Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world Nelson Mandela Introduction Why are you here today Introduction What if 1 Significance 2 Barriers 3 My Plan Changing Education in the United States Presented by Mason Greene Target Audience Introduction Parents The Current Situation The cognitive skills of students in the U S has not shown improvement since the 1970 s as a result of a poor public school system Today the U S ranks 17th globally in overall cognitive ability and educational attainment Significance Top 10 1 Finland 2 South Korea 3 Hong Kong 4 Japan 5 Singapore 6 United Kingdom 7 Netherlands 8 New Zealand 9 Switzerland 10 Canada Significance Achievement levels No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 Goal 2014 100 proficiency in math and reading by 2011 8th grade test results 35 proficient in math 32 proficient in science 34 proficient in reading Significance Economic Consequences Over the last decade the industrial manufacturing based economy has shifted to a service economy driven by information knowledge and innovation 86 of jobs in the United States are service based Economic success is increasingly based on the effective utilization of human capital such as knowledge skills and innovative potential In 2008 Microsoft chairman Bill Gates testified before congress asking them to reform education in America We cannot sustain an economy based on innovation unless we have students who are well educated in math science and engineering If we fail at this we won t be able to compete in the global economy Bill Gates Social Consequences Significance Poor schools can have a negative impact on surrounding communities Research shows a relationship between graduation rates and crime rates Higher drop out rates in inner city regions 68 of inmates in Pennsylvania are high school drop outs Barrier Teacher Performance Barriers Quality teaching is key to the success of students Rules and regulations regularly hinder a schools ability to employ and reward good teachers and punish or remove bad ones Tenure A provision in the teachers contract that guarantees their job for life after a particular period of time and makes It near impossible to fire them after they have been granted it Barrier Solution Solution Teacher Performance Reward good teachers Make tenure more difficult to earn with a rigorous process based on teacher performance Invest in good teachers Build an attractive teaching profession Barriers Barrier Tracking Tracking Separating pupils by academic ability into groups for all subjects Student placement is based on overall achievement Above average Normal Below average Can prevent students from reaching their full potential Internalization of inferiority in low achieving students Barrier Solution Solution Tracking Hold all students to the same academic standards Never allow any student to fall behind Public schools that operate under charters free from state Charter Schools imposed regulations Lottery based enrollment KIPP Charter Schools College prep school Stick with kids from Kindergarten to 12th grade Mostly inner city regions 95 of its students graduate high school and 89 attend college Knowledge is Power Program My Plan Plan Essentially my plan is to ensure students are taught by the best teachers and are held to high standards of achievement from the beginning of their academic careers Increased classroom hours Plan Reward good teachers Increased state funding for schools Eliminate tracking Barriers to tenure Proposed Plan Invest in Teachers Plan Results I Predict 75 proficiency in math reading and science by 2030 Lower crime rates and prison populations across the nation especially in low income communities A more attractive and prestigious teaching profession Economic prosperity as a result of innovation and development Kids around the nations loving to learn Conclusion Remember The state of education in the United States is bad and needs to change Good teachers and high student achievement are critical to improving our schools Results Better nation wide proficiency Kids loving learning Economic prosperity Lower crime rates An attractive teaching profession My Plan Longer school day Barriers to tenure Eliminate tracking More school funding Investing in teachers Make learning fun Reward good teachers