It was disappointing that more area schools, including 14 more in the Wichita school district, failed to meet their No Child Left Behind annual progress standards. But it wasn’t surprising. As the NCLB standards keep rising toward the statistically impossible mandate of 100 percent proficiency in reading and math by 2014, more and more schools will miss their annual targets — including high-performing schools. Administrators, teachers, parents and students need to work hard to raise achievement. But failing to meet an impossible standard doesn’t mean that schools are failing.
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17 Comments
Mr. Brownlee: I read your opening comments a couple times trying to determine if you are blaming teachers for not working hard enough teaching students. I don’t think you are. In my opinion, and I suspect you agree most teachers work above and beyond their requirements.
It’s true most observers say students whose parents are involved with their education do much better in their studies. I have often wondered if school systems should sponsor a “parent’s academy” to suggest ways for them to become more involved with their student’s education.
One of the criticisms I hear most often is the amount of time continues to shrink actually teaching students in the classroom. Various reasons exist such as time used to administer state and federal progress tests. Also
the growing number of inservice (teachers meetings) days, etc.
I make these comments to stimulate conversation on this important education topic.
The WEagle always wants more government involvement and they got it in NCLB. Enjoy the results.
“JWink” –
The not-surprising result of NCLB has been pressure to teach-to-the-test.
It’s the 21st Century version of teaching by rote.
To this day, the only reason I know six-times-seven is forty-two is because that’s what comes after six-times-six-is-thirty-six. Thanks, 3rd Grade flash cards!
I don’t know how you codify it or measure it, but it seems to me kids should be educated on how to think, not what to think.
For every CON who carps about “Heather Has Two Mommies” there’s a “libruhl” who thinks Dodge Ball encourages bullies.
I dunno.
Kids these days seem just as stupid — and just as brilliant — as we thought we were when we were that age.
The problem is the dichotomy of two separate goals.
If you want more kids to graduate you lower the standards for graduation.
If you raise the standards for graduation more kids get frustrated and drop out.
I have yet to meet a teacher who thinks NCLB was a good idea, a common complain is often the slower child are holding back the average kids in class. Problem solving is important, though so is knowledge.
Knowledge is like sand pebbles in your sand pail mind, there is no way to know which pebbles of knowledge you will need to have twenty years later. The more you have the better you are, that and think is equally important.
I read that the Eagle is almost always after the government to be more open and accountable. And governmental wrongdoing gets inches, if it’s true.
ProudMan
Posted September 13, 2009 at 7:36 am | Permalink
The WEagle always wants more government involvement and they got it in NCLB. Enjoy the results
–
Hey, wait a minute – it was a REPUBLICAN – George W. Bush that proudly crammed this NCLB Act down America’s throat.
So, you’re now saying that a Republican put more government into public schools?
I thought Republicans were for less government?
George W. Bush crammed this NCLB down our throats but he did something worse than that – he never sent the funding to implement it.
So, take the unfunded mandate the and ridiculous theory that all kids take too many tests and of course the result will be failing schools.
And that was exactly why Bush and Republicans crammed the NCLB in the first place – they wanted to get rid of public schools. Then only their precious private and school-based schools would survive and then all will be right with the world again.
The only problem with that is – there are millions of kids that cannot afford private schools – so they are to go without education?
If that happens, then our country will turn into a Third World Country – the haves and have nots will only become more divided.
Why do we as a country tolerate the drop out rate that we currently have? Do we expect these kids to just somehow go out and find a job on their own?
No, these are the kids that need the educational system the most.
But maybe our schools are too focused on their sports activities and all that money flowing in from all the proud Dads and Moms that don’t mind spending their taxes on a new football field but have a downright teabagging protest about paying taxes for more school books?
Our priorities are wrong in this country.
If some kid wants to drop out of school, rather than watching that kid walk out the door – let’s try to find out the reason for the dropping out. Not all kids are suitable for college – if not, then find some vocational training for that kid.
The future of America depends on the educational system – and if we are too busy funding just the sport athletes – then our country is doomed.
When all the sports games are played and the fanfare goes away – we are faced with kids who don’t know what to do with their lives and nowhere to go.
And the fact the Republicans are purposely obstructing Obama and the Democrats in everything they do, I see this will not be fixed anytime soon.
When ‘winning’ is the only thing people care about – then we’ve already lost the battle for America’s soul.
We can’t exect 100% of students to read and learn math.
The goal is too high.
The bar needs to be lowered back to where we strive to the least common denominator level. We are only as strong as our weakest link.
So all should be lowered down to be as dumb as the dumbest one, say to Chas’ level.
Adequate Yearly Progress
Note: 88.5% of Kansas Districts Make Adequate Yearly Progress
This is set by each state, so if there is a complaint, take it up with the Kansas Board of education. All states that accept Title I funding (currently every state) must establish AYP goals for every public school district and school in the state.
# Each state must develop a single accountability system based on the state’s assessment system required of all public schools in the state.
# Each state must establish a “starting point” that is based on performance of its lowest-achieving demographic group or of the lowest achieving schools in the state, whichever is higher.
# The state then sets the bar—or level of student achievement—that a school must attain after two years in order to continue to show AYP.
In addition to test scores, state AYP accountability systems must incorporate graduation rates for public secondary school students and “at least one other academic indicator” for public elementary school students.
============================================
Local School Districts and how they fared
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USD 259
Allen Elem
Buckner Performing Arts Magnet Elem
Earhart Environ Magnet Elem
Franklin Elem
Gardiner Elem
Price-Harris Communications Magnet
Spaght Multimedia Magnet
Jefferson Elem
Lawrence Elem
Lincoln Elem
Linwood Elementary
L’Ouverture Computer Technology Magnet
Metro Meridian Alt High
Mueller Aerospace/Engineering Discovery Magne
Seltzer Elem
Stanley Elem
Stucky Middle School
Washington Accelerated Learning Elem
Anderson Elem
Woodman Elem
Brooks Magnet Middle School
Curtis Middle School
Coleman Middle School
Hadley Middle School
Hamilton Middle School
Jardine Technology Middle Magnet
Mayberry Cultural and Fine Arts Magnet Middle
Pleasant Valley Middle School
Robinson Middle School
Wilbur Middle School
Truesdell Middle School
East High
North High
South High
Southeast High
West High
Heights High
Northwest High
Metro Midtown Alt High
Oaklawn Elem
USD 260
Derby High School
USD 261
Haysville Middle School
Prairie Elementary School
Learning By Design – Charter School
USD 263
Mulvane Middle School
USD 266
Maize Middle School
Maize South Middle School
87.6% of Kansas Schools and 88.5%of Districts Make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
Of the 295 districts in Kansas, 261 made AYP for the 2008-09 testing cycle.
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=36&ctl=Details&mid=1030&ItemID=416
What is readily apparent that in most failures to meet AYP across the state is at the High School Level.
The exception is (hang your heads) is that the Wichita School District, USD 259, seems to be an equal opportunity failure in elementary, junior high and high schools.
So in that book, “What’s the matter with Kansas?” should be changed “What’s the matter with Wichita?” to reflect the poor showing in AYP.
I hope the new Superintendent for Wichita takes the bull by the horn and addresses the issues. Wichita is holding up the state standard alright, but it is the state standard for failure to meet AYP.
oops,
Forgot to include in that title for the list of schools, that those listed were schools NOT MAKING AYP.
Wichita School District, USD259, should hang its head in shame.
Regular: Was your above list of schools in the Eagle Newspaper this past week? If so, what day was that? I don’t recall that list being so extensive.
I wish the list contained numbers such as percentages achieved as compared to the passing level for each school. This would furnish an idea of how much more needs to be achieved.
Former Wichita school superintendent Brooks did have the ability and willingness to hold public meetings to obtain community comment. Mr. Brooks stood up before his audiences with hands on his hips and took questions good or bad from the public. He was honest enough to say when he didn’t agree.
As far as I have seen, Winston Brooks was the only “politician” in Sedgwick County and perhaps in Kansas who had the ability to do this.
In USD 259, we do have a new superintendent, John Allison. I can’t think of a better project for Mr. Allison than to hold public meetings to receive comments from the public including teachers, especially teachers, to develop new ideas for increasing these test scores.
I will suggest right here: reduce teacher inservice days, change class schedules to 50 to 60 minute classes from the inefficient block schedules and hold more small after-school mentoring classes for students who need additional help.
In short, go into a red alert schedule until test scores improve … rather than make excuses.
I think if the teachers were paid more money, they would do a better job at educating the children.
Wichita USD has problems that other districts don’t necessarily have. Does a school District like Andover or Circle have immigrant students who can barely speak English let alone write it? Do they have large numbers of Special Needs kids, how is a kid with a 40IQ going to pass a standardized math test? Then you have large numbers of parents don’t give a crap about their kids, is a parent dragging thier 4 kids thru Walmart at 11:30 at night on a school night gives a crap what their test scores are
JWink
Posted September 13, 2009 at 2:16 pm | Permalink
Regular: Was your above list of schools in the Eagle Newspaper this past week? If so, what day was that? I don’t recall that list being so extensive.
=================
JWink,
The list is form the Kansas Department of Education Website. It can be found at the URL below:
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=36&ctl=Details&mid=1030&ItemID=416
form = from
TomPaine appears to be grossly misinformed.
===========================================
Special Needs
Accommodation standards are in effect for special needs children concerning AYT. As far as I can determine an “Alternate Assessment” evalution is given to special needs children in accordance with their abilities as determined by their teachers.
* The Kansas Alternate Assessment is intended for a small number of students who are unable to take general Kansas state assessments due to the complexity and severity of their disabilities. Instead, these students and their respective IEP teams have determined that they will participate in the alternate assessment, which is a data folio compiled and submitted in the same content areas and grades as students who take general assessments.
Foreign Languages
As far as foreign language, students who are not fluent in English in any degree are assisted by the Learning & Innovative Services Division of Kansas.
The Kansas English Language Proficiency Assessment (KELPA) is used to assess all K-12 English Language Learners (ELLs) for their proficiency levels in four domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing of English. No Child Left Behind mandates the annual assessment of all ELLs, grades K-12, whether or not a district receives any Title III or Kansas ESOL-Bilingual funds. Even though students might not be receiving ESOL services, they are required to take the test.
Any student identified in the Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) system will receive testing materials according to grade level. The tests, pre-slugged answer sheets, and an examiner’s manual will be sent to the district assessment coordinator. Additional or missing test materials can be requested by contacting CETE (cete@ku.edu).
Self training is required of the examiner. It is recommended that this be done well in advance of the examination day. Training activities are available on CD by request from KSDE, or through the online training podcasts listed below. An annual review of the training podcasts and samples is recommended.
The KELPA testing window lasts from mid-February to the beginning of May. Specific dates are provided on the Fact Sheet below. The examiner is responsible for scoring parts of the test (speaking and writing) before returning answer sheets to CETE by May 15.
–from the Kansas Department of Education Website
totoinks,
Go back and review your history. NCLB was the brain-child of the late Senator Ted Kennedy. It was one of those bi-partisan bills.