Students Exhibit Skills At Young Womens Leadership Charter From the Coalition of Essential Schools:
"While students around the country sit down to bubble in tests this month, students at Young Women’s Leadership Charter School in Chicago will be standing up to demonstrate their learning in dissertation-style presentations. They do so along with students in over 100 schools as a part of National Exhibition Month. During National Exhibition Month students will publicly present their learning in demonstrations of mastery called exhibitions that not only better measure, but also dramatically improve student achievement and 21st c. skill development.
We know that what gets measured is what gets taught. Standardized tests evaluate rote memorization and regurgitation. Exhibitions evaluate student ability to synthesize information, think critically, and present publicly-- thus we can have confidence that those skills will be taught.
Why look at performance assessments now? Well firstly, they work. Research has shown that students in schools that teach to exhibitions have higher retention, graduation and college entry rates than students in comparable schools who are evaluated solely by high stakes standardized tests. Secondly as the Democratic candidates join the chorus of NCLB criticism, it is an excellent time to move past rhetoric and help educators, policy makers and the general public understand real working examples of alternatives to the current broken system.
The Exhibition at Young Women’s Leadership Charter School will take place on May 14th. Here is the school website: http://www.ywlcs.org/learning
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Wed May 14, 2008 at 1:07 AM
Students Exhibit Skills At Young Womens Leadership Charte
This is very heart warming during charter marketing season.
So what? Don't you think that Harper and Orr high schools could present the same kind of anecdotals -- including "performance assessments" and portfolios -- for their top students. These are the kinds of assessments (including tests of various kinds) that many of us have proposed instead of the insipid reign of high stakes secret multiple choice computer scores so-called "standardized" tests.
Fact is, both YWLCC and most of Chicago's general high schools have "failed" by the measure of the Prairie State tests, and by the measures of their predecessors (the TAP, for example). So what again? These kinds of tests (HSMCCS...) measure SES and a couple of other variables, no matter how much corporate nonsense is larded around town (and served up by the corporate media touts as "news")...
Someone at this pretty little charter should apologize to Austin, Calumet, Collins, Englewood, Harper, and Orr for not standing up for them when Arne Duncan and his legions of book cookers crucified those general high schools on the altar of "standardized tests... rote memorization and regurgitation..."
But I didn't see any of the nice people from YWLCC at any of the hearings or protests protesting the assassination of any of those six general public high schools. So I suggest one additional "performance" section for YWLCC --
Practical Hypocrisy...
They are experts at it in the context of Chicago today.
So what? Don't you think that Harper and Orr high schools could present the same kind of anecdotals -- including "performance assessments" and portfolios -- for their top students. These are the kinds of assessments (including tests of various kinds) that many of us have proposed instead of the insipid reign of high stakes secret multiple choice computer scores so-called "standardized" tests.
Fact is, both YWLCC and most of Chicago's general high schools have "failed" by the measure of the Prairie State tests, and by the measures of their predecessors (the TAP, for example). So what again? These kinds of tests (HSMCCS...) measure SES and a couple of other variables, no matter how much corporate nonsense is larded around town (and served up by the corporate media touts as "news")...
Someone at this pretty little charter should apologize to Austin, Calumet, Collins, Englewood, Harper, and Orr for not standing up for them when Arne Duncan and his legions of book cookers crucified those general high schools on the altar of "standardized tests... rote memorization and regurgitation..."
But I didn't see any of the nice people from YWLCC at any of the hearings or protests protesting the assassination of any of those six general public high schools. So I suggest one additional "performance" section for YWLCC --
Practical Hypocrisy...
They are experts at it in the context of Chicago today.
Thu May 15, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Students Exhibit Skills At Young Womens Leadership Charter
Oh sure, because you and your anti-charter acolytes wouldn't be laughing in that schools face if it found itself in a similar situation.
Did you ever think that by attempting to take the focus off of standardized assessment scores that they aren't in some way inviting us to take a deeper look at all school performance, not just charter schools? That, indeed, by sharing information about their assessment they aren't in some way hoping to impact the larger educational system and bring these ideas and opportunities to other schools, including traditional public high schools.
I don't see anywhere in this post where YWLCS claims to be superior in any way to the schools you mention, in fact they seem to imply by being one of 100 schools participating in this type of assessment they are taking a stand against standardized assessments. Not just for themselves, but for all schools and students.
This is just another example of where the two of you decide to blindly fire off your tirades against dedicated educators doing their best to work with deserving students (don't think that I mean only charter school students are deserving of a great education, I think all students, everywhere are deserving).
Who you should really be condemning are the folks at CPS who fail to adopt these kinds of assessments to, for the time being, complement the current standardized assessments, but eventually to hopefully replace them.
But hey, instead let's spend our time and energy teacher bashing charter schools for trying to make a difference.
Solid work gentlemen.
Did you ever think that by attempting to take the focus off of standardized assessment scores that they aren't in some way inviting us to take a deeper look at all school performance, not just charter schools? That, indeed, by sharing information about their assessment they aren't in some way hoping to impact the larger educational system and bring these ideas and opportunities to other schools, including traditional public high schools.
I don't see anywhere in this post where YWLCS claims to be superior in any way to the schools you mention, in fact they seem to imply by being one of 100 schools participating in this type of assessment they are taking a stand against standardized assessments. Not just for themselves, but for all schools and students.
This is just another example of where the two of you decide to blindly fire off your tirades against dedicated educators doing their best to work with deserving students (don't think that I mean only charter school students are deserving of a great education, I think all students, everywhere are deserving).
Who you should really be condemning are the folks at CPS who fail to adopt these kinds of assessments to, for the time being, complement the current standardized assessments, but eventually to hopefully replace them.
But hey, instead let's spend our time and energy teacher bashing charter schools for trying to make a difference.
Solid work gentlemen.
Thu May 15, 2008 at 1:48 PM
Students Exhibit Skills At Young Womens Leadership Charter
Charlie, CPS is bashing the general elementary and general high schools with charter schools!!!!!!!!!! We are not against charter schools, what we are against is using charter and contract schools to close general elementary schools and general high schools!!!!!!!!!!
Thu May 15, 2008 at 3:16 PM
Students Exhibit Skills At Young Womens Leadership Charter
The Coalition of Essential Schools has public, public charter and independent schools involved its network. Of the 100 schools involved in National Exhibition Month, 65% are public, non-charter schools, 25% are public charters and 10% independent schools. For more information on exhibitions as an alternative form of assessment, to see a clip of an exhibition and to read media accounts of exhibitions, please see: http://www.essentialschools.org/pub/ces_docs/schools/nem/exhibitionmedia.html
Stay tuned to that page for a webcast of an exhibition in action. Thank you.
Stay tuned to that page for a webcast of an exhibition in action. Thank you.
Thu May 15, 2008 at 3:31 PM
Students Exhibit Skills At Young Womens Leadership Charter
I understand that. I even to a certain extent respect it, but in George's post, which you agreed with, you're unnecessarily criticizing YWLCS or someone transferring the blame on them. Which is doubly wrong because they are one of the few older charter schools in the city electing not to replicate their model (even though they could if they wanted to).
You just really have the wrong guy...or woman, as it were...in this case.
Rail against Office of New Schools and Ren10 all you want(who are not just closing down traditional schools with charters, but also contract and performance schools, and whatever turnarounds count as). Advocate for more accountability for charters in general. But can we agree to cut the bashing of specific charter schools unless you have a specific and documented case against them.
If a general CPS high school like Harper or Orr was in the paper for something like this and I came and bashed them, you guys would be all over me.
You just really have the wrong guy...or woman, as it were...in this case.
Rail against Office of New Schools and Ren10 all you want(who are not just closing down traditional schools with charters, but also contract and performance schools, and whatever turnarounds count as). Advocate for more accountability for charters in general. But can we agree to cut the bashing of specific charter schools unless you have a specific and documented case against them.
If a general CPS high school like Harper or Orr was in the paper for something like this and I came and bashed them, you guys would be all over me.
Sun May 18, 2008 at 4:57 AM
Students Exhibit Skills At Young Womens Leadership Charter
"...I understand that. I even to a certain extent respect it, but in George's post, which you agreed with, you're unnecessarily criticizing YWLCS or someone transferring the blame on them. Which is doubly wrong because they are one of the few older charter schools in the city electing not to replicate their model (even though they could if they wanted to)..."
You can't have it both (or more than "both") ways on this one, Charlie.
Most of us have long maintained (and in many cases suffered for this) that the "bottom line" as rendered by standardized test scores is a delusion, and that teacher grades along with various performance and other materials are the best way of measuring what human children are doing in our schools. The fetish of numericizing these realities is an artifact of the current corruption brought on by corporate stupidities.
My point was, is, and will be that people like the YWCC charter people who profit from the privatization juggernaut against the regular public schools (and abstain from the great debate over all of these things) can't simply be feted when they notice that their own nest needs a bit of cleaning. Mixed metaphors intentional.
The day I see y'all (i.e., charter teachers) standing in front of a monthly meeting of the Chicago Board of Education and speaking truth (as opposed to those self-serving marketing productions that have been orchestrated almost monthly by Jeanie for the past three years) I'll believe you.
Until then, no way. You can't worship at the church of the "bottom line" and profit from its attacks on the rest of us and then turn around when that same "bottom line" burns your behind and expect us to take it without comment. Sure the kids are complex and public education is a major challenge. And you can see those challenges in the flesh every day within five blocks of YWCC at adjacent public schools like Dunbar that don't get to select their kids.
The experiment was in place of facing the real challenges of fixing the public schools, and it soon became a vehicle for attacking all of us who promote public schools on behalf of a vicious privatization agenda now in full force out of the Renassance Schools Fund, "New and Charter Schools," and all the other liars who've been so well funded these past six or seven years.
And, of course, the lies of Arne Duncan and his scriptwriters.
You can't have it both (or more than "both") ways on this one, Charlie.
Most of us have long maintained (and in many cases suffered for this) that the "bottom line" as rendered by standardized test scores is a delusion, and that teacher grades along with various performance and other materials are the best way of measuring what human children are doing in our schools. The fetish of numericizing these realities is an artifact of the current corruption brought on by corporate stupidities.
My point was, is, and will be that people like the YWCC charter people who profit from the privatization juggernaut against the regular public schools (and abstain from the great debate over all of these things) can't simply be feted when they notice that their own nest needs a bit of cleaning. Mixed metaphors intentional.
The day I see y'all (i.e., charter teachers) standing in front of a monthly meeting of the Chicago Board of Education and speaking truth (as opposed to those self-serving marketing productions that have been orchestrated almost monthly by Jeanie for the past three years) I'll believe you.
Until then, no way. You can't worship at the church of the "bottom line" and profit from its attacks on the rest of us and then turn around when that same "bottom line" burns your behind and expect us to take it without comment. Sure the kids are complex and public education is a major challenge. And you can see those challenges in the flesh every day within five blocks of YWCC at adjacent public schools like Dunbar that don't get to select their kids.
The experiment was in place of facing the real challenges of fixing the public schools, and it soon became a vehicle for attacking all of us who promote public schools on behalf of a vicious privatization agenda now in full force out of the Renassance Schools Fund, "New and Charter Schools," and all the other liars who've been so well funded these past six or seven years.
And, of course, the lies of Arne Duncan and his scriptwriters.
Mon May 19, 2008 at 10:41 PM
Students Exhibit Skills At Young Womens Leadership Charter
I love that George uses state test scores to bash some schools and then uses organic student portfolios to bash others. It would seem that charters can do nothing right. George, can you imagine any possible result coming out of a charter school that would allow you to support them? I think that you should talk to families of parents of kids in charter schools. Let me know if you want me to give you contact info of charter parents.
Tue May 20, 2008 at 1:54 AM
Students Exhibit Skills At Young Womens Leadership Charter
>>I think that you should talk to families of parents of kids in charter schools.
I find it disappointing to keep reading these comments from so many charter school apologists. Sure, there are charter schools that are doing great things for the kids in their system but the sad fact is, privatized schools exist at the expense of the multitude of kids who can't access them. One of the important and incredible aspects of public schooling is its mandate to educate every school age child -- not just kids from families who can afford it, or know the proper contacts, or live in the right area. So go ahead and keep drinking the Kool-Aid for privatized schooling and keep parroting all the great things charter schools have to offer. But don't forget about all the kids who just don't qualify. Even when you ignore the moral aspects of intentionally leaving such a large segment of our population out of the loop, we're only hurting ourselves by moving back to a more segregated educational base.
I find it disappointing to keep reading these comments from so many charter school apologists. Sure, there are charter schools that are doing great things for the kids in their system but the sad fact is, privatized schools exist at the expense of the multitude of kids who can't access them. One of the important and incredible aspects of public schooling is its mandate to educate every school age child -- not just kids from families who can afford it, or know the proper contacts, or live in the right area. So go ahead and keep drinking the Kool-Aid for privatized schooling and keep parroting all the great things charter schools have to offer. But don't forget about all the kids who just don't qualify. Even when you ignore the moral aspects of intentionally leaving such a large segment of our population out of the loop, we're only hurting ourselves by moving back to a more segregated educational base.
Tue May 20, 2008 at 1:59 AM
Students Exhibit Skills At Young Womens Leadership Charter
Hey, "Lovin'"...
I already answered that, but I'll repeat it:
"The day I see y'all (i.e., charter teachers) standing in front of a monthly meeting of the Chicago Board of Education and speaking truth (as opposed to those self-serving marketing productions that have been orchestrated almost monthly by Jeanie for the past three years) I'll believe you..."
There are a couple of others, but that will be a start.
After that, share complete data about every operation of your school, going back eight or nine years -- Position File stuff. Every staff salary.
So those two are starters.
Remember, back in the day (as some say), we used to say lowered class sizes, adequate resources, no segregation, and playing suburb (give us what the public schools in the suburbs already have and we'll tear up the track) would help.
When you chose to do that charter thing, at least admit you chose to be part of a project (now even if it might not have been visible then) that was as much aimed at union busting, (public) school teacher bashing, and privatization as any other part of Renaissance 2010.
Just the fact that you were once a "progressive" only adds to the interest, and perhaps the hypocrisy.
So let's see how the starts go:
The next Board meeting is May 28.
I can't wait to see the beginnings of "Inside Chicago's Charters -- The Truth" month after month, both live (I'll be covering it) and in the censored video versions. Call me and I'll even be precise about your script, including the inadequacy of multiple choice, secret, so-called "standardized" tests. You don't even have to say anything nice about me from back in the day or from when I blew the whistle on CASE (as one of the more silly examplars of the "standards and accountability" nonsense you say you're now against) while you sat out that one (too) silent and afraid...
As the clever hopes expired of that low dishonest decade...
See you at CPS May 28, "Lovin'" ...
I already answered that, but I'll repeat it:
"The day I see y'all (i.e., charter teachers) standing in front of a monthly meeting of the Chicago Board of Education and speaking truth (as opposed to those self-serving marketing productions that have been orchestrated almost monthly by Jeanie for the past three years) I'll believe you..."
There are a couple of others, but that will be a start.
After that, share complete data about every operation of your school, going back eight or nine years -- Position File stuff. Every staff salary.
So those two are starters.
Remember, back in the day (as some say), we used to say lowered class sizes, adequate resources, no segregation, and playing suburb (give us what the public schools in the suburbs already have and we'll tear up the track) would help.
When you chose to do that charter thing, at least admit you chose to be part of a project (now even if it might not have been visible then) that was as much aimed at union busting, (public) school teacher bashing, and privatization as any other part of Renaissance 2010.
Just the fact that you were once a "progressive" only adds to the interest, and perhaps the hypocrisy.
So let's see how the starts go:
The next Board meeting is May 28.
I can't wait to see the beginnings of "Inside Chicago's Charters -- The Truth" month after month, both live (I'll be covering it) and in the censored video versions. Call me and I'll even be precise about your script, including the inadequacy of multiple choice, secret, so-called "standardized" tests. You don't even have to say anything nice about me from back in the day or from when I blew the whistle on CASE (as one of the more silly examplars of the "standards and accountability" nonsense you say you're now against) while you sat out that one (too) silent and afraid...
As the clever hopes expired of that low dishonest decade...
See you at CPS May 28, "Lovin'" ...
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