing work samples of sufficient quality to earn a Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM). Ideally, the student would complete this work by the end of 10th grade, and then spend his or her last two high school years pursuing one of six broad career pathways leading to a Certificate of Advanced Mastery (CAM). The proficiency-based CIM and CAM certificates were designed to add Harrington is not surprised by of-sophomore-year conference, says Asking a question about the vari- value to the traditional high school that outcome. "You can't talk about Lukich, they are "old hands" and ety of CAM projects led me, in a diploma. David Douglas had becomeraising standards," he insists, "with-have no trouble filling the allotted roundabout way, to learn more a pilot site for the development of theout providing a safety net." 45 minutes. Last year saw a remark-about that mysterious train track. CAM and received an initial grant of Instead of slackening its gradua- able 95 percent parent turnout for $96,000 from the state shortly after tion requirements, however, David the student-led conferences. Aboardata the legislation passed. In addition, Douglas has become more demand- Once students have completed theWalking down the breezeway con- the Oregon Business Council, repre- ing. Its students do even more CIM, they tackle the Certificate of necting the school's buildings on senting 43 of the largest businesses coursework than the state CIM Advanced Mastery. David Douglas a cold day some years back (east in the state, selected David Douglas calls for. Students must pass all calls this intensive, project-based Multnomah County gets some fero- as a partner site in 1993, and since CIM courses with a grade of "C" or phase of their education Project cious winds), teacher Mark Haner then has played a significant role. above. Starting last year, students STARS Students Taking Authentic was uncomfortable. He thought While still on the books today, are truly not allowed to graduate Routes to Success. The original leg- about how much more uncomfort- Oregon's requirement that schools until they have earned the CIM. islation specified six broad career able the school's physically chal- graduate only those who have Each David Douglas CIM candi- areas from which students would lenged people must be, as they made earned at least the CIM have been date must also conduct two student-be able to choose in pursuing their their way slowly from building to relaxed, because too many students led conferences. They present com- CAM: Industrial and Engineering building. And it struck him that are failing to meet the standard. pleted work samples documenting Systems, Social and Human Ser- developing some sort of motorized their accomplishments to an audi- vices,Natural Resources, Business conveyance between the buildings ence that includes the student's and Management, Arts and Com- might be a good project for his stu- parent(s), if available (otherwise a munications, and Health Sciences. dents in the Industrial and Engi- teacher), and the student's mentor To these, David Douglas staff have neering (I&E) Systems CAM. from the high school. By the time added a seventhHospitality, students present their second, end- Tourism, and Recreation. 4

NW EDUCATION / Winter 2000 2) A senior student named Nick 19 settled into the train's comfortable interior. He had worked on the computer design of the train's gears and motor, as well as the hands-on tasks of dismantling the buses and con- structing the train. Self-possessed and thoughtful, Nick spoke enthusi- astically about the DDX project and about his aspiration to work in digital animation and Web design. He has worked on the school's Web site, and reads "everything I can get my hands on about Web design and servers." When I remarked that he ought to be able to get a good job with the skills he is developing, he replied, "I'm not even worried about the money; I'm pretty much following my dream." Haner had his students brain- front ends for back-and-forth travel on its side. Haner drove the train out I thought of the classroom- storm and research ideas (such as along the track. of the terminal, and students who bound, out-of-context business enclosing the breezeway and in- Last spring, four years since its were moving between classes began courses I took at David Douglas in stalling an escalator like those in inception, seniors in the I&E Sys- to gather around, exhibiting per- the 1960s. I was definitely not fol- airports) for feasibility and cost. Ul- tems CAM orchestrated the grand sonal styles ranging from clean-cut, lowing my dream. Coming from the timately, through a democratic se- opening of the David Douglas Ex- to '70s-retro, to multiple piercings days of making jumpers in home ec lection process, the light-rail system press. Haner showed me a nicely and "liberty spikes" (hair styled with to wear to the mother-daughter tea idea prevailed. The project involved made video on the light-rail project,Jello to stick out from the head in while the boys made pipe stands and work in mechanical engineering prepared by a girl in the Arts and spikes). I could hear the students towel racks in wood shop, I envied the (the train itself), structural engi- Communications CAM. He also squabbling good-naturedly about students their hands-on experiences neering (the terminal building), shared the current issues of Build- the superiority of their different with genuinely engaging projects. and civil engineering (the track). ing Futures: The Construction In- CAMs, displaying the esprit de corps As he told me about the project, dushy Journal for Students, whichthat comes with engagement in suchExploring02Stars Haner emphasized that more than showcases the light-rail project. It is focused teams: "Our CAM is best be- For David Douglas students, career half the work in the I &E Systems a point of pride for Haner that, with cause we get to be outdoors a lot." exploration begins as soon as they CAM focuses on the development the exception of one student who "Well, yeah, but we get to use com- enter high school. Ninth- and 10th of communications skills. stepped on a nail and required a puters more." "Maybe so, but we get graders take courses that focus on All light-rail project activities tetanus shot, the long-term, com- to work with food!" personal finance and career explo- were carried out by students workingplex, and demanding project was ration activities. As part of these in teams within each of the specialtyinjury-free. PACE courses, students take career areas. One team, for example, took Haner took me out to the termi- and interest inventory tests and con- apart two old school buses "rivet by nal building, where we boarded the duct research into broad career rivet," to create a vehicle with two fire-engine red conveyance with DDX, for David Douglas Express,

THINK SMALL 20 Cooking

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areas or "constellations," such as girls, of course, and wood or metal regardless of their postsecondary The school's onsite businesses, Human and Social Services or In- shop for boysespecially the boys plans. such as The Kilt, the Douglas Depot dustrial and Engineering (I&E) Sys-who smoked and were always getting Activities integrate rigorous aca- store, the Project Invest insurance tems. Because eighth-graders in the sent to the vice principal's office. And demic learning and hands-on expe- office, and the Double D Daycare district have already mapped out a a few courses such as bookkeeping, rience in a variety of settings, such center, are all operated byor with tentative high school coursework that were not so rigidly gender spe- as these: help fromstudents from the Busi- plan while still in middle school, cific. But we had no real sense of Students in the Natural Resources ness and Management CAM. they expect and are ready to pursue how these connected with the world CAM grow foodstuffs, which are then Social and Human Services CAM these activities. outside school, and there was noth- used by the Hospitality, Tourism, andstudents work and learn at the The Oregon Business Council ing about the way they were taught Recreation CAM students who oper- school's day-care facility, which helps open doors for PACE I classes that helped us to find out.) ate The Kilt, an onsite restaurant. serves the needs of students who to tour businesses and learn about Participation in CAM was origi- Students in the Industrial and are parents. various kinds of jobs. PACE II stu- nally elective, but now all David Engineering Systems CAM built the dents go on focused job shadowing Douglas students are required to battery-powered DDX light-rail sys- SlangDSafety experiences where they interview develop an individualized education tem, and the Natural Resources CAMI was beginning to see why the New employees and learn what educationand transition plan, complete a students are currently developing a American High Schools program and training are needed for each job.minimum of six credits in specific solar- and wind-powered battery thathad recognized David Douglas. The (Hearing this, I search my mem- CAM coursework, participate in a will power the train and generate dozen strategies that guide the pro- ory and my yearbook for indicationswork-based experience related to additional electricity to be used else- gram have become a reality on this that we were even aware of ourselvestheir CAM area, prepare a CAM port- where in the school. campus. It's a school that expects as people who might someday have folio reflecting high academic and Natural Resources CAM students academic mastery on the part of all careers. We had home economics, workplace readiness standards, and are developing a putting green that students (Strategy 1), uses portfolios typing, and shorthand classes for participate in personal enrichment will be maintained in an environ- as new forms of assessment (Strat- courses and activities. Each CAM mentally friendly fashion, without egy 10), and involves its students in program is flexible enough to matchtoxic chemicals. learning about careers and college the needs and interests of students, opportunities through real-life experiences (Strategy 8). But I was still curious about that "safety net" Har- s. rington had mentioned.

NW EDUCATION / Winter 2000 The safety net refers to a couple ofothers who, according to Osbum, Dottie Miller, 10th-grade English to build skills for mentoring; in- 21 things. One is that every David Dou-include 100 seniors and 190 juniors teacher. "And they are so much morecreased communications skills ac- glas ninth- and 10th-grader has a this year? Good results here, too: lastfocused when they leave high schooltivities for seniors; developing an mentor who assists him or her in year all but 13 seniors finished their they have beginning career plans,electronic tracking system for stu- tracking progress toward the CIM. CIM. A few of the 13 did not gradu- they know where they're going." dents' CIM activities; and several Each administrator and teacher ate. A few transferred to a different In both Miller's and Lukich's others. Nearly all proposed activities serves as mentor to approximately area high school where less rigorousmentoring classes, the teachers totaling just under $500,000 10 students, half in ninth grade andstandards would allow them to grad- recorded students' CIM tasks and involve expanding the personal at- half in 10th. A student stays with the uate. Five are back at David Douglas had them write down the dates of tention and support provided to same mentor for both years, estab- this year as fifth-year seniors. mentoring classes for the rest of the students in this large and growing lishing a relationship that commu- I asked if there is any stigma as- year. Then freshmen asked ques- suburban school. nicates caring and support as well sociated with being a late finisher of tions, and sophomores dispensed In a follow-up conversation in as information. the CIM. "Kids realize how impor- practical advice: "Plan ahead." October, Lukich excitedly told me If students fail to meet CIM re- tant our CIM is," Osbum said, "and "Don't procrastinate." "When you that they had received the grant. As quirements, they have several op- they're really pulling for the kids fall behind, it can be hard to catch the funds are released over the next tions. Depending on the student andwho have to work harder to get it." up." "Don't try to get away with just three years, they will be able to move the nature of the need, they can re- seeing the movie if the book is as- forward with their ideas for making take classes, receive tutoring, attend Relationship-BuildingMaigsigned." But also: "Make friends ev- David Douglas's admirable program summer school, or participate in Visiting campus again a week later, Ierywhere. You'll need friends, so joineven better for kids. special credit retrieval classes. listened as Vicki Lukich facilitated a sports or drama or other activities." Hearing this good news, I thought Bob Osbum coordinates the pro- training activity for a group of new Yes, I thought, friends are always about the knowledge, directedness, gram for students who have not teachers who were about to meet desirable, and in an environment and creativity of the David Douglas completed their CIM by the end of their freshman and sophomore like this, they are also important students of today. I smiled, remem- 10th grade. He makes sure that stu- mentees for the first time and hold buffers against the threat of bering their wide-eyed stares and ex- dents understand what they need to their first 50-minute mentoring anonymity. pressions of amazement when I told do to meet CIM requirements: Take class of the year. She spoke of their them I had been a David Douglas additional coursework? Complete role in tracking students' progress GoodD5mAhead freshman in 1960. You might think additional tasks for their portfolios? through their CIM requirements. During visits to my old high school, that such feedback would leave me Whatever the need, Osbum meets "You will become important figures Harrington, Lukich, and other staff feeling really old. But thinking of with CIM-deficient seniors and ju- in the lives of your mentees," she members were in agitated suspense their energy and enthusiasm and niors at least once per quarter to said. Noting that the positive rela- about the fate of the grant applica- readiness to revitalize their world, I guide and support them through tionships they form will help keep tion they had submitted to the De- find myself feeling strangely young their remaining requirements. the students engaged and motivated,partment of Education's Smaller and hopeful. The vast majority of students do she said, "So don't let them go early;Learning Communities Initiative. earn their CIM by the end of their this is relationship-building time." Selected on the basis of surveys com- sophomore year. And what about the "Kids here know that their CIM pleted by students, the activities in is more rigorous and valuable than the grant proposal include: expan- what is done at other schools," said sion of the mentoring program to include juniors and seniors, parents and adult mentors; leadership development activities for older students

THINK SMALL .06

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0 BOOST STUDENT SUCCESS '()R THE LONG Ti AN RBAN DISTRL CONCEN TES MAW AND ENER O ; EYING ERS. MORAL OF THE STO Y? O E S L SiItE,FA B

SiTalilY AND PHOTOS BY JOY®E RdH LINT

Student teacher Jesse Jones works with a sal g t s -grade s at MaLyonelementary

NW El )11CNII ON / Winter 2000 7 4 10.0.-- 311,\\ 24 TACOMA, Washington bles as Intel and Boeing. And as the "We'd been talking about class age teacher planning and collabo- It has been referred to as Seattle's education level of Tacoma's adult size for quite a while," Rosellini ration at the building level." ugly stepsister, taken potshots for population increases, so does the says, "but we just didn't have a Eighty-five percent of the grant being a gritty, blue-collar second commitment to improving educa- vehicle to make it happen." Now, provided for teacher salaries, with best. But while Tacoma may not be tion for its children. Case in point: they're hoping that the grant will the remaining 15 percent used for adorned with as many multifaceteda local program called Great Start, plow the way for even bigger vehi- training. The district contributed glass high rises or its sister city's aimed at improving outcomes for cles to follow, such as funding to additional funds for materials and crown jewel, the Space Needle, some of Tacoma's youngest residents.expand the program to all first- for the expense of renovations to Tacoma just may turn out to be An Invitation to the Ball grade classrooms and other grades.school buildings to create additional a Cinderella story after all. When the Tacoma School District The lid was set at 16 students per classroom space. Recent years have brought a received a $1.06 million federal class, representing a drastic change Preparations renaissance to Tacoma's historic grant last year to reduce class sizes, for Tacoma. Recent reports indicateTraining for first-grade teachers downtown, built at the turn of the it took a novel approach to allocat- that Washington's student-teacher and elementary principals involved 20th century when the transconti- ing the money. It could have spreadratio is one of the worst in the coun-how to provide better instruction nental railroad broke through the the funds throughout all classrooms try at 20 to one, and this figure in- within the framework of the smaller Cascade Mountains and rolled to a in Washington's third-largest schoolcludes such specialists as music classes. Guided by both district ex- stop near Puget Sound. Impressive district. Instead, the district decided instructors and special education perts and the occasional outside buildings, including the grand cop-to concentrate the money where it staff who interact with students only consultant, educators worked to per-domed Union Station and the could make the most impact. intermittently. Average class sizes improve approaches to classroom Old Florentine city hall with its en- Determining how this would be are even larger. The current class- management, studied instructional chanting bell tower clock, have done "was a collaborative effort be-room capacity, as per Tacoma methods for teaching young stu- been given facelifts. The city has tween the district, teachers, and the teacher contracts, is 27 students. dents to read and write, honed their contributed $5.2 million to build a teachers' association," says Lynne "Federal dollars allowed us to student assessment skills, and renew fine arts museum, and an In- Rosellini, Director of Elementary hire 20 additional teachers placed viewed recent research on best prac- ternational Glass Museum, featur- Education. "We sat down together at 12 different schools," Rosellini tices. Additionally, they received ing a 550-foot "bridge of glass," and looked at what's been done andreports. "It allowed us to create 56 instruction in a "four-block" ap- is scheduled to open in 2002. Even what works best." In short, she classes of 16 or less, and we were proach to teaching literacy and an the once-industrial waterfront is says, "We went to the research." able to serve about 850 first-graders intervention model for struggling being cleaned up; the old smelter Recent studies have shown that through the program in the first readers. and its piece of polluted beach are smaller class sizes have the most year." Pat Pruitt, Geiger Elementary being trucked away bit by bit as positive effect when classes are cut The 12 schools were chosen fromPrincipal, notes that this training cafés, bistros, and parks take hold to 15 or 16 students per teacher, and37 elementary schools in the district,extends beyond Great Start class- along Commencement Bay. To that the biggest gains are seen in including an equal mix of low-, rooms: "Good instructional strate- connect these points of interest withthe youngest children. (See sidebar mid-, and high-performing schools gies and practices benefit all, not the rest of the city, a new light-rail on class-size research, Page 25.) to determine the effects of class size just those in Great Start." system and bicycle paths are under Because gains in the early years on differing populations. "We, as a district, are learning construction. can increase a student's. perfor- But reducing class size is not more about exemplary first-grade As a result of changes like these mance exponentially throughout enough. Because research also indi- instruction," says Rosellini. "We and the area's natural appeal the rest of the schooling years, cates that well-trained teachers are have an articulated, unified cur- (Mount Rainier and its forested Tacoma staff decided to focus their a key component to students achiev-riculum. We have addressed time, inclines on one hand, the Sound's efforts on the first-grade level. Theying success, Rosellini says, "We material, and student management. lapping outlet to the Pacific on the dubbed the program "Great Start" decided that we needed to provide And we've asked all teachers to uti- other), businesses are flocking to and appointed Rosellini as pro- ongoing staff development. And we lize a two-hour literacy block and the areaamong them such nota-gram director. decided that we needed to encour- a one-hour math block daily"

NW EDUCATION / Winter 2000 76 TAPPING THE BENEFITS IF SMALLER CLASSES

"Fluent researchA o .s s These conditions have been under- including: i scored in California. where the na- Less crowding: Crowding causes confirms what I. .1' . 1 1 l 1 1 tion's largest class-size reduction humans to change their behaviors. 1.1 effortwith a pricetag of $1 billion Why would it be any different in pi a& have 11. annuallywas launched four years classrooms? always knwiiS1 ago with the goal of reducing class Better attitude: In small classes, l' I size in grades K-3 to 20 or fewer teachers often explain that they ehilcIren lean students. Small positive gains in and their students feel alive, alert, achievement were reported for the and active all day long. Some of baler in small second consecutive year in an eval- the best learning continues until uation released in June 2000_ But the final bell. classes with '1111 California's massive effort has Deeper content: In smaller good teachers." 11 been hamstrung by a shortage of classes, teachers introduce more 1 11' 111 qualified teachers and a crunch for topics, cover more content, use I. 11. 1 classroom space. What's more. more individual teaching strategies. . 111 1'1 teachers in California's smaller More connections: Smaller President Clinton classes have not substantially classes result in more parent in- . I changed their classroom strate- volvement with the school and gies. reports a recent ERIC Digest. more frequent interactions be- Capitaliling on Small Class Size. tween teachers and children. To gain the benefits of smaller 1 l . .1111. Professional development is a critical need to help teachers "take full classes, the authors of Capitalizing '1 advantage of the opportunities af- on Class Size recommend that a " forded by smaller class sizes." ac- district begin with concrete goals, cording to a recent national and consider these points when With at least 21 states and the fed- conference on class size cospon- creating policy: eral government currently pouring sored by the U.S. Department of Target money and other re- resources into reducing class Education and the Laboratory for sources to minority and low-in- sizes. the conversation seems to Student Success. Conference at- come students who stand the be shifting. Instead of asking, "Will tendees also suggested aligning most to gain from smaller classes this really make a difference for "teaching practices with the class- Make better teaching and learn- our kids?". states and individual size reduction strategy.... Small ing the cornerstone of class-size districts are now asking. "How do classes should enable teachers to reduction, and provide inexperi- we get started?" The national cover material in greater depth enced teachers with training Class-Size Reduction Program is than they do in larger classes." Assess facility needs, and plan helping move from idea into ac- they explained in a report of the for reconfiguring existing space or tion, with $1.2 billion awarded in proceedings, How Small Classes undertaking new construction 1999 and another $1.3 billion in Help Teachers Do Their Best (pub- Continually evaluate the results 2000. lished in The CEIC Review. journal of class-size reductions, including Tennessee's Project STAR (for of the National Center on Education changes in teachers' classroom Student/Teacher Achievement in the Inner Cities. March 2000). practices Ratio). the largest scientific study In his 1999 book. Let's Put Kids Suzie Boss to date on class size. showed that First. Finally: Getting Class Size certain conditions are critical to Right. Charles M. Achilles adds an- achieving the benefits of smaller other consideration for teachers by class sizes. Class Size Reduction.. pointing out that smaller classes Lessons Learned from Experience. "are preventive, not remedial.... If a a 1998 policy brief from WestEd. student does not experience small highlights these conditions: classes when first entering the Adequate supply of good teachers 'system: there may be little gain Sufficient classroom space without tutorials (the ultimate class A representative student mix in size) or other expensive 'treat- each class ments'." He surveys the research Teacher access to adequate ma- on class size to point out several terials and services reasons why smaller works better,

THINK SMALL District training has been sup- Tasmanian Devilcan be quite a really makes a difference," says ing their time tutoring other class- plemented by regular team meet- handful. But with this more man- Holzapfel. "You get to know kids mates. Kids in the middle are more ings at the building level. Teachers ageable number, Tsuneishi is able much quicker, get to know their likely to be seen as individuals, with are given latitude in their approachto spot when a wriggle or a twitch isstrengths and weaknesses. You're unique strengths to build on and to these meetings, setting their ownabout to escalate into distraction orable to help them all." weaknesses to overcome. And strug- agendas based on their unique disruption, and nip it in the bud. So Many Pumpkins, gling students who need extra time building and classroom needs. Most With the smaller class size, WolfeOne Well-Used Wand and assistance are more likely to get find it useful to devote time to both observes, "Children are more fo- In Betsy Guerra's classroom, stu- it. All because teachers have more problem-solving and critical focus cused and more time is spent on dents are struggling with a work- time to devote to each student. group study, engaging in profes- task. Less time is spent on class- sheet that instructs them to draw "The real difference," according sional debate about aspects of liter- room management, and there are four red animals, draw three blue to Gail Miller, an elementary edu- acy and learning. fewer discipline problems." animals, and then count the num- cation specialist in the district, "is From Cinders to Silk Teacher's assistant Tanya Hendrixber of animals. Eventually, the stu- that teachers can teach because the Established in 1909, Mary Lyon El- adds: "When kids act out, they're dents will be asked to turn this visualmanagement issue is not so great. ementary on the east side of Tacomatrying to get attention. But here, exercise into a numeric equation. The focus of instruction and the is one of the district's oldest schools. they're getting attention, so they Since two of the students arrived pacing are so different in Great With nearly 25 percent of the stu- don't have to act up to get it." just this week from Mexico and Start; they go further in a day and dent body from non-English speak- While the class as a whole may speak no English, the bilingual in a year." ing homes, 48 percent from minor-not look particularly small, the Guerra leans over their table to as- Of course, teachers recognize ity populations, and 68 percent in change in class size is stunning sist with translation. A parent helps that small class size is not a pana- the free and reduced-price lunch when students break up for small at a second table where students cea for all the problems that plague program, it is also one of the most group work, as in Andrea Holzapfel'sponder over what particular animals education. But smaller classes, com- socioeconomically challenged in classroom next door. Their assign- might be best for solving this riddle. bined with training and collabora- the city. ment involves reading comprehen- Roselli, visiting from the district of- tion, do make a difference. Holzapfel "We felt very fortunate" to be in- sion. Since children sometimes fice, helps at a third, where one boy says, "I still have kids with learning cluded, says Principal Pi li Wolfe. recite familiar books by rote insteadis having trouble comprehending problems, and I have four ESL kids "We're one of the schools that has of by reading, the text from a fa- what he's being asked to do. She this year, but it's a lot easier to give been in the bottom 10 in both liter-vorite story has been printed on a softly coaxes him through it until them the support they need." acy and math, so to have this addi- worksheet, with the sentences out he grasps the concept. At an after-school meeting, tional resource to help our kids is of order. The students must read "That little boy was only able to teachers meet with Principal Wolfe just great." Wolfe's school has threethe sentences to cut and paste themdo that exercise one-on-one," and the school's ESL and special reduced-size classes in Great Start. back into the proper order. When Roselli later says. "Kids can't hide education staff to discuss each first- The odd thing is that, at first these groups of just three to five in a class of 16." grader's specific needs for the year. glance, Anne Tsuneishi's class does-children interact with Holzapfel Teachers report that, even in a In many schools, it's a small per- n't seem especially small. It's only and two classroom assistants (one class of 27, they can spot the most centage of students who need lan- in comparison to the more familiarteacher's assistant and one student gifted and most challenged students.guage and/or extra academic overstuffed classrooms that this oneteacher), students have the oppor- But in a larger class, it's very diffi- assistance; here, it seems to be the looks sparsely populated. This morn-tunity to directly interact with an cult to give those students the help majority. There is much discussion ing, Tsuneishi's students are spread adult to make sure they compre- they need, as well as to avoid the on how best to serve students' needs out around her on the floor for sto- hend the assignment. Because the tendency of lumping average stu- with limited staff, and the teachers rybook time, legs outstretched and groups are so small, there is time dents together. work to group and regroup students crossed, hands mostly idle. Sixteen for one-on-one communication In smaller classes, gifted studentsbased on assessments performed six-year-oldseach with the po- with each student. are more likely to be given aca- the week prior, volunteering to work tential energy force of the animated "The extra individual attention demic challenges, instead of spend-with and reassess borderline stu-

NW EDUCATION / Winter 2000 78 Thanks to smaller class sizes, teacher Betsy Guerra (photo at far left) finds time for one-on-one work with a first- grader. A parent volunteer (photo at left) helps a couple of Guerra's students with a math assignment. dents to be sure they're getting the energy for them. One did make difference. And, yes, that takes moreis firmly in the legislative arena 27 assistance they need to progress as major academic progress; he went time. But we do it because our class- and has strong support from some quickly as possible. from knowing only a handful of room instruction is better. Test scorespowerful players. And "parents who Surprisingly, staff know all of theletters and no words to knowing are already indicating improvement."want this," Rosellini hopes, "will first-graders by nameeven those all his letters and a hundred words. When the Clock Strikes continue to exercise their rights as in other classroomsand con- Whether it's academic or behavioral It seems evident that Tacoma stu- citizens." tribute information on specific stu- learning, it does come down to time dents are benefiting from Great Even first-graders can see that dents that might be helpful. When and attention. And it works the sameStart. smaller classes are better. first-grader Francisco's name comesfor both special needs and average "We have great anecdotal evi- Six-year-old Janessa says, "There's up, kindergarten teacher Patrice students." dence of success," says Rosellini. more empty chairs so you can Papen asks Tsuneishi if he is wearing Guerra cites a similar story about "Our kids are further ahead in the choose any chair you want." his glasses, since he had a tendencya struggling student who arrived year. They're covering the curricu- And classmate Shawn has an to forget them last year. In the threewith "a chip on his shoulder" and lum more quickly. Teachers have even better reason: "Smaller classes weeks of school thus far, Tsuneishi a tendency to act out. "It took con- reported that they really know where are better 'cause you can get has not seen them, so Papen sug- stant, constant relationship-buildingstudents' strengths and weaknesses through the lunch line faster" El gests that a phone call to "Mama to keep him on track. If he knew are, that a sense of community in Rosa" might be most productive. you loved him, he'd work hard for the classroom has developed much Improved relationships with par-you. The relationship was what faster, that they've developed rela- ents are another plus. "Teachers kept him steered to academics and tionships with parents more quickly, have more contact with families appropriate behavior." Because of that conferencing is much more and can give them suggestions for the smaller class size, Guerra was meaningful, and that they're less helping their children to succeed," able to devote the extra time the stressed." Wolfe reports. "Even in conferenc- child needed. Quantifiable evidence is expected ing, teachers are able to conference While students can't hide in to support the qualitative. A full for longer than 20 minutes. With smaller classes, teachers can't ei- analysis of data from the first and more kids, there just isn't time to ther. "They can't bury themselves early second year is currently un- do that." in classroom management," Ros- derway. Primary assessment tools Many of Lyon's students need all ellini asserts. Great Start has "kept include the Tacoma Screening In- the help they can get, and progress teachers hopping because they movestrument, a basic assessment for lit- is sometimes as much social as through the curriculum so quickly."eracy progress, and the Qualitative academic. Teachers must constantly add to Reading Inventory, a fluency test "Last year," Tsuneishi says, "we their bag of teaching tools to be ablethat charts student progress. Parent saw a lot of growth in the lowest per-to serve the varied needs of their and teacher surveys are used, as well. forming kids. I had two kids who students. At Mary Lyon Elementary, Meanwhile, federal grant money went through some very tough timescollaborative teacher meetings at only provides for Great Start to con- at home. They were considered high-the first-grade level were so visibly tinue through the end of this school risk at the beginning of the year andsuccessful last year that the rest of year, and that has some folks won- were still high-risk at the end of the the staff elected to participate in dering: Will funding disappear when year. Things didn't end all roses andweekly grade-level collaborative the clock strikes 12? candy for them, but I believe it wouldsessions, as well. At this point, Tacoma staff mem- have been harder for them in a "It's not just about class size," bers are confident that theirs will be larger class. I am convinced that says Tsuneishi. "Having staff devel- a happily-ever-after story. After all, with a full-size class, I wouldn't opment, common planning time, it's not just teachers who see the have had as much compassion or and collaboration makes all the benefit of smaller classes. The issue

1,7 THINK SMALL 28

THREE OF THE REGIONS y noon on a weekday in late Au- D) gust, the thermometer is push- AWARD-WINNING ing up toward three digits on the dry side of the Cascades. For residents of Maupin, population 460, this is the EDUCATORS SING THE peak season. Late summer sun bakes the basalt cliffs and turns the wheat fields to gold. Every sunny day brings PRAISES OF LIVING, more white-water rafters to this oasis on the banks of the Deschutes River, and all those summer tourists drop WORKING, AND LEARNING IN needed cash into a local economy that will be looking lean by winter. At Henry's Deli, a stone's throw SMALL COMMUNITIES. from the river, it's not rafters or fish- ermen who crowd the lunch tables today, however. It's teachers. Stu- BST ZTNOT C3C,ZZ. dents won't return to school for another week, but the staff is already busy with inservice sessions and classroom preparations. SO

NW EDUCATION / Winter 2000 Looking down the long table in Such tight school-community school, and administrative offices all pal, Chastain had set up her literacy 29 the middle of the café, Bernie Chas- bonding can be found in larger share a campus smack in the middlelab at Maupin Elementary (called tain, 48, takes in the faces of col- cities, too, Chastain acknowledges, of downtown Maupin. the R.E.A.D. Lab, for Reading Errors leagues and neighbors she's known "but it happens here more easily. Chastain can't even remember Are Destroyed). She began assessing most of her life. A product of local There are a lot of connections for a time when she didn't want to be a all students, from emergent readers schools herself, Chastain is a 25-yearour kids." The teen-age girl waitingteacher. What keeps her motivated through sixth-graders, on their veteran of teaching in the South tables at the café today, for instance,and enthusiastic after a quarter- reading fluency. She met with stu- Wasco County School District. Just had Chastain as her second-grade century in the classroom is the op- dents individually to help them un- up the road, a community marquee teacher. The cook behind the counterportunity to keep expanding what derstand what sorts of errors were congratulates her for being named is an organizer of the local Booster she knows, whether by serving on a holding back their development as state Teacher of the Year by the Ore- Club, which supports activities at benchmark team with fellow teach- readers. Students set their own goals gon Small Schools Association. Fromthe 100-student South Wasco High ers or developing ways to teach to for improvement, and Chastain her perspective, though, that award (Chastain's alma mater). Two tablesmultiple intelligences in the primarycharted their progress with easy-to- belongs to her community. "I just over sits a little red-headed boy grades. "I like to learn, and I want tounderstand bar graphs. Then, she managed to bring it home," says whose confidence as a reader soaredmodel the joy of learning and self- organized a tutoring program so Chastain, a modest-sounding but last year in Chastain's literacy lab improvement for my students," she that more fluent readersinclud- elegant-looking woman with honey- at Maupin Elementary. The young says. "I need to find ways to make ing students, parents, and other colored hair falling past her shoul- man sauntering in to order a milk- learning connect for them." community memberscould be ders. When a visitor asks her a shake is Chastain's nephew and A few years ago, for instance, trained to help students overcome question about the quality of educa- former student. Chastain got interested in brain re- specific reading errors and build tion in places like Maupin, it's only "People who choose to live here search that shows how the develop- reading speed and comprehension. natural for Chastain to sidle up to are connected by school, family, ment of neural pathways can lead to The approach has proved so ef- that crowded café table and ask the church, and history. They have a more fluent reading. The informa- fective at boosting students' reading group, "What are the good things sense of who they are," Chastain tion seemed too valuable to keep to skills that, this year, Rinearson has about small schools?" believes. She's lived here since 1965, herself, so she shared her insights asked Chastain to leave her class- First, smiles spread around the "but that only makes me a semi- with Superintendent Tom Rinearson.room and devote her full attention table. Then the answers start to per- local," she laughs. "Families go backIn a small school district like South to the R.E.A.D. Lab. She hopes to ex- colate: "We know our kids so well. for five or six generations." ChastainWasco, she says, "the doors are open pand individual reading assessments We know their families, their par- appreciated those connections for for those kinds of conversations." to include seventh- and eighth- ents, even their aunts and uncles. her own son and daughter, now bothRinearson believes in using strategic graders. In addition, she's mentoring We're close." "We can be flexible to in college, "and I see the benefits forplanning to improve school quality three brand-new teachers. meet a student's needs." "We have my students. We may not be able to and manages with a data-driven While she's thrilled to see stu- more control over what we teach offer all the courses you'd find in a approach known as the Baldrige dents improve their reading skills, and how we teach." "We're given larger district," she admits, "but we framework. He suggested Chastain Chastain also is excited by the bonds the freedom to find ways to help ourprovide more personalization of ed- organize a field trip for her fellow that tutoring builds. "When our kids succeed. The district trusts us toucation. And we know how to be teachers so they could assess whether sixth-graders tutor the little ones, do a good job." "The school is the flexible." a different approach to reading they become connected in a very center of our community. We'll pack Although the South Wasco districtwould fit into their district's overall positive way Tutoring takes honest the gym for an elementary school is large geographically, with some vision. When they saw students thriv-communication and encourage- program or basketball game, even students traveling 40 miles each way ing at a research-based reading lab ment. And the tutors model fluent if it's the middle of the day. And if to get to school, the enrollment is in Eugene, Chastain recalls, "They reading, so that holds both tutors our high school makes it to the statesmallabout 100 attending the were as excited as I was." and readers to 100 percent accu- playoffs, everybody goeseven peo-high school, 200 in K-8. The yellow By fall of 1999, with backing racy" More and more adults are ple with no kids in school." . elementary school, junior high, highfrom her superintendent and princi-turning to the R.E.A.D. Labsome ki 1 THINK SMALL 30 to offer help as tutors, and others to 350 miles away by air. There's not school year started with a new super- seek help with their own reading. GIVING HER even a traffic light on the one road intendent, several new teachers, a When she sees students or adults that starts at the commercial fishing new principal for the secondary make gains in reading, Chastain WHOLE HEART harbor and dead-ends 25 miles school, and an opening for the ele- knows they also are improving their away. But to people who make their mentary principal's job. Because she confidence to overcome obstacles. homes in the bush of southwestern sees so many colleagues come and And modeling resiliencewhat Alaska, Dillingham is the hubthe go, Rosene has given serious thought she calls "learning to rise above" nearest city large enough to house to the factors that convinced her to is a theme in everything she does, retail shops, a hospital, and offices stay beyond a year or twoto make whether in the classroom, the com- for government agencies. a real life here, not just a short-term munity or her personal life. For Rosene, Alaska's Teacher of adventure. Idyllic-looking places like the Year for 2000, Dillingham has Growing up in the suburbs of Maupin aren't without challenges, proved big enough to carve out a re- Minnesota's Win Cities, Rosene admits Rinearson. Poverty rates are warding life. "As a teacher and as a wanted to be a teacher from a young high in south Wasco County, and person, I feel like there is a place for age. Ironically, it was inner-city chil- loss of population has meant clos- me here," she says. She wears all dren she imagined herself teaching, ing schools in towns of Tygh Valley sorts of hats: wife, mother, commu- not the population of predomi- and Wamic. Rural communities nity volunteer, teacher, colleague, nantly Alaska Native rural youth she face not only a tight economy but friend, neighbor, leader. "It's not teaches today. After college, graduate also an ongoing "brain drain," he exactly the laid-back existence someschool, and a few years of teaching says, with many high school gradu- people might imagine," she says. in Wichita, Kansas, she moved to ates leaving family ranches for big- Indeed, not much about teach- Anchorage with a girlfriend in 1982, ger cities and greener pastures. "But ing in rural Alaska fits outsiders' almost on a whim. She worked in a we have a choice," says the superin- preconceptions. "Schools here are restaurant, started substituting in tendent and unabashed advocate different from rural schools in other schools, and began hearing about of small schools. "We can train our places. We're inaccessible and un- the other side of Alaskathe rugged kids just well enough for minimum- known to most of the world. In ruralback country of glacier-fed lakes, wage jobs in the big cities, or we can Montana, you can get in your truck mountains, tundra, and vast forests educate them to become CEOs some- and drive for four, six, or eight hoursthat sounded like "a whole other dayand maybe telecommute and eventually get to a Wal-Mart. world." from homes they choose to make Not here. You can only get in and Rosene enrolled in a summer in places like this one." out by airand if the weather turns,program in Fairbanks designed to you're stuck." And because of the help prospective rural teachers get sparse population, she adds, "most their bearings. "I learned more of our teaching staff comes from about the culture, people, and his- ow small is Dillingham, Alaska?somewhere else." tory. Guest lecturers helped us over- HDepends who's asking. Like many schools scattered come our misconceptions about the During the 18 years she's been across Alaska's vast landscape, the bush and provided a good reality teaching at Dillingham Elementary, 580-student Dillingham City School check. They told us things like, if Marilyn Rosene, 46, has learned District (including an elementary you have a missionary zeal, don't that there's no easy way to size up a school for preschool through fifth- come. If you think teaching in a community. Her adopted Bristol Bay graders and a middle/high school two-teacher school will help your hometown of 2,200 looks pint-sized for grades six through 12) constantlymarriage, don't come. They helped to visitors from Anchorage, some struggles with staff turnover. This get rid of the stereotypes." In hind-

NW EDUCATION / Winter 2000 82 sight, she sees that program as a or student government gain expo- run a business, how to work with a and with my educational family. It's 31 key to helping her make a successfulsure to a wider world, traveling by bank, how to work effectively as a a bond I'll never make anywhere transition to small-town teaching in air to competitions and events team, how to prepare for careers in else." a community where being Caucasian across the state. the real world. At the end of the year, makes her a minority. Now, when What's more, Rosene says, "You they donate proceedsusually sev- she's on the recruiting end of sum- know almost everybody here. Most eral hundred dollarsto causes mer job fairs, she's the one challeng-of these kids have been playing to- they have researched and consider ing prospective applicants' myths gether since they were in diapers. important for their community and about living and teaching in rural Students know their teachers in and the larger world. Elementary-aged Alaska. What she hopes to avoid is out of school, whether as neighbors, students are old enough "to think of the horror story she's heard all too through church, or just bumping the future," she says, "to see them- often: new teachers flying into a shopping carts at the grocery store." selves as productive adults." bush community, then hightailing Drawing on research in resiliency In all subject areas, Rosene it right back out again before they and on her own experiences in the makes an effort to incorporate both see their first sunset. classroom, she has become a big be-community and culture. A social "Teacher turnover is a statistic, liever "in having adults really know studies discussion about family, for but it's also about people," Rosene kids, adults who are important in instance, typically includes a Class- points out. "Think of a child who their lives." room visit from elders in the com- gives his whole heart to a brand-new As a teacher, Rosene has found munity. In a math lesson, she teacher. And then that teacher leaves,ample room for professional growth explains how the Yup'ik people take and that hurts. So maybe he'll give in Dillingham. "Because we're a a mathematical approach to design- only nine-tenths of his heart to the small staff, I've had opportunities to ing parkas. In health, she talks next teacher. And after four or five participate in staff development, to about avoiding and treating hy- teachers come and go, the child's write and adapt curriculum, to pro- pothermiaa survival skill during afraid of getting hurt again. He's notvide inservice training. As a basic the long Alaska winters. so open anymore." Rosene is not fifth-grade teacher, I've had a lot of As Alaska's Teacher of the Year, surprised when the first question involvement in leadership roles. Not Rosene has had a chance to share parents and children ask a new every teacher might be as excited her experiences and insights with teacher is: Are you going to stay? about that," she admits, "but it's everyone from the governor to state When small-town teaching is a helped me learn and grow." education officials to outstanding good match, though, the benefits In her own classroom, Rosene teachers from other states. Their extend to teachers, students, and makes an effort to connect learning questions often bring her full circle, community members. Rosene sees with the lives of her 10- and 11- to that first query that greeted her in the advantages her own 12-year- year -old students. "I try to be reality-Dillingham: How long will she stay? old daughter enjoys, growing up in based. I encourage my students to "What's forever?" she answers back. Dillingham. "Kids can participate inbe responsible for what happens Although she can't foretell the fu- all the activities in school here. It's in our classroom, for what doesn't ture, Rosene knows that this remote not like the big suburban school I happen, and also responsible for the place on the edge of Bristol Bay feels attended, where you were either a school and larger community." Her like home. "It's a comfortable place, jock or a brain or in the band, with kids operate a school-supply store, and it works for both my husband no chance to overlap. In Dillingham, for instance, called "The Pencil and me. My daughter is challenged either everyone participates or the Place." Rosene invites guests from academically. And I've had a chance activities just don't happen." High the community to talk with her to form relationships here with chil- school students involved in athletics young entrepreneurs about how to dren, with community members, 83 THINK SMALL 32 learning communities. Says each other and decided this was the wireless Internet access. (In fact, Kennedy, "It stunned me that these Idaho we loved." He's never taught the district was exploring the use of Presidential Award winners from anywhere else. multimedia systems for instruction other states hadn't recognized that Although today Cascade High as early as 1968, when it was a field yet." enjoys a reputation for academic ex-test site for a small-schools project In Cascade, Idaho, where about cellence and innovation.including of the Northwest Regional Educa- 220 students are enrolled in grades designation as a national Blue Rib- tional Laboratory.) K-12, "it's very clear to us that the bon School and membership in "All these things are easier to small-school scenario is so much William Glasser's Quality Schoolsimplement in a small school," more effective. It's better for every- that wasn't always the case. The Kennedy believes. "If you don't have body," he says. front hall used to display only sports a ton of students, it's easier to iden- Now 50, Kennedy came to Cas- awards, not the academic honors tify their learning styles and have cade, and to teaching, about a that shine in the trophy case these teachers address them. We don't dozen years ago. He took a round- days. struggle with bureaucracy here. I about route to the classroom. In the Gradually, Cascade has em- don't have to jump through any 1970s, he was nearly finished with braced new ideas to support studentshoops to get my kids out of class for studies in biology, botany, and zool- and help teachers do their job more a field trip. Can you imagine going ogy at the University of Idaho when effectively. Rather than mandating to a large school and checking out a his wife gave birth prematurely to top-down change, Principal Bill Leaf laptop to every student? It would identical twin daughters. He turned "kind of presents ideas, encourages never happen. Yet, it's a powerful to logging to pay medical bills and us to discuss things, then lets the thing to do for kids." e oon after the 25 seniors in Cas- support his young family, just as his staff decide," Kennedy says. The high Empowering students is what cade High's Class of 2000 were own father had done when Kennedy school, which averages 130 students Kennedy is all about, and he's con- awarded their diplomas last spring, was growing up in the small town in grades seven through 12, has vinced that a smaller school is the science teacher Clint Kennedy of Grangeville, Idaho. After 15 years adopted a 95-minute block schedule.best place for that to happen. "The headed off to Washington, D.C., to of working in the woods, he decided For a science teacher like Kennedy, freedom these kids have is unreal. receive his own high honors. Winner to get back to his first love: science. that means time to schedule labs If they want a certain class, all they of a Presidential Award for Excel- "The best way I could figure out to that promote hands-on, project- have to do is ask for it. Our principal lence in teaching secondary science, keep living in small-town Idaho andoriented learning. Teachers have is committed to meeting their re- Kennedy joined an elite group of ed- be involved in science was to be a identified students' individual learn- quests. All he asks is that at least 10 ucators for a week of seminars, science teacher." ing styles and have learned how to kids sign up." If kids want to use the sightseeing, and banquets. Soon after completing his teach- make classroom adjustments for gym to shoot hoops at night or stay One afternoon that week, while ing certificate, Kennedy interviewed learners who are more visual, audi- late to work on a project, they just participating on a panel with about for an opening in Cascade, a com- tory, tactile, or kinesthetic. Although have to ask to gain access. "They 15 biology teachers, the Idaho munity of about 1,000 located 75 small, Cascade has managed to feel like the school is theirs. They're teacher was "astounded," he says, miles north of Boise in forested Longbring in big names in education to not just going to some building. "to hear that only three of us Valley. On their first visit to the town,discuss research-based strategies That really shows up in kids' atti- thought small schools offered an Kennedy and his family took in the and has won financial support fromtudes, and in what goes on here in advantage." The moderator, from crisp high-altitude air and the the Albertson Foundation and other the classrooms." What helps create the National Science Foundation, mountains rising to 9,000 feet be- sources. such a positive climate, Kennedy pointed out that research has hind man-made Cascade Lake. The school is also a state leader says, "is that these kids know their demonstrated the benefits of smallerDangling their feet in that clear, in integrating technology; every ju- teachers, they know the principal, schools, prompting many large cold reservoir water, Kennedy, his nior and senior is provided with a they know the superintendent. No- schools to reorganize as smaller wife, daughters, and son 'looked at laptop computer, complete with body's just a face in the crowd. Stu- 84 NW EDUCATION /Winter 2000 dents' opinions mean something. them figure out how to learn what nounced its semifinalists for the 11- 33 The relationship kids have with they need to know to move forward. state western region, little Cascade adults here is phenomenal." Then they're off again, doing their High had won two of the five spots. Just how far can kids go, when own thing. I love that," he says. "WeOne team went on to nationals and given support, encouragement, and underestimate the capabilities of wound up as one of the top five opportunities for learning? Judging kids. We so seldom give them a teams in the nation. "They found by the outcomes of Kennedy's Ad- chance to really think and apply out it's not a matter of who you are vanced Biology class, the sky's the what they know We should never or where you're from. It's a matter limit. The two-year elective im- hold them back." of how hard you're willing to work," merses students in scientific inquiry Over the years, student projects Kennedy says. "From that point on, researching and solving real-life have earned competitive grants, woninterest in the class exploded. These environmental problems that affect national awards in science contests, kids have been winning awards and their own community. The class and enhanced the local environ- recognition ever since." began several years ago with a focus ment. Students have designed wet- After a dozen years in the class- on water quality problems at Cas- lands, engineered solutions to save room, Kennedy has come to see his cade Reservoir, which sits just a few struggling trout populations, and job this way: "I'm there to present blocks from the school building. even convinced local ranchers to my students with opportunities. I'll Kennedy provides students with a change how they use the land. One do everything in my power to get foundation in physical, chemical, year, four girls who called them- them time, equipment, and re- and biological sciences, then turns selves the "Sewage Sisters" worked sources to put them in a position to them loose in small teams to pose with British engineers to study the do something neat. Whether they their own questions and seek solu- feasibility of introducing a cutting- take advantage of that opportunity tions. They must find the funds to edge sewage treatment technology is up to them," he says. Most kids implement research projects and in Idaho. Cascade students have will jump at the offer, and Kennedy locate the experts to help answer published findings in scientific and understands why. "When I've their questions. While learning abouteducational journals. Lately, their wanted to start new projects in my science, they learn the real-world interest has expanded beyond the classroom, this community has lesson of balancing the different lake to include projects involving been there to support me. They cre- strengths that individuals bring to the DNA of hot springs bacteria and ate opportunities for teachers like a team. a regional solution to control nox- me. Would that occur in larger The class also offers the kind of ious weeds. Student researchers tes- places? Maybe. But it's sure a lot experience that keeps Kennedy ex- tify before government agencies andeasier here." cited about teaching. "In a small speak to community groups to build school, I get to teach six or seven support for their solutions. In the preps. For me, that's an advantage," process, they forge bonds of respect he says, although he knows col- between school and community. leagues in larger schools who would The first year that Kennedy disagree. "I'd go crazy if I had to suggested his students enter their teach the same thing all day long." projects in a national contest, they In his Advanced Biology class, he balked. "They told me, 'oh Mr. says, "the students and I learn to- Kennedy, we're just a small school gether. I don't have to be the expert. in Idaho. We're not going to get They come to me when they get anywhere,'" he recalls. But that year stumped on a problem, and I help when the Seiko Youth Challenge an- 85

THINK SMALL LEGACY IN MONTANA, SMALL SCHOOLS AREN'T A NEW IDEA. THEY'RE A WAY OF LIFE.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY SUZIE BOSS

Depending how you measure it, downtown Reed Point, Montana, stretches for maybe half a dozen blocks. The wooden sidewalk gives out at the Hotel Montana, a bed- and-breakfast inn overflowing with antiques and hospitality, but the road continues across the railroad tracks, past the gas station/ convenience store, and down to the new post office. This is the route for the town's annual Labor Day Sheep Runlike the running of the bulls in Pamplona, only woollen =_7_746: To find the real heart of; eed Point, though, you have to cut down a side street lined with modest homes and through the front doors of Reed Point School. Here, about 50 students in grades six through 12 are living, breathing proof that this ranching and farm- ing community of 120 boasts not only a colorful past, but a promising future. A decade ago, Reed Point's secondary school was an eyesore on Montana's educational map. The building was unsafe by any number of standardsfrom the basement boiler room with a door too warped to shut to the asbestos to -... i ,

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e falling from the ceilings to the Finally, armed with a solid plan children long distances from other By many measures, students rope ladder to be used as an escape and convinced of strong taxpayer communities so they can attend thrive in these small schools. As the route by anyone unlucky enough support, residents traveled to Helenaschool here, where the adult atten- New York Times pointed out last to be upstairs if fire threatened. to pitch the value of their local tion is close and cliques are practi- summer, students from Montana's Enrollment was low, even by Reed school to legislators who had an cally nonexistent. tiniest elementary schools (with 40 Point standards and even with for- eye on the bottom line. To the sur- "In the end," says Wilz with a or fewer students) "tend to outper- eign exchange students inflating prise of folks from Reed Point, resi- smile, "this is what happened." form their peers on standardized the daily attendance figures. dents of other small towns showed tests in every subject." What's more, "We knew we had to do some- up to lend their support, too. These CqQ1 CBTDVDT the state's small rural schools tend thing," recalls longtime teacher unexpected allies weren't in any It's been six years since the new to be an academic equalizer for Marianne Kaelberer. "Our choices immediate danger of having their eed Point School emerged from students at risk because of poverty, were: build or shut." schools consolidated, Kaelberer is old shell, but the story continues according to a recent report by the Shutting Reed Point School says, "but they knew if we had to o resonate with those who live in Rural School and Community Trust. would have meant putting students close, they could be next." he state's small towns and rural "The smallness of these schools is on a bus to Columbus, 17 miles Superintendent Gary Wilz, 40, in counties. Explains Claudette Mor- an asset to student achievement," east, or to Big Timber, 20 miles westhis second year on the job in Reed ton, Executive Director of the Mon- the report concluded. Anecdotally, along Interstate 90. Reed Point's el-Point, didn't go through the schooltana Small Schools Alliance: "This too, teachers and parents report ementary school, housed in an his-building process personally. But theis a strong local control state. Peo- positive results for small-schools toric blue-and-white schoolhouse, crew-cut transplant from North ple feel a real connection to their students. "Kids who don't quite fit would have stayed open, but for Dakota understands the signifi- schools, and they don't want to loseelsewhere manage to fit in a school how long? Consolidationthe cance of the story for the commu- that. They're passionate about keep-like Reed Point," says Kaelberer. force that has meant the end of nity where he and his wife are now ing these little schools open." "It's a good place for a student who rural schools across the country for raising and educating their own Montana's small schools were needs a chance." half a centurywas knocking at two daughters. Offering a quick born of geographic necessity. With Montana's small schools are Reed Point's door. tour, he points to the gym that gets 878,000 residents scattered over more than a local success story. At town meetings, parents, teach-a workout from both school and 147,046 square miles, the Big Sky They offer a glimpse of the daily ers, and other local residents voicedcommunity, classrooms with a stu- state is wide enough to stretch from routines and teaching practices that the same concern. "Our commu- dent-teacher ratio of about eight New York City to Detroit but has themay become more common, if na- nity would totally die without this to one, brightly lit commons area population density of Australia tional efforts to reshape large school," Kaelberer recalls hearing where students gather for lunch or the fifth-least-dense nation on schools into more intimate learn- again and again. Staff from the studying, high-tech equipment thatearth. Almost two-thirds of the ing communities prove successful. Northwest Regional Educational makes Reed Point one of the most- state's public school districts are Not to say that these little schools Laboratory's Rural Education Pro- wired schools in the country (with rural, enrolling about one-third are perfect, Morton is quick to add. gram worked with Reed Point as a one computer for every 2.5 studentsof all students. Schools with enroll- Teacher pay is low and benefits such partner site as the community went and the town's only fax machine). ments under 300 are the norm for as health insurance and funding through a wrenching soul-searching Not only is local enrollment 75 percent of Montana's elementaryfor professional development are process. At well-attended meetings,strongthis year's senior class of and secondary students. And about inadequate in many of the state's charts were drawn up to compare 16 is one of the largest in years 150 elementary schools are so rural communities. Wilz worries the pros and cons of building or but some families are driving their small that you can count their about providing his students with consolidating. Grant applications teachers on one hand. enough course offerings so they were written. Building plans were can be competitive with peers from drawn and redrawn, getting less larger schools. But when Morton grand but more economical with each version. 457

NW EDUCATION / Winter 2000 hears "big schools" teachers talking At Nye School, the lights come up the latest trendspeer tutoring on early and burn late. Dawn Mill, or multigrade classrooms or project-27, is the lone teacher responsible based learningshe has to hold for educating 11 students in grades back a smile. "This is what small one through six. Planning six sepa- schools do," says the longtime edu-rate lessons for several subjects a cator whose career has taken her day takes time, but she's determined from the classroom to the state Of- not to shortchange the children this fice of Public Instruction to univer-community delivers to the school sity teaching to national research doorsteps each weekday. Their fu- projects. "It's what they've always ture rests squarely on her shoulders. done." Scattered across Montana's wide ( Spend a few days traveling the open spaces, more than 80 one- roads that wind along rivers and up room schools endure. Only Ne- valleys into the state's rural heart- braska has more still in operation. land, and you'll see that even the Nye School is kept alive by Mill's et' smallest town isn't complete unless dedication and about a dozen local -Or there's a school at the center. For families who value what kids can this state, the small schools model learn in a classroom that feels like isn't a bold new invention. It's a a family. Several parents work at legacy. And it's something that edu-Stillwater Mine, a platinum and cators and community members palladium operation. Others find find a way to make work, one smallwork at a nearby restaurant, the town at a time. local post office, or employers located "down the hill" in towns like L2gE(Ea3 Absarokee (population 800). To of far from Reed Point, a two-lan supplement the lean school budget, oad cuts south off the interstate the community hosts an annual d follows the Stillwater River auction and social event where fid- hrough a landscape that belongs dling fills the air and pies sell for n postcards: red barns, green upward of $200 apiece. In less than eadows, rocky hillsides capped an hour, the auction raises $2,000 ith snow. Lower Stillwater Valley so students can go skiing at Red is dotted with communities of a fewLodge, take field trips to the Mu- hundred residents. But as the eleva-seum of the Rockies in Bozeman, tion rises into the Beartooth Range,or have access to the computers that the miles stretch out between signs connect them to the wider world. of civilization until finally, rounding a bend, you spot a little schoolhouse made of stone.

THINK SMALL On a Monday morning the kids the unique rhythms of the school The independence Mill learned more, Morton adds, "It's a chance crowd around Mill, eager to tell herday. They learn patience by seeing early in life has helped as she's to get together with their peers on about their weekend adventures. Shethat their turn with the teacher al- found her footing as a teacher, too. an ongoing basis, which research shoos them good-naturedly to the ways comes around, even if it takes Although a school neighbor assists tells us is the best kind of profes- desks that stretch across the woodena while. In the meantime, they can in the classroom as a teacher's aidesional development." This year, floor. This year's three first-grades ask a classmate for help or listen to and a visiting music teacher pro- workshops will focus on meeting sit in a row on one end of the room,the instruction taking place a desk vides a lesson once a week, Mill is standards in language arts, science, seven more classmates are arrangedaway. There's no need for Mill to without traditional cohorts. There'sand technology. Another project by grade levels to their left, and the implement a formal peer tutoring no mentor in the building to an- will help rural teachers teach to lone sixth-grader sits in a place of program; helping your neighbor swer questions or provide inspira- state standards in the field of art. honor at the front of the class. Mill comes as naturally as breathing in tion, no principal,to step in if she The Montana Small Schools Al- takes time to listen as a third-gradermultigrade classrooms. She's care- encounters a discipline problem, liance is also a partner in an describes his successful rabbit hunt ful, however, not to rely on her no peers to kibbitz with in the ambitious new project at Western and a first-grader tells about his newolder students to be mini-teaches. teaches' lounge (if there even wereMontana College that will prepare dinosaur slippers. The class has a "They need time to be kids yet, a teachers' lounge). She's not just teaches to use technology in the busy day ahead, but Mill doesn't too," she says. "I always ask them the only teacher; she's responsible classroom. rush the moment. "They just have if they'd mind helping a younger for everything from ordering text- Although sound classroom prac- to tell their stories," she says. one." As Kaitlin, the lone sixth- books to making sure janitorial tices are critical in small schools, In a one-room school, students grader, admits, "The little kids duties get done. She does compare teachers who take on these jobs know that their stories matter. Mill can get annoying." notes frequently with her own fa- understand that a special kind of doesn't discount the value of the Sometimes all 11 students come vorite teacher from Lavina, and learning takes place outside the personal attention her students re- together to work on a project, such whenever she gets together with ed- schoolhouse, too. When it's time for ceiveall day, every day. She prac- as their recent investigation into ucators from other small schools, recess, for instance, Mill's students tically wears out her shoes making bats. In a spirited group discussion,she says, "We just talk and talk andrace outdoors, grabbing baseball the rounds from desk to desk to an-they compared notes on what they talk." bats and pausing just long enough swer questions and offer individual-already knew and what they wanted Helping teachers like Mill over- to pat the head of Lady, the black ized instruction. But after five yeas to find out. Even the shyest boy in come professional isolation has be-dog sunning herself on the school of teaching in one-room schools, the rooma towheaded first-gradercome a key focus of the Montana steps. Kaitlin divvies her classmates she believes her students gain some-with an endearing grinfinds the Small Schools Alliance. Last year, into two teams, balancing "big thing even more valuable than per-courage to speak up in this non- the organization brought together kids, little kids." But as the game sonal attention. "What they learn threatening environment. Without teachers from 16 counties for four gets underway, there's no sign of here is independence," she says. classroom walls to sort kids by age workshops on aligning curriculum the fierce competition that can get Like many Montanans, Mill is or ability levels, many students with state standards in math and kids riledand tempers flaring the product of a country education zoom past grade-level expectations. reading. "They created sample on larger school playgrounds. The herself. There were three in her A couple of this year's students are multigrade units that tie to stan- pitcher warms up not only his fast- graduating class at Lavina. When reading even beyond the high dards," explains Morton, who con- ball, but also the blooper pitch that she moved on to the big city of school level. On the last achieve- siders the workshops "a big help" he delivers to those aged seven and Billings and enrolled at Rocky ment tests, Mill says, every student to elementary teachers who typi- under. The fifth-grade boy playing Mountain College, she realized thatin the room earned the highest pos-cally have to teach all subjects to a catcher stops the action to give a she already knew "how to dig for sible score on at least one subject. range of ages. "The workshops are batting lesson to a first-grade girl information, how to find things progressive. They are designed to letfrom the opposing team. out for myself, how to learn." teachers share what works." What's She sees those qualities emerge in her students, too, as they follow 90

NW EDUCATION / Winter 2000 "They cheer each other on," sayswhere the jobs are. annual project is unique to its place.as the focus of serious study. The Mill. The cooperative spirit that's With many people going else- Students have produced videos, per-Library of Congress has embraced nurtured here tends to stick with where to work and shop, "this is formed original theatrical produc- it as a national model and last year these kids long after they finish at becoming more a bedroom com- tions, and designed Web pages as invited a team of Montana students Nye and head to more traditional munity. The school is the main "gifts" to their communities. Leav- to Washington, D.C., to submit a schools. The one-room school ex- place where people still connect," ing the classroom walls behind, sampling of Heritage projects to perience shapes how they learn, howobserves Roundup High teacher students dive into the study of their the nation's archives. they play, and the kind of adults Tim Schaff, 42. He knows the reali- home turf, "its history, its relation- Umphrey sees the project trans- they're apt to become. That's some- ties of small-town life too well to ship to the land, its built environ- forming the very way teenagers view thing Mill hears repeatedly from wax romantic about the subject. Hement, its folklife, its economy, its themselves: "They see their families, alumni who send letters and e-mailgrew up on a ranch 34 miles away, social arrangements," explains classrooms, and neighborhoods not messages back to the little stone attended a "bitty school" with a Heritage Director Michael Umphrey.just as an environment in which school that molded their lives. Yearsgraduating class of five, and mar- In Roundup, now in its fourth they pursue their individual desires, from now, the current crop of stu- ried a woman with deep family ties year with the project, students are but as communities of which they dents may not remember their au- to Roundup. He also serves on the working with their local museum are members." tumn lesson on bat biology, but city council and a county board on to archive photographs and research Along the way, students also pol- odds are good they will recall the weed control, and coordinates the the region's history through inter- ish academic skills. During the visit face and name of every other child local school-to-work project. He's views with elder citizens. They've to the homesteader's cabin, for in- who shared their world at Nye as deeply involved in his commu- written about topics ranging from stance, Schaff reminds students that School. As for Mill, her long-term nity's future as just about anyone vigilantism to the county-busting historians have to answer questions. goal is clear: "I hope they remem- in town. movement. "Students come out of How could they find out who had ber that I loved every one of them." On an autumn morning it's his- this changed," says Schaff, "even if once lived here? Why did this home- tory, not the future, that grabs the they don't know it at the time. Theystead fail to "prove up"? Where MEETS(DTPLACE attention of Schaff, four Roundup are always surprised by what they would they look for records? What p in thetridiedion of Montana, High seniors, and school librarian learn." kind of detective work does the study here mountain peaks flatten into Dale Alger. They pile into Schaff's Supported by clothing designer of history involve? As they analyze e wide Musselshell Valley, the localfour-wheel-drive rig and head out Liz Claiborne and her businessman-what they learn, students sharpen conomy has been on the flat side, Horse Thief Road to photograph husband Art Ortenberg, New York- skills in writing and critical think- oo, in recent years. Drive down the what's left of a homesteader's cabiners who have sunk roots into rural ing. Roundup High participants rain street of Roundup (populationfrom a century ago. Stepping with Montana soil, the project has been also use black-and-white photogra- ),000) and you'll see empty windowscare up to the wooden structure a boon for cash-strapped schools, phy to tell their stories visually and wring out of handsome old build- beaten down by time and harsh enabling teachers to invest in ev- computer technology to create a ings built when the railroad first winters, Schaff tells the group, erything from literature to multi- lasting repository of information. teamed into town, This is a place "Remember, this was somebody's media equipment. And the benefits Where coal mining boomed, then dream." extend well beyond financial. Sec- went bust after a few short decades; The class is part of the Montana retary of Education Richard Riley a place where ranchinga way of Heritage Project, a six-year-old ef- has praised the project for "giving life for four generationsis provingfort that is forging strong alliances meaning to life," by having stu- too much of a hardship for many between rural schools and their dents use their own communities families to continue into the 21st communities. Although commu- century. Every morning, there's a nity-centered teaching is the hall- parade of taillights heading away mark of the program, each school's from Roundup as local folks com- mute 52 miles south to Billings,

THINK SMALL The 30 Heritage teachers come writing showed an empathy and an together twice a year to learn from authenticity that hadn't been there others' classroom experiences and before." Adds Kelsey, "These weren't cheer one another's successes. "We just stories in a history book. They become a family," Schaff says, whilewere realreal emotions, real they learn how to use technology, people." The project expanded to how to prepare archives, how to useinclude a quilt, hand-stitched by a literature to help students under- local quilting club, that features stand the meaning of "place." In veterans' silkscreened photos. But many schools, teachers cooperate the year's highlight had to be the across disciplines to guide students memorial service for the commu- through learning that blurs the nity's veterans that the Broadwater boundaries between history, art, High students planned and hosted s I . . I I I I English, science, and other subjects.as their way of offering thanks. I I s At Broadwater High in Townsend, Although such projects can work a lakefront community of about in larger schools, they seem espe- 2,000 located a half-hour's drive cially well-suited to small ones. As from Helena, Heritage students last Schaff points out, "We don't have year drew on a variety of disciplinesto have a department meeting to as they sought to understand the get an idea approved. A small school role of veterans in the life of their offers us more academic freedom. town. Guided by teacher Darlene We can think of an idea in the Beck, they read Tom Brokaw's The morning, try it that the afternoon, Greatest Generation to learn more and change it the next day if it about those who fought in World doesn't work out." Because he has War II. They learned how to collect the time to get to know his students oral histories, then knocked on well, he can tailor projects to their doors, inviting themselves in to interests. "Small schools," he says, hear the memories of older citizens "are places where all voices get "who had assumed we didn't care heard." Beck appreciates the "easy about them," explained a student atmosphere" of her small school, named Kelsey. As they wrote about where teachers and students know the interviews, Beck says, "Their one another from life experiences shared both inside and outside of class. Getting students to participate isn't hard. "Activities are very open for kids," Beck says, without the competition or cliques that can hold back participation in larger schools.

NW EDUCATION / Winter 2000 Schaff thinks about the boy who badly needed building to replace slim, at best, and many of yester- Employers have a profound stopped after class to tell him, with the high school built in 1912. By day's jobs just aren't there anymore. effect on students, Erfle believes. no little pride, about his football focusing on a community's past, "We need to show these kids some- "Kids know that teachers are injury "In a bigger school, he community-based learning can thing else," Erfle says. preacherswe're always telling wouldn't have had a chance to par-lead to a brighter future. In semi-retirement, Erfle has them the value of an education. ticipate in sportshe'd never have thrown his energy into the state's But when it comes from an em- had the opportunity to get injured!" MCMD OMEGAD school-to-work movement. He ployer, they believe it. An employer By involving students in unique ontent though he is to be an edu- chairs the state School-to-Work can convince them in two or three activities of their own design, Her- ator in the small world of Reed Advisory Board and has traveled to words. It's coming from the real itage projects are creating lasting oint, Gary Wilz can't stifle a trou- Washington, D.C., and across the world." bonds between teen-agers and their bling thought. "Our biggest export country to work on behalf of the Absarokee Principal Mike Mul- communities. Sometimes, the proj-isn't wheat or cattle anymore," he trend he sees as "the greatest thing lowney nudged his students into ects even strengthen family ties. Onesays. "It's young people." to ever happen" in education. That'sschool-to-work projects "because boy never would have thought to Indeed, talk to the teens who are high praise from a man who spent we could see the value of this. Not tap his grandfather's memories if winding up their K-12 education four decades in the classroom, de- all our kids will go on to college. he hadn't been involved in the Her-in these small communities, and veloped a computerized rocketry And those who are in college prep itage project. A week after the inter- you often hear them describe plans project with his industrial arts stu- will benefit if given a chance to take view, his grandfather died. Says for heading down the road after dents that earned honors from IBM,what they're learning in the class- Beck, "He would never have asked graduation. A girl who learned to and received the National Educatorroom and apply it." those questions otherwise." Anotheroperate a videocamera through herAward from the Milken Family Once again, the small scale of girl had lived next door to an el- work with the Heritage project in Foundation. rural schools has made it easier to derly woman for a decade, "but I Roundup hopes to pursue film Erfle's school-to-work efforts get the idea up and running. Mul- knew nothing about her life. We'd studies in California. A student fromstarted when he lined up five kids lowney came to Absarokee after never really spoken before." Townsend says she just wants to livefrom Rapelje with local employers years of teaching college in Billings, "It brings the community closer in a town "big enough to have a willing to let them learn on the job so he understands what's different to the school," Beck believes, "and movie theater." When Wilz needed site. Their successful internships about small towns. "We know our builds harmony. People see these a new math teacher, he was dis- sparked the interest of other small kids well here. We know their fami- kids going out, doing interviews mayed to discover that only 20 per- schools, and Erfle helped launched lies. We know what they're like out- and service projects, and they real- cent of Montana's education gradu-similar efforts in Absarokee, Reed side of school. We know their total ize these are responsible kids. Theirates remain in state for teaching Point and, by now, 117 schools environment," he says, "and we spending on education isn't being jobs. The rest head off to where the statewide. The concept continues tocan monitor them closely" What's wasted." Students, in turn, begin topay is higher. It took him three expand. Rural students now start more, Erfle finds employers partic- understand their own role as citi- months of recruiting and the offer thinking about career opportunitiesularly keen on having rural students zens. Both Townsend and Roundupof district-subsidized housing to as early as elementary school. By as interns. "There's an understand- have managed to pass school bondsmake a hire. high school, they participate in job ing that these kids have done in recent elections. Roundup's came Wayne "Cork" Erfle, a prize-win-shadows, write résumés, practice chores; they tend to have a good after repeated failures at the polls, ning high school teacher from tiny interviews, and create portfolios. work ethic. And there's no discipline but within days of a Heritage event Rapelje (where K-12 school enroll-Internship sites have ranged from that drew 32 senior citizens into thement is 87 this year), knows that television stations to public defend- high school. Townsend's means the life of family farmingwhich ers' offices, from John Deere dealer- construction can proceed on a has sustained his own family for ships to accounting firms. four generationsis no longer a sure bet for rural kids hoping to build a stable future are 03 THINK SMALL problems because they're doing what they want to do." Even the rare student who has a bad experience "gains something from it," Erfle says. "They saved themselves a lot of time and money" pursuing the MONTANA wrong dream. Helping young people find their FAST FACTS dreams is a recurring theme in If Montana were a nation, its eighth-graders Montana's small schools. The teach- would be among the world's top-performers in ers and community members work- the fields of science and math, according to a ing so hard to build opportunities study comparing state-by-state assessments for their students understand that a with results of the Third International Mathe- small-town future isn't for everyone. matics and Science Study (TIMSS). Montana But they also know that, without students would have outperformed students in the fresh ideas and energy of today's 40 of 41 countries in science, and 35 of 41 students, their communities may countries in math. not survive. On the National Assessment of Educational During her 21 years of teaching, Progress (NAEP), Montana students regularly Darlene Beck has heard more than outperform their peers nationwide. Montana a few students itching to leave their eighth-graders' scores were the second-highest hometown by the end of high in the nation in both math and science in 1996 school. When she took four Her- and second in reading in 1998. itage students to Washington, D.C., 'I'lre nearly 60 percent of Montana high last year to meet with the Library school students who take the American College of Congress, she watched them get Testing (ACT) readiness exam outscore their their first taste of the big city. Com- peers in 40 of the 50 states. ing from a town with no stoplights, Montana teacher salaries (averaging $31,356 a couple students were almost flat- in 1998-99) put the state in 47th place nation- tened by traffic. They were awed ally for teacher compensation, according to by historic architecture but over- the National Education Association. In a survey whelmed to witness a mass march by the Montana Office of Public Instruction, on the capital mall. Before the trip teachers cite low salaries and rural isolation as was over, Beck heard a refrain that two of the top three reasons why many districts still brings a smile to her face: "Get struggle to fill openings. us back to Townsend, Montana!" Per-pupil spending in Montana ($6,349 in "They may leave a for awhile," 1998) pas the state in 21st place nationally, she admits, "but I think we'll see according to Education Week. many of them coming back."

NW EDUCATION / Wintei 20(4: gether the school spent $70,000 on School and Community Trust, a 43 technology in one yearand that higher proportion of rural schools wasn't the only cost. are economically disadvantaged and "I was not afraid to take the bur-can't afford expensive technology. den of responsibility on my own shoulders," Holt says. "I had no CROSSING THE maintenance man. I didn't have DIGITAL DIVIDE a secretary. I didn't have a janitor. To bridge this digital divide, Presi- I had myself and two aides, who dent Clinton and Congress have worked four hours a day. That's howcreated programs aimed at equaliz- Technology and good teaching important I think it is to have that ing opportunities for poor and rural practices combine to connect rural technology." students. All 50 states are to receive students with the wider world Certainly sophisticated technol- grants from the federal Technology ogy has brought enormous advan- Literacy Challenge Fund, which is tages to small rural schools like distributing $2 billion over five years. By Helen Silvis Betties. Not only do Internet links Grant money from the Technology offer access to libraries of informa- Innovation Challenge fund has hree years ago, Jeff Holt setfly in by plane," explains Holt, who tion, but they also create openings helped train teachers to use tech- off for his new job as prin- is originally from Idaho. "There's for collaborative work with other nology. And the E-rate program cipal and teacher of Bettiesno TV here, not unless someone has schools or organizations. Teachers offers schools discounts on the pur- Field School in the Alaskana digital satellite. There's one radio can log on to education Web sites chase of technology, with a prefer- interior. He expected to teach eight stationit's a religious station and choose from a wide range of ence for those in low-income areas. students from this village of about and the newspapers are a day be- professional development courses, Karl Kowalski, technology coor- 80 people. Instead, he found that hind. So getting current events and while students can study subjects dinator for Alaska's Northwest Arctic over the summer, enrollment had getting news from the rest of the that are not available at their local Borough School District, says only grown to 16. The school now quali-world is almost impossible without school. one of the 10 villages in his district fied for an additional teacher, but these technological links. Sure, we Alaska's North Slope Borough has a direct telephone link to the hiring would take time. Holt soon have a library with 8,000 to 10,000 District, for example, serving eight Internet. In the other villages, resi- realized it would be March at the books, but that's it. With the Inter- villages in an area the size of Utah, dents can dial up a service provider, earliest before a new teacher wouldnet the opportunities are endless." uses compressed video technology but they have to pay long-distance arrive. By waiting until the next school to offer students specialized courses charges. However, all of the district's Meditating on the challenges year to hire a second teacher, Holt in math, art, and science. As well asstudents now have Internet access aheadteaching his K-12 studentswas able to add a big chunk of the attending class via two-way video through a dedicated telephone link everything from the alphabet to ad-school's budget to federal grant links, students use e-mail and fax that connects each school to the vanced calculushe came up withfunds aimed at linking rural com- to submit their work and receive World Wide Web. a bold idea. Why not use the extra munities to the Internet. He bought feedback. "The only reason we can afford money available to buy new tech- a computer for every two students But if the benefits of technology to do that is because of the discounts nology? With computers and the and arranged a satellite link throughcan be immense, they are also un- we get through the federal E- rate," Internet, his students would have the local telephone company. He evenly distributed. Sparsely popu- Kowalski says. "The full cost is access to an array of resources as also wrote to software manufactur- lated areas are not linked to cable $1,200 a month for each connec- vast as the Arctic wilderness sur- ers, who offered him discounts on networks, and their telephone and tion, but we pay 10 to 30 percent rounding them. the programs he wanted: a video- satellite links can be erratic and of that, depending on the school." "We're 200 miles north of Fair- editing program, for example, and sluggish, not to mention expensive. banks, and to get here you have to a Web publAlling program. Alto- In addition, according to the Rural

THINK SMALL 44 WHAT IT MEANS in the real world and have signifi- explains: "Let's say you don't have Now the work of three Bettles Anne Batey, a professional develop- cance for the students. Internet access, but you have a students will reach a wider audience. ment associate with Northwest One class sampled water at localspreadsheet and can display your The three were among 20 finalists Regional Educational Lab's Tech- wellheads, for example, and used data in a graph. Teachers can bringin an international technology com- nology in Education Center, and computer mapping to assess where kids to a higher level of analysis petition, the Thinkquest Challenge, her colleague Amy Pearl, an in- contamination was strongest and with a commonly available com- with their Web site: Natives of the structional design associate, agree identify possible causes. In this case,puter application tool." Midnight Sun (library.thinkquest. that state and federal efforts to im- technology added value by present- At Bettles Field School, Jeff Holt'sorg/26020/). Visitors to the site can prove access to technology have been ing complex data visually. "You can unorthodox strategy seems to have learn about the flora and fauna of successful. Yet, they argue that sim-put in data and then suddenly you paid off. His students consistently the region and listen to audio clips ply measuring the number of com-see patterns. These sorts of things score in the upper ranges of Alaska'sof elders talking about their lives puters and Internet connections tellscan be very powerful," Pearl says. required tests, and they can create aand local traditions. Park managers less than half the story "It's not what Small schools often excel at spreadsheet or edit a video as read- from Gates of the Arctic National you have, it's what you do with it inworking with students grouped ily as they grab pencil and paper. Park were so impressed that they the classroom that counts," Batey across grades and abilities, and this In their project work, the value hired two of the students to expand says. "You have to ask yourself, when - the Web site and put the informa- A 1. I does technology make a difference? tion onto a CD-ROM. 'I 1 1A'1 I What can I do with technology that If technology skills mean a I I I A I can't do without it?" ID, I I richer educational experience for Pearl stresses the importance of rural students, they may also help the teacher behind the technology. preserve the wilderness way of life, She says, "Go into any school any- Holt believes. "If my students want where and you will see great teach- to stay in the community, they can ers, good teachers, and worrisome kind of collaborative project work isof their new technological tools is do so using the Internet for work." teachersand the worrisome one of the most effective ways to in-evident. Over the Internet, students teachers may be using the most troduce technology. Students develophave collaborated with a class in technology." research and analysis skills, Batey American Falls, Idaho, comparing A common pitfall is for teacherssays, and they learn from one an- weather conditions between the re- to focus on the tool at the expense other through sharing knowledge gions. They are also investigating of the content, she adds. "If the endwithin the group. the migration of wild geese and ex- goal is that the kids now use the Equally important is the oppor- amining the merits of reintroduc- technology...then we're off task. tunity for students to publish infor- ing wolves to Yellowstone Park. Each It has to be tied to standards that mation and to know their work willproject will have its own Web site, develop scholarship and thought- reach a wider audience. Publishinglinked to the school's home page fulness, not just about the source ofwill raise the level of commitment and designed by the students. the information but about what theto a project, Batey says. "The kids When Holt's class attended a information means." realize: 'My work is real. My work isthree-day Department of Tourism To succeed in the wired-up class-important. It isn't just me getting asymposium on how to promote room, teachers need to use exactly grade here'." tourism in Alaska, they videotaped the same kinds of good practice they Yet, teachers at schools with olderthe seminars, added still pictures would use in any classroom, Batey computers and no Internet access and music, and edited the tape into says. To engage students' interest should not lose heart. Some of the a three-hour film. They plan to and commitment, teachers should most interesting discoveries can be send the educational video they set up projects that address problemsmade with very basic tools. Batey have produced to Alaska's governor.

NW Education / Winter 2000 IN THE LIBRARY

45 AMERICA'S COUNTRY Along with Gulliford's insight- SCHOOLS (University Press of ful, well-researched text, the book A A Colorado, 1996) chronicles in includes dozens of photos that words and photographs the his- portray one-room schools, inside tory of a fast-fading landmark: the II and out. Residents of the North- one-room schoolhouse. Author west will find their communities Andrew Gulliford notes in the in- well-represented. In a photo from troduction to this third edition that 1893, students and teacher gather interest in country schools is soar- on the steps of their board-and- ing at the same time that their batten schoolhouse in Hecla, numbers are declining. From the Montana. A photo taken a century mid-1980s to 1995, he writes, the later shows students gathered number of one-room, one-teacher around the piano for a music les- public schools dropped from son at Springhill School in Gal- 1,200 to 428. (Today, it's slipped latin County, Montana. A series below 400.) of photographs taken at Atlanta Gulliford makes a case for pre- School in Idaho captures turning serving not only the architecture points of the school day, from the of America's country schools, but morning Pledge of Allegiance to also the lessons they offer about the afternoon ringing of the school how to teach children. "So many bell. excellent ideas came from one- For those who want to explore room schools," he writes, "such one-room schools for themselves, as students helping students, oral the book also includes a state-by- recitation of selected lessons, state listing of the nation's remain- pupils working in teams, and true ing country schools. community involvement by children of all ages. ...Tomorrow's THE BENEFITS OF SMALLER I S workplaces will focus on team CLASSES, especially in the early management and team work elementary grades, have been well- groups, much as harried country An historian and director of the America's Country Schools documented by research. Charles school teachers insisted rural new Center of Southwest Studies takes a thorough look at this sub- M. Achilles, in Let's Put Kids First, pupils rely on each other to build at Fort Lewis College in Colorado, ject, exploring everything from the Finally Getting Class Size Right consensus for learning school- Gulliford takes aim at the compet- role one-room schools have played (Corwin, 1999), surveys what he work and sharing in playground ing myths that have grown up in their communities to a descrip- calls the "knowledge base" about games.... Such opportunities for around one-room schools: "One istion of schoolhouse architecture toclass size that has been growing creative cross-learning must be that country schools are the poor a look at the changing lifestyles of since the late 1970s..His conclu- continued." stepchildren of American educa- rural schoolteachers. sion: "A solid foundation for life- tionprimitive buildings where, Preservation is a special focus, long learning begins in small under intolerable conditions, with discussion of how historic classes in public elementary young, inexperienced teachers try school buildings across the schools." to instill in their students a mod- country are being restored as icum of knowledge. Another is the community centers, living history myth of the little red schoolhouse museums, and learning communi- pleasantly situated beneath shade ties for a new generation of Ameri- trees and full of bright, young stu- can students. dents eager to learn their lessons and please their teacher." Neither myth, he concludes, "is wholly true nor wholly false."

THINK SMALL 46 Achilles begins with a look Noting that a variety of studies In making a case for small at Tennessee's Student Teacher have documented similar benefits The Power schools, Meier does not mean Achievement Ratio, better known of smaller classesnamely, bet- tearing down existing facilities. as Project STAR, a scientifically ter classroom management, active of Their "It doesn't depend on new build- designed, longitudinal experiment instruction, individual attention, ings," she writes, "just using the that involved more than 11,000 and lots of time on taskAchillesIdeas ones we have differently." students and 1,000 teachers from goes a step further to describe She offers half a dozen com- 1985 to '89. (Achilles was princi- how teaching practices change in pelling reasons in favor of down- pal investigator on Project STAR.) smaller classes. Drawing on class- scaling: Not only did the project demon- size reduction studies such as Smallness allows the faculty strate clear gains for students in Project SAGE and Success Starts to self-govern, to make decisions their academic achievement dur- Small, Achilles notes that teachers about teaching and learning ing kindergarten and the first three are better able to individualize Small schools enable teachers grades of elementary school, but programs for students, vary read- to have access to each other's follow-up studies have shown that ing instruction, increase time on work and to be accountable for benefits continue at least into task, and bond with students. Spe- the collective work of the school eighth grade. Project STAR also cific changes in curriculum and Small schools enable teachers showed that students in smaller instruction include more frequent to get to know each student's work classes (15 students to one reading and writing conferences; THE POWER OF THEIR IDEAS, and understand the way he or she teacher) were better behaved, more hands-on activities, espe- Lessons for America from a Small thinks more engaged in school, and less cially in math and science; and School in Harlem (Beacon, 1995), Small schools offer safety likely to be retained than students added use of portfolios to assess is no longer new, but the observa- the safety of being where you are in either regular-sized classes student growth. Because parents tions and reflections of author and known well by people who care (averaging 25 students) or regular are more likely to get involved educator Deborah Meier remain for you classes with a full-time instruc- with school when their children worth hearing, especially as more Small schools are accountable tional aide. are assigned to smaller classes, schools move in the direction of to parents and the public Looking at the classroom as an teachers also make more use of smaller learning communities. Small schools create opportuni- environment where learning takes volunteer time. Meier, who won a MacArthur ties for connections across gener- place, Achilles points out the ben- In addition to highlighting re- "genius" grant for her work as di- ations efits of giving small children more search, Achilles also quotes ex- rector of New York's famed Central "space." He notes, "A class-size tensively from teachers. One Park East schools, knows firsthand reduction from 30 students and educator explains why smaller the challenges of breaking up large one teacher to 15:1 immediately classes seem to be especially institutions into smaller, indepen- influences environmental variablespowerful for closing the achieve- dent schools where teachers can such as space and fresh air per ment gap: "Small class size has work collaboratively. She acknowl- occupant, crowdedness, materials leveled the playing field for all edges her bias: "Large schools per pupil, noise levels, and teacher children. All children have the op- neither nourish the spirit nor edu- time for each student.... Teachers portunity to be honored each day." cate the mind; except for a small report that in small classes, disci- Another adds: "IfI had 28 studentselite who run the place and claim pline is better, and classroom as I did in my practice teaching, (falsely) to know everyone, what management is less troublesome. and had them all in rows, I could big schools do is remind most of ...Teachers and students help each not accommodate the five very us that we don't count for a lot." other. The classroom climate low-functioning children. ...I can changes." see that they are learning; they see themselves as successful, vital persons in our class."

NW Education / Winter 2000 47

PRoouctr,:-WI Although the book is strong base with insights from practition- on reportorial detail and weaves ers. The result of a decade's work THE in the opinions of experts, its is this series, designed to provide multigrade teachers with a thor- 4,70: strongest passages may be the SCHOOL-a=conversations Olson has with ough guide. The stand-alone =*= T =r= teen-agers. "I heard an almost books incorporate both research PR constant refrain: Now I understand highlights and the common-sense ER WORK why I have to learn this," she solutions of teachers who have writes. "The comments were the "been there." MAVCDLUTOOA same, whether I was talking with Each book in the series pre- a straight-A student who hoped to sents information, strategies, and HOW EMPLOYERS AND EDUCATORS become a surgeon or a C-average resources on a specific aspect of ORE JOINING r TO FEEFARE =PO student who just wanted to get out the multigrade classroom. The se-

TOMOKKOW'S SKILLED WORKFORCE of high school and find a job." ries begins with a review of the re- Both extremes, of course, are well- search on multigrade instruction LYNN OLSON represented in American high (Book 1), moves on to classroom organization, management, and ILA schools. THE MULTIGRADE CLASS- Finally, Olson concludes with ROOM: Although one-room discipline (Books 2 and 3), and THE SCHOOL-TO-WORK a set of basic principles to guide schoolhouses have become more then to instructional organization REVOLUTION (Addison Wesley, both school-to-work and high- and more scarce over the decades,and delivery (Books 4 and 5). 1997), by Lynn Olson, takes an in-quality education for adolescents teachers in sparsely populated The last two volumes cover self- depth look at high schools that are in general, including: communities have continued to directed learning (Book 6) and the restructuring by linking the worlds The central goal of school- teach in classrooms that combine use of,peer tutoring (Book 7). The of work and learning. to-work systems should be to students of different ages and bottom line in each book is the Olson, a senior editor at Educa- help students achieve more grades. Only recently, however, same: helping the multigrade tion Week, takes readers inside academically have researchers turned their at- teacher be effective in meeting high schools across the country All students should have the tention to the benefits students the needs of students. that are taking new approaches opportunity to learn by doing, to receive in these classroom ar- Readers will gain insights into to preparing students for life after complete projects, and to apply rangements, and the strategies such practical matters as when graduation. Among them: Rindge their knowledge to problems teachers employ to help their stu- to teach the total class, and when School of Technical Arts in Cam- beyond school dents thrive and their classes run to use a more individualized ap- bridge, Massachusetts, where Schools need to emphasize and smoothly. Now, interest in the proach; how to maximize coopera- "hands and minds work in har- demand basic work ethics and multigrade classroom is increas- tion and self-directed student mony rather than in opposition." good citizenship from students ingnot only in rural areas, but learning; how to monitor noise Students engaging in work-site All students should have oppor- in a variety of educational settings. level in a classroom where many seminars in their community also tunities for career exploration and To guide teachers to best prac- activities are underway at once; explore such thoughtful classroom a broad perspective on career tices, the Northwest Regional how to use computers as an topics as "What is work?" and options Educational Laboratory has just instructional tool; and how to "What is success?" Olson visits Every student should have the published a seven-book series, schedule the day to make most- two Oregon schools: David Dou- chance to be part of a small, sup- The Multigrade Classroom: A Re- effective use of time. glas High in suburban east Port- portive learning community and to source for Small, Rural Schools. Case examples from teachers land, and Roosevelt High, located develop close relationships with The series dates to 1987 when illustrate how to put concepts to in a working-class neighborhood adults a group of rural educators raised work in the "real world" of the in north Portland. Both schools concerns regarding resources and multigrade classroom. are engaging students in real preparation for teachers providing To order copies of The Multi- world learning. (See a related multigrade classroom instruction. grade Classroom series, call the profile of David Douglas on Page The Laboratory's Rural Education Northwest Regional Educational 16.) She travels to Pasadena, Cali- Program took on the topic for fur- Laboratory at (503) 275-9519. The fornia, to visit the small career ther study. NWREL's first hand- seven books can be ordered as a academies that feel like "extended book for multigrade educators wasset, or purchased individually. families" to participating students published in 1989. The same year, Suzie Boss and teachers. the Lab brought together multigrade teachers from throughout the Northwest and Pacific Island 99 regions to expand the research

THINK SMALL VOICES

48 LEAVING HOME AND voirs I had to tell them about all Even though I now spend three- LOOKING BACK the creeks that flow from the Bit- quarters of the year in Chicago, I terroot Mountains into the Bitter- still think of myself as a resident By Jesse Bloom root Valley, but before this would of the Bitterroot Valley. Anything make sense I had to tell them that relates to the valley remains I'D JUST FINISHED TELLING about how farmers have to irri- part of my heritage. Istill care A FRIEND from New York about gate their fields because of the about the basketball games there, working last summer as a water- semi-arid climate, and even after and I don't get bored by Marcus commissioner. We were sitting I explained all of this I still Daly. in my dorm room in Chicago. needed to,define "ditch." New York's neighborhoods are My friend looked puzzled. "I don't All this knowledge is part of interesting to my friend because mean that I was on a commis- my heritage, and as I talked aboutthey are part of a heritage that is sion," I explained. "I was the itI became more appreciative alive to him. I've learned to ap- water-commissioner for a creek of things I had always taken for preciate that, just as particular you know, the ditch-rider." granted. People from New York, places are important to me, other My friend looked even more Cincinnati, or San Francisco places are equally important puzzled. "What's a ditch?" he might have never gone hiking or to him. asked. fishing. They may not know that We can't love all the little Right then, my heritage came athe best duck hunting is at dusk places in the world, but it's im- little more into focus. I think it's and dawn. They probably won't portant that we love some place, usually like this with our heritage.know that Marcus Daly made his and it's important that all the Sooner or later, most young peo- fortune from copper mining in good places in the world have ple leave Montana, at least for a Butte and built a special place people who care about what has while, and it's on those journeys at his ranch in the Bitterroot. happened and what is going to through other places that we start I tried to enlighten my friend happen there. For me, that place to appreciate the special place we about these things, but he was is Montana. I am thankful some- call home. only mildly interested. He thought body took the time to teach me You don't understand how in- that it was kind of cool that I had about my heritage. teresting your way of life is until shot a shotgun, but he wasn't that you have to explain it to some- interested in hearing about Mon- Jesse Bloom, a 1997 graduate of body who doesn't have any idea tana water rights.I didn't even Corvallis High School in Corval- what you're talking about. I'd mention Marcus Daly's copper lis, Montana, attends the Univer- grown up in a place where people empireI was pretty certain that sity of Chicago on an academic had fields that they irrigated with he didn't care. scholarship. This article origi- water that came out of ditches Instead, my friend from New nally appeared in the spring 1999 that flowed from creeks that were York wanted to tell me about Yan-edition of the Montana Heritage fed by high mountain lakes. I kee Stadium, Mayor Giuliani, and Bulletin, published by the Mon- thought most people knew what all the different neighborhoods tana Heritage Project. Reprinted ditch-riders were. And surely ev- that he knew. As I listened to by permission. erybody knew what a ditch was. him prattle on about New York, I But here in Chicago, I was learned another lesson about her- learning that I had to provide a lot itage: someone else's can seem of background information before less significant than one's own. I I could explain much about my liked hearing about Yankee Sta- life to friends from New York, dium, and mayoral politics were Cincinnati, and San Francisco. kind of interesting, but learning Before I could tell them about about the history of New York's my job as a ditch-rider I had to many neighborhoods was about tell them about the water rights as exciting as watching paint dry. system in Montana, but before I I was polite, and pretended to pay could tell them about the water careful attention. rights system I had to tell them Maybe my own heritage is in- about the dams and mountain teresting because it is a living reservoirs, but before I could tell heritage. I know that my future is them about the mountain reser- entangled with Montana's.futur% 100

NW Education /Winter 2000 NWREL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. Donald Robson Henry Beauchamp (Chairperson) (Vice Chairperson) Dean, School of Education Executive Director/CEO University of Montana Yakima Valley Opportunities Industrialization Center (WA)

NORTHWEST EDUCATION Olga L. Acufia Nancy Keenan Teacher Montana State Superintendent Hillsboro School District (OR) of Public Instruction Quarterly magazine of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Dr. Trudy Anderson Rachel Lyon Director, Center of Educational Excellence Teacher JA and Kathryn Albertson Foundation (ID) Lewiston Independent School District (ID) Executive Director/CEO:

Dr. Ethel Simon-McWilliams Joyce Benjamin Rey A. Mayoral Representative of Oregon Superintendent Principal Editor: of Public Instruction Salem-Keizer School District (OR) Lee Sherman Dr. Teresa Bergeson Sharon D. Parry Washington State Superintendent School Board Member Associate Editor: of Public Instruction Idaho Falls School District Suzie Boss Mike Bernazzani Myrle Peterson Businessman Elementary Teacher Issue Editor: Vancouver (WA) Poplar School District (MT) Suzie Boss Sally A. Brownfield John Pugh Contributing Writers: Teacher Chancellor Kathleen Cotton, Denise Jarrett, Joyce Riha Linik, Hood Canal School District (WA) University of Alaska Southeast

Helen Silvis David Chamberlain Christopher Read School Board Member Principal Graphic Production: Evergreen School District (WA) Billings Catholic Schools (MT) Denise Crabtree Richard S. Cross Harry Rogers Alaska Commissioner of Education and Superintendent Graphic Design: Early Development Valdez School District (AK) Dan Stephens Dr. Marilyn Howard Barry Rotrock Superintendent Proofreading: Idaho State Superintendent of Public Instruction Oregon City School District (OR) Eugenia Cooper Potter Steven Jacquier Dr. Michael Schwinden Teacher Principal Southwest Region School District (AK) Great Falls School District (MT)

Dr. Michael Jaeger Roger G. Wheeler EdPress Dean, School of Education and Business Businessman Eastern Oregon University Pocatello (ID)

1997 GOLDEN LAMP AWARD Estella Zamora District Court Interpreter/Coordinator Caldwell (ID) NORTHWEST EDUCATION can be accessed on NWREL's Web site on the Internet: www.nwrel.org From our home page, select Resources

This publication is based on work sponsored wholly or in part by the U.S. Department of Education under contract number RJ96006501. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the view's of the department or any other agency of the U.S. government. This publication was not printed with government funds. Articles and information in this publication are in the public domain and may be reproduced and disseminated without permission. Please acknowledge NWREL as the source.

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0 2 NORTHWESTSPR REGIONALING EDUCATIONAL2001 LABORATORY THE WILD BLUE ONDER

U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION liit N51 ..."11.1 ..._#4 .....,... / CENTER (ERIC) GiThis document has be en reproduced as received from the person or organization I f\e") originating it Minor changes have been made to ("X improve reproduction quality 473 Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy --) ....0L-"' / 7:1P111111111r- -1,1T3n The Wild Blue Yonder Charter Schools Fly Into the Unknown D LI C AT II,/N VOLUME 6 NUMBER 3 SPRING 2001

ARTICLES

Homegrown As the Northwest joins the charter school reform movement that is sweeping the country, many unanswered questions remain.

All in the Family Daily life for the Semmens family of Soldotna, Alaska, turns around a little school named for the northern lights that dance in the heavens in this part of the world.

20 Why Charter Schools Stumbleand Sometimes Fall Pulling together the countless elements that go ON THE COVER: Lifelong educator and pilot Larry Nauta, Principal of into designing and running a school can flummox Aurora Borealis Charter School in Kenai, Alaska, flies a even the most dedicated founders. two-seater Piper Supercub, which uses floats, wheels, or skis for landing, depending on the terrain. "For hardcore bush flying, this is considered the ultimate plane," says The Quest for Nauta. Atter three decades on the Kenai Peninsula, Nauta 25 still marvels at the majestic scenery right at his doorstep. Accountability PHOTOGRAPH BY SCOTT MOON If charter schools are to survive and thrive, they must be able to prove their worth. A workshop in Idaho shares some of the strategies schools need to effectively assess their studentsand, ultimately, themselves.

Stuck on the Starting Blocks Despite growing support and some heavy-duty financial backing, Washington state's charter school advocates have been unable to muster the votes for a charter schools lawyet.

Taking it Slow 37While educator and author Gordon Castanza of Alaska backs the charter school concept, he advocates a go-slow approach.

DEPARTMENTS 40 Resources 44 Dialogue are than an hair before :y his realm, I realized the stag of the school that only a oheeohako" day, I found Larry Nautaslang for a newcomer who already hard at work in his hasn t yet survived an Alaskan tiny cubicleI was still oft- winter would remark an balance tram the series of the darkness that draws the delayed and bumpy flights Kenai Peninsula far nearly he U S charter school that had broughil me to Kenai,2® hours a day in January m oveRtart is 10 weals old Alaska, tram Portland, Ore- It's kind of like remarking this year In the Northwest gon the night beitte The about gray sixes in Seattle afflatus were slaw to get a double sh at of e s mass) Icl The locals just don't notice toehold, lagging behind such gulped down an my way to n this outpost an the fringe plartaariag steles as Minne- the Aurora Borealis Charter of the wildemiass gages sota Arizona and California School hadn't completely schools fit They fit the local But by now theyke beam compensated far the early character, which leans steeplyaround long enough for hour and the unfamiliar pine toward the daring and the patterns of both promise and The principal, however, was indeReikard They fit the concern to emerge Here we wide awake, cheerful, and lanclsoape where yktu ten t take yktu inside this bald new ready to be inter ankad have to walk mare than a &Raiment in Wiwi reform e were nearing the end of few yolks in any direction to and show Au ham/ it looks my list of interview questions break new ground Breaking from the Northwest perspec- when my gaze happened to new giaund is after all, what tive With Alaska taking the drift to the window behind charter salvias are all about lead and Oregon and Idaho his desk Framed there was he man at the controls of close behind, charter schools a patch of sky as black as Aurora Borealis Ratssakes are carving out a definite deep space A q,uaiiter-moan the hearty, unflinching spirit make in the region s school was shining bravely, but it required to steer a gates oriole mix Where these couldn't dislodge the stub- school to success Until brave meats are headed born nightI sneaked a quick a few weeks ago Nauta split is still a big unknown But look at my watch It was well his time between running the the journey is sure to be an past 8 30 school and flying freight and adventure a, what time does the passengers tram the Arctic Lee Sherman sun acne up around here7" and sulualialitc hubs of Kotze- shermarMonel arg I ventured, tryag to sound bue and Name out to the 34 as if idle curiosity not mild isolated villages they serve alarm, had pAromplad the The two jabs are a lot alike. question Nauta seemed flying blind into a blizzard, startled at my question relying an three decades of Uh well, hmm he said &Reim-Lee to get Au safely

thinking hard "about nine to your destitoakon,whether or 10 a clockI guess.' it be a fishing village or a ad Then, dismiss:lady'I don t of benchmarks in English pay any attention to it' and math.

.1 2

CUSTOMIZEDSCHOOLS MATCHINGLOCALNEEDS4Z9C) EXPRESSINGFOUNDERS PHILOSOPHIES SPROUT DM UP MICOMMUNITIES ACROSSALASKAIDAHO 41C,OREGON. BY LEE SHERMAN

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andhomesteadersodfth 800s turnintheiradventurous spirittowardanotherrunt- breaking,endeavorfreatin schoolsfromscratch CarterschoolsET Mueducational equivalentcetheOregon Trkdetail s olegot coveredwagonsEta It* mini\ ansand1141ligall olack. suppliesmagibacon hardtackandhtiekstiot,but p teNthooksandsoftware. areachaikm,whitewator, tinseasonalsnowfallbut

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HallIWID S1OOHDS 4 "Building a warm, nurturing community within these human-scale schools, which average fewer than 200 students, is quite rewarding," observes Professor Bruce Fuller of the University of California at Berkeley. Within this "colorful garden of charter schools," he says, one can find "inventive pedagogy, strong ways of raising kids, and educators who are unsurpassed in their commit- schools ment to learning and to a variety of moral values." The charter school made its debut in the U.S. exactly students a decade ago. That's when Minnesota passed the nation's Portland coastalcm first law allowing educators and parents to open pub- Bay SouthernOregon lic schools under contract with a local school district Phoenk or university. For-profit businesses may be hired to start-ups, run the schools. The idea caught on and quickly spread. privateschools been Today, 37 states have charter lawsthree of them in sit nverted charter the Northwest. But the region has lagged behind such charter quick starters as Arizona, California, and Michigan, broadeducational which together have more than 750 of the nation's everythingtam 2,000 charter schools. In contrast, Alaska, Idaho, and academy5:11troubled Montessori Oregon can claim only 35 charters, total. Washington te 0i e and Montana have yet to join the movement. ArmadilloVechnical The rapid spread of this innovation across vast Academy Openedthis geographic and political divides is a testament to its 01 SODOMcapacity this adaptability. Like a chameleon, the charter concept 00UMI tilt0Shakespearean changes colors wherever it lands. In the howling winds agalttAshland designedtb of the Alaskan tundra, where native families are strug- provideserviceOallii WI?* gling to hold onto an ancient way of life, a charter nology fo middle school can become an immersion program for Yup'ik xeco0 End hith aged culture and language. In the dense forests and frozen CO He Ronas@hoolersThp fjords of southeast Alaska, where annual rainfall zhco0boasts community is measured in feet, a charter school can become involvement a conservatory where children make music and art DestinationsCharter School Nt Citaigalternative against winter's storms. Across the Gulf of Alaska on the oak ratkBayswitched oil-rich Kenai Peninsula, where commercial fishing charter$102before current families are being driven out of a dying industry, 00,Aimedtilistudents a charter school can become a rigorous prep school grades15-12, R0370-student where "the basics" include Latin and Greek. afghoo0 Mapproject-based In short, a charter school can be just about anything learning1c4-efit CO on to

for just about anyone. It's an idea whose time has awOronment'00Tdconnects come. Parents are dissatisfied. Teachers are disillu- learning10.'gd sioned. Students are dispirited. Universities and em- DetroitLakesCharter ployers are dismayed with the products of the public SchoolAnothert8 puOlt schools. New options have never looked better. As W)conversion,'00Tik K-6

NWEDUCATION /Spring 2001 cc0 timberedSantiam programencouragesstudents 15-12receiveadventure-based knyonmmHg C)students re-sponsi kee learningtee ghintegrationalong community-centeredWM= learningPortfolictt tee to floe dthservice-learningcomponent DODOaroundtamKnowledge assessment,tior)studentsoui sequence.Mecharter*Km achieve80percentCeabove 3.DURfAsOregonSchoolBoards pkt MOnie to geo te pitiOc cot Wadexperienceandgoo AssociationOregonDepartment acin0 Oil hicanyonkmclosing mitservicesupplement Education bemusece depressedlogging =Waal industry PioneerMali) Tam Elb= Lincoln Career ggv Ace demy-16Springfield echnicalHigh cike0ealternativeconversion alternativeconversioncharter Nevel 4 d-itat pols Oil e) aefflO- beachcommunity Wan Wronment (OM ©139 mut al-et*students definedboundaries.Theeacademic grades0=11, DoesimulatedIt programOgNooORaroundan00 environmentstressest3O0k* cett§ gm? individualattention workplaceamen RidgelineMontessori0E06 0LourdesSchoolHidden agySchoolA40-student tfiN Ned WOlametteVtiOgy gal start -upfP ftgilt grades114 mit c0 thisgoto00country OralEugene charteremploys

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J. CHARTER SCHOOLS 6 school choice goes, charters have a much broader laska, appeal than their kissing cousins, vouchers. First, char- Northwest ters (along with the kids they serve and the per-pupil 6charter dollars they spend) stay in the public system. Vouch- OWschools ers, on the other hand, take money out of the public toperabi Fourteen system and give it to private schools. And that's where togethernti 0 students,pro described the second big point comes in: charters can't be granted b '0* Gfen distincttom ceanother for religious instruction. Vouchers can. Liberals and ffiAlaskah Floridaago conservatives, who will never agree on vouchers, have schoolsOra at Ono *and a rare meeting of the minds on charters. nriiv!I%600 plusstudents "Republicans like the charter idea because it offers emphasizesubjectareasITC03 greater choice," The Economist reported in 1994. WIsciences'Ulm M. 111114 "Democrats like it because it keeps within the bounds tch gfilit tom ag nEd Lek of free public education." accAl *Oha© offlcdadvanced Charters have clearly captured the imagination Internetatl0h. WW1 Ni4 Nek of education professionals and consumers alike. AcademyCharterSchool But as the movement enters its second decade, huge Housed severalportablediam- CQ 0cma K=5 Ntico0 Palmer question marks loom: Can charters and regular public schools coexist happily? Will teacher unions ateciOhleestudents its[At* tolerate charters' looser rules about certification, Lobprogramemphasigiova@ sciences seniority, hours, and other employment issues? Do cftumolagutttl Eff@koobvspecialha. charters inadvertently promote segregation of ethnic AquarianCharterSchool groups? And, finally, the two vital questions beating Anchorageace0 tegrades at the very heart of the charter school movement provides 6"gifted'=Oaten Do charters spawn true innovation? And do they reach OSs studentsN NOM new heights in student achievement? COiaCharterSchoolComplex The answers to these questions will, in the end, MI MI@AcceleratedLoving decide the fate of this burgeoning reform effort. For now, program, 6gf o©stresses promoters and detractors alike are watching the experientialactivities homework research base grow and wondering where it will all lead. AuroraBorealisRader SchoolALed-to-baeim _© Realize a Viielon charterVietinnajust studenteOn Kattthi The motives for starting charter schools are as differ- noted academic neluding ent as the schools themselves. In a 1999 evaluation re- Lateo OWtestudents port on Michigan charter schools, researchers Jerry 610 OctEmphasish Ma Horn and Gary Miron identified the five most popular instructionmienresearch -based reasons as: programsado a SsenMaths- 1. Dissatisfaction by a group of parents with the td Sitto4Grammar educational program being provided by the local FavdetaiOai 00 Aurora

district BorealhAtoon RiDPage11 2. Opportunity to obtain a more stable financial base Ayaprun itnaurvikCharter for a private school Schoolgervi largelyAlaska 3. Personal mission of one or more individuals 6populationthis'1 to develop a school with a particular emphasis

NW EDUCATION / Spring 2001 x.10 student school in Bethel aims uses Socratic methods pmes 'Instructional plan for the sett- 7 to strengthen Yup ik language themes and manikulataes to de- paced program The school aid cultu e with its Yup ik Immer- liver an interdisciplinary education provides linkages to social sion Prowl The school works Juneau ko_mmulAly seiuce-s agencies for students closely with local orgaittiattois Center This wear-round multi- who need them such as the Association of Village grade, K-6 school serving 60 Takatna Training Genies Council Presidents and the Bethel children in downtown Juneau This nine-student high school Senior Center offers Kato and music instruction inakotna, housed in a renovated Chinook Charter School to all students in grades 1-3 school building,ses a "modified" The first charte school in Alaska violin instruction to all students Paideia instructional apArtoacb this K-8 multiage school seiv.es 141 grades 4-6, and alt instruction (a reform mama based on its 95 students in space donated t all grade levels The integrative student- centered learningThe by the Army at Fort Wainwright arts program is delivered across p @gram integrates didactic in- Using a Montessori auffiacht, expanded time blocks drawing struction coaching, and Socratic alongith an appieitoestp heavily on community re-sou ce-s seminars program and community service such as museums. Wiseman Charter School the school works with families to Keichikan Starter &nut A K-12 school serving 1 develop weekly and ylally incliv Act- ja mastery of basic students in the Yukon Koyukuk ual goals for students skills in core academic subjects School District incorkakates Delta Byker Chanter this midi located at the public educational aspects of rural village School This electronic corre- high school olielts a structured life such as trapping hunting, sp.oicleake program serving curriculum bid to the Alaska state and fishing into its multiage 149 middle and high schooleis statclakcis Paul involvement is program Self-assessment peer through-nut Alaska teaches mandatory for the families of its teaching Riablem solving are

tel eddip aro uithcattaats skills n cl 113 students community interaction are integral acadeiriLc content through inter- Midnight Sun Family Learn- to the appmack disciplinary cro-skouiroular ing GentesThis 95- student learning projects and other online school tucked into a small strip SOURCE Alaska Charter Schools re-sou @es Electronic collabakatote mall in Wasilla alms a famil 13 @gam Evaluation Remit Brenda learning tows network students o iented program in which siblings Saseh and Olke Geiger NWROL across the state and beyond. learn together in multiage class- April 14 MO Family Partnership Charter rooms Cake knowledge concepts S_chkolLo_catesi in a small strip aid technolog, are integrated into mall, th s K-12 school based the progoi, which encourages in Anchorage serves 674 home meaning ul kaie_rit involvement saki:1021s by lin ineach student New Beginnings Charter

aci his or her fame y with a @ell- S eh o allaritesl and @Relates' fied teacher who helps them plan by the Fairbanks Natty. Associa- an individual education Op tion a nonprofit re-source agmy kiroulum materials ad other this school for students in grades resource, a e also provided 8-12 serves a population t at Homer Starter School is more than 5® percent Alaska Ser ing 2st Oils in glides Native at two sitesa esicteba

11 is school housed in treatment center ad a nonresiiert- cla-dsroos on an ele- iial location Each of the 3f7 e ar school campus in Homer students has an individua iged

I I 8 4. Opportunity to create a school designed to be safer _GNSIMNIMmo 5. Opportunity to create a financial profit by one or charter *68 0 more entities in the private sector IdahoGm§ Rift The first-year report of the National Study of Char- waftcilcm Ro 10000 ter Schools sponsored by the U.S. Department of Ed- students.BEIM* range WOE ucation's Office for Educational Research and 20 tip of t° Programs We@ Improvement identifies three general categories of spectrum4= OW RIM tNAt Studentpopulationsinclude charter founders: grassroots organizations of parents, inquentRik probation00 teachers, and community members; entrepreneurs; and high-achieversheading existing schools converting to charter status. This ocCoa, NO el oft bit study found three slightly different top motives for AnserCharterSchool starting charters, but overlapping the five above: ungradedERIA Oftil Mat 1. Two out of three newly created charter schools set space business wyIN out to realize an educational vision Boisegymnasticsacademy 2. nventy percent of newly created charter schools were An-ser'sprogramcenters Eq-9- developed to serve a special population of students in- d'itionaryLearningOutwardBound cluding at-risk, language minority, disabled, or (DLOBDOSits112students. ethnic and racial minority students Studentswcd copalsystem, 3. One-fifth of the surveyed schools cited autonomy tini teachers portfol with respect to personnel matters, educational pro- WI ofassessment.Parents school s gramming, state laws, and independence in financial MA NI Vabltyenrichment programMOM ckwg OtwellIv co management resourcesPo Selargercommunity In the earliest years, founders had to scrape up BlackfootCharterCommunity money for start-up costs from personal funds, private Learning(kmUThOt K=5 donors, and banks that were willing to take a chance Ova 01G1452Fc6 HIJO Onato on an untriedidea.But withthree-fourths ReservationNonitseducational

of the states now on the charter bandwagon and a half- programaroundRe9-e)concepts million kids enrolled,federal start-up funds brain-basedresearchinterdisci- are making it far easier to found a school. Setting teaching flehible a goal of 3,000 charter schools nationwide, former studentgroupings e3 Sok President Clinton earmarked several hundred million commitment Mligelc) pay dollars during his administration for planning, devel- itsalpstudents50academic opment, and start-up. masterytaii2 "Physic -Neurotherapy "There are certain things you have to tackle early program address learningdisorders the right lawyers, a financial plan, a purchasing pro- WALOotmmt00percent cess," senior policy analyst David DeSchryver with the ce Oft WM NOM OR Oat Center for Education Reform told Education Week in CoeurCTOdaD2Charter June. "It's a little harder on the budget because it's Academy7146 Ein00housed money spent up-front, but you have to have these converted pzt garden things in place if you're going to be successful." giateo Neliaa)students OR But federal money, which always comes with some through rhod0 strings attached, poses a dilemma for charter sup- it co mObj? porters. For while government largesse has helped Ico, with 112

NW EDUCATION / Spring 2001 ' 1 focusing®11English math and WitiLRUIUMincludes drilling in sod studies as well as mess math and grammar for the 233 1.1' ' 1/ and thinking skills Latin, Spanish students, and French round out the tough Pocatello Community Char- 1 I.11 1 1 I curriculum ter School Tucked into the bask 1'

Lost Rivers Chador of a shopping mall this sharteris 1 II Sch_oollsialko s smallest charter 120 K-7 students receive instkus- 11 1 1 P 11 Anal with fewer than 24 students tiol in the SLOB curriculum 1 1 this alternatee school Parental involvement is high, with 11"1 1 1 111 . serves at-risk kids in the rural pakell committees making hiring 1 community of Arco Operating tram decisions policy resarimexcla- 1 1 1 11 I 1 a claib excie mobile home it tinns and assisting in @Li umbra I. 1 / 1 I ""11 offers Mended hours to meet the selections I

1 111 needs of kids who typisally are as Renaissance Chador 11 s Rrio.hatan or under house arrest Schoo.lim&h paritable classrooms Meridian Charter High on a residential 1st, this Moscow 1 I I 1 1 School Operating from a charter malls 72 K-12 students 1' 1 $ 'I branctiox building desigad for an enriched curriculum cielkend .1 with student input this BoiseAakea in small @la-mints Offering 'Ms 11 0 I of individual atteitan and prpj,est- school featuies a cutting -edge ' 11 technology focus through an base_ci learning, Revissa_sie has 1 1 I. 1 1 I 1 integrated curriculum The highly attracted kids who were "falling . 1 1 1' 1. 11 hands,ion curriculum picacJes through the cracks' at big imper- I ti 1. 11'11 11 invalkeirteit and critical thinking sonal schools The arts -based I. 1 1 I for its 114 students ®1.11101.11UM includes multiple 11 11 "1 Moscow Charter School intelligences theory, EILOE3, and 1 Serving 6t K-6 students in a the Suzuki music appagaslii 11 skuish on the western edge of :4 : .1 1 the state, the school offers as SOURCE Ida® *hailer Schools 1 enrichment program that includes Program Evaluation Neat Year I 11 I age -ampriate e*p_e_reakes in One Elk Geiger dad Sohwendi- theatre music dame art man Brenda Bnksoh Debbie martial arts and environmental Hunnbruok-Hehr and Jessica (I) I 01 rct \

education The tikeisakc curriculum Melia NWREL July 2000 1 11 1 includes sharaste education, 111'1'1 core knpwledge and preigs 1. languages delivered in flexible 1. ' mult age gralLags f@ prpjast- '1 '11 ,! 11 1 !II based learning . 1 Nampa Bader S_ch_osit II' 1 11 'I 1 1. 1 Portable classrooms on church I. 1 property@use this back -to- basics

1 . 1 1 1 I year r@ nd ultioad ssh@al 1 Ida o s largest charter With a 1 1 I 11 eav emphasis on sharaste 1 I

education th ighly structured 1 1 1 , P. 10 suggests that charter advocates may be "reinventingmuck. Free us from the mess and we'll soar to the one-room schoolhouse," reports Fuller, editor unimagined heights of educational innovation and of a new book of case studies from Harvard Uni-academic achievement. versity Press, Inside Charter Schools: The Paradox But reality has a way of tangling up the simplest of Radical Decentralization. Fuller himself takesideas. All tied up in this trade-off are some of the the notion even farther when he talks about the re- messiest questions in education. What, for example, turn to "tribalism" he sees in the charter move-is the best measure for student achievement? Stan- mentand the dangers it can pose to the public dardized tests? Portfolios? Dissertations? Orations? school system. If a school's approach is uniquesoaring way be- "If charter schools are essentially to serve theyond the usual answer-the-questions-at-the-back-of- `tribal' agendas of well-off white parents, faithfulthe-book practicesdoes it make sense to have kids home schoolers, La Raza devotees, black national-mulling over multiple-choice questions on discrete ists, even Mormons and Muslims, then why wouldbits of knowledge? How can districts or states society continue to support the public purposescompare student scores across the board when that hold together public education?" he posits.one school stresses music, another phonics, and "And once we all win our own private places, likea third environmental studies? If schools rely on private clubs surrounded by high walls, who will bestandardized tests, are they in danger of molding left behind to rely on public spaces?" instruction to the test, thereby defeating their main This fearthat charter schools will become mission of innovation? "limited oases" or "elite campuses of excellence that A lot of charter schools are stuck on this pile will doom large numbers of children left out to of question marks without a solid plan for demon- mediocre education"is just one of many concernsstrating student achievement that is measurable, voiced by skeptics, notes the Little Hoover Com-practical, and applicable to their program. De- mission in its 1996 study of charter schools in Cal-pending on the state, charter contracts give schools ifornia. The report, The Charter Movement: anywhere from three to 15 years to show positive re- Education Reform School by School, cites sults, thus fulfilling the terms of their charter. The a widespread uneasiness over intended or unin- concept is built on what former Assistant Secretary tended results of charter schools: Some critics, forof Education Chester Finn calls "market-style mech- instance, "worry that charter schools are a backdooranisms" that "regulate" the quality of education. In way of subsidizing religious teachings. Some unions the free marketplace of schools competing for kids believe that employees' rights will not be adequatelyand dollars, this argument goes, only the strong protected and that hard-won benefits will disappear. will survive. Education administrators, deeply engrained with "If flaky people are operating a school with a the habit of procedural accountability, believe that weird curriculum, or money is squandered, or test relaxed or nonexistent rules are an invitation toscores are sagging," Finn and colleagues recently corruption, graft, and scandal." wrote in Education Week, the school's clients (par- A handful of charter schools have indeed gone ents and students) should have ready access to that down in a blaze of infamy. But the real threat to the information. Then, "either the school shapes up health of the movement, many observers agree, isor finds itself without students (or its charter re- the accountability question. Charters have staked newal). Conversely, a school that works well will find their lives on a simple-sounding trade-off: autonomy people beating a path to its doors." for accountability. The argument goes something like But not everyone has Finn's rock-solid faith in the this: A school can't excel if it's mired in bureaucratic education marketplace. I1 4

NW EDUCATION /Spring 2001 "The rhetoric is that if you don't produce good re- "We can't, as a movement, allow charlatans and 11 sults, you'll be closed down," Paul Herdman, aweak providers to get charter schools," says John graduate student at Harvard University graduateAyers, director of Leadership for Quality Educa- school of education, told Education Week. tion, a business-supported reform group in Chicago. "The reality is that virtually no schools have been shut down." ay An Other Mezaue The Gordian knot of accountability will notSome researchers offer a bleak assessment of char- be untangled anytime soon. ter schools' track record so far. "Educators and policymakers have yet to agree on "Charters have yet to demonstrate a broad abil- how the publicly financed but largely independentity to boost children's learning through more effective schools should be held accountable for their re-classroom practices, to nurture more accountable sults," reporter Jeff Archer wrote in Education schools, or to create competitive pressures on still Week. "Pressure to reach some consensus on themoribund urban systems," Fuller asserts. issue is mounting," Archer said, noting that even as Thomas Good and Jennifer Braden of the Uni- staunch a charter supporter as Clinton admitted versity of Arizona, who authored a study for the that holding schools to the terms of their contractNational School Boards Association called Charting is hugely problematic. a New Course, as well as a book titled The Great "The one problem we have right now," Clinton School Debate, concur. "A representative review of said in a speech last spring, "is that not every state available studies suggests that charter schools have has had the right kind of accountability for the not had an immediate, dramatic effect on student charter schools. Some states have laws that are achievement, as promised by many of their early so loose that no matter whether the charter schoolsproponents." are doing their jobs or not, they just get to stay But, as the Little Hoover Commission notes, it's just open, and they become like another bureaucracy. too soon to make a fair judgment. "Charter schools Unfortunately, I think even worse, some states havehave been operational too short a time to track laws that are so restrictive, it's almost impossible to achievement in a meaningful fashion," the com- open a charter school in the first place." mission insists. In response to a survey finding that account- If it's too soon to gauge achievement gains, by what ability is the topmost priority for charter schools other qualities may we judge today's charter move- nationwide, a group of charter school and assessment? Here, the commission's view is hopeful: "By ment experts have formed the National Charter many other measures, these schools are successful." School Accountability Network. Its goals are to help Based on its site visits and extensive research in Cal- schools meet demonstrable performance standards ifornia, the commission found that, "while the aca- and to improve state and local government oversight demic results are not yet clear, charter schools can of charters, Ed Week reports. In its practical 1998 be judged at least a partial success on the basis of publication, Accountability for Student Perfor- a variety of criteria." Below, in the commission's mance: An Annotated Resource Guide for Shap- words, are some of its conclusions: ing an Accountability Plan for Your Charter Test scores and other pupil assessment School, the network lays out key issues schools tools. Many schools have documented single-year must tackle, along with useful resources to guide the improvements and are making progress on alter- process. (Find it on the Web at www.charterfriends. native assessment tools, such as portfolios and per- org/performance.html.) formance requirements. Without a statewide test See HOMEGROWN, Page 42 115 CHARTER SCHOOLS 12

A back-to-basics charter school provides home schoolers with a choice they can embrace whole-heartedly.

By LEE SHERMAN

KENAI, AlaskaHere on the northern half of the planet, the heavens turn predictably around that fixed point of light, the North Star. In much the same way, the daily lives of one Alaska family revolve around a shining little school they've helped create. Larry and Susan Semmens were among the original members of Aurora Borealis Charter School four years ago when enrollment I barely topped 75. They held on through a Mixmaster start-up, when parents and staff sought to blend sometimes-conflicting en, / ideas into a workable reality. As the school began to gel, the Semmenses settled into a routine: making the daily 30-mile round trip in their mud-splattered 4x4 carting the kids to and from school. Susan volunteering in 16

NW EDUCATION / Spring 2001 the classroom. Larry chairing She was ready to retire her red windswept jut of land, where two of Alaska" is home schooling. 13 the monthly board meetings. pencil. And about that time, Trent, million acres have been set aside The state's vast and rugged terrain Both parents chaperoning field who was nearing his seventh birth- as a national wildlife refuge. is one big reason Alaska leads the trips. Even in their home, the day, was still unable to read. Tests Fifteen miles inland from Kenai, nation in number of home school school has a central presence. found that he may be dyslexic, and tucked away on a wooded hillside, ers per capita, according to Dr. While most Americans gather Susan didn't feel equipped to deal is the Semmens' simple home. The Bryan Ray, President of the Na- around the television after dinner, with Trent's difficulty in learning warmth of the woodstove envelops tional Home Education Research this TV-free family huddles over to read. So when the Kenai Penin- visitors as they knock the snow or Institute based in Salem, Oregon. homework at the dining room sula Borough School District ice from their boots in the cheery The 40-site Kenai Peninsula Bor- table. When the assignments got the go-ahead from the state kitchen. Susan pours hot tea into, ough district alone ranges across are done, Larry reads aloud from to launch several charter schools, delicate china cups decorated with 26,000 square milesan area classics like Robinson Crusoe and Larry and Susan jumped. rosebuds. The dainty cups and bigger than West Virginia. Getting The Swiss Family Robinson. The Like Little Red Riding Hood's saucers contrast sharply with the to the "neighborhood school" for scene is quaint in its simplicity. third bowl of porridge, the charter enormous horned head of a Dall some requires a ride in a boat or It's no coincidence that the school option seemed "just right." sheep that keeps a silent vigil on a float-plane. "If we gathered up three younger Semmens kids the living room wall. Beaver pelts all the home schoolers on the Travis, Trent, and Natalie GEOGRAPHY AND ("from the creek down below," peninsula and put them into one excel in school. (The oldest son MIDEPEINDECCE Susan offers) drape the backs of school, I'm pretty certain it would has grown up and moved away.) On the map, the Kenai Peninsula comfy armchairs, and a seven-foot be bigger than the biggest school "I want my kids to be chal- looks like an ice skate extending length of whale baleen, like a currently in the district," says lenged," says Susan, a youthful into the Gulf of Alaska just south giant's hair comb, hangs below the Superintendent Donna Peterson. 40-year-old whose long brown of Anchorage. When the clouds loft railing. A 66-pound Chinook That school, Interior Distance hair is touched with gray. "The lift, the craggy south face of the salmon is preserved for eternity on Education of Alaska (IDEA), public schools teach to the lower- Chugach Mountain range provides a plaque above the picture window. enrolls more than 600 students. performing students. They have a stunning backdrop to the town "It's a part of Alaska," Susan But geography is only part of a lot to learn about really pushing of Kenaia modest collection of explains when she senses a visitor's the reason for home schooling's kids, about letting them reach B&Bs, strip malls, gas stations, and uneasiness with the animal trophies popularity. It also grows from their full potential." espresso stands. To the west of this and skins. She has on occasion Alaskans' "last frontier" outlook. It wasn't that long ago that recreational hunting and fishing waged her own quiet protest. When "It's the attitude of freedom and the Semmens home was itself hub, more than a dozen gas and her husband suggested hanging independence that's so prevalent a schoolhouse of sorts. Unhappy oil rigs with friendly names a bearskin on the wall above the in Alaska," Peterson says with a curriculum that seemed (Platform Bruce, Dolly Varden sofa, she quickly pieced together While many families, like the "dumbed down," Susan and Platform), rise from Cook Inlet an eye-catching quilt in shades Semmenses, do an admirable job Larry decided to home school testimony to the peninsula's grow- of pink and teal for the spot. of educating their kids, others their children. But after seven years ing dependence on fossil fuel "I had to work fast," she confides botch the job. "We've had eighth- of steering them through their as commercial fishing declines. with a conspiratorial smile. graders show up on our doorstep lessons, Susan was getting weary. Bears outnumber humans on this Something else that's "a part who are simply not prepared to do

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14 high school work," says Peterson. Riggs and Spaulding phonics The trouble is, home schoolers in all with solid track records of Alaska aren't held accountable success, staff members are quick for results. Charter schools, on IL I to note. Also woven into the mix the other hand, must spell out are a couple of other off-the-shelf their academic goals in advance programs, Direct Instruction and and measure progress regularly Core Knowledge, both featured in at least that is the law's intent. NWREL's 1998 Catalog of School So when charter schools started ti Reform Models. Every minute is to really take root in the state in 4.P1.4 put to good use. One recent day, 1997, the district saw an opportu- \T.:2 for instance, when the first- and nity. Here was a chance to attract second-graders slouch against families back into the public the wall as they wait to use the school fold. Charter schools, which restroom, their teacher drills are typically small and open to them on math facts. s . .:a parental input, present an attrac- Aurora Borealis is, in short, tive alternative for parents who a back-to-basics school with lots are jaded on schools they feel of rote learning and repetitive are overcrowded, unchallenging, "We want families in the system," The K-8 charter shares a drillingstrategies that make undisciplined, and/or unrespon- she says. renovated building with the Boys many school reformers cringe. sive to parents' concerns. Aurora Borealis is doing its and Girls Club and an alternative But Susan and Larry believe "Alaska has been a real home part to reclaim straying families. school. The 1960s-era yellow-brick this is the best approach for schooling state, and the school Former home school and private schoolhouse, which has the name their kids. districts have been fighting that school pupils account for about of its one-time tenant Kenai Ele- "Content is important to us," for at least 10 years," says Susan half of its current enrollment of mentary School lettered across its says Larry over a Cobb salad at Semmens. "They've been losing just over 100. Another 200 kids solid countenance, feels in some Charlotte's Restaurant, a favorite that battle. I think the reason the are clamoring for a spot. The Sem- ways like a throwback to an earlier Kenai lunch spot that's packed district wasn't fighting us on the menses were drawn by the promise era. The reasons go way beyond with a boisterous noontime crowd. charter school was because we of structure, high standards, and architecture. Walk from room "Some of the current thinking pulled in so many home schoolers close adherence to the three Rs. to room and you'll hear students in education is that the main thing the fist year. Therefore, they were The day begins with the Pledge reciting jingles about parts of is critical thinking skills, which getting back those per-pupil dol- of Allegiance. Kids follow a pretty speech, see them frantically scrib- can be obtained without content. larsor the kids, depending on strict dress codeno sports logos bling basic computations during We disagree. I think E.D. Hirsch how you look at it." or imprinted T-shirts, no wild the "mad minute," and catch is rightthat there's a core Peterson says the charter school colors (everything must be red, little voices reviewing letter sounds. of knowledge we all need, and option helps the district better ful- white, blue, or khaki), no The curriculum is a patchwork if you don't know those things, fill its mission, which is to educate Hawaiian shirts, saggy pants, of canned curricula, including it puts you at a disadvantage all children on the peninsula. blue jeans, or platform shoes. Shurley Grammar, Saxon Math, in so many situations." 118

NW EDUCATION / Spring 2001 Larry, who logs long hours as teacher? The increased number expectations are right in line with hop hits or sing advertising jingles 15 Finance Director for the City of could raise problems." the current nationwide clamor for for sugarcoated cereals. Kenai, has carved out time in his Another woman jumps in to stiffer standards. And the approach Each day, Latin teacher Michelle schedule to chair the school's Aca- express her own concerns about appears to be working, despite a Hinkle makes her rounds, visiting demic Policy Committee, a six- the influx of new students. Will the population that leans toward the every class for half an hour. One parent board that hires (and fires, new kids be able to keep up? Will low middle in income. The school dank morning in midwinter, she if necessary) the principal and they slow the forward momentum consistently comes in at the head takes over the first- and second- ratifies all changes in the school's of the existing students as they of the pack on standardized tests. grade room where she introduces state-approved charter. A man of strain to catch up in the demand- "In 15 of the 18 areas that are a new root. 45 whose dark eyes and steady gaze ing curriculum? tested for state benchmarks, we're "Brachium means 'arm, she give him an air of quiet authority, The board listens to the women's the top school in the district," tells the students. Eliciting lots he presides calmly over a recent worries. The two LarrysSemmens notes Aurora Borealis Principal of input from the kids, Hinkle meeting that brings some chal- and Principal Nautaexplain the Larry Nauta, as he forks a gooey explores the root's role in common lenging questions from several need to bump up class size to en- slab of black-bottom coconut pie at words, such as "embrace" and parents in attendance. Under sure adequate funding while allow- Charlotte's. Last year, he notes, one "bracelet." She then leads the class discussion is the principal's recom- ing for attrition. In an interview seventh-grader scored "99 with an in a recitation of the roots they've mendation that the school begin after the meeting, Johnson notes asterisk" on the C.A.T. in math learnedverbum, graph, tele, slowly expanding enrollment to that the Kenai district has mandated the highest possible score. And metron, tropos, philia, phobos, eventually replace the current a class size of 18 for first-grades, every graduating eighth-grader kinesis, manos, sonus, etc. For mixed-age groupings with single- a research-based recommendation who wanted admittance to an each root, the kids make a corre- grade classrooms. One of the from the state education depart- advanced-placement class got in. sponding gesture (for example, moms listening to the board's ment. She knows that small class a hand cupped behind one's ear N discussion voices concern about size is critical, especially in the wTQGLOM OVER for sonus, meaning "sound"). the suggested class size increase early grades. She's afraid the board LAID 30073 A couple of kids then volunteer from 20 to 22 as part of the might be starting down a slippery The most immediately obvious for solo recitations. Mac rattles expansion. She peppers the slope of classroom expansion that evidence of the school's super- off the roots perfectly until he hits board with questions. could be detrimental to learning. tough program is the Latin in- a snag atprae. Hinkle gives him "Where is the data that shows "I don't want us to lose the quality struction. Most people associate a hint. "It's a lot like pro," she 22 is a good class size?" asks that we have," she says. Latin with religious schools or says. The other kids, squirming Pam Johnson, who demonstrates Johnson, who moved her kids to pricey East Coast prep schools. and wiggling with the suspense her commitment to her three the charter school because she was Yet these students, whom the prin- of it all, start hissing out hints kids' education each day when disenchanted with regular public cipal describes as "average kids of their own. When finally he she loads them into a van for schools, shares the same commit- from average families," get lessons comes up with "in front of," the 35-mile journey to Aurora ment to rigor as the Semmenses on Latin and Greek every day, the class heaves a collective sigh. Borealis from the outlying com- and most of the other parents at starting in kindergarten. They can Clearly, they're happy and relieved munity of Sterling. "Twenty-two Aurora Borealis. The teaching recite Greek and Latin roots and at their friend's success. At the might be too much for one teacher. strategies at the charter may seem their meanings as easily as other lesson's end, the teacher reads Can we get an aide to help the old-fashioned. Yet the school's lofty kids can lip-synch the lyrics to hip- to them from Greek mythology. 11' CHARTER SCHOOLS 0 16 KENAI, Alaska bill for us. It was like getting the In January, this windy corner of option of a private school without the world seemed more like Ore- the expense." gon than Alaska. It was wet and leDoux's daughters are thriving mild. People were remarking on at their new schoolalthough the oddity of wading through Allison, now a seventh-grader, mud puddles when they normally regrets being unable to attend would be negotiating snow and school in her pajamas. A true ice. One woman complained of child of the 21st century, she having to put on knee-high rub- talks about chatting with her ber boots just to pick up the mail. best friend over the Internet liast year at this time, it was 23 and playing virtual-reality games below," says lifelong Alaska resi- as casually as girls from earlier dent Anita LeDoux. Monitoring generations talked about hop- the weather is part of LeDoux's scotch and jump rope. job as secretary for Aurora Bore- [It some things never change. alis Charter School. Right before Like kids throughout time, Allison morning recess, she gets on the thinks dissecting animal parts is Internet and checks the windchill icky. Her mom, who's responsi- School secretary Anita LeDoux factor. If it's 10 below or colder, ble for placing teachers' supply recess is cancelled. orders, enjoys getting a preview a was a bit accidental that of the "fun experiments" in store LeDoux, a single mom, landed for the science students. in this position. When the school didn't like the cow eyeballs," was just getting off the ground Allison admits. "I wasn't going four years ago, she was one of to touch it.I could feel it through 40 or 50 home schooling parents the rubber gloves and I was like, who joined the start-up effort. bleahhh!" She found lots of ways to make e wasn't crazy, either, about herself usefulrunning errands the lamb's heart and lungs. But for the principal, setting up meet- in general, she's very happy at ings, keeping minutes, typing the charter school. Pronouncing letters. So when the charter words that are music to the ears was approved, she slid right of teachers and parents every- into the job. where, Allison says: "I like learn- being at the school every day ing. It's fun." with her two daughters, Allison fteDoux is having fun, too. The and Cadee, has made it easier for school's tight-knit, family feeling LeDoux to turn over her teaching seems to seep into every relation- duties to the staff at Aurora Bore- ship and interactioneven stu- alis. But she was ready to make dents' requests to use the phone the transition. When Allison, in the office. the older of the two girls, was go to the secretarial inservice nearing fourth grade, LeDoux trainings and listen to the horror was feeling less confident about stories," she says. "I think, I am her own ability to thoroughly so blessed that I don't have those cover the curriculum. "I wanted kinds of problems. I never have to make sure there weren't any students who come into the office gaps in her education," she says. who are mouthy or demanding. "The charter school really fit the They're polite and helpful." 0

5U7 WONG The next day, Hinkle reviews charges of the Latin words for sun nature of the instruction "builds peninsula has a way of grabbing 17 basic concepts with the class. and star, and talks about the Greek confidence" in kids. onto people and never letting go. "What is a derivation?" she asks. myths from which the constella- "There's not huge amounts of Gene Palm spent his childhood "A word that comes from another tions take their poetic names. Just pressure applied to these children," in Africa, the son of a missionary. word!" Torrey pops off the answer, the other day, she says, the kids she says. "Whenever I see that I'm But his life changed forever when no sweat. were begging to hear again the pushing some limits, I back up a he ventured to Alaska as a young Using a simple metaphor, story of Zeus's son Perseus, who little. I strive for a balance between man to fish. He fell in love with Hinkle then reminds the kids of chopped off the head of snake- challenge and success." the place and with a fisherman's what a "definition" is ("a fence haired Medusaa story easily daughter named Debbie. When that goes around the meaning"). rivaling any Mel Gibson movie A PLACE TO PLAT their second child came along, She then builds upon this image for action and gore. 0-1N) FEET they decided to get out of the to make the idea of "derivation" When Ball introduces a new You know you're in Alaska when public school "rat race." So for ("a stream that comes out of the phonogram, the children jump you switch on the morning news the next six years, Debbie home fence") more visual, and therefore "out of their seats with joy" She and get a story about infected schooled their children. Gene less abstract for the young learners. hardly believes it herself, but beavertail making folks sick. Or fished commercially for herring Next, she introduces the root word within a couple of days of learning you swing into a local hangout for and halibut and then, after the dent, meaning "tooth." After giv- phonograms (combinations of a halibut sandwich, and you have resource "went south," worked ing students several derivations of letters that form a distinct sound), to duck under a buffalo head to "on the slope" (local lingo for dentdentist, dental, dentifrice something clicks for some of the get to your seat. Or you stop for the oil trade) until he got his she gathers them into a circle kids, and they're reading. By Nov- an espresso, and you catch hair- teaching credential. Now, Gene at her feet and reads aloud Shel ember, all but two or three kids raising snatches of a conversation and Debbie work summers fishing Silverstein's poem, The Crocodile's out of 20 are reading Arthur books. about guys fishing for king crab for red salmon. Winters, they're Toothache, showing them how "They blow me away because and riding out 60-foot seas and both at the charter school, he as their just-learned root word, far I didn't know kindergartners could 100-mph winds. Office chitchat the fifth- and sixth-grade teacher, from being lost in the past, turns do this," she marvels. revolves around such everyday she as enrollment administrator. up today in children's literature. Ballwhose family runs a occurrences as nearly colliding One of their kids is a student there, The kids don't seem at all intimi- local bed and breakfast and leads with a moose on your way home too. "We've found a place to plant dated by the level of the instruc- guided fishing trips down the from the grocery store or training our feet," Debbie says. tion. In fact, these little guys have riverwas "very skeptical" when your hunting dog to point. Gene, like the six other teachers been known to wrangle about she first saw the Riggs phonics Fish and wildlife are a ubiqui- at Aurora Borealis, defends the Latin roots at recess. program. The direct-instruction tous and powerful presence on back-to-basics approach. "How In her kindergarten class, Julie approach didn't seem consistent the Kenai. Maurice Sendak's do you teach creativity to kids Ball weaves the threads of Greek with current thinking in early classic children's story, Where the when they don't have the base?" and Latin roots into lessons on childhood education, which Wild Things Are, has a special he asks. "I don't have a single science, math, and literature, stresses discovery learning. Was it resonance for kids who grow up student who's not fluent in basic making connections wherever developmentally appropriate, she here where the woods and waters operations. I can discuss higher- she finds them. In astronomy, for wondered? But she's found that the teem with life forms of all kinds order topics, and they're with me. instance, she reminds her young systematic, repetitive, predictable furry, feathered, and finned. The The payoff is when they get it." 224 CHARTER SCHOOLS 18 says. "It's been a killer. We all work materials. It was a big hodgepodge. an offer when she interviewed at really hard." Hanging in the main To take a new teacher and expect Aurora Borealis to teach first and hallway are examples of a recent them to put it all together is just second grade. "I was honest about art project. The vivid blues and overwhelming. When I went wanting to do creative things," she intense yellows of kids' unmistak- through student teaching, I was recalls. "I figured I was a little too able renditions of Van Gogh's pretty ill-prepared." creative for the school." masterpiece, Starry Night, stop So he was already leaning to- To her surprise, she got the job. visitors in their tracks. Right next ward a more structured approach As it turns out, the strict structure to the artwork is a display of recon- when he found Aurora Borealis. hasn't inhibited her teaching a bit. structed rodent skeletons, pieced There he encountered kindred "The emphasis is definitely on together with tiny bones picked spirits, like Palm, who'd had a the curriculumI have to cover out of regurgitated owl pellets. strikingly similar encounter with that curriculum," she says. "That's First-graders are challenged at Aurora Borealis. The best thing about Aurora Bore- preservice training. "The whole the bottom line. But I can still do alis, from Phillips' perspective, is approach," says Palm, "was for a unit on bats and a unit on Egypt. the way curriculum hooks together teachers to design raw materials. I can still do performing arts and across grade levels. "The teachers There was no research base." journals." Another teacher, Suzi Phillips, don't hop, skip, and jump around The real surprise at Aurora And she can do music. is Alaskan to the bone. Born near through the curriculum," she says. Borealis is how much richness "I integrate music into every- Anchorage, she can remember her "The material keeps building and and creativity the teachers manage thing," she says with obvious first visit to the peninsula a quar- spiraling upward." to squeeze in around all the basics. enthusiasm. "We do songs about ter-century ago with pure clarity. "Suzi knows exactly what's been There's a medieval feast and a dinosaurs, about Martin Luther Kenai was so small and remote taught all the way back to kinder- powwow. There's a "mini-society" King, about Abe Lincoln. We do then, it didn't have a stoplight. garten," notes Nauta. where kids raise money for their rhythmic activities in math The snow was melting; the ice Coming from a previous posi- classroom and learn about run- and reading. We use music with was breaking up. At high tide, she tion in a private school, Phillips ning a business at the same time. phonograms and rhyming. I think saw the Kenai River roiling with was comfortable with the struc- There's a play wrapping up the music is really important for the the shiny backs of beluga whales. tured curriculum and the high Revolutionary War unit when little guys." That day, she knew she wanted standards, she says. Bill Severson, students act out events they've Uponen pinpoints what she to raise her kids herein this wild the third- and fourth-grade studied. And there are field trips. believes are the three secrets of the place where her husband's parents teacher, argues, along with Gene This year's seventh- and eighth- little school's success: had homesteaded. Palm, that not only kids but also graders are going to Anchorage Teachers who work well together A one-time pre-med major who teachers benefit from a carefully to see Shakespeare's Comedy of and have the same vision switched to teaching, Phillips mas- designed curriculum. In the Errors. One year they ventured Continuity and consistency across terfully handles the seventh- and teacher certification program at across the peninsula for a campout grade levels eighth-graders. She also teaches the University of Alaska at Anchor- in Seward. Another time they de- High academic expectations for science and art across grade levels. age, he says, "They taught one day signed and dug snow caves for a all students "We all take on extra roles to fill of phonics, downplayed texts, and sleepover in Phillips' yard. "I think that's what makes good the gaps in the curriculum," she encouraged you to create your own Lori Uponen didn't expect to get learning happen," she says. 122 NW EDUCATION /Spring 2001 you have to get people to agree show me multiple times." He scoffs Though their goals are very dif- 19 ONE BOG, about what you're hoping to do. at the idea, for example, that if you ferentNatalie wants to be a fit- HAPPY FAMOLY Everything from curriculum to simply put kids into a word-rich ness trainer and Trent (now an The buzz around school on a uniforms was a wide-open, free-for- environment and expose them to excellent and avid reader) envisions slushy Tuesday in mid January is all debate. Often, it was stressful." literature, they will learn to read. a career as an orthodontist Mr. Severson's impending family When the first principal re- "If you expose me to a 747, am the siblings agree that the charter expansion. First thing in the signed, Nauta stepped in. A 30-year I gonna learn how to fly it?" he school has been a boon for them. morning, word leaks out that his veteran of school administration posits. "Sure, some kids will catch As for their little brother, first-grader wife is expecting a babythe sixth with a talent for bringing people on and learn to read. But you've Travis, who has a dimpled smile child for their blended clan. Each together, the district consultant got your 30 percent who won't pick that could light up an Alaskan new person who hears the news held a steely belief in the curricu- it up. They'll just get frustrated." winter, he's eyeing a future as a whether student or staffsqueals lum materials he had used suc- Nauta sums up the school's guid- chef. He could, though, end up a or gasps in surprise and delight. cessfully as a principal on the ing philosophy this way: "It's real financial guy like his dad. He's al- Their joy is so heartfelt, you'd peninsula. His expertise, coupled easy. Provide the best quality basic ready helping older kids with their think they were anticipating a new- with his easygoing style, personal education that we can possibly math, which lie finds "real easy." born in their own family. And in warmth, and self-deprecating provide for students. That's it Whatever he ends up doing, a sense, they are. Because everyone humor, helped to defuse the fric- the sum total of it. Pretty straight- chances are good he'll be a suc- at Aurora Borealis says the same tion that marked the first year. forward, huh? When our kids leave cess. Because even more important thing: It's like one big family here. Raised and educated in Oregon, here, they do great in high school." than a good school is a committed At the head of this extended Washington, and Idaho, Nauta Junior Natalie Semmens bears family. Travis, like all the kids at family sits Principal Larry Nauta. took his master's degree in school out that claim. Despite getting Aurora Borealis, has both. There's The silver-haired 52-year-old came administration to Kenai, where he excellent grades in her academic no bus service, no lunch program, to Aurora Borealis to help the new spent the next three decades hon- subjects, Natalie is nostalgic for and a heavy homework load. It's school through its growing pains. ing his skills, both in and out of Aurora Borealis. "I would go to a big job for moms and dads. The first board meeting he attended the schoolhouse. The risks he takes a charter high school if there was "It's a sacrifice to spend an hour was supercharged with emotion as are calculated risks, always tem- one," says the long-legged girl on the road and pack lunches parents, teachers, and the original pered by practical know-how and whose dark hair curls in thick ten- and help with homework," Susan principal battled over their educa- deliberation. His firm belief in di- drils. "It was more like a family, Semmens notes. Adds her husband: tional dreams and ideals. He jokes rect instruction grows in part out and nobody talked bad about any- "When it's not a choice for people, about it now, but admits that at the of a lifetime of flying in the body, ever." you don't have the educational time, it didn't seem funny at all. bushlanding his floatplane on Her younger brother Trent, a buy-in from the parents. This "It reminded me of some blood- hidden, wilderness lakes and then serious, confident fifth-grader, tells offered us a great alternative to and-guts movie," he quips. "So fishing the wild rivers that run an anecdote to illustrate his sister's home schooling. It's less effort much for civilization in Alaska." thick with trout and salmon. point. "Yesterday," he says, "I saw than home schooling, but at the Larry Semmens is glad Phase "Flight training is all direct three seventh- and eighth-grade same time it's not like putting One is behind them. "The start-up instruction `I'll show you this; girls gathering around this little your kids out at the end of the year is difficult," he says. "Besides now you do it.' And in my case," kindergartner, going, 'Oh, the little road and a bus picks them up. trying to get your program together, he jokes, "they sometimes had to guy lost two teeth! So cool!"' Parents have to be dedicated." 123

CHARTER SCHOOLS VI-17 CHARTER SCHOOLS STUMBLE

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ardboard boxes sit atop ing, and record keeping. A mistake wooden tables. Child- in the recipe and sometimes the sized chairs are stacked whole venture falls flat. A recently in a corner. Racks of updated study of charter schools by books go unread amid a jumble the Center for Education Reform of office supplies, soccer balls, and (a charter advocacy group) found jump ropes. When teacher Beverly that 86 schools in 21 states, or 4 Grogan looks around the class- percent of the nation's total, had room that once housed Bay View closed of their own accord or had Charter School, she remembers their charters revoked as of Decem- children working with colorful ber 2000. Also, 50 schools in eight Montessori shapes and letters, set states were granted charters but in carefully crafted wooden trays. never opened, and 26 in 10 states She remembers the tapping and opened but were later consolidated ringing of rhythm instruments into their school districts or with hand drums, glockenspiels, another charter school. marimbas, xylophonesthat now The optimistic names of which sit silent on a shelf. She remembers charter founders are fond her students gathered on the floor Success Academy, Bright Horizons, at morning circle time, around a Education Redirection, Life Is segment of a 200-year-old spruce Beautifuldo not ensure a shining tree trunk. future. The updated CER report, Grogan also remembers frustra- Charter Schools Today: Changing tion, conflict, and overwork. the Face of American Education, Even under the best of circum- which documents the demise of stances, opening and running a these and other schools, found the charter school is no easy feat. In most common reason for charter addition to providing a sound edu- closure was "mismanagement" cational program, these schools- (33 schools), including deliberate from-scratch must manage misspending and an overall lack 0 purchasing, contracts, facilities, of accountability. Another common O personnel, recruitment, fund rais- reason was "financial inequities" 124

NW EDUCATION / Spring 2001 A

(32 schools), meaning budget removing computers and other "We started too soon," says Beverly meeting at which the school board problems the school was not able property, and naming a new board Grogan, former head teacher and was scheduled to decide on the to overcome resulting from condi- with herself as chair. In Waco, administrator. She and the other charter, teachers from the school tions such as underenrollment Texas, Emma L. Harrison Charter founders liked Howard Gardner's sent faxes in opposition. The charter or higher than projected expenses. School accumulated a $400,000 theory of multiple intelligences. group temporarily withdrew its Smaller numbers of schools debt, failed to pay into unemploy- Although no one curriculum request for approval and Grogan closed because they could not find ment and retirement funds, missed embodies his theory, the Montes- went to a tense site council meeting a facility in which to continue teacher paychecks, and violated sori approach comes close, the to try to explain the purpose of Bay (13 schools) or because they did laws related to nonprofit corpora- founders learned. But by the first View. "I said to them, 'It's not an not meet the academic goals of tions, open meetings, public infor- day of school the all-important attack; it's an alternative. their charter (seven schools). mation, employee payment, and The Northwest has yet to produce the federal child nutrition program. grisly charter revocation stories like Thus far in the Northwest, where "In addition to providing a sound those recounted in the original CER charter schools are few, only two study. In Phoenix, for instance, the have closedBay View Charter educational program, these schools- founder of Citizen 2000 and her School and Walden Pond Charter from-scratch must manage purchasing, sister were indicted on 31 counts School, both in Alaska. Problems contracts, facilities, personnel, recruitment, of theft, fraud, and the misuse of at Bay View and Walden Pond were $179,000 in public funds. In Los not sensational, but similar to the fund raising, and record keeping." Angeles, an audit of Edutrain found problems many charters face at that administrators inflated enroll- some point in their development

ment figures and took expensive poor planning, internal disagree- Montessori materials had not Bay View set up shop in a room retreats while teachers lacked sup- ments, lack of management skills, arrived. Neither had the child- at Seward Middle/High School plies and went unpaid. In Washing- lack of district support, burnout, sized Montessori furniture. Comp- a location that was meant to be ton, D.C., the principal of Marcus and budget imbalances. licating things further, Grogan temporary but became permanent Garvey Public Charter School had no Montessori training and after plans to locate in the local allegedly attacked a newspaper THE LIFE AND DEATH the school's year-round schedule aquarium fell through. The rent at reporter, scuffled with police, and OF A CHARTER SCHOOL prevented her from taking the the middle/high school was reason- disrupted school operations after Bay View, a K-5 Montessori-based training in June. able and the staff was welcoming she was suspended. When she was school in Seward, got off to a rocky Even before Bay View opened, and helpful, says Grogan. But in fired, she tried to take over the start. Its founder readily admits relations with the local elementary several ways the facility was inap- school by locking out the trustees, that planning was inadequate. school were strained. Before the propriate for elementary students. 125 CHARTER SCHOOLS WHY CHARTER SCHOOLS STUMBLE AND SOMETIMES FALL

22 The first year, the school was in a to boys and girls, but you need to to avoid the perception of favorites?" taro policies and also reserved the room with no windows, no running think about who's going to turn on By the second year Bay View's re- right to request other waivers. But water, and no area for staff to deal the lights, who's going to repair the lations with the elementary school as situations like this one arose in with discipline problems, except out boiler when it breaks down, who's had improved, but internal dissen- which a waiver would have been in the hall. The second year, the going to unlock the door in the sion was rife. The policy council helpful, no one seemed to have school moved to a room in a bottle- morning, he says. discussed every issue at length, but time to write the request. "There neck area of the high school where Grogan feels that more support often failed to come to a decision were too few people to do the work," Grogan sometimes had to break up from the district could have made because it was set up to operate by says Grogan. fights among older kids outside the a big difference. "They never even consensus. "We wanted to please In hindsight, says Grogan, there door. Parents were unhappy with identified a contact person," she everyone," says Grogan. In the is much she would do differently. both locations. says. A contact person who sup- absence of decisions on issues such She would start up more slowly, As simple sounding a task as sub- ported the charter school concept as half-day versus full-day kinder- with more planning, and have mitting attendance records to the could have been a liaison between garten, she was often left to decide training and materials in place district was daunting. Grogan the school and the administration. by herself when the day of reckon- before opening. She would clarify wanted to fax attendance records Such a person could have helped ing came, inevitably angering those the mission of the school by mak- for what was never more than 19 the school work out problems re- who disagreed. ing it strictly a Montessori program, students, but the district was on a lated to special education services, From Grogan's point of view, not a Montessori-based program, computerized system. A parent had nursing services, and transporta- some parents and board members which left her open to continuing to drive 95 miles across the penin- tion, she says. had become intrusive, more con- discussions with parents about what sula to Soldotna to be trained to do The idea of an advocate or out- cerned with curriculum details than was acceptable in the curriculum. budget transfers and attendance. reach person for charter schools writing policy council bylaws or Ideally, the school would have two Taking care of students with play- in a district of 10,000 kids in 40 dealing with big-picture issues such classroom teachers with one class ground scrapes and bumps was schools in a 26,000 square mile as funding. Whereas the first year for three- to six-year-olds and one something else that seemed as if it area is unrealistic, says Assistant interested parents sat in the Montes- for six- to nine-year-olds, to better should have been straightforward Superintendent Patrick Hickey. sori observation chair and watched carry out the Montessori philosophy. but wasn't. Though there was a "We don't just hire someone to the class, in the second year they The board's responsibilities would school nurse at the high school, be an ombudsman for a cadre of sometimes marched right into class be defined more narrowly, a certain the district wouldn't let Bay View programs." There is nothing the with their comments and disagree- number of people would serve, and students see her. Grogan was told district provides from which partici- ments. "I felt they were trying to they would need to make a mini- to call 911 in an emergency. "It pants in charter schools are ex- run my classroom instead of run- mum time commitment to do seemed so unfair," she says. "These cluded, he notes. "We have special ning the school," she says. so. The board would operate by were district kids, too." education problems," he says. "We Grogan felt pulled in every direc- majority rule instead of consensus. It's just such details that really have transportation problems. We've tion. Though a parent took the stu- Grogan would hire a part-time sec- test a charter school, says Jim Green got people dedicated to addressing dents for PE so that she would have retary to do payroll and attendance. of the Oregon School Boards Associ- those. Is it management's role to prep time, if a child got hurt, Gro- In February 1999, an accident ation. "When I talk to groups I tell be anybody's advocate, or is it to gan, as the only certified teacher, put Grogan in the hospital for two them, 'You've got a great idea for provide equitable distribution of was required to be present. The Bay months. Substitutes took over. But providing an educational program resources for the good of the whole View charter was set up to waive cer- when she returned, enrollment 126

NWEDUCATION /Spring 2001 which had already dropped from different to everyone. The school, forward to fill the job. Like Grogan [$187,000 annually] that we 23 17 to 12had dropped again. the first charter to open in the at Bay View, Hackett felt over- weren't able to pay," says Hackett. By the time the school board voted Anchorage School District, brought whelmed by the multiple responsi- "We didn't realize we could have in May to terminate Bay View's con- in some capable students who bilities. Her teaching suffered. asked the district to look over the tract, the school had no more than didn't thrive in a traditional Finding suitable quarters at a contract." To make matters worse, seven students, and its policy coun- setting, but also became a desti- reasonable rent is a major chal- after the lease was signed the Alaska cil had not responded to the super- nation for kids with behavior and lenge for many charter schools. Legislature passed Senate Bill 36 intendent's request for a plan to academic difficulties. Whereas Bay View had affordable which, in order to encourage boost enrollment to the minimum "We didn't want to attract stu- rent but a less-than-ideal facility, economies of scale, reduced funding 20 required by the charter contract. dents with behavior problems be- Walden Pond had the opposite to alternative and charter schools The board left the door open for the cause we had no counselor," says problem. The facilitya former with enrollments under 200. school to reapply for charter status Hackett. Over the years the school, junior college in an office tower The Anchorage School District by January 2000, but Bay View which opened in fall 1997 and attached to Anchorage's largest made up the difference in funding closed in June and did not reopen. closed in December 2000, tried to mallwas excellent, says Hackett. during the first year of cuts, and of- No other school has rushed forward correct its mistake by stressing aca- to fill the void. "Under current rules demics in its marketing materials there remains one more slot for a and with the students. But its image "I believe if we had had a strong and charter school, but it's remained as a place for difficult kids was hard dedicated academic policy council, open since their contract was termi- to shake. TWenty-five to 30 percent nated," says Hickey. of the student body was always we could havemade it." made up of special education A SCHOOL FALLS THROUGH students. The school came up with THE CRACKS a plan to have failing students meet The classrooms were spacious and fered other support, such as sending Like Bay View, Walden Pond Char- certain GPA goals in order to attend, the mall had an iceskating rink and a representative to school meetings ter School for grades seven through but at a time when the school was bowling alley. Students could eat in to explain the financial problems. 12 began with a concept that was struggling to boost enrollment, the food court, which meant they "The district was wonderful," says too broad. "You need to picture consequences were rarely enforced. didn't have to go off campus. But Hackett. The school made efforts to what kind of student you want Hackett, like most of the Walden the pricey space was a major factor increase enrollment, but it was too to serve," says Meghan Hackett, Pond staff, was new to teaching in the school's downfall. For the little, too late. Walden Pond had a teacher and the school's fourth when she came to the school. She fist year, the school got the space run for a year and a half in the red and last head during its three and continued to teach when she took at an affordable rate. The next year, when the Anchorage School Board a half years. Walden Pond, says over the job of headmistress. "The however, the landlord wanted a closed it in December 2000 to avoid Hackett, who was not involved in job was designed incorrectly," she three-year contract at a much the approximate $225,000 deficit the school's start-up phase, was says. "There needs to be one person higher rate. In the meantime, says projected at that time, says Superin- conceived to serve "kids who were in charge all the time without the Hackett, the school's policy council tendent Carol Comeau. falling through the cracks." The responsibility of classes." She also had not looked into alternatives. "I believe if we had had a strong problem, she says, was that this served as treasurer for the policy "We signed a lease for an and dedicated academic policy vague phrase meant something council because no one else stepped incredibly large amount of money council, we could have made it," 1 2 CHARTER SCHOOLS Jul 11 A 1 1

24 says Hackett, who feels the council counts. The Renaissance School, education plans) and special educa- had more than adequate warning an existing alternative school with PIONEERS BLAZE A NEW tion lawswhich are familiar to us of the impending financial crunch. a visual and performing arts focus, "OREGON TRAIL" in the public sectorwere brand- Without a council dedicated to find- closed at the end of the 1999 school In Oregon, where the charter law new to them. They didn't have sys- ing less expensive space or raising year when it could not continue in is still young, none of the 12 oper- tems in place to deal with itor funds, she says "our school was des- its space in a church. While looking ating charters has come to grief. with the reporting of attendance, tined to fail with or without SB 36." for a new home, the school's They are experiencing growing assessment, and curriculum." founder applied for charter status. pains, however, and this applies Increasingly, says Corbell, there EXPLORING "UNCHAR11ERED" "One of the issues was a concern to established schools that have was a mismatch between the cre- TERRITORY about the understanding that this converted, as well as to start-ups. ative, visionary director who While Grogan's vision lies aban- was really a small business," says Hungry for greater financial stabil- founded Willamette Valley and the doned in a lonely classroom, some Bill Jones, Eagle Point School Dis- ity, Willamette Valley Community school's new nuts-and-bolts needs. would-be charter starters find their trict Superintendent. "The appli- School, a five-year-old private "The way the charter law is written, paper proposals are the end of the cant was never able to present a school, became a charter in fall the director functions more as a line. The Number One reason for balanced budget after several tries." 2000. Subsequently, enrollment superintendent than a principal," charter rejections is budget num- The school's budget included what grew from 25 to 45 students, and says Corbell. "It takes a very tal- bers, says Marc Abrams, Vice Chair- the district felt were unrealistic the budget ballooned to twice ented individual to be a creative man of the Portland School Board. assumptions about costs and about its original sizefrom just under leader, know systems inside and "It's easier for us to process that grant funds that the applicant had $150,000 to close to $300,000. out, and report to the board." In before making the finer judgments yet to apply for and secure. "On her The new funds were a welcome January 2001 Willamette Valley's on the academic merits of a pro- very last, I believe it was the seventh change. But along with the conver- board dismissed the school's posal," he says. "If the numbers try, out of $131,496 the applicant sion to charter school status came founder. There ensued what Corbell crunch, then you turn tois it allocated $100 to instructional unexpected consequences. termed "a month of confusion and pedagogically sound?" supplies," Jones reports. "The huge shock for them, craziness in the news media." The first group to apply for a Besides, says Jones, the mission what they had not anticipated, "The difficult thing for parents Portland district charterEuro- of the school seemed to be in flux. was the number of special needs is getting beyond the idea that the pean High Schoolsuffered from When the latest potential location students," says Corvallis School school is about one person," says fuzzy math. "Their numbers didn't was a mall, the school was to have District Assistant Superintendent Marion McNamara, a member of crunch," says Abrams. "They didn't a marketing focus. When it was Ron Corbell, who acts as the dis- Willamette Valley's board. even snap, crackle, or pop." The near the Rogue River, the focus trict's liaison to Willamette Valley. The board's action sparked a stu- school's prospects looked even dim- was to be environmental. He also Whereas regular schools in the dent walkout and a call for board mer when The Oregonian newspa- had concerns about the depth of district average about 12 percent members to resign. Unhappy par- per reported that one of the charter community support for the school. special education students, ents recommended the board ap- proposers had had her teaching The school appealed the charter Willamette Valley's percentage point four additional members to license revoked. denial to the state Department of is currently twice that high. the original five-member group. In Southern Oregon, Eagle Point Education, but after seven months "That has caused them incredi- The board complied. A handful of School District denied the state's with no official action dropped the ble difficulty," says Corbell. "The parents pulled their children out of first charter application on several appeal. whole notion of IEPs (individual school. In February, after a meeting 128

NW EDUCATION / Spring 2001 that stretched more than five hours, closures. The National School The idea behind charter schools nian physics for its survival. The 25 the board hired an interim director, Boards Association cautions: is that they will compete in the edu- 21st Century Community School- someone with a superintendent's "A charter school is not simply cational marketplace by showing house, a high school in the Salem- certificate and experience heading a small business subject to the academic results. Thus far, however, Keizer District, has contracted with educational programs. vagaries of the marketplace and as at Walden Pond, it is financial Teaching Research Institute for the business acumen of its opera- trouble, not academic nonperfor- an evaluation of everything from WHO PAYS THE PRICE tors; it is an institution that holds mance that causes most closures. attendance to parent satisfaction OF FAILURE? an important key to a child's future. "Education people are rarely also to student progress in meeting "I have lots of faith that Willamette When a charter school fails, the stu- CPAs," notes Abrams. benchmarks. The first year of the Valley Community School will dents whose education is disrupted Will school boards and other three-year evaluation will cost thrive," says Corbell. "This is pay an immediate price. The entire authorizing bodies in fact terminate approximately $21,000. "That's a bump in the road, a course cor- school district also bears a burden schools for not meeting academic another expense a lot of charters rection." McNamara is hopeful all as it hurries to accommodate those goals when charters run out in don't put into their budget," says the attention focused on the school students. And citizens, whose taxes three, five, or even 10 years? Abrams co-founder Andrew Goldstein, "But will translate into additional par- paid for the failed experiment, suf- is skeptical that they will have the you'd better be able to cut the mus- ent commitment to fund raising fer a financial loss and, perhaps, political gumption to do so. "Once tard when your charter comes up and volunteering. a loss of faith in the ability of the you do something there's a pre- for renewal." A bump in the road or the end of local school board to make sound the road? The possibility of failure educational decisions." is a major difference between char- The NSBA urges school boards ter schools and mainstream public to take seriously their oversight "The way the charter law is written, schools. The idea that a school can responsibility for charter schools. the director functions more as a close voluntarily or that a school Portland School Board member superintendent than a principal. It takes board or other authorizing body Sue Hagmeier does. She's particu- can revoke or refuse to renew its larly concerned about providing a very talented individual to be a creative charter, raises an array of reactions stabilitysix years of it at the leader, know systems inside and out, and concerns from those involved elementary school level. " I wouldn't with the issue. Charter school advo- want to experiment on my child," and report to the board." cates, for instance, see closures she says. "And I don't want to be in as evidence that the charters work the hot seat for saying you can ex- as they are supposed to. The Center periment on someone else's child." sumption of continued validity and for Education Reform points opti- She points out that Portland already that concerns me," he says. mistically to the 86 failures docu- has numerous magnet schools, spe- "A body in motion tends to stay in mented in its report as proof of cial-focus schools, and alternative motion. A program approved tends "real contractual accountability, schools. She worries that charter to stay approved, and that some- which is all too often missing at schools, even those with academic times results in misspending." many traditional public schools." merit, could fail simply because of At least one charter school in Others put a different spin on market saturation. Oregon isn't counting on Newto- 19 CHARTER SCHOOLS The Quest for Accountability: Charter Schools' Hoyral

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Third-grader Megan Lundquist works intently to compile her portfolio at Boise's Anser Charter School.

NW M UT ION / Spring 2001 MIE SUCCESS OFCHARTERS crucialand relatedissues: accountability agreements between But most charter schools see 27 HOMES LARGELY ONTHEIR assessment (measuring student the Sunshine State's charter obvious problems with the world

ABILOWTO SHOW RESULT& achievement) and accountability schools and their authorizers con- of high-stakes, nationally stan-

RECE NTSEMINAR ONDAHO (measuring the school's perfor- tained any measurable goals and dardized tests. By relying on tradi- HELPEDA SHOUP OF mance as a whole). Without one, objectives. Studies by the Northwest tional tests, schools risk skewing CHARTERSCHOOLFAITHFU you can't have the other. Yet, how do Regional Educational Laboratory instruction to match the tests. Or

FONDTHEIRWV TOWARD you determine if you're really doing found that similar problems exist recreating the status quo. MOOASE 'IMMNTS well in either? That's what charter in Alaska and Idaho. Some charter advocates believe school founders, staffers, parents, Solving the problem is crucial. that attempts to tighten charter By MELISSA STEINEGER and authorizing agencies are Charter schools typically have school regulation is an effort to BOISE,IdahoThey were shut struggling with across the region. a time limit of three to five years rein in the entire movement. Oth- inside a drab, windowless confer- In theory, charter schools are for achieving what they have ers complain that standardized ence room for two snowy days in given more autonomy than other promised. If authorizers don't tests create a conservative influence January. The dozen charter school public schools because they're held see the benefits, they may decide on charter schools. Freedom from staff members and policymakers more rigorously accountable for to revoke a school's charter. The rules and regulations is supposed nevertheless traveled far in their substantiating student performance. more a school can demonstrate to give charter schools the latitude journey toward accountability. To do this, charter schools set forth quantifiably that it is making to innovate, so it would be a great And, judging by their careful goals in their agreements with the a difference, the better. Charter irony if they had to use traditional attention and comments along authorizing agency. The authoriz- schools are well aware of the issue. tests to prove their worth and en- the way, these public school pio- ing agency then measures the An informal survey by Charter sure their existence. neers welcomed the tripeven school's performance against those Friends National Network in early Yet, even if schools and autho- though it included a two-hour stated goals to determine whether 1998 found accountability to be rizers can agree on the yardstick, presentation by a statistics expert; to continue the school's charter. their top priority. setting performance targets for an afternoon of humbling discov- If a charter school does not Yet, after almost a decade, edu- individual schools can be tricky. eries about their shortfalls as demonstrate solid performance, cators and policymakers have still Schools must be able to build their appraisers of student writing; the authorizing agency can close to agree on the nuts and bolts own mission and goals based on and a morning of lessons on the the charter school's doors. by what methods should these pub- their philosophies. But at the same deficiencies of their portfolio as- The problem arises when a licly financed schools be judged? time they must be able to assess sessment. That's because the Idaho charter school's goals are vague. One obvious way to measure progress toward their goals. Department of Education seminar And the problem, it turns out, charter schools, at least in the eyes The problem with demonstrat- on Assessment, Portfolios, and affects almost every charter school of those outside the movement, is ing achievement seems to be in Data Analysis could, in the end, operating today. Indeed, unmea- with state and national tests. Even large part due to difficulty in craft- prove critical to the success of their surable performance goals have some backers of charter schools say ing data-based performance mea- charter schools. the potential for being the charter such tests complement the schools' sures. Understanding the nuances Charter schools across the school movement's Achilles' heel. aims because both the tests and the of assessment and how schools Northwest and throughout the An analysis by the state of schools emphasize performance- could create their own assessment nation are struggling with two Florida found that only six of 33 based accountability. and accountability plans were the ;

CHARTER SCHOOLS 28 goals of the Idaho workshop, orga- For some students, Kelly says, back the player can use to measure That teacher, Kelly says, helped nized by Carolyn Mauerwho assessment is about personal risk his or her accomplishments. each student develop the under- heads up the Idaho Bureau of Cur- management. A child who is suc- "Would video games be as popu- standing and insight to determine riculum and Accountability in the cessful the first time gains confi- lar," he asks, "if you finished the what was good and what was bad. state's Department of Education dence and encouragement. But game and waited three months for Again, the teacher showed them in consultation with the Northwest imagine a childperhaps intimi- the results to be mailed to you?" that these were exactly the quali- Regional Educational Laboratory. dated by the school environment For Kelly, the three key ties they would be assessed on. or simply shywho fails the first attributes of a good assessment That understanding of what they VIE ROAD Vi HEIRIDREFUL time, second time, third time, and tool are that it: would be assessed on and how they ASSIESSMERT so forth. Why on earth, asked Kelly, Intimidates no one (because would be measured gave students The journey in Idaho started when would that child try his or her students know the target) the confidence to take risks and the keynote speaker related the hardest on the 17th time, or after Surprises no one succeed. true story of a first-grader who six years of failure, merely at a Merely corroborates what kids In other words, Kelly says, had not yet learned to distinguish teacher's urging? That, he says, already know (because kids under- teachers can help students by a T from a Jboth letters were would actually be irrational. Such stand what they will be assessed using assessment not just as a Is to her eyes. One morning at children would rather slouch in on and can reasonably predict checklist, but as a way for students the beginning of the school year, the back of the room, sneering, the level of success they will to gain insight into how to she took a 10-minute reading test or simply tune out and eventually achieve on the assessment) improve. The English teacher, for and failed. That afternoon her par- drop out than to be seen as failures. Kelly cites the case of a high example, could show a student ents were informed that the little "For them," he adds, "assessment school English teacher who that his or her writing did not girl would be moving into the is about avoiding the embarrass- had students read an example contain the qualities the group special education program, despite ment of being seen as incapable. of good writing and discuss why had set as desirablequalities the fact that she was doing well If kids don't feel able to learn, they thought it was good. The next that the student had a full and in all her subjects. After two days there will be no learning." time the class met, the teacher complete understanding of of hearing her parents discuss their The essential question, Kelly had students read an example and use that as a starting point efforts to have the child retested, says, is how to help students want of bad writing and discuss why for the student to improve his or the child told her father not to to learn. Used well, assessment can they considered it bad. In the her writing. worry about it, explaining, "I'm help children gain the ability to third class, the teacher had the This type of good classroom just not very smart." self-assess and the confidence to students compare the two papers. assessment actually boosts test "I tell that story," explains the take risks and succeed. At the end Using the discussion, students scores, Kelly says. A 1998 review girl's father and workshop keynoter, of every video game, Kelly notes, developed their own scale of good, of the effects of classroom assess- Phillip Kelly of Boise State Univer- the player "fails." "Yet, kids don't bad, and the steps in between. ment found that good classroom sity, "to demonstrate the power of give up, they start over. Why? In the fourth class, the teacher assessment provided the grade misused assessment. Anyone can To better their scorein other asked students to write a paper equivalent increase of one to four use assessment to destroy a child's words to raise their achievement." that would be evaluated on the grades, with the biggest boost for confidence. We must use assessment Video games, Kelly says, have clear scale that they had discussed and low achievers. Yet, teachers rarely to build children's confidence." goals and provide immediate feed- developed. 1 3 2 have training to develop high-

NW EDUCATION / Spring 2001 A charter school's ac- 1.tomb ow*oars muntability plan is the quality assessments to inform future The education department's 29 mission?(Answersgm* instruction. "The U.S.," Kelly says, Mauer offers some criteria for Nay a school indicates the questionsWtcow using portfolios in assessing stu- Goals it will achieve, or, aim WS y:amt "needs basic assessment literacy." from the authorizing For starters, Kelly suggests that dent work. The first step, she says, amomplish;atemethods teachersand schoolslook at is to decide which subjects will be agency's viewpoint, the yom moo unD performance levels it will 2.Yid w mit cur what they want to measure, whether included in the portfolio and what be held accountable for it's content, reasoning ability, per- the scoring criteria will be. Portfo- students Ocustoid Coxable formance skills, or even values. lios should incorporate the same attaining. The account- c)/ (Articulation sib Then, consider the best type of as- content schoolwide, and ensure ability plan provides: desiredcharacteristicsdi sessment tool to use, from multiple that teachers are requiring and )Information needed to studentsdescribed concrete choice to interaction between scoring the same things in the measure and track the graduation standards school's progress toward teacher and student (see sidebar). same ways to ensure comparability benchmarksalong'MU One form of assessment that is and replicability. Portfolios should its goals vim reachingroma* popular especially among charter document a student's strengths, )Program adjustments standard4 schools is the portfolio method. In- Mauer says, not his or her short- when needed 3.lima vaMcwwhether )Reports to parents, the deed, 75 percent of Idaho's charter comings. Portfolios should build CONstudentsNgachieving schools use or plan to use student confidence by demonstrating what :ommunity, and charter- attaining goals portfolios as part of their battery students can do, not what they ing authority on perfor- standards specified Mil CUT mance and progress of assessments. But, in the words don't know. Finally, portfolios charter? OM COspecific The Northwest Regional of Susan Seaman, a teacher at Re- should be only one of multiple mademictatestudents naissance Public Charter School, measures a school or teacher uses Educational Laboratory st00 demonstrate In GO [lifers an organizing "You can call any collection a port- to assess student learning. subjectarea dffig.) framework based on folio, but what is the quality of the Tammy Emerich of Idaho's 4.Now 01100 rke nicl six questions: contents?" Meridian Charter High School near monitorITE)necessarystudent Renaissance Charter School Boise presented examples of the performanceinformation? in Moscow, Idaho, enrolls about 70 portfolio method her school uses. 5.[b«wionwavell students in K-12 with an emphasis At the beginning of each term, measureprogresstoward on the individual nature of student Emerich gives her students a list *toolperformancegoals? learning. Arts education, multiple of things they must know by the 6.Nongoon was intelligences theory, and holistic end. Then instead of giving a final student school learning are part of the educa- exam, she interviews each student information tional emphasis. Renaissance to determine his or her true gathered?FCP informa- teachers are so interested in the achievement level. "Life isn't mul- Ito coNWFigts@hailers@hool topics of assessment and account- tiple choice," she says. "It's a pro- assistan @eprogram ability that they came in for two ject-based world, so it's much more cationsrktalrniab days before the start of the school realistic to have students sit down Fiesour@essection Page year to review the issues. and explain." II I

30 Writing is often included in vibrant, consistent voice with var- portfolios. Lynette Hill, an English ied sentence length, among other and language arts specialist at the things. 4'1 state's education department, offers some tools for assessing student CHEDOBLOTV IffiTHOUT writing. Hill helped develop Idaho's ACCOURTABLOTIT direct writing assessment and is David Breithaupt, a research and the state's writing competency evaluation analyst for the Idaho course coordinator. Idaho conducts Department of Education, is an writing assessments in grades four, unabashed numbers zealot. eight, and 11. A buoyant man with a booming "Assessing writing is so subjec- voice and a gusto for his topic, tive," says Hill. "'Nfe lve experts he strides through the conference would say 12 different things about audience, looming close to make one piece." Standards help reduce a point at first one table, then an- the subjectivity of scoring. other. He seems on the verge of To help teachers use standards grasping participants by the shoul- in assessing their students' writing, ders to heal them of their fear of Idaho publishes booklets of the statistics. Amazingly, he infuses areas that will be measured in even an after-lunch crowd with his each of the grade levels that are arithmetical ebullience. While he officially measured, as well as orates, listeners' faces light up ap- three additional grade levels. The preciatively booklets contain the rationale for "Successful assessment starts the testing as well as the writing with measurable objectives," he terms and vocabulary students booms. "A goal doesn't have to are expected to know and how they be measurable; an objective does." will be scored. Scoring grids list the To drive home his point, he recites five "grades" papers can receive, an objective lifted directly from the from "advanced" to "minimal," charter of one participant's school: and what specific attributes each "Demonstrate refined reading, of those levels demonstrates. An writing, listening, speaking, and advanced paper for a fourth- presentation skills in multiple grader, for instance, is a uniquely forms of expression, using com- developed topic with details related munication skills appropriate to to'time, place, characters, and plot the setting and audience." He using figurative language in a pauses a moment to let the words

ll sink in. As worthy as this objective Three to four objectives per area and as an aid for other schools on its own to write objectives 31 may sound, he continues, "It is not of curriculum are easier to mea- to replicate success or learn from for safety and discipline, they got measurable." sure than an exhaustive laundry mistakes. stuck, Nichols reports. Breithaupt's Begin crafting a measurable list, he notes. So, rather than Jana Nichols of Meridian Char- presentation helped her start the accountability plan, he says, by "improve fourth-grade reading," ter High School has taught for 22 process of rewriting the objectives asking three simple questions: a measurable objective might talk years in schools throughout the in measurable terminology. Where am I going? about vocabulary, comprehension, West and Midwest. That breadth of Irina Burns of Blackfoot Char- How shall I get there? word-attack skillsin other experience convinced her, she says, ter Community Learning Center How will I know whether I have words, the components of good that "we could do school differ- also learned enough to begin arrived? reading. "And let me give you a ently" After finishing an advanced rewriting her school's goals. Black- The answer to "Where am I tip," he adds. "Don't use the word degree, she interviewed for a posi- foot, which opened its doors in going?" becomes your goal, he `and' in writing objectives because tion at Meridian, and the school's August, has about 50 students in says. Next, look at where you are. you can't measure two or more outside-the-box thinking clicked kindergarten through fifth grade. The difference between the two items well, such as reading and with Nichols' beliefs. "Our charter doesn't have concrete is what you need to learnor writing. If I demonstrate refined Meridian has some 150 goalsI've been struggling with teachto reach your destination. reading but not writing skills, did students in grades nine through that," Burns says. For example, Such goals are not necessarily I pass? You can't tell." 11 and plans to add grade 12 in one first-grade objective at Black- measurable, he notes. So the Evaluation, he says, is simply the.2001-02 school year, with foot is "read well." With the help of school must next set measurable what a student must be able to ex- a cap of 200 students. The school what she learned in the workshop, objectives to determine whether it hibit for a school to say the student focuses on technology and offers Bums expects to be able to rewrite is on the way to reaching its goals. has met the goal. He explains that career paths in computer network- that into a specific goal that will Measurable objectives describe spe- all evaluation can be boiled down ing, electronics, computer pro- help her school not only demon- cific measurable tasks or steps to to a two-step process, whether gramming, and graphic design. strate the students' learning, but the goal that students are expected you're evaluating fourth-grade Students' grades for the week also help kids learn better. Rewrit- to achieve and answers the ques- reading or a new car model. First, are delivered to parents each ing the goals will take time, she tion, "How shall I get there?" you describe what you're looking Thursday, and youngsters have says. But in the long run, the effort To be measurable an objective at. Second, you judge. In educa- the opportunity during Friday is worth it. must pass the "Hey, Dad" test. tional parlance, "describe" is to study hall to either catch up "In other words," Breithaupt issue a grade via the assessment or improve their classwork. says, "'Hey, Dad. Let me show you tool you've chosen, and "judge" If their grades are satisfactory, how I can factor a polynomial.' is to compare to your standards they can watch a movie or partici- This is measurable. 'Develop or goals. pate in a job shadow. communication skills' is a worthy After planning, teaching, and A consultant helped write concept. But you can't show evaluating, it's time to reportto the school's improvement plan whether or not someone has describe and disseminate the infor- objectives, which were clearly `developed communication skills,' mation to provide a foundation for measurable. But when the 1 3 so it's not measurable." additional and continued funding improvement plan team tried

CHARTER SCHOOLS UCK THE ARTING OCKS DESPITE BACKING FROM VOCAL PARENTS, POLITICIANS OF ALL . STRIPES, AND A BILLIONAIRE WITH DEEP POCKETS, WASHINGTON STATE CAN'T SEEM TO GET A CHARTER SCHOOLS UP AND RUNNING.

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Jim Spady of Seattle SEATTLE, Washington the early 1990s, Jim had been for the dismissal bell, they com- But at that little school, his love for 33 Judging from the headlines, it a commercial lawyer for nearly pared notes. All of them would learning was reignited," his father would be easy to assume that a decade, living in a Seattle suburb have been thrilled to participate says. "It was really positive." the recent fight to bring charter with his wife and two young chil- in the classroom. Many had tried That might have been the end schools to Washington State is dren, when he decided to move volunteering. "But the principal of the story, except for one thing. nothing less than a full-blown into the city. A generation earlier, told us, 'Oh, we've tried parental The Spadys couldn't help but think political battle. All the big hitters his father had helped launch involvement before, and parents about those other parents, waiting from Governor Gary Locke to bil- Dick's Drive-in Restaurants, a are just too unreliable, Jim Spady in a hallway outside their chil- lionaire Paul Allenhave taken small chain of burger joints. Now recalls. "These parents kept think- dren's classroom. Why couldn't sides. Most of the state's largest it was time for the son to help run ing, we're here every day anyway. public schools provide them with newspapers have debated the the show He took down his lawyer's Why not let us come inside and more options, more flexibility for merits of charter schools on their shingle and moved into humble help?" But the door stayed closed. educating their children? As Jim editorial pages. And while the office space in the shadow of a ro- Within weeks, the Spadys grew Spady recalls, "Our own children voters have spoken twiceturning tating Dick's Drive-In sign in Seat- tired of waiting in the wings. When were doing great in their new down charter school initiatives tle's Wallingford neighborhood. the principal suggested that the school, but we felt so bad about soundly in 1996 and again, "We moved back into the city school and the family weren't a the families we had left behind. narrowly, in 2000proponents just at the time when our friends "good fit," they pulled their chil- My wife and I were idealistic show no signs of giving up. were moving out to the suburbs. dren out of public school and en- Democrats. We felt an injustice. The irony is, if charter schools Other parents told us we were rolled them in a nonreligious What could we do?" ever do get the nod in Washington, crazy," he admits, to think of en- private school. "It was small and They've spent much of the past they will succeed in spite of poli- rolling their children in an urban personal and caringexactly the decade working on an answer. tics. Although the quest for char- district. Seattle's crusading Super- kind of school that shouldn't have Along the way, the Spadys have ters has become politicized, this intendent John Stanford had not a reason to exist," Jim Spady ar- changed political parties, moved crusade started as something yet arrived to light a fire under gues in his outspoken way, "if pub- back out of the city, tangled with much more personal. It began school reform efforts. "But we told lic schools are doing a good job." organized labor, and learned to with a familya husband and our friends we really believed in The little elementary school, swim in the turbulent waters of wife eager to join in the life of public education," Spady recalls, located in a funky old house, was state politics. Yet they remain their children's school, and a "and my wife wanted nothing nothing fancy. "But it was a won- convinced that charter schools school door stubbornly closed to more than to be a good public derful community," he says, "so offer the best solution to keep their good intentions. Their story school mom. She couldn't wait welcoming. The parents were made well-meaning parents connected may have gotten lost in the bigger to get involved." to feel that these 25 kids were all to public education and prevent debate, but it offers a reminder At the school where their son our children. We came together talented, professional teachers of why charter schools resonate started kindergarten, however, their as a community at that school." from fleeing the field. "It's public with a small but determined base story took an unexpected turn. Day by day, the Spadys also sector entrepreneurship," Jim of supporters. .Every day, Fawn Spady and half watched their son grow more ex- Spady says, "a way for teachers Jim and Fawn Spady are baby '14d4eh other parents would arrive cited about learning. In his previ- who feel boxed in by bureaucracy boomer parents and the products early to pick up their children. ous school, "he was visibly less to be creative and innovative in of public schools themselves. By Standing in the hallway, waiting excited the longer he stayed there. the way they teach." 13 7 CHARTER SCHOOLS 34 Someday, he predicts, people Washington state has been Out of frustration, Lauer con- It's a testimony to optimism will look back on the protracted debating the merits of charter ducted his own research, seeking that charter supporters can see in battle to launch charter schools in schools since at least 1995. That out schools that successfully serve these defeats the signs of growing the Evergreen State and wonder was the first year Jim Spady filed poor children in other states. support. In 1996, for instance, vot- what all the fuss was about. "Fifty a charter initiative. Somewhat To his surprise, many turned out ers turned down charter schools years from now, no one will under- naively, he thought an initiative to be charter schools. He went from by a two-to-one margin. Last stand why charter schools were would be a good way to educate being a charter foe to a charter November, charter schools Initia- ever opposed," he speculates. "In voters about this new breed of in- fan. "I've met people who would tive 729 failed statewide by less our view it's a civil rights issue, a dependent public school. He failed not have been able to accomplish than 4 percentage points. It passed struggle for freedom," he says, not to gather enough signatures to get the same things for kids in a tradi- in five counties in the populous apologizing if he sounds like a bit that first initiative on the ballot, tional school setting," he says. western half of the state, but took of a zealot. "Issues like that can but the effort introduced him to "Charters allow us to attack things a drubbing in more rural eastern take a long time to win." others in the stateteachers, from a different way." Washington. To charter foes like parents, and politicianswho Despite the enthusiasm that in- Doyle Winter of the Washington share his passion for creating dividuals have expressed for the Association of School Administra- more options in public education. charter concept, building statewide tors (WASA), the consistent losses Kurt Lauer, for instance, is support has proved challenging. show, "People are clearly saying a veteran public school educator Since the mid-1990s, two charter 'no.'" But with each setback, sup- who is a fairly recent convert to the initiatives have failed at the polls porters for charter schools have be- idea of charter schools. A teacher and several bills have died in the come more vocal, more politically and administrator from Seattle's state legislature. The most recent savvy, and better funded. South End neighborhoods, he has defeat in Olympia took place last In the weeks before the Novem- grown frustrated with the lack of spring, when a charter school bill ber 2000 election, in fact, it seemed options for lower-income families. appeared to have the support to that all the pieces were finally "There already is choice for the pass on a floor vote but stalled in falling into place. 1-729 was a more wealthy families," he says, the Education Committee headed more modest proposal than the "and even middle-class families by Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, earlier initiative, authorizing only know how to work the system to a Democrat and former school 20 charter schools per year and their advantage. But those in lower board member from Bothell. requiring charters to be sponsored socioeconomic areas don't have by school districts or public uni- the same choices in education. And versities. No longer an issue we have to do something for these championed by a small group kids. We're not succeeding, and we of dissatisfied parents, 1-729 won have to do better." endorsement from a cross section of supporters, including many in the minority community: the Urban League of Metropolitan 133 Seattle, which hoped to sponsor

NW EDUCATION / Spring 2001 one of the first charter high "It was no longer a grassroots Winter, executive director of When 1-729 failed, Washington 35 schools; El Centro de la Raza, rep- message," admits Spady, who found WASA, saw dollar signs in Allen's was halted from becoming the resenting the interests of Hispanic himself on the sidelines of his own motives. "He stands to make 37th state to allow charter schools. families; the United Indians of initiative campaign. In hindsight, money from charters," Winter State Sen. McAuliffe pointed to the All Tribes, which hoped to launch he says, "The grassroots message said several weeks after the election. defeat as the final word from the a charter school for Native Ameri- is critical. This is a complicated "That's part of our concern." WASA people. She told the Seattle Times: can middle school students; nearly conceptmuch more complex members also worried that charters "The message has always been every newspaper in the state; in- than vouchers," with which char- would be "independent of the obli- clear on charter schools. People cumbent Governor Gary Locke as ters are often erroneously confused gation to be accountable to school did not vote for them in 1996, and well as his Republican challenger, by voters. "You need time to edu- boards or superintendents of in- they did not support them today. John Carlson; and Paul Allen, who cate people about charter schools," struction," Winters added. Most I think the message is: Let's invest showed his support by chipping in he says. In 1996, for instance, of all, though, the school adminis- the dollars in our public schools, more than $3 million for the 1-729 former state schools chief Judith trators group "is adamant about in our education reform." Indeed, campaign. Billings opposed charters. By the keeping public money from going in the same election, voters did Of course, when a billionaire 2000 election, she had come to see to private schools. We don't believe approve two other measures to like Allen throws his weight behind charters as "something we owe our in letting special interests decide boost public education. After sev- an idea like charter schools, the kids," and co-chaired the I-729 the future of our state." eral false starts, had charter sup- story changes. No longer is it a campaign. Those criticisms were echoed porters sighed their last gasp? grassroots effort to tinker around Taking the lead to oppose 1-729, by the Washington PTA, which also the edges of education reform. with a scant $11,000 in campaign opposed the initiative. "We don't Suddenly it's a morality play about coffers, was the Washington Associ- say 'no' to charter schools carte big muscle, big interests, and big ation of School Administrators. blanche," explained Jean Carpen- changes in education policy. The WASA argued that charter schools ter, the organization's executive campaign strategy favored expen- would siphon off precious support director. "But we felt that this ini- sive, targeted television advertising for public schools for the benefit tiative didn't provide enough ac- over the low-key community meet- of a few, and cast its membership countability to elected officials. ings that had been used by charter as little David in a battle against The PTA wants to be sure nothing supporters in the past. big-bucks Goliath. Because Paul is done to divert resources away Allen is an investor in the for-profit from public education." Edison Schools, which contract to operate charter schools in several states, critics also were free to suggest that his motives were less than pure.

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CHARTER SCHOOLS A few weeks after the defeat of "It's not exactly a groundswell member Academic Achievement 1-729, about 100 charter schools of supporters," points out WASA's and Accountability Commission. advocates gathered in Seattle for Winter. Among the general public, Winter acknowledges that the a conference that had been he says, "charter schools are just burger executive and his wife prob- planned in advance of the Novem- not that high an interest." ably had a legitimate beef, back in ber election, when hopes were But chartersby their very the early 1990s, with the public running high. But in the wake of naturehave always been the school that wouldn't welcome their the election, the conference title darlings of the passionate few. participation. But since the Spadys Imagine the Possibilities If Washington ever does pass began their crusade, he points out, sounded more ironic than hopeful. a charter school law, Jim Spady alternative education has grown in Nonetheless, the event drew a acknowledges, "it will be too late Washington state, creating more who's who of speakers from the for our childreb." His daughter is options for families who want to charter movement: Mike Feinberg, now 15. His son is 12. When the keep their children enrolled in the founder of Houston's successful children outgrew their private public school system. "We'd like KIPP Academy, serving primarily elementary school in Seattle, to see that option expanded even at-risk minority students; Robert the family moved to Snoqualmie more," Winter says, "so we can Rauh, founder of Marva Collins Pass. Fawn Spady, the mom who continue to meet the need for more Prep Charter School in Milwaukee; yearned to be involved in her chil- choices for families." Winter can Joe Nathan, author of Charter dren's education, has gotten her even imagine the day when his Schools: Creating Hope and wishbut not exactly the way association might support charters, Opportunity in American Educa- she imagined. For the last several "if we felt satisfied that they had tion; Paul Hill, executive director years, she's been home schooling. built in accountability." of University of Washington's Jim Spady, who considers him- So while much of the rest of Center for Reinventing Public self "a pragmatic Republican" the country cautiously joins the Education; and, of course, Jim these days instead of an idealistic charter movement, Washington and Fawn Spady. Democrat, has gotten his own remains stuck at the starting line. Some dreams just won't die. education about politics by leading "We'll never be a leader," Spady the charge for charter schools. He admits, "but I'm convinced some- now understands that those on the day it will happen here. Maybe far ends of the political spectrumin time for my grandchildren." both right and leftwill never support charters. But he insists that there's growing support in the middle. And even as an out- sider, he's found that he can have a voice in state education reform. Last year, he was appointed by the governor to the state's nine- 140

NW EDUCATION / Spring 2001 GORDON CASTANZA:Well, I NW:What was it you liked they don't know how to run a 37 guess by Oregon standards, yeah, about the charter school business. And a school definitely they are remote. Hydaburg is lo- concept? has a business side to itthere's cated on the southwest tip of Prince CASTANZA:I liked the fact that the roof that needs to be fixed and of Wales Island about 45 miles westit allowed folks who had children the contractors to be dealt with. of Ketchikan. But at least there in the schools to have a say in the By and large you have people who were grocery stores, gas stations, way the school was being operated don't know how to use the re- Burger Kings, and pizza places, and what kind of curriculum sources or what's available, even and they were connected by paved would be taught and so on. Prior in their backyard. In spite of their roads. So by Alaska standards, to that, you had a bureaucratic desire to do something brand-new it really wasn't very remote systemvery hierarchical, top- and experimental and the enthusi- especially when you compare it downand the parents were sort asm that comes with that"Oh to Chatham on Admiralty Island of an adjunct. man, we can go out and do somewhere I was for four years. It was thing really great"they don't only accessible by ferry and small NW:The parents didn't fit know the infrastructure that is plane. You had to go into Juneau into the picture very well. needed. And they don't understand all the time if you wanted to get CASTANZA:Right. all of the education theory that's anything. They had a Fred Meyer behind it. They think all they need and a Costco and that sort of thing NW:How do you compare to do is go on the Internet and buy 1 in Juneau, but it was a 12-hour charter schools to other something off the shelf, and OK, ferry ride. choices people have, like this will work in our classroom vouchers, private schools, and we can call ourselves a charter NW:How did you get in- open enrollment. A lot of school. volved in the charter school different options have been movement? popping up. Do you see NW:So you're seeing people Seattle native Dr. Gordon E. CASTANZA:The concept appealedcharter schools as the best jumping in who are unpre- Castanza, a retired teacher and to me, particularly since at the of the bunch, or just one of pared for the rigors of the an administrator with more than time charters appeared on the many choices that should job? 22 years of experience in Boston scene I was implementing site- exist? CASTANZA:What I've seen hap- and Alaska, is the author of based management in my district. CASTANZA:I think the charter pening in Alaska is that a lot of the Alaska's Charter Schools: FreedomSite-based management was a school concept is fraught with lots original charter school founders and Accountability, published in brand-new concept that kind of of problems. Not the least of these are being ousted. It's almost like 1999 by Publications Consultants dovetailed into charter schools is what Seymour Sarason talks a domino effectyou know, after in Anchorage. Northwest Educa- as the school choice movement about in his book, Charter Schools:the revolution, the revolution be- tion Editor Lee Sherman spoke started to pick up some momen- Another Failed Education Re- gins to eat its young. How many of with him recently. That conversa- tum. It kind of led the way, at leastform?the lack of preparation, us are really groomed for positions tion is distilled below. intellectually and emotionally, even among the most zealous of of power, and know how to deal for folks to say, "Well, gee, if it's the charter school founders. They with it very well? You just don't NORTHWEST EDUCATION: OK for us to manage our own haven't a clue how to"put together jump into a position of power by' You've been superintendent money, then maybe we can handle a school. They're trained in a sub- somebody handing you the keys of two districts in Alaska our own governance." ject area or in elementary ed. My and saying, "OK, now you're going Chatham and Hydaburg. Are experience with educators is that to run the state of Oregon." There's they remote districts? a lot that goes into itknowing 144

CHARTER SCHOOLS 38 how to manage change, dealing goals that were measurable, NW:Like an audit. outcomes, quantifiable outcomes. with disparate points of view, seek- and they had to be able to CASTANZA:Yes, that's right. And then some very strong lan- ing not only compromise but mov- show at the end of five years And they're very careful, too, about guage having to do with checking ing the ball forward, and creating or whatever that they had granting charter schools. There's upthe accountability side. Most a sense of mission. These are at- actually accomplished those a lot more t's and i's that need to charter school legislation doesn't tributes of leadership that very few goals. You're saying that's a be taken care of before you can have that. In Alaska, I think char- of us have. Yet, one of the assump- nice theory, but it hasn't get a charter approved in the state ter schools are by and large a po- tions charter schools make is that happened consistently in of Massachusetts. And they had the litical phenomenon, not an everybody is coming out of the Alaska? first real handbook on account- educational phenomenon. There seashell fully formed and under- CASTANZA:That's right. And I ability of charter schools. are elements that go into thinking standing how to handle a position lay a lot of the fault at the feet of about charter schools that have of power and how to interact with the legislature. Alaska's charter NW:If you had a chance nothing to do with sound educa- their fellow human beings in order school law was very poorly crafted. to create the ideal charter tional theory and practice. I went to get something done. It was probably one of the worst school plan, what elements to the legislature and I told them pieces of legislation I've ever seen would you insist on? why they shouldn't jump into this NW:This idea of freedom come out of the state. CASTANZA:Well, first of all I'd charter school movement too for accountability is at the want leadership that has some soon. And the reason is the kids. I heart of the charter school NW:What was wrong seasoning behind ityou know, said, "Would you experiment with movement. Yet you're saying with it? show me the beef. If you went to taking a thousand gallons of crude that in reality, not all char- CASTANZA:Well, it didn't lay a bank and said, "I want to open oil and dumping it into Glacier ter schools are built solidly out any parameters for what a a school," the first thing they're Bay, just as an experiment to see on that foundation. school had to do. It said, "OK, going to ask you is: "Have you how quickly the superintendent of CASTANZA:Well, of course, my you go to your local school board, had any experience in running Glacier Bay National Park could research is just focused on the state and if they'll give you the blessing, a school? Do you understand what react and respond?" Well, of course of Alaska. But that's what I found- fine, then you send it up to the it takes to run a business?" Typi- not. I mean, that's a rhetorical that charter school founders were state and if it looks like a duck, cally, a small business folds up its question. Well then, if you aren't long on the rhetoric for freedom we'll call it a duck. But there was tent within five years. We've got going to do that, then why would but short on accountability. Thank nothing built into the law for any boneyards full of small businesses you let somebody experiment with you very much for the money, but kind of oversightno revisitation that come and go. Remember your children? Aren't they as valu- we don't want to have to answer to of it. I mean, you take a look at when the rage was yogurt places? able to you as the sea otter or the you, or a school board, or anyone Massachusetts' charter school law. Now it's espresso houses. That's humpback whale? Maybe we can else, about how we're spending the Now there's a model of how to get the great American experiment in take a look some of these test spots money. it done. They have an accountabil- free enterprise. and see how it works out first. Let's ity team that goes out to the char- not rush into something because NW:My understanding ter schools and checks on them. NW:Well, and opening up of political expediency and to is that that is the funda- The team is made up of a broad a school is infinitely more quiet some voices. Our children mental trade-off in charter cross-section of people from Mas- complex than opening an are too valuable to us to do that. schoolsthat they would sachusetts: businesspeople, indus- espresso stand, just in When these charter schools get have to show results, they tries, parent groups, the education terms of the knowledge started, what if they go belly-up, would have to have a plan. department, other school districts. required. as many of them have? What are They had to have specific It's like an accreditation team. CASTANZA:Right. And then the you going to do with those kids? next thing is a well-defined cur- Well, they go back into the public riculum. And next, some definite school system. So you've created 142

NW EDUCATION /Spring 2001 something that you haven't pre- we should abandon this counting the number of Hispanic 39 pared yourself or the legislature concept, or do you think kids, the number of kids in special for the eventualities. You're trying it can work with the right education, and things like that. to create a Band Aid and silence ingredients? But what nobody wants to these voices, and taking the money CASTANZA:I am an advocate of touch is student achievement from public education in order to charter schools, and I think they how well are these kids doing? do it. Because according to Alaska can work. But having been both a They say, "Charter schools haven't legislation, the money follows the practitioner in education and hav- been around long enough." But child. ing run school districts and man- then, why do we have 1,600 of aged large budgets, I know what it them? If they haven't been around NW:So, you said these takes to run a school. And I don't long enough, why are we spending things to the legislature, see charter legislation that pro- hundreds of millions of dollars? I and what was their vides people with the proper tools. mean, the Clinton administration response? just kept throwing money at char- CASTANZA:Well, other people NW:So you think there's ter schools because they're crying: had also come to them and said: still a long way to go in "Nobody gave us any start-up "Wait a minute. Anchorage School making charter schools expenses. We're not getting any District already has umpteen alter- a viable piece of the school money to build a school." So we're native schools for at-risk kids reform puzzle? going to give you some money to everything from teen moms to kids CASTANZA:There've been some start a school with no research on drugs, in prison, in and out of really good thinkers in the area of base to substantiate that this is reform school, and so on. They're charter schools. But you know what we ought to be doing. For trying to take care of a lot of differ- what's odd about their writing? at least 30 years now, going back ent students' needs." But other They don't get at the underside. to the work of educator and voices were saying, "Everybody They get the nice theory and the researcher Ronald Edmonds knows that the public school sys- romance of going off and doing one of the first guys who started tem is in a shambles and that pub- this bright and beautiful thing. to look at education as a research lic schools are the worst thing But they're really out there ro- laboratorywe've slowly started going for kids." These are people mancing the stone. They don't to build a research base. Now who, by the way, were themselves have any idea of the work that's we've got researchers like Lawrence educated in the public school sys- going to go into doing this. Lezotte and David Berliner and tem. Weird, isn't it? And they were And I look at the studies that are Linda Darling-Hammond. Why also listening to things like inter- being done at the national level don't we take a look at these folks national test scores that showed by RPPI (Research, Policy, and and see what they're saying about that America's math and science Practice International), and their education? Let's get our research scores are third-rate, and so on work is superficial. I mean, it has base first. Let's substantiate and and so forth. appearances of being in-depth, look at what we know before we but you look at the results, and go out and try to do something NW: Ilcan't decide if you're they're not plowing any new we don't know a charter school supporter ground. They're going after the or a critic. Do you think low-hanging applesyou know,

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CHARTER SCHOOLS RESOURCES 'MIME

IN RECENT STUDIES OF Workbook 3: Assessment CHARTER SCHOOLS IN and Accountabilityacademic IDAHO AND ALASKA, the accountability, fiscal accountabil- Northwest Regional Educational ity, public/parental accountability, Laboratory (NWREL) found that rule compliance, assessment they are having trouble and evaluation, financial manage- in a couple of key areas: setting ment, developing a business measurable achievement stan- plan, and how vision and mission dards and making sure that the connect with assessment and mix of kids reflects the diversity accountability. of the community. "The biggest thing we found Workbook 4: Governance is that goals are really fuzzy for and Managementcreating a lot of the schools," says NWREL an organizational structure, estab- researcher Elke Geiger. "We also lishing strong leadership, han- found that student populations are dling personnel issues,developing pretty different from the regular in charter schools also tend to Workbook 1: Start-Up internal policies, creating a board schoolsfewer minorities, fewer be professionally isolated because Logisticsdrafting a charter, and board bylaws, managing Title I kids, etcetera." they're regarded as being different." creating a vision and mission, growth, and dealing with liability To help charter schools deal Charter Starters training mod- developing a core founding issues. with these and other thorny ules include activities, sample group, accessing expert informa- issuesissues that are critical forms and policies, checklists, re- tion, navigating the application Workbook 5: Community to the success of individual sources, and references. A set of process, acquiring a facility, Relationscoordinating public schools and, ultimately, of the workbooks provide research- allocating resources, establishing relations, marketing the school, charter movement itselfthe based strategies for effectively a legal entity, and contracting for and dealing with controversy. Northwest Lab has developed starting and operating a charter services. Charter Starters. This timely lead- school. Two companion publica- ership training program includes tions provide a review of leader- Workbook 2: Regulatory research-based training modules, ship characteristics and a guide Issuesspecial education workbooks, and training institutes. for using the Charter Starters requirements, civil rights regula- We discovered a parallel program to conduct leadership tions, federal and state laws and between rural schools and charter training. Charter Starters training regulations, and requirements schools," says NWREL's Rural modules, with corresponding for parent involvement. Education Program Director Joyce workbooks, address five core Ley. "In rural schools in our content areas of charter school region, educators are frequently development: geographically isolated, and this often creates a barrier to professional development. Educators 144

NW Education / Spring 2001 41

The companion publications THERE ARE A NUMBER OF The National Charter School are: A Profile of the Leadership OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES Accountability Network set up Needs of Charter School Founders for charter schools, especially in 1999 with resource centers in and Charter Starters Training dealing with the difficult but Chicago, Washington, D.C., Mas- Guide. The workbooks are targeted critical issue of assessment and sachusetts, North Carolina, Texas, toward both charter school accountability. Elke Geiger partic- California, New Jersey, and Wis- founders/developers and charter ularly recommends the following: consin to help schools develop school trainers. Although origi- www.uscharterschools.org/, a and strengthen accountability nally designed as the training Web site that includes assessment plans and practices. These state- material for a five-day training and accountability resources funded resource centers generally academy, each workbook is www.charterfriends.org/ manage the chartering process relatively self-contained. for a list of contacts in each state and develop classroom materials, Charter Starter Leadership www.pioneerinstitute.org/ workshops, and additional funding Training Institutes offer partici- csrc/ch2.html for the Charter sources for schools. Contact pants guidance in using the School Handbook Margaret Lin, Coordinator; Charter Starters program to train Navigating the Standards Maze National Charter School Account- founders in the leadership and by Laude Gardner/Charter Schoolsability Network; 1155 15th Street planning skills they'll need to Development Center. A briefing N.W., Suite 300; Washington, launch a successful charter paper is available at www.csus.edu/ D.C. 20005-2706; (202) 785- school. For more information ier/charter/standardsmaze.html 4311 ([email protected]) on setting up an institute for char- Putnam Valley School ter school founders and operators, District's site (www.putwest. state liaisons, regional service boces.org) has a large number centers, higher education institu- of standards-related links tions, and others interested in http://ieric.ae2.edu.cua.edu charter schools, contact NWREL's is the Web site for the ERIC Rural Education Program, by clearinghouse on assessment e-mail at [email protected], and evaluation, with an extensive by phone at (503) 275-0747, or array of links visit their Web site at www.nwrel. org/charter/training.html. The workbooks are available for purchase individually or as a set. For ordering information, call (503) 275-9519 or 1-800-547- 6339, ext. 519. 145

CHARTER SCHOOLS HOMEGROWN Continued from Page 11 Increased focus on low-achieving students. Large and performance benchmarks, however, it is difficult to urban charter schools and many independent study char- hold charter schools to a standard that is nonexistent forter schools focus on low-achieving students, bringing other schools. them programs designed to meet their needs. Parental satisfaction. The student population in Avoidance of discrimination. Despite fears that charter schools is there by choice, meaning that parentalcharter schools would be formed mostly in white, afflu- satisfaction can be measured to a large degreeent areas, charter schools have demonstrated an ethnic by how many students continue to attend the school. balance that reflects that found in statewide schools. Almost all charter schools have waiting lists for admission, Some of the largest cater to students who are socio- and most have a high rate of retention year to year. economically disadvantaged. Fiscal prudence and economical value. Many char- Consequences for performance. A performance- ter schools have found ways to cut corners and trimbased system that did not follow through with conse- costs in order to redirect resources into the classroom.quences would soon be too weak to stop abuses and The examples range from saving a few hundred dollars poor results. In California's charter system, the price of by purchasing services from outside the district to savingfailure is revocationand in one instance, when a char- thousands of dollars by streamlining cafeteria processester did not live up to its commitments, it was shut down and using creative staffing. by the sponsoring district. Academic innovation. Not only are charter schools If charter school founders are indeed the educational different from their district noncharter counterparts,pioneers of the 21st century, their journey is barely out but very few resemble each other. Academic approaches of the staging area. But there's a hint of newness in the air range from Montessori and Waldorf to humanistic and a glimpse of something hopeful on the horizon. Most and open. Some schools share quarters with mainstream observers believe this is one school reform that will stay schools, while others inhabit industrial or businessthe course. But caution is the watchword. complexes. And some have no walls, relying on computer "High hopes must be tempered with sound evaluation modems. and unrelenting attention to evidence," writes Fuller. Enhanced opportunities for teachers. In many "The skeletal remains of earlier generations of `reform' charter schools, teachers drive policy, shaping curricu-already litter the dusty plains of public education." lum, networking for continuity, and controlling working conditions.

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NW Education / Spring 2001 DIALOGUE

43 Old Jocks Negative Trend Correction

Great articles ["New Moves," Fall This is a very solid article ["The I just wanted to let you know that 2000]. Maybe for your 30th class Death of Dodgeball," Fall 2000]. although not required by law, many reunion you can line up all those It details a very serious negative districts, at least in the King County old jocks (they are the bald, over- trend that is currently being ac- area, use certified PE Specialists weight, beer drinkers that you do cepted by the field of education. to teach elementary PE. ["NW not recognize now) and throw red Hopefully, PE professionals will Schools at a Glance," Fall 2000] rubber balls at their bald heads continue to strive to create positive Specialist time is the classroom to repay them for your childhood environments for our fitness and teacher's planning time. I work in scares. Too bad so many people physical education classes. I ap- the Issaquah School District and we had to experience the old PE. plaud the metaphoric overtones hire certified PE specialists when- Maybe your children and grand- contained in the article. Bravo! ever possible. This year we did children will have fonder memories. have to hire a person who did not The new PE is so exciting and John Dunlophave PE certification because there benefits every child. I appreciate Elementary PE Teacherwere no qualified PE specialists your publication taking the time Portage Public Schoolsavailable due to the teacher short- to print this story. We have a nation Portage, Michigan age. We are required to take 15 to re-educate about the new PE. credit hours or 150 clock hours Thanks for your effort every five years for re-certification Beyond Her Years and it does not matter if you have Phil Lawler a master's degree or not. There are PE teacher I was so impressed with Alisha no yearly requirements. I just Naperville School District 203Moreland's writing [Voices: had to apply for my recertification Naperville, Illinois"Shined By the City," Winter 1999], this past June and even though and her ability to look at the whole I have my master's degree. I was educational picture, not just the still required to have 15 credits/ 100 Percent negative elements. Apparently, 150 clock hours. she is beyond her years as far as What an excellent article ["The having insight and wisdom about Gina Ayco Jackson Death of Dodgeball," Fall 2000]. our youth. Making emotional con- PE Specialist I wasn't even searching for this nections and building relationships Apollo Elementary School subject [on the Web], but it cer- with high-risk students is essential Issaquah, Washington tainly hooked me right away. I when trying to provide guidance agree 100 percent with the article and instruction. As Alisha men- and the issues discussed. tioned, not just going through the motions, but following up with Ben Murphywhatever support the child needs Future PE/Health Teacheror asks for. Alisha has vision and Southern Oregon Universitydetermination-what a wonderful Ashland, Oregon role model for other children trying "to figure it out." I applaud her for "staying the course" and not allowing outside influences to interfere with her goals and convictions!

Jackie Portwood Discipline Assistant Irvington Grade School Portland, Oregon

14?

CHARTER SCHOOLS DIALOGUE

44 Forgotten by Some game just starts getting good. You Cheering for Peers won't see too many Nolan Ryans in Outstanding articles on the health our game but you will see quite a I absolutely agree with the article of physical education in the North- few Carlton Fisks, Johnny Benches, ("The Death of Dodge Ball," Fall west as well as the entire country and an occasional Ken Griffey Jr. 2000). I had set up my company [ "New Moves," Fall 2000]. I ap- We have one player we call the to focus on the problems of obesity plaud the authors and your maga- Swamp Fox of Revolutionary War in children and to prevent my child zine for focusing on the importance fame and a team that puts the ballet from becoming attached to TV and of physical health and wellness in to shame. We require degrees in computer and forgetting about out- our ever-changing society. Quality science and math if you hope to door activity. I take my climbing physical education programs are win, and you better not think you wall to elementary schools in the out there, and when families are re- can rest, even if you're out because Midwest to enhance physical activ- locating to another school district, death in our dodge ball is only a ity in the PE class and encourage they need to research the physical throw away from reincarnation. A outdoor activities such as our education program just as much as single dodge ball game can last the portable climbing wall. When I have they need to research the amount entire period and can leave every gone to the schools, the children of technology there is in the dis- student laughing, sweating, and are excited to climb, but also cheer trict. We may be forgotten by some, with a target heart rate that you can their peers in accomplishing their but at some point in time you are be proud of. I'm sure there is a win- climb. Our wall being so different going to wish you had remembered ning team but most of the time the from the status, children from us sooner. Remember: seven days class is too busy complimenting kindergarten on up can climb without exercise makes one weak. a teammate or an opponent on a and everyone can be successful. fantastic play or laughing at them- I think that is what your dodge ball Dave Steavpackselves for something silly they did. forgot to do. Give children self- PE Instructor I was the kid your article de- esteem and a team building activity. Manitowoc Lincoln High Schoolscribes, hiding in the corner, That is why I am adamant about Manitowoc, Wisconsinalways pushed aside by the jocks getting our wall to as many physi- and praying for gym class to be cal education classes as possible over. I became a PE teacher, not and other school events. I hope Tremendous Teamwork to hide but to encourage and sup- there will be action taken with the port and bring life and vitality back new president to encourage physi- At the risk of being shot, dodge to our youth. cal activity and fund it in the public ball is one of the most sought-after We love dodge ball at Lake school. games by all of my third-, fourth-, Spokane and we're darn proud and fifth-grade students. We use it of it. We'll be glad to stack up our David Jensen sparingly and only as a reward for academics, fitness, and our love President outstanding effort in class. If you for friendship, fellowship, and fun Hang Tough, LLC find that appalling, then I encour- with any school on the block. Platteville, Wisconsin age you to re-examine the game. Our dodge ball requires tremen- Bill Bender dous teamwork, strategy, confi- Elementary PE Specialist dence, cooperation, and strength Lake Spokane Elementary of body and mind. You must under- Nine Mile Falls, Washington stand motion and your body, throw in a little math and physics, and the

1.8

NW Education / Spring 2001 NWREL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. Donald Robson Henry Beauchamp (Chairperson) (Vice Chairperson) Dean, School of Education Executive Director/CEO

IP CO OD CalP00 University of Montana Yakima Valley Opportunities Industrialization Center (WA)

NORTHWEST EDUCATION Olga L. Acufia Linda McCulloch Teacher Montana Superintendent Hillsboro School District (OR) of Public Instruction Quarterly magazine of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Dr. Trudy Anderson Rachel Lyon Director, Center of Educational Excellence Teacher Executive Director/CEO: JA and Kathryn Albertson Foundation (ID) Lewiston Independent School District (ID)

Dr. Ethel Simon-McWilliams Joyce Benjamin Rey A. Mayoral Representative of Oregon Superintendent Principal Editor: of Public Instruction Salem-Keizer School District (OR) Lee Sherman Dr. Teresa Bergeson Sharon D. Parry Washington State Superintendent School Board Member Associate Editor: of Public Instruction Idaho Falls School District Suzie Boss Mike Bernazzani Myrle Peterson Businessman Issue Editor: Elementary Teacher Vancouver (WA) Poplar School District (MT) Lee Sherman Sally A. Brownfield John Pugh Contributing Writers: Teacher Chancellor Catherine Paglin, Denise Jarrett, Melissa Steineger Hood Canal School District (WA) University of Alaska Southeast

David Chamberlain Christopher Read Graphic Production: School Board Member Principal Michael Heavener Evergreen School District (WA) Billings Catholic Schools (MT)

Dr. Shirley Holloway Harry Rogers Graphic Design: Alaska Commissioner of Education and Superintendent Dan Stephens Early Development Valdez School District (AK)

Proofreading: Dr. Marilyn Howard Barry Rotrock Eugenia Cooper Potter Idaho State Superintendent of Public Superintendent Instruction Oregon City School District (OR)

Steven Jacquier Roger G. Wheeler Teacher Businessman Southwest Region School District (AK) Pocatello (ID)

Dr. Michael Jaeger Estella Zamora EdPress Dean, School of Education and Business District Court Interpreter/Coordinator WINNER Eastern Oregon University Caldwell (ID) 1997 GOLDEN LAMP AWARD

NORTHWEST EDUCATION can be accessed on NWREL's Web site on the Internet: wwwnwrel.org From our home page, select Resources

This publication is based on work sponsored wholly or in part by the U.S. Department of Education under contract number RJ96006501. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the department or any other agency of the U.S. government_ This publication was not printed with government funds. Articles and information in this publication are in the public domain and may be reproduced and disseminated without permission. Please acknowledge NWREL as the source.

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149 Watch for upcoming issues

Summer issue Designs for Learning: School Architecture Fall issue The Standards Movement: Where Is It Taking Us? Winter issue Preparing New Teachers: What Helps Them Succeed?

You are invited to send us article ideas, identify places where good things are happening, provide descriptions of effective techniques being used, A suggest useful resources, and submit letters to the editor.

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MS SUSAN .VOELKEL PROCESSING COORDINATOR ERIC CLRNGHS RURAL ED/SN SCHS PO BOX 1348 25325-1348 CHARLESTON WV t. (lie la itloiHit iluit It 11Iliis Ili Mitt SUMMER2000 161W E D U C A T 1 0 N MEMO Ma. SC HOO1 AICH1113CUMER

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VOLUME 6 NUMBER 4 SUMMER 2001

ARTICLES

Breaking Out of the Box 2 Educators and architects team up to reinvent the physical environment of schools.

New Visions 10 Two of the region's foremost thinkers on school design share their insights.

Blue Ribbon Planning 14 In Vancouver, Washington, a district sets out to rebuild its entire infrastructure, using a design process that involves the whole community.

19Sites Worth Celebrating ON THE COVER: Discovery Middle School in Vancouver, Washington, has A School That Works been winning awards ever since it opened. The exterior conveys a "village:'_feel, echoing the academic village Alpha High in Gresham, Oregon approach that organizes students into smaller learning communities. Story begins on Page 14. Bricks & Mortar, PHOTOGRAPH BY BY JANIS MIGLAVS, COURTESY OF LSW ARCHITECTS. Heart & Soul Boise High in Boise, Idaho

A Model Program in a Remodeled Building Apollo Elementary in Issaquah, Washington

Lighting the Way to Learning Alpenglow Elementary in Eagle River, Alaska

Schoolyard Lessons 37Gardens are sprouting in schoolyards all over the region, offering hands-on lessons you can't find in books.

DEPARTMENTS 41 In the Library 44 Principal's Notebook leAr 0 WM In al% Onan, w Mc' Oook woo Ind On won el ER NM@awesome offawardsflu kt MM.Toaward-wiMORO

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cross the country, hundreds of school buildings are reaching the end of their life span. Educators and architects are ^--- teaming up to reinvent the physical environment of schools so they foster learning for the whole community.

By SUZIE BOSS or the better part of a century Whittier Elementary School has been a landmark

LI in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, which hugs a hillside above an historic ship canal and the waters of Puget Sound. It's the kind of community where parents walk their

111111F=1,i-:, children to school and get involved in their education, the kind of school where high achievement is the norm. But by the late 1990s, Whittier was starting to feel like a favorite toy that has been loved to death. Not only was the aging building showing visible signs of wear including a leaky roof and sagging ceiling tiles but it was cramped and poorly designed for .441100.046._ gum.. the way teachers work with children today. 111111 What's more, there was little space inside for .*1111111"11116, VOW community use. After two years of construction funded by the '14 district's Building Excellence Program, a structure ANL suited for a new century has risen on the site of 11 1 11: "I: ' 1 1 "1

1(5 4 the old school. Borrowing metaphors from the nearby For architects and educators alike, this is also a rare ship locks, the school is a seafaring fantasyland that cap- moment of opportunitya chance to "do things right" tures a child's sense of wonder. The playful mood be- for the next several generations. gins inside the front doorswhich include architectural elements from the original Whittier School as a nod to 21st CENTURY SCHOOLS neighborhood history. Hallways are adorned with graph- The chance for a community to build a new school ics of sea grasses, big bubbles, and shapes that mimic doesn't come along very often. Today, the average Amer- waves. Upstairs, a "bridge" bearing images of stainlessican school is 42 years old. Schools designed four steel fish crosses an expanse, connecting two wings decades ago were typically built quickly and economi- and cleverly satisfying a safety code. Outside, a whim-cally, to accommodate the hordes of baby boomers. sical sea serpent undulates across the playground. Facility design was pretty standard back then, with class- For the adults who work here, the new facility feels rooms lined up along corridors, blackboards front and "uplifting, effective, safe, and secure," says Principal Gregcenter, and rooms shaped like rectangles to house neat Immel. The academic wing features a large library, rows of desks. There was no need to wire up classrooms technology center, and classrooms grouped in pods to for the Internet, because it didn't yet exist. And practices encourage teamwork and collaboration within grade lev- such as project-based learning and schools-within- els. For the community, the school now offers resourcesschoolsdecades away from gaining popularityhad for all generations, with a separate wing housing ev- no impact on facilities designed to move students from erything from a Head Start preschool to a social program grade to grade as if they were on a factory conveyor belt. for senior citizens to a gym that's open for recreation late Schools designed today are expected to last half a cen- into the evenings. Since its opening in 1999, Whittier El- tury or longer and allow for more forward-thinking ementary has won praise and prizes, including a Cita- educational practices. Craig Mason, the Seattle architect tion of Excellence from the American School Boardwho designed Whittier Elementary for DLR Group, says Journal and an Exemplary Learning Environment awardstrategies have changed considerably in his profession. from the American Institute of Architects. "Back in the '60s, the last time we had a big crunch of But the real test of the $9 million facility, says Immel, school building, the main question was: How fast and is whether it's kid- friendly. "From the minute the children how cheap?" Today, he says, architects are asking, "How walked in here," he says, "I knew we had succeeded. They will the design support the educational program of the love it, and that tells me we did things right." school?" All across the country, more and more communities Getting everything right for the next 50 years is a tall are facing the challenge of repairing or replacing their order. Teachers want flexible spaces that will accom- aging or overcrowded school buildings. It's no small task. modate more active classrooms, weave in the latest The General Accounting Office reports that one-third oftechnology, allow them to collaborate with their col- America's schools need extensive repairs and puts theleagues, but also give them workplace basics such as price tag to bring them into good condition at more than storage cabinets and nearby restrooms. Parents often ask $112 billion. The National Education Association esti-for attention to safety and smaller class sizes. School mates it will cost upward of $322 billion to repair, boards worry about escalating costs for buildings and modernize, and build enough public schools to meet the land to build them on. And community members, projected population growth. And Newsweek forecastslooking at the investment they're asked to shoulder, a $500 billion school-building boom in the upcoming clamor for buildings that can be used around the clock decade to accommodate rising enrollments and a de- by people of all ages. sire for smaller class sizes. Currently, construction be- Recognizing that districts across the country will be gins every business day on two new K -12 school projects struggling to meet these complex demands on a limited somewhere in the country. budget, the U.S. Department of Education is encouraging

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DESIGNS FOR LEARNING 6 new schools to be designed not only as effective places showing "school conditions have a real impact on student for learning but also as centers of their communities. At achievement and behavior." Among the highlights: a National Symposium on School Design sponsored by the Students in overcrowded schools score lower on Department of Education in 1998, six principles for de-math and reading exams than their counterparts in signing and planning new schools were outlined. The prin- schools that aren't crowded. ciples advocate learning environments that: Lower achievement is associated with such factors as Enhance teaching and learning and accommodate inadequate science facilities, substandard classroom the needs of all learners furnishings, graffiti, and noisy environments. Serve as center of the community Students attending schools in poor physical condition Result from a planning/design process involving all achieve at levels 11 percent lower than those attending stakeholders schools in excellent condition. Provide for health, safety, and security Architects who specialize in school design are be- Make effective use of all available resources coming increasingly savvy about best practices in edu- Allow for flexibility and adaptability to changing needs cation. The most daring advocate designs that break the Designing schools to serve multiple needs means ap- mold of the "big box" schools most American children plying new problem-solving approaches and experi- still attend. menting with design concepts. The Department of Steven Bingler of Concordia Architects in New Orleans Education advocates bringing more community mem- (and an author of the Department of Education's Schools bers into the planning process to broaden the vision ofas Centers of Community guidebook) suggests con- what a new or remodeled school might look like and necting schools with communities in new wayslocating how it might better serve students and the community. schools in places such as museums or city halls. One Schools as Centers of Community: A Citizens' Guidecharter school he designed, for instance, is housed infor Planning and Design, published by the Depart-side the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. ment of Education in 2000, outlines a step-by-step pro- Glass walls separate learning spaces from the exhibit cess for bringing all stakeholders into the design process. floor but also create an openness that fosters commu- When the process works wellwhen a variety of nity. What's more, the school was built at one-third the users have a chance to offer suggestions and when ar- cost of a stand-alone facility. chitects are free to be creative about meeting educational It takes more than a little courage to plunk down a high and community needsyou can wind up with a stun- school in the middle of a museum, but Bingler suggests ning school like Whittier Elementary. Says architect the time is right for new ideas. He has collaborated with Mason: "We always try for community involvement, but Harvard's Howard Gardner to explore the underlying this planning group was special. It was a great collab- question: "What is a school?" Most schools, Bingler told orative process. Our challenge was to create a newEducation Week in a 1999 interview, are still variations landmark for the neighborhood, but still make it lookon the old factory modelefficient, perhaps, but alien- and function like an elementary school." The specialating to students who don't fit the "one-size-fits-all" touches that give the building its personality are moremold. New schools that don't consider different ways of than decorative flourishes. They're practicalalbeitdelivering education, schools that continue to isolate playfulways to make the building enhance learning. students from their community, "are dinosaurs on the day they open," Bigler told the Washington Post. SPACES THAT SHAPE LEARNING Indeed, experts at the forefront of school design Research shows a strong connection between the built en-lament the trend toward sameness in many communi- vironment and student performance. Learning by Design ties. "Today's school buildings are still too much like 2000, a special edition on school architecture published those constructed 50 years ago," writes C. William Day by the American School BoardJournal, cited researchin Learning by Design 2000. "Oh, they might have 158 NW Education / Summer 2001 more electrical outlets and computers and use state-of- What new design concepts might we see in schools of 7 the-art building materials, but they tend to be otherwise the near future? Currently, Copa is helping citizens in spatially monotonous with rectangular rooms in whichSumner, Washington, think boldly about the kind of students sit at individual desks and listen to teachers whoschool they want to create when they build a second high stand in front of the class." school for their fast-growing community. The answers New ideas are gaining a foothold, however, as edu- are still in the formative stages, but the project should cators, architects, and community members fine-tune be well worth watching. their vision for schools of the future. Bruce Jilk, Min- Meanwhile, Jilk and Copa are encouraging commu- neapolis architect and chair of the American Institute ofnities around the globe to think not only about how Architects Committee on Architecture for Education, schools are organized, but also where and when learn- has been a longtime collaborator with education re- ing takes place. searcher George Copa, interim dean at Oregon State Uni- "In our hectic lives and the need to continuously versity School of Education and a driving force behindlearn, how do you make the possibility to learn present rethinking American high schools. (See interview with all the time?" asks Copa. "Instead of thinking that learn- George Copa starting on Page 10.) ing can only take place on a campus, at a certain time Their research has generated a set of design princi- in your life, how can we create opportunities for learn- ples, called New Designs for Learning, that can be ap- ing throughout the community and across the life span?" plied to planning schools in all sorts of settingsurban, That concept meshes well with the "livable commu- rural, and suburban; small and large; specialized and nities" that many urban planners are working to create. general. The principles call for attention to everythingIn presentations to the international design commu- from a school's learning context (including its unique nity, Jilk draws on thinkers as diverse as John Dewey and assets, problems, opportunities, and aspirations) to itsAbraham Maslow and architectural sources ranging learning audience (not only school-aged youth, butfrom ancient Greece to the New Urbanism to describe also the broader community and school staff) to the his ideas for educational environments that will re- learning expectations and process (focusing on the ex- spond to human needs and create opportunities for pected outcomes for students and the learning projects more informal, lifelong learning. that will help them reach those goals). How do the principles look in practice? In a word: SAFE, HEALTHY BUILDINGS spectacular. Jilk and Copa have created such innovative When the last batch of schools was built in the 1950s and learning environments as Minnesota's School of Envi- 1960s, little attention was spent on health or safety is- ronmental Studies, known as the Zoo School because sues. Gang-related violence hadn't yet erupted. School of its location on the grounds of the Minnesota Zoological shootings of the sort that shocked the nation in the last Gardens. The school serves 400 students in grades 11 few years seemed unimaginable. "Safety and security and 12, who pursue interdisciplinary learning andwere not of paramount concern when the vast major- tackle hands-on projects related to environmental prob- ity of the nation's school facilities were designed," re- lems in the real world. Students are organized intoports a recent publication, Safe School Design: A houses of 100 to create a more intimate scale and en- Handbook for Educational Leaders (ERIC Clearing- hance relationships. Rather than traditional classrooms, house on Educational Management, 2000). the building includes student work stations and pods, Authors Tod Schneider, Hill Walker, and Jeffrey allowing for both individual and group work. Extensive Sprague, all affiliated with the Institute on Violence and use of glass brings in the outside environment. SpacesDestructive Behavior at the University of Oregon, point for displaying student work send the message that stu- out that the physical ecology of a school is "a powerful dent products have valuean element that the Newfactor in contributing to its safety, security, and effec- Designs principles refer to as "learning celebration." tiveness. The design and use of school space has a huge

DESIGNS FOR LEARNING 159 8 but often unrecognized impact on the behavior of stu- productive learning environment for students and staff. dents as well as staff." According to the EPA, attention to indoor air quality can The authors advocate a set of principles known as have an impact on student learning, comfort, and atten- Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, or dance, and similarly affects performance of teachers and CPTED, to build safety features into the school envi-other staff members who may experience greater dis- ronment. CPTED focuses on three basic concepts: comfort or absenteeism in schools with poor air quality. Natural surveillancethe ability to see what's going on Natural access controlthe ability to control entry into COMMUNITY VALUE and exit from an environment For communities willing to consider new options for Territorialitythe ability of legitimate users to con- school designs, the rewards can be long-lasting and trol an area while discouraging illicit users profound. "The most successful schools of the future," Rather than a global approach to school security, predicts Schools as Centers of Community, "will be in- Schneider, Walker, and Sprague advocate considering tegrated learning communities, which accommodate local needs in order to reduce risk factors and en- the needs of all of the community's stakeholders. They hance protective factors within the unique environmentwill be schools that will be open later, longer, and for of a school. Structural issues are only one area to focus more people in the community from senior citizens attention. School climate and other elements of a school's using the gym and health facilities during off-hours to "social ecology" are just as important, the authors point immigrants taking evening English classes after work." out. Even attention to maintenance can bolster security. The silver lining is that innovative schools don't have Picking up the trash or fixing broken windows, they note, to be any more expensive than the old big-box facilities. "sends a strong message that this is a school someone In Washington's Vancouver School District, which enjoys cares about." And students get the message that they are a national reputation for its innovative school design pro- cared about, as well. cess, cost per square foot of some of the most spectac- In addition to safety issues, health concerns are also ular schools in the country is less than the state average earning increased attention from school planners. Recent for school construction. (See related story, Page 14.) One research has highlighted links between classroom light- Vancouver principal says the district's up-to-date school ing and student achievement, with students making faster architecture is even a helpful recruiting tool: "When I progress in classrooms with large windows or skylightsinterview teacher applicants that I really want to hire, I to bring in natural light. Acoustics can have an effect on bring them to the school for a tour. They can't wait to student achievement, too, according to studies that have go to work here!" looked at schools located so close to airports that run- Seattle parent Lisa MacFarlane is president of Schools way noise interferes with learning. And indoor air qual- First, an organization that has lobbied to support the ity not only affects comfort levels, but also may exacerbate Building Excellence Program currently rebuilding 19 allergies or contribute to health problems such as asthma. schools throughout the Seattle district. "New schools Schools that neglect basic maintenance may be in- make a difference," she explained recently in the Seat- advertently contributing to students' health problems. In tle Post-Intelligencer. "They have a catalytic effect an interview last year with CNN, C. Kenneth Tanner of the energizing students, parents, teachers, and even neigh- University of Georgia's School Design and Performance borhoods. They also say a lot about how our commu- Laboratory cited dirty carpeting and leaky roofs as fac- nity values children and their futures." tors that can lead to mold spores and trigger respira- Just ask the kids at Whittier Elementary, who every day tory ailments and allergies. walk through the doors of a school designed to make The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is devel- them feel safe, secure, welcome, connected to their oping a set of guidelines called Tools for New Schools to neighborhood, and eager to learn. assist school planners in providing a healthier and more

NW Education / Summer 2001 160 ONLINE RESOURCES 9 American Institute of Architects Committee on Architecture for Education's Web site has information and resources for educators and design professionals. (www. e-architect.com/pia/cae/home2 . asp) Council of Educational Facility Planners Inter- national provides information on industry trends, including updates on state and federal funding for school construction and renovation. (www.cefpi.com/) Educational Design Principles for Schools and Community Learning Centers, researched by Jeffery A. Lackney of the Educational Design Institute, Missis- sippi State University, and sponsored by the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, synthesizes the research literature on school design. (www.edi. msstate.edu/learningcenter.html) Learning by Design 2000, a special edition on school architecture published by the American School Board Journal, showcases exemplary school design projects and includes a variety of resources. (www. asbj.comAbd/2000/about.html) National Clearinghouse for Educational Facil- ities, created in 1997, is an information resource for people who plan, design, build, operate, and maintain K-12 schools. (www.edfacilities.org/) School Design and Planning Laboratory at Uni- versity of Georgia provides links to research, case studies, and planning guidelines. (www.coe.uga.edu/sdp1/ sdpl.html) Schools as Centers of Community: A Citizens' Guide for Planning and Design, published by the U.S. Department of Education, outlines six school design principles that have been endorsed by the American In- stitute of Architects, American Association of School Administrators, Council of Educational Facility Plan- ners International, and Construction Managers Associ- ation of America. (www.ed.gov/inits/construction/ city-centers.html) Tools for New Schools is a project of the Environ- mental Protection Agency that helps school planners provide healthier learning environments for students and staff. (www.epa.gov /iaq /schools /newschool.html)

DESIGNS FOR LEARNING 161 Northwest Education: What other considerations are important in rfiTu ganalocq cyn gajdm anU school design, besides the physical environment? Copa: Too often communities focus onlyboldthinkingmic2 ftgan on the design of a new school facility, but the design of the learning ideas, willingness plan gets missed. The real challenge is how to make a connection engageDagco unities between learning expectations and what the learning environment GEORGE COPA, interim dean ought to be like. planningprocess.MY® of the School of Education at Ore- NW: How did you come to this gon State University and director realization? exports one educator of New Designs for Learning, has Copa: In about 1990, I started spent more than a decade re- working on a project called New searching innovations in school Designs for the Comprehensive architectshedsome design. He has toured schools all High School. It was funded by a over the world, served as an in- grant from the U.S. Department ternational consultant on school of Education. We pulled together design projects, and helped shape people from across the country opportunitim ffmam fiQ the national dialogue on rein- teachers, counselors, administra- venting American high schools. tors, researchers, students, Now, as communities across the policymakers, business leaders re ioninrecentconversations country are faced with the chal- and asked them to help us envi- lenge of rebuilding their aging sion, if you were going to start Northwes,EauGa ion. or overcrowded schools, Copa has from scratch and design a new some keen insights to offer about designing schools to enhance the learning experience. "Facilities," he cautions, "are just a small piece of good school design."

126'

NW EDUCATION / Summer 2001 11

high school for the future, what NW: So school size should get the problems? What are the oppor- the real world, using real things. would it be like? We explored what more attention during the plan- tunities for learning you might Imagine how the energy of a thou- the learning expectations and out- ning process? want to take advantage of, but sand young people, in the course of comes might be, the learning pro- Copa: Not just size. We already havecan't because of the way you orga- nine months, could contribute to cess, how the school should be a lot of small schools in this coun- nize schools? You can plan so that the betterment of their communi- organized, who the partners might try. But if small schools operate no the school fits the community ties and the betterment of their own be, how you'd staff a school like differently than big onesif they and makes a contribution to the lives. There's so much talent in a this, how you'd finance it. Finally, have the same departments, bell community. school. We have to find better ways we got to the question: What would schedules, and all the rest of it NW: Why is connecting a school to release it. the facility look like? then you don't get the benefits of with its larger community so NW: What does a well-designed NW: Did some general guidelines smallness. You have to change the important? school feel like? emerge from that conversation? way you do learning in the school. Copa: We've isolated our schools, Copa: There's a seriousness about Copa: We found that you need a Break paradigms. Break out of the moved them to the outside of our learning that you notice right away. strong learning plan, a strong con-ruts in terms of how we do school communities. So many high schoolsAn informality. A feeling of self- cept of community, and strong ar- in this country. But if we keep de- are surrounded by parking lots, management. You can see that chitecture that's supportive of both signing new schools just like our sporting fields, almost like they're students know what they're doing. community and learning. Those old schools, we're not going to get surrounded by a moat. And young They're about something. These are the three major pieces. And any better results than we get today. people sense that isolation. We sendschools can be very active places, now, with the new expectations for And in most of today's schools, we them off to these places that are sometimes messy, with a lot going learning we're seeing across the already know who's going to win huge, and they find no meaning on and spilling out into the hall-. statesthe increasing focus on and who's going to lose. therebecause meaning has to doways. You see teachers working results, outcomes, standardswe NW: What else is important in with connectedness. Much of what together as teams, and there are have a real challenge. What kind ofschool planning? young people produce in a school spaces that invite them to collabo- learning process would be powerful Copa: I encourage schools to look during the day is carried out in the rate. You sense real pride. Students enough to deliver on these high ex- first at their assets: What's working garbage at night. That says some- don't feel as if school is being done pectations for all students? If you now that you want to take into yourthing to them about the worth of to them. want to make sure that no students new environment? Then, what are what is produced there. Instead, get left behind, you need to create we could be giving young people smaller learning environments. a chance to be making a contribu- By working in smaller groups, tion to their communities. More of smaller schools, and schools within their learning could take place in schools, the teachers and students get to know each other much better. Teachers can be more respon- sive to more of their students. 163

DESIGNS FOR LEARNING NEW VISIONS

NW: Can you plan for a school NW: Where have you seen schools next 10 years a large amount of start going in that direction, the end where students and staff will feel that capture what you're describing? resources will be spent on schools. of the path is a prison. Instead, I special? Copa: In Minnesota, the School for But typically, a very small amount suggest we think about community. Copa: Yes. I make a big thing, dur- Environmental Studies uses the of money goes into school planning.If you're in a place where you feel ing the planning process, of urging Minnesota Zoological Gardens as a We need to invest more on the fronta sense of family, of neighborhood, communities to think about a learning environment. When you end so we can be provocative and where it's small and open enough learning signature for their school. walk in there, you notice plants consider other possibilities. It costs so that people know each other by What would be a uniqueness, a spe-growing everywhere. There are ter- money and takes time to come up name, then you won't have many cialness, something that their stu- rariums, aquariums, connections with creative ideas. problems with security. Safety is- dents would brag about? How couldto the outside environment. You see And if you're going to try some- sues need to be thought about in they design a facility to showcase dogs that the students take care of. thing innovative, you have to bring the broader context of how we do that, so that when visitors walk intoYou immediately get the feeling along the community, the students,learning. the building they will know what that this is a living place. High and the faculty. It takes strong lead- the school is about? We find that Tech High in San Diego uses many ership to move in new directions. For more information about the specialness in very good private good ideas (see Web site at www. NW: Finally, how important is safetywork of New Designs for Learn- schools, but many of our public hightechhigh.org). And Alpha Highin school planning? ing, see the program Web site schools don't have it. Their special- School in Gresham, Oregon (see re-Copa: The first thing students want (newdesigns.orst.edu/). ness is often a set of colors or an lated story, Page 20), really moves in a school is a safe environment. athletic team, but it doesn't relate in the direction I'm talking about. Safety needs to be there. But if we to everyday learning. A learning You walk in there and think, oh my,stop there, in terms of design, we'll signature needs to grow out of I would want my kid to go here. close schools down from the com- place. You can't impose it. It has NW: Are you optimistic about wheremunity. You can't solve security con- to feel authentic, otherwise it's just we're headed with school design? cerns by further isolating schools. a slogan. Copa: Right now, the public is be- It might be tempting to say, we're ginning to sense there's a problem going to build locked little cells with our educational facilities. We called classrooms and supervise need to improve them, and over thethem closely and not allow anybody to move freely in the hallways. We can get security that way, but we don't get much learning. If you

NW EDUCATION / Summer 2001 NW Education: With the need for NW: What role can a program like NW: How are you getting younger school construction becoming moreCEEDS play in planning for new students to think about design? and more apparent, are we at a schools? Sutton: Last year, our graduate stu- moment of opportunity to think in Sutton: CEEDS is an interdisci- dents [from UW] worked with ele- new ways about the physical envi- plinary program, involving faculty mentary students from the Thkwila ronment of our schools? from fields such as architecture, ed-School District. The district had al- Sutton: With the nation's expand- ucation, social work, urban design, ready approved a design for a new ing population and the large stock psychology, and public health. We building. Our charge was to help of schools we have that are more look at school architecture not as the kids understand the building than 40 years old, we're facing an a product, but as a process. We are process. That's a start, but we want urgent need for new facilities. And interested in using the moment of to go beyond the building process SHARON SUTTON has worn even if a building isn't old, it may school design as an opportunity for to get them actively involved in many hats in her 60 years: need to be reconceived to accom- organizational change. It's a chancecreating their own space. So we've professional musician, artist, modate new technology. to rethink what you're doing in a been teaching them about design licensed architect, psychologist, We're also seeing more interest school. And it's a chance for com- and are working toward a final pub- activist, writer, professor. But the in building schools to be centers of munity-building. lic art product that the community unifying theme of her work, she their communities. There's a prac- NW: What lessons does the design will own. says, "has always been participa- tical reason for thatif the build- process offer K-12 students? NW: Does the students' involvement tion." As director of the Universitying benefits more people, it's more Sutton: Design can be used to teach make the design process messier, of Washington's Center for Envi- likely to get funding approved. But anything. It's a very integrative sub-more complicated? ronment, Education, and Designhaving a more vibrant use of our ject matter. Most of us spend our Sutton: The architect in Thkwila Studies (CEEDS), she is creating schools will also be of great benefit whole lives now in the designed is very excited about what we are opportunities for participation in to young people. environment. So kids need to have doing. But when I first suggested collaborative teaching, research, an awareness of the physical space that we wanted to come up with and service projects that have around them. Kids learn positive something the children could do, the potential to change not only and negative things from their en- he said, "The building is already K-12 schools, but also the fabric vironment, but they need to learn designed! Don't change my draw- of the larger community. to think critically to understand howings!" Now he sees that having the space affects them. That critical children involved is going to pro- thinking needs to be part of their tect the building. literacy. It's a fundamental life skill.See VISIONS, Page 39

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DESIGNS FOR LEARNING I I

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VANCOUVER SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS EMBARKED ON AN AMBITIOUS BUILDING CAMPAIGN TO BRING ITS SCHOOL FACILITIES UP TO DATE.

BUT THERE'S MORE INVOLVED THAN BRICKS AND MORTAR. A FOR-

WARD-LOOKING DESIGN PROCESS UNITES THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. BY SUZIE BOSS VANCOUVER, Washington ously Says Horenstein, "People tary of Education Richard Riley that went into creating it. "The 15 Late on a weekday afternoon, a seem to understand that you don't and Senator Bill Bradley. Discovery people who contributed ideas for school district conference room be- get the opportunity to do somethinghas won a host of awards since its this building," including architects, gins to buzz with conversation. Thelike this very often." completion in 1995, including the principal, teachers, district admin- atmosphere feels a lot like a class Indeed, at a time when the typi- Learning by Design Grand Award istrators, and community members, on the eve of a much-anticipated cal American school building is bestowed by the National School "started with a good understanding show-and-tell, except that the 60 ormore than 40 years old and falling Boards Association, the James D. of what kids need," says Horenstein. so folks gathered here are nearly all into disrepair, Vancouver is rebuild-MacConnell Award from the Coun- "They were out front with design adultsteachers, parents, and dis-ing its entire infrastructure. Since cil of Educational Facility Plannersthat takes good educational ideas trict administrators. A middle-aged 1989, the district has moved for- International, and the prestigious and helps them go even further." principal leans over to another on- ward with renovations and new Shirley Cooper Award presented by When planning for Discovery looker and crows, "Wait till you see construction in every corner of this the American Association of School Middle School began in the early our team's drawing. It's so cool!" fast-growing community in south- Administrators and the American 1990s, lead architect John Wyckoff For two days, these community western Washington. The building Institute of Architects. of LSW Architects brought what members have been playing the boom-17 remodeled or rebuilt Although Discovery Middle School could best be called a fresh perspec- role of visionaries: imagining a schools and five brand-new ones to backs up to busy Interstate 5 near tive to the design table. "This was school that will still feel inviting datefits the district's long-term central Vancouver, the campus feels my first school project in 20 years," and innovative 50 years from today.strategic plan for delivering high- like a neighborhood park. Mature he admits. But at a series of design Now they're here for the unveiling quality education. If a single lessontrees form an evergreen curtain symposiums, he listened closely to of preliminary architectural sketcheshas emerged from the process, it's where the property dips toward the what educators were saying about for a building to replace 47-year- this: "Building a new school takes freeway. Outside, the building sports the benefits of smaller learning old Salmon Creek Elementary the entire community coming to- a clock tower, peaked roofline, and communities, the need to make School. They didn't get to hold gether over time to make it the best streetlights that give it a village feel,schools more personal, the desire to the pencils in their own hands, but it can be," says Vancouver Superin- echoing the "academic village" offer a sense of "smallness within their words and ideas have shaped tendent Jim Parsley theme that organizes the 800 stu- largeness." He heard Superinten- the images that architects have put dents into smaller learning com- dent Parsley ask for a building that down on paper. 00000.7] munities: Inside, the school is would make technology "as com- "They're here to look to the packed with three floors of unique mon as a pencil." He paid attention future," says Todd Horenstein, Architecture is often called frozen features that enhance the learning to requests for work spaces that assistant superintendent for the music. That metaphor rings true process while also serving the needswould allow students to learn indi- Vancouver Public Schools and an at Vancouver's Discovery Middle of the larger community. "When vidually, in small groups, and in architect by training. For the better School, a school that practically people walk in here," says Principallarger assemblieswhat the district part of a decade, Horenstein and sings. The facility was showcased atSusan Cone, "we always get that calls its "1/3, 1/3, 1/3" approach. his colleagues have been conduct- the National Symposium on School000000h! response." Wyckoff translated that research ing design symposiums as a way to Design hosted by the U.S. Depart- While visitors rave about the into practice when he designed a bring the community's perspective ment of Education in 1998 and has school's inviting physical space, three-story building to fit onto a into school architecture. Partici- been visited by a steady parade of they are often equally impressed to sloping lot. Each story is designed pants take their assignment seri- dignitaries, including former Secre-learn about the planning process to operate as an independent aca-

'f DESIIGNS FOR LEARNING 16'1 16 demic village. Classrooms are clus- over as principal when the school and a variety of other functions. complaining. "Any time you can tered around central plazas instead was a few years old. As an adminis- Most days, Discovery stays busy bring the community into your of being lined up along corridors. trator, she appreciates how the 'round the clock. At this Title I school, you'll benefit. The kids will The plazas provide flexible com- building supports sound classroom school where more than 50 percent benefit," she insists. "Community mon areas for conducting small- practices. "It's easy to do teaming, of the students qualify for free or remembers won't realize the value group work or spreading out messy, project-based learning, small- duced-price meals, breakfast and of their schools unless they see for hands-on projects, as well as places and large-group work." Those ap- lunch are busy times in the Com- themselves how their buildings are where students and staff from the proaches build cohesiveness that's mons, a multiuse room adjoining used, how wisely money is spent, same academic village can mingle especially important for young ado-the cafeteria. Later in the day, the and the quality that comes back to informally. lescents, she believes. As students round tables might be rearranged the whole community when people Other aspects of the design also make the transition from cozy ele- for a performance on the Commonssupport their schools." support good teaching: flexible mentary schools to larger secondarystage that backs up to two music Discovery's open-door policy classroom walls that open for team schools, "it helps to keep personal- rooms. In the evenings, the room started back in the planning stage, teaching; a learning center on eachization at the forefront." Discovery provides a popular meeting place with widespread involvement of the floor where students can receive theenrolls several hundred students of for parents and community groups, public. That involvement not only extra support they need to be suc- diverse backgrounds, but within and can be closed off from the class-led to a better design, but also has

cessful; a large, open room called _ each academic village, Cone says, room wings to ensure security. Win- helped to build community owner- the Toolbox, equipped to accommo- "it's still a place where everybody dows from the Commons frame a ship of the school. "People need to date integrated instruction, online knows your name." view of the gymnasium on the floorbelieve that the school belongs to and print research, science labs, below It's big enough to hold two them, not only during the years and art projects; technology woven OPEN-DOM PE classes at once during the day when they might have children seamlessly throughout the building;EMILLIZZ and recreational basketball leagues enrolled," Wyckoff says. and a sun-drenched room called theAlmost since the day it opened, Dis- or fitness classes at night. Back up Loft that houses the school's fiction covery Middle School has thrown on the ground floor, a counseling NO collection along with couches and open its doors to the larger commu-facility nicknamed the Green RoomCUTTE comfortable chairs for curling up nity. Cone's secretary keeps a spe- (because of the comfortable green After producing a school as success- with a good book. There's also a cial appointment book just to log sofas and high wall of glass block) ful as Discovery, a district might be well-equipped staff work space in requests to use the Gallery, a large is booked day and night with small-expected to crank out carbon copies. each village that makes life easier room outfitted with multimedia group sessions and parenting classes.But in the Vancouver School Dis- on teachers. They don't have to trekequipment (including a broadcast- "Build it and they will come!" trict, there's no cookie-cutter ap- a mile to the office to telephone a ing booth) that was designed for laughs Cone about her facility's proach to school design. "We want parent, photocopy a class assign- showcasing student projects and popularity. "You can never plan for each building to have its own sig- ment, or use the restroom, and theypresentations. The staff loves this enough places for community use,"nature," explains Assistant Super- don't have to go out of their way to room, too, with its tranquil view of she adds. "This school probably hasintendent Horenstein. In a district connect with their colleagues. evergreens and even a barbecue grill more flexible meeting places than with demographics as wide and var- "The building makes it inviting on the balcony. And so do commu- any other school in the district, andied as Vancouver's, he adds, there's for students and staff to stay togethernity groups, who have used the spacethey're all busy, all the time. Noth- no master blueprint. as a group," notes Cone, who took for receptions, lectures, art shows, ing sits idle here." But she isn't Each project "starts with a blank 168 NW EDUCATION / Summer 2001 1 1 1 1

11 1 1 1 :I 1 1 1 1 1 1

sheet of paper," says architect Wyck-tion," Horenstein points out, even 17 off, whose firm has enjoyed a long- for stellar buildings like Discovery term relationship with the VancouverMiddle School. One cost-contain- district. Sometimes the symposiumsment strategy has been to increase generate what Wyckoff calls "wild the efficiency of buildings. As Wyck- hiccups. Someone suggests an idea off explains, that means designing like putting an environmental lab schools where all spaces are used on the roofsomething no one's actively and effectively. Doing away thought of before." Community in- with long corridors, for example, volvement has become such a criti-can free up the funds for a school cal element of school planning thatto invest in a state-of-the-art audi- Wyckoff's firm has shared the sym- torium. That strategy worked at IA.1_11*posium concept with other clients. Skyview, a facility that Wyckoff "We try to do it on every project," estimates is "95 percent efficient, he says. compared to most schools in the In a couple days of brainstorm- 75 percent range." Careful fiscal ing, the symposiums manage to planning has been a strong selling capture a theme for each site, point for voters, who have approved whether it's a remodel or brand- $180 million in bonds since 1990 new construction. Skyview High, forto upgrade district facilities and example, Vancouver's newest sec- technology. ondary school, is designed to foster hands-on learning. The high-tech EPARIMR.G building features open learning V:: MORI areas where students operate enter- At the start of the recent Salmon prise projects such as a credit unionCreek School symposium, partici- and food court. Those concepts, pants spent the first morning trying Wyckoff says, emerged during the to capture the essence of their initial design symposium. school. Despite its outdated facility, Although each school is unique, this is a school with a lot going collectively they fit the district's for it: a stable community, high strategic vision of sound educationalparental involvement, and an expe- programming. And they share one rienced and cohesive teaching staff. more feature: a tight budget. Good "Salmon Creek is about stability," design doesn't mean sky's-the-limitPrincipal Bill Nicolay realized as spending. "Our average cost per he listened to the discussion. "It's 71f,, square foot is consistently below thestable for kids, for parents, for rela- state average for school construc- tionships. Our parents feel like they 169 DESIGNS FOR LEARNING 18 go here, too, along with their kids. have been raising hatchery salmon It has a family culture, and we don'tas a community service project. The want to lose any of that when we architect found a way to make that move into a new building." project part of the school's signature. It's also a school with a strong A long-time Salmon Creek focus on literacy, and participants teacher who was part of the plan- kept circling back to that idea dur- ning process saw that her comments ing the discussions. As Superinten- had shaped the design, too. "Right dent Parsley listened, he suggested now, we teach in self-contained that participants expand their vi- classrooms that are walled off from sion. "He reminded us that literacy each other. We want more flexible is bigger than literature," recalls space to do the collaborative things Nicolay, "and that's when a light we struggle to do now, because we went on for me. We want our stu- don't have room for it to happen." dents to realize that all of literacy She was delighted to see cooperative is open to them when they walk work spaces included in the prelim- through our doors. That means art,inary plans. Another teacher, how- science, literature, math, technologyever, fretted when she saw that the to be literate, you need to under-sketches didn't include sinks and DISCOVERY PLAZA SPACE PHOTO BY JANIS MIGLAVS stand all these things." But the prin-storage space in each classroom. cipal was still perplexed. How could "Weren't they listening to my sug- As the symposium wound to a a building convey that message? gestions?" she asked. close, Horenstein offered some final After the first day's discussions, Tom Olson, an experienced facil-words of reassurance: "We won't Nicolay went home "and didn't itator (and former NWREL staff forget what you've told us. All your sleep well." But while he tossed andmember) hired by the district to ideas will go into a binder, and that turned, the architect who had been lead the design symposiums, used will be our reference book through- listening to the community's input that pointed question to remind out the design process," he told the worked late into the night. When participants that designing a schoolgroup. At each step of the way Nicolay saw the sketches the next is a long-term process. The sympo- from drafting more concrete speci- morning, he was amazed. "He cap-sium is just the starting placea fications to presenting the final tured all our ideas on paper. It's all chance to lay down a melody line, design to community groups to right there," the principal said, in- he explained, for all the improvis- lobbying for voter approvalthe cluding a multimedia space called ing that will follow. "We'll get to participants' forward-looking vision the Literacy Center at the heart the little details, eventually. But if for Salmon Creek School would re- of the new building and a "river" you start with the sinks," he added, main front and center. That's just (made of floor tiles) running from "you'll never get to the bigger pic- the way it works in this community the entryway to an aquarium. For ture, like what a school with a liter-that has learned how to build for years, Salmon Creek fifth-graders acy theme might look like." the future, one school at a time.

NW EDUCATION / Summer 2001 CELEBRATING

The Northwest, likemost of the country, has its share of aging and outdated school facilities. But it also is home to some spectacular examples of schools designed for the 21st century. As the stories on the following pages reveal, school architecture has never been more innovative. The prize-winning schools featured in this special section are as individual as fingerprints. But they do share common themes, such as: Smart spaces: Learning spaces are designed to support good classroom practices Technology integration: Schools fit for the future weave in technology in creative ways Flexibility: Knowing that tomorrow may bring different needs and opportunities, new schools are being designed for maximum flexibility Collaboration: Building a new school or remodeling an old one is a chance for community members of all ages to come together and talk about the future Personality: Successful school buildings convey a sense of what they're about whether it's a proud history, like Boise High, or a child's sense of wonder, like Alpenglow Elementary So what's new in school design? Take a lookand prepare to be amazed.

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0)(k 1' r. Oregon Alpha architecture. Honors include: on," says Dull. "We were hesitatingtheir classes for team teaching and 21 High School has no gym, no cafete- American Institute of Architects Na-putting wood railings in because to break up classes into many small ria, no field, no football team, no tional Committee on Architecture we were thinking kids would start working groups. And the Mult- banging metal lockers, no teachers' in Education Honor Award; Gover- carving them up. They said, 'Give nomah Education Service District, lounge, no library, no squeaky nor's Livability Award Special Men- us some credit. If you give us a nicewhich runs Alpha, wanted the build- chalkboards, no bells, and no long tion; American School Business building, we're not going to tear it ing to be available and usable for dark hallways. It doesn't look or Officials Certificate of Excellence; up. The architects also discovered community groups in the evening. sound like a school, and that's the American School and University that students were not as interested At first it seemed as if the Alpha way the students and teachers like it.Magazine Outstanding Design in having a student lounge as hav- building would have to be huge "We really designed it as a busi- Award; Council of Educational Fa- ing "little places." Thus they took to meet all these needs, says Dull. ness, not as a school," says Princi- cility Planners International Proj- small corners that were neither "Because of the restrictions on the pal Tom Dearborn. "The first time ect of Distinction Award; City of classroom nor office and made site and on the budget, it became I addressed students in the space I Gresham Community Design Ex- them into cozy spaces with couchesobvious that we had to become said, 'Does this look like a school?' cellence Award; and International for studying or casual conversation.more innovative." That's where the and everyone said 'No!' and I said Interior Design Association Merit "Flexibility" is the word and con-idea of movable walls and mobile `Good, we were successful. Award. In November 2000, Alpha's cept used most often when Alpha cabinetry came in. Alpha's multi- The 16,000-square-foot building lead architect Norm Dull presented staff and students describe their newpurpose commons area and the ad- that houses this school-to-work the project at the Innovative Alter- building. "The way the school is jacent classrooms can all be made program in Gresham, Oregon, has natives in Learning Environments designed it's almost malleable to bigger or smaller through an inno- garnered state and national awards Conference in Amsterdam. our needs," says senior John Albi. vative system of moving walls. for its beauty and functionality. Lo- Alpha students are proud of the Those needs are many. Alpha's Tables, cabinets, and student "cub- cated in what is planned as a dense,newness, cleanliness, and business- 130 students don't have a typical bies" are easily rolled out of the mixed-use downtown area along a like look of their prize-winning schedule of six or eight class periods.way as room configurations change. light-rail line, the school has only building. "It's more pro-fess-ion-al,"Half the students are in the buildingBecause the space is always chang- 13 parking spaces; 75 percent of its says one, enjoying each syllable. in the morning, half in the after- ing, teachers have offices instead of students use public transportation. Others say the building is "relaxing" noon. When they're not at school their own, permanent classrooms. Trees, benches, a setback at the en- and feels like "a second home." they're at job sites gaining job readi-They can roll carts with student tryway, large ground-floor windows,That's not surprising considering ness skills and exposure to career work back and forth from office and window bays give the building that students were involved in the options. "We don't generally have to classroom. a human scale and connect it to thebuilding's conception: 'No Alpha all of our kids here at once," says Remembering the flimsy, diffi- street scene. Its interior is bathed in students worked at the architects' Dearborn. Nonetheless, he adds, the cult-to-use accordion walls popular natural light emanating from high office during the design phase and design team realized that the school early in his 31-year education ca- windows in its central, two-story helped shape the appearance and needed a space that was large reer, Dearborn had some.concerns commons. function of the school. enough to accommodate a general when the subject of moving walls Alpha High School's design has "They offered so much insight assembly of those students, but arose. "When you deal as we do with won many awards for the Portland into the needs and the thinking, would not go unused the rest of special students and students who architectural firm Dull Olson the colors, materials, the responsi- the time. As well, he says, teachers aren't always focused on a curricu- Weekes, which specializes in school bility students were willing to take needed to be able both to combine lum presentation to begin with, 173 DESIGNS FOR LEARNING 1 1 1 1

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I' * L._ then you need to cut out as much "The kids have been really appro- Alpha students can get job site ex- but well worth the money. "We're 23 distraction as you can," he says. priate," he says. perience at school in an in-house serving a population that, if not But the operable partitions between Alpha's teachers praise the build-video production lab and a "busi- served, would probably end up cost- classroom and the moving walls ing and find it supports their work ness lab" where businesses can ing a lot of money down the road." that flank the common space are with students. "It's a dream becausecome to the building and set up Alpha's educational mission and two-and-a-half inches thick and, of all the flexibility, the newness, theshop temporarily. This exposure is its new building fit both a regional though they weigh 15 pounds per openness," says Terry Gerber, who particularly important for younger economic development vision and square foot, glide smoothly on ball-is in his 11th year and third build- students who usually don't have Gresham's urban design goals, says bearing rollers. "When they're in ing at Alpha. Gerber team teaches much idea of what job sites they Shelly Parini, Business Assistance place," says Dearborn, "you can entry-level students with another would like to go to, says Dearborn. Program Manager with the city's have a video going on one side and staff member. They often begin the The lab, which doubles as a science Community and Economic Devel- a conversation happening on the week by removing all the partitions room, is equipped with stainless- opment department. Recently, re- other, and it's not soundproof but between the four first-floor seminarsteel-topped movable tables, air, gional leaders completed a vision it's not distracting." rooms to discuss the week's work. gas, chemical hoods, chemical statement that focused on building To promote safe and appropriate Then they break down into groups. storage, and a roll-up door. "We community wealth through "smart behavior, the school's administrativeHe says, "With the walls as movablehad an engineer come in and with growth, smart kids, and smart in- "hub" is located across the corn- as they are, they allow us many, 10 students did a miniclass on dustries," she says. As well, the city's mons from the classrooms. From many configurations whether we bridge design as a job site," says downtown is being designed as a there the staff can see students com-want to set up small groups of six Dearborn. "Then they built a foot- complete community where people ing and going from classrooms on or seven or even smaller groups of bridge the City of Troutdale needed can "live, work, play, and learn." both floors, as well as entering and two or three." in their park system." "To have a school that has syn- leaving the building. Alpha has no computer lab that Completed in 1999, the Alpha ergy with existing industries that "In the '50s the schools were onewould require an extra staff person building cost $2.3 million includ- are training and grooming the fu- story, spread out along long corri- as a monitor. With wall panels po- ing fixtures, furnishings, and the ture labor force, to have it on the dors, and generally those corridors sitioned appropriately, teachers can moving walls. Multnomah Educa- light-rail and bus lines which opens were separate. So it left a lot of iso- easily keep track of students at com-tion Service District financed the up even more workforce opportuni- lated space for students to do what- puters just outside the classroom building by selling 10-year certifi- ties, and to do it all in a safe, con- ever, and we knew we didn't want on the perimeter of the commons. cates of participation. "We were veniently located neighborhood that to happen," says Dearborn. "One of the reasons we have the renting space, and the cost of the environment," says Parini, "you The open, two-story Alpha design,computers out here," says Gerber, space continued to grow while the can't get any more perfect than however, has its own potential trou-"is that we want the students to feelspace continued to stay the same orthat." ble spots. Dearborn admits to feel- as if they're in more of a profes- get worse," says Dearborn. "So we ing "really paranoid" when he firstsional atmosphere. The other rea- were getting less and less for the stood on the second floor and lookedson is that we have guests all the money we were paying. By looking down into the common space. "Thistime. We want them to see students at our cost for housing the program is open. Who's going to see how far at work, and we want the students over a 10-year period, we could say they can jump?" he wondered. But to interrelate." it's cheaper to build." Alpha was his fears have been unfounded. As well as going out to job sites, expensive per square foot, he says,

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W EDI CATI()\Stimilit:r 2001 II;OWE, Ea IlzhoIn the heart of shows that older neighborhood for survival was the fact that the to computer, science, and math 25 Boise's downtown, just a stone's skipschools often serve as community district had the foresight, as early classes, in addition to a state-of-the- from the state capitol dome, Boise anchors. The closing of such schoolsas the 1950s, to purchase land sur- art media center, cafeteria, and High School has stood its ground can have a detrimental impact on rounding the school as it became auxiliary gymnasium. for nearly a century. Built in phases a community, alienating local stu- available. This enabled the school A budget of $13.5 million was between 1906 and 1922, the white dents who must then be bused to to add a football field in earlier yearsearmarked for the project. "The brick structure is an impressive ex- faraway suburban schools, making and to provide small spaces for park-money came from various sources ample of Classical architecture, nearby residential neighborhoods ing as the times changed and more over a period of time," says Chuck complete with Ionic columns and a less desirable to families, and low- students had access to cars. To fur- Tinder, Facility and Operations Ad- tympanum featuring a stone-carvedering property values. ther remedy the parking shortage, ministrator for the district, "and was Plato. It is a landmark for the thou- "Schools that hold the memoriesthe school sponsored a contest to saved in a planned facility fund." sands of students who have passed of generations are disappearing," come up with creative solutions. When an initial bid far exceeded through its classrooms, as well as cautioned the National Trust for These included: partnering with thethe budget, the city of Boise came for the many residents who have Historic Preservation in its recent city bus system to allow students to to the rescue. With the Boise High seen the likes of Duke Ellington andreport, Historic Neighborhood ride free of charge, improving bicy- renovation in mind, city officials Bing Crosby in its historic audito- Schools in the Age of Sprawl: cle storage facilities at the school, adopted the Uniform Code for Build- rium. Understandably, many were Why Johnny Can't Walk to School. and arranging for shared parking ing Conservation (UCBC), an ex- concerned in the early 1990s when As the report also pointed out, with neighboring churches. As a re-ample of what the National Trust the Boise School District considered "Schools are part of the glue that sult, these potential barriers were calls a "smart code" to encourage closing the school's doors to build holds communities together." What'seliminated. the rehabilitation and moderniza- elsewhere. more, the National Trust noted that In 1995, after several years of in- tion of historic buildings. No one denied that the school many historic school buildings tense debate, the school board voted "Anytime you compare new con- was in a state of disrepair. The wiringhouse more personalized, "human-to save Boise High. And last year thestruction against old construction, was ancient, turning the old schoolscaled" learning programs that are National Trust celebrated the newlyyou run into all these fire code and and its antediluvian timbers into supported by education research. renovated school as a local success life safety issues," says Skylar Rubel a virtual powder keg. The ceiling Boise High's 1,100 studentstypi- story and a lesson for other com- of Hummel Architects, the firm that of the auditorium showed cracks, cally the district's most diverse pop- munities to take to heart. took on the Boise High project dangerous not only because of the ulationinclude a large number and, incidentally, the firm that de- possibility of a plaster rain, but alsoof high achievers. _AYING THE FOUNDATION signed the original structure nearly a because of the potential asbestos Closing Boise High could have The plan called for a massive reno-century ago. "If this UCBC wouldn't hazard it could expose. In the eventreleased a blight upon its vital urbanvation of the original structure, as have come along, there would have of an emergency, the structure did community. Recognizing the threat,well as the replacement of a Depres-been a barrier because it was such not possess sufficient exiting routes.residents of the historic North End sion-era industrial arts building nexta major remodel to bring up to cur- In short, the building wasn't close neighborhood adjacent to the school door that couldn't be salvaged. The rent code, and it would have killed to meeting modern safety codes. led the charge to save this integral renovated "Old Main" would houseus. But the UCBC came into place But the school district also rec- piece of the community's social the humanities classes, including for when we got on board, and pro- ognized the implications of closingfabric. art, drama, language, and history. vided the necessary flexibility to this downtown school. Research Improving Boise High's chances The new structure would be home work with the historic structure." 17-ft

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DRAWING SY HUMMEL ARCHITECTS Another coup was a statute that Even students and teachers took gallery; and the administrative overnight. 27 enabled the city to hire a construc- part. A crew of students was hired offices were remodeled. It took incredible teamwork to tion manager for the renovation over the summer to help move fur- It was a messy business. Years of choreograph the building and class project. Versus the traditional de- niture. Staff meetings included the debris needed to be removed from schedules, respectively managed by sign-then-build process where one architects and builders, and cama- the old coal shaft, described by RubelHoobing and Anderson. Great care general contractor is hired to take raderie resulted. Multiple stories as a "sci-fi" experience. One elec- was taken to adhere to set timetables the architects' plans and run with recount construction workers vol- trician nearly had a cardiac arrest to avoid disrupting classes. them, the construction manage- unteering to move furniture and when he discovered a body in a Not only was the project com- ment option allowed the school materials for teachers to allow thempitch-black vent; fortunately, it pleted according to schedule, but be- district to hire Ray Hoobing of CM to concentrate on instruction. The turned out to be an old Mark Waincause the team worked so efficiently Company as the middleman who crew even built a makeshift stage mannequin. And there were other together, cost savings made room for would oversee the project and ar- for the drama teacher when she andchallenges, not the least of which several unanticipated extras. range for subcontractors to contracther students were left without one was that there were scanty to no A complete restoration of the directly with the district. This gave on the eve of a production. records for reference. historic auditorium was one such the school district more control over "What was stressed," Hoobing "One of the biggest challenges extra. It turned out that the over- budget and scheduling, and elimi- says, crediting Anderson's leader- for us," Daniels says, "was that all head cracks were not ceiling frac- nated the sometimes adversarial ship, "was that we needed to provideof the electrical and structural sys- tures after all, but tears in a canvas relationship that can develop if a decent facilities for the education oftems were totally unknown." The and horsehair matting installed contractor is more concerned with the kids. We felt the kids deserved a building had seen several remodels early in the century for acoustics, turning profits than adhering to a decent place. So we put our heart in the '40s, '50s, and '60s, he notes,easily repaired. While the scaffolding client's schedule and budget. "In a and soul into it." "and we had to get in there and was up, crews removed the boards very complicated, messy reconstruc- figure out how to bring it all up to and wallpaper that had been plas- tion project such as this," Tinder SCAFFOLDS RISING date, without disrupting the class- tered over the auditorium's grand says, "the construction manage- The renovation of Old Main in- roomsthat when you pull a arched windows during the energy ment approach was ideal. It was cluded: life safety upgrades (i.e., switch down here, it doesn't turn crisis in the 1970s, and installed like getting an extension of my fire sprinklers, fire alarms, smoke off classrooms on the other end sound panelsshaped like the staff, someone on my team." detectors, and new exiting routes); of the building." original arched panesin their By all accounts, "team" was the accessibility improvements to meet Because work continued during place. Other modifications included operative word. Hoobing worked the Americans with Disabilities Act; the school year, those classrooms closing off a third balcony to create closely with architects Rubel, Scott the installation of new electrical, weren't sitting empty. While the a modern control room and meet Straubhar, and Ed Daniels through-data/telephone, and lighting sys- builders worked on one wing or exiting requirements, as well as out planning and building. Addi- tems; and a re-roofing. Addition- floor of the building, classes were installing new lighting and sound tionally, Boise High Principal Ken ally, classrooms were reconfigured in session down the hall or stairs. systems. Backstage, the antiquated Anderson and district representativesto provide optimal learning envi- As the crew finished with one area riggingwith its frayed ropes and were highly involved in the process. ronments; a special area was de- and headed for another, staff and dangling sandbagswas com- "We set the tone at the beginning," signed to accommodate special students cleared the way with bul- pletely overhauled, and a new Anderson says, "that this was going education facilities; the old cafete- letlike precision, often moving catwalk/grid was added. to be a cooperative effort." ria was transformed into an art classes from one room to another See BRICKS, Page 40

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NW EDUCATION / Summer 2001 IISSAQUAIII, Washfumg-ttoim that sets higher expectations of lessons. Royce Nourigat, construc- In the remodel, those corridors 29 In 1997, Apollo Elementary had pupils and staff, and that encour- tion coordinator for the district, were enclosed. The new interior halls just gone through a long period of ages collaborations between the discussed color samples with a were carpeted in soft green-blue, flux, including changes in staff andcommunity and the school. fourth-grade class, then listed for the walls covered with student art- grades at the school, and rapid en- And, although it was a major them the cost of doors, windows, worknot possible before. "Those rollment growth. Staff and parents headache for staff and students at carpeting, and so forth. Then he haddisplays create such school pride thought the situation had finally the time, a supporting factor in the students estimate the cost of build- and community spirit for kids and stabilized when they were hit by a academic turnaround has been the ing a room. their parents," says Kopacz. new blow: the first year of the fourth- physical remodeling of the school. "We probably created a few ar- And because they were once exte- grade Washington Assessment of chitects and engineers," says Doug rior, Apollo's hallways are wider Student Learning (WASL) tests rated UILDING A TEAM Snyder, Assistant Superintendent forthan those in newer schools. That Apollo abysmally low, the worst scor-The open and participatory process the district, who oversaw the project.feature has proved an unexpected ing in the Issaquah School District. adopted to discuss the kind of phys-Snyder adds, "If we learned any- asset. Walk down the halls on any Only half of fourth-graders passed ical space the school needed has thing from the remodel at Apollo, itschool day, and you may find par- in reading and 22 percent passed stayed fresh in everyone's mind. was: communicate, communicate, ents of Judy Whipple's third-graders the math. "It took a great deal of teamwork tocommunicate." working quietly with kids on indi-. "Those test scores shocked us," plan the remodel and deal with the "We worked hard, accomplished vidual reading and math. Before says Dr. Abby Adams, then school disruption it brought about," says muchand survived," says Adams.the remodel, one-to-one activities principal. "We had been working Adams, now Director of Research "We realized things could change." happened in the classroom or not hard and had turned in a new direc- and Assessment for the district. For at all. Or you might find Cory tion, stressing the Washington state close to three years, 30 to 40 people,MAGNET FOR COMMUNITY Walsh's second-graders spacing standards, and already academic including teachers and parents fromThe result is a warm and welcomingthemselves apart to represent dis- levels were rising, but the test results every grade level, met to discuss ev- school that has become a magnet tances between planets in the solar were a wake-up call. We all knew we erything from carpet color to libraryfor community involvement and ansystem, or launching "rockets" had to work much harder." design. "We operated by consensus,"environment that ably supports the through strawsand then mea- Within a year, Apollo was trans- says Adams. "Then we took commit-kind of teaching and learning tar- suring the distance in centimeters formed from an embarrassment to tee decisions back to staff for final geted by the post-WASL improvementover three trials before calculating a showpiece; three years later it has approval." plan adopted in 1997. the mean. The new hallways provide become a model school, still im- Apollo's 600 students were in- "In the old school, the classroomsroom for activities that promote proving every year. Washington's cluded, too. "Every month in as- opened onto a covered, open-air active learning. nonprofit Partnership for Learning sembly, I pulled out the floor plan corridor, which in winter was as cold Inside, double doors open like has identified Apollo as one of the to show the students what was hap- and windy as a Boeing test tunnel," French doors to join many neigh- state's most-improved schools. pening," Adams continues. "Once, says kindergarten teacher Thom Lee. boring classrooms. This innovation This dramatic reversal has been the project foreman came in to ex- "It created a sense of isolation," was requested by teachers to facili- the result of intense effort by Apollo plain how the heavy equipment agrees PTA chair Mary Kopacz. tate team teaching and collaborative staff and parents who have worked worked, which the younger children"There was nothing physical to learning. Says Judy Whipple, "One overtime developing a plan that loved." Aspects of the building pro- draw classes together. It was scary year, I collaborated with another pinpoints and addresses weakness, cess were worked into the children'sfor youngeridds." third-grade teacher. We opened

181 DESIGNS FOR LEARNING those doors and combined classes says librarian Lynn Thompson. Teachers enjoy the access to com-others in the community, as well. 31 for spelling, which I taught, and Cushioned window seats run be- puters in the classroom and outsideApollo is a local voting site. Classes reasoning and writing, which she neath a bank of tall windows at the it. They report that the new, easy in foreign languages, pottery, draw- taught. Recently, we had someone back; computers line one wall; soft access to e-mail facilitates dissemi- ing, karate, and dance as well as from Puget Sound Energy come talkarmchairs invite leisurely browsing.nation of information and conver- homeowners associations and chess to us about electricity, and someoneAll freestanding bookcases are on sations between them, encouragingclubs meet there regularly. An active from a salmon hatchery to talk wheels so they can be pushed aside collaborative efforts. In addition, theday-care program runs before and about the fish. Now it's easy to to create one large space for specialPTA, which now has an in-school after school. The school and the dis- combine classes." events. office, has a listsery for the commu-trict encourage this use. "In 11 ele- The single most popular innova- The school's interior courtyard, nity, strengthening school-commu-mentary schools in the district, we tion of the entire remodel, however, diminished in size by the library nity relations. have 12,000 bookings for commu- is the wall-to-wall carpeting that is and music room, is now a more in- Improvements in technology nity activities for the year," says everywhere but classroom sink areas. timate space, pleasantly decorated have not stopped there. In the re- Doug Snyder proudly. The commu- Before, the floor was mostly tiled, with planters. The bricks that sur- model, phones were installed in nity-Apollo collaboration has had which amplified noise and echoes, face it were sold as a fund-raiser forevery room, improving communi- clear benefits for everybody. supplemented with small areas of the school; each carries the name cation for parents, who can now Anyone who walks the halls of old rug. Fifth-grader Kelcie Walther of its purchaser, strengthening the easily leave messages for teachers, Apollo can easily see the pride of says with disdain, "That carpet was community's sense of ownership. "Iand vice versa. A sound system was ownershipand achievemerit really, really, really bright orange," like the courtyard," exclaims fifth- installed in most rooms, making it by parents, children, and staff. It is a universally unpopular color. Staff grader Alex Muir. "My name easier for all students and particu- evident from the intent faces and and students alike agree that the new is on a brick there!" larly the hearing impaired to followthe colorful hallways. It shows, too, teal/blue/green/gray color scheme A remodel this extensive carries a their teachers. in the reduced vandalism. Best of is calming and warmand a big hefty price tag. For Apollo, it totaled Apollo parents have long been in- all, academic performance contin- improvement over the orange/yel- $7 million, which was one slice of avolved in the school. Since the re- ues to rise yearly, assisted by a build- low/olive green it replaced. Teacher larger bond issue passed in 1994 by model, they more frequently use its ing that is, in Thom Lee's words, Thom Lee also appreciates the way district voters for school construc- facilities for their children's extra- "kid-friendly all over." I=1 carpeting allows his kindergartners tion and modernization, the latter curricular activities such as Scout to work on the floor, where they are matched by 20 percent to 40 percentmeetings and sports. "This is like often most comfortable. state money. The same year a levy home to the kids," says Mary Kopacz. The music room and library at passed to improve technology in the "Having many of their nonschool Apollo, newly built in the interior schools, so that enhancement be- activities here is helpful to them. courtyard, are showpieces. Both, likecame integral to the Apollo remodel.They know the rules and where the many rooms in the school, have sky- Old, inadequate wiring was replaced bathroom is." According to Kopacz, lights in addition to large windows, to make possible a computer lab andeven the already-involved PTA has maximizing natural light. The li- computers in every classroom. The become more active since the brary, centrally positioned, "has be-district's goals for computer use in school's physical transformation. come the social hub of the school, each grade are easily met in the new The remodeled school has be- and makes us more a community,"building. come a center of activity for many X83 DESIGNS FOR LEARNING TM LEARNINGIf ihkgrAmin Ammr111111' 11mi 111; \

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I IEAGIL1E AIlaska is a "very strong belief" of the firm, the school library, offering expan- of lighting to choose from in class- 33 What you notice about Alpenglow says Terry Hyer who, as principal sive views of river and mountains. rooms, depending on the activity. when you drive up is the way the architect on the $9 million Alpen- With the primary and intermediate They can, for instance, direct more long, low building follows the lay glow project, worked with project classroom wings and common areaintense light onto the board to draw of the land. Perched on a plateau design architect Greg Frosberg and converging there, the library is, by students' attention there. Or they in the sheltering embrace of the project manager Jonathan Steele. design, the school's heart and focal can dim the room for a quiet, read- Chugach mountains, this award- "Up here, we have short daylightpoint. A cozy alcove tucked into onealoud story. Kids' artwork hangs on winning elementary school stretcheshours in the wintertime," Hyer corner invites children to come the hallway walls ("to the fire mar- out along the Eagle River Valley a notes. "A good deal of the time whencloser, to climb the steps and inves- shal's chagrin," Hyer says). The few miles outside Anchorage. The school is in session, we are faced tigate the small, square windows, classroom pods, zoned for primary school's footprint follows the river'swith gray skies and darkness. So to each inlaid with a colorful illustra- and intermediate, give a "neighbor- tumbling course, and its profile capture that daylight when we havetion from Aesop's Fables. The whim-hood" feel to the place. matches the wooded foothills, whose it is very important." sical windows, as well as the glass Hidden behind the inviting aes- birch, aspen, and spruce give way Natural light comes in everywheremural in the common area, were thetics of this six-year-old school to barren, rocky peaks above. Whenthrough skylights and through created by artists chosen in a juriedin an upper-middle-class neighbor- autumn tinges the trees in glowingsmall hallway windows positioned competition under the state's "1 hood of the Anchorage School red, the school's brick-colored ma- low to the ground where kids can percent for the arts" requirement District are the creative ways the ar- sonry recedes into the landscape, look out as they walk by without for all public buildings. Kids and chitects have accommodated safety, chameleonlike. standing on tiptoes. It filters through visitors encounter another touch of flexibility, and practicality in the While the exterior design is all a 21-foot-high green and blue glasswhimsy when they walk up to the design. For example: about melting into the surround- mural that gives the school's vaultedfront entrance, where they discover A dual entry, with parents driving ings, a closer look reveals a slew common area a sense of cathedral- a Disney-esque clock, cockeyed in up to the main doorway on the west of contrasting notions that the An- like serenity. Light, which buoys thea cute, cartoonish sort of way and end of the building and buses swing- chorage-based architectural firm heart and so perfectly symbolizes painted in blazing yellow and pas- ing around back to the east end,.to ECl/Hyer has managed to braid to- learning, also has a very practical sionate purple. Its lighted dial of- avoid the before- and after-school gether: Functionality with whimsy. aspect, Hyer stresses. It has the im- fers a cheery welcome even on the traffic tangle and the safety hazard Practicality with playfulness. Dura- portant purpose, he says, of "way- most dreary days. of kids running between cars bility with artistry. The result is a finding," or "trafficking" within "The clock has become a local A stage that straddles the multi- school that provides food not only the building. You don't usually landmark," says Principal Larry purpose room and gymnasium, for the brain, but also for the spirit. think of "dangerous intersections" Huff, who happens to be wearing with movable walls on both sides Designed to capture and hold theinside schools, but where one hall- an Alpenglow School sweatshirt im-for "vast flexibility" in use scant winter light and to frame the way turns a corner or meets anotherprinted with the very same clock. An exterior and grounds design surrounding peaks in the bountiful hallway, kids can collide or make a Traveling from the library down that incorporates native landscap- windows, Alpenglow is the antithe- wrong turn. At these places, the ar- the wide hallways, a visitor is strucking with play areas; indigenous sis of the dim, boxy fortress where chitects have binged on daylight, by the peaked, bright-white ceilingsplants such as blueberries and cran- most kids spend their school days. inviting it in abundantly through in both halls and classrooms, lend- berries are integrated with a sled- Bringing daylight into interior doors and windows. ing a further, sense of light and ding hill and an ice rink where kids spacesschools, particularly Curving out above the valley is space. Teascliers have several levels skate and play hockey 185 DESIGNS FOR LEARNING iLLIL.E.11iLltd

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186 A R

o A covered, lighted stairway con- concrete masonry blocks and cast Terry Hyer, principal architect at ECl/ nects school grounds to the high- stone. The bands of color, which the Hyer in Anchorage, has been involved end subdivision where many of the architects "played with" on a com- in more than 40 school design projects students live puter model of the building, mirror in Alaska, including Alpenglow Elemen- ® A vaulted "galleria" or main in- the tones in the volcanic rock and tary School which has won honors from tersection that takes advantage of reddish bark of naked birch trees in the American Association of School the efficiencies created by "adja- winter. Another example of durable, Administrators/American Institute of cencies"the grouping of spaces inexpensive materials that look ter- Architects/Council of Educational Facil- of the office, gym, computer lab,rific is the hallway flooring. The ity Planners, International Architecture multipurpose room, and library granite tile is tough enough to hold Jury, among others. Here are some excerpts from a recent conversation: With this kind of creative, outside- up against hundreds of little feet. the-box thinking, the architects wereYet the pattern achieved with black, Northwest Education: able to get maximum mileage fromwhite, and gray squares is attractive, What do you like about designing schools? Terry Hyer: Schools are such wonderful facilities to the square-footage limit mandated even elegant. design. Because they're places for discovery, schools by the state and contain costs at the "The district is always after mate- should provide an environment that enhances the learning processnot only from the students' stand- same time. Surprisingly, great schoolrials with high durability and min- point, but also from the staff's standpoint. I think it design doesn't need to cost more imum upkeep," says Hyer. "Our makes a big difference if the staff is really excited than bad or even mediocre design. goal is to bring variety into the about going to work every day and about the spaces they're in. For example, the rich exterior colors space with color, material, and vol- NW: And yet it seems that a lot of school design of brick-red, buff, and black were ume. We aim for designs that are is the opposite of exciting. achieved with relatively inexpensive timelessthat hold up, both in the Hyer: In the early days of my career I would feel frustrated when I'd hear a speaker talking about new aesthetic expression as well as ma- trends in education design. I always came away going, terials. We try to stay away from "I don't see a new trend. We're doing it the same old way." There's a lot of room for more collaboration fads." between educators and architects to define improved environments for teaching and learning. Sometimes architects stretch out there to try to create something new and fail because the educators haven't participated in the solution. If the educators don't buy into it and aren't willing to teach in that environment, it's not going to work. I'm excited about some of the middle school concepts that are catching on and moving into the high schools. I see it as a more pronounced change and adjustment in the way we look at the delivery of the educational curriculum of any that this country's gone through in many, many years. Continued on next page

B 7

DESIGNS FOR LEARNING DESIGNING PLACES OR DISCOVERY

36 NW: You mean in terms of smaller, more intimate NW: Oh, how neat. spaces? Hyer: The district was going to do some more of Hyer: Smaller, more intimate spaces, more real- these schools, and ultimately took that out of the world relationships, more interdisciplinary curricu- design because there was some concern that a lum delivery, team teaching. Teachers can learn to child might be injured by falling.I can appreciate work together and show kids that there's an inter- that, and we don't want to do something that puts connectedness among subjects. Maybe you're a children at risk. great mathematician, but if you can't communicate I think that's one of the challenges we have to take with people, you can't get your ideas across. It on as architects. And that's where the cross-fertil- doesn't work very well to give kids 50 minutes to ization with educators needs to come in. The teacher learn math, and 50 minutes later they're expected needs to be able to be creative and figure out how to learn social studies, and 50 minutes later they're to teach in a different environment than what they're expected to learn something else, and there's no accustomed to. interrelationship between them. NW: I remember a period of time when schools were NW: So, as an architect, how would you begin to being designed with a lot of big, open spaces. Has translate that kind of a notion into space design? that gone away? Hyer: Well, that's the real challengehow do Hyer: Gone away and coming back a little bit. Open you support a philosophy with a physical, tangible classroom concepts swept through classrooms all space? You want a school that is welcoming in ap- over the country. The idea was flexibility and team pearance. You want some color, you want some teaching. But it took teachers out of their comfort interest, you want people to feel good about the zone of having their own individual classroom with -entry. And-it goes without saying that it needs to four walls. And-they didn't- know how-to-deal- with -it. function. All those appropriate spaces need their NW: Is a beautiful school more expensive than an proper adjacencies and you need to be efficient ugly school? with the utilization. You've got a fixed amount of Hyer: No. square footage, and that's where the architect, NW: Really? My perception would be that a really working with the community, develops priorities neat-looking, innovative design would cost more. as to how you sprinkle that square footage across Hyer: It depends on the design team and the dis- the programs. You could, for instance, have large trict. If you have a design team that is creative classrooms, but you might have to have a smaller and if they'll allow the design team to really be gymnasium to make up for that. If you had a lot of creativethat's the secret to it, not necessarily area devoted to the physical education component, whether you have a tremendous budget. I mean, you might wind up with smaller classrooms. budget does play a part, but creativity plays a NW: What other factors get in the way? much bigger role. Hyer: The fear of litigation is hampering some good design. Safety is paramount in a school where you've got hundreds of children and staff. But it does affect some of the spaces you can create. Some years ago we did an elementary school that had some little loft kinds of things built into the _classrooms. It had_guardrails around it and so forth, it wasn't too high off the floor, but it was kind of a neat little space that was special to the scale of the children that you're talking about. It could be used for little reading alcoves. There was even a cavelike space underneath where kids could crawl. 37 n an early March sunlight," he says. "It works." morning, unseasonablySCHOOLYARD LESSONS Having a knowledgeable advo- 0warm weather has cate like Olson on staff is a key to coaxed the daffodils Non nad,mom what we hag making a school garden flourish. into a display of color near the front wmp take@ U(=ACE oft 0 oon "You need someone to supply con- doors to Chief Joseph Elementary tinuing energy," acknowledges School in North Portland. But the Story and photo by Suzie Boss Leslie Pohl-Kosbau with Portland real action, nature-wise, is unfold- Community Gardens. She and her ing a short stroll down the sidewalk co-workers have helped nurture where four students are pulling school gardens in all sorts of set- weeds and shoveling compost onto tings, including an ambitious proj- garden beds. Teacher Eric Olson ect at Woodlawn Elementary in makes sure they're digging into sci- Northeast Portland. ence at the same time they're turn- As Woodlawn Principal Marian ing over topsoil. Young explained recently, "The gar- When a girl named Melissa stops den is a wonderful living metaphor weeding to scoop up a caterpillar, of the growth we seek to achieve for the other students gather for a quick the children and the 'village' of look. "It's a different color than the supporting adults around them." one you found a few minutes ago, Eric Olson and students explore Chief Joseph garden. The Woodlawn Garden, with the isn't it?" Olson asks. As she returns support of Portland Community the fuzzy insect to its habitat, Olsonreminder that school grounds become quite elaborateconnect- Gardens and other community turns his attention to the boy shov- shouldn't be overlooked as places ing outdoor environments with in- groups, has benefited from having eling compost out of a truck bed. that offer powerful opportunities for door science and technology labs, a part-time garden coordinator po- "How warm is it?" the teacher asks, learning. integrating public art into garden sition funded through grants. The and the boy plunges his hand into "There's something in our genesplots, or involving students in grow-coordinator not only helps teachers the pile to get a reading. "Wow! It's that makes us want to dig in the ing the foods served in the school tie garden projects to the curricu- hot!" the surprised student discov- dirt," says Olson, who likes nothingcafeteriaschool gardens can alsolum, but also works in the garden ers. And that gives Olson the perfectbetter than getting his own hands be effective on a simple scale. with children after school and dur- opening to explain the chemical dirtyunless it's watching a stu- The school garden at Chief ing the summer months. reaction that occurs when brown dent make a discovery. A 17-year Joseph, for instance, began as a Around the region, different and green plant matter comes into classroom veteran, Olson won the humble patch of grass alongside a models have been used to organize contact with dirt and bacteria. prestigious Presidential Award for bare school wall. "I thought it was and sustain school gardens. In ad- For a decade, Olson, 53, has Excellence in Science Teaching too small at first," admits Olson, dition to collaborations with com-. been developing this school garden presented by the National Science who had a grander scheme in mind.munity gardening programs, some as an earthy extension of the class- Foundation last year. But when he assigned his students schools engage students in service room. Ricked between the building Across the Northwestindeed, to prepare environmental impact learning, growing produce for local and the sidewalk and set off by a all over the countryeducators arestatements, comparing potential food banks, for instance. Other chain-link fence, the garden gives finding similarly creative ways to sites around the campus, they con- schools recruit help from master urban students a chance to learn turn school sites into environmen- vinced him that this spot on the gardeners trained by university ex- about everything from botany to tal labs, wildlife habitats, and green south side of the building would tension programs. In the Tacoma bugs, from organic chemistry to spaces bursting with flowers and work. "It has water nearby, it's close area, Washington State University cooperation. The garden is also a food crops. Although projects can to the classrooms, and it gets good Cooperative Extension has devel-

DESIGNS FOR LEARNING U 38 oped a 4-H experiential learning the curriculum, but also motivates calls a girl from Somalia who was environment "to help a kid learn to curriculum called Growing With many students who are less engagedhaving difficulty cooperating in the look at things in an aesthetic way" Plants. Lessons on plant ecology in the usual class routines. Studentsclassroom. "But to see her work withhe says. Sutton encourages record- and human nutrition help childrenwho strain to sit still in class may the earthit was an act of love. ing the garden's growth with photos, see the connection between their be captivatedand stimulated Gardens offer a place where kids children's drawings, and writing own growth, the food they eat, and watching a beetle make its way can discover themselves." projects. And harvest times offer where food comes from. through a just-turned pile of dirt. Build partnerships. Sutton encour- perfect opportunities to celebrate. Amy Sutton, Resource Specialist When students have the opportunityages schools to build collaborations with NWREL's Mathematics and to ask their own questions about with community resources, which RESOURCES Science Education Center, notes things that interest them and dis- might include university extension,Edible SchoolyardNurtured the untapped potential residing in cover the answers, they are taking youth groups, garden clubs, botani-with the help of celebrity chef Alice school gardens. "British educators vital steps to becoming lifelong cal gardens, or business sponsors. Waters, the Edible Schoolyard at call it `schoolyard learning'they learners. Have clear rules. Olson starts Martin Luther King Middle School recognize the many contexts for Other lessons that experienced building good work and safety habitsin Berkeley, California, is one of the learning that school gardens and school gardeners have learned: with first-graders. He delights in nation's best-known school gardens. grounds offet" Besides the rich pos- Make the garden an easy resourceseeing older students coach youngerRead about the transformation sibilities for science, mathematics, for teachers to use. "You don't want ones not to trample growing plants from cracked asphalt to half-acre literacy, social studies, and art, Sut- teachers to feel guilty," says Olson, or harm insects, to clean up as they green space on the Web site (www. ton sees another level of benefits. or that tending a garden plot is one go, to use tools safely. "These may edibleschoolyard.org.). Gardening and closely observing themore thing they have to do. He seem like little things, but they're National Gardening Associa- natural world give children much- works with students to prepare a important concepts," he says. tionMore than 1,000 schools needed opportunities to develop a garden bed for each classroom to Think year-round. Depending have joined the Garden in Every relationship with nature. "The act plant and nurture, and helps other on local weather conditions, school School Registry maintained by the of planting seeds, tending, and har- teachers see how garden projects gardens can offer opportunities for National Gardening Association. vesting helps young learners feel tie into standards in areas such as learning across all seasons. In See the Web site for more informa- the excitement of nature," she says. math, science, and writing. Simi- Alaska and Montana, some schools tion (www.kidsgardening.com). "They begin to feel responsibility forlarly, Sutton recommends creating use greenhouses or raised beds to National Wildlife Federa- their environment at the same time opportunities for teachers with no extend the short growing season. Be-tionSchoolyard Habitat projects they realize a sense of control over gardening experience to "get com- cause Olson lives near Chief Joseph currently are underway at more their environment." fortable in the garden." School, he stops by to water and tendthan 1,100 schools. See the Web site Sutton believes gardens grow Keep work groups small. Olson the garden beds over the summer for more information (www.nwf. healthy relationships as well as nu-"borrows" a handful of students and takes delight when students see org,/habitats/schoolyard/). tritious food. Working in gardens at a time to help him in the school the results in September. Northwest Regional Educa- helps students practice teamwork garden. That allOws for easier crowd Have fun. Woodlawn's school gar-tional LabMathematics and and communication skills, while control and creates more teachable den includes a circular "pizza gar- Science Education Center has a va- involving families and the larger moments. "Kids need time to discussden," where marigolds of different riety of materials to help educators community reinforces a sense of and play," he says, in order to makehues and pizza herbs like oregano integrate gardening into their cur- connection. their own discoveries. grow atop eight "slices" of soil. riculum. Northwest educators may Gardens also help teachers ad- Be inclusive. "Gardens work great Celebrate beauty. Olson, who has search the collection and request dress students' diverse needs and with TAG (talented and gifted) kids,worked as a professional gardener, items online (www.nwrel.org/msed interests, Sutton adds Stepping out-because they tend to see things that knows that gardens offer the perfect resource). side the classroom to answer a ques-others might miss. And gardens are setting to learn about design con- tion, plant seeds, or observe insects also great learning places for special cepts such as line, color, shape, and on flowers not only adds variety to education kids," says Olson. He re- space. Gardens provide a natural

NW EDUCATION / Summer 2001 190 projects on the outside of the build-tioner that ran on water. One day thethey can do together. And involving 39 WIONSing, so the neighborhood can see water hose broke. Water was every- children in planning and design that our children are creative." where. M I cleaned it up, I realized inspires a level of creativity many Continued from Page 13 NW: And did it work? that the hose was the same size as adults do not normally experience. NW: Why is this important? Sutton: I stayed there for four years. the tubing on a French horn. By Sutton: With so many schools, the Before I started working there, the attaching a length of hose to a For more information about doors open and it's a brand-new low-income parents did not feel theykitchen funnel and a mouthpiece, ISharon Sutton's work with the building. Two years later it looks were included in the school. They could "build" a French horn right Center for Environment, Educa- worn. By 10 years later, it's old. But weren't the ones running things. But in front of the kids, and they could tion, and Design Studies at the if they're involved in designing it, my projects gave them a way to get play it. Well, we were a big hit! University of Washington, see the kids can feel as if they own the involved. They didn't have to come NW: So you've continued using thatthe CEEDS Web site (ceeds.caup. space. And then they take better just for meetings. They could help approach? washington.edu). l=1 care of it. pour concrete or work on other con- Sutton: When I put that mouthpiece NW: Have you seen this happen? struction projects with the students. in the tubing and got the kids to Sutton: When I was in graduate The design process became a way participate, I learned the importance school, I was hired to teach archi- for me to teach team-building skills,of involvement. I try to teach in a tecture in the public schools in Newcooperation, environmental aware- way so that my students are taking York City. I started working with a ness. The art objects that we built action for their own education. And school that had always supported together did not get vandalized. On in our community-building projects, arts education. The neighborhood pre- and post-tests, children made the spark we use to get people to had recently started to change. Moreimprovements in how much they participate is called a charrette. It's and more upper-middle income valued being a cooperative person. a design workshop that gets people families began sending their chil- The same was true on environmen- thinking and talking about the fu- dren to private schools, and more tal awareness, on taking responsibil-ture of their environment. We bring immigrant Black childrenmany ity for solving problems in their together a couple hundred people from the West Indieswere start- immediate environment. practitioners and academics, ing to enroll in this public school. NW: You're describing a hands-on students and architects, landscape The community began to pressure way of learning, too. architects and urban planners the school for more discipline, moreSutton: I learned it by accident! Be- and ask them to generate ideas for of a law-and-order approach, and fore I became an architect, I was a using schools as places of discovery, less art. It's true that the kids were professional musician in New York. proposals for projects that would tearing through the neighborhood. In the daytime, my quintet did a lotlink school and community. It's a But the principala wonderful of concerts for public schools. And springboard to design that's respon- mentortold me, "I want you to we had to play serious programs. At sive to a community. And it's also a teach the children that this is their 9:15 a.m., I had to get up and makelearning model. It teaches schools community and they need to take the French horn real to an audienceand communities that, not only can care of it. Teach the kids to be good of 300 children. I was living in an they share buildings, but that there citizens. And get some of their art old brownstone with an air condi- are community-building activities

DESIGNS FOR LEARNING 181 40 architects incorporated a wheel and before the computer labs were added. Di CM spoke concept, centered on a Boise "Oh-my-God, are those important! Continued from Page 27 Braves logo with design elements Especially for kids who don't have radiating out onto the main plaza them at home." Though Janean Another extra, not included in a logical choice given that the admits she has access to a home the original plan, was the air con- school has long served as a hub for computer, she says she'd rather ditioning system. the community. spend time at school. "Through a team effort, we gen- It's easy to see why. Boise High erated a savings," says Hoobing, L'ORNERSTONES has that effect on people. Perhaps "not enough to put in a first-class Reactions to the new-and-improvedit's because the building is a living state-of-the-art air conditioning historic school have been extremelymuseum, with its historic photos of system, but enough that we could positive. old schoolmasters and 20th century find a solution. Is it one of these "Community pride has been war memorials lining the hallways, high-tech, sophisticated control incredible," says Liz Horn, an in- or its sculpted muse watching over systems? No, it's not. It's a big lever structor at Boise since 1983. "And the old stage. One can almost see in the basement. But it works." teachers are much happier. For the ghosts of yore dipping their quill In designing the new technology years, we were functioningthe pens into inkwells or shoveling coal center next door, Hummel architectstop high school in the cityin a into the titanic furnaces in the base- faced an obvious challenge. The dusty old place with faulty wiring ment. Or perhaps it's something new structure would need to tie and scarred-up desks. Now we've else. "Of course, new construction in with the existing school design, got the best of everything. The old is nice," Anderson notes, "but it just blend with the adjacent residential building was renovated into some- doesn't have the personality of the and business districts, and deliver thing beautiful, and we have a new old high school." I=1 prime learning facilities. facility for the kids that we're really The resulting Frank Church proud of. And the kids are doing Building of Technology, named aftereven better." the former Idaho senator who grad- "I like the style of it and the way uated from Boise High in 1942, things are set up," says Janean, a pays homage to the Classical ele- junior who works in the new media ments of Old Main, but also adds a center. She has heard stories about contemporary flair to the campus. the library's former location in the The structure features a body of dreary basement of Old Main, fre- brick and windows, topped by a cor-quented by leaks and even the oc- nice, to mimic the original school's casional stray cat falling through style. "The columns in front of the old ceiling vents. "This is much, media center were also an attempt much, much better." to tie into the original design," says The 16-year-old adds that she Daniels. For a modern touch, the can't imagine what life was like 1 9 2

NW EDUCATION /Summer 2001 IN THE LIBRARY

41 the role of the school building. With advice grounded in the real tiesbut only if they are made Instead of being a container from world and informed by research, a priority during the planning which knowledge is dispensed, the authors Tod Schneider, Hill Walker, process. "The design and use of school must be reconceived as a and Jeffrey Sprague outline a set of school space has a huge but often learning tool, Bing ler asserts. environmental design principles to unrecognized impact on the be- Similarly, architect Anne Taylor enhance school security and im- havior of students as well as staff," describes her vision of the school prove school climate. The three the authors note. as a "three-dimensional textbook." authors have ties to the Institute on Crime Prevention Through En- Not only the built environment of Violence and Destructive Behavior vironmental Design (CPTED) en- school but also the school's natu- (IVDB) at the University of Oregon. compasses a set of principles that DO SCHOOL BUILDINGS play ral setting, she writes, "reveal the Schneider, a national consultant on have been used extensively to pre- a role in school reform? Of course ideas, laws, and principles that we violence prevention and environ- vent criminal behavior in a range they doalthough it's often over- are trying to teach children from mental design, is the Crime Pre- of community settings. Safe School looked, according to more than a textbooks....The buildings, the vention Specialist with the Eugene Design traces the origins of CPTED dozen thinkers from the fields of trees, the dirt, the grass can be- (Oregon) Police Department. to the work of Jane Jacobs, author education and architecture whose come convenient teaching tools Walker and Sprague are co-direc- of the 1960 classic The Death and provocative essays are collected for innovative educators." tors of the IVDB and nationally Life of Great American Cities. She in Designing Places for Learning Designing Places for Learning recognized researchers on violence advocated building neighborhoods (published jointly by the Associa- also includes chapters on revital- prevention. on a human scale so that commu- tion for Supervision and Curricu- izing older schools, designing for The authors acknowledge that nity members would take owner- lum Development and the Council students with disabilities, and using some schools have reacted to con- ship of public spaces. In more of Educational Facility Planners cultural information in school de- cerns about security with defensive recent decades, urban planners, International, 1995). sign, along with photo essays of measures, such as installing metal architects, and law enforcement Editor Anne Meek opens the successful projects. detectors or attempting to profile experts have implemented design discussion by reminding readers or identify students with a higher- principles that build a sense of that most of us inhabit school than-normal risk of violent behav- community and reduce the fear buildings when we are "young and ior. Such severe approaches are of crime. CPTED strategies have impressionable, when our minds "fraught with limitations," the au- been used successfully in a variety are busy with the tasks and issues thors conclude. Instead, they assert of settings, from inner-city neigh- of deep meaning." She encourages that most schools "will be better borhoods to railway stations to educators, policymakers, architects, served by implementing alternative parking garages. and facilities planners to get com- techniques of a more positive, en- Safe School Design shows how fortable with "a larger vision of during nature that shape the de- CPTED principles work in school the mission of schooling...by ac- sign, structure, operation, and settings. The authors walk readers knowledging the symbolic impor- climate of the school." through the process of conducting tance of the school as place." Safe School Design begins with a thorough site evaluation, outlin- Education writer Edward B. research showing that safer schools ing key questions to consider and Fiske, who has been covering tend to be places that: providing tools to help readers school reform for two decades, Are well led identify potential hot spots on or points out that systemic reform Have positive climates and around campus. demands "rethinking all aspects of atmosphere Even schools that almost never the structure of schooling, includ- BUILDING SAFETY INTO Are inclusive of all students see evidence of violence would ing the design of school buildings SCHOOLS has become an in- Are academically effective be advised to pay attention to en- and other physical aspects of the creasingly important goal to The most neglected area in hancing the physical safety of their learning environment." communities across the country. school safety, the authors suggest, campus. As the authors point out, Architect Steven Bing ler sug- Episodes of school violence that is the architectural design of the "It has been the low-risk schools, gests that a fundamental shift in continue to shock the nation have school building and surrounding devoid of security features, that thinking about education has oc- resulted in "enormous pressures grounds. The average public school have suffered the most dramatic curred and now needs to translate on school administrators to do building is more than 40 years old, consequences" in the ongoing to school design. Instead of seeing everything in their power to make built at a time when school safety spate of campus violence. In a education as something "delivered" schools safer and violence free," and security were not such high- chilling example, the authors re- by teachers to passive students, reports Safe School Design: A priority issues. Time-tested princi- trace the events that unfolded at educators are more inclined to Handbook for Educational Leaders ples of architecture can be used Thurston High School in Spring- see the student at the center of the (ERIC Clearinghouse on Educa- today to enhance security in new field, Oregon, where a student learning process. And that changestional Managrent, 2000). buildings as well as in older facili- See LIBRARY, Page 43 1 .9 3 DESIGNS FOR LEARNING 42 Notebook 4. Systems-focused planning economic responsibility. We think phase at PHS, we battled for three Continued from Page 44 process takes time. bleak designs indicate good stew- full months over 12 cement stairs Unfortunately, planning is often ardship of public funds. But schools leading to the front door of the old volunteers met with me regularly given short shrift in educational should be beautiful places. In fact, school. When alumni got wind that for 22 months prior to the school'scircles. Just as teachers are only I believe they should be among the architects planned to remove the opening. A staff lead team began considered to be working when best examples of public architec- stairs to create a more open, hand- working 18 months in advance. they are standing in front of a class ture. When school buildings are icap-accessible entrance, they be- And an official parent organization of students, educators engaged in beautiful, it suggests that those who came enraged. With memories of was formed 10 months before "In- a complex and therefore lengthy spend their days in them are valued class pictures and who-knows- augural Day." planning process are often viewed by the community. And most of us what-else that happened on those as nonproductive by value-con- work better in pleasant, attractive stairs, they showed up at board 3. Working smarter requires scious taxpayers. In our "show- environments. "Beautiful" does meetings, circulated petitions, a systems approach. me-the-money" culture, it's quick not have to mean "pricey." Steve wrote letters to the editor, and in During a passionate conversation fixes and fast results we yearn for. Soboroff, head of the Proposition the end negotiated a six-stair about school reform, Washington But community-based facilities BB School Construction Committee compromise. State Superintendent of Public In- planning takes time. It takes time in Los Angeles, addressed this One strategy we used to foster struction Terry Bergeson leaned to incorporate diverse points of point by researching the cost of understanding, and thereby miti- across the table and said to me, view, forge a shared vision, and replacing blacktop in Los Angeles gate some of the strong reactions "Linda, I am not telling you to work develop a collective commitment schoolyards with lawns and plants. to change at PHS, was to build our any harder. I am telling you that weall of which are critical to the Not only would the outcome be a messages about the reconstruction have to work smarter." ultimate success of any project. much nicer environment, but also project around a metaphor. We "But Terry," I replied, "this is as the reduced cost of air condition- helped people see the renovation smart as I am." 5. Partnerships stretch limited ing would more than offset the in- of our old building as a visible Ever since, I have been thinking resources. creased cost of maintenance. symbol of other kinds of educa- about what it means to work In the process of scaling down the The upshot of the renovation of tional reform and restructuring smarter. And I have come to un- design of Emerald Ridge to garner PHS is a stately, beautiful building. going on across our state and na- derstand that it has to do with tak- voter approval, we had to scrap A dramatic atrium allows light to tion. We acknowledged that PHS ing a systems approach to our plans for an on-campus swimming spill into the commons. Expertly had always been, and remains, a work. If every part of the school pool. To avoid losing the benefits applied paint transforms plaster place that honors the richness of system supports every other part, such a facility could provide, we pillars and columns into faux mar- tradition and the successes of the we really can get more bang for began collaborating with a commu-ble. Overall, the facts and data show past. At the same time, we affirmed our buck. nity group that had its own plans that we got excellent value for the that PHS is also a learning com- When designing schools, this to build an aquatic center. At PHS, money we spent on this project, munity where staff and students means we have to look at every- an interagency agreement with the thanks to skilled architects and grapple daily with serious ques- thing as one whole, resisting the Private Industry Council gave stu- craftsmen. However, more than tions about how to build on the tendency to parcel out the work to dents and staff access to county job once "nice" has been interpreted foundations of the past to construct committees of experts. The 12- search software in the school's ca-by some district residents as "ex- the kinds of educational programs member lead team that worked with reer center. In Chicago, the Henry travagant," signaling a waste of necessary to prepare all students me to design Emerald Ridge put Ford Academy shares facilities and public funds. Critics complain for their future. In the process of this idea into practice. Although resources with a museum. The Gay- about a glass palace with marble recognizing that the walls and members represented different lord Community School in Gaylord, columns. Response to this kind of beams of yesteryearwhile func- areas of expertise, they agreed to Michigan, houses senior activities, criticism can take one of two routes: tional and effective for their time consider all aspects of our new day care, performing arts pro- We can work to educate our publicwould not support tomorrow's school together, from the design of grams, community health care with facts, as Steve Soboroff did, needs any more than yesterday's its facilities to the design of its pro- clinics, higher education classes, or we can jerk our collective knee curriculum and instructional strate- grams. By bringing their collective and even weddings. In each of and resign ourselves to making gies, many members of the PHS wisdom to bear on issues as di- these cases, community resources future buildings less beautiful thancommunity became more recep- verse as detracking science classes have been leveraged to extend boththey might be, regardless of cost, tive to the reconstruction process. to creating inclusive policies for school facilities and learning op- just to keep some citizens from extracurricular activities, they were portunities for students. misjudging our commitment to 8. Building a community is as able to avoid the creation of a fiscal responsibility. important as building a facility. school made up of isolated parts 6. Beautiful is not an ugly A quality high school is more than and separate, sometimes even word. 7. Change is tough. a place. It is all the people who contradictory, functions. Too often in the public sector, we Never underestimate how tough work and learn there, and all the confuse lack of aesthetics with change can be. During the design people who support them in their 1 NW Education / Summer 2001 43 learning, and all of those who tion. We not only needed to make Richard Riley started his school problemnot necessarily a solu- count on them to learn well. Be- sure the ground at the new high construction campaign by talking tion that would ever be built, but cause we knew at a gut level that school was ready to receive them, about how "we cannot raise chil- rather one that would demonstrate this is true, we actually launched but we also needed to take care of dren and standards up in buildings their knowledge of educational prac- two building projects during the them during the year preceding that are falling down." In light of tice, creativity, and imagination. construction phase of Emerald their move. Such care required NEA's findings, he shifted his theme Ridge. While contractors were busy plenty of opportunity for conversa-to highlight the educational possi- Linda Quinn has worked as a pub- with bricks and mortar, groups of tion and meaningful involvement. bilities and opportunities to be lic school educator in Washington students, parents, staff, and com- realized through modern school state for 27 years, 20 of those as a munity members worked on a sec-9. A positive approach works facilities. After three failed bond secondary school principal. Dur- ond construction project: building best. issues, we got the message in ing the 1996-97 school year, she a school community. As my grandmother used to tell Puyallup, too. was the one principal in the nation At the outset of our community- me, you can catch more flies with selected to serve as Principal in building process, the parent of a honey than with vinegar. At least 10. Selection of architects Residence at the U.S. Department former student introduced me to once a week, I hear leadership and ed spec writers is critical. of Education and as special adviser the concept of nemawashi, a expert Michael Fullan whispering If our goal is to create facilities to then-Secretary of Education Japanese term borrowed from in my mind's ear that "problems that support 21st century learning Richard Riley. Since her return gardening. Literally, nemawashi are our friends." When it comes needs, rather than to recreate 20th from Washington, D.C., she has means to dig around the root sys- to talking about issues related to century schools, then the process continued to work on school con- tem of a tree a year or two prior to school construction, my experi- we use to select designers and ar- struction issues at a national level moving it so that new root hairs ence suggests that the "friendship" chitects will need to extend beyond and has coauthored a guidebook, will grow and successful trans- part ought to be promoted above looking at what they have already Schools as Centers of Community: planting will be more likely. Busi- the "problem" part. A recent marketaccomplished. For Emerald Ridge, A Citizens' Guide for Planning and ness leaders use the term and the research study conducted by the this meant inviting six architectural Design, published by the U.S. De- ideas it represents to think about National Education Association firms to respond to a specially department of Education. Currently, preparing people to make signifi- (NEA) led to the same conclusion: signed assignment. We gave them Quinn is serving as principal of cant changes in their workplace. Focusing on opportunities is a the parametersan educational the brand-new Emerald Ridge We used it to frame our efforts to more effective sales strategy than vision framed in a series of yin- High School in the Puyallup make sure that the students, staff, beating citizens over the head with yang statements and a description School District. and parents who would be trans- all of the needs and problems of the building site. Then we asked planted to Emerald Ridge could of schools. At the federal level, them to give us their best architec- make a smooth and healthy transi- former Secretary of Education tural solution to our educational

Library involves sending "a clear message THE OUTDOOR SPACES of a major force in 'messing up' the Continued from Page 41 to others that says, 'We're in charge schools are often neglected as po- space," she adds. here.' In schools, it also helps re- tential sites for learning, but have Case studies of successful named Kip Kinkel committed a inforce a message among students the potential to offer students learning environments are wide mass shooting in 1998. The school and staff that says, 'We belong here "endless possibilities for explo- ranging, including an outdoor play is far from unique, the authors and this is our school.' Attending ration," writes Sharon Stine in site in rural Japan, a California suggest: The school is vast and to the physical aspects of a school Landscapes for Learning: Creating high school focusing on environ- sprawling, with at least 14 major should be complemented by curric- Outdoor Environments for Childrenmental studies, a children's art uncontrolled access points, mostly ula, attitudes and beliefs, and be- and Youth (John Wiley & Sons, studio, and a school garden that in the form of dark, underlit haviors "that create a social ecology1997). has blossomed on a former vacant breezeways." of nonviolence and mutual respect." The author draws on her dual lot. The physical transformation, Despite the serious subject mat- Safe School Design costs $18 background in early childhood ed- writes Stine, "can be read by the ter, the authors focus on enhanc- and can be ordered from the ERIC ucation and design to inform and children and the neighborhood ing the positive features of schools. Clearinghouse on Educational inspire both educators and design as a tangible symbol of the ways For example, they explain that es- Management. Phone: 1-800-438- professionals. She also focuses on people care." tablishing a sense of "territoriality" 8841. the role of the child, "who is often Suzie Boss

DESIGNS FOR LEARNING 1 5 PRINCIPAL'S NOTEBOOK

44 HOW FACILITIES FACILITATE use of space, made way for new Therefore, planning must proceed EDUCATION technology, and restored historic from well-thought-out educa- features of the architecture; and tional outcomes. A school design By Linda Quinn (2) to maintain a quality educa- must emanate from a clear vision tional program for the students of teaching and learning, not from WHEN I STARTED COLLEGE IN who would spend a third of their some architectural vision of art THE '70S, I wanted to be an archi-high school careers in a PHS that or our grandparents' memories tect. I studied architecture for two meant Portable High School. of the way things used to be. years before switching majors to The story of the creation of Emer- The planning committee for English and education. What goes ald Ridge High School (ERHS) is a Emerald Ridge took to heart the around comes around. As a high longer one. We began our planning research that says students do school principal, I have spent in 1992 by forming a committee better when the learning situation countless hours during the past and hiring a team of architects to is real, when the context is real, by a society that promotes lifelong decade with architects and design design a third comprehensive high when the audience is more real, learning. Realizing that in schools teams, first renovating a 70-year- school to house Puyallup's growing and when communities can interact of the future, such concepts as old high school building, then population. The bond issue that in ways that directly impact learn- "after school" and "before school" leading the planning of a brand allowed us to begin construction, ing. Based upon this research, theymay become as meaningless as new high school. Both of these however, was not passed until settled on four themes to drive the ditto machines and flash cubes, major construction projects took 1997, after three failed attempts, design of our new school building: the design team equipped Emerald place in the Puyallup School Dis- the involvement of a second team collaboration, integration, applica- Ridge with a designated parent trict, 30 miles southeast of Seattle. of architects, and creation of a tion, and community connections. room, a career and counseling Between them, a yearlong stint at scaled-down building plan. Finally, The Emerald Ridge facility sup- center with spaces for business the U.S. Department of Education in July 2000, our $29 million, ports collaboration through nu- and university partners, and multi- gave me the opportunity to work 204,000-square-foot facility, all merous flexible common spaces, ple options for the building to at a national level with government under one roof, was completed both large and small, for students, serve as a community hub. officials, architects, and citizens on just in time to open its doors to staff, and others to work together issues related to school design and students in September. in various-sized groups. It supports2. All stakeholder groups construction and the way school From my work on these two integration through its nondepart- deserve a place at the table. facilities impact both student learn- projects, reinforced by what I mentalized arrangement of learningPeople tend to support what they ing and community health. learned during my year in Wash- spaces. It supports application of help to create. Therefore, wide- The story of the renovation of ington, D.C., I have developed a learning through its inclusion of a spread community involvement Puyallup High School (PHS) began profound belief that a facility reallyvariety of areas for students to do in the school planning process is in May 1991 when Puyallup voters can facilitate effective education. authentic work, such as three largevital to success. A recurring theme passed a bond issue allocating $12 While I know that a school is way project rooms; a fully-equipped among representatives of the 10 million to give our old girl a make- more than the place in which it ex- 3,000-square-foot science labora- Creative Solutions Schools fea- over. A team of architects was hired, ists,I also know how much easier tory; six production-type areas with tured at a 1998 national school a design was developed, and in it is to provide a 21st century edu- garage-door access to the outside; design symposium in Washington, spring 1993, we began to turn that cation in a well-designed, well- and accommodations to allow D.C., was the way they had in- design into timber, steel, and con- equipped, 21st century building. nearly every aspect of the facility volved their constituents in plan- crete. To make way for the recon- Therefore, when the opportunity to function as a part of the curricu-ning schools and connected their struction, we packed up everything presents itself to improve our lum itself. The 550-seat performing plans to the priorities of their and moved into temporary quarters, school facilities, we need to be arts center, for instance, has been communities. consisting of 47 portables and three poised to take full advantage of it. created as a showplace for student Broad-based participation of churches, where we ran a school Although the renovation of PHS performances and also as a labo- both internal and external con- of 1,600 for 15 months. We taughtand the new construction of ERHS ratory for students to study the stituents is equally important. classes in church social halls, put were different in many ways, some technical and artistic aspects of During the two years prior to the on plays without a stage, tried to of the lessons I learned were the theater. The on-campus health club opening of Emerald Ridge, I took get hundreds of high schoolers to same. They include the following: and weight room provide spaces part in approximately 120 meet- obey crossing lights even at risk for students to pursue personal ings with different segments of the of being tardy to class, gathered in 1. A vision of teaching and health and fitness and also a con- community, including more than the rain, and tramped through the learning must come first. text for those in the sports medicine 30 public forums and more than mud. Our top priorities during this First and foremost, the school fa- program to apply their learning. 20 presentations to service clubs, reconstruction year were twofold: cility must support teaching and Finally, the building design school boards, and business (1) to renovate our school in a way learning. It is a tool. It can even supports the kinds of community groups. A task force of student that enhanced safety, maximized become part of the curriculum. access and connections required See NOTEBOOK, Page 42 IS6 NW Education / Summer 2001 NWREL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. Donald Robson Henry Beauchamp (Chairperson) (Vice Chairperson) Dean, School of Education Executive Director/CEO

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NORTHWEST EDUCATION Olga L. Acufia Linda McCulloch Teacher Montana State Superintendent Hillsboro School District (OR) of Public Instruction Quarterly magazine of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Dr. Trudy Anderson Rachel Lyon (Secretary-Treasurer) Teacher Executive Director/CEO: Scholar in Residence Lewiston Independent School District (ID) University of Idaho, Boise Center Dr. Ethel Simon-McWilliams Rey A. Mayoral Joyce Benjamin Principal Editor: Representative of Oregon Superintendent Salem-Keizer School District (OR) Lee Sherman of Public Instruction Sharon D. Parry Dr. Teresa Bergeson School Board Member Associate Editor: Washington State Superintendent Idaho Falls School District Suzie Boss of Public Instruction Myrle Peterson Mike Bernazzani Elementary Teacher Issue Editor: Businessman Poplar School District (MT) Suzie Boss Vancouver (WA) John Pugh Contributing Writers: Sally A. Brownfield Chancellor Joyce Riha Linik, Maya Muir, Catherine Paglin Teacher University of Alaska Southeast Hood Canal School District (WA) Christopher Read Graphic Production: David Chamberlain Principal Denise Crabtree School Board Member Billings Catholic Schools (MT) Evergreen School District (WA) Harry Rogers Graphic Design: Dr. Shirley Holloway Retired Superintendent Dan Stephens Alaska Commissioner of Education and Petersburg (AK) Early Development Technical Editing: Barry Rotrock Eugenia Cooper Potter Dr. Marilyn Howard Superintendent Idaho State Superintendent of Public Oregon City School District (OR) Instruction Roger G. Wheeler Steven Jacquier Businessman Rigur Teacher Pocatello (ID) Southwest Region School District (AK) Estella Zamora Ed Press Dr. Michael Jaeger District Court Interpreter/Coordinator Dean, School of Education and Business Caldwell (ID) WI1441N ER_ Eastern Oregon University 1997 GOLDEN LAMP AWARD

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