More $$$ for testing...yippee

Just over a year ago we were promised change, instead we are getting even more of what made NCLB so detestable.

From edweek and the AP:

"The U.S. Department of Education has given the green light to the $350 million Race to the Top assessment competition, which will award grants to groups of states to create rigorous common tests to complement the common standards effort already underway.

We have spent eight years testing our students to death to meet ridiculous NCLB standards and now, Sec of Ed Arne Duncan wants to give states even more money, millions in fact, to develop more rigorous tests. Thanks Mr. Secretary, the exact thing I was hoping for, more ways to spend my time hearing about how we HAVE to do better on "the test". Where is the change? Where is the new way of educating?

I expect that Duncan or one of his entourage who have toured many public schools. I woiuld hope in their travels that maybe they've noticed our schools are falling apart, or maybe they've picked up a New York Times you've seen that districts have had to let thousands of teachers go because of falling revenue. Yet, this administration is awarding millions for more testing.

WTF???!!!

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2010/04/350_million_race_to_the_common.html

Too much snow in NashVegas=longer school day

We have missed 8 days because of snow in Nashville, including one professional development day. To rectify this our school board has decided, without one bit of teacher input, to extend the school day by 30 minutes.

Thanks.

And another huge thank you to our school board and administration who released the news to the local media BEFORE to the employees most effected, teachers. It is so much more fun and interesting to hear half-truths and innuendo from people wh only heard part of the story than to get the info firsthand. I'mnot suggesting that parents aren't good listeners, I'm saying that may have been driving or some other more important task.

Back to the implementation of this obviously well-thought out plan.
The extra 30 minutes isn't much of a problem elementary but what about high school? Do high schools and middle schools extend each period by 5 minutes or do the kids go back to homeroom for an additional 30 minutes at the end of the day. No possible management problems there.
What they expect us to do for an extra 30 minutes is anyone's guess, but I'm pretty sure that administrators are going to expect us to do some kind of scripted intervention, or other kind of skill & drill that 2nd graders love soooo much.


The official press release

School Days Extended to Make Up for Snow Days
MNPS prepares for snow days every school year by building extra days into the schedule. This year's unusual amount of snow resulted in seven snow days, two more than were built into the school calendar. The two extra days must now be made up. To this end, the School Board has voted to extend the school day for all schools during a 28-day period this spring. Beginning on March 8, 2010, all schools in MNPS will stay 30 minutes past their normal dismissal times. The extended school day will run until April 16, 2010. During TCAP testing the week of April 19, 2010, normal schedules will resume. The extended day will resume the following Monday, April, 26, 2010, and run until that Wednesday, April 28, 2010. A full explanation follows:

March 8, 2010 - April 16, 2010 30 Minutes Later
April 19, 2010 - April 23, 2010 TCAP Testing - Normal Schedules
April 26, 2010 - April 28, 2010 30 Minutes Later
April 29, 2010 - End of the Year Normal Schedules

Example Schedules
Elementary Schools 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Enhanced Option Schools 8:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Middle Schools 8:55 a.m. - 4:25 p.m.
High Schools 7:05 a.m. - 2:35 p.m.
Magnet Schools 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

This extended schedule applies to ALL SCHOOLS (except for Charter Schools), STUDENTS & FACULTY

Test score trouble in Georgia

There is a huge push from the federal government to tie teacher evaluations, tenure decisions and even merit pay to high-stakes test scores. Whenever I hear this and how good an idea is supposedly is I want to know where the research is to support such a plan. If any politician or editor or blogger would show some research that shows test scores are raised when teachers receive more pay I might change my mind. Might. But I won't have to because everytime it's been tried situations like the following in Georgia arise.

Remember, there is no merit pay tied to test scores in Georgia, yet it appears that there are significant testing errors and irregularities.

"More than a dozen school districts are expected to launch investigations after a state review showed possible cheating on standardized tests at about 20 percent of Georgia elementary and middle schools last year.

At least one district - Atlanta Public Schools - announced shortly after Mathers' presentation that it will investigate the data. The 50,000-student district has 43 schools on the list with the most erasures. That's more than any other district.
The other districts where schools had unusually high numbers of erasures were: DeKalb, Dougherty, Clayton, Muscogee, Richmond, Fulton, Quitman, Bibb, Carroll and Spalding counties; the Gainesville city schools; and the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Atlanta was one of four districts in which a handful of fifth-grade math test results were thrown out last year because an audit by Mathers' agency found that someone had tampered with answer sheets once students turned them in to teachers. The audit - which uncovered cheating in four schools - came out about two months after the tests covered in the new report were administered."

Yup, this is a fine idea

Link:

http://www.macon.com/220/story/1017529.html

Sad but true

If you haven't read Yong Zhao's blog you're missing out. He writes abotu the American public education from the perspective of an outsider. Zhao was educated in China and has few good things to say about how we are trying to change our education system into a test-driven sweatshop. In his latest entry he has six suggestions on how states can get a piece of the Race to the Top billions being dangled by the feds.
Zhao has 6 suggestions:

1. Stop paying teachers and principals a salary. Instead, pay them on a per-standardized-test-point basis each day.
2. Remove all “non-core” academic activities and courses and reduce all teaching to math and reading.
3. Make sure every child takes courses in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), the more the merrier.
4. This suggestion is only for the states of Alaska and Texas, because the others have already committed themselves to doing it: Develop and adopt “a common set of K-12 standards … that are supported by evidence that they are internationally benchmarked and build toward college and career readiness by the time of high school graduation.” He points out that the countries that US students are supposed to be competing against don't have national standards, including China.
5. Write in lots of money for testing companies and assessment consultants in the application, because you will be rewarded for “developing and implementing common, high-quality assessments.”
6. Oh, and while you’re at it, include a proposal to bar all children under the age of 18 from entering museums, public libraries, and music events; lock up all musical instruments in schools, and fire all music, art, and physical education teachers; close sports facilities; disconnect all Internet connections; and cut down on lunch time, because the Race to the Top initiative wants to lengthen the school year and school day, and all these are distracting kids from studying for the tests.

As great as these reasons are it's his conclusion that struck me and made me feel much better about my own theory of education;

"But that requires you to discard the notion that creativity, talent, and technology are important for the future. You must also not think that a healthy society needs musicians, artists, and athletes. Nor can you assume that a well-rounded human being is essential for a democracy. Of course, you should also deny the fact that creativity, art, design, and music play significant roles in the world of science and technology today."

Thank you Mr. Zhao for a wonderful article.

Full article:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/12/16/15zhao_ep.h29.html?r=422744356

Zhao's blog:
http://zhao.educ.msu.edu/

Santa is alive and well in 2nd grade

We were discussing family traditions today and one of my 2nd graders said his favorite tradiont was Santa bringing gifts to his house.
It was a small thing but it still made my day.

$20 = a better grade

This article hit the Drudge Report this morning and is undoubtedly going to get much more ink as a result.

Here's a quick summary from the Charlotte News Observer:

"A $20 donation to Rosewood Middle School will get a student 20 test points - 10 extra points on two tests of the student's choosing. That could raise a B to an A, or a failing grade to a D.

Susie Shepherd, the principal, said a parent advisory council came up with the idea, and she endorsed it. She said the council was looking for a new way to raise money.

Shepherd rejected the suggestion that the school is selling grades. Extra points on two tests won't make a difference in a student's final grade, she said.
It's wrong to think that "one particular grade could change the entire focus of nine weeks," Shepherd said.

This is the kind of wrong-headed decisions that our "educational leaders" make that make my job, actually teaching much harder to do. Thanks.

Link: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/education/story/185460.html

Why I love George & Martha

Every year that I have taught ELL, I have used the book George and Martha.

I have used it with 3rd graders, 4th graders and now with 2nd graders.

Each year I get a little different reaction from the students, the 4th grade thinks it's an easy book until they have to read it aloud. To their credit they always tackled the book and practiced the book until they could read it fluently to their kindergarten reading buddy. As much as the kindergartner liked being read to, it was the 4th graders who really got into the stories. They enjoyed using voice intonations to show emotions in the book. Martha's anger when George peeks in on her during her bath, using their highest voice to convey Martha's vanity when she continually looks at herself in the mirror.
It also helped that I made them write at least 5 questions that they will ask their kindergarten reading buddy.

And now with 2nd graders an new experience; they identify with the relationship George and Martha have. Are George and Martha always nice to each other? No, but they always make up by being honest with each other. Do they always get along, no but they always put their friendship above whatever problem they are facing. Most of all, George and Martha reflect the relationship most 2nd graders have with each other; caring, honest and forgiving.
In other words, the relationship we all wish we had with each other.