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School’s Out. Reform’s In.
School’s out for the summer, but Texas educators are hard at work bringing our schools into the 21st century. In June, Rod Paige, our nation’s Secretary of Education, gave Texas the stamp of approval for its efforts to comply with the landmark education reform legislation, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Designed to change the culture of America’s schools, it encourages creativity and flexibility, teaches students based on what works, and perhaps more importantly, makes schools accountable for achievement.
The reform required each state to formulate how it will close the achievement gap and make sure all students achieve academic proficiency. This month, for the first time in history every state submitted an accountability plan. The Texas plan is a blueprint to ensure each of our children receives a quality education. In addition to infusing accountability into our schools and requiring students to meet minimum testing requirements, the legislation also provided schools with other options to creatively address the challenges they face.
Transitions to Teaching
One element, the “Transitions to Teaching” provision, I fought hard to include in the legislation. Transitions to Teaching is based on the successful military program, “Troops to Teachers” that placed former military personnel in the classroom. The prototype has successfully placed more than 4,300 teachers around the country in every state.
The Transitions to Teaching program recruits and retrains highly qualified mid-career professionals, retirees and recent college graduates as teachers in high-need schools. It supports the development and expansion of alternatives to initial teacher certification. With many states, including Texas, facing a shortage of teachers, filling those positions with qualified professionals will meet the immediate needs of students and can provide a more in depth educational experience. Equally important as recruiting these professionals is retaining them as educators, which is why the legislation calls for training, guidance, and support to encourage those who enter the program to make teaching a long-term career.
Single Sex Schools
Single sex schools and classrooms are another creative attempt to provide greater educational options for public school children. Studies have shown that single-sex programs can reduce barriers to learning by providing a less intimidating and more productive classroom. This has been shown particularly in urban areas and middle to high school grades. Girls educated in an all-girls environment often have more confidence and tend to pursue more science and math courses. Boys in same-sex classes gain leadership qualities and are often more successful in language and writing courses when the distractions of the opposite sex are removed.
Last August I attended orientation at the William A. Lawson Institute for Peace and Prosperity Preparatory Academy for Boys, or WALIPP Prep Academy, in Houston. WALIPP was one of the first public single-sex schools in the nation to open its doors since the Act passed. Its mission aims to enable its students to, “achieve academically, develop vocationally and become productive citizens.” This spring, WALIPP completed its first year serving middle school boys in inner city Houston and moved into a permanent facility to continue to expand on that mission.
While single-sex schools and