Prof. Donna Wiseman Associate Dean of Teacher Education College of Education University of Maryland dlwise@umd.edu

Reading is critical to student success. Yet recent headlines have suggested that many children are not reading at grade level. What needs to be done to fix this problem?

Lack of reading achievement compounds as schooling continues. The reader who is somewhat behind in first grade is behind by several years when he or she reaches middle school if no successful intervention is provided. There are lifetime ramifications for individuals who do not learn to read well as they find it difficult to continue their education or compete for jobs in today's high tech world. The social and cultural implications are no less disconcerting. The gap in reading achievement between different groups of students is pernicious and while we see some reduction in the gap, the differences continue to characterize reading achievement. Reading achievement is a measure of our schools' success and often is used to characterize the success or failure of schooling as a whole.

Reading achievement is influenced by the characteristics and personal experiences of readers, differences in reading materials, community and home support systems, classroom instruction, and policies at all levels. Solutions that focus on reading failure are often too simplistic or myopic. Reading achievement will not improve by only increasing parental involvement, teaching phonics or fluency, or making sure that students pass the tests. If we are to improve reading achievement then reading instruction must take into account all the complexities of learning to read and offer a balanced instructional approach that considers that readers learn to read in different ways.

When students don't progress, additional resources and extra instruction are provided. Lack of achievement in reading or any other subject is not an insurmountable problem, but requires clear goals, high expectations and commitment from educators, families, and communities. Return

The No Child Left Behind Act requires that teachers must be highly qualified in the subjects they are teaching. Yet many school districts are having a terrible time meeting that requirement. What can be done to help them?

Any site where teaching conditions may be perceived as more difficult may not be able to recruit quality teachers. For example, urban schools often have a more difficult time meeting the highly qualified teacher requirement since the working conditions are viewed as less appealing than more affluent suburban schools. Providing high quality teachers in hard to staff schools becomes a bit of a "catch 22". Without the support of high qualified teachers, the schools are often labeled as "failing" and therefore less likely to attract the best teachers. Students who have been identified as disadvantaged are the ones who are least likely to get well-qualified and experienced teachers.

Shortages of highly qualified teachers exist in several subject areas. Teacher shortages are regularly experienced in mathematics, physical sciences, languages, special education and English as a Second Language. Schools that have greater resources, provide teachers with higher salaries and create comfortable working conditions do not have as much difficulty meeting the requirements for highly qualified teachers.

A great deal of attention has been given to the schools that do and do not have qualified teachers. It is unfortunate when we focus only the definitions and numbers of highly qualified teachers without looking at some of the disturbing patterns that are illuminated within the NCLB requirement of highly qualified teachers. Schools that have adequate resources are more able to meet the NCLB requirement of providing high quality teachers in every school. Schools that are struggling financially and otherwise have more problems meeting the requirements. The NCLB requirement for high quality teacher obfuscates the chronic problem of unequal distribution of resources to high poverty schools. Students in any setting deserve the best teacher we can provide and commitment to the provision of highly able teachers is an area that should be non-negotiable. Return

High stakes testing continues to be a major concern - especially for parents. In some school districts, high school students won't graduate if they don't pass state-required tests. The fear is that many won't pass.

Educators must carefully monitor high stakes testing to assure that attitudes toward testing remain appropriate. The goal of using large-scale testing to measure and improve student and school system performance is laudable if such tests are sound, scored properly, and used appropriately. Students must be tested on a curriculum they have had a fair opportunity to learn and certain subgroups, such as those with limited English proficiency must be measured fairly based on their skills and abilities. One of the best ways to prepare students for test taking is to offer them a rigorous motivating curriculum and motivate them with engaging teaching and learning opportunities that prepare them as good readers and thinkers. They should also be familiar with test formats and feel comfortable with the time limits often maintained during test-taking situations.

There are some alternatives to high stakes testing. One alternative is the use of multiple measures of student achievement. The use of one standardized test to determine if a student will pass does not recognize the complexities of learning. Also, if tests included a consideration of student improvement, the results would be more meaningful and realistic. Finally, since individual test scores are lower in schools that produce the lowest averages, overall school performance should be considered when measuring students by an individual test score.

Tests alone cannot fix the nation's worst performing schools nor can they improve the life chances of most disadvantaged students. We must invest in educational resources, encourage capacity building, and enhance teachers' professional growth in all schools before we can label our testing processes as equitable. The importance of resources is not an excuse, but simply a statement that recognizes the importance of equal and high quality education for ALL students. Students in our schools deserve no less. Return

What's your take on the continuing controversy about the academic achievement of boys vs. girls?

Boys are more likely than girls to be diagnosed with learning problems or labeled as a special education student. The trend in language arts performance among boys is becoming more widespread at the high school level. Boys' poor attitudes toward education goes beyond learning to read. The large percentage of boys who say they do not like school has increased greatly in the past 20 years, and the dislike of school is becoming evident in higher education where boys are a minority at 44 percent of the student populations. If these trends continue, we should expect changes related to the gender in leadership, wage earning, and management.

Lack of male role models in boys' lives, fewer opportunities for leadership training, twenty years attention to girls (during the title IX era), and failure to recognize that boys' brains may develop differently than girls are societal or biological issues that have been identified as contributing to boys' attitudes toward school. School itself should take responsibility for boys' attitudes toward schools as some recent trends are in direct opposition to how we understand that most boys (and some girls) learn best.

Finally, the lack of male role models in boys' lives and in educational settings is another contributing factor to this dilemma. Many boys are raised by female single parents and are surrounded in schools by a large percentage of female teachers. Boys with adult male role models are more likely to succeed in school. When both male and female students are supported and cared at home, in their communities and at school the result will be the development of resilient and well-rounded individuals. Return

Are so-called "small learning communities" a good way to help students succeed?

In your mind, what's the best way to help teach children who come into a classroom speaking another language?

There is universal agreement among experts in language learning that the best way to assist children who are learning English as a Second Language is to preserve and improve the students' native language while at the same time helping them become proficient in English so they can succeed in their adopted country. Students who grow up with strong skills in two or more languages will be better prepared to work and live productively in the world economy of the future.

One of the most successful approaches is in schools that teach in English for half the day and in Spanish for the other half of the day. However, the number of languages continues to increase so it may not be possible to have teachers who can teach in all languages represented in today's classrooms. That is why most teachers need to understand the special instructional processes associated with Teaching English as a Second Language. Return

Talk about the College of Education at Maryland and its commitment to using research as a way to help students succeed.

Many of our centers link to schools and communities with the intention of improving the lives of children and adults. A large scale research and outreach initiative, Maryland Institute for Minority Achievement and Urban Education (MIMAUE) , works collaboratively with K-12 partners to raise minority achievement and improve urban schools. Another closely related initiative, the K-16 Center helps make the expertise and research work of the College of Education more relevant to the needs of the school systems.

The programs that prepare educators to assure students success are also an important way we contribute to the success for every child. We continually strive to find effective ways to prepare teachers, administrators, and counselors so that they can attend to the needs of all students. Innovative programs focus on issues associated with urban education, special education, and Teaching English as a Second Language. We work closely with our public school partners and plan practicum and field experiences that offer support from experienced university and public school educators. It is the goal of the College of Education to contribute to student success by providing highly trained professionals or educational settings. Return

Researching Education at Maryland
Educational Frontiers at Maryland 2004 (pdf)
Assembling Maryland's Educational Toolbox

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