Back to Leave No Child Behind

I am very much afraid, Cicerone Imposter, that you did not read my post.

Scores are indeed at the heart of the perceived need for NCLB. If you will re-read my post, you will note that I defined the medians. Half of the students tested will fall below the median score and half above the median score--the problem is how to change the median so that it is higher and how to make sure that more of groups of students who score below the median (usually minorities) score above the median.


I am sure that even massive funding will do little, as I have already indicated. Vouchers would do a great deal in meeting the objectives of NCLB.

YOu have no idea how NCLB works; teachers are teaching for the test whitch is WRONG WRONG WRONG AND WRONG. It seems you have only one perspective on improving the problem; make all students improve their scores on the test. What little you understand about "education."

Teaching for the test is right I think. The reason the mediocre and poor teachers hate it is the have to actually make sure the kids learn something and it will be obvious whether the kids learned it or not. How did we get to the place where we no longer tell kids what they need to know to succeed? Thats all teaching to the test is. Its telling them what they need to know to succeed. It does cut into the time teachers have to fill kids heads with all kinds of nonsense but some of us think thats a good thing.

Brandy, I have a "canned" response, but I'll let a professional educator answer your question.

What is the purpose of a test?

To quantify a students knowledge. To judge where a student is compared to where other students are and to enable a teacher to identify weak spots.

If a teacher merely instructs a student on how to pass a single test, that student is not being educated. They are being trained. Like a monkey can be trained to juggle.

I say teach the test and test the whole enchilada. Everything a student is supposed to have learned should be tested.

What teaching to the test in California has accomplished is that minority students are dropping out in great numbers, because the educational system is failing them. We must put more effort into preschool, and help the students with the necessary foundation to succeed in school. Testing is fine, but it has limits. Not all students will do well in all subjects; that's a given. Children have different interests, and it's up to the adults to help them nurture their interests. What we have done so far is drop the arts, music, and athletics because of insufficient funding. For those students, we should prepare them for other vocations that will help them later in life to hold jobs. Germany is a good examply of nurturing students to vocations other than those seeking higher education. Helping our children early on in life will save them and society from future higher costs, because it will reduce the necessity for gangs and prisons.

There you have it."Reduce the necessity for gangs and prisons."Social engineering as in The Thoughts of Chairman Mao and many others.Whatever that has to do with it isn't education.It is a bold assertion with nothing to back it up except overfull prisons after donkey's years of state "education".It is also authoritarian with the outcome uncertain.
The whole thing is a teacher's pork barrel and teachers are the very last people to consult on the matter.They can't see the wood for the trees.Once they have made children hate school all is lost.
So I am in favour of giving the voucher system a try.People can,and will,educate themselves once they have the attitude and enthusiasm.

BM

You are correct, spendin. Let's try vouchers.
I am very much afraid that Cicerone Imposter does not know what he is talking abut on this issue.

Let's review the salient points we must understand in order to truly comprehend the need for NCLB.

l. No matter what is done, half of the student population will test below the median score by definition.

2. If minority students are dropping out in large numbers, the cause is not PRIMARILY because of the schools and what they are doing, the major reason is tied up with the culture of the ghetto.

3. Testing is the last of a triad--Test; teach; retest. The first testing is diagnostic; Then comes the crucial teaching acts; then a retest to see what the students have learned.

4. More funding is NOT the answer. A glance at the tragic experience in the Kansas City Schools reveals that Massive amounts of funding will not make up for a culture which is basically anti-school.

5. Schools are ruined by the needs of a very small group-the Special handicapped child and the extremely disruptive. Voucher schools which would be set up to educate all children except the extremely needy and the massively disruptive would, I am sure, be able to make the achievement levels much higher even in the ghettos, since it is the values and behaviors displayed by the extremely handicapped and the wildly delinquent which make learning impossible.

6. Autistic children; those whose IQ's are between 60 and 75; and those who are so disruptive as to make learning in any regular class impossible must be educated in facilities separate from the normal children. This last point will be strongly resisted by the forces of Political Correctness who are willing to destroy any chance at education for 95% of the students in the class in order to allow the special students to remain in a regular class. Teachers who now teach in classes into which some of these special students have been "mainstreamed" know that this "mainstreaming" destroys the possibilityffor any real education to take place.

A well planned vouc`her system is necessary.

I don't know what I'm talking about, but other people do.
*****
NCLB Atrocities

Feds Label Top Michigan Schools Failures

Ohanian Comment: The headline on this article is Top metro schools are labeled failures. The sub-head nails it, helping people see that it's the feds who are bringing failure: Award-winners fall short of federal standards.

Three Detroit schools are state Golden Apple award winners.

A Southfield school was hailed as a model by President George W. Bush.

Other schools across Michigan received National Blue Ribbon awards.

And others in some of the state's wealthiest districts are considered first-class high schools.

What do they have in common?

None met federal guidelines for showing adequate yearly progress on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program test, or MEAP.

Some high-achieving schools even received "F" grades on their school report cards, released late last month by the Michigan Department of Education, because their high scores aren't improving fast enough.

"This just illustrates once more the fragility of the evaluation system," said David Plank, codirector of the Education Policy Center at Michigan State University.

"Very small changes in test scores for very small numbers of students could cause a school to go up or down," Plank said.

Fleming Elementary School in Detroit won a Golden Apple Award in 2002, one of 124 Michigan schools that got the honor for most improved MEAP scores.

Yet, the school didn't meet the federal goals. And its report card indicates it has failed to meet the goals for five years, meaning it must undergo a restructuring.

State Superintendent Tom Watkins said this is one of the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act, the federal law that has ushered in sweeping accountability measures for public schools.

There are 50 ways a school can fail to meet the federal rules, Watkins said, thus the contradictions.

Fleming wasn't alone. Two other Detroit schools -- John Marshall and Parker elementaries -- and 17 more statewide won Golden Apples in 2002 and now are considered in need of improvement, according to the Michigan Information and Research Service.

In addition, four Michigan schools that have won coveted national Blue Ribbon awards in recent years are on the list. The honor is the highest a U.S. school can receive.

Some of the Golden Apple winners are on the list because even though their scores are on an upward trend, not enough of their students are passing the MEAP.

Some schools made the list because certain groups -- racial minorities, kids from low-income households, students learning English and special-education students -- didn't pass the test.

And others -- some award-winners, some not -- are on the list simply because they didn't have 95 percent of their students take the test.

Are they failures?

No, said Fred Cromie, principal at Avondale High School in Auburn Hills, and Todd Robinson, principal at Avondale Middle School in Rochester Hills.

Both schools didn't meet the federal guidelines, but the reason had nothing to do with MEAP scores. Neither met the 95-percent rule.

In fact, 268 of the 896 Michigan schools that didn't meet the federal standards failed to do so because of that rule. That includes most high schools in metro Detroit.

"It's frustrating that people who don't know Avondale High School may draw a perception about it based on what they read," Cromie said.

What's more frustrating is nearly 88 percent of Avondale High students took the test, one of the highest participation rates for a Michigan high school. The middle school missed the cutoff by 2.4 percent, the equivalent of three or four students.

Avondale Middle won the national Blue Ribbon award in 2002 but didn't meet the federal standards in 2003.

"Does this now discredit the fact that two years ago we were a national exemplary school? I think not," Robinson said.

But the perception -- particularly to people with no direct connection to the schools -- could be difficult to overcome.

"The reality is that memories are short," Plank said. "The fact that you got" an award "two years ago hardly enters people's thoughts when they see the school is faced with a restructuring."

Many remember Bush's 2002 visit to Vandenberg Elementary School in Southfield, a school that saw dramatic improvement in its MEAP scores. At the time, Bush said the school "is not afraid of accountability and as a result, is excelling."

The school's state report card was strong, with two A's and a B. But the school didn't have adequate yearly progress, because it didn't have a 95-percent MEAP participation rate.

Ken Siver, the district's spokesman, was reluctant to talk about the school, because many have seen its status as evidence that something went wrong there.

"I've had people come up to me and say, 'Oh, your district has that school that Bush went to and said was so good, and it really isn't,' " Siver said.

Because the 95-percent rule is affecting so many schools, particularly at the secondary level, the state likely will consider making it mandatory for high school students to take the MEAP in order to graduate, Watkins said.

Some districts already are planning to make it difficult for high school students to skip the MEAP when it's given in April.

"We will have all of the students who are capable of taking the test, take the test," said Bob Greene of the Troy School District.

There also might be some tweaking of the formulas that force the state to give some schools an F because their scores aren't increasing fast enough.

But one thing won't change, Watkins said: "They still have to grow."




Contact LORI HIGGINS at 248-351-3694 or [email protected].

The fallacy of No Child Left Behind


Email Sandra Nichols "There is a big difference between advocating a level playing field in the schools and measuring everybody by the same yardstick. That is the fallacy of NCLB!"

here is one dramatic performance that has been playing on stages near you for hundreds of years. Admission is free. Sometimes the drama evokes tears; sometimes cheers. The costumed players parade across the stage and you hear tales of heroic victories accompanied by "Pomp and Circumstance."

These are our graduates, commencing on a new step in the journey of their lives. Only a stone would watch un-moved!

As I stood there shaking hands with the newly diplomaed, I reflected on the accomplishments represented by a piece of paper in a fine leather-like cover and what that diploma means to the graduates. I also contemplated how "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) will affect our children's school experience to an increasing degree every year that this system remains in place and unmodified.

Clearly a diploma represents something standard and something unique in the case of each student. Each one met the minimum standard for graduation. Each one faced unique circumstances with individual abilities and talents.

Recent changes in the educational system wrought by NCLB are not all positive. Hello! Granted that defining criteria for holding schools accountable is desirable, let's not forget that schools are not factories and that the "products" of the educational system are living, breathing, feeling human beings.

There is a big difference between advocating a level playing field in the schools and measuring everybody by the same yardstick. That is the fallacy of NCLB!

Yes, students should have clean, well cared for schools. Yes, every single one of them should have highly qualified teachers. Yes, they all deserve quality textbooks and to be treated with respect.

But they shouldn't all be expected to come out the same or to benefit equally from an equal opportunity. It's not that way when you're talking about human beings.

Our educational system should not be disposing of the offerings of different pathways for students to reach their goals. Our educational system should recognize creativity and independent thinking as worthy objectives. The fact that these assets may be less measurable than regurgitation of facts does not mean they have less value. I find nothing in NCLB that speaks to individuality or creativity.

Human beings are not well accommodated by a one-size-fits-all educational approach. It is absolutely necessary that the wide range of human behavior and abilities be taken into account in the system. While leaving no child behind continues to ring out its positive message (How can anyone object to every child being on par with the valedictorians?), it just isn't humanly possible. Only in a "Stepford Wives" scenario could a single set of standards be applied to all of the unique individuals who enroll in the public schools.

Should Johnny's dyslexia be disregarded? Should Xochilt's lack of familiarity with English be ignored?

In dynamic classrooms teachers relish the opportunity to use "teachable moments," those in which a lesson happens spontaneously brought on by a significant and urgent need-to-know on the part of the students. In a NCLB world, the need-to-know is brought on by an impending state or nationally approved test for which some people, probably in Washington have decided this is what your kids need to know.

NCLB should be put in the perspective of the real world and what actually happens to our students during their school careers.

At a recent grad ceremony, I heard a women speak about her educational journey. She came to the United States to pick fruits and vegetables with her family when she was 15. She did not attend high school. She worked in the fields picking strawberries. She married, had children, and continued picking strawberries. When her daughter reached the age of 5 years, the child said, "Mom, when I grow up I want to be just like you and work in the fields picking strawberries." That made the women reflect on herself as a role model for her children. She enrolled in Adult School and then Cabrillo College. Now she is a nurse.

In the real world, we have students who do battle with drugs and students who excel in academic coursework. We have students with illnesses that impede school progress and students who travel to distant hemispheres. We have new students who do not speak English entering the school system at all levels and at all times. We have students who need dental care and students who march to a different drummer. We have student athletes, musicians, airplane mechanics, artists, dancers, actors, computer wizards, writers, and videographers.

Trying to squeeze square pegs into little round holes is an exercise in futility. Let's recognize the many wonderfully unique individuals who make up a school system, appreciate their diversity and see to it that NCLB is amended so that our schools are responsive to all students and their individual needs.

Sandra Nichols is past president of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Governing Board serving 19,000 students in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. She is a Speech and Language Specialist with Santa Cruz City Schools, and was recently appointed by the Board of Supervisors to the Santa Cruz County Children and Youth Commission. The opinions expressed are those of Sandra Nichols and do not necessarily represent those of any school district, print publication or web site.

To learn more about Sandra Nichols, log on to: MeetSandra.com

Interesting anecdotes but entirely unresponsive to my points. If NCLB is not working, there are reasons. It may be that NCLB and the difficulties putting it into operation are a perfect opportunity to set up voucher plans which will make Student Achievement much more likely.

Cicerone Imposter did not think that he would find anecdotes from teachers and teacher unions which would be favorable to NSLB, would he?

After all, the results of the testing shows that many schools are not achieving the goals set up by NSLB.

Again, much more progress can be made in meeting the goals set up by NSLB if, as I have already pointed out, the teachers are not blamed for all of the problems that they encounter because of the ghetto mentality; the special students and highly disruptive are removed from the classes to special schools that will meet their needs; and, voucher schools are set up which will not include the special students and the disruptive. Only if this is done, will the goals set up by NSLB be within reach.

c.i.

You have my utmost sympathy.Your tales are humbling.To give them more rhetorical power you might consider juxtaposing each one with a story of self indulgence and waste from wealth settings.

But do not lose a sense of proportion.You are but one small voice and the world is full of sad cases.
Making the rich ashamed is often effective but even that well done is only a pebble in an ocean.

Here's a balanced article on school vouchers.
http://www.balancedpolitics.org/school_vouchers.htm

I am very much afraid that the "balanced" information given by Cicerone Imposter is filled with holes on the side antgagonistic to the voucher system.

l. The point that states that most schools that provide voucher based education are religious thus violating the church/state barrier is a strawman. Voucher schools can and have been set up by secular organizations especially in schools abandoned by parochial schools. The advantage of the voucher system set up by secular organizations is that they can defy the usual union restrictions which foolishly say that all teachers are the same and should be paid the same except for seniority.

2. The claim that voucher schools take money away from schools which are already underfunded is laughable. People who are not familiar with education do not know that if you lose a student or ten students or fifty students or a hundred students, you lose some funding but you also do not have to pay teachers to serve the nonexistent children--those who transferred out.

3. Voucher schools are not accountable??? I do believe that each school, be it parochial or private, is accountable to state regulations. Accountablity is leveraged by the parents whose children attend the school. Parents whose children are not succeeding will not allow their children to keep attending those schools.

4. Public Schools have to take everybody. Voucher schools do not have to do so. Exactly. That is why voucher schools should and must be set up to take care of students with special needs--eg mentally handicapped---severely disruptive. At this time the students in the public schools find themselves in settings where, because of mainstreaming, they lose a great part of the attention of the teacher who must take care of students with greater needs--the mentally handicapped and the severely disruptive.

A good voucher system will tgake all students but in separate venues. They don't even need to be in different buildings just as long as teachers can meet special needs in special surroundings.

It is indeed difficult to comply with the demands placed on the schools by the No Child Left Behind regulations in the public school settings but it can be done in voucher systems. That may very well be one of the unspoken objectives of NCLB--the need for more diversity and choice in our educational systems.

And where are all the teachers to come from?

Haven't you heard,Cicerone Imposter--President Bush has caused Massive Unemployment.
There are many teachers who have left the profession who would gladly work in a setting in which disruptive students and mentally handicapped students are not allowed.

Current studies show that there are many people who have started out in other fields who are interested in teaching.
Current studies also show that many people leave the profession after five years or so because of terrible teaching conditions. The voucher plans would help to solve the problem. If is clear to anyone who has ever taught that a class that has no severe disruptive students and/or no students who are autistic or severely mentally handicapped, are much more satisfying to teach.