The Strategy & Implementation

STRATEGIC UPGRADING If a school district is serious about radically raising the academic achievement of its students to global levels in 25 years & sign up for STRETCH, one would expect a strategic approach whereby teacher certification and the “new approaches” begin at the early stages and then gradually include the higher grades as preparation is ready. (Staging. See below “Implementation”.) Trying to fix the whole system K-12 in a couple years, though perhaps politically correct, is not practical. If the current upper grades are not positively influenced, it is unfortunate; but sadly, little enhancement has been made for their training for generations.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT Studies have indicated that common current American parental involvement in their children’s school and education has very little favorable impact on their learning. Professionals estimate that one hour of classroom study in science is worth 2~3 hours of such science study at home. The one very key contribution from Mom, Dad, Grama and Grampa besides support for high achievement levels, modeling in ethics, general encouragement to study and restrictions on their cell phone use, is nightly reading to them early in life (PISA: OECD, PISA No. 10). Later in a child’s life, it is valuable for parents to read and discuss with them daily news items and some of the course materials from school. READ AT HOME! This is far more important for learning than driving them to soccer games or watching TV together!

COMMUNITY SUPPORT As “Stretch Targets” and a readily understood three-part Wisconsin Global Scorecard are introduced and staged one- and five-year plans are developed, the understanding of parents and support of business, church and government leaders will grow. Insights, skills and more good will begin flowing to the schools. Excitement for the long-awaited real change in our children and grandchildren’s school experience rises.

BROADER SCHOOL READINESS The wider “social context of schooling” for Wisconsin (and United States) youth in many of our larger cities and poor rural areas may be different than their counterparts in other First World countries. Though Wisconsin fortunately by one earlier poll is rated in the nation’s top six in ‘happiness’, we and the nation lag behind the advanced world in health and personal safety measures {New York Times 4/28/15}. In order to attain “Stretch Targets”, early measures to also address these learning barriers must begin in homes, schools, and communities. However, the STRETCH program can not wait for these needs to be fully addressed.

USE OF OTHER OUTSIDE SUPPORT If “successful” schools and their students require still more assistance, it can come from after-class-hour in-school instruction, or at Boys & Girls Clubs, or in tutoring academies such as the for-profit Hagwonins of Korea. There are also many online support courses such as the Khan Academy which may assist and be coordinated with school “Stretch Target” efforts. But be cautious about fads, and well-meaning outsiders who in effect substitute for good solid teaching, rigorous academic focus, and hard studying. A caveat: it is not just the “at risk” students that require stretch. Our very best students in comparison with their overseas counterparts also place dead last! ALL students need to stretch!

ADD ONS Clearly global achievement in MATH, SCIENCE & READING with problem-solving and FUN is the clear & preeminent Wisconsin goal by Year 25, (2050) or before! (Special ed expenses and given district & classroom practices will remain as current, assuming federal support at some level continues.) However, to enhance the experience of most high school students, and prepare not only our kids for STEM/AI future jobs but for next generation blue collar jobs as well and to generate more responsible and better prepared USA citizens, the following would also be required of the curriculum and all participating WI districts: (SEE more detail in HOW)

• CIVIC COURSE for minimum early 6~7th grade course and later required 10th grade course. (See in main page.)
• TRADES/TECHNOLOGY CAREER FACILITY (CTE) for minimum ONE BASIC HIGH SCHOOL COURSE. Though some high schools may already have this facility, and certain smaller high schools may share this facility with other schools, the CTE room (formerly called manual arts) will typically include wood & metal welding shops, auto lab, engineering/robotics/AI lab, etc. Given the funds and other local & state considerations, each district will decide on the exact type of facility most practical for them. One semester required for not only those students interested in the trades, but for all graduating HS students.
• A MINIMUM ONE MUSIC & ONE ART COURSE BY 4th grade, preferably in later grades/high school as well.
• PHYSICAL EDUCATION MINIMUM ACHIEVEMENT. By 11th grade, every HS student is required. They will include a 2 mile run over 30 minutes. (See main page.) Over 70% of our young people between ages 17–24 are “disqualified for military service due to combinations of mainly physical condition, but also mental health, aptitude, drug/alcohol, or other dependency issues” (DOD 2020).
• AVAILABLE ADDITIONAL SCHOOL ROOMS/TWO TEACHERS for students experiencing early difficulties or disrupting conduct, or for “MIDWAY MATRICULATING STUDENTS”** & if necessary for after school & summer homework. STAGED…
• AN ADDITIONAL “BULLYING COUNSELOR”/PREVENTOR for EACH MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL. This would be in addition to current safety measures. They would be able to address direct and on-line bullying. According to PISA 2022 data, 22% of American 15-year olds do not feel safe in school.

** = Those students in each school district who have entered the participating STRETCH district not at age 4, but at a later grade, and require catching up to the STRETCH-related other students. This ‘catching up’ could take from several weeks to several years.

IMPLEMENTATION

STAGING. In YEARS 1–3, all necessary decisions and preparation for MTEL-like tests, physical plans and additional hiring. Years 4—FIRST IMPLEMENTATION. Teachers/counselors/additional school rooms in age 4–grade K-2 will be qualified, DPI counselor facilities readied. Grades K4–Grade 2 implemented. (Only in 2nd-grade will schools be allowed to hold back a student. The only exception in subsequent years would be when a strong recommendation by the parents is considered.) In YEARS 4–6, teachers in grade 3–9 will be qualified, facilities readied. Program implemented. In YEAR 8, teachers will be qualified in Grades 10–12, all facilities and hiring completed. Implementation begins. i.e. a full ten year staging implementation.

DPI ROLE. Their main function, via trained counselors in MTEL, PISA, FUN and hopefully having COMMON SENSE, will be to swarm the staged 421~ districts and some 3,000 schools to advise, encourage, problem-solve, and in every possible way, encourage principals, teachers and mentors as they progress enjoyably in a staged way, towards Year 25 achievement success. LEARNING! The DPI will also via committed administrators, who are able to oversee the PISA program, including procuring national/international provider contracts & piloting cohorts in some 25~50 districts and subsequent data feedback/kaizen; and assuring financial matters are consistent with STRETCH TARGET goals implemented according to the STRETCH TARGET legislature law and related guidelines. In instances where a participating school or district seems to have lost their mojo for significant improvement and engagement towards the PISA goals, the DPI would be qualified after extensive “extra support” and warnings, to delist the district from the STRETCH TARGET Program and allow it to revert to their former teaching styles and teacher salary levels.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. It does not seem practical to tie the PISA tests for 15-year-olds and the School & District PISA/NAEP scores to individual graduation requirements. Nor to dumb down Stretch Goals in any way to allow more students to graduate. Thus, requirements for high school graduation will simply include only 95% attendance in all classes for junior & senior years, and satisfactory scores on the class tests for the required courses of Trades/Technical Career, Music or Art, Civics and Physical Education and their requirements. For those who need & desire, students will be able to do a fifth-year semester or year to fulfill these graduation requirements. (These requirements apply only to those districts that have agreed to join the STRETCH Program. For home schooling in those districts, the students will be required ‘somehow’ to take the above required courses and have an honor system record by the home parent of ‘attendance’ to graduate.)

OTHER SENSITIVE MATTERS. Unless otherwise required by state or federal law, such matters as police presence in schools, other safety measures, cell phone bars, collective bargaining, gender standards in sports, political statements, board membership, parental impact, and restroom & pronoun nomenclature shall be the responsibility of each school district. As important as many of these matters are, some more so than others, they should not interfere with global student learning!

STATE SOURCES TO COVER TOTAL STRETCH EXPENSES. For a full breakdown of projected STRETCH costs, current K-12 funding, and the new revenue sources, see the Breakdown of “Stretch” Total Costs page.

WHAT IT WILL TAKE. Certainly, there will be several ‘shot in the dark’, unlikely but still very possible successful steps for this to be a roaring success in 2052~ for Wisconsin. Any WI district, including choice schools, will have the choice to opt out of the STRETCH program. For those districts that opt out, after three years, they will again have an opportunity to join. But for all participating districts/schools, steps to implement & succeed will include:

• PR program with ample private funding throughout the state, targeting of citizens of every age. (Every citizen will surely find at least ONE element of the proposed STRETCH program unattractive. But net, net, are they willing to accept it for our kids’ future?)
• Development of a referendum
• “Stretch” into laws via lobbying & legislative action
• For all participating districts and related schools, three years to prepare and administer teacher certification tests & physical & all aspects for first stage implementation, and to determine which districts including any related schools in a given district (e.g. certain choice or other parochial schools). The number of allowed state-wide high school choice schools will be limited to 599 in Year 1. These will be included in all STRETCH programs.
• YEAR 4> K4–Grade 2 begins (see above), annual PISA test for WI 15 year olds begins.
• YEAR 6> Grades 3–9 begin
• YEAR 10> PISA scores remarkedly higher.
• YEAR 12> Grades 10–12 begin
• YEAR 12> PISA scores remarkedly higher. DPI continues to monitor all programs for areas to improve (kaizen) and adjust the program where need be. Flexibility, with the very high STRETCH expectations for achievement of the long term goals with appropriate “fun” for the students K4–Grade 12 will be the key!
• YEAR 15~> PISA scores nearing or at TARGET Country Goals (Singapore, Japan, Ireland)
• YEAR 25> Political, educational, parental ongoing commitment & full support with teachers’ hard work for STRETCH, continues! State continues to fully fund STRETCH. Finally, superior worker preparation in WI is realized. Rich:Poor gaps are much, much smaller, and substantially more social justice & mobility are a major reality! Many WI kids are now in the UW advanced PhD programs in strategic fields. Many more WI citizens vote and participate in problem-solving ways for our great state! And the decreasing WI population trends will be substantially reversed to young population growth. Wisconsin sharing remarkable successes with the other 49 states!

STRETCH DNA? There will likely be adjustments/improvements to the above proposed program. However, three elements MUST be in any ongoing program to qualify as “STRETCH!”:

• PISA TEST annually for every participating district!
• SCORECARD adjusted annually for global/USA rankings!
• MTEL-LIKE TESTS & certification for all teachers in participating districts with corresponding salary increases!

Without these three, call the program a failure.

See more on how we can create this change!