California judge says no to homeschooling

[Amianthus]

What I'm getting from some posts here is that punitive measures should be exacted upon schools, school children, and school teachers and principals in part because the schools are funded by tax dollars.

Do I have this right, or did I take away the wrong impression?

What punitive measures?

Giving under-performing schools more money is a punitive measure?

[Amianthus]

and I am going to post that "I would be worried"?

Funny, I thought you said that you were a teacher, not an administrator.

I said that ADMINISTRATORS should be worried, because it's their budget money and jobs on the line, not the teachers.

[Amianthus]

OK, now I'll give you some objections to NCLB are based on actual fact, not protectionism of the NEA.

It DOES NOT apply a "one size fits all" standard, which is it's actual flaw. And it punishes ADMINISTRATORS ONLY for not achieving the state mandated standards.

Let?s look at one example of how the public is being misled. In 2003, Texas reported that 85 percent of its 4th grade students had achieved proficiency in reading as measured by its state assessment. If I lived in Texas, I?d be feeling pretty good about an 85 percent proficiency rate. In fact, it was third highest in the nation.

Wyoming, however, reported that only 44 percent of its 4th grade students had achieved proficiency as reflected by their state assessment. If I had children in school in Wyoming, I?d be upset. Most of the general public, and parents in particular, see that Texas has almost twice as many 4th grade students reading proficiently. By far, Texas is more successful. The question must be asked, ?What is wrong with our schools in Wyoming?? ?What is Texas doing that we should all be doing??

Now, add another bit of data, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading proficiency results, and the entire fa?ade of accountability comes crashing down. Texas, reporting 85 percent of its elementary students proficient in reading, shows only 28 percent of its students proficient as measured by the NAEPs. Wyoming, which administered the same NAEP exam to its students, reports more than 35 percent achieving proficient in reading. When both states use the same exam to measure reading proficiency Wyoming outperforms Texas.

And...

The gaps between state assessments and NAEP assessments calls into question the entire process of cerifying which states, districts, and schools are meeting NCLB standards and who are not. How can states be held accountable if there is no standard method of measuring? I could be on an NCLB list of under-performing schools in Wyoming that are actually outperforming schools that are considered meeting NCLB standards in Texas. NCLB has turned into a competition to provide positive and impressive data; data that hides the reality of the state of learning in our schools.

If the scandal of overblown and misleading reading proficiency data isn?t enough; there is even a larger scandal, for, whether measured by state standards or NAEPs, the state of reading proficiency in this country is mind boggling.

?First, in several (seven) states fewer than half the students meet the state proficiency standards, and in no state do even half the students meet the NAEP national literacy standard of proficiency.? Achieving State and National Reading Goals a Long Uphill Road - Rand

Let me repeat, IN SEVEN STATES FEWER THAN HALF THE STUDENTS MEET STATE PROFICIENCY STANDARDS?

and, if we use the NAEPs as our measure, THERE IS NO STATE IN AMERICA WHERE EVEN HALF THE STUDENTS MEET THE PROFICIENCY STANDARD.

More at Misleading Data Hides NCLB Scandal.

[sirs]

ONE freaking size in this nation of ours....DOES NOT FIT ALL.

Which is why EACH STATE comes up with it's own standards.

In addition, each state is supposed to come up with THREE standards for each grade level - advanced, proficient, and basic.

So, it seems to me that are 50 X 3 standards, or 150 standards.

But, of course, that's my "old math" talking. I'm sure someone will explain how 50 X 3 is actually "1".

OUCH

[Cynthia]

Well, this is true. ha. Math counts for something.

Anyway, standards are important...and we are supposed to teach all standards, Ami.

Those standards do indeed include every subject.

So, tell that to our principal. Seems she and others in the district have forgotten that one little thing...but of course everyone is under the gun. Jobs are on the line. Yes, jobs. Principals can be fired and invited to reapply, as are teachers......that's here in our little village... and possibly in many little villages in the country...can't say for sure yep...or nope ..for mathematical certain)

 

[Amianthus]

So, tell that to our principal. Seems she and others in the district have forgotten that one little thing...but of course everyone is under the gun. Jobs are on the line. Yes, jobs. Principals can be fired and invited to reapply, as are teachers......that's here in our little village... and possibly in many little villages in the country...can't say for sure yep...or nope ..for mathematical certain)

Of course, ADMINISTRATION jobs are on the line.

But the NCLB does not punish teachers that fail.

[sirs]

We got 400 posts. We got 400 posts. What? No, I'm not gloating. I'm just saying...

Way to go Prince....your topic beat my prior leading one.  Good subject, good debate   

[Lanya]

What seems to be forgotten here is that even if administrators are the ones who are threatened with job loss, crap rolls downhill.
In other words, a principal in a school that's under the gun can make life hell on teachers. 
My son had a great teacher who was affected by this. She was told to change answers (she didn't)  and she didn't kowtow enough so her contract wasn't extended. 

[Amianthus]

What seems to be forgotten here is that even if administrators are the ones who are threatened with job loss, crap rolls downhill.
In other words, a principal in a school that's under the gun can make life hell on teachers.

That's why the state takes over administration.

[Lanya]

<<That's why the state takes over administration.>>

But before that happens, a lot of people are made miserable: teachers and little kids.  And if a principal is ruthless enough, she/he doesn't lose the school.
She/he changes answers and doesn't extend contracts to teachers who want to teach and not cheat.   

[Amianthus]

But before that happens, a lot of people are made miserable: teachers and little kids.  And if a principal is ruthless enough, she/he doesn't lose the school.
She/he changes answers and doesn't extend contracts to teachers who want to teach and not cheat.   

So, you're saying that the outcry about the NCLB is actually about saving jobs and the status quo?

Finally, some common sense.

[Lanya]

Lanya:But before that happens, a lot of people are made miserable: teachers and little kids.  And if a principal is ruthless enough, she/he doesn't lose the school.
She/he changes answers and doesn't extend contracts to teachers who want to teach and not cheat.   

Ami:So, you're saying that the outcry about the NCLB is actually about saving jobs and the status quo?

Finally, some common sense.
_______________________
No, that's not what I'm saying.

[Cynthia]

http://www.news4jax.com/news/15755299/detail.html

Yikes! 

[Lanya]

Wow. Third-graders??

[Christians4LessGvt]

High school graduation called 'coin toss'
By Amy Fagan
April 1, 2008

A teenager living in one of the nation's 50 largest cities has about a 50 percent chance of graduating high school, a new report finds.

"Our analysis finds that graduating from high school in America's largest cities amounts, essentially, to a coin toss," stated the report, which is being highlighted today by America's Promise Alliance (APA), a national collaborative supporting the well-being of children and youths.

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings also is expected to make an announcement today about high school graduation rates.

Only about 52 percent of students in the main school systems of the nation's largest cities complete high school, according to today's report, which was prepared by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center with help from APA and the Gates Foundation.

The same groups conducted a report last summer that found the national graduation rate was about 70 percent ? lower than previously thought.

High school graduation rates have been a hot topic in recent years, and with the education community has sparred over how to measure them. A few years ago, the nation's governors agreed on a common definition for their high school graduation rate, but implementation has been slow, said Marguerite Kondracke, APA's president and CEO.

"This is a national crisis," said Mrs. Kondracke, adding that the United States is at risk of losing its place as a world leader. The solution, she said, must involve everyone, from parents to businesses to schools, and must include added support for at-risk students, including mentors and after-school programs.

Findings for the principal school districts in the 50 cities ranged from a 77 percent graduation rate in Mesa, Ariz., to about a 25 percent graduation rate in Detroit, which was among four cities ? Baltimore, Cleveland and Indianapolis were the others ? that had average graduation rates under 40 percent. The District ranked roughly in the middle of the list, at 58 percent. The average graduation for all 50 areas was 51.8 percent.

To give a fuller picture, the report also examined urban-versus-suburban districts in each of the metropolitan areas. It found the suburban graduation rates were on average 17 percent higher than urban rates. The metropolitan areas with the sharpest urban-suburban gap were in the Northeast or Midwest, the report found. Baltimore and Columbus were the worst, according to the report.

Today's report used information from the Department of Education and calculated graduation rates for spring 2004 using a method that essentially tracked that class from the ninth grade on. The analysis focused on the largest or most central school district serving each city ? termed "principal school districts" ? but also examined surrounding metropolitan areas.

http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080401/NATION/190153679/1001