[NormsRevenge]

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California releases annual test scores — stagnant results, persistent gaps

http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/California-releases-annual-test-scores-12232610.php

Every year, state education officials release standardized test scores — and every year they say the same thing: The achievement gap persists.

This year’s scores are no different.

Education officials across California released their scores Wednesday, each highlighting what they saw as positive news in the data while lamenting the stubborn, and in some cases widening, achievement gap.

Despite decades of effort and billions of dollars in funding, test scores for white, Asian American and wealthier students are much higher than those of their black, Latino and low-income peers. On computerized tests administered in the spring, for example, just 19 percent of African American students were proficient in math, compared with 73 percent of Asian American students.

[sheana]

I don’t remember having to take a high school exit exam. You either had the grades/credits to graduate or you didn’t. I knew a few people who didn’t and had to go back and get the credits As long as they did it before they aged out at 19 they were good.
Graduating should be about your grades not whether or not you pass some stupid test.

[Verginius Rufus]

The obvious solution is to make math easier. “Math is hard,” according to that well-known American philosopher Barbie.

[umgud]

These tests probably conflict with common core.

[Sergio]

bkmk

[fireman15]

Despite decades of effort and billions of dollars in funding, test scores for white, Asian American and wealthier students are much higher than those of their black, Latino and low-income peers. On computerized tests administered in the spring, for example, just 19 percent of African American students were proficient in math, compared with 73 percent of Asian American students.

Our youngest grandson has given every indication that he is probably the brightest person in our extended family. Unfortunately, he is bored out of his mind in school. They apparently teach to the lowest common denominator at his school with little opportunity for the gifted to excel. We are in the middle of fixing one house to sell and fixing another to move into. As soon as we are done with that my wife and I are hoping to figure out how to help our kids send him to a private or at least a different school. This seems like a critical time to us. Talking with him it seems like his mind is being wasted there.

When I was a kid during baby boomer days, even with classes with 40 kids or more... those of us who were considered “gifted” were given opportunities to learn at an expedited level with little supervision using “modular” self teaching materials. I do not know that I made the very best use of my time with these materials but I found it much less boring than having to spend all my time with the rest of the class.

The dull also received “special” instruction so they wouldn't be “left behind”. These classes were much smaller as they required more one on one teaching time by teachers and assistants. They also expected those of us who were ahead the other students to try and tutor the less intelligent kids. It didn't seem fair to me at the time, and we were given no real training other than just being told to help some other kid get up to speed. But it was interesting for me to find out about how people with learning disabilities especially... were not able to use their minds in the same way that I did.

[Yulee]

When California keeps flooding their education system with kids who cannot understand English, and continually drop requirements so all can pass, the regular students live down to expectations.