Speaking of Edumakation

[Scout26]

Got this in the e-mail today:

February 2014

 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

Students in District 200 schools will be taking the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) beginning March 3, 2014.  We urge you to make every effort to have your child in school on those days, as the information from the tests is becoming increasingly important to our district and our schools.  For schools to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), at least 95 percent of the students in the school must take the ISAT.  Making AYP is important for several reasons:

 

   + It ensures that we continue to receive federal funding for special programs.
   + It keeps us from being labeled “failing” or “not making progress”.
   + It prevents us from having to make significant changes in our programs and structure.

 

The test results also give us important information we can use to help individual children in areas where they may be struggling and to plan school-wide improvement initiatives.

 

Students in grades three through eight will be tested in reading and mathematics. Students in grades four and seven will be tested in science. When the results are returned to us, we will send you information about how your child performed on the tests. School-wide results are reported on the School Report Card which is released by the State of Illinois.

 

We will review these results along with information from our local assessments to help us improve our school program. You can help your child do his/her best on the test by:

 

    making sure that your child attends school on the days the tests are administered;
    ensuring that your child gets a good night’s sleep the night before testing;
    providing breakfast on the mornings of testing or encourage your child to eat breakfast at school; (please see attached flier about our school breakfast program)
    reminding your child to ask the teacher questions if he/she does not understand the test directions;
    letting your child know that you have confidence in his/her ability to do his/her best; and
    advising your child not to worry about the test and simply do the best he/she can.

 

Please call your child’s teacher if you want additional information or have questions about the ISAT.

 

Sincerely,

{Bolding mine}

It's only as an afterthought that they use the tests to figure out if Suzie and Timmy can't read, and then sit down and figure why none of the kids can do their chiperin' right.  

Isn't this what we pay teachers for ??  To teach them all and if some are having trouble, get them the extra (in-house) help they need based upon their observations and interactions in the classrooms?   If second graders can tell you who the "dumb kids" in the class are, then so should the teachers.  

[fifth_column]

 + It prevents us from having to make significant changes in our programs and structure.

This is my favorite.  Why make changes when everything is going sooo well . . .

[MillCreek]

Oh, I can assure you that the typical teacher knows which students are struggling.  And which parents don't want to hear it or want to argue about it or deny it and which parents want to work with their children and the teachers so that the child can be successful.  

And because of NCLB, most of the districts put a whole lot of emphasis on the standardized testing to avoid the penalties for failing to make standard and comply with the state and Federal legislative mandates for certain levels of achievement.  Most of the teachers of my acquaintance aren't too keen on 'teaching to the test', but the mantra these days is standardized testing.  

[freakazoid]

If second graders can tell you who the "dumb kids" in the class are, then so should the teachers.  

I think the problem is probably that most of the kids can tell who the smart kids are.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

I keep hearing about how much teachers hate standardized testing.  But what do they propose instead?

Surely teachers understand that we need some mechanism for measuring the success or failure of our schools.

[makattak]

I'd like to know something. How do teachers "teach to the test?"

Are they spending time giving testing strategies instead of covering the material?

Have they been given advance warning about what the test will cover?

I've heard this claimed EVERY TIME standardized testing comes up. Can someone provide me an example of what "teaching to the test" is?

[MillCreek]

I know that my wife scrutinizes her scores closely and compares them against her peers and the district and state benchmarks.  She is pretty keen on standardized testing, but wishes that the district did not mandate so much time be spent teaching to the test but knows how the Feds and state require it. She is designated as a 'Master Teacher' in elementary reading, and her scores even for the lower socioeconomic kids are consistently near the top in the state.  The district sends a lot of other teachers to observe her to see how she does it and she also does some curriculum development for the state office of public instruction.

[MillCreek]

I'd like to know something. How do teachers "teach to the test?"

Are they spending time giving testing strategies instead of covering the material?

Have they been given advance warning about what the test will cover?

I've heard this claimed EVERY TIME standardized testing comes up. Can someone provide me an example of what "teaching to the test" is?

I will ask her how she defines it and report back.  I know that in Washington, teachers are broadly aware of what sort of things are covered on the test for a given grade level, like reading fluency, arithmetic skills, critical thinking and the like.  They do not know the actual questions since those are done by an outside company who guards them securely.  You read in the media about the occasional cheating scandal whereby students or teachers do get the actual questions in advance.  I don't think that happens in the Washington standardized tests, since they are developed and scored by a national vendor.  They have scripts to follow when administering the test to try and make it a level playing field for all the classrooms across the state.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

I'd like to know something. How do teachers "teach to the test?"

Are they spending time giving testing strategies instead of covering the material?

Have they been given advance warning about what the test will cover?

I've heard this claimed EVERY TIME standardized testing comes up. Can someone provide me an example of what "teaching to the test" is?

the other thing i've observed is that in the course of teaching a certain unit a teacher might like to expand/expound on some facet. either because of problems or sometimes because the kids are actually learning and going beyond the minimum.  that can't happen for long lest they not cover the material they know will be on the test.  yea they are given guidelines for what MUST  be covered

the testing came into play because in some schools stuff was not working, at all.  like the scholars in new york.  and teachers have tenure and unions.  testing offers a stick to beat them with.

[SADShooter]

the other thing i've observed is that in the course of teaching a certain unit a teacher might like to expand/expound on some facet. either because of problems or sometimes because the kids are actually learning and going beyond the minimum.  that can't happen for long lest they not cover the material they know will be on the test.  yea they are given guidelines for what MUST  be covered

the testing came into play because in some schools stuff was not working, at all.  like the scholars in new york.  and teachers have tenure and unions.  testing offers a stick to beat them with.

And, regrettably, this illustrates the main problem with a centralized, one-size-fits-all approach: the students also get hit with the indiscriminate stick.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

And, regrettably, this illustrates the main problem with a centralized, one-size-fits-all approach: the students also get hit with the indiscriminate stick.

my time in the school leads me to believe that the standards are a minimum.  and going below that should be unacceptable. having the gov set the bar and swing the stick sucks but it came as a result of some real bad schools that never improved under local control. lots of reasons for that some financial most political

[SADShooter]

my time in the school leads me to believe that the standards are a minimum.  and going below that should be unacceptable. having the gov set the bar and swing the stick sucks but it came as a result of some real bad schools that never improved under local control. lots of reasons for that some financial most political

Understood, and I don't disagree. Just commenting on the shame of applying a bloated bureaucratic solution to a bloated bureaucratic problem, with the result that the only thing that suffers is the original goal of the whole exercise.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Yea it sucks. Brings to mind african proverb. " when elephants fight only the grass suffers"

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

[SADShooter]

Yea it sucks. Brings to mind african proverb. " when elephants fight only the grass suffers"

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

An excellent analogy, apart from being somewhat insulting to real elephants.

[makattak]

I will ask her how she defines it and report back.  I know that in Washington, teachers are broadly aware of what sort of things are covered on the test for a given grade level, like reading fluency, arithmetic skills, critical thinking and the like.  They do not know the actual questions since those are done by an outside company who guards them securely.  You read in the media about the occasional cheating scandal whereby students or teachers do get the actual questions in advance.  I don't think that happens in the Washington standardized tests, since they are developed and scored by a national vendor.  They have scripts to follow when administering the test to try and make it a level playing field for all the classrooms across the state.

Thank you, I'll be interested to know what is meant.

[Gowen]

There is no one more arrogant than a school teacher....  Except perhaps an IT guy.   

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Chef is at least as bad

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

[Scout26]

lots of reasons for that some financial most political

Bullcrap.

Chicago Catholic schools spend less then 1/3 what Chicago Public schools spend per pupil but get 70% higher test scores.   Political it is, but the Number One driver of school test scores is parental in involvement.   Period. End. Full Stop.

[TechMan]

So you know which week to schedule vacation on.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Bullcrap.

Chicago Catholic schools spend less then 1/3 what Chicago Public schools spend per pupil but get 70% higher test scores.   Political it is, but the Number One driver of school test scores is parental in involvement.   Period. End. Full Stop.

i think you over simplify it
catholic schools can pick and choose who they take  public schools have to take anyone
catholic schools aren't saddled with a dozen gov "programs" they are legislated to provide
kids in catholic schools know their parents laid out big bucks and there will be consequences if they waste dads cash
catholic school kids have a higher percentage of 2 parent family's. thats a biggie
catholic school kids feel different/special in a positive way. they know the bar is higher and they are surrounded by other kids like them
catholic schools use user fees for lots of extracurricular activities
another biggie is kids in catholic schools know there are consequences
and don't overlook the religious component as a behavioral modifier

sadly in some cases parents use catholic school as a substitute for involvement. lots of busy parents think that the school can compensate for their limited time with their kids. sometimes its a matter of convenience or careers that demand a lot of time.  or guys who are overseas and are trying to give the parent at home a bit of help keeping the kids on track.

[HankB]

i think you over simplify it
catholic schools can pick and choose who they take  public schools have to take anyone . . .

What this means is that Catholic schools don't have to tolerate the level of thuggery, drugs, and violent offenders that politicians have mandated for "da publik skuuls."

Nor do they suffer under the asinine politics of teacher's unions.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Yes good summary

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

[Scout26]

i think you over simplify it

And I think you talk out your ass.

catholic schools can pick and choose who they take  public schools have to take anyone

Umm, no.  The Chicago Catholic schools will take anyone who can pay (and it ain't a whole lot) but those within Chicago generally can't afford to pay both taxes and tuition.  There have been several Catholic schools close because they can't get enough kids to enroll.

catholic schools aren't saddled with a dozen gov "programs" they are legislated to provide

One benefit of NOT being a public school

kids in catholic schools know their parents laid out big bucks and there will be consequences if they waste dads cash

Maybe not big bucks  (IIRC tuition is around $3k per year.)  But again.  Parental involvement.

catholic school kids have a higher percentage of 2 parent family's. that's a biggie

No, lots of one parent households send their kids to Catholic schools here in Chicago.  

catholic school kids feel different/special in a positive way. they know the bar is higher and they are surrounded by other kids like them

No necessary .  Not many nuns left teaching.  Most are in administrative roles.  And again IIRC, the majority of the kids aren't even Catholic.  

catholic schools use user fees for lots of extracurricular activities

And so do the public schools.  You ought see what we pay for Baseball and other sports.  Football is about $1k.  Hockey is about $5k

another biggie is kids in catholic schools know there are consequences
and don't overlook the religious component as a behavioral modifier

True.

sadly in some cases parents use catholic school as a substitute for involvement. lots of busy parents think that the school can compensate for their limited time with their kids. sometimes its a matter of convenience or careers that demand a lot of time.  or guys who are overseas and are trying to give the parent at home a bit of help keeping the kids on track.

Ummm, again no.   Parents that send their kids to a private school, be that Catholic or otherwise, generally are involved with their kids, and are striving to give them better then average to help them succeed in life.   It's generally those that send their kids to public schools that simply use the school as a babysitting service.   I knew several who sacrificed (and you don't want to know how much fundraising crapola I bought when I worked on the west side of Chicago.  Not just from Hispanics but also African Americans seeking to reduce their tuition and other costs), to put their kids into catholic schools because the wanted their kids to do better than them.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

I spent 6 outa 12 years in catholic school. I volunteer at the local ones (2) and I spend a ton of time at the public schools my kids go to. Your perspectives differ from my observations

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

[Scout26]

Because I'm talking about the ones here in Chicago, perchance?  And my conversations and observations with my employees who sent their kids to Chicago Catholic schools?