Joaquin Fernandez-Castro
Essays, research and articles on education and previous publications and research. CUE Award for Excellence in Teaching, Harvard University, 1996 news.harvard.edu/gazette/.../CUEAwardsGivenf.html
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Monday, March 6, 2017
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
“Structural Changes to Improve
World Language Programs. Insights from the Top Private and Public Schools in
the United States.” By Joaquín Fernández-Castro.
I am thankful to Language Magazine, http://languagemagazine.com/online/Feb16/,
issue of February 2016 (pages 33-35), or http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=125145 for publishing this article under the
section of “Steps to a New World Order.” It is based on my own independent research about the top private and public schools' language programs in the US. I argue that there are three types of structural changes that can accomplish major improvements and help students to achieve their full potential in foreign languages. This is the first step for our students to acquire 21st century skills and to become global citizens.
INTRODUCTION
World Languages, more than ever, play an
important role in our increasingly interconnected economy and global community.
It is critical that schools endeavor to have programs able to support our
students as successful citizens of the world. The capacity of our students to
communicate in other languages, their ability to understand other cultures and
to cooperate with other people around the globe in their native tongue, is a
crucial component for 21st century skills. Fluency in world
languages enhances creativity, versatility, problem-solving and critical-thinking
skills.
What can schools do to improve their
World Language programs? There are three types of structural changes that can
achieve major improvements and help students to achieve their full potential as
global citizens. First, we must change the minimum requirement for languages
and develop strategies to enhance it. Second,
we should implement early language acquisition, flexible placement and
acceleration opportunities to meet each student’s gifts and abilities. Third, schools
should offer diploma incentives for students learning two or more languages, establish
total immersion abroad and develop endowment support for world languages. The
following recommendations are based on a comparative analysis of the best World
Language Programs among the top 10 public charter and magnet schools and top 10
private independent schools in the United States according to the rankings of the
Washington Post, the US News and World Report and PrepReview from 2010 to 2015.
1. Establish a
standard world language requirement
Most
colleges typically require for admission a minimum
of 3 years in a world language during high school. This means students that
never took a language before entering high school will complete the requirement
after reaching level 3, typically by 11th grade. For most
competitive colleges, a level 3 is acceptable only for students with few
opportunities to begin a language earlier and typically coming from the poorest
and most disadvantaged public schools. Most competitive colleges expect 4+
years or the equivalent of an intermediate level in a world language from students
with greater educational opportunities. This is typically satisfied by a
College Board certified Advanced Placement (AP) course or by an International
Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program course, typically taken after level 3 or 4
in a language. This higher expectation is only fair since most independent
schools’ and top charter and magnet public schools’ students begin languages at
elementary or middle school and reach level 3 by 9th or 10th
grade and intermediate AP or IB levels by10th or 11th
grade.
Paradoxically,
the wording in most schools’ requirements state that a world language is
required up to level 3. This is a substandard
requirement, resulting in many students dropping languages after grade 10th
in many top private and public schools and after 11th grade in most
public schools. Students with learning problems in language acquisition should
be eligible to drop after level 3 but those cases should be the exception not
the norm. To help students to achieve their full potential as global
citizens,
schools must establish a standard requirement for world languages of level 4+ or
at least through junior year. The language requirement through junior year will
accommodate students who did not have a chance to take a world language until 9th
grade.
A
level 4+ standard requirement could
be enhanced if it includes the completion of an AP or IB level or any other
form of advanced course by their junior or senior year. This is typical of top
ranked public charter and magnet schools like the BASIS academies in Arizona;
the Magnet School for the Talented and Gifted of Dallas, Texas; Stanton College
Preparatory School of Jackson, Florida; the Carnegie Vanguard HS of Houston,
Texas; the Signature School of Evansville, Indiana; the Academic Magnet HS of
North Charleston, South Carolina; and the Gwinnett School of Lawrenceville,
Georgia.
Students
that reach the advanced level before completing their 11th grade should
be required to begin a new language. Some of the top independent schools, like
Phillips Andover and Phillips Exeter do indeed have this type of enhanced
requirement. IB schools, several of which are among the top public schools, require
a world language through senior year to be eligible to the IB certificate
program, which is another form of enhancing the requirement.
Another
strategy to further improve World Language programs is to require Latin in
addition to a modern language at middle school level. This requirement also
improves academic performance with Math, Science, History, English and World Languages
as well as ACT or SAT scores. There is a positive link between academic
performance and a strong background in Latin. It is not a coincidence that the top
independent schools ranked by ACT, SAT or AP scores, like Roxbury Latin, Brearley,
Collegiate, Saint Ann’s and Trinity all require Latin AND a modern language at
their middle schools.
Some
of the top ranked public charter and magnet schools like the BASIS Academies,
the Gilbert Classical Academy and the Accelerated Primary and Secondary school
of Arizona also take this approach. All students are required to take a World
Language from Kindergarten and by middle school they also are required to take
Latin AND a World Language. If the school does not have a Latin program or
making Latin mandatory does not have the support of the school community, a
good substitute is to require two World Languages at middle school, one of
which should be a romance language.
2. Establish early
world language acquisition and multiple tracks
The
most effective World Language programs begin language acquisition early. The
top private and public schools mentioned earlier have intensive programs in
which all students begin a world language by PK or K level. The standard
curriculum of level 1A and level 1B is completed by grade 5th and 6th,
level 2 is completed by 7th or 8th grade, and level 3 by
grade 8th or 9th. Even when students reach level 3 by
grade 9th, students are required to continue with the language
through grade 11th and encouraged to pursue it through grade 12th.
These schools typically have language placement by skill level at various
points of admission and offer accelerated level 1, instead of 1A and 1B, for students
that are accepted in middle school or choose to move faster. Moreover, these
top schools have flexible rules allowing the simultaneous learning of several
languages and even requiring Latin and a modern language at middle school. IB
schools with their Primary Years Program and the Middle Years Program also introduce
strong World Language programs earlier.
The
schools with early language acquisition consistently rank among the top 10 or
20 public and private independent schools in the nation and are the best
examples of the success of this approach. These leading schools’ successful experience
with early world language acquisition support the findings from research: a
young learner can easily assimilate any additional language and even several
languages simultaneously. Paradoxically, many public and private elementary
schools do not offer early language acquisition or do not allow students to
take more than one language at a time until 9th grade. These
nonsense rules are especially damaging to Hispanic and other heritage students
since they prevent them from simultaneously learning their mother tongue at a
higher level and an additional World Language. These barriers are also damaging
to female students in coed schools since girls generally excel in languages
more frequently than boys.
Private
or public high schools face a different set of circumstances if they are unable
to influence their district decisions since they cannot implement early language
acquisition by themselves. What can these high schools do to improve their
world language program if they cannot influence their feeder middle or
elementary schools’ curricula? Independent or public high schools are able to
improve their World Language programs through multiple tracks, including
regular, honors, and accelerated tracks in most world languages. Offering
various types of sequencing and paths for students with different levels of
abilities, interests and motivations is the best solution to compensate for the
fact that they do not control early acquisition from PK through middle school. The
accelerated and honors tracks could also be associated or linked to AP’s, IB’s
or other advanced courses.
The
effectiveness of multiple accelerated tracks can be enhanced through summer
programs for some students to catch up to the expected level, or jump an
additional level or to be bump up to an honors or accelerated track. Some of the
top independent high schools in the nation such as Phillips Andover, Phillip
Exeter, Hotchkiss and St. Paul, do offer 7 to 10 world languages, several
tracks for the most popular languages as well as summer programs to support
students. Similarly, some of the top public high schools offer several world
languages and tracks as well as programs to support students who need them.
Although financial resources are important to support a leading World Language
program they are NOT as important as the other structural and “no cost”
features such as early acquisition, multiple tracks, skills placement and a
standard world language requirement through 11th grade or 4+ years.
One
of the major obstacles to improve world language programs is that most schools,
independent or public, do NOT provide adequate placement opportunities for
heritage students. Students who already speak and understand a world language need
to be placed correctly at their skill level regardless of their age. Some
heritage students also need accelerated tracks where their grammar or writing
shortfalls can be addressed while allowing them to advance at a pace that
matches their speaking and listening skills. Some of these students should be
placed at AP level or IB’s Diploma Program courses by 9th grade
given their advanced level of language skills, but in most cases, they are
pulled down to a non-challenging language level or forced to begin a new
language. This is a serious problem affecting many students of Chinese origin, Hispanic
and other minorities. It is aggravated by the fact that most Hispanic and
minority students are financially disadvantaged and these obstacles rob them
from the opportunity to use one of their few advantages and skills: their
heritage language. If we are serious about global skills and expanded access to
minorities, all private and public schools must address these problems.
3. Establish
diploma incentives, immersion abroad programs and launch endowment support for
world languages
The
best and most successful World Language programs also have diploma incentives, study
abroad programs and endowment support. Most of the top private and public
schools in the nation have a diploma program (awarded with their high school diploma)
for Classical Language Scholars, World Language Scholars (fluency in three or
more languages) and Dual Language student diplomas or “Seal of Bi-literacy” as
it is called in most public schools. Similarly, most of the top private schools
have a dedicated “Center for Global Studies” with buildings and resources to
support such programs. Many of the top public schools are part of the IB
curricula, which enhances a global connection. Diplomas in World Languages,
Global Studies and the AP and IB curricula typically motivate students to continue
with one or more world language, all the way through 12th grade.
Further
incentives can be articulated through immersion abroad requirements within the
school World Language and Global Studies programs. This is the most effective
method for students to acquire fluency in any language while developing 21st
century skills and multicultural understanding. The total immersion abroad
requirement should be for at least a period of 4 weeks and could be split in 2
stays of 2 weeks each. Total immersion abroad programs should be fully credited
and could be used by students to fulfill their academic requirements, advance
faster or move into an Honors, accelerated, AP or IB tracks. Some of the top
elite schools, like Collegiate, include the price of total immersion abroad
programs in their overall school tuition and their financial aid packages. This
enhanced requirement should be in addition to current programs like School Year
Abroad or Semester Abroad among independent schools, which are voluntary and
extremely limited in the number of students participating in these
opportunities.
A
stronger option would be to make at least one semester abroad mandatory anytime
during the 4 years of high school. The majority of public schools cannot afford
these type of programs. However, they may be able to obtain grant support from
the DOE, the State Department, and Foundations targeting educational reform.
Another alternative is cooperation with study abroad institutions like the NAFSA
(Association of International Educators), College abroad programs or even
establishing through each state’s department of education, school exchanges
with other countries. Probably, most schools will need a combination of all of
the above to enhance the opportunities for students to become global citizens
and fluid in world languages.
The
final element to achieve a first rate World Language program is to have Endowment
support. To increase the number of
languages offered and the depth and breadth of the program would require
endowed chairs for each different language as do the top independent schools in
the nation. To have effective total immersion abroad, these programs would also
require financial support, especially for the disadvantaged students and
minorities that typically cannot afford to pay for these stay abroad programs.
Within
independent schools, world language endowment support can be enhanced even
further with endowed bilingual track-programs for heritage students and endowed
language summer and immersion abroad programs. This would help disadvantaged
students as well as those that need to catch up or choose to accelerate in a
language but cannot afford immersion abroad or summer school. Public schools
have more financial limitations to fund study abroad experiences or provide
endowment support. This is where federal and state programs, educational
foundations and cooperation with Colleges study abroad program can be most
helpful.
CONCLUSION
The
educational market includes private and public schools as well and national and
international schools. It is not a coincidence that many of
the top private and public schools have an enhanced World Language requirement,
are implementing early language acquisition and making an effort to correctly
place their heritage students. They are also providing multiple accelerated
tracks and opportunities for their most capable and gifted students in order to
retain them. These
structural changes can give a competitive advantage to
independent and public school students. These proposed changes when implemented
within the context of the ACTFL World-Readiness
Standards and Common Core expectations, assessments, program evaluation and
grading based on those standards,
can also allow these schools to be among the top schools nationally and
internationally. Independent schools and public
schools ignoring the overall global educational market dynamic are doing so at
their own peril.
After all, you cannot have a top notch
school, private or public, with a second rate World Language program.
References:
US News and World Report top public
schools index, (2015). Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/articles/us-news-ranks-best-high-schools
Washington Post’s Challenge Index,
(2105). Retrieved http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/04/19/americas-most-challenging-high-schools-national-top-25-list-for-2015/
Sunday, January 31, 2016
February 2016: The Journal of Communication & Education
Read my article on how to improve world language programs in private and public schools under the section of "Steps to a New World Order." http://languagemagazine.com/
Read my article on how to improve world language programs in private and public schools under the section of "Steps to a New World Order." http://languagemagazine.com/
Saturday, January 2, 2016
“Leading schools by example, through
autonomy and accountability”
By: Joaquín Fernández-Castro
School leaders should
model excellence, honesty and integrity and provide autonomy to each department
and faculty member to achieve the mission and vision agreed upon by the school
community. To be effective, the critical role of a servant leader is to unlock
the potential for excellence for each member of the school and attract
additional outstanding students and faculty. A school leader needs to focus on
the development of innovative school programs that are mission oriented, data
informed and will bring the school to its highest level of accomplishments. How
can leaders achieve a school organization that delivers excellent results?
Each department
should be autonomous and accountable within their fields: responsible for
innovation, professional development, setting specific benchmarks, and
evaluating and accomplishing results in the implementation of the school’s
mission and vision. Departmental results should be rewarded for reaching or
exceeding the benchmarks. Non-academic and non-teaching departments could use
specific benchmarks appropriate for their respective fields and be rewarded
accordingly. Excellence is only possible through accountability. To be
effective, accountability requires autonomy to devise how to reach or exceed
benchmarks and actual results need to be rewarded in a meaningful way.
Accountability must
include objective metrics such as student results at national (AP, SAT, ACT or
subject specific) or international (IB, PISA) exams but they should be only one
of SEVERAL benchmarks. Departments should advocate and decide on additional
objective benchmarks, which may include student retention, the actual number of
students taking the most rigorous classes, course evaluations, class
observations, etc. Other benchmarks could also include subjective students and
faculty surveys. If incorporated, these surveys should be accountable to
professional standards and methodologies. Subjective surveys should be put in
the context of all the other objective measures. Together, these benchmarks can
identify areas for improvement, help outline specific and data informed action
plans and measure progress in the pursuit of excellence.
Striving for
excellence also means hiring the best and most qualified and diverse teachers
and staff. This may require a discussion with all the school constituencies
about establishing competitive compensation packages and a mentorship structure
to attract and retain talented professionals. Inclusivity and diversity should
not only refer to hiring practices, financial support and admissions but also
to internal procedures, opportunities and support for minority faculty and
students to thrive within the school.
All major decisions
and changes affecting the school’s future or its mission and vision, should be
openly discussed with ALL faculty and constituencies BEFORE a final decision is
made. A school cannot be an inclusive and a diverse community unless the voices
of its faculty and constituents are heard.
Decisions affecting the school’s future should be made with transparency
and after listening to all points of view.
Schools must hire
visionary and effective leaders and senior administrators, since the challenges
to reach educational excellence are ever present. As difficult as it is to
reach the highest level of educational accomplishment, it is even more
difficult to maintain it. This requires a committed and clear thinking
leadership, able to articulate a vision for the continuous accountability and
improvement of the school. A true leader should be ever vigilant of the
competition and aware of national and international educational trends.
Monday, December 28, 2015
“A vision for educational excellence” By: Joaquín Fernández-Castro
ALL children can
reach their full potential when provided with the opportunities and structures
conducive to building upon their gifts and motivate their curiosity. Achieving
educational excellence requires talented faculty and staff properly trained and
motivated as well as a rigorous and high quality curricula providing all
students with opportunities to reach and develop their full potential. A
forward looking school should establish an innovative program that will bring
the school to its highest level of accomplishment. How can we design an
outstanding educational program that delivers excellent results?
Achieving educational
excellence and joyful rigor begins with the school leadership, senior
administrators and faculty. We can only expect educational excellence from our
students if we, the adults in charge of their education, continuously strive to
reach and model excellence ourselves. For a school to achieve its full
potential, the priorities should focus on the educational quality, scholarly
skills and the rigor of all its academic programs. After all, 21st century skills can
only be achieved through a rigorous curricula. Proven programs like the College
Board Advanced Placement (AP), the International Baccalaureate (IB) or support
programs like the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) together,
with other rigorous programs of experiential, interdisciplinary and inquiry
based learning can help fulfill the school’s mission to achieve educational
excellence for all students. Extra-curricular programs will aim at growing the
whole child in all aspects, including integrity and service to truth and
others.
Educational
excellence can be accomplished through a Liberal Arts curricula, balancing
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) with Social Sciences, Humanities
and the Arts’ curricula, including extracurricular activities. Expecting rigor
and high academic standards within that balanced curricula and establishing
strong graduation requirements in all disciplines is the keystone to educational
excellence and 21st century skills. This may include requiring and expanding
external benchmarks such as AP or other national (SAT, ACT, or subject specific)
or international (IB, PISA) programs to measure progress and achievement. A
critical element of this balanced curricula is an earlier, intensive and strong
world languages requirement linked to a global studies program to prepare students
for our increasingly interconnected world. Extra-curricular programs with high
expectations are one additional element to achieve an excellent yet balanced
education. Thoughtful discussion with all constituents needs to take place on any
new or redesigned curriculum and how to develop and implement the programs
adopted.
To best serve all
students’ learning abilities, a flexible structure of regular, honors and
accelerated tracks within ALL academic departments should be in place if the
school has the resources and the number of students to do so. The AVID program
could be part of this flexible structure, since it has a proven record of bringing
“middle of the road” and struggling students to successfully complete rigorous
courses. AVID, the IB program and the AP program also can provide opportunities
for early acceleration for all students like the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (PYP) and Middle
Years Program (MYP) or the College Board pre-AP courses. A discussion about the
sequencing and pace of the whole curriculum K-12th grade will be
necessary to devise the most effective program. These topics need in-depth
discussions with division heads, department chairs and faculty and with the
larger school community such as the board of trustees and parent associations.
In order to provide the
best pedagogical practices, the school needs to support professional
development and training for all teachers and administrators. If a school
adopts either the AP, IB, AVID programs (or a combination of all), the school
should require and use the professional training resources and workshops
established by these programs. If the school adopts its own unique program, it
is critical for it to include a strong professional development component.
Faculty and administrators’ training should be part of the professional
development expectation. School scheduling and assessments should reflect the
pedagogical needs of the curricula adopted. Opportunities and structures for
students to reach their highest potential and support for training a dedicated
and high quality faculty are the keys to academic excellence.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Princes of New York by Robin Lester, a former Headmaster at Trinity School in New York. This is an insightful and thought provoking fiction about intrigue and politics taking place at a top private independent school. You will not be able to put it down once you start reading it.
See his linkedin page https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=AAkAAA4k0XUBBWWsdES_OjzGqTB2T-WxFHABDwU&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=pDsk&locale=en_US&trk=tyah&trkInfo=clickedVertical%3Amynetwork%2CclickedEntityId%3A237293941%2CauthType%3ANAME_SEARCH%2Cidx%3A1-1-1%2CtarId%3A1442346519812%2Ctas%3ARobin%20Lester
See his linkedin page https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=AAkAAA4k0XUBBWWsdES_OjzGqTB2T-WxFHABDwU&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=pDsk&locale=en_US&trk=tyah&trkInfo=clickedVertical%3Amynetwork%2CclickedEntityId%3A237293941%2CauthType%3ANAME_SEARCH%2Cidx%3A1-1-1%2CtarId%3A1442346519812%2Ctas%3ARobin%20Lester
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)