Jane Leonard, Minnesota Rural Partners, Sept. 4, 2009--Achievement gap in education is of deep concern--“We need to boost the use of technology to find efficiencies in K-12, instead of just consolidating districts. This sort of technology build-out does cost money, but it provides flexibility and increased options.”

            “One of my deepest concerns,” Leonard said, “is the achievement gap, both in the central cities and other parts of the state.” It is more concentrated in the central cities where poverty is also more concentrated, but exists elsewhere also tied to poverty—and with just as significant of consequences.”

            A member asked Leonard if there was one thing in particular—one aspect of education—where she would concentrate attention most. “Anything aged 0-5,” she responded. All the research shows that this is where we can have the biggest impact.

            Asked about her preference for privately or publicly run preschools, Leonard reflected, “It never occurred to me that there would be a distinction between pre-school and kindergarten. We need to have greater continuity between pre-school and elementary school. Perhaps that means bringing pre-school into the public system.”

Curt Johnson, Education|Evolving, April 10, 2009--We're losing too many kids--The chief motivating force for the new schools initiative, Johnson said, is that too many kids are dropping out of school too early and that too many others are losing interest because they find school to be boring. 

Curt Johnson, Education|Evolving, April 10, 2009--Giving students an opportunity to act more as adults--Johnson quoted psychologist and author Robert Epstein (The Case Against Adolescence) who points to an unfortunate "quarantine" of youth in school between ages 13 and 19.  It's a mistake to segregate them during their adolescent years and expect them to be responsible adults when the get out of high school.  Think, he said, of how serious youth approach the matter of driver training.  They are highly motivated to pass the drivers' test.  That's giving them an opportunity to act as adults.

Epstein’s research shows that the proportion of “adult attributes” among teens is roughly the same as it is among actual adults. He suggests that teens should be able to test out of adolescence if they can demonstrate those attributes.

State Rep. Marty Seifert, Jan. 23, 2009--Possible moderating factor in education achievement gap—Returning to education, a Civic Caucus member inquired whether the gap in achievement between high- and low-performing students in Minnesota might be partly because Minnesota has some students who perform at extraordinarily high levels.   Seifert said he agrees but the low rates of graduation among ethic and racial minorities concerns him deeply.

Jim Bartholomew, Minnesota Business Partnership, Dec. 19, 2008--High school graduation rates illustrate a serious problem in achievement—Statewide, Minnesota high school graduation rates for the class of 2007 were 73.1 percent.  However, the racial-ethnic breakdown of that data illustrates a significant problem, with one grouping, American Indians, one-half the statewide rate, Bartholomew said. 

                                                                        2007 graduation rate

            Statewide, all students                           73.1 percent

            White, non-Hispanic                             79.5 percent

            Asian                                                    65.8 percent

            Black                                                   40.5 percent

            Hispanic                                               39.8 percent

            American Indian                                   36.8 percent

Source:  http://www.tccompass.org/education/key_measures.php?km=HighSchoolGraduation

Bartholomew said the data indicate to him that we've not sufficiently customized our instructional practices to meet the needs of all kids. A Civic Caucus member wondered whether too much attention has been focused on giving students a college experience, instead of preparing all students for the job market.  Is technical training being downplayed, the member asked?

Joe Nathan, HHH Institute, University of Minnesota, Dec. 12, 2008--The David Ellis success story--To demonstrate the value of change in education, Nathan discussed the experience of David Ellis, graduate of the Open School in St. Paul, and, subsequently, founder of the High School for Recording Arts. Ellis had a troubled experience as a younger man.   Later he started a small recording arts studio that attracted a number of high school dropouts.  He set up a tutoring service that evolved into a charter school.   Because of mistakes early in life, Ellis could have ended in prison, but he ended up helping himself and countless others through the charter school experience.  See http://minnesota.hsra.org/about/.