To the Editor:

Americans investigate to find the best doctors, best lawyers. This mentality creates intense competition. Americans seek a ‘measurable performance’ that can be validated. This competition leads to improvement.

Parents have the same expectations of the educational institutions. But student mental performance is confined to testing of factual information in a ‘teacher centered’ approach using deductive methods focused on content. But this approach deprives students developing ‘creative and critical abilities’ necessary to survive the challenges students encounter in life.

But what is missing is new research that validates developing higher mental processing involving creative learning in a revised curriculum.’ So long as we ignore students’ needs, we are limiting their mental development.

I have spent many years training European teachers and executives to raise the quality of their thinking to create a ‘thinking culture.’ Educators decided to develop a ‘thinking environment.’ Their programs included learning ‘thinking skills’ to improve problem solving and creative thinking. They realized that companies required this training to make decisions and creative solutions. A Harvard research study also stressed creative and critical thinking abilities for entry in the workplace.

Parents now seek innovative approaches to help students attain their highest level of mental development. This School Performance Index is designed to promote new thinking. It challenges educators to provide the relevant evidence to support their statements posted in their Mission Statement.

The Mission Statement’s goal is ‘to inspire each student to excel in attaining and applying the knowledge, the skills, and attributes that lead to personal success while becoming a contributing member of a dynamic global society”

School Leadership claims that this is accomplished “by creating an unparalleled learning environment characterized by high expectations, quality instruction, continuous improvement.”

But school testing of memorized content is their indicator. What is missing is statistical evidence to verify that all of these lofty goals are achieved. I designed this index to survey and gather feedback from anyone interested in validating the school system’s statements and claims.

The index lists the significant statements made, followed by a [space to insert a] range of numerical ratings starting with lower ratings of 1,2,3,4 if there is no specific evidence to support the statements — and higher ratings of 7,8,9,10 if valid evidence is presented.

‘Inspire students to excel’.. but is testing the best way to inspire students to excel? ___

‘Attaining and applying the knowledge’ ...but are the processing skills to achieve it? ___

‘Skills and attributes lead to success’...but what in curriculum identifies skills/attributes? ___

‘An ‘unapparelled learning environment’...but is there a measurable method to verify? ___

‘A quality instruction/improvement ‘but only mental skills identify quality/improvement ___

‘Becoming & contributing to a global community’...but what creative thinking is taught? ___

This index is significant for supporting the idea of ‘student centered’ mental development.

Dr. Rudy A. Magnan

Sandy Hook