tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post956181634963858091..comments2024-03-28T06:53:24.022-05:00Comments on a blog about school: The cost-free world of education policyChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12919030671050831251noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-40142495217310892592015-02-23T00:03:33.504-06:002015-02-23T00:03:33.504-06:00Thanks, Jane -- I'm an Alfie Kohn fan, too, es...Thanks, Jane -- I'm an Alfie Kohn fan, too, especially on the issue of rewards.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07559356125770114400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-36989932011199516162015-02-22T19:26:26.961-06:002015-02-22T19:26:26.961-06:00Thanks for the information, Chris. I've tried...Thanks for the information, Chris. I've tried to trace PBIS back to its origins to figure out if it had noble beginnings. <br /><br />I'm a big Alfie Kohn fan, anyway, and love his book, Punished by Rewards.Jane Balvanznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-58978002000149108592015-02-17T10:00:09.771-06:002015-02-17T10:00:09.771-06:00Jane — Thanks for commenting! Here in Iowa City, ...Jane — Thanks for commenting! Here in Iowa City, no one has ever suggested to me that there was any kind of teacher buy-in requirement for PBIS. It was imposed district-wide as part of getting a five-year <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/programs/dvpsafeschools/fy2008awards.html" rel="nofollow">Safe Schools/Healthy Students</a> grant. Every school in the district implemented it. I can’t imagine how they could have determined whether 80% of the teachers bought in, in any case—when your employer says they want your buy-in to get a million-dollar grant, I doubt most teachers would feel free very to hold out.<br /><br />Yes, the justification was that it supposedly reduces office referrals. I’ve learned to be pretty skeptical of the way school officials throw the term “research-based” around; some possible concerns are discussed <a href="http://ablogaboutschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/pbis-inherently-bad-or-just-badly.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. But even if it actually reduces office referrals, that’s just a variation on the theme in this post. That’s (very arguably) a benefit, but at what cost? What other consequences does the program have? Did anyone measure those? If it really is subject to the criticisms I make <a href="http://ablogaboutschool.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-follows-is-text-of-letter-i-am.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>—such as teaching reflexive obedience, encouraging acquisitiveness, modeling instrumental treatment of other people, and making good behavior seem like a chore that you should be paid for—shouldn’t someone be asking whether it’s too high a price to be paid for reducing office referrals?<br /><br />If they don’t assess *all* of a program’s effects, calling it “research-based” is meaningless. They can validate anything with that kind of research.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07559356125770114400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-2134343531512288472015-02-17T07:10:56.204-06:002015-02-17T07:10:56.204-06:00I was unaware that PBIS was tied to a grant. Can ...I was unaware that PBIS was tied to a grant. Can you say a bit more about this? Unless I'm forgetting -which is quite possible - it was presented as a research-based student acknowledgment plan that reduced office referrals. 80% teacher buy-in was necessary to implement PBIS.Jane Balvanznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-28204984038954745212015-02-16T10:28:52.522-06:002015-02-16T10:28:52.522-06:00Headline from the Gazette:
State Board of Educatio...Headline from the Gazette:<br />State Board of Education hopes for legislative action on new test: Districts have concerns but say alignment with Iowa Core is worth it<br /><br />Worth what exactly, though? Worth higher class sizes? Loss of a discretionary bus route or two? Worth not having tech available for instructional purposes?<br /><br />You wouldn't know it from the article, but there are in fact other tests being developed to align with the common core. The choice isn't Smarter Balanced or non-aligned tests, the choice is Smarter Balanced, other aligned tests (with different costs), or less well aligned tests.<br /><br />http://thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa/state-house/state-board-of-education-hopes-for-legislative-action-on-new-test-20150215Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13648521052030806343noreply@blogger.com