09/08/08

Extended Learning: An investment in helping all students reach the finish line

Wilfredo Laboy, Lawrence Superintendent of Schools

Suppose I asked you to join me at our new Veterans Memorial Stadium for a little experiment — a race.

I’d ask all of you to line up at one end of the field to compete in a 100-yard dash. What’s the prize for the winner? That would depend on who you are. If you’re a working professional, the prize would be a promotion and a raise at your workplace. If you’re an elected official, your prize would be re-election in your current office. If you’re a student, your prize would be that you would move on to the next grade.

Ready. Set. Go!

Does this seem fair: Deciding your fate in such a performance-related, yet time-sensitive situation such as this? Some of you might not be good athletes, or might have a medical condition that limits your ability to perform. Those with limited English proficiency might not understand the instructions. Or perhaps, you excel in other aspects of sports, and speed is not your strength.

Now, what if I told you that some would be starting at the 50-yard line, while some of you would start 50-yards behind the starting line? Did I mention that one of your fellow competitors—one with a 50-yard lead— is a former Olympic track and field champion? Are you starting to feel uneasy about this challenge?

Given the pre-existing conditions that affect your ability to perform; given your starting point on the field; and given the pace set by the stronger performers, do you think it is fair to base such an import-ant prize such as your promotion or re-election—on such an unfair contest? E-ven if you try your absolute hardest, there is still a significant chance that you will finish way behind the rest of the pack.

Welcome to the American education system. Schools across the country have set a similar unrealistic expectation for our children. We line-up children to run the race—the goal of that race is to achieve proficiency by the end of the year. However, students come to this challenge with varying levels of ability and a host of factors that affect their performances. Metaphorically, many have a head-start on this race, while others are starting way behind the starting line. Yet, for some reason, we expect all children to “run the race” in the same amount of time, with the same amount of resources, and we base their opportunity to progress in school and in society on this “race.”

Does this seem fair?

Extended learning is a program that addresses this situation, understanding that all children learn at a different pace, but all still run in the race. Some children progress very quickly, while some pro-gress more slowly. However, all students will make it to the finish line if we give them enough time and support. We need to extend instructional time in our schools to provide all students and all kinds of learners the opportunity to be successful. For, in this race, success is not determined by the speed at which one proceeds, but rather the destination one reaches at the conclusion of the race.

In Lawrence, we do not tell our students that they have a finite amount of time to learn. Research shows, very clearly, that all students have the ability to learn. Although they may not all learn in the same fashion and at the same pace and they may require different modalities and support structures, all students have the ability to learn and succeed in school. It is through our extended learning time strategies, after school programs, summer school and preschool programs that we can offer all students the opportunity to achieve their goals.

With such a robust set of programs provided in addition to the regular school day, some critics might ask whether the cost of providing these programs is too expensive. I suggest that we cannot afford to deprive our students of these resources. For every student who is held back another year, we must invest in that student another ten months of instruction.

By adding another year to his or her education, we’ve created a 7% increase in the overall cost of educating and graduating that child. System wide, this can add up to a significant expense. Furthermore, in addition to creating a burden on the schools and taxpayers, retaining students for another year also has significant financial impact on the student and his or her family. Another year in school represents another year when the student is not earning money in a professional setting. Why not simply invest a bit more time during the initial instruction period to offer adequate support? Or, if the student doesn’t master the concepts and skills initially, offer him or her second chance to master those skills rather than sending them back to the starting line. Extended learning provides these opportunities to children and invests in their success.

Understanding the rational and the operational cost of extended learning, some might ask whether the effectiveness of these programs is worthy of the investment. While our summer school passing rate is between 50-60%, this still has a tremendous positive effect on the community. Given the financial impact—not to mention the social impact on the students—if we can reduce the number of students that must be held back, we reclaim the potential losses associated with a full 10 months of instruction and the lost wages of students unable to enter the workforce.

I suggest that, although we are working diligently and urgently to improve our pass rates in summer school, a 60% reduction of the number of students held-back represents a significant positive impact in the community.
Summer school, as well as extended learning throughout the school year, is offered so that students may have a second opportunity to succeed. While not insignificant, the cost of supporting students with extended learning programs during the school year and in the summer pales in comparison to the burden associated with students continuing to fail. Not only is it a wise investment in this sense, but it is also our moral imperative to provide these opportunities for every student.

Our mission in the Lawrence Public Schools is to create a college going culture for all students. This means implementing a rigorous curriculum that prepares students with cognitive skills to succeed in today’s economy and society—not just providing basic reading and computation skills. This means providing students with limited English proficiency and students with learning challenges the resources and the opportunity to master academic content the same as every other student—not lowering our expectations and taking a path of least resistance.

This also means creating a college going culture for every single student—not just those who run the race quickly.



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