Posted on 01/03/2004 4:17:11 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Maryland students scored poorly on the new high school competency examinations again last year, and officials said they expect no improvement until passing the tests is required for graduation.
About half of 65,000 students failed the 2003 algebra and biology tests, about the same rate as 2002. Four in 10 failed government, and six in 10 failed English, including a large majority of poor and minority students and those with disabilities.
The results were posted without notice on the state Education Department's Web site Christmas week, just as students and teachers were headed home for the holidays. But Gary Heath, the state testing chief, said there was no effort to hide the dismal results.
(Excerpt) Read more at sunspot.net ...
True. Many people I talk to about this agree that the trades should be taught in high school. That's not going to happen, however, because it takes money away from the college system.
What you say about students of exceptional potential in urban (and rural) districts is absolutely correct (I assume you are using "urban" as a synonym for "black", it's still right).
Rather than "try to provide a good education for everyone" (given that everyone does not agree on the meaning of "a good education", not to mention that a good education for someone with an IQ of 80 is not the same as a good education for someone with an IQ of 120), shouldn't we try very hard to find the exceptional students in "urban" districts and get them the hell out of there before they are ruined?
The new policy of administering competency tests in algebra to schools with average IQs in the 70s and 80s, and then pronouncing them "failing" when the result is inevitable is grotesque and cruel.
Very true, but largely irrelevant.
The schools focus on social indoctrination because the teachers and the students (collectively) are too stupid to focus on trig.
Do the thought experiment:
Pick a golden age of American public education (I like 1940, but you choose your own).
Now, imagine your ideal public school's ideally rigorous twelfth grade curriculum. Expository Writing, English Literature (James, Shelly, Byron, Keats, Wordsworth, Emerson, Carlyle), Physics, Trigonometry or Calculus, Advanced American History, Metal Shop or Homemaking. (I know because I went to that school)
Now, insert the population of 17 year olds in the Detroit Public Schools into your dream school and test the results.
What's your pass rate? Does your school even stay open for a whole year?
Unfortunately, my school can top that one.
Because of the NCLB 95% of all student populations MUST take some sort of standardized tests to measure growth and progress. MUST TAKE THEM!! That incluces the special education students. In the school at which I teach we have 80 special ed students. 60 are LD/OHI, 10 are TMR (IQ's below 60) 5 are Autistic/TMR/Downs (all 5 have some combination of those three mentioned) 3 are EMR (IQ's below 80) and 2 are S/P (IQ's below 45)
Even though the LD kids had a phenomenal pass rate on the Reading--58 passed out of 60 on their given tests (Stanford, ITBS, SOL's, one or more of the above)and over 95% of the standard population passed their given tests (same tests as mentioned above), our school is considered a failing school. Why? Because of NCLB we could only exempt about 3 of the special ed students. Of the 20 non LD/OHI kids, 1 EMR student passed one of the reading tests. All else failed.
Regardles of the work done with the entire population, we are now labeled a failing school.
Someone out there wiser than I, please tell me how we can get a child with massive disabilities to pass ANY grade level test. BTW, Algebra is an especially low one. I'd love to hear guidance for that test.
Really, there is not that much money any more. The Federal government only pays 40% of the promised 60% of the bill for Special Ed. That money is very, very quickly taken up by the Severe and Profound population, many of whom have incredible needs. In our county alone, we have 4 kids in residental programs at a cost of $250k EACH. They will be there until they are 21.
In addition, the explosion of Autism diagnosis is a real money crunch. These kids require so many more services that schools have previously budgeted for.
I don't know if your county gives out this kind of info, but Monday, call your school board and ask how many students are in residential or day programs. If they tell you, you will be astounded. THAT is where the money goes.
As far as the LD students, schools are trying to get these kids OUT of special ed, because there IS no extra money for them. NONE. The states are paying big time and most are reducing rolls every year.
The NEA has achieved a level of control over the public school systems that no other union could ever dream of achieving not even the United Steel Workers. The NEA controls who can teach in public schools by getting legislatures to require teaching certification not of proficiency in subject matter but methods. The NEA provides money and funds to elect political candidates. When failing results are posted the NEA screams we need more money. Watch this session of the Maryland legislature.
So I join my brother in thanking the NEA for their successes. We both attended union free public schools but that was long ago and far away.
N.B. One problem that I have with the test results is that there are some public schools that have success and score well on the tests. I never read where the local school boards and superintendents go and examine why those schools are successful.
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