...And Learning For All; No. 1; What's Ahead: Where Learning is Going in America

<v announcer>And Learning for All is funded by a grant from the U.S. <v announcer>Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement. <v speaker 1>When you look at our nation as a whole and you see the, <v speaker 1>the increasing drop outs, the high teen pregnancy, the unemployment <v speaker 1>rate, we're not doing our jobs. <v speaker 1>Something's not working. <v speaker 2>It's the poverty that hurts the poverty of no education. <v speaker 3>It's a gradual decay, gradually eroding of the American <v speaker 3>dream. If we want to call it that. <v speaker 3>Look at the dropout problems and look at the alcohol problems and look at all those <v speaker 3>things. What we need is a model, a prevention model that <v speaker 3>works with kids before they get in trouble. <v speaker 4>A lot is expected of public schools today to shoe, to clothe, <v speaker 4>to feed and we're supposed to be the cure to all the ills of all the cultural <v speaker 4>hang ups of whatever, and be able to keep the lid on the schoolhouse and educate at the

<v speaker 4>same time and fulfill all the sociological <v speaker 4>and economical needs of those children. <v speaker 4>It's a mammoth job. <v narrator>People all over the country are concerned about what's happening to the social fabric of <v narrator>our nation and about the role our schools play in determining our nation's health. <v Jim McCabe>You know, most of us are still using a factory model of the high school. <v Jim McCabe>The model that was developed back in nineteen, the early nineteen hundreds <v Jim McCabe>to train kids how to be assembly line workers. <v Jack Kindsfater>Yeah. There can be improvement on education. <v Jack Kindsfater>There can be improvement in farming. <v Jack Kindsfater>There can be improvement in anything. <v Jack Kindsfater>But, you know, how we do it and what we do <v Jack Kindsfater>sometimes. That's the question. <v John Swanson>I mean, it seems like before things change, a catastrophe has to happen. <v John Swanson>I think a catastrophe is happening in a lot of schools across the country today

<v John Swanson>and that we just don't realize it and we don't want to believe it. <v speaker 5>An educational revolution is the only sensible thing left. <v speaker 6>Why do we need to change it? <v speaker 7>You can't change the kids. <v speaker 8>Assessment has to change. <v speaker 9>Change our mindset. <v speaker 10>Agent of change. <v speaker 11>Times have changed. <v speaker 12>You can't change. <v speaker 13>Change there's. <v speaker 14>Really change. <v speaker 6>To change it. Change it. Change it. <v narrator>So much change can be unsettling because people want to be sure the right <v narrator>changes are being made. <v Jack Kindsfater>Is this just another fad, like a banning phonics <v Jack Kindsfater>or new math or some of that stuff that after the fad's <v Jack Kindsfater>over, we decide, hey, maybe we better go back to some of the old <v Jack Kindsfater>system? <v narrator>This program and the series that follows will introduce people who are taking <v narrator>on the challenge of transforming their schools, their communities and the very way <v narrator>America thinks about education.

<v narrator>These are the faces of change and they're showing what's ahead. <v intro>You're the main character. Scientist in the time travel. <v intro>This year's award for outstanding senior graduate goes to Mary Sue. <v intro>Right on, Everything you shared is something you will go after. <v intro>Using these formula the Mayans predicted eclipses with extreme accuracy. <v intro>What I've learned is the ability to win at life. <v narrator>East, west. <v narrator>North and south, all over the country, people are making

<v narrator>positive changes as they work to meet six national education goals. <v narrator>Making sure children are ready to learn, creating safe drug free schools, <v narrator>fostering excellence in math and science, inspiring achievement <v narrator>and citizenship, improving high school completion rates, and instilling <v narrator>a lifelong desire and love of learning. <v narrator>This program will share some basic ideas that are common to achieving all these education <v narrator>goals. There are underlying methods and attitudes that are reshaping, <v narrator>teaching, learning and the prospects for America's future. <v narrator>That future is at the heart of a fundamental understanding about the importance of <v narrator>education. The 21st century will demand the best citizens this country <v narrator>can produce. <v Rick Swenson>I think right now there is a lot of evidence out there that our country has a lot of <v Rick Swenson>citizens that really can't deal with complex issues. <v Rick Swenson>And maybe that's the school's fault, at least in part.

<v Rick Swenson>We've tried to make things true and false. <v Rick Swenson>Black and white, instead of where a lot of issues have gray <v Rick Swenson>areas where you have to make decisions and the decisions might be tough <v Rick Swenson>and they might be painful. And I want I want my students to be able to adjust <v Rick Swenson>to a very rapidly changing world. <v teacher>Those two get stuck together. <v narrator>There's also a widening consensus about how we begin to foster such students <v narrator>by starting young. <v Kathy Brendza>When you walk down the halls, you see confident, happy children. <v Kathy Brendza>What a great start. They feel good about themselves. <v Kathy Brendza>Their self-esteem is high. <v Kathy Brendza>They are problem solvers. <v Kathy Brendza>I see them as as successful contributing adults because <v Kathy Brendza>they've had such a great start.

<v Kathy Brendza>And that's being real optimistic. But I feel that it's true. <v Tiffany Jackson>After I finish high school, I want to go to college <v Tiffany Jackson>and get a degree and I want to <v Tiffany Jackson>be a nurse or a lawyer or something that <v Tiffany Jackson>makes good money that I can really enjoy and have <v Tiffany Jackson>kids and get married. And have a great life. <v narrator>Such dreams are why America is reinvesting so much energy into education. <v narrator>We believe that each individual, regardless of ability or background, has a dream <v narrator>to reach for and unique talents. <v narrator>We also believe that this society only truly prospers when each individual has a <v narrator>chance to pursue those dreams and talents. <v Thomas Payzant>There aren't other countries in the world that have really made that total commitment. <v Thomas Payzant>And people sometimes forget that, given the extraordinary diversity in America <v Thomas Payzant>and that it's still a worthy goal and one not to take lightly, but a

<v Thomas Payzant>terribly difficult one to achieve. <v Don Kiener>Can a democracy function with uneducated people? <v Don Kiener>I don't think so. I don't see how it's possible. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>If we don't deal with that. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>You know, we will become comparable to a third world nation and we are going to be <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>out with our hands out because we are not going to <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>have the resources to make it happen. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>And I don't know why we have not really realized that our greatest <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>resources are in the classroom. <v James Deans>This country, if it's going to to to remain a world power <v James Deans>has to to rethink the way it educates <v James Deans>all children. <v James Deans>And it has to give resources as well as lip service <v James Deans>to programs. <v Speaker>And you've got a good enough job to where you can support her and the baby now? <v narrator>The primary resources America has to give to educating its citizens is time <v narrator>and interest. What's required?

<v Jim Chandler>Genuine concern on the part of every adult that walks the street. <v Jim Chandler>Wholesome advice should be forthcoming from every adult in the community, <v Jim Chandler>whether it's their child or not. <v Leopold Protomastro>Education cannot be devoid of humanity and we can't be thinking of the newest <v Leopold Protomastro>techniques simply of instructing a child without having that child become a very human <v Leopold Protomastro>being. And that means caring people around that child. <v Leopold Protomastro>That means structure that is set up so that it is not so <v Leopold Protomastro>impersonalized that the child feels like a number <v Leopold Protomastro>of automatons within a a an ongoing machinery. <v teacher 2>We can work something out even if you get turned-. <v Eduardo Cong>I believe that the teachers want to be your friends. <v Eduardo Cong>You know, they they're not setting rules so that they're not being so secretive <v Eduardo Cong>or they're not trying to push you away. <v teacher 3>We've got some folks and we'd like to have you join us. <v teacher 3>This is a buddy activity. <v Eduardo Cong>They want you. They want you to talk to them and see what's going on. <v Eduardo Cong>As if you were talking to a professor in a college.

<v Eduardo Cong>They want. They want you to give your input. <v Eduardo Cong>If it's positive, you know. Cool. If it's negative. <v Eduardo Cong>Well, we'll- we'll see what we can do. <v Eduardo Cong>You know. <v narrator>Personal relationships are so important because they bring out in people the strength, <v narrator>ambition and self-reliance from which all growth springs. <v Manny Khan>It's one on one. Everybody knows each other by their first names, including teachers. <v Manny Khan>And my counselor. I mean, we know each other. <v Manny Khan>He knows about my background. He knows about where I've come from, my problems. <v Manny Khan>And, you know, we talk about things. <v Nicole Soden>I've learned that inside every person there's this <v Nicole Soden>like a core and it tells you <v Nicole Soden>to love yourself unconditionally. <v Nicole Soden>And that, you know, it tells you who you are and how you really think. <v teacher 4>Nicole knows what's best for her, but to trust that that's <v teacher 4>that's it. Because you were born with that inner knowing of what's best for you. <v Sam Wong>We as staff members are working so that that as a as a

<v Sam Wong>total school, you know, your experience here is very is going to be complete. <v Sam Wong>And it's not just academic, you know, that we're going to meet your emotional needs and <v Sam Wong>your social needs as- the best that we can. <v Sam Wong>And we're going to set up we're gonna set up vehicles within our school to be able to do <v Sam Wong>that. <v teacher 3>You're right on everything you shared is something that we'll go after, dad by the way. <v Sam Wong>That every student has an advocate or more that that there is. <v Sam Wong>That students have a lot of control over, you know, how they learn. <v narrator>Only with a stable sense of self can today's students really take advantage of changes <v narrator>taking place in our classrooms. <v narrator>Once it's changed, making the most of student strengths and interests. <v Jean Helmer>Instead of me being the sage on the stage, I'm the guide on the side. <v Jean Helmer>Each student in there picks, his or her own field of interest. <v Jean Helmer>And then it's up to me to kind of keep them going. <v Jean Helmer>I've had to get away from the idea that I'm supposed to know everything that I've had

<v Jean Helmer>to adapt to the idea that very often my students know a lot more than I do and let them <v Jean Helmer>be expert and hold them accountable for that. <v Bob Moses>Well, for teachers to do this, then first they have to have the attitude <v Bob Moses>that what they are looking for in <v Bob Moses>the children is actually there, present in children, that children <v Bob Moses>are capable of thinking. <v Bob Moses>They are capable of expressing their own thoughts. <v Bob Moses>They do have thoughts which are important. <v Eduardo Cong>And notice all of all of the paperwork and laws and all the art <v Eduardo Cong>and everything. <v Eduardo Cong>It's called creativity see? <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>You know, we've assumed too much in education. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>That we've got to bring a kid into school, put a brain in him, <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>give them an experience. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>And then teach him. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>The kid comes in with a brain. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>The kid comes in with some very valuable experiences.

<v Dr. Dorothy Strong>Now, let's use them and let the student use that <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>as a means for building an instructional program. <v narrator>There's an emerging understanding that outside the classroom, in any and every <v narrator>community, there are resources and experiences to be exploited to improve teaching <v narrator>and learning. <v B.J. Walker>I believe that children, if they are going to learn and <v B.J. Walker>learn at the levels that they will need to learn at for the 21st century, which <v B.J. Walker>become a cliche nowadays, really, they need it today. <v B.J. Walker>If they're going to be able to learn, they are going to have to have <v B.J. Walker>an instructional approach that respects what they know and <v B.J. Walker>how they live their lives and that respects the communities that they're a part of. <v teacher 5>I glued some pictures. <v student>By going out into the community you become part of your community instead of <v student>just something that happens to be in it and

<v student>you have a greater understanding for what you're trying to learn <v student>and your surroundings and you become a part of community while you're still in school and <v student>instead of get thrown at it when you graduate. <v teacher>What I'm doing here today, we're having a test. <v narrator>Testing perhaps no single education issue is so hotly debated. <v narrator>Yet amid the debate, there was a point of agreement. <v narrator>The point is to accurately understand how much knowledge and know how a student has <v narrator>not how well individuals test. <v teacher>It's not open book or open notes, OK, because you don't need it. <v teacher>Because you are all brilliant. <v Ted Kimbrough>The fact of the matter is, is that we're testing society. <v Ted Kimbrough>Because what do they do? The local newspapers, they print, the tests they print the <v Ted Kimbrough>California achievement test scores. <v Ted Kimbrough>They print, they Iowa scores. <v Ted Kimbrough>People run to the papers and they look and see where the school is. <v Ted Kimbrough>They go to the school and they ask what's happening in our school? <v Ted Kimbrough>Why are our scores down in our school? Why aren't they up?

<v Ted Kimbrough>It is an issue whether we like it or not. <v Ted Kimbrough>The best way to address that issue is performance <v Ted Kimbrough>is absolutely performance. <v Don Kiener>We need to to allow kids to express their intelligence and their knowledge <v Don Kiener>in ways that are real to them, in ways that allow them to use their strengths. <v Don Kiener>Without ignoring the weaknesses. <v Curt Shaw>You know, we can test kids to death. But what's a mean? <v Curt Shaw>You know, what is it you want him to know? I think that's the point we're at in education <v Curt Shaw>now. What do we want them to know? <v narrator>What do we want them to know? <v narrator>What do we want students to accomplish? <v narrator>Perhaps it's this. We want students who have acquired a love and mastery of <v narrator>learning not just for primary and secondary education, but for the lifetime <v narrator>of learning that lies ahead. <v Pam McBrayne>I do think that as a nation, we need to encourage <v Pam McBrayne>lifelong learning, because if the nation is to be productive and if <v Pam McBrayne>we are to succeed as a nation, it will be through an educated

<v Pam McBrayne>population. <v Tom Abbot>We don't need to take the potato farmer out of the field and train him to be a bookkeeper <v Tom Abbot>or her. We need to help them become a better potato farmer. <v Tom Abbot>And education has a role to play in that. <v narrator>America's business community knows all too well that educated, resourceful employees <v narrator>are essential for competing in the global marketplace. <v narrator>Which is why so many companies are providing opportunities for their employees to <v narrator>continue their education. <v Steve Miner>It's not as, as Wilford Brimley says, the right <v Steve Miner>thing to do. It's the only thing to do. <v Steve Miner>We recognize that. So is it done at a pure benevolence? <v Steve Miner>Absolutely not. It's done because it's required. <v Steve Miner>It's an it's an absolute necessity today and in the future. <v Pam McBrayne>Although many of our students returned to school because they're interested in obtaining <v Pam McBrayne>a new job or a better job. <v Pam McBrayne>One of the greatest benefits is that it has broadened their horizons and a whole array

<v Pam McBrayne>of areas that they never dreamt they'd have an interest in. <v Steve Puiia>It's not just the getting the degrees. <v Steve Puiia>It's it's learning, you know, the love of the learning <v Steve Puiia>and having a belief in what you know, what you learn and actually internalizing it. <v narrator>If learning is critical to meeting the future needs of American society, society <v narrator>is learning that it has to address the wide array of needs that can stop learning in its <v narrator>tracks. <v narrator>This is the school of the future, not just a name, but in structure, spirit <v narrator>and the services it provides. <v narrator>Here under one roof are the social, psychological and medical support services <v narrator>that were once spread all over town. <v narrator>They are coordinated here not just for the learners, but for all the people in the <v narrator>community who touched the lives of the learners. <v teacher>The Meeting some of the things you need to do. <v Patty Radle>The school is the most stable institution in the <v Patty Radle>family's life. If they're already coming here, if they're already involved anyway and

<v Patty Radle>it's already such a stable institution, why not try to build up <v Patty Radle>the family support around that system where parents don't have to go here and there? <v Patty Radle>And you're already dealing with a staff of people who know a lot about the children, who <v Patty Radle>know a lot about them as a family. <v Rod Radle>The parents start taking more ownership and they start coming in asking questions. <v Rod Radle>They start coming up with new resources as well as new suggestions for <v Rod Radle>change within the school environment. <v narrator>All parents are a valuable resource, regardless of their educational background. <v Linda Escobedo>They may have a higher education, but you are going to learn this at a university. <v Linda Escobedo>I may flunk their test, but they're going to flunk my test in the streets <v Linda Escobedo>so I could use them and they could use me. <v teacher>So everything at home going pretty good now? <v student>Yeah. <v narrator>What America is recognizing is that the education of our students requires shared <v narrator>responsibility by all members of the community. <v teacher>Be yourself. You are going to be role models just as I am as a role model for people in

<v teacher>high school. Now, you are also role models for people in the elementary school. <v teacher>If they see that you have a negative attitude, they're also going to take that attitude <v teacher>against drugs, against gangs, against violence. <v teacher 6>All I can do is, is tell you what the experiences I've had and what- and the things <v teacher 6>I've run into. <v narrator>Programs like cities and schools also coordinate the contributions of the adults of <v narrator>the community to provide students with the sense that adults care about them and want <v narrator>them to succeed in school and in life. <v student>You know? <v student>Just no way.... <v student>[laughs] <v student>Real job that is. <v teacher>We're gonna go see Tony now. Say hi Tony. <v Tony>How you doing? <v child>Fine. <v Tony>Have a seat. <v narrator>An African proverb suggests that it takes a village to raise and educate a child <v narrator>by remembering that people are revolutionizing American education. <v narrator>They're doing it through the power of grassroots community involvement. <v speaker>Whatever it is that you decide as a group that is important <v speaker>to you as a center committee. <v speaker>You work on the long range plans for the year, and that's what you're going to have for.

<v B.J. Walker>It is about communities at its heart. <v B.J. Walker>It is about really getting out and having parents <v B.J. Walker>and communities mobilize and work together and think about <v B.J. Walker>what it is they want out of their children and want for the children in that community. <v Jolene Ardolino>It didn't blossom because a principal or an administrator downtown says, <v Jolene Ardolino>well, we're gonna do this, this and this, and this is gonna be an incredible school. <v Jolene Ardolino>It just sort of grew. It's sort of like with an idea and people just <v Jolene Ardolino>really saw the validity of it. <v Jolene Ardolino>Everybody knew that that's what was needed to make it happen. <v Pat Snay>We have broken a lot of traditions and probably broken a lot of rules, too. <v Pat Snay>We always say if you can break a rule, and if it's going to help a kid and nobody knows <v Pat Snay>about it hasn't been broken. <v narrator>These are the faces of change in America. <v narrator>People making changes for the better. <v narrator>Changes that can reverse the erosion of village sensibility in contemporary America. <v narrator>In upcoming programs, you'll meet people from all over the country who are taking the

<v narrator>first important steps of renewal. <v narrator>In Program two for the children, you'll see how the people of Leadville, Colorado, <v narrator>turned adversity into opportunity. <v speaker 15>The children here were found to be wanting, particularly in the preschool <v speaker 15>ages, because there was no one home to take care of them. <v narrator>They realized their children were at risk and focused their energy and resources <v narrator>on meeting the needs of their infants, toddlers and preschoolers. <v speaker 16>We were extremely naive about what we could do and thought we could do anything. <v speaker 16>We did. <v narrator>And there's the fence. <v narrator>And the third program, you'll travel to Dade County, Florida, to meet some people who <v narrator>care. They were concerned about violence, drugs and human neglect in their schools <v narrator>and their community. They're finding that the best way to achieve safe, peaceful schools <v narrator>is through peaceful homes and minds. <v speaker 17>The truth is, it's all in security and tall kids acting out of a scared, insecure

<v speaker 17>state of mind. <v speaker 18>We have to educate the child to the fact that they have a support item here at school, <v speaker 18>not just the principal, but the teachers, the counselors, the cafeteria lady. <v speaker 18>The person they feel most comfortable in talking to. <v speaker 18>Every adult in our center is a counselor. <v narrator>In Program four, you'll see how this train helps Chicago's sixth graders understand <v narrator>the concepts of algebra. Seeing first hand with math and science have to do with the real <v narrator>world. <v speaker 19>What we're doing is bridging the gap from arithmetic to algebra. <v speaker 19>The train line is going to eventually represent the number line on a coordinate <v speaker 19>system and the stops are going to translate to integers. <v narrator>The accomplishments of the students of Bell, South Dakota, can be seen throughout the <v narrator>community. But how do their academic accomplishments stack up with their peers across the <v narrator>country? <v speaker 20>OK, how about the Baltic Sea? That should be pretty easy. <v speaker 20>We've already covered Western Europe. We have that one?

<v narrator>The Community is struggling with this basic question. <v narrator>What do they want their young people to learn? <v speaker 21>We are really struggling with this whole idea of alternative assessment. <v speaker 21>The experimentation part is not experimentation with unproven <v speaker 21>ideas. It's just experimentation with getting teachers <v speaker 21>and students used to a new way of doing business. <v narrator>In Albuquerque, New Mexico, teen mothers have a child on one hip and textbooks <v narrator>on the other. <v narrator>In San Diego, an alternative school seems to be doing everything differently. <v Eduardo Cong>I thought this was a weird place. <v student>It says you're that's the name of the school. <v narrator>Both schools have shown success not only in keeping young people in school, but preparing <v narrator>them for life. <v teacher>Our seniors who are graduating are stepping out into a world which offers many <v teacher>challenges, but a few answers. <v teacher>You're going to be challenged to define their role in society as well as what <v teacher>contribution they will make to improve the world that we live in. <v teacher>I wish them well in this lifelong journey.

<v narrator>From remote islands off the coast to factories on the mainland. <v narrator>Adult learners in Maine are preparing for their economic futures and experiencing <v narrator>the joy of learning for life. <v speaker 22>Sometimes I wish I didn't have to work so I could just take classes. <v speaker 22>But that's not real. In this day and age. <v speaker 22>So I feel fortunate that I'm able to be <v speaker 22>able to go to school and work and have it blend together. <v speaker 22>It's like one helps the other. <v narrator>From coast to coast, these regular folks have borrowed the best ideas that educational <v narrator>research has to offer. They are revitalizing American education and in <v narrator>the process, making extraordinary gains for their children, their communities <v narrator>and for themselves. <v speaker 23>I may not have silver and gold to give to my children, but I invest <v speaker 23>the love, a mother love, a friendship. <v speaker 23>Unconditional love. I learned unconditional love.

<v speaker 24>It's one kid at a time. It's one program at a time. <v speaker 24>It's one community at a time. <v speaker 25>You keep dreaming. I think the thing keeps expanding, but it expands within the context <v speaker 25>of each individual community. I think it's going to have a little different design. <v speaker 25>But I think that element of dreaming, what you can put together, is a very important <v speaker 25>element. And it doesn't have to be exactly the same in every community. <v speaker 26>It takes somebody that is an entrepreneur. <v speaker 26>It takes somebody identifying the need and saying it's a problem, let's go solve <v speaker 26>it. Uh. It Takes somebody to go do it. <v narrator>For American education to succeed. <v narrator>It will take all of us to do it. <v narrator>And now is the time to begin. <v announcer>And Learning for All is funded by a grant from the U.S.

<v announcer>Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement. <v announcer>And Learning for All is funded by a grant from the U.S. <v announcer>Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement. <v narrator>The topic is algebra. <v narrator>Which side of the equation are you on? <v interviewee 1>Algebra was... ugh, it was tough. <v interviewee 2>That was one of my better subjects. <v interviewee 3>And I- really had a hard time with algebra. <v interviewee 4>It helped me out a lot. <v interviewee 5>I love algebra. <v narrator>There may be two kinds of people in the world, those who got it and those

<v narrator>who didn't. And we're not talking about how you did on tests. <v narrator>We're talking about getting. <v interviewee 6>I was a good student, but I had problems in algebra. <v interviewee 6>I didn't see where it fit into the scheme of things. <v narrator>Although we may not understand how we all know that algebra and the advanced <v narrator>studies in sciences that derive from it have everything to do with finance, <v narrator>economics, engineering, high tech research. <v narrator>Even art and music. <v narrator>The three Rs that worked for us in the industrial age are not enough to tackle the <v narrator>problems and challenges we face in the information age. <v narrator>So we must add a fourth R, reasoning. <v narrator>Then factor in working together and thinking critically. <v interviewee 7>I had really good math teachers and did really well all the way through. <v narrator>How well we were taught had a lot to do with whether we were turned on or off to math and

<v narrator>science. <v interviewee 8>I had Miss Vanderbilt. I'll never forget her name. <v interviewee 8>She made it very easy for me and I enjoyed it. <v interviewee 8>We would say, well, what do we need to learn this for? And she said, it's for you to <v interviewee 8>think logically how to solve problems. <v narrator>And we've got problems and challenges, infrastructure, unemployment, <v narrator>transportation, the environment, trade deficits. <v teacher>Dice las direcciones, directions. Mira con la vista. <v narrator>The solutions will require creativity, effort, sound reasoning <v narrator>and the contributions of all. <v narrator>Tomorrow won't tolerate wasted potential. <v narrator>Math will be the language of solutions. <v narrator>The untapped resources of women and minorities will need to be brought to the fore, and <v narrator>math teachers will need to generate and sustain the natural curiosity that kids <v narrator>have for how things work. <v narrator>This is a story about a journey toward excellence in math, science <v narrator>and technology.

<v narrator>We w on't show you the end of the journey. <v narrator>Rather the beginning. <v narrator>It's a beginning of excitement, of enthusiasm and of opening <v narrator>the way to more. <v narrator>The beginning is algebra. <v intro>You're the main character. Scientist and the time travel. <v intro>[inaudible]. This year's outstanding senior graduate goes to Mary Sue. <v intro>Right on everything you shared is something we'll go after. <v intro>Using this formula the Mayans predicted eclipses with extreme accuracy. <v intro>What I've learned is the ability to win at life. <v narrator>This is the sixth grade class from Foster Park Elementary, one of 19 Chicago

<v narrator>schools to adopt the Algebra Project. <v narrator>Over the last 10 years, 14 school districts around the country have taken on <v narrator>this approach for teaching and learning math. <v narrator>The train ride they're about to take makes this a very important day in their future <v narrator>exploration into algebra. <v Sylvia Turner>The basis of the trip is the personal experience that they can use. <v Sylvia Turner>So we're going to build upon this experience for approximately six <v Sylvia Turner>months in the curriculum. <v Sylvia Turner>Now, their question is, what does this have to do with math and algebra? <v Sylvia Turner>They don't even understand that at this point themselves. <v narrator>But that's OK. The teachers know what this trip and the station stops have to do with <v narrator>algebra. The assignment for the students is to have fun and pay attention

<v narrator>to where they go on this train ride. <v teacher>Make sketches of the old stop each time we stop. <v student>Show it to me, show it to me! <v student>Show me what you sketched. <v student>I've been recording stops, writing down, writing 'em down. <v student>I'm gonna get busy. <v student>It's fun because <v student>we get to, like, be in groups, work together and stuff. <v student>All the teachers are scared we might embarass them or something... but I don't think that's true. <v student>We ate at the very top. <v Speaker>[kids talking] <v Amelia Lewis>What we're doing is bridging the gap from arithmetic to algebra and <v Amelia Lewis>the train line is going to eventually represent the number line on a coordinate <v Amelia Lewis>system and the stops are going to translate to integers. <v narrator>Integers, coordinates.

<v narrator>All that's happening here is that these students are being introduced to the concept that <v narrator>math is more than just counting or multiplying. <v narrator>Algebra is how many and which way. <v narrator>And eventually from the real life experience this trip provides. <v narrator>These students will make their own individual conceptual connections. <v Amelia Lewis>I have an intermediate algebra book I opened to page one for them and there on page <v Amelia Lewis>one is the integer line. <v Amelia Lewis>And they all know what it is. And they are. <v Amelia Lewis>They're wonderful. They're thrilled. Oh, yeah. This is algebra, we're doing algebra. <v narrator>This trip is more than a clever way of suggesting the number line to budding <v narrator>mathematicians. It's a demonstration of a philosophy that all children <v narrator>can grasp the fundamentals of higher math and the scientific method when such <v narrator>ideas are presented in a relevant way. <v Speaker>[kids talking inaudibly] <v B.J. Walker>If they're going to be able to learn, they are going to have to have

<v B.J. Walker>an instructional approach that respects what they know and <v B.J. Walker>how they live their lives and that respects the community that they are part of. <v Bob Moses>What you have to do with the mathematics is figure out what <v Bob Moses>does the child bring to the mathematical table? <v Bob Moses>So you've got to get into the child's experience. <v Bob Moses>And here we're just talking about everyday, common, ordinary <v Bob Moses>experiences that children have growing up in the city or in <v Bob Moses>the rural areas. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>We've assumed too much in education. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>That we've got to come into this. We've got to bring a kid into school, put a brain <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>in him, give them an experience and then teach him. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>The Algebra Project says the kid comes in with a brain. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>The comes in with some very valuable experiences. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>Now let's use them and let the student use that <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>as a means for building an instructional program.

<v narrator>So how does a train ride or a trip to an art museum or any symbol around <v narrator>your neighborhood experience, get sixth graders to the higher principles of math? <v narrator>Well, first off, it makes it fun. <v Bob Moses>Because middle school students are still young and they still <v Bob Moses>feel that part of what is due them is fun. <v Bob Moses>And these experiences have to be tapped into as <v Bob Moses>the entry level for the discussion of mathematical concepts. <v Bob Moses>That is, you've got to reach down to the idea that mathematics is a human <v Bob Moses>subject. It's people who do it. <v Bob Moses>It comes out of human culture. <v narrator>After the train ride, students work on art projects. <v narrator>They make pictures of what they saw, where they went, where they stopped.

<v narrator>Everyone has different versions. But the class eventually agrees to what happened that <v narrator>day. <v narrator>The teacher's job is to help the students come to that agreement. <v narrator>As in many classrooms across the country, the role of the teacher in this algebra class <v narrator>is undergoing fundamental change. <v Bob Moses>The traditional way of teaching mathematics, at <v Bob Moses>particularly middle school, is to deliver information to the students. <v Bob Moses>So the teacher is the center of the classroom and they think, well, the person who knows <v Bob Moses>the correct answer is the teacher. <v Bob Moses>So this puts them in a frame of mind, which is very different from where they should be, <v Bob Moses>which is not what is the teacher thinking? <v Bob Moses>But what am I thinking? <v Bob Moses>That is their main job is first to find out what am I thinking <v Bob Moses>and then how do I share what I'm thinking with my other students and with <v Bob Moses>the teacher?

<v teacher>And that's what we want to see. The similarities among what we saw and thought was <v teacher>important and that which only one of us saw. <v teacher>Who will volunteer to read what they wrote? <v Bob Moses>For teachers to do this, then first they have to have the attitude <v Bob Moses>that what they are looking for in the children is actually <v Bob Moses>there, present in children, that children are capable <v Bob Moses>of thinking. They are capable of expressing their own thoughts. <v student>It was a fun trip. I'm glad I went. <v teacher>Angel, would you like to read yours? <v student>When we went on the algebra project trip, we made 13 stops to get there. <v narrator>This is the sixth grade algebra project class at Kosciuszko Elementary. <v narrator>They've completed their artwork and are now working in groups to compose written reports <v narrator>about the trip. <v teacher>Let's start with the corner person and going around. <v teacher>And then you tell the highlight to your group. <v teacher>For instance, give me a highlight from your trip.

<v Dolores Brendel>It's easier to take chances when six of you are in the group then taking a chance <v Dolores Brendel>by yourself. So in that respect, they will go one step further in their group than they <v Dolores Brendel>might do on their own. <v Diane Czerwinski> The way that feeds into the Algebra Project is that that's what <v Diane Czerwinski>we want them to get out of math. Given a math problem, there is a variety of ways <v Diane Czerwinski>to solve that problem. Each one being equally valid. <v teacher>Are there many things on only one list or have you all noticed the same things? <v Diane Czerwinski>That the teacher has to be clear enough to be able to give up some traditional <v Diane Czerwinski>control and empower their students. <v student>Did anybody mention the Sears tower? <v narrator>So what's different for the teacher? <v Dolores Brendel>Noise level. The noise level is high. <v Dolores Brendel>They are talking all the time. <v Dolores Brendel>And we have to get used to the fact that the fact that it's noisy doesn't necessarily <v Dolores Brendel>mean they're not learning. That's a very untraditional. <v teacher>Go around. <v narrator>To appreciate what a teacher like this is going through. <v narrator>Understand that this isn't the only subject she teaches.

<v narrator>And math may not be one of her favorites. <v narrator>For math performance to improve in the United States, math instruction has to improve, <v narrator>which is something the new approaches for math and science are addressing head on. <v Ted Kimbrough>It removes the barriers not only for students, but for teachers. <v Ted Kimbrough>It removes some of the fear that teachers have had in the past in the field <v Ted Kimbrough>of mathematics. Was easy to have ownership once you get past the intimidation, <v Ted Kimbrough>we're saying we're going to teach sixth grade children algebra and you're going <v Ted Kimbrough>to have to be a teacher and you're going to teach other teachers, but you're going to <v Ted Kimbrough>learn how to do it yourself and here we go. <v Bob Moses>The role of the teacher is so critical. <v Bob Moses>As we found classes where the teachers had been teaching in a traditional <v Bob Moses>mode. Where the students have been sitting in their desks and <v Bob Moses>facing doing drill and so forth, who have made <v Bob Moses>a decision, often with the help of an administrator who wants <v Bob Moses>the school to change because the teachers really do need support

<v Bob Moses>and help to do this. <v Bob Moses>And you found overnight turnaround. <v Bob Moses>I mean, cause if the teacher can let go a little, <v Bob Moses>right? Then and they begin to get a different response <v Bob Moses>from the kids, then it can feed on itself and you get a very <v Bob Moses>wonderful kind of building. <v narrator>The students are, again, carefully assembling all the details of their exclusion <v narrator>and something else is happening in their own words. <v narrator>They are describing movements, positions, relationships over the course <v narrator>of the coming weeks. These informal descriptions will develop into the of words <v narrator>and symbols of the language of algebra. <v Bob Moses>So this process of engaging some <v Bob Moses>physical event and then working with it through pictures <v Bob Moses>and two levels of language. <v Bob Moses>And finally, with symbolic representations, because we have the students <v Bob Moses>draw their own symbols so that they understand that you've got to demystify

<v Bob Moses>these symbols. Right. Because people who made them. <v teacher>Alright. Now, let's look at the fourth concept, which is called the mode. <v teacher>All right. List each number as many times. <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>Math is doable. I don't know if I've ever met anybody who can't do math. <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>If taught properly. And so I'm excited about this approach because it makes <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>mathematics accessible and makes it usable by everyday persons. <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>Math is not the domain or reserved for people who only have special mental abilities. <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>It's just not the case. It's a myth. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>One of the things about the Man-Sized Korean pipeline is that the <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>Education Testing Service has told us that there is a direct relationship <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>between success in college and completing <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>geometry. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>Well, you can't get to geometry without algebra. <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>Clearly, you cannot have scientific progress without a mathematical foundation <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>in the school curriculum for youngsters and youngsters who don't make it through algebra

<v Dr. Eric Hamilton>or geometry, never wind up going into scientific or mathematical careers. <v teacher>The thing we're going to do today is make do measurement and in make <v teacher>do measurement. What we're going to do is measure something where we don't have an <v teacher>instrument to measure with. So right now, we need to measure the length of this table. <v teacher>That you're sitting at. So, you need-. <v narrator>Alonza Everage works with the Chicago Algebra Project. <v narrator>And this is one of the meetings he has with parents of sixth graders who are in the pilot <v narrator>program. That's Alonzo's daughter. <v narrator>In sessions like this, parents go through in an afternoon with their children, work <v narrator>through the semester. Right now, they're working on acquiring their own understanding <v narrator>of the difference between the algebraic ideas of equality and equivalence. <v parent>I said Yes, because the same they both serve the same purpose to measure the table. <v parent>OK. But that doesn't mean equal. <v parent>I did-. <v parent>So they're not equal. <v parent>So when you [inaduible] used for the same thing. <v parent>But they're not equal to each other.

<v parent>Right. <v Alonza Everage>And in the Algebra project. And this is one of the first units we looked at and where <v Alonza Everage>we talk about equality and equivalence. <v Alonza Everage>And as we go through the unit, we will be coming back again and again to <v Alonza Everage>this whole notion of what is equivalence, what is equality. <v Alonza Everage>And In the classroom students are oftentimes puzzled <v Alonza Everage>about what is the difference between equivalence and equality. <v Alonza Everage>So they're going to wrestle with this idea over and over again until they come <v Alonza Everage>to terms with what it means for them. <v Alonza Everage>And in the process-. <v narrator>Parental involvement is important to the Algebra Project for a couple of reasons. <v narrator>they want to demystify algebra for anyone who didn't get it back in school. <v narrator>They want to equip the parents with the principles at work so they can help out at home. <v narrator>And they want to change expectations of parents who may be quick to concede that their <v narrator>child isn't cut out for math. <v Cleeta Ryals>I think all parents, no matter what their educational base or level is, I think <v Cleeta Ryals>they want. <v Cleeta Ryals>And this is as broad as I can make it for their child to be successful.

<v Cleeta Ryals>So that means I want my child to have everything that it takes to be successful. <v narrator>And what do Algebra Project graduates think? <v Terrance Tarver>Math is kind of one of my middle subjects. <v Terrance Tarver>But I really love, like, academic speeches and stuff. <v Terrance Tarver>But math, since I've been in the algebra project, has really brightened up my <v Terrance Tarver>grades and stuff. <v James Newell>We learned about integers. <v James Newell>And a lot of other stuff that was fun. <v Tiffany Jackson>I like it. It's very fun and I think that other people would like it too because. <v narrator>The Algebra Project has clearly had an impact on its students. <v Tiffany Jackson>Oh, where it really gets you to it. <v Tiffany Jackson>And when I did it, I got into it and I really enjoyed it. <v Monique Smith>I think I improved a year in my math. <v Monique Smith>And the- algebra, since we had the Algebra Project. <v Karen Carlson>In our school, one out of every six children made two years progress in mathematics. <v Karen Carlson>So I think that's really significant. <v Karen Carlson>And the other more significant thing to me is not the test scores, but the children's <v Karen Carlson>attitude. And in our seventh grade this year.

<v Karen Carlson>These are the children who had the algebra project last year. <v Karen Carlson>You know, Their favorite subject in their reports is mathematics. <v Karen Carlson>And I think that that's the key because they see it as something that they can do and <v Karen Carlson>they can be good at. <v Bob Moses>For me, really. There's only one sort of measure which <v Bob Moses>counts in this that is and it's unfortunate in <v Bob Moses>that it's a long range measure. <v Bob Moses>And the question is, do the kids go through the college prep math sequence <v Bob Moses>in high school? And after that. <v Bob Moses>Do they reach college ready to take college <v Bob Moses>courses in mathematics for which they can get college credit? <v teacher>I'm gonna pass you our paper. <v teacher>Which is the answer sheet make sure-. <v narrator>The larger point, says Moses goes beyond college courses to <v narrator>a question of citizenship. <v speaker 27>That is, we are now faced with situations where <v speaker 27>really significant numbers of people are sort of <v speaker 27>marginalized around the citizenship question.

<v speaker 27>They are really not functioning as citizens. <v speaker 27>And this, of course, really threatens the whole Democratic base of the society. <v speaker 28>Now, the question is, how does the Algebra project move forward? <v speaker 28>We already have 19 schools, which means we are only reaching about 3000 <v speaker 28>kids right now. Three thousand kids, mostly sixth, seventh and eighth graders. <v narrator>The Algebra Project is making its way into more Chicago schools and other systems <v narrator>across the country because of meetings like this. <v B.J. Walker>The Algebra Project is more than about education. <v B.J. Walker>It is about communities. At its heart, it is about <v B.J. Walker>really getting out and having parents and communities <v B.J. Walker>mobilize and work together and think about what it is they want out of <v B.J. Walker>the children and want for the children in that community. <v Emma Lozano>What's at stake is, and what's been at stake is what <v Emma Lozano>our children are going to have for the future. They're going to all be or have mc jobs

<v Emma Lozano>working at McDonald's, just pressing the buttons. <v Emma Lozano>Or are they gonna be able to be working on computers and being able to do the high tech <v Emma Lozano>things that are happening? <v James Deanes>These young people are getting exposed to algebra, math, <v James Deanes>logical thinking at a very, very early age that other people take for granted. <v James Deanes>And once they're exposed to it, they're saying, well, this isn't so hard, <v James Deanes>I can do this, why are people saying that I'm an underachiever when the fact <v James Deanes>of the matter is I just wasn't exposed to it? <v James Deanes>You know, that's empowerment. I can take this this mystery <v James Deanes>and I open up the door that I could- I understand. <v Slim Coleman>Algebra is a civil right. <v Slim Coleman>In the sixth grade, if we're in a ballot to make sure that our children <v Slim Coleman>in public schools are not marginalized out of the society. <v narrator>Since 1988, Illinois law has given the communities local control <v narrator>over what and how subjects are taught in their schools.

<v Dr. Dorothy Strong>It starts all the way in the community with the community saying to the schools, <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>hey, we got a good idea. Let's see, can we make it happen? <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>And community and school are so interwoven that it's hard to <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>tell the difference. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>The choice is made by the teachers, the principal, the local <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>school council, the community group. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>They all have to say we want it to happen. <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>And if they don't say they want it to happen, then we say that's a school that is <v Dr. Dorothy Strong>not yet ready for the Algebra Project. <v parent>To get the education so our children can compete. <v parent>But that's where the school system comes in. <v narrator>To be ready to take an active role in shaping their schools, parents have to come to <v narrator>a consensus about what it is they believe their children have to know for them to <v narrator>prosper. <v Cleeta Ryals>The people here in Chicago that I think are interested in education <v Cleeta Ryals>and in in Chicago public schools are interested in more and more <v Cleeta Ryals>than just a group of people being elected to sit on a council.

<v Cleeta Ryals>They're interested in those people <v Cleeta Ryals>participating in curriculum development. <v Cleeta Ryals>And I'm talking to say those people I mean, the people within the school participating in <v Cleeta Ryals>curriculum development, parents being a part of that. <v Cleeta Ryals>The hospital down the street being a part of that. <v Cleeta Ryals>The police department in the area being a part of that so that we have something <v Cleeta Ryals>com- in common. <v James Deanes>I guess I would say that this country, if it's going to <v James Deanes>to to remain a world power, has to to <v James Deanes>rethink the way it educates all children. <v James Deanes>And it has to give resources as well as lip service <v James Deanes>to programs. And nothing is more valuable <v James Deanes>than a competitively educated group of citizens. <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>Unfortunately, in the United States right now, underrepresented minorities, primarily <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>African-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans, are underrepresented in science,

<v Dr. Eric Hamilton>engineering and mathematics by a four to 10 fold factor, depending on the discipline that <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>you're examining. So looking at the workforce as it will <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>be coming about or emerging in the next 10 years, well over half of <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>the new workforce will be minorities and women groups that have been traditionally <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>underrepresented. So it's important and vital actually to increase the representation <v Dr. Eric Hamilton>of these populations. <v narrator>Could it be that this young man will work on the team that revolutionizes transportation? <v narrator>Will this young woman collaborate on the answer to the nuclear waste dilemma? <v narrator>Even with more day to day problems, these children will be better prepared for life in <v narrator>the 21st century because of how they're learning today. <v narrator>And coast to coast communities are making sure they equip their children with the <v narrator>necessary tools and skills they need to reshape their world. <v B.J. Walker>The Algebra Project is a movement. <v B.J. Walker>It is an agent of change because it for the first time <v B.J. Walker>involves communities in defining what it is that their children are going

<v B.J. Walker>to learn and how they are going to fit into the world of tomorrow. <v B.J. Walker>That's something education in this country has not been doing for children of color, for <v B.J. Walker>disadvantaged children, for academically under achieving children. <v B.J. Walker>Traditionally, we've thought there's a group of kids who will make it. <v B.J. Walker>They will be the doctors and the lawyers of tomorrow, and the rest of us will be <v B.J. Walker>something else. The Algebra Project says there is no child who is not eligible <v B.J. Walker>to be a doctor and lawyer of tomorrow, and that's change. <v narrator>The Algebra Project is not the only vehicle pointed in the direction of excellence in <v narrator>math and science education. <v narrator>A lot of schools and communities have discovered the same ingredients to support and <v narrator>stimulate their children as they learn even the most complex of subjects. <v narrator>And they all share this common denominator. <v narrator>The assumption that all children can learn and participate. <v narrator>And if they want to, they will. <v announcer>And Learning for All is funded by a grant from the U.S.

<v announcer>Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement.