More Ed Policy Links, 3-27-12

Here's a good summary of efforts by the federal government to push schools toward using merit pay as part of RTTP.  According to the author of a new book on the psychology of motivation, teacher merit pay "doesn't work."  Here's a summary of the results of the Nashville merit pay experiment that support his contention. Meanwhile, a less-rigorous study in Arkansas found some positive returns to merit pay, but also found teachers reporting they didn't work harder.

Richard Rothstein writes that "keeping children in good health" must be part of our school reform efforts.  Apparently parents agree: after funding cuts, parents in some districts in California have paid for physical education out of their own pockets.

A new report on Charter Management Organizations asserts that the most successful charter management organizations focus heavily setting high expectations for student behavior and intensively coaching and monitoring students.

A recent study finds that attending a K-8 school instead of a middle school raises students' scores

Paul Peterson argues that low family income is "not a major reason for poor student achievement"

Washington Post education reporter Jay Mathews writes that history suggests that too many people are not attending college, contrary to Rick Santorum's claims.

The high school graduation rate in the US rose 3.5 percentage points, to 75%, from 2001 to 2009.  Wisconsin is the only state above the goal of 90% and Nevada saw a 15 percentage point decrease to 56% as high schoolers dropped out to work on the Las Vegas strip.

A survey of teachers finds that fewer than one-third of teachers believes longer school days/years or merit pay will raise student achievement while 84% believe "increased family involvement and support" would make a difference.

Experts recently debated whether college should be for everyone.

A teacher writes that current measurements of teaching ability are all wrong.

The POSSE Foundation recruits low-income students and coaches them on how to make it through college. The results is that POSSE students are more likely to graduate from college than peers who score much on higher on standardized tests.

In a new feature, Paul Tough asks whether the secret to success is learning how to deal with failure.

A pediatrician writes that our children are chronically sleep deprived (69% get "insufficient" sleep on school nights and only 7.6% sleep the optimal amount) and argues that the lack of sleep is negatively impacting our kids in a variety of ways.

This chronic sleep deprivation is not without consequences. Sleep restriction in children has been linked to daytime sleepiness, inattention, poor motivation, memory problems, increased irritability, decreased socialization, low self-esteem, increased anxiety and depression, and suicidal behaviors.
Many of the prototypical traits of modern adolescence could just as easily be attributed to sleep deprivation as to raging hormones. Not surprisingly, there is further evidence (though limited) that these sleep deprivation problems with attention, memory consolidation, motivation, etc., contribute to overall lower grades and standardized test scores.
Finally, physical problems have been linked to chronic sleep restriction including: increased auto accidents, impaired immune function and obesity.
In 1997, seven high schools in the Minneapolis Public School District shifted their school start times from 7:15 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. In the two years following this change, data showed improved attendance, fewer depressive symptoms, less daytime sleepiness, increased student calmness in the cafeteria and hallways, fewer school counselor and nurse visits, and fewer disciplinary referrals.