Test scores show 325 Ark. schools fall short of standards

AP/Baxter Bulletin | August 10, 2006 | ANDREW DeMILLO

[SoftballMominVA]

If Arkansas has a lot of Hispanics then those scores boggle the mind. The Hispanic pass rate for literacy and math is almost equal to the Caucasian pass rate. The kids do get 1 year before entering the testing program, but 1 year has never been enough to catch up kids. Curious.

As far as the after school program, I was kind of hoping for something concrete that would help me as a teacher work with kids that don't want to stay after school for extra tutoring. I've heard the sarcasm plenty of times about government indoctrination, how we don't do enough, how we teachers are just failures. My question was, and still is, when you have teachers that want to teach and are good teachers, how do you get kids to stay after for that extra help. These aren't kids that are on the borderline btw, these are kids that in 6th grade are 4 to 5 years behind in reading and/or math. I've talked to parents numerous times about what is being offered and the usual response is, "Well, he just doesn't want to go, so I'm not going to make him."

Anything constructive on how to make an after school program more attractive so kids will stay and get help on adding, subtracting, multiplication and dividing and then learning how to read beyond a 2nd grade level would be great. That type of interaction would help; the sarcasm is just old hat and I've heard plenty of that from freepers. Teachers aren't very liked around here--not even the conservative ones.

[sweetliberty]

I'm afraid I don't have much in the way of ideas. When the parents don't care, the kids aren't likely to, and when there are no consistent consequences for poor performance, the kids have no motivation to change. And, of course, those of us who are essentially indentured to some insatiable bureaucratic blob of incompetence are exceptionally limited in what we can do to impose incentives and enforce consequences for failure to perform.

[SoftballMominVA]

You are right that many parents don't care, it's too bad that in the process these parents are turning out a generation that cares even less about hard work and education.

The resources are out there to help these poorly performing schools, but the kids and parents won't use them

I'm still really REALLY puzzled over the Hispanic literacy and math scores. Something smells very fishy. I think if someone stuck a nose into the system and looked around for a while they would find some fraud. But that doesn't make sense either. If you manipulate the scores for one group, why not do it for another too? If Tyson is trucking in Hispanics as you say (and I have no reason to not believe you) are they only trucking in literate ones? It's just odd. I'd like to know what they are doing to achieve just awesome pass rates--and it's not teaching to the test. You can't do that for math and reading. Those are skills you have or you don't. Teaching to the test only works for content areas. Curiouser and curiouser.....

[sweetliberty]

"I think if someone stuck a nose into the system and looked around for a while they would find some fraud."

Ya think? The politics in this largely democrat run state are an abomination. And our so called Republican governor, just like the president, never met an illegal he didn't like. Dead chickens are big business throughout the state, second only to Walmart. There are some areas in this state where you have to a reality check to make sure you're not in Nogales.

[TheBattman]

ESL and limited English students are allowed special accommodations for testing. All the school has to do is give specific details on the modifications/accommodations given. There is a list of what you can do....

And when you consider the money being pumped into ESL programs - SOMETHING had better be getting learned!

And remember - schools are required to demonstrate a 10%+ improvement in each grade, each year on these tests. Any school that does not demonstrate said improvement is put on the list.

Lets see here:

In any given "class" of students, you can figure about 2-5% REALLY work hard, really want to learn, and are the type of students all teachers WISH they had (these represent those who compete for Valedictorian).

Then you have another 25-30% of students who are "good students" - who generally do their work and are at least somewhat motivated - although not as competitive as the first group. This group actually contains a few of the "special education kids" who are in the program for legitimate reasons (an actual learning disability or other issue). These also are students that you enjoy as a teacher.

Then you have a group of between 35-40% that are at school because it's just what they are suppose to do. They often are not really a problem, but are not self-motivated, and must be pushed along to do their work. Some might say these are the "typical" students. You might look at them as the B and C group that get along.

Then you have a group of 20% or so who really don't want to be at school, are completely unmotivated, and don't participate in anything. They show up to school somewhat regularly - but are utterly un-moved to do anything. Sometimes these are actually some very "smart" kids who just don't care (background, friends, etc.). I call these folks "slugs" because they are there - but they don't do much more than occupy space.

And finally you have the last percentage - between 5% and 20% (in bad years, or particularly in many schools in the Arkansas Delta, the figure can actually go far higher) that not only don't care anything at all about school, education, or their future (many don't believe they will live in the "free world" past high school before they wind up dead or in prison). They are not only unmotivated - they are almost without fail - impossible to motivate. They schow up to school when the police bring them, or are threatened with jail/boot camp if they don't show up (sometimes by their parole officer). These students are far too often kept in school despite criminal activities, violence, drugs, and other trouble - because the courts say they must be in school...

So - you take these groups - the first group is always trying to improve - so this may help some. The second group also may be motivated to move up in achievement level and to take the tests seriously.

But we move to group 3 - and they are inconsistent about motivation - some can be energized to at least take the testing seriously - but most are only passively interested - unless their future plan of graduation from High School is threatened - then they at least make some effort.

The fourth group - They take the tests, but don't really give a significant effort. They may daydream through the testing, drawing pictures on the answer sheets (the bubble in answer sheets). If you can convince them that the tests are important to them getting out of school on time - they MIGHT give a half-hearted effort -but it is too late - they have brushed off school all year... so what have they learned that they can show on the test.... then they shut back down in frustration...

And the last group ---- ummm.. They often don't even show up on test days, thus have to be tested on the make-up days - and even then - may not score enough points to have even been worth testing them in the first place. IF they actually take the test - it is likely nothing more than scribbles on the answer sheet to make the teacher/test administrator shut up so they can get home and do nothing, or get drunk, or stoned, or to go rob someone, or break into a home, or......

All of these count in the test scores for the school. And God help a small school with 50 students or so per class - if they have 1 or two of the first two groups of students move to another district - then the scores for the grade may be SERIOUSLY affected.

And all of this is suppose to represent a 10% INCREASE in the number of students "proficient" on the tests.... as well as a 10% overall improvement in scores.

Let us just say that we can actually influence and motivate 10% of the non-proficient students to actually score the "proficient" level this year. What about next year? WE have to maintain that group (actually hoping that they continue the increase year after year), but we have to find at least 10% more students that we can motivate and influence to the point of passing.... And so on- eventually - even in a perfect school (doesn't exist, public or private), you eventually will run out of students that can be reached and motivated. You also run into a moving target of what is "proficient" - and when the standards keep moving - how do we accurately gauge our progress???

And then we want to throw in ESL students (many of which are likely from homes of illegals) and what do we get. And no - I'm not saying that ALL children of illegals are in the last group I mentioned earlier. Some can be quite motivated to learn - but these kids also fall into the same percentage game as our other students....

But again - how is it that American education was, at one time, considered the best in the world, yet the more government control has come into the classroom, the farther and farther we have fallen?

I remember when I was in school - the school curriculum was based, in large part, on what was needed - both for those kids who would graduate High School and go into the work force (ie. shop class and other "Job skills" classes") and the classes for those who were planning to go to college (the higher math and sciences and such). AS long as you had the minimum credits required (less than needed today), you would graduate - and hopefully the classes you had would help you on your path. The counselors would keep their ears to the colleges and universities to know what they required of students, and also listened to the employers in the area as well.

But no longer - we don't turn out people with work skills out of high school - NO - we have to pretend that 100% of students are going to college.

And then we have a president who, as best as I can tell, decided to take education away from the RATS as a political position and to sell NCLB to the congress.

What a wonderful idea - No Child Left Behind - why would anyone not want to sign on to that title? But what does that REALLY mean? The Government cannot print enough money, nor pay teachers enough to BUY EVERY child into "proficiency".... unless the standards are lowered (which I DO NOT WANT!).

I am a firm believer in - you get what you deserve (as a student) - offer "degrees" of high school diplomas:

#1 would be for those who are college-bound and motivated - this would be to the students that go way above and beyond the "minimum" requirements - they are active in the school (Athletics, music, arts, student government, volunteerism, etc.) and take AP courses while demonstrating high standards.

#2 would be for the bulk of students - these may be college bound, but were not the "honor students". This diploma would basically say that the student completed all requirements for graduation and maintained acceptable standards of achievement and work. These students may be less active in the school, but still have a desire to "make something" of themselves, they just were not in the highest group.

#3 Trade/work certificate - for those who take the minimum required for a diploma, but were also completers of job skills programs. This would tell employers that this graduate had received a basic education plus job skills in whatever field.

#4 Diploma of completion - just says the student completed the minimum coursework required for graduation. This would be the equivalent of a GED.

Anyone not fulfilling the requirements for any of the above 4 would get a certificate of attendance - that specified the courses completed and the percentage of time not at school.

Make University admission at least semi-competitive, and maintain standards to remain enrolled.

Colleges/Jr. Colleges/Community colleges, etc. would have slightly lower standards for admission - usually either based on receiving at least a Diploma of Completion plus work experience and/or some sort of aptitude demonstration and acceptance into specific programs of study.

The rest of the folks can do the jobs that illegals are now being imported to do.....

[sweetliberty]

Good analysis...and a pathetic state state of affairs, any way you look at it. I'm afraid that the clientele I deal with fall largely into the lower two groups. It is difficult to see so many kids that are so indifferent toward education. Many times, parents are too busy with their own lives to notice. Often the parents are poorly educated themselves and never learned to place any value on education. And sadly, some just don't care; but in every case, the system (read "government oversight") facilitates intellectual atrophy and yearly hundreds of thousands more young people are launched without a fizzle into the oblivion of vacuous mediocrity. A great many of them are emotionally unstable, lacking in reason, sound judgement and common sense, knowing only shallow, unbalanced and distorted social interactions and having grown up in a spiritual void, without knowledge of a loving God or even the assurance of a family's love.

What greater abuse is there than that of allowing children to languish in ignorance?

[TheBattman]

Boy - between the two of us - I think we have the situation pretty much discected - I'm waiting for us to be hired by the state as consultants....

[sweetliberty]

"I'm waiting for us to be hired by the state as consultants...."

What? And fix the problem? Whatever would become of all that revenue? Everybody knows that ignorance is caused by lack of federal funding and that higher taxes is the only answer. < /sarcasm >

[imjustme]

We moved to a new school district right before my daughter was entering 2nd grade. Her new teacher placed her in the 2 hour after school tutoring program because my daughter could not read or barely write.
It took awhile to realize she had been memorizing the little books in 1st grade and snuck through the cracks.
The after school program was a nightmare. I was getting notes home telling me to make sure she had books to read and her homework with her so she would not be bored. Now remember this is a little girl who couldn't read at all. She was going from her classroom straight to the tutoring room.
I had been told she would be getting some one on one tutoring. I later found out that the room had one and if they were lucky 2 teachers with a classroom full of different aged children. Basically it was like detention.
On top of that I was working one on one with my daughter when when I picked her up from school.
That was about 9 years ago so things might be different now with the programs. It didn't help my daughter at all.
Another problem I found when looking back over my daughters schooling (K-2) were the amount of subs she had. At first I didn't think much about it because I assumed they had college degrees. I found out one day some of her classmates moms were subbing plus who knows who else.
On the day I pulled my daughter out to homeschool her she wanted to say good bye to her teacher and so we walked down to her classroom. No teacher there. Just another sub.
I am not saying all subs are bad but there are alot that are not trained to deal with a classroom and when the teacher is gone so much it is easy for children to start falling through the cracks.
Just my experience with AR schools.

[A CA Guy]

We've known of their problems for over a year.