2018-04-17 -
Proficiency Based Diplomas - and Politics -
Update
We have been discussing and debating the pros and
cons related to Maine’s Proficiency Based Diploma law.
At this
writing, the “law” does require that school districts implement a
proficiency based diploma system. Leaders and educators have spent
six years working out the detailsof this implementation. Some have
done it well, and some districts have not done so well. Some
districts have been creative and visionary in their implementation, but
that is not true for all districts.
But “the law” does not
mandate strategies for implementation. While the law does indicate a
number of different practices, there is no clear direction or vision for
implementation. And here lies the great dilemma.
If
the state of Maine wants districts to implement Proficiency Based
Diplomas, then the Department of Education has an implied mandate to lead
that implementation. The DOE has done yeoman’s work, but the DOE
has failed to articulate a vision of what it means to graduate with a
Proficiency Based Diploma.
Part of this dilemma is the “local
control” options exercised by all districts in the state, and this
historical precedent influences almost every decision impacting education
in the state of Maine. The State can pass laws, but it is up to the local
districts to implement the law successfully.
The implementation of
Proficiency Based Diplomas, while a good practice in theory, has been
marred by poor implementation strategies for the last six years. The
Department of Education is seriously impacted by the current
administration’s efforts to reduce the size of government - to reduce
the size and impact of the DOE. We have had seven Commissioners in
six years. That is no way to create stability.
What we have created
instead is a chaotic system of misunderstanding. School boards,
superintendents, and teachers all want to “do the right thing,” but
they have no understanding of what the right thing is.
Because a
diploma is an important thing, the local school committee, the local
superintendent, and the local principals must be the ones certifying
completion of all diploma requirements. They have that
responsibility and they need to exercise that leadership.
Despite
the potential changes in the diploma system in Maine, the state will
always rely on the Learning Results as a foundation for education. These
Learning Results are absolutely essential to understanding educational
philosophy in Maine.
