The Two Million Minutes Blog

Bill Gates: It surprises me that more parents are not upset about the education their own kids are receiving.

From Bill Gates' First Annual Letter from the Gates Foundation:

"The private high school I attended, Lakeside in Seattle, made a huge difference in my life. The teachers fueled my interests and encouraged me to read and learn as much as I could. Without those teachers I never would have gotten on the path of getting deeply engaged in math and software.

How many kids don’t get the same chance to achieve their full potential? The number is very large. Every year, 1 million kids drop out of high school. Only 71 percent of kids graduate from high school within four years, and for minorities the numbers are even worse—58 percent for Hispanics and 55 percent for African Americans.

It surprises me that more parents are not upset about the education their own kids are receiving.

Nine years ago, the foundation decided to invest in helping to create better high schools, and we have made over $2 billion in grants. The goal was to give schools extra money for a period of time to make changes in the way they were organized (including reducing their size), in how the teachers worked, and in the curriculum. The hope was that after a few years they would operate at the same cost per student as before, but they would have become much more effective.

Many of the small schools that we invested in did not improve students’ achievement in any significant way. These tended to be the schools that did not take radical steps to change the culture, such as allowing the principal to pick the team of teachers or change the curriculum. We had less success trying to change an existing school than helping to create a new school.

Even so, many schools had higher attendance and graduation rates than their peers. While we were pleased with these improvements, we are trying to raise college-ready graduation rates, and in most cases, we fell short.

Read Full Letter

Arithmetic Portion of the 8th Grade Final Exam - 1895 Salina, Kansas

To pass 8th grade in 1895, Kansas kids had to answer these arithmetic questions. Could a high school senior answer these today?

Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)

1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.

2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?

3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50 cts. per bushel, deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?

4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?

5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. of coal at $6.00 per ton.

6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.

7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $.20 per inch?

8. Find the bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.

9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around which is 640 rods?

10.Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

Helpful Definitions:

1 U.S. bushel = 2,150.42 cubic inches

Rod is a unit of length equal to 5.5 yards

Bank Discount - The interest on a loan computed in advance and deducted at the time the loan is made.

Acre = 160 square rods, 4,840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet.

Levy = tax

Tare - the weight of the empty container

Newt Gingrich Recommends Two Million Minutes in a Major Speech

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gave the keynote speech at the Republican House-Senate Dinner June 8, 2009 and specifically recommended Two Million Minutes to the 2,500 audience members.

New Elementary School Teachers Flunk Math Basics in Massachusetts - Yikes!

From US News & World Report - May 22, 2009

"Almost three quarters of aspiring elementary-school teachers in Massachusetts have failed a new math section of the state's licensing exam—the first time teaching candidates' knowledge of the subject has been assessed on a separate test. Administered in March, the new assessment—which includes questions on geometry, statistics, and probability—is the result of efforts to raise standards in a subject in which, until now, teachers were not necessarily required to excel.

"Mitchell Chester, the state's commissioner of elementary and secondary education, says the new assessment makes Massachusetts the first state to approve a math-specific test for elementary licensure, as opposed to a multiple-subject exam yielding a single composite score, as is common in most states.

"In light of the high failure rate—only about 27 percent of the 600 teaching candidates who took the test passed it—and the state's critical shortage of special education teachers, a temporary measure has been enacted that allows those who just missed the mark on the math section to still obtain teaching licenses. The teachers then have five years to retake and pass the test."

Read full story...

These are college students graduating from schools of education. They are only 4 years out of high school themselves. Could the schools of education actually erased knowledge of basic high school math during the process of teaching them to be teachers? What else did the education schools delete from the brains of these aspiring teachers? How long has this been happening and just never measured?

Purdue University Rachets Up Math Requirements

First State University in IN to Require More Math Than
Required For High School Degree

West Lafayette, IN, May 30 » High school students who want to attend Purdue University soon will need to take four years of math courses.

Purdue University President France Córdova announced Friday that the 2011 incoming freshmen will be required to have completed four years of high school math, instead of the three years currently accepted as a minimum.

"This is very, very important for academic success in this university," Córdova said during Friday's board of trustees meeting. "We know from all of our students, no matter what discipline they are in, if they have four years of math, their critical-thinking skills are much improved."

The change makes Purdue the first state school to require students to apply with a degree greater than Core 40, one of three diploma tracks available for Indiana high school graduates this year.

COMPTON NOTES: This requirement may have been precipitated by the  incoming class this year. Reports are that of the 6,800 incoming freshman, 2,000 required remedial high school math.

China 2009 - The Largest English Speaking Country in the World

What Gets Measured Is What Gets Done

Front page of the May 26, 2009, Memphis Commercial Appeal:
Whitehaven millionaires club: Teacher prepares students for scholarships

On the power of its brains and the strength of its will, the 400-some member senior class of Whitehaven High School this year blew the top off the school record for scholarships, earning a collective $13.7 million.

 
Gene Robinson, Karlyn Washington, Vicoria Young with calculus teacher Sparks

At the head of the WHS money heap -- graduation was Saturday at Cook Convention Center -- is Victoria Young with a cool $2.3 million, including the prestigious Gates Millennium prize, a full ride to Duke University and scholarships to 30 other schools.

No. 2 is Karlyn Washington, salutatorian, with $1.2 million; Gene Robinson, No. 3, headed to North Carolina on a full athletic scholarship, racked up $1.2 million.

Before you write them off to a random streak of brilliance, consider the power of well-intentioned math geek and calculus teacher James Ralph Sparks -- who some time ago zeroed in on the power of the ACT.

“The more math they get, the higher their ACT scores,” observed calculus teacher James Ralph Sparks, “the silver lining is, they get more [scholarship] money."

In 2002, he started the 30+ Club, an exclusive roster of students who've earned ACT scores of 30 or more. Their pictures are arranged in two big frames by the school office. College acceptance and scholarship letters for this year's class line the hall 100 yards on either side.

To make the connection between ACT scores and free rides to college, Sparks started the Fortune 500 Club two years ago. To get in, you have to have at least $100,000 in scholarships. (Sparks insists on signed letters from the colleges as proof.)

"It's actually infectious. I publish a monetary standing every week and give it to the kids. They say, 'Wait a minute, I can get higher than you.' They go crazy," Sparks said.

"We started out just trying to beat last year's class," Young said, nodding to the banner at the front of Sparks' classroom that boasts earnings of $10.8 million.
Eleven seniors earned 30 or more in the English portion; five more made the mark in reading.

When new principal Vincent Hunter and Sparks began "co-conspiring" in 2005-2006 with ACT tips in the daily announcements, awards went from $4.2 million to $6.9 million in a year.

The marquee in front of the school serves as the community scoreboard.

"Every time we get a new total, we put it up there," Hunter said.

More than 62 percent of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch, the federal guideline for at-risk students.

Read Full Article

Indiana Governor Recognizes and Rewards Academic Achievers 2009

Governor Mitch Daniels is one of the few national political leaders who recognizes that America must change its culture to recognize and reward academic achievers as much as we do athletic achievers.

For the second year in a row, Governor Daniels has awarded the Mr. Math and Mr. Science awards to Indiana's two top young male intellectual achievers. (I trust the women will be named soon).

Here's the press release:

May 18, 2009- Governor Mitch Daniels made a surprise visit to Terre Haute South Vigo High School today to announce that students Sachin Dilip Shinde and Raj Anand Bhuptani are "Indiana Mr. Math" and “Indiana Mr. Science,” respectively.  This is the second year for the annual Hoosier High School Math and Science Awards Daniels created to recognize Indiana’s top high school talent in math and science.

“Our best math and science students are vastly more important to Indiana’s future than our best athletes,” said Daniels.  “We will know that an important shift has occurred when more people can remember the name of Mr. Math or Miss Science than the name of Mr. Basketball.”

Shinde, a junior, is the son of Dilip and Pratima Shinde.  He scored a 800/800 on the SAT math portion, 5/5 on both the Advanced Placement Calculus BC and Statistics exams and earned no grade lower than an “A” in any of his math courses at South Vigo. He is currently enrolled in a Calculus III course at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. In college, he hopes to study bio-medical engineering and medicine, and aspires to become a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Bhuptani, a senior, is the son of Anand and Trupti Bhuptani.  He scored a 800/800 on the SAT II Physics, Chemistry and Bio M tests, a perfect 5/5 on the Advanced Placement Biology, Chemistry, Physics B, Physics C (Mechanics) exams and earned no grade lower than an “A” in any of his science courses at South Vigo. He currently is taking courses in differential equations and physics at Rose-Hulman, and he volunteers as a science tutor at a local community center. Bhuptani plans to attend Harvard University where he will study applied mathematics.

The awards were developed with input from the Indiana Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (I-STEM) Network, the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers, Inc. (HASTI), the Indiana Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM) and the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents. 

Full Release

Why Math Skills Are Important For More Than Just Engineers And Scientists In The 21st Century

New Tech High School – A Model for 21st Century Education?

Today, I had the opportunity for an in-depth visit to an urban New Tech High School in Indianapolis, IN. Indiana is aggressively adopting this new model for high school and I wanted to understand the model and make my own assessments about its value.

Brief Explanation of New Tech High School

New Tech High School (NTHS) is a different way of approaching high school education. It started in Napa Valley, CA in 1995, initiated by the local business community out of frustration with their new, young employees – a lack of relevant knowledge, no technology skills, an inability to work in groups, a lack of confidence and leadership.

That frustration led to the creation of the first NTHS with goal of preparing students to excel in an information-based, technologically advanced society.

The National NTHS Mission

NTHS’ mission is to re-invent teaching and learning for the 21st Century by offering a proven model and a fully integrated suite of tools designed to facilitate the creation and management of a relevant and engaging 21st Century education. At the beginning of 2009, there were 40 NTHS in 10 states supported by the New Technology Foundation.

Indiana’s Arsenal New Tech High School - In Brief:

Most of these students will be the first ever in their families to graduate from high school - 77% of them come from low-income families. Of the 170 students (all freshman and sophomores now) 55% are African-American, 39% Caucasian, 6% Hispanic. 19% of the students have special needs.

The school is part of Indianapolis Public Schools district-wide Magnet Program.
The staff consists of 11 classroom facilitators (teachers), one guidance counselor, one student affairs assistant, one Director. Their Web Site...

What did I see at Indiana’s Arsenal NTHS?

1. A very passionate, charismatic, and inspiring Director, Scott DeFreese
2. A small group of highly engaged, energetic and motivated teachers – ranging from one with 40 years as a teacher to several new teachers and one Teach For America Corps member.
3. Unique physical facilities – very large, open, high ceiling classrooms 
4. NO TEXTBOOKS – every student has a laptop, all courses are delivered online and work is submitted electronically
5. The courses are presented predominantly as interdisciplinary, group-based projects with the students working in teams, both assigned and self-selected
6. A high degree of open dialog and stand up presentations by the students
7. Large class size (40+ students) and two teachers with complementary expertise – History and English, Algebra and Physics, Biology and Digital Technology
8. A palpable sense of caring, TRUST, mutual respect. See student video on TRUST

Is NTHS the model for 21st Century Education?

I liked A LOT of what I saw at Arsenal NTHS and how the students were learning. Harvard’s Tony Wagner has correctly identified the key skills students will need, beyond core knowledge and strong cognitive ability, for success in the 21st century in his new book The Global Achievement Gap:

    * Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
    * Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence
    * Agility and Adaptability
    * Initiative and Entrepreneurialism
    * Effective Oral and Written Communication
    * Accessing and Analyzing Information
    * Curiosity and Imagination

Using the 7 Wagner Skills, I Contrast Arsenal’s NTHS students to peer students in other inner city high schools

1. NTHS students have an intellectual self-confidence not typical of urban students.
   
2. They are very much at ease speaking to an individual or a large group of adults. Their oral communication skills are vastly superior to most inner city students. See short video1. See short video 2.
   
3. The students are very comfortable working in groups and enjoy collaborating to bring a project to fruition. They also assess their own and others’ performance regularly – so they learn to give and receive constructive criticism. See short video.
4. The interdisciplinary projects require the students to be more adaptable and to integrate multiple concepts into their multi-dimensional project presentations.
5. The students use the Internet and are able to explore way beyond a textbook and the teacher’s knowledge.
6. The students were clearly more creative and inquisitive.
7. There is obvious respect among the students and by the students toward the teachers. See short video.
8. The large rooms and highly interactive setting makes for a lively learning environment – I’d prefer it to a standard classroom!

Open questions about NTHS:

In general, I would say the NTHS is absolutely superior to traditional U.S. high school. My questions/concerns about NTHS as the 21st century high school model are these:

Curriculum level – Indianapolis’ NTHS is teaching to Indiana’s Core 40 standards. While those are higher academic standards than in the past and higher than many states, they are well-below Global Academic Standards.

Core Knowledge – the students at NTHS are much better prepared for the 21st century using Tony Wagner’s skill list, however, I’m uncertain how well they have absorbed specific knowledge. I hate to be critical, because I was impressed by so much, but although the students are self-confident in their speaking, their grammar was frequently incorrect.

Scalability of NTHS Model – the NTHS model is more expensive than traditional public schools – the laptops and the physical facilities, for example. The larger question is - can a majority of America’s one million high school teachers can adapt to the NTHS model? It is a far cry from how colleges of education teach teachers. And it requires a teacher to posses unique skills and characteristics to be successful.

CONCLUSION:

In my opinion, the NTHS model is closer to the 21st century than traditional high schools and I believe it is a viable model for communities that can afford it and where the Teacher’s Union will be flexible enough to allow it to flourish. The choice of Director is critical and the Director needs a lot of discretion in selecting and training the teachers.

My one overarching question is - can NTHS academic standards be taken to Global levels and how might the approach need to be modified to ensure Core Knowledge is achieved in addition to the Wagner 21st Century Skills?

Certainly, New Tech High School is a serious move in the right direction. And I applaud Governor Daniels and Superintendent Bennett for supporting it.