Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Maybe PGAMA will take the lead in fixing high school with Print?

Time Printers' President Elected Chairman of PGAMA
- from WhatTheyThink:
"Columbia, Maryland- The Printing and Graphics Association MidAtlantic (PGAMA), a non-profit trade association for local printing firms and related businesses, appointed Al Maddox, Jr. as Chairman of the Board effective July 1. Mr. Maddox is the first African-American Chairman for the local trade association, and is also the first African-American to hold the title of Board Chair for any printing industry association in the country.

The President of Time Printers, Inc. in Baltimore, MD, a family-owned company that has been in business for more than 55 years, Maddox has served on the Board of Directors at PGAMA since 1999."

Re fixing high school
Job 1 is to improve attendance. Job 2 is to improve homework compliance. Once Job 1 and 2 are done, High School will be on the road to fixing itself.

Back in the day when I was working in a bottom of the pyramid high school we did an experiment.

1. Students were given personalized note pads. Their assignment was to stop for 15 minutes every day and write or draw what they were feeling or thinking about that minute. Every day they tore off a page and handed it in.

Week one: about 30% handed in the assignment.

2. We printed out an full color 8 1/2 by 11 chart and handed it to each student and posted on the bulletin board. Each student's name in the right hand column. A check mark if they handed it in.

Week two: about 45% handed in the assignment.

3. We repeated step two with the additional words that said, "Anyone who does not hand in three assignments will fail this course and have to repeat it." We also added words that said, "Please enter your parent/guardian's contact information, including mobile phone and email address. Then take this chart and have your parent/guardian sign it and return to class."

Week 3. About 10% returned the sheet signed. Homework compliance was over 90%.

Ah, the power of transparency and the power of Print.

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