Opinion
Early Childhood Letter to the Editor

History of Improvement Efforts Points to Early Years as Key

December 11, 2013 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

I just read your recent coverage on the work of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on teacher quality (“Gates Foundation Places Big Bet on Its Teacher Agenda,” Nov. 6, 2013). It reminded me of other efforts to improve student learning that I have also read about over the years in Education Week.

In 1996: The Goals 2000 effort reported “no significant parallel change in high school completion rates or most indicators of student achievement.”

In 1997: Tracking Title I showed “no significant change in the academic performance of students.”

In 2001: Regarding block scheduling, “studies show that lengthening class periods is not a proven means of raising standardized tests scores.”

In 2002: The $500 million Annenberg Challenge yielded results that were “downright disappointing.”

In 2003: The federal government’s $1 billion effort to give students a safe place to study and play after school “had little effect on academic achievement.”

In 2005: The results of the Gates Foundation’s $1 billion effort to create small schools were “insufficient to draw definitive conclusions about student performance.”

In 2006: Further analysis of the Annenberg Challenge showed no “noticeable systemwide impact on student performance.”

In 2009: A “controversial $14.4 million federal study testing the effectiveness of reading and math software programs has found few significant learning differences between students who used the technology and those taught using other methods.”

In 2012, I also read that new evidence from cognitive and neuroscience shows that what happens in early childhood, “like a child’s footprint in wet cement, leaves its mark forever,” and you can’t go back and rewire a child’s brain.

I have read Education Week for decades and have learned that until a free and high-quality education begins at conception, we will not bridge the pre-K-12 learning gap.

Mr. Gates, what are you reading?

Rebecca Shore

Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, N.C.

The author is a former high school principal.

Related Tags:
Opinion

A version of this article appeared in the December 11, 2013 edition of Education Week as History of Improvement Efforts Points to Early Years as Key

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Making Science Stick: The Engaging Power of Hands-On Learning
How can you make science class the highlight of your students’ day while
achieving learning outcomes? Find out in this session.
Content provided by LEGO Education
Teaching Profession Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Early Childhood How Kindergarten 'Redshirting' Is Changing
Redshirting was once largely a choice made by higher-income parents of white boys.
5 min read
A group of ethnically diverse Kindergarten children sit on the floor of their classroom, cross-legged and dressed in casual clothing.  They are all looking up at their teacher who is holding out a storybook and reading to them.  They are all smiling and listening attentively.
iStock/Getty
Early Childhood Head Start Teachers Will Earn More—But Programs Might Have to Serve Fewer Kids
A new federal rule will raise wages for Head Start employees—but providers won't get any additional funding.
7 min read
Preschool teacher with kids sitting nearby while she reads a book.
iStock/Getty
Early Childhood EdReports Expands Curriculum Reviews to Pre-K
Non-profit EdReports will review pre-K curricula to gauge its alignment with research on early learning.
2 min read
Boy raises his hand to answer a question in a classroom; he is sitting on the floor with other kids and the teacher is sitting in front of the class.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Early Childhood The State of Teaching Young Kids Are Struggling With Skills Like Listening, Sharing, and Using Scissors
Teachers say basic skills and tasks are more challenging for young students now than they were five years ago.
5 min read
Young girl using scissors in classroom.
E+ / Getty