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Audit rips Georgia schools' curriculum
Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | March 11, 2002 | JAMES SALZER

Posted on 03/11/2002 11:34:31 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

Georgia students are being rushed through a shallow curriculum by teachers concerned with covering dozens of concepts rather than making sure children are truly learning.

That's the conclusion of a new, independent audit of the state's Quality Core Curriculum, on which virtually all first- through eighth-graders will be tested next month.

The audit, by Phi Delta Kappa International, an Indiana-based association of educators, found that Georgia's curriculum does not allow teachers time to tackle issues in depth.

"We are teaching a lot of things in a shallow way," said Amy Denty, a middle school science teacher from Jesup and a one-time Georgia Teacher of the Year. "We need to make it more manageable for teachers and more meaningful for students."

Auditors, who visited 473 Georgia classrooms last year, found that in many there were few standards that forced children to go beyond memorizing facts. The rigor of math, science, English and social studies standards often increased little as children progressed through school. And the curriculum didn't fully meet national standards.

To address the problems, auditors said the state needs to prioritize and pare down the skills and ideas children are taught, and teach those that remain in more depth.

State officials are already discussing how to revise the standards as they phase in Gov. Roy Barnes' school reform program. State School Superintendent Linda Schrenko has been asked to make recommendations at this week's monthly meeting. Schrenko headed the Department of Education when the curriculum standards were last revised in 1997.

Many officials and educators understand well the curriculum's shortcomings. Georgia's continued low average on national standardized tests -- 49th last year on the SAT -- is one measure.

"This audit confirms what I have been saying for a long time," the governor said. "We need to toughen our curriculum."

The state board commissioned the audit in 2000, shortly after lawmakers passed Barnes' massive reform plan. That plan calls for grading schools based on how students scored on state curriculum tests, which have so far cost the state $32 million.

State officials place some of the blame for the curriculum's problems on the way it was developed. The effort included input from more than 30,000 educators and "revision teams." Nine public hearings were held and the process took two years. The result was a bloated list of standards, critics say.

The curriculum's problems are manifested in the classroom every day.

Denty said she only had about a week in her sixth-grade science class to cover alternative energy sources, a major topic that takes more than memorization.

"These are the kids who are going to be growing up and becoming our scientists and engineers," she said. "It's not something I feel like ever gets the coverage it needs."

Besides what is taught, auditors raised questions about how administrators and teachers have handled a curriculum weighted down by dozens of learning "objectives" -- an education term referring to skills like identifying geometric shapes or graphing sets of numbers -- for each subject.

"What students learned was not given much importance in teacher and principal interviews," the auditors wrote.

The auditors found heavy use of textbooks, worksheets and teacher lectures and little use of labs, hands-on exercises or small-group discussions. Critics of the state's reliance on standardized testing say those teaching methods fit the pattern of educators trying to make sure kids are prepared for exams.

"What you've got are frazzled teachers trying to keep up with coverage (of objectives) because that's what they are graded on," said Carl Glickman, a University of Georgia education professor. Clint Hicks, a middle school math teacher in Murray County, said officials shouldn't blame teachers for trying to meet all the objectives. "We have kids who come to us in the seventh grade who don't know their (multiplication) tables," he said. "It's not the teacher's fault, they are trying to teach everything they are supposed to teach. There is little room for teacher judgment."

A common complaint, Hicks said, is that educators are trying to teach objectives in one grade when some of their students haven't yet mastered last year's objectives. "If they can't do simple equations by the time they leave me, they won't be able to do algebra next year," he noted.

Some school systems have already addressed the curriculum's limits. Habersham County teachers, for example, have been working since 1998 to align their curriculum with national education standards. "It's not enough to know multiplication facts. You have to know how to use the multiplication facts in real-life setting," said Judy Forbes, assistant superintendent in the north Georgia school district. "If you're going to expect children to learn things, you have to do more than cover concepts."

Georgia officials say the curriculum tests can be tweaked to cover more rigorous instruction if it is revised. Ron Newcomb, the governor's education adviser, said work has begun on revising the curriculum. New University System Chancellor Tom Meredith already has volunteered to lead a group revising the math curriculum.

"We're looking to the state board and the DOE to get it fixed as soon as possible," Newcomb said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: academialist; education; educationnews; homeschoollist
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1 posted on 03/11/2002 11:34:31 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
The teachers unions try hard to kill standard testing here in MA. They fabricated all sorts of rationales as to why it should be abandoned even covertly encouraging the students to boycott the test. The inescapable fact, though, is that unless you have standardized testing the teachers aren't obliged to anything really. They hate being held accountable.
2 posted on 03/11/2002 11:48:17 AM PST by thegreatbeast
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Denty said she only had about a week in her sixth-grade science class to cover alternative energy sources, a major topic that takes more than memorization.

Oh, brother.

3 posted on 03/11/2002 11:53:39 AM PST by moyden
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Ah, the second public school bashing thread of the day. yawn
4 posted on 03/11/2002 11:55:16 AM PST by Intimidator
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To: Cincinatus' Wife;Intimidator;Academia List;Education News;Homeschool; First_Salute...
Here are links to various education threads (also containing numerous helpful links)

FReegards

Public School Isn't Like I Remember It
Too Good Reports; Published: February 28, 2002;
Author: Phyllis Schlafly

What Is Lacking In Our Educational System
Source: Too Good Reports; Published: February 28, 2002;
Author:| Ben Cerruti

The charade of education reform
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: February 2, 2002;
Author: Dr. Samuel L. Blumenfeld

American public schools: Working just as designed
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: January 21, 2002;
Author: Vox Day

High Schools Fail Thanks To Grade Inflation And Social Promotion
Source: Toogood Reports; Published: December 5, 2001
Author: Vin Suprynowicz

WHY AMERICANS CAN’T READ
Source: Accuracy in Media; Published: December 4, 2001
Author: Reed Irvine and Cliff Kincaid

The Failing Teacher and the Teachers' Code of Silence
Source: CNSNews.com; Published: December 3, 2001
Author: Glenn Sacks

Time for outrage! Linda Bowles reports latest results in America's public schools
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: November 27, 2001
Author: Linda Bowles

Illiterate in Boston: Samuel Blumenfeld explains U.S.'s ongoing reading problem
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: July 20, 2001
Author:Samuel Blumenfeld

NEA - Let our children go!
Source: WorldNet Daily; Published: June 23. 2001
Author: Linda Harvey

COOKING THE BOOKS AT EDUCATION
Source: Accuracy In Media; Published: June 5, 2001;
Author: Cliff Kincaid

Why Do Schools Play Games With Students' Minds ?
Source: The Detroit News; Published: April 1, 2001
Author: Thomas Sowell

The Public School Nightmare: Why fix a system designed to destroy individual thought?
Source: http://home.talkcity.com/LibraryDr/patt/homeschl.htm
Author: John Taylor Gatto

Dumbing down teachers
Source: USNews.com; Published: February 21, 2001
Author: John Leo

Free Republic links to education related articles (thread#8)
Source: Free Republic; Published: 3-20-2001
Author: Various

Are children deliberately 'dumbed down' in school? {YES!!!}
Source: World Net Daily; Published: May 13, 2001
Author: Geoff Metcalf {Interview}

New Book Explores America's Education Catastrophe
Source: Christian Citizen USA; Published: April 2000
Author: William H. Wild

Deliberately dumbing us down (Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt's, "The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America"
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: December 2,1999
Author: Samuel L. Blumenfeld

Could they really have done it on purpose?
Source: THE LIBERTARIAN; Published: 07/28/2000
Author: Vin Suprynowicz

From the Littleton Crisis to Government Control Littleton Crisis to Government Control

The UN Plan for Your Mental Health The UN Plan for Your Mental Health


5 posted on 03/11/2002 11:58:01 AM PST by Stand Watch Listen
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To: thegreatbeast
They hate being held accountable.

Bump!

6 posted on 03/11/2002 11:58:21 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Intimidator
yawn

Only two! We must be slipping.

7 posted on 03/11/2002 11:59:04 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Lets talk about nuking somebody, its much more interesting than talking about school.
8 posted on 03/11/2002 12:00:12 PM PST by Intimidator
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To: moyden
...she only had about a week in her sixth-grade science class to cover alternative energy sources..

Isn't that a real gem? Those schools of education are keeping the LIBERAL group think on target.

9 posted on 03/11/2002 12:00:36 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Stand Watch Listen
Bump for the LINKS!
10 posted on 03/11/2002 12:01:12 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Intimidator
Lets talk about nuking somebody, its much more interesting than talking about school.

I know, so much light being shed on all that worthless LIBERAL pap being dished out
in public schools is enough to make any LIBERAL Democrat want to change the subject.

11 posted on 03/11/2002 12:03:44 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Stand Watch Listen; All
State School Superintendent Linda Schrenko has been asked to make recommendations at this week's monthly meeting.
Schrenko headed the Department of Education when the curriculum standards were last revised in 1997.

Does this make the least bit of sense to anyone?

12 posted on 03/11/2002 12:08:33 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
It is awkwardly phrased. Evidently she was first elected in 1994, then reelected in 1998. Thus, she was Head of the (Georgia) Department of Education "when the curriculum standards were last revised in 1997. "
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/schrenko/schrenko.asp


Mrs. Linda C. Schrenko
State Superintendent of Schools
Georgia Department of Education
2066 Twin Towers East
Atlanta, Georgia 30334-5001
Tel. (404) 656-2800
E-mail: state.superintendent@doe.k12.ga.us
State Superintendent of Schools Linda C. Schrenko
Mrs. Linda C. Schrenko is a Georgia native and lifetime educator. Prior to being elected as State Superintendent of Schools, she served in Georgia public schools as a teacher, counselor, and administrator.

She was elected Superintendent of Georgia's Public Schools in 1994 and re-elected to office in 1998. As State School Superintendent, she serves as the Executive Director for the Georgia Department of Education. In that capacity, she is the state's top appointed official over Georgia's K-12 public schools and the Chief Executive Officer of the Georgia Board of Education.


13 posted on 03/11/2002 12:25:26 PM PST by Stand Watch Listen
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To: summer
FYI
14 posted on 03/11/2002 12:27:38 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
ROFLMAO, you think I'm a liberal Democrat. I'm a bible believing, deer hunting, NRA member, I just get tired of all the public school bashing thats all.
15 posted on 03/11/2002 12:29:03 PM PST by Intimidator
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To: Stand Watch Listen
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhha!
16 posted on 03/11/2002 12:34:00 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Intimidator
....I just get tired of all the public school bashing thats all.

Bashing? Why not take some time from your preaching and shooting long enough to recognize the need for criticizing the public school system?

17 posted on 03/11/2002 12:37:11 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: shaggy eel, Amelia
Thanks for the ping, shaggy eel. Amelia, FYI.
18 posted on 03/11/2002 1:14:41 PM PST by summer
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; Stand Watch Listen; WindMinstrel; Homeschool_list; M1991; cdwright; mbb bill...
"It would make it very difficult for us to home school our daughter," Lisa Reiss, a home schooling parent from Manchester, Connecticut, said. "We don't set a curriculum for the whole school year. We teach to mastery and once she has mastered a concept, we revise our curriculum every quarter or so. For us to have to submit a curriculum in the beginning of September would be very difficult."
Guys, The above from another article at Cybercast News Service {CNS} I caught at WND this evening.

THIS is a REAL problem to those running the public schools. In public schools. so much time is alloted for each section of a subject, and whether or not the children have "mastered" that section, the teacher is FORCED to move on to the next section. No matter that some students get the section down pat quickly and become bored, while the majority of the students seldom begin to understand, they move "forward". This lady is doing it RIGHT, and the educational commune-ity would, if at all possible, destroy that. The other part aboout this particular bill is that the state is insisting that parents register the children of the state to be counted. Beside the small{?} item of beginning to demand that {for now} "teachers must have at least a high school education or equivalency. Those running and making up the public educational commune-ity are NOT nice people, as much as we would wish it so.
=====================

CW, I posted the above on the Connecticut Homeschooling bill post just a few minutes ago. Seems to fit here as well. Peace and love, George.

19 posted on 03/11/2002 3:36:30 PM PST by George Frm Br00klyn Park
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To: Stand Watch Listen
Linda Schrenko is a pain in the neck to Roy Barnes, so she is useful. She is also running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination to take on Roy this fall, but I doubt if she wins the primary.
20 posted on 03/11/2002 4:04:05 PM PST by Re-electNobody
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