What is the Goal of Education, really?

Math, reading, writing, social studies, science, art, music, physical education, Spanish, technology...the curricular list of "subjects" in our school.  But what is the goal of education?  I look at Harriet Bishop Gifted and Talented Elementary School's mission statement:
Harriet Bishop Gifted and Talented Elementary School's mission is to provide a rigorous curriculum within a flexible environment for a diverse population of student, to develop the gifts and talents of each child.
Children flourish in an environment that allows them to become self-directed learners and socially responsible citizens. By engaging in various learning experiences that promote cognitive, emotional, physical, social and artistic growth, students will develop an identity and a global awareness.
Our students will learn to capitalize on their potential through learning experiences, choices and collaboration with peers. We foster and recognize critical thinking and accomplishment, and expect excellence.
(I really like that mission statement.  Thank you, design team!)  I see where the curricular list of "subjects" fits in... they are the various learning experiences that promote cognitive, emotional, physical, social and artistic growth.  They are vital to the other part of our mission statement:  that students will develop an identity and a global awareness, and in doing so, will become self-directed learners and socially responsible citizens.  As a teacher, it has always been my mission to get my kids not to need me anymore.  Any of the readers of this blog who have had me or have children who have had me know that I say that all the time.  My goal as a teacher is to get my kids not to need me anymore.  But how do I do that when I teach curriculum?  I teach critical thinking, first and foremost.  And I teach inquiry.  Asking "why" is one of the best things we can do as people.  If I teach students to be questioners, and I teach them to think critically and problem solve (both academically and socially), then they become self-directed learners.  Is it important to learn how to add?  Absolutely.  It's the basis for all other math!  But it's just as important to teach our children how being able to add influences our life.  What good IS math in my life?  What does it do for me?
I remember Algebra I in eighth grade.  Mr. Thomas.  (I got detention once for passing a note in class.)  I just had the hardest time learning Algebra in Mr. Thomas' class.  I just didn't get it - and furthermore, I didn't see ONE link to my life, unless Algebra could make my brother disappear.  I couldn't care LESS what x equalled. 
So as I got older, I distanced myself from math (well, I loved geometry and did well in it, but that was because I thought of myself as a detective, figuring out mysteries), and then stopped taking it altogether.  I wish I hadn't.  But I did.  However, when I became an adult, I started to see how Algebra I actually connected to my life.  For instance, I once had to figure out how much carpet to buy for my living room, and ended up using Algebra to do so.  Even BETTER, I could use Algebra when cooking (still do).  I wish I had that life connection when I was younger.  The curriculum is a vital avenue, but the biggest picture has to be saved for how the curriculum connects to and enhances our lives.  How can we help kids become passionate and critical readers?  How can we help our students become passionate and critical thinkers? 
Some of the things we are doing at Harriet Bishop this year are new for students, families, teachers, staff.  It's a change, and change is hard.  But it's a change worth investing into - and sustainable change means that we need to reorient our priorities sometimes, which is often uncomfortable.  But we are doing at Harriet Bishop what we have asked our teachers to do when planning units and lessons:  begin with the end in mind - and in this case, the end is productive, happy, successful, intelligent, forward-thinking people.

Pull-out? Differentiation? Push-in? Whole class? Schoolwide math? What is all of this and how does it affect my child?
These are great questions. I had a conversation recently about the types of information we are collecting as teachers about the students in class. The concerns were valid, the questions were poignant, and the confusion was genuine. So I thought I'd dedicate this blog entry to information and assessment.
No matter the student, a test score is a test score. It is one piece of information. It doesn't matter if the child is identified as gifted, is a special education student, or both, or neither. A test score is one indicator of ability or potential, one indicator of achievement or aptitude. It's something, but it's one thing. To base an entire year's education off of one test score would be unethical and unprofessional.
We are acquiring multiple pieces of information on our students - from pre-assessments in specific units of math, to oral reading fluency, to interest surveys to find strengths. We want input from parents, and would like to get their viewpoints on how their child "does school". Can a child be brilliant in algebraic concepts but struggle in reading comprehension? Absolutely. Does the struggle in reading comprehension diminish the talent in algebraic concepts? No - to the extent the child can understand the question being asked of him. Can a child be absolutely brilliant in all core curicular areas and not do any work whatsoever in school? Yes. And teachers need to have this information so they can adequately plan for both the academic and affective needs of the students in their classrooms. Can a child have a fabulous vocabulary and NOT be identified "gifted"? Yes. Is it a good thing that the teacher understands that the child has an advanced vocabulary? Yes! That particular child may need materials that have more advanced vocabulary, and it would be wise to know (as a teacher) that this child picks up new vocabulary words quickly.
The parent questionnaire sent home last week to HB families was designed for teachers to get more information than can be seen on a homework assignment or on a standardized test. But the questionnaire goes beyond "academic giftedness", and I sincerely hope that all who read through the questionnaire can understand that. Questions about creativity and imaginative play brings out strengths in the creative and artistic endeavors that children will be exposed to in school. Questions about frustration with written tasks help teachers understand more why some students don't show what they can really do when writing. Questions about concern for others or things "being fair" show empathy. Questions about perfectionism help us as educators better understand motivation and how it relates to actual products created by ALL students. These questions are not meant to cull certain students or to put students into groups. They are sincere questions meant to better understand the whole child - for it is only then that we can truly reach them where they are.

We are in week Three of Harriet Bishop Gifted and Talented Elementary School! We have been learning so much about our students, and we continue to do so. Students have been assessed using the ORF (Oral Reading Fluency Assessment), and math pre-assessments that our teachers created this summer, to determine our first set of flexible grouping. I so appreciate all of this pre-assessment. Yes, it takes time. To read through an entire class set of math pre-assessments takes a lot of time on the part of the teacher, but it is time very well spent, as the student is the benefactor of the effort. Now we are in the throes of MAP testing (Measure of Academic Progress) in both math and reading, and CogAT testing (Cognitive Abilities Testing) for third and fifth grade. The MAP tests are designed to show achievement in two core academic areas - math and reading - and the CogATs are designed to show cognitive ability in three areas: verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal (general academic intellectual, including problem-solving and reasoning). This sounds like a lot (which, frankly, it is!), but gives us such a valuable picture when creating and implementing the right educational program for each child.
My little story of the day is about a little boy who talked with his parents about how happy he is at Harriet Bishop this year. Last year he had a bit of a struggle in his school, but because of the way our school is structured this year, he has articulated how comfortable he is with his same-age peers and how excited he is to be in his class (with a SmartBoard!). This is why we are building this program - and stumbling at times, but continuing the journey - it is because of our students and their success.

Last night Harriet Bishop Gifted and Talented Elementary welcomed the families of all its students to Back-To-School Night. It was really wonderful to see so many families in our classrooms, listening to the possibilities for their children. I'm excited for this year. The best news of all came this morning when a teacher shared with me something one of her students told his mother after the first day of school:
"Mom, it's great - I'm not the only weird smart one in my class anymore." This child already feels welcomed and accepted. What could be better???