How do you measure success in education?
I was recently asked about a program we offer in the middle school. The question was simple enough, "Has it been a success." It is the answer that I am finding hard to quantify.
While we have the NWEA test and the MEAP test to measure academic success, are they the only numbers that count for success? Furthermore, can you even find data for, "We changed her life."
I remember what I consider my greatest success in education, and it had absolutely nothing to do with test scores. My greatest success was Danny. I was teaching math at Stockdale High School in Bakersfield, California. More importantly for Danny, I was the ski club advisor. Danny was a 10th grade student with an alcoholic, abusive mother and no father. The family was on public assistance and Danny had very little he looked forward to doing. Since I wanted skiing to be available to all students, we did fundraising. Danny came to a meeting during lunch advisory and we made a plan so he could go skiing. What I did not realize at the time was that we had made a plan for self confidence and life changing events for Danny.
No, Danny did not join the US Olympic Ski Team. Over the next two years Danny went skiing, raised money for others to go skiing, and felt he could do anything. Danny got a job at Taco Bell, which doesn't sound like much, but it was. Danny's mother objected to the job because she was afraid it would interfere with her SSI payment. I found services so that Danny could get counseling. Danny had become his own person.
So what were Danny's test scores.
You don't care, do you.
So how does a school measure all it's success?
posted by MiddleSchoolPrincipal @ 1:15 PM
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