' No Child Left Behind' fray

[Neil D]

[:"blue"] AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

A total of 13 states have signed on to support the American Diploma Project, which aims to get all students ready for college or work. Specifically, the states committed to:

• Align their high school standards and tests with the skills required in college and the workplace. Colleges and universities would have to clearly define the skills required for their credit-bearing courses, and states would be expected to adjust their English and math standards.

• Require all students to take a test of their readiness for college or work so that children can get help where needed while still in high school.

• Require all students to take a core curriculum that prepares them for college or work. States would have to ensure that rigorous-sounding courses have the content to match.

• Hold high schools and colleges more accountable for graduating their students. States would have to improve data collection to track individual students through all grades and college.

-- The Associated Press

[/]

By JUSTIN GEST

Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Gov. Rick Perry, one of the most stalwart backers of President Bush's No Child Left Behind education policy, said Sunday that he nevertheless backs the Texas education commissioner's challenge to the federal law over standardized testing of special-education students.

Texas exempted nearly 10 times the desired number of students from regular standardized testing, even after its request for a waiver to do so was denied by the U.S. Department of Education, which is led by former Houstonian Margaret Spellings.

"Dr. (Shirley) Neeley is the commissioner," Perry said at the National Governors Association education summit in Washington. "She makes the daily decisions, and I support her and the Texas Education Agency."

Despite the state's apparent defiance of national requirements, Perry said that Texas public schools, and their alignment with No Child Left Behind, are exemplary.

When asked how he reconciled that claim with Neeley's action, the governor said, "One of the things we find is that one shoe is not going to fit all 50 states.

"We are working closely with Secretary Spellings in integrating No Child Left Behind."

The federal government requires that schools exempt no more than 1 percent of their students from testing because of learning disabilities. Any additional students must be counted as "failing."

This year, nearly 10 percent of all students didn't take the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills because of such special-education needs. Instead, they took a state-mandated alternative test.

The change in Texas had the effect of reducing the number of "failing" students sixfold, according to the education agency numbers released Friday.

Texas receives more than $1 billion in federal money tied to compliance with No Child Left Behind. Some funds could be in jeopardy, depending on how federal officials react to Neeley's decision.

Your tax $ at work for education

[LynnDel]

The requirement that all students take the same standardized testing is ridiculous. We have students arriving straight from Mexico just prior to testing - they don't speak more than a smattering of English, can't read English at all - and are required to take the test in which even the math portions are not word-free.

When the test was first required for ALL to take without exemption, five years ago, even the students with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and LIF (limited intellectual functioning) were required to take the test. They cried and drooled and crumpled and tore up the test forms, and my colleague packaged up all the "completed" tests and sent to the state scoring facility as is. Since then alternative testing (CAPA) has been developed for the lower functioning population. I don't teach severely handicapped students, so my special ed kids are still required to take the standardized testing, even though they go through regular extensive individualized testing that is a real measure of their abilities and learning, not a measure of their failure. To require my students to go through these additional tests is torture for them. The only positive result of these yearly standardized tests for the students is that taking the tests gives them practice for taking more tests in the future.

Some students, probably most, have talents far beyond the ability of any paper test to measure. Those talents are not evaluated, and the child assumes a black cloud of failure that is often present for the rest of their life. I have a fifth grade student with an IQ of 120 who is severely dyslexic. He and I have reached a sudden breakthrough and now he can read at first grade level and continues to progress (using the Lindamood Bell approach to teaching reading to students with dyslexia, for any who are curious), though he still has no confidence in himself. He can draw and build amazing things because of his ability to think three-dimensionally. But this ability is not measured by any state-required standardized test. He thinks he is stupid. He is genuinely sick each year during test week.

Sure, I believe all students can learn, but the lawmakers and dreamers don't realize that not all students can learn the same thing. Anyone who believes otherwise is wearing glasses that are coated with opaque rose-colored paint.

LD

[Neil D]

Lynndell,

I want to say that I agree with everything you have said.

But I am going to play "devils advocate".

As I understand it, NCLB permits 'slow' and NON-ENGLISH students time for the school to get the child back in the average student, approximately 2 years only , before remeidal action is taken [the reduction of moneys to the school]. And, schools have been known to abuse the system in that a non-english speaking child brings in more money to the school than a english speaking child. So, the non-english child is keep in a special education class [ I don't remember what the schools call it, maybe "english as a 2nd language" class] and they get around $1100 extra per child. If you got several of these children, you get some significant moneys for your school. The practicality of the student is that usually within 2 years, a non-english speaking student is speaking english quite well. So, why do we keep those students in "english as a 2nd language" classes...Well, if I were principle, and I needed money for the football team, and I had 10-20 non-english speaking or forgien students who were even close to being concidered 'non-english'...hey, money's tight....

Someone here on this forum has said that these tests are a "measurable way to hold teachers accountable." And that teachers, like everyone else, "don't want to be held accountable"....

What do you say to those who say such things? Now, what would you really like to say to those same people? [yes, my devilish nature is showing here, and I am tempting you to really unleash, so be careful,'k? ]

[LynnDel]

Anxious to answer, looks like fun. Had to mow the acre today, plus repair my front door, and now have report cards to fill out. Due date: tomorrow. Will respond later if I don't get side-tracked.

LD

[Restin]

What's the use of preparing for college level work when you can't afford to go. Forget your loans and grants when you don't have a prayer of landing them and the Gov loan will skin you alive if something happens you can't make the $50,000 to pay them back! Only the RICH can afford college now, and it goes up every year. Nobody seems to care about gifted kids from dirt-poor families. Even in Russia, smart kids were assured of a college education. Here in the richest, most advanced nation ever on earth we don't care if a qualifying kid gets a higher education, or not.

[Nicodema]

Say nothing of late bloomer adults who had to work for a living at 19, 20 and would like to return to school in later years. We're all but invisible, written off half a lifetime ago.

But I'm still going to try. That's all I can do. God said He'd make a way. Either He will or He won't; it's up to Him.

The costs can't be helped much -- those people (faculty, staff, administrators, janitors, etc.) all have to earn a living somehow, buildings must be kept up, heat, A/C, water, all furnished, etc. Unless I'm mistaken only the long-term tenured professors are making handsome salaries. The younger or more junior profs and grad-student profs earn rather humble sums.

[bevin]

Quote:

---

Only the RICH can afford college now, and it goes up every year

---

Go to your local state college.

Get all the scholarships you can.

Get a part-time job and summer internships.

Take out student loans.

Take a path that will led to a reasonable income degree.

If a kid from a poverity-striken family does these things, there is no doubt that they can get through university in the USA.

It is simply not true that you have to be rich to go to college.

/Bevin

[Neil D]

Guys and Gals

We are not talking about the cost of education....but rather the quality of education in the elementary and 2ndary schools.

And while your compliants are duely noted and worthy of discussion, they need to be moved to another thread.

Sorry.......

Regarding the inconsistancys to the No Child Left Behind bill, did you know that the bill allows for 50 different standards in education? That is, every state has a different standard of performance from thier high school graduates...So , while California may want profiencies in the 3 R's, it may also want proficency in social studies and history. Where as Nebraska may just elect to have proficiencies in the Reading 'Riting and 'Rithmatic....How can the NCLB act insist on different MINIMUM standards?

[Nicodema]

Well OK Bevin ... you only have to be rich to go to an SDA college!

Sorry about the Neil, I'll shuddup now.

[K]

Live in the state where the former Gov Dubya got us testing students. Teachers are teaching to the test now, and guess what???We have placed so much emphasis on the test that some people cheat. NO not the kids, but the adults who want their schools to look good, and their teachers to look good.

Of course we have teachers leaving the field in droves because of low pay, burnout, and stupid tests.

Wish we could just get teachers to teach students.

At Adventist schools they get to they teach students. They don't have to follow the government mandates, and I think it makes for more learning. Kind of partial since both my kids are having much success in SDA academy and college.

Oh and Nico I am poor and both my children are in the Adventist system. I stay broke, but there is always enough.

K

[Dr. Shane]

I live in a state where students were graduating high school without knowing how to read before Dubya was governor. Teachers were not held accountable and were paid less than they are paid now.

[K]

If they can't read by the time they are in high school, they are not going to graduate.

Teachers are not the problem Shane. . .it is the attitude of the society. You can't teach a kid who hasn't got any discipline at home. You can't teach a kid who doesn't know english very well. You can't teach a kid whose parents don't care if they learn or don't learn. School is a babysitter, and teachers are supposed to fix all the societal problems.

Texas teachers are well below the national average for salaries Shane.

I have often considered getting my certification because they need teachers in my area, but I could not deal with the stress of that job.

K

[Dr. Shane]

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If they can't read by the time they are in high school, they are not going to graduate.

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Not true. Talk to Army recruiters that were recruiting prior to the TASP and they will tell you that they had high school graduates that couldn't take the military entrance test because they couldn't read.

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Texas teachers are well below the national average for salaries Shane.

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And so do Texas carpenters, Texas factory workers, Texas medical workers and Texas construction managers <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Texans, in general make less than the national average. Yet the cost of living is less in Texas. Houston has been listed as one of the most affordable cities to live in.