Posted on 02/07/2005 11:11:48 AM PST by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The nation's second-largest school district spent nearly $50 million on a computer reading program that failed to improve student literacy skills and sometimes hindered achievement because it wasn't used properly, a newspaper reported Monday.
The Los Angeles Unified School District hoped the Waterford Early Reading Program would boost test scores at low-performing elementary schools when it purchased the system four years ago to supplement language arts instruction in kindergarten and first-grade classrooms.
Instead, the system had no affect on most students and a "negative impact" on some kindergartners whose teachers substituted it for primary reading lessons, according to district reports in 2002 and 2003 that were reviewed by the Los Angeles Times.
The evaluations found that many teachers were too busy covering the district's rigorous reading curriculum to devote enough time and energy to the computer lessons, the newspaper said. Some teachers simply didn't know how to use the program while others couldn't because of computers that froze and broken headsets.
The findings prompted the district to order schools to limit the technology's use to struggling students.
Now, school officials question whether the program was worth so much of the cash-strapped district's funds. The $50 million cost could have built three new elementary schools, kept class sizes low or refurbished middle and high school science labs.
"It hasn't been a good use of money," said school board President Jose Huizar, who took office after the panel approved the Waterford contracts. "How could anyone continue to argue that it's working when it's not? It's underutilized and ineffective."
Superintendent Roy Romer, who once called Waterford "the Cadillac of all systems," said he and his aides reconsidered how best to implement the program and offered more teacher training.
"As I looked at this, it didn't provide as much bang for the buck as I would have liked," Romer said. "I think right now it is still the right program for certain kids at certain times of the day. But we need to be thoughtful in how we use this asset."
Pearson Digital Learning, Waterford's distributor, said the district's troubles with the system were unsurprising given the limited time teachers used it.
"The findings confirmed what we already knew: you have to turn it on to have an impact," said Andy Myers, Pearson's chief operations officer. "If you don't get all the way through the program and cover all of the material, then you can't expect the student gains."
Last fall, the school board approved a $741,000 contract for Waterford technical support. The agreement expires in June. District officials will decided later this year whether to renew the contract.
The district is the country's largest user of the Waterford program. Other districts say the program has helped raise test scores.
Yes, but I am sure the educators were paid handsomely for the training they received.
They'll spend any amount on the next gimmick or "innovation" but would never consider going back to teaching phonics.
Oh, yeah, another case of teachers (NOT ALL, don't flame please) who can't teach. Wow. I'm gabberflasted.
FMCDH(BITS)
Great googly moogly!...I haven't seen so many "true Zen sayings" since Frank Z cast off his mortal coil!
FMCDH(BITS)
Superintendent Roy Romer? The former Dem governor of Colorado? Former general chairman of the Democratic National Committee? Former national co-chairman of the Clinton-Gore '96 campaign? So why are we surprised?
Hey, the guy deserves a break.
He is much more conservative than the LAUSD bureaucracy.
Romer is the fellow who put LAUSD on phonics and traditional math, and LAUSD test scores have been rising (some). The liberals there hate him.
Part of what the public schools need to deal with is the result of millions of irresponsible parents. The schools screw up a lot too, maybe enough to justify trashing the system, but the fundamental problem isn't with the schools.
Well-brought-up Chinese kids in public schools regularly do extremely well.
Why Johnny can't read bump!!!
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