Darlene Quayle: European Schools Research and Explorations

Date:   June 30, 2009

Re:       Sabbatical Update

I would like to once again thank the board for providing this opportunity for my research. I have plans for implementation of the information gained from this research within my own classroom and in the ICE Program, and will be sharing these findings through various presentations, for the board, the community and the state.

As a summary, I made these findings:

• We need to focus more on basic computational skills in math and accelerate levels at earlier ages, so that more students have completed algebra before they enter high school.
• We need to embrace creativity in learning, supporting students’ interests.
• We need to provide more world language learning at earlier grades, as this supports literacy skills.
• We need to provide non-university options for students beginning at the 9^th or 10^th grade level for those who do not plan to attend university.

I am scheduled for a visual presentation to the board at the first meeting in September during the 6:00 portion of the meeting. I asked for this date, as I wanted to be sure that a greater audience is available to view the presentation.

I look forward to a discussion of my findings at that point.

Yours truly,

Darlene Quayle

I have added more photos-sprinkled throughout the site on my various blogs. Enjoy!

This is the report I gave the Superintendent and School Board yesterday. A longer, full summary is 6 pages long and growing and will also end up here once it’s done.

To: Superintendent Tom Opstad, Port Townsend School Board Members
Date: March 27, 2009
Re: Sabbatical Update

I am often asked about my trip, but that was only the physical research part of my journey. I continue to spend time connecting with educators and friends in Europe, reading reports, analyzing my notes, and reviewing video and audio recordings.

The actual travel part of my sabbatical was fun, hard, scary, enlightening, friend-filled, frustrating, tiring, exhilarating, exciting, relaxing, and generally a great experience. Depending on her mood, my daughter will say either it was horrible (she had to spend 4 months with only her mom—visiting schools!), or that it was interesting and she made some new friends and saw some interesting places.

We visited 15 countries (17 if you count the individual countries within the UK) and 11 schools. We talked with numerous people in youth hostels about their lives and about their countries’ schooling. We made numerous friends with whom we are still keeping in contact (especially in Denmark and Germany) via Facebook and email. We walked many, many kilometers, wearing out shoes and socks, carrying heavy backpacks and hauling full “trolley” (wheeled) suitcases. I lost 10 pounds and strengthened my arm and leg muscles.

In visiting schools, I find that many countries start students later, beginning first grade at age 7, and move them into advanced concepts quickly. They are starting English studies and basic algebraic equations in 3rd or 4th grade, expecting students to fill-in answers rather than complete multiple choice, write short answer responses rather than essays for each topic. Students are given short assignments for homework—just enough to maintain skills—totaling one or two hours a night (depending on grade level), and keep assignment planners from a young age. Many students are taught cursive handwriting beginning in first grade, and by the time they reach 4th grade, all science experiment write-ups are done in their notebooks in neat cursive handwriting.

Special education is often separated out in Europe—either into separate [smaller] classes or into separate schools. Once a student is put into a “special school”, there is generally no expectation for that child to achieve a level higher than basic skills, or occasionally a trade. While for some students, the intense small educational environment provides additional help, I believe the U.S. has the advantage here, in that students receiving special education services can aspire to a college education.

The school day ranges from 3-1/2 hours to 7 hours. Many countries provide only basic subjects (language arts, history, science, math, foreign language) and leave it to the community to provide enrichment opportunities. Other countries include certain life skills as requirements: computer skills, cooking, sewing, fine arts, P.E., and multiple foreign languages.

Students are tested at age 15 (or placed at age 10, in Germany) and are then placed into tracked secondary programs: basic skills, trade/business preparation, university preparation. Many of these programs are further disseminated into fields. Every student is expected to study math and science each year of secondary schooling, and some expect all university prep students to complete physics and calculus.

The government pays for all university studies for those qualified to attend—in some countries through the Master’s degree level, where the high school expectations are especially high and include field studies. In these places, a Master’s degree is achieved after only three or four years beyond high school.

Funding for supplies varies from country to country. In some places, the students must buy all their materials—notebooks, pencils, pens, art supplies, storage boxes, and textbooks. In other countries, the school provides all these materials.

Technology also varies from country to country. In Estonia, there is a strong emphasis on making students familiar with technology, including digital whiteboards at the elementary level; in Denmark, students use their laptops or the computer lab on a several-times-a-day basis. In Germany, teachers have to share a single school computer for planning and there is no technology aside from an occasional overhead projector in the classrooms.

The journey is not yet done. The next piece is to gather permissions from the schools for my video and audio recordings, to sort and edit the video, audio and notes, and to prepare short- and full-length presentations for the various groups requiring or requesting one.

I expect to have a full presentation and written detailed report available for the school board at the end of June.

Yours truly,

Darlene Quayle

We are returning this week, so the next posting will be after I return home and am able to sort photos and videos for enhancing previous posts.
Thanks for following the journey!

Coach Economy dinner on SAS to Copenhagen: all this was included in the cost of the airfare ticket.

I was asked to comment on the food in Europe.
First of all, I would like to say: POTATOES

Potatoes are the staple of the European diet. They prepare potatoes fried, creamed, sliced, cubed, you name it, and small ones might be whole (but no large baked potatoes). They don’t eat a lot of potato chips (called “crisps” in England), but they do love McDonald’s french fries—and there are a lot of McDonald’s restaurants in Europe. The one good thing about them is that they offer free wifi.

Vegetables
You will find very few vegetables in meals in northern Europe, and the ones that are present are usually in salads—including corn, which is also a standard item on pizza here. In England, the regular grocery stores in the cities have all their vegetable pre-packed—actually everything is pre-packaged: rows upon rows of 2-serving packages, all wrapped in plastic. In France and Italy, there are more vegetables, and the groceries and markets have excellent selections of locally grown produce.

Fruits
Apples are the most popular fruit here, and pears, with oranges grown in Italy gaining popularity. To wit, most Europeans don’t snack between meals, but when they do, it’s usually a piece of fruit.

Meats
Pork in all its forms is the most popular meat here. People eat sliced ham and sliced sausage for breakfast with cheese on bread. They eat it again in the evening for dinner. They have pork cutlets, chicken halves (small chickens), lamb, mutton, and veal. German food is based solidly on sausages and creamed potato dishes. Fish is eaten on bread with a tartar sauce, and salmon, cod and trout are served as a first course for a meal (second course in Italy). There is beef available, but it is not commonly eaten. Most meat, other than the sliced meat and sausages, is served at the midday meal—the largest meal of the day. In fact, most businesses, excepting restaurants, close for two hours midday so the owners can go home to eat.

Grains
While pasta is everywhere in Italy, bread is the staple upon which the Europeans live. There is fresh bread and stale bread, depending on where you are. The freshest bread is in France, but you have to buy it nearly daily to enjoy the fresh-baked goodness of it. Most of the bread is a white bread, but there is more and more grain bread being sold, and in northern Europe, they also like their Wasa crackers (me, too) and “tartines” (packaged miniature sliced toast).
Bread is used for pushing food onto the fork, and for wiping up the remains of the meal from the plate. In France, it is used for dipping into a bowl of hot chocolate or coffee in the morning at breakfast, and for the after-dinner bread and cheese.
Rice is rarely found, except in the numerous Indian and Chinese restaurants.
Cereal is often eaten by children for breakfast.

Cheese
There are a variety of cheeses everywhere and they are omnipresent. Cheese is part of breakfast, served after the midday meal, and is a staple of dinner. There are Edam and Emmentaler cheese in the north, and two full aisles of cheese—everywhere from mild goat cheese and creamed Camembert cheese to full-bodied Roquefort bleu cheese varieties in the French mega-grocery stores. Germany has rich, strong-smelling and tasting cheeses, and Bulgarians allow a bit of peppers into theirs.

Organic foods (called “Bio” in France) are very limited here, due to the expense. There are some efforts to make vineyards organic for the wines, but most other organic food is priced out of people’s budgets.

Chocolate
Chocolate is a breakfast food. My French penpal told me that parents add chocolate to the milk when the children are young to encourage them to drink it, and when they get older they are still in the habit of having chocolate in the morning. As such, there is hot chocolate to drink (and dip bread into), chocolate-filled pastries (pain au chocolate), chocolate cereal, chocolate musli (granola). Of course, chocolate is a favorite for dessert, as well.

Seasonings
Most food is lightly seasoned with herbs, and salt is often added. That’s about it. We had one dish in France where my daughter was asked if it was too spicy for her. She didn’t even realize it was supposed to be spicy!

Beverages
Everyone drinks water with their meals and many prefer sparkling water, especially the Germans. When the French drink wine, it is in small quantities. The drinking age in much of Europe is 16 for beer and wine (although that doesn’t mean they can buy it by themselves), and 18 for other alcoholic beverages. In some countries it’s 18 for everything, and in the UK, they’re on a new campaign to push for 21 as the drinking age.

School meals
In Finland, school meals are provided for the students, and in one of the schools, there was a vegetarian option that closely resembled the non-vegetarian option (stew with meat or with a greater variety of vegetables). In Denmark, food is provided at the boarding schools: yogurt, cereal, bread, cheese and ham for breakfast; stew-type food with a potato side-dish and salad at midday meal; and bread, cheese and ham for dinner, with leftovers from lunch. Students take their own lunch to day schools. In Germany, students bring their own lunches, but one high school was very proud of their new cafeteria that was build with the help of the parent population—who also procure and serve the food, and an elementary school provided a minimal lunch for the students who stay for the extended day program (most students go home at 12:30 pm). In France, and my friend’s daughter’s school, they have a canteen where students are served a midday meal. In Bulgaria at the international school, most students brought their own lunch and snack, but there was a limited selection of food in the cafeteria: cheese toast, pizza, and salad.

Restaurants
Fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, as I mentioned, are everywhere. Following close behind are Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King and Starbucks.
Chinese restaurants are also everywhere, and Indian restaurants are the preferred destination in England. For a good steak-and-kidney pie or fish and chips in the UK, you have to go to a pub (age is not a problem in most—especially before 6 pm). The newest trend is the Wagamama, a Japanese restaurant in many major cities in northern and western Europe, where you are seated at a long bench across from your partner, and when your food comes, you eat it, not waiting for the other’s person’s dish to arrive—they expect you to eat the food while it’s still fresh. You stow your purse or bag on the shelf just below the table and in front of your knees.
In Italy, avoid the large cities for good Italian food—the Italian food everywhere else in Europe is better. I wish I had been able to go to a small town to taste some *real* Italian food! Note: ordering a pizza in Europe is a one-person serving, with an added price for an extra plate if you wish to share with someone.
German restaurants, on the other hand, will serve you a good sausage dish at a decent price no matter where you go, but if you go to a restaurant in Switzerland, Liechtenstein or Paris, expect to fork out a good amount of money for a meal. Bulgaria and Romania are cheaper, and their meals are more filling, gently seasoned, and tasty.

Revisited:
These are my impressions from quick notes and observations—a full report with video and audio will be compiled for my teacher presentations after I return home.
Also, I will add photos as wifi time and permissions allow.
Please email any corrections or comments to me at dq.edvideo@gmail.com.
Thanks!

Sofia is a large city, until recently plagued by a steel mill and more recently, with smoggy skies caused by burning coal and wood to keep warm, since the Russians haven’t decided whether or not they want to continue supplying them with natural gas. It doesn’t help at all being in the part of the world where the people are depressed, and the tunnel out of communism is a long one, strewn with corruption and negative attitudes about whose job it is to fix the sidewalks, just to give an example. In Bulgaria, the people walk by with sour expressions, eyes on the ground (if nothing else to avoid the broken sidewalk and the dog poop). The old women have a tilting way of walking, as if they have one leg shorter than the other, and it alternates—lean left, lean right, lean left, lean right—as they carry their two big reusable grocery bags back home. They park where they like, including on the sidewalks, and drive out the one group, the Roma, that works to recycle and reuse the discarded items that others have been too lazy to dispose of properly.

The Anglo-American school in Sofia is a bright spot in this city, surrounded by partially-built buildings in an undeveloped field. Its high walls and gate are indicative that this is an embassy-run school. Formidable as it looks from the outside, the entry is light, open and spacious, with a clear reception desk and chairs and sofas for small discussions or enough space for a large gathering. The library and cafeteria issue from the entry, as do and stairwell and hallway leading to the classrooms. The balcony surrounding the entry provides access to the offices and upper conference rooms. The main halls feature student art, and the side hallways leading to the classrooms are covered with examples of student work. Classroom doors are mostly open, and several teachers told me I was welcome to drop in and visit.

There is a positive atmosphere at the school, and the teachers talk about their personal lives and current events during lunch. Some teachers occasionally get together outside of school for social activities. The children are happy here and the teachers are friendly, reflecting the opposite of what I experienced in the city. There are some Bulgarian students here, blended with embassy children who can list all the countries they have lived in. Some of them have attended a different school for at least each school year, while others have been here for three years. The students at this school come from wealthier families, and from various countries, and are often buffered from the daily life of the city. They are mostly attentive, and even the most distractible student is not a big discipline problem for the teachers. Some students are better about completing homework than others, depending upon the support they received at home, the availability of parents and tutors. Because of this, some teachers limit their homework so that the student is able to complete the assignment on his/her own, and so that the tutor is not doing the assignment for the child.

International students learn about Bulgarian culture and language

This is an enrichment school. Students spend a lot of time transitioning to classes the teachers call “specials.” Each class of 15-20 students has a solid 1-2 hour block in the morning with their primary teacher and aide (each primary teacher has an aide), mostly for literacy skills, then take off for art, music, Bulgarian culture, ICT (computers), PE, foreign languages, and more. Math, science, history and geography are plugged into one of two 30-40 minute slots later in the day. Once a week, on Tuesdays, school breaks an hour early for co-curricular activities: arts, languages, science exploration, dance, drama, PE activities. Some of these are in two one-hour blocks, while others with off-campus time are a single two-hour block activity. Some grade levels also have co-curricular sessions on Thursday as well.

My friend “Ms. J” works with students on their math assignment

Curriculum at this school mirrors U.S. standards, and teachers come from the U.S., Bulgaria, Australia and the U.K. In talking with the new principal, he sees changes happening as this school grows and looks at its direction. He is hoping to arrange the schedule to allow for ELL (ESL) specialists to come to classes, give teachers solid teaching time, and allow for more common planning time among grade-level teachers. Often, two teachers at the same grade level are not teaching the same concepts, as the teachers are isolated in their teaching bubbles, despite the open doors. Some teachers make efforts to help other teachers and share curriculum, but without previous direction, this is just beginning.

In talking with a couple of students and adults from Bulgaria, I find that they appreciate the flexibility that this school provides and the attention to the individual learner. There is a great deal of effort by the teachers and aides to help each child understand the lesson, gain literacy skills, English-speaking skills, and show pride in their work. In Bulgarian schools, they say, there is more focus on rote learning, individual assignments, and group projects at the secondary level. Students are expected to complete trigonometry and calculus before leaving high school.

I had the opportunity to visit three more schools/programs in Germany, mostly on an impromptu basis, thanks to the Mittelpunkt conference.

Sebastian-Münster Gymnasium in Ingelheim
First of all, I visited with an art/biology teacher and a headmaster at a gymnasium (university track high school) in Ingelheim. The students and their families are fairly well-off, thanks to a local pharmaceutical company. The school has two strong parent groups who focus on raising money for the school and in providing opportunities. They paid for the new cafeteria and provide lunches for the extended-day students. They also provide scholarships for students to buy books and supplies (parents pay for the students’ texts and pay 10€ toward supplies each year).

The principal also teaches math and regularly write math textbooks for schools in Germany, being at the forefront of the changes in the past 10 years’ worth of changes math teaching. He states that the school determines its own curriculum materials, guided by the skill levels that are set by the local regional board. He has traveled to the U.S. (Kentucky) and Saudi Arabia, and regularly brings back ideas for the school. One publication that he is proud to have introduced to the school is the yearbook—he even gave me one to bring back to share. It is unusual for German schools to have yearbooks, but more are introducing them, supported by parent groups.

Students at this school begin a bilingual program in English starting at 6h grade, with two extra lessons a week to support their vocabulary. In 7th grade, geography is taught in English, and in 9th grade, history. He is amused at the choice of history for English studies, because students study post-WWII German events during this year. He would prefer that students study topics that relate to the language. One downside of the math curriculum is that the high schools are providing more higher-level thinking, problem-solving, and making connections in math, and then once the student reaches university, the focus is again on rote learning, memorizing abstract math facts, and performing calculations without application.

Teachers at this school all have master’s degrees in their subject areas, plus a two-year pedagogical series. Some teachers have more than one master’s degree, as there is an effort to have teachers highly qualified in their subject areas. They have 6 days each year during which they can go to conferences and workshops. Upon return from these conferences, they must provide proof of attendance and must share what they’ve learned with other staff members. As part of their contract, teachers have a certain number of hours that they are contracted to teach, including time to cover for other teachers who are out ill or at trainings. This limits the need for substitute teachers. This school has a young staff that is interested in learning about technology—something that is new to German schools, as most classrooms have little more than a folded chalkboard.

A feature of the school is that there is a strong connection with the Lion’s Club. They have introduced a Life Skills program to help student gains the skills they need for living independently. There is not a lot of extra-curricular or enrichment coursework, instead that is taken care of through local community clubs. There is a strong music program though, and about 240 of the 5th grade students participate in the school’s music program. The principal has a responsibility as a prominent community member and is expected to attend community service club meetings and each major event in town, including ribbon cuttings and other town ceremonies.

Weisbaden Special School and Juvenile Center: Sonderschule für Eiziehungshilfe
This large complex looks like a combination group of apartment buildings and business complex—which it is. There are buildings for boarding students, ages 11-14, and a variety of offices and classrooms for school activities, community services and connections with adjudicated youth. The youngest students come for the day for special education services, far away from the traditional school.

The young men who attend my friend’s program are here because they have had troubles with the law, have been in foster care, or have displayed violent behavior and cannot attend their home school. Here, though, they are able to work with the facilitators on a 1:6 ratio, learn life/social skills, and explore opportunities for their future. They work with the staff individually and in small groups, discussing societal expectations, personal and social choices and overcoming stereotypes—they are greeted with pink chairs. Once they reach a certain level, they are allowed to join a few classes in the facility, and reach a school level equal to 9th grade in Hauptschule (basic skills high school). The staff members work with local community services for placing the youth in jobs, housing, social services, and school programs.There is an easy communication between the students and the staff, and recently they started a LARPing (Live Action Role-Playing) activity each spring. Through the year, students may choose to participate in this activity, during which they design and sew costumes (after getting past the idea that sewing is not a masculine activity), create latex weapons and learn the rules of engagement for the LARP. They have practice LARPs with other high school students and then build to the culminating LARP with adults. They receive compliments for their costumes and are treated as part of the group, rather than as delinquents. They learn rules and the value of rules. After the first year, recruitment is only through word of mouth, and students enlist starting in October, even though most activity doesn’t begin until mid-school year.

At the younger grade level, students are in classes of up to 8 children for special classes. A teacher told me that often parents say they don’t want their child going to this school because of the older boys who are sent there, and because of the isolation. Once the child is there, the parents are grateful for the attention their child gets in the class. I found that the very active children in the second grade class were working at a first grade level, with developmental levels of age 3-4. It made me wonder at what point students are identified for the special schools. I have been told that ADHD is being increasingly identified in children in Germany, whether they need to label or not. These students are often the ones set aside into other classes, especially if they are a year behind in skills. There does not seem to be much interest in inclusion, although this is starting to change in a few programs that are leading the way.

Morning meeting in a Harmony Grundschule classroom

Harmony Grundschule (primary school) in Eitorf
This is one school that is leading the way. They have taken the German curriculum standards and presentation methods and turned them on their heads. The school has chosen to make an effort at inclusion, and have also chosen to blend their first through fourth graders in classes. Every teacher has a multi-age class, and they all meet every morning to discuss educational practices, events and issues. They take turns as facilitator and are respectful of each other. This school’s goal is not to teach the children, but to help the students become responsible for their own learning: developing a learner’s personality, finding their own structure, and their own methods for learning.

Like other German schools, the day begins at 8:00 am and ends at 12:30 pm. There is lunch and an afterschool program, mostly run by local clubs, available to students once the standard school day is done. The afterschool program is the only part of the education that is funded by the parents.

Every class begins with a morning meeting where the children share events and tell about their plans for the day. Each student, from first through fourth, has certain activities they need to get done, such as a writing sample, but much of their learning is self-directed. They choose their own projects and set to work: some open math workbooks, other research a topic and prepare a PowerPoint presentation, while others learn a new song on the guitar. Each Wednesday afternoon, they mix up in new groups and have English lessons. Some classes learn songs, others use Skype to connect with a school in England; another class reads and writes stories in English, while yet another creates dramatic performances. Every Thursday morning begins with an assembly, and students have the opportunity to share a poem they’ve written or a play they’ve developed.

student-requested grammar lesson; students work on self-created projects

This school participates in all the traditional and required assessments, and is excelling beyond the other local schools. Starting out with a public opinion that asks ‘how can students learn in an environment like that?’ this school now has a waiting list and no problem filling its enrollment each year. Parents are supportive, even though there are still some who ask teacher to provide a more traditional teacher-led class—a concept that the teachers solidly refuse to do, excepting optional weekly lectures that students may choose to attend. Parents are also surprised to learn that they can stop in a visit the schools and classes anytime they wish—no appointment necessary, as is other German schools.

Looking at their math levels, students are introduced to multiplication and division at second grade and multi-digit multiplication and division at third. There is not a focus on cursive handwriting, and students learn how to make a PowerPoint in first grade.

At the end of fourth grade, teachers choose to involve the students and parents in their placements recommendations for secondary school, although it is ultimately their own decision. It is at this point in their educational region that students are separated into hauptschule, realschule and gymnasium, and this school sends more to gymnasium than other local schools. The principal and teachers have found that by following these kids in their later studies, they have been appropriately placed and are successful in their secondary education.

What is the next step for this school? Their discussions for the future include a desire to extend this school beyond fourth grade to 6th or 10th grade. My best to them in their endeavors.

First, I would like to thank those who have helped me make arrangements for visiting their schools. I have appreciated all the school visits and am sorry that I will not be able to visit some of the schools I was hoping to see. There is only so much time that a person can 1) fit into a schedule and 2) be on the road away from home.

Due to various circumstances, some beyond my control (i.e., conflict in Israel), we will be cutting our trip short and returning the second week of February. I have adjusted the “Working Itinerary” again and it now shows our final plan (the exact fly-out date will be determined shortly).

Thanks again, and keep checking, because I am uploading photos from earlier in the trip and am still writing posts about my more recent school visits.

Please check out the changes in the itinerary! (”Working Itinerary” tab at top of the page)

Due to the current conflict in Israel, I have made several changes to the itinerary. There will definitely be more changes as I monitor the situation there, decide whether or not to go for a reduced time, and find out if I can get an extension to our 90 days in the Schengen region.