|
|
Mr. Wizard
The other interesting thing: the test results that are featured in the performance index are scaled scores. Today (the 14th), we get the results. These results are based on how well (or not) the rest of the kids across the state are doing.
It's not a minimum standard - it's an adjusted one. Results for your school, regardless of address, are based on the averages across the state. A school could have unchanged numbers of questions answered correctly, yet improve (or drop) if the state dramatically changes. Or if the Department of Education changes the scaling.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pickerington will lose money
I am sure with years of the school district parents relying so much on good numbers coming from the school district any kind of re-scaling or lowering of those numbers as a comparison to the state averages will come as a big shock to many.
I remember a few years ago the kids at the High school were sporting badges proclaiming they were excellent. Will they now be wearing badges saying, ''we are still working on it?''
If the earlier poster is correct about the small groups of 30 and that group must make progress then larger school districts will be affected the most. I am also wondering if the children with special needs will now be shunned from the PLSD?
I think our expectations some times are set so high we lose sight of the purpose of our education system and where we are heading in this country. I know of a special Ed teacher in another school district that had a parent conference with a woman who had twins (a boy and a girl). The boy was hyperactive had he had problems paying attention in class. The other twin, the girl, excelled in all of her subjects and loved doing her home work. The parent then proceeded to rip my teacher friend for not bringing HER SON up to the same level as her daughter.
The point here is shouldn't we give our kids an aptitude type test and measure what their capabilities are and then try to teach to those capabilities? We are currently teaching to a test. I think we are dumbing down our bright students (even in the same family) and spending far too many resources on those that struggle with class work trying to pass a test totally unrelated to their abilities.
I saw a story on TV the other day about the America that is changing and many of our young can't work with their hands and fix thing likes years ago. The fact is not everyone is college material. Not everyone has the patience to stick their noses in a book or a bunch of books and write a term paper. Now look at the graduation test our tenth graders are required to take. Most relate to higher math and science and many questions none of us will ever use in real life.
So the question is should our school system create only college educated people or should we strive to get the highest potential from our kids? What happens to those kids that fail to measure up to the high levels that these test artificially set?
Clearly what the ODE is doing is they are setting up the stage to take money from fast growing districts (Pickerington) and put that money into a pit like the urban schools. Also note that this will shift money along party lines.
|
|
|
YOU GOT IT
The whole No Child Left Behind thing is designed to get the government out of public education in a way that holds the government unaccountable - it'll be the schools' fault that they cannot meet ''standards'' that constantly move.
By Mr. Wizard
|
|
|
Testing is faulty
New Albany's report card has the ''excellent'' designation; Pickerington is ''continuous improvement.''
Yet New Albany's 8th grade Social Studies score is LOWER than Picktown's. 68.9 vs 70.7.
Go beyond the ''designation'' and look at the numbers to get the real story.
By Mr. Wizard
|
