High Expecatations PLD

High Expectations seems to be the new buzz word around the school. As with many of these buzz words, they sound great but the meaning behind the word is detailed and not always outlined. The Papakura ERO report talks a lot about the need to raise expectations on the students, but little about what that means

I was thus interested in the PLD session we attended by Christine Rubie-Davies. It outlined research into student achievement and the pitfalls of placing students into ability groups and how teachers sub-consciously treat students differently.

The session made me think about Starpath and credit counting. I have long been disappointed in the way teachers are judged on the credits the students receive. Setting targets and making teachers accountable almost guarantees teachers - ignore vulnerable students
- choose standards based on the easiest assessment opportunities
-  pick unit standards over achievement standards
-  get creative with their marking or pass students that should not be passed.

Schools are more than ever before judged on NCEA achievement rates and not on the quality of education that is being offered. In my situation, I am grilled by senior leaders and board of trustees over achievement rates and have to justify the quality of teaching in my department. This has to lead me to choose easy standards and move away from the more difficult Science topics. At my school, we do not offer chemistry or Physics presumably because achievement rates were low.

I do not blame my senior leaders for this. I blame the system that has placed our school in a position where we feel we need to justify and raise the perception of the education we are offering.

Students learn very quickly how to play this system. They realise the pressure is on the teachers to raise achievement and they know they can wait for the teacher out and get the easy option to gain their qualifications. sometimes they are even sent on a first aide course or similar to lift their credit profile

Personally, I have been lucky. I have always felt secure in my job and role and not had to conform as much as others who feel more threatened. I still teach anatomy and biomechanics despite pressure to remove these standards due to low achievement.

Recently I have had the privilege to work with two younger staff who teach and assess without fear of consequence. It is refreshing to see and I just hope they don't become too disillusioned lower their expectations of what they expect. Michelle Lloyd who works with me in the PE department failed students in the first unit standard due to their poor writing habits and their lack of detail in their answers. The students were so surprised. they were used to teachers giving them more time, and in some cases doing the work for them. Michelle refused to do what other teachesr were doing and did not mind that her percentage pass rates would be poor. As her HOD the job I felt was to shelter her from the Senior leadership and BOT analysis and I did not mind doing this. The outcome of these high expectations was a much higher standard of work and in better work ethic in following assessments.

Ian Marino came to the school and immediately shook things up. As a Maori teacher, he refused to accept Maori students underachieving. His interactions with students were empathetic but not sympathetic and he convinced me that consequences for the poor effort were culturally acceptable. Ian has made a big impression on me and made me understand the need to raise expectations. Again Ian did this without fear of the system he worked in where stand-downs and detentions are perceived as not culturally appropriate. The students love Ian. They know Ian demands more out of them than other teachers and he is not shy about telling the students when they are not reaching their potential or bring shame on their culture

I fear that these two teachers will become disillusioned as others have. For now, they have given me the spark I need to lift the expectations I have on my students