A raft of past programs have failed to substantially improve the reading skills of middle grade and high school students. CPS is trying once again, as part of a federal project that aims to help teens learn how to analyze complex non-fiction.
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In the News: State proposes more tests, star ratings
By: Cassandra West / April 03, 2012
Illinois is moving to overhaul how students are tested and schools judged, with a proposed "star" rating system—one part of a plan aimed at shaking up the status quo, the Tribune reports.
As the state seeks a waiver on the federal No Child Left Behind, it has submitted a 685-page proposal to the U.S. Department of Education. The Tribune examined the document and found it calls for more testing than ever. Beginning next spring, the state would add mandatory tests for ninth and 10th graders; require eighth graders to take two tests instead of one; and add a new section to an already two-day state exam given to 11th graders. For the first time, Illinois would mandate testing in every grade from 3 to 11.
CTU Attorney Robert Bloch explains the "longer school day" settlement in this video. (ctunet.com)
IN THE NATION
Money problems are so severe in one Michigan's Muskegon Heights school district that officials have given up hope of finding a solution themselves. They're ready for the extreme option: a take-over by a state-appointed "emergency manager." (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
A teacher’s aide who refused to give her school system access to her private Facebook account is now filing a lawsuit against her employer, according to a report from local Michigan news station WSBT.
Fewer public elementary schools are offering visual arts, dance and drama classes than a decade ago, a decline many attribute to budget cuts and an increased focus on math and reading, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Education on the state of arts education. (The Washington Post)
Facing considerable resistance to its plans to close 33 public schools, some of which had improved by leaps and bounds in recent years, New York City's Education Department announced on Monday that it will keep seven of them open and continue with plans to close the other 26. (The New York Times)
re: Tribune article on ISBE NCLB waiver request
Diane Rado did a very serious analysis of the proposal and the Chicago Tribune should be commended for the article. The only thing that needs to be added is the fact that the new testing system being developed by Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) based on the Common Core will ultimately replace all of the testing approaches discussed in the ISBE wavier proposal.
Effectively ISBE's proposal for testing in its wavier proposal is a place holder until the PARCC assessment system is in place.
Rod Estvan
And what then?
There is a gap between the two days of state testing among HS juniors. On the first day, students take the ACT, which they see as important for getting into college. On the second day, they take the Work Keys and Illinois-developed subject tests, and the kids don't try as hard at them because they think they are not as "important" as the ACT portion of the test.
So what happens when Illinois joins those states who give the PARCC assessments? It's not a test the college-bound need to get into college. How seriously will they approach these tests that have no stakes for them?
I totally agree! They don't want to take a test one day!
Most CPS principals give incentives in order to get high school students to come the second day and take the test (duh!) Students do not value the assessment, don't care who is helps or hurts.
In elementary school, assessment does need to take place at every grade with more efforts to have students appropriately prepared, with the correct instructional materials given to the teachers who they want to hold responsible when students do not demonstrate knowledge on the test! I recently tested students and as a sped teacher had to read the mathematics test to my students. I couldn't believe what was on the test. The students were not asked to merely compute.... the entire test was word problems. As a sped teacher, I address the goals written by the psychologist for the first year, and not a single goal written took into account the students needed to master math facts but also to be able to read and apply the knowledge through word problems. My poor babies were totally lost! Again I say, whoever purchases text books is responsible for the inability of students to demonstrate knowledge on the test. Teachers use materials given to them. Not one teacher arrives at a school and says, I'm ready to teach 5th grade. I brought my own books so you can hold me accountable for what my students learn. What needs to be addressed is what materials are purchased and how that material is aligned to the test. Until that happens, how can you hold teachers responsible for student growth? We need to prepare our students by making it a normal practice to grid in answers all year. We need to utilize test taking strategies all year. We need for students to realize testing is a boasting time, for them to show off what they have mastered instead of feeling it is a time to regret! When you take an assessment, if you have been adequately prepared, you either know what is asked or you don't. My concern is that the students don't know what is being assessed based on the lack of instructional materials aligned to the standardized assessments!
common core
I ask once again, has common core proven itself to be effective? Why is so much credit being given to these standards. They are very vague....it is a TBD situation..........by the way NWEA has nothing to do with Common Core...it cant....the NWEA was written before the common core standards
We can't let perfect be the
We can't let perfect be the enemy of the good.
So what if NWEA has nothing to do with the common core standards. This is a detail. It's not like they are evaluating teachers based solely on test scores. In a few years the test score component will max out at 40% or 50%. So, as long as you get a good evaluation from your principal you'll end up with...oh...wait.
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