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Chapter14:ReformingEducation

Chapter14:REFORMINGEDUCATION
Project2061isconcernedmorewithlastingreformofeducationthanwiththeimmediateimprovementofthe
schoolsalthoughsuchimprovementiscertainlyneeded,possible,andunderwayinmanypartsoftheUnited
States.But,asthenationdiscoveredafterSputnikmorethanthreedecadesago,enduringeducationalreformis
noteasilyachieved.
Thepossibilityofsuccessfullyrestructuringscienceeducationinitsentiretydependsonthepresenceofapublic
demandforreforminscienceeducationandonwhatweasanationthinkittakestoachievereform.This
chapterbeginsbyshowingthatthereisinfactaconsensusontheneedforreforminscience,mathematics,and
technologyeducation,andthenpresentsthepremisesthatunderlietheapproachofProject2061toreform.

THENEEDFORREFORM
ThenecessityforstrengtheningscienceeducationintheUnitedStateshasbeenwidelyacknowledgedinthe
numerouseducationstudiesconductedinthe1980s(arepresentativeselectionofreportsislistedinAppendix
B).Althoughthemostpowerfulargumentforimprovingthescienceeducationofallstudentsmaybeitsrolein
liberatingthehumanintellect,muchofthepublicdiscussionhascenteredonmoreconcrete,utilitarian,and
immediatejustifications.
Mostoftheeducationreportsofthe1980shavebeenmotivatedbytheconfluenceoftwodifferentgrowing
publicconcerns.OneconcernisAmerica'sseemingeconomicdecline.Ourdomesticaffluenceandinternational
powerbothbasedsubstantiallyonourscientificandtechnologicalpreeminencehavebeenweakeningin
relationtothoseofothercountries,especiallyJapan.TheotherconcernconsistsofcertaintrendsinU.S.public
education:lowtestscores,students'avoidanceofscienceandmathematics,ademoralizedandweakening
teachingstaffinmanyschools,lowlearningexpectationscomparedtoothertechnologicallyadvancednations,
andbeingrankednearthebottomininternationalstudiesofstudents'knowledgeofscienceandmathematics.
Allofthereportsandthemassmediacoverageofthereportshavehighlightedtheseeducationaldeficiencies,
andthenationhasfinallybecomeawarethatindeedthereisacrisisinAmericaneducation.
Evenwhilebeingdeploredforthemselves,theeducationalfailuresintheUnitedStateshavecometobeseen
collectivelyasamajorcontributortotheeconomicfailures.Thisview,whetherentirelyjustifiedornot,hasbeen
implicitinmostofthereportsandexplicitinothers.Althougheachofthevariousreportshasaddressedthe
issuesfromasomewhatdifferentperspective,allhavebeenenergizedbythesamesetofdisturbingeconomic
andeducationaltrends.
Giventhisbackground,itisunderstandablethatthereportsemphasize,inonewayoranother,theneedto
improvethescienceandtechnologyeducationofallstudents,aswellastheneedforvariouseducational
reformsofamoregeneralnature.Takentogether,thereportsservetounderscorethatinourpostindustrial
society,thereisastrongconnectionbetweenhowwellanationcanperformandtheexistenceofhighquality,
widelydistributededucation.ThereisnowaclearnationalconsensusintheUnitedStatesthatallelementary
andsecondaryschoolchildrenneedtobecomebettereducatedinscience,mathematics,andtechnology.

REFORMPREMISES
ReformNecessarilyTakesaLongTime
Quickfixesalwaysfailineducation,andforreadilyunderstandablereasons.Perhapsthemostobviousofthese
issimplythesizeoftheenterprise.EducationintheUnitedStatesisanenormousbusiness,employingmore
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than3millionpeople,expendingnearly$200billionayear,andholdingcollectivecapitalassetsinexcessof$1
trillion.ItisquixotictobelievethatelementaryandsecondaryeducationinAmericaservingnearly50million
studentslocatedinmorethan80,000schoolsand50statescouldeasilyorquicklybechanged.Evenwithgreat
ideas,thebestofintentions,aninvestmentofresourcesonascaleappropriatetothejob,andlotsofhardwork,
anysweepingchangeintheeducationalsystemnationallyisboundtotakeadecadeorlonger.
Itismorethansimplyaproblemofscale,however.Unlikethesituationinmostothercountries,thesystemof
educationintheUnitedStatesisdecentralizedpoliticallyandeconomically.Decisionsoneducationalpolicyand
theuseofresourcesforeducationaremadebyliterallythousandsofdifferententities,including16,000separate
schooldistricts,3,300collegesanduniversities,50states,severalagenciesofthefederalgovernment,andthe
courtsateverylevel.Thisstateofaffairsmayhaveitsadvantages,butacapacityforrapidchangeisnotoneof
them.Ittakestime,firstofall,forastrongconsensustobuildamongeducatorsandthepublicthatradical
changeisneeded.Thenmoretimeisneededtocometosomenationalmeetingofthemindsonwhatthemain
ingredientsofreformshouldbe.Stillmoretimeisneededforactionplanstobedrawnup,ideastested,and
actioninitiatedintensofthousandsofdifferentinstitutions.
Ultimately,reformismoreaboutpeoplethanitisaboutpolicies,institutions,andprocesses.Andmostpeople
notonlyeducatorstendtochangeslowlywhenitcomestoattitudes,beliefs,andwaysofdoingthings.
Teachersandadministratorsbringtotheirjobsthefullrangeofhumanviewsaboutthepurposesofeducation,
thenatureofyoungpeople,andthebestwaystofosterlearning.Theirviewshavebeenderivedfromand
reinforcedbyyearsofexperienceasstudents,teachers,and,often,parents.Sensibleprofessionalsdonot
replacetheirstronglyheldviewsandbehaviorpatternsinresponsetofiatorthelatestvogueinstead,they
respondtodevelopingsentimentamongrespectedcolleagues,toincentivesthatrewardseriouseffortstoexplore
newpossibilities,andtothepositivefeedbackthatmaycomefromtryingoutnewideasfromtimetotimeall
ofwhichcantakeyears.
Professionsmaychangemostlyinresponsetoturnover.Youngphysiciansandengineers,forinstance,carrynew
knowledge,techniques,andattitudesintothoseprofessions.Successivegenerationsofteachersandschool
administratorscanserveinthesameway,butonlyiftheycomebearingdifferentattitudes,knowledge,andskills
thantheonestheyreplace.Reformingteachers'education,therefore,isthesinequanonofschoolreform,butit
willnecessarilybeslowtomakeitsimpactfelt.
CollaborationIsEssential
MonolithicapproachestoeducationalreformarenottheAmericanway,andwithgoodreason:Nogroupor
sectorisinsolepossessionofwisdom,inventiveness,resources,andauthority,andfeweducationalproblemsof
consequencehaveonlyonepossiblesolution.Butdiversityofeffortcanleadtolittleimpactonanationalscale
ifthosewhoarestrivingtochangethingsareallheadingindifferentdirectionswithoutregardforeachother.
Lockstepineducationisneitherpossiblenordesirable,butacommitmenttocollaborationis.Operationally,
suchacommitmentmeanssharingideasandinformationwithotherswhoareaddressingthesameorrelated
problems.Inthecontextofthereformofscienceeducation,thisobservationappliestothescientificcommunity
itselftothedegreeitwishestomakesignificantcontributionstotheprocessofreformineducation.
Project2061constitutes,ofcourse,onlyoneofmanyeffortstochartnewdirectionsinscience,mathematics,
andtechnologyeducationandtobringaboutsignificantimprovementsinthecurrentsystem.Hereandthere
acrossthenation,individualteachersandschoolsarestriving,oftenagainstheavyodds,tochangethings,andin
someschooldistrictsandstates,vigorousreformisnowtheorderoftheday.Moreover,onanationalscale,
thereareprojectsmanyofthemfundedbyfoundationsandgovernmentagenciesandcenteredinprofessional
associations,universities,andindependentorganizationsthatarefocusingonvariousaspectsofreform.There
isaneedforthesevariousreformeffortstolinkuptobringcoherencetothemovement.
TeachersAreCentral
Althoughcreativeideasforreformingeducationcomefrommanysources,onlyteacherscanprovidethe
insightsthatemergefromintensive,directexperienceintheclassroomitself.Theybringtothetaskofreforma
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knowledgeofstudents,craft,andschoolculturethatotherscannot.Moreover,reformcannotbeimposedon
teachersfromthetopdownortheoutsidein.Ifteachersarenotconvincedofthemeritofproposedchanges,
theyareunlikelytoimplementthemenergetically.Iftheydonotunderstandfullywhatiscalledfororhavenot
beensufficientlywellpreparedtointroducenewcontentandwaysofteaching,reformmeasureswillfounder.In
eithercase,themoreteachersshareinshapingreformmeasuresandthemorehelptheyaregivenin
implementingagreeduponchanges,thegreatertheprobabilitythattheywillbeabletomakethose
improvementsstick.
Althoughteachersarecentraltoreform,theycannotbeheldsolelyresponsibleforachievingit.Theyneedallies.
Teachersalonecannotchangethetextbooks,installmoresensibletestingpoliciesthanarenowinplace,create
administrativesupportsystems,getthepublictounderstandwherereformisheadedandwhyittakestimetoget
there,andraisethefundsneededtopayforreform.Thus,schooladministratorsandeducationpolicymakers
needtosupportteachers.Teachersalsoneedacademiccolleaguesscholarswhoareexpertsonrelevantsubject
matter,childdevelopment,learning,andtheeducationalpotentialofmoderntechnologies.Andtheyneedthe
helpandsupportofcommunityleaders,businessandlaborleaders,andparentsforinthefinalanalysis,
educationalreformisasharedresponsibility.Itistimeforteacherstotakemoreresponsibilityforthereformof
education,butthatinnowayreducestheresponsibilityofotherstodotheirparttoo.
ComprehensiveApproachesAreNeeded
Piecemealreformmeasuresbegetpiecemealeffects,ifany.Attheschooldistrictlevel,reformeffortsshouldbe
inclusive:allgrades,allsubjectdomains,allstreams.Itislessdemandingtoconcentrateon,say,improving
thirdgradereading,juniorhighschoolsocialstudies,andbiologyforvocationalstudents.Butsuchunrelated
changesarenotlikelytoadduptocurriculathatareanymoreintegrated,coherent,andeffectivethanthe
fragmented,overburdenedonesthatnowexist.Withoutamoresweepingapproach,changewillbeconstrained
byhavingtofitwithintheboundariesofclassperiods,schoolsubjects,sequences,andtracksthatthemselves
maybealargepartoftheproblem.
Nationwide,reformneedstobecomprehensiveinthesenseofaddressingallaspectsofthesystem.Reformin
scienceeducationdependsonchangingexistingcurriculafromkindergartenthroughhighschool.Buttomake
newcurriculawork,changesmustalsooccurinthepreparationofteachers,thecontentoftextbooksandother
learningmaterials,theuseoftechnologies,thenatureoftesting,andtheorganizationofschools.Furthermore,
thechangesneedtobecompatible,lesttheycanceleachotherout.
Comprehensivereformdoesnotimplygoingoffinalldirectionsatonce.Rather,itdemandsthatsomesteps
occurbeforeothers,thatsomeproblemstakeprecedence,andthatresourcesbedeployedstrategically.Careful
systemwideplanningshouldprecedeaction,andnoaspectofplanningismorecrucialthansettingpriorities.
Failuretosetprioritiescanresultinonlyalittlechangesettingthewrongprioritiesmayleavethestudents
worseoffthanbeforereformwasundertaken.
ReformMustFocusontheScienceLearningNeedsofAllChildren
Whendemographicrealities,nationalneeds,anddemocraticvaluesaretakenintoaccount,itbecomesclearthat
thenationcannolongerignorethescienceeducationofanystudents.Race,language,sex,oreconomic
circumstancesmustnolongerbepermittedtobefactorsindeterminingwhodoesandwhodoesnotreceivea
goodeducationinscience,mathematics,andtechnology.Toneglectthescienceeducationofany(ashas
happenedtoooftentogirlsandminoritystudents)istodeprivethemofabasiceducation,handicapthemfor
life,anddeprivethenationoftalentedworkersandinformedcitizensalossthenationcanillafford.
Toreachallstudentsmeansreformingtheeducationofeverystrandofthestudentbodyvocational,general,
andcollegepreparatory.Forstudentswhoexpecttogorighttoworkafterhighschool,anarrowfocusontrade
skillswillnolongerdotheyneedtoacquireastrongbaseofscientificknowledgeandofreasoning,
communication,andlearningskills.Allcollegeboundstudents,quiteapartfromwhattheybelievetheirmajors
willeventuallyturnouttobe,needtoentercollegewithanunderstandingofscience,mathematics,and
technologythattheycanbuildonandthatwillmakeitpossibleforthemtoelectatechnicalfield.And
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undecidedstudentsneedtheknowledge,skills,andattitudestoenablethemtomoveinanydirection.The
recommendationsinthisreport,therefore,applyequallytoallstudents.
Meetingthesciencelearningneedsofallchildrenrequiresthatsocietyasawholerecognizethatlearningis,ina
sense,thechiefoccupationofchildhood.Playisimportantforitsownsakeandbecauseitoftenleadsto
learning,andworkformoneycanbeinstructiveforchildren,butneitherplaynoremploymentcansubstitutefor
systematicstudy.Parentsandcitizensingeneral,therefore,mustunderstandthatasubstantialportionofthe
energiesofchildhoodhavetobedevotedtothetaskoflearning.
PositiveConditionsforReformMustBeEstablished
Reformrequirescreatingconditionsforchange.Thereisnosenseinexhortingeducatorstochangewhatthey
aredoingandthenignoringtheobstaclesintheirpath.Notsurprisingly,amajorbarriertoreformisthesame
barrierthatgetsinthewayofgoodeducationingeneral:theworkingcircumstancesofteachersand
administrators.
Inalltoomanyschools,physical,administrative,andpsychologicalcircumstancesmilitateagainstundertaking
majorcurricularreformefforts.Typically,teacherslacktimetothink,study,organizematerials,conferwith
colleagues,counselindividualstudents,andattendprofessionalmeetings.Whatismore,theydonothave
privateoffices,computersforwordprocessingandrecordkeeping,laboratoryassistants,accesstoexpert
consultants,ortheotherkindsofsupportthatprofessionalsinotherfieldsexpect.Andprincipalsarescarcely
betteroff.Thepressofsuchdemandingmattersaspublicrelations,personnelmanagement,budgets,student
attendance,andsafetyleaveprincipalswithlittletime,energy,orinclinationtoengageinprogrammattersatall
letaloneinmajorreformactivities.
Atthesametimeasbarrierstoreformarebeingremoved,positiveconditionsforchangemustbeestablished.
Theyneedtoemphasizecreatinganenvironmentforteachersandadministratorsthatencourages
experimentation,focusonlongtermgainsratherthanonsuchimmediategoalsasraisingtestscores,and
recognizeandrewardinnovation.
Theneedforpositiveconditionsforreformgoeswellbeyondtheschools.Whatschoolscanaccomplishfor
manychildrenisverylimitedaslongasaquarterofthestudentsareraisedinpoverty,druguseandviolencego
unabated,racismpersists,andcommercialtelevisionremainsvapidorworsewhileeducationaltelevisionstays
chronicallyundernourished.Itisanadmirablenotionthatbettereducationisnecessaryforandcanleadtoa
betterAmerica.Butonlyifsomeoftoday'sworstsocialproblemsareamelioratedwilltheschoolsbeableto
takethesweepingreformstepsthatwillenablethemtohaveextensivepositiveeffectsonsociety.Thereforming
ofeducationandthereformingofsocietyneedtogohandinhand.
Tohelpensurethatreformdoeshappen,continuingcommunitysupportforeducationisessential.Suchsupport
isnoteasytosustaininthefaceofchangingdemographicsandchangingsocialpriorities.Therefore,informed
anddeterminedpoliticalleadershipateverylevelandineverysectorgovernment,business,labor,and
educationiscrucialforachievingreform.Withoutsuchleadership,communitysupportforeducationalreform
willfadeawaylongbeforelastingresultscanbeachieved

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