My annual thank you to Pres. Bush and Sen. Kennedy for NCLB
My daughter just finished her standardized testing last week. I thought it appropriate to comment on why NCLB may be the worst piece of educational legislation in thirty years.
Teachers unions will continue to argue standardized tests are inherently unfair and do nothing to actually teach children. I agree. Supporters of NCLB will talk of a lack of acountability in public schools. Taxpayers have a right to know if their tax dollars are being used wisely. Again, I agree.
I fail to see, however, how anyone who objectively looks at the effects of NCLB in our schools can support it. Remember the conservative's battle cry in the 90's of how public schools have dumbed down curiculum? Our very own Charley Sykes even wrote a book on the subject. Yet they all seem to be in support of a federal law that does more to dumb down public schools than any new textbook or teaching theory.
NCLB tests every child in grades 3-8 and demands annual yearly progress (AYP) in a number of sub-categories as defined by race, learning challenges etc. Schools and even school districts that don't meet AYP several years in a row can face financial sanctions, among other penalties. AYP, however, is defined by our federal government to be moving students from the miminal and basic levels to the proficient and advanced levels.
Here lies the problem. My daughter already tests in the proficient and advanced areas in all subjects. According to President Bush and Senator Kennedy, her continued progress in school is no longer important. So she is subjected to weeks and weeks, (no, not days) of wasted educational time while teachers review school work done months and, in many cases, years ago. Review aimed at students on the threshold of reaching the proficient level on these standardized tests. Then, of course, there are the testing days themselves. Again, a waste of my daughter's time. How many times does the federal government think I need to see a 80-90% national aggregate score to understand I am blessed with a smart daughter? I believe the seventh or eighth time probably did the trick. STOP WASTING HER SCHOOL TIME!
Sound like a rant from a parent with an exceptional child? Think again. In Waukesha County, roughly 80-85% of all students are already scoring in the proficient and advanced areas. That's right, parents, your student's continued progress in school isn't important to our federal leaders either. Schools are being judged as "in need of improvement" not by how they teach the majority of their students but by how a small percentage of kids fare on high-stakes tests.
School districts around the county are responding to NCLB. Responding by refocusing their time, energy and, yes, resources toward making sure the 15% continue to show progress. The losers? The 85% we are ignoring. The 85% who see less of the classroom time spent on their academic level. The 85% who are seeing programs that help them cut to meet the demands of NCLB.
If it sounds like I don't believe their is an achievement gap in this country, you are wrong. It is, in fact, the biggest problem facing public schools today. Their are things we need to do to ensure the success of all children. Dumbing down our schools, however, isn't one of them...
Teachers unions will continue to argue standardized tests are inherently unfair and do nothing to actually teach children. I agree. Supporters of NCLB will talk of a lack of acountability in public schools. Taxpayers have a right to know if their tax dollars are being used wisely. Again, I agree.
I fail to see, however, how anyone who objectively looks at the effects of NCLB in our schools can support it. Remember the conservative's battle cry in the 90's of how public schools have dumbed down curiculum? Our very own Charley Sykes even wrote a book on the subject. Yet they all seem to be in support of a federal law that does more to dumb down public schools than any new textbook or teaching theory.
NCLB tests every child in grades 3-8 and demands annual yearly progress (AYP) in a number of sub-categories as defined by race, learning challenges etc. Schools and even school districts that don't meet AYP several years in a row can face financial sanctions, among other penalties. AYP, however, is defined by our federal government to be moving students from the miminal and basic levels to the proficient and advanced levels.
Here lies the problem. My daughter already tests in the proficient and advanced areas in all subjects. According to President Bush and Senator Kennedy, her continued progress in school is no longer important. So she is subjected to weeks and weeks, (no, not days) of wasted educational time while teachers review school work done months and, in many cases, years ago. Review aimed at students on the threshold of reaching the proficient level on these standardized tests. Then, of course, there are the testing days themselves. Again, a waste of my daughter's time. How many times does the federal government think I need to see a 80-90% national aggregate score to understand I am blessed with a smart daughter? I believe the seventh or eighth time probably did the trick. STOP WASTING HER SCHOOL TIME!
Sound like a rant from a parent with an exceptional child? Think again. In Waukesha County, roughly 80-85% of all students are already scoring in the proficient and advanced areas. That's right, parents, your student's continued progress in school isn't important to our federal leaders either. Schools are being judged as "in need of improvement" not by how they teach the majority of their students but by how a small percentage of kids fare on high-stakes tests.
School districts around the county are responding to NCLB. Responding by refocusing their time, energy and, yes, resources toward making sure the 15% continue to show progress. The losers? The 85% we are ignoring. The 85% who see less of the classroom time spent on their academic level. The 85% who are seeing programs that help them cut to meet the demands of NCLB.
If it sounds like I don't believe their is an achievement gap in this country, you are wrong. It is, in fact, the biggest problem facing public schools today. Their are things we need to do to ensure the success of all children. Dumbing down our schools, however, isn't one of them...
posted by jyd at 11:59 PM
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