Globalizing education in Michigan
Gina Umpstead on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 at 9:51PM Michigan's Superintendent of Public instruction spoke at the iNet conference in Lansing, Michigan yesterday. The State Board of Education approved new cut scores on state educational assessments (MEAP & MME) so that they are consistent with College and Career Readiness standards. Currently, about 90% of schools in Michigan are considered to be proficient on these tests because of the low cut scores. The new reconfiguration of the cut scores will dramatically alter the number of schools with students passing these exams, pushing the passage rates into the 30-40% range. This change has been described as moving Michigan from preparing students to work in a basic manufacturing economy to being college and career ready. Mr. Flanagan described the change as an important step towards educational success and telling the truth about the status of our current educational system. He did not discuss what this would mean for schools under No Child Left Behind's requirements that they equip students to achieve proficiency on academic tests by the 2013-2014 school year or face sanctions.
Superintendent Flanagan's discussion of the Board's decision fit well with the theme of the iNet conference, of developing globally competent students. Professor Young Zhao (University of Oregon) and Bob Compton (high-tech Entrepreneur and documentary filmmaker) debated different viewpoints on what an educational system that produces globally competent students looks like. Crompton advocated for placing a high value on academic rigorous courses for all students. He said we should elevate the status of academic achievement in this culture like it is in other cultures that score well on international tests like PISSA and TIMMS. Zhao said we should be careful not to place too much weight on the international tests. The U.S. has a history of not scoring well on these, so it really shouldn't be a crisis now. Instead, we should help students identify the things they are good at and they enjoy and allow them to pursue these interests in a structured manner. Both speakers talked about the importance of entrepreneuership in the global economy and how local jobs will not be automatically available for future generations as they were in the past.
Michigan has moved in the direction that Crompton suggests with high academic requirements for all students. We require 4 years of math, 4 years of English, and 3 years of science in order to graduate high school. The underlying assumption is that there is a basic set of skills that all students need to acquire in order to participate in our society as a citizen and as a worker. The question is whether this full schedule will also allow students to pursue the things they are best at and passionate about, so they can develop the creativity that is needed to be a successful entrepreneuer in the global economy. I don't know the answer to this question, but I do have to say that I support more rigorous academic standards and so I applaud the Board's efforts in adopting both the graduation requirements and the more realistic cut scores on state tests.
