Patchen, Martin. (2004). Making Our Schools More Effective: What Matters and What Works. Reviewed by Alan Haskvitz

 

Patchen, Martin. (2004). Making Our Schools More Effective: What Matters and What Works. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

320 pp.
$69.95     ISBN: 0-398-07490-9

Reviewed by Alan Haskvitz

September 17, 2004

How interesting it is that this new book that summarizes educational research on a number of issues reaches many of the same conclusions that Larry Martz did in his 1992 book, Making Schools Better. It clearly appears that the past has become the present even though they used quite different methodology. Martz did the fieldwork himself by visiting the 12 most effective teachers and programs in the nation and anecdotally recording why they were so successful. On the other hand Patchen acknowledges little classroom observation and summarizes published findings from others to reach conclusions.

Despite the differences in approaches and backgrounds, Patchen is a professor emeritus of sociology and Martz was a national affairs editor for Newsweek, they both proffer the same conclusions as to what makes for quality schools. In a nutshell that is: integrated subject matter; involved learning activities; good communications; money is important, but not that important; and an understanding that no one approach works for every child.

The biggest differences between the two similar works is that Martz stressed the importance of the individual teacher as the key to quality schools whereas Patchen reflects on a far greater array of information to reach conclusions while abstaining from acknowledging any one area as superior to another in building a quality school. That aside, both works are great starting points for any teacher preparation program or for those seeking more insights into what are the key ingredients in better preparing students.

Making Our Schools More Effective has ten chapters and they are all on core elements in education. Such issues as teacher bonus pay, block scheduling, smaller class sizes, charter schools, and administration traits that work best are just some of the research summarized. Each chapter is subdivided into bite-sized summaries. For example, in the chapter on "Teachers and Students in the Classroom," the sociology professor has sections on activities, student work, teacher actions, organization, computers, and an overview. This chapter alone would be good for a methods class.

Although the issues are of great interest, the results are largely common sense. Patchen points out that elementary schools that are small may not have the offerings of a large school, and that larger schools may have problems that small schools avoid. This would seem realistic and agrees with the work my middle school students did on city size and student achievement. The 13- year-olds found that large cities and small cities under 10,000 in population fared worse than cities in the 10,000 to 50,000 ranges. The students called it the Goldilocks theory and it is nice to see that it correlates with Patchen’s interpretation of school size and achievement.

There are some very interesting findings that make the book more than worthwhile to read even at $69 ($49 in paperback). Patchen points out that class size does not really make a difference in learning according to the research. Unfortunately, that data indicates that a large class is about 26 students and at my school that would be ten less than average. So I question the research when done between today’s large class size and those of the past.

The basic problem for many people who are not used to this type of summary research is that the there is no right or wrong answer. Many issues have 60 percent of the findings proving one thesis and 40 percent proving that thesis is wrong. So when Patchen or others state that more money has not improved education based on test scores or dropout rates, it simply means that some people have done research that has proven that belief, but there is significant evidence that can refute it. Patchen realizes this and writes, "It is difficult to digest all of this literature...to judge how good the evidence is for particular suggested reforms, which influences on educational outcomes are crucial and which are less important, and how various sets of evidence and various suggested changes may or may not fit together." (p. vii)

An example of how this type of summary methodology writing can result in sensational headlines comes from the Purdue University public relations release on the book. The news center selected one small section to try to draw attention to the publication. "While school spending has steadily increased over recent decades, students' test scores have shown little change," (p. 174) says Martin (Patchen) Yes, that is what Patchen found, but it is so out of context only a sensationalistic press person would use it to generate sales from the educational community this book was essentially designed to help. Patchen sites ample evidence of where school funding has been proven to be of value in the retention of quality teachers, morale building, and he writes. "However, the reviewers are consistent in finding that: (1) higher spending on schools tends to be associated with high student achievement, even after taking into account students’ backgrounds; (2) only a minority of studies-although a substantial minority-have found a marked, statistically significant positive relationship between school spending and measures of student achievement." (p. 173)

A couple of pages later Patchen writes, "But it seems evident that even substantial increases in national spending on schools do not necessarily lead to high student achievement." (p. 175) So it is clear you can take many of the findings and the summaries and make a case for just about any cause. But, that is not why this is a good book. It is of value because the ten chapters of the book cover issues such as teacher qualities, school organizations, minority education, charter school performance, vouches, computers in the classroom, assessment, scheduling, and the links between the community and school and other volatile issues that need to be aired as objectively as possible.

Some intriguing findings in the book are that bilingual programs for ESL students are best when they start with native language instruction and quickly move to English only work. Another bit of data that can solve or create some excellent discussion is that charter schools do not as a whole provide superior education. Unfortunately, Patchen does not do any reporting on how well home-schooled students do. This may be caused by the lack of standardized data on the subject.

Patchen set out to create a work that simply puts together a great deal of research into an easy, Reader’s Digest type format. He writes that the book is not intended to be a blueprint by which schools can provide effective education to all students, and he acknowledges that it does not offer specifics.

My main criticism of the book is that there is no reason given for the research that is cited in the large bibliographies that are printed at the end of each chapter. There is no explanation of the selection criteria used and no annotations of the resources to give needed insights into what the publication was about. I also would have liked him to handle the controversial National Board of Professional Teaching certification program to see if there is any evidence it produces better student learning. With millions being spent by teachers applying for this program at $2300 apiece, and some states and districts giving additional funds for those who have passed the NBPTS program, it is certainly significant financially to taxpayers and educational leaders. In addition, I believe that a comparison of home-schooled student performance would be a valid concern for the future of education.

Overall, this is a book that you really don’t need. There is little here that is not common sense. What Patchen has done is synthesize it nicely and makes it easy to comprehend. As such, I would recommend it to those new to education or those in decision-making positions who do not have the time to keep abreast of the latest findings.

Reference

Martz, Larry. (1992). Making schools better: how parents and teachers across the country are taking action—and how you can, too. New York: Times Books.

About the Reviewer

Alan Haskvitz
http://www.reacheverychild.com