Get Schooled

By RF

November 14, 2005 02:08 PM | Link to this

I teach remedial students in high school. My students are generally 2+ years below grade level in reading. They tend to make a lot of progress with me because they don’t feel out of place. I see everyday how “ability level” grouping makes for success. My kids may never be on grade level, but they’ll get a lot closer because they have the attention and skills focus they need, not a middle-of-the-road, catch up if you can class.

By MMM

November 14, 2005 02:25 PM | Link to this

In my kids school language arts is ability grouped in the third grade and the 1st graders have small groups for reading within the classroom that have kids at similar levels read a book that is appropriate for each small group.

I think most of us intuitively know that kids progress faster if they can be supplied with challenges just beyond their present ablity.(i.e. not way beyond or way below where they are) I see nothing inappropriate as long as the groups are fluid enough that placement is reassesed regularly. Children, especially young ones, don’t get everthing according to Adult’s schedule. Keeping them engaged rather than bored or frustrated is important.

Unfortunately, competitive parents who feel their little one’s future has been permanently damaged if they aren’t always in the top group do their own kids a disservice and make the principal’s life miserable. Hence, it take a brave administrator to do other than stick their head in the sand while proclaiming the “one size fits all”.

By RF

November 14, 2005 02:52 PM | Link to this

Ability level groups in elementary are indeed fluid. My youngest was briefly in a lower reading group in first grade. He was only there for about four weeks, and was immediately moved when he tested at a higher level. The groups give teachers a chance to work with a few students at a time on similar levels. I think it’s the only way to go, especially in math and reading. As any principal knows, parents can’t argue with the test scores, no matter how wonderful Precious is supposed to be!

By Ernest

November 14, 2005 03:21 PM | Link to this

Let me pose a question to the bloggers, especially teachers on this topic. In today’s environment, do you believe tracking can be equitably applied? My experiences from many years ago is that many minority student or those without ‘active’ advocates were placed in the ‘turtles’ group. Sometimes placement in the ‘bluebirds’ group was based on ‘who’you knew rather than ‘what you knew. Are safeguards in place such that this won’t happen in 2005?

By RF

November 14, 2005 03:30 PM | Link to this

Ernest—it’s based on test scores now to prevent the “who you know” problem. Kids take tests that determine reading level all the time. It’s done that way so that noone can be placed by race, behavior, or parents’ influence. Kids can also move up as their scores increase. My son did after only four weeks in the slower group.

By oldteacher

November 14, 2005 04:06 PM | Link to this

Kids are placed in my remedial class on the basis of CRCT scores. We also look at ITBS to see what we should be teaching. In our school we do this for reading and LA. I have kids from all economic levels in my classes.

By Gary

November 14, 2005 04:29 PM | Link to this

Tracking helps challenge elementary students at appropriate levels. Sadly, teaching to one large group means teaching to the middle-to-low students, because of fear of the lower-ability kids failing. Failing kids lose motivation, begin acting out in class, and become habitual disruptors. Parents begin complaining instead of working with their kids at home. Principals feel the heat and save their jobs by letting kids pass less challenging classes to pacify irresponsible parents. The other problem with single-group learning is that, in teaching to the lower denominator, bored brighter kids become disruptive. The best thing to do is separate students into small groups, with each group guided by a teacher or teaching assistant. The lower groups have a higher adult:student ratio, which helps them catch up. Also, the parents of low achievers need to be hounded into being involved, if they don’t wnat the writing on the wall to be prophecy. Given more adult help in and out of school, students can gradually catch up. If not, by the sixth grade, the “smart group” reads and does math at 9th grade levels, while the “low group” reads and does math at 2nd grade levels, setting the stage for failure in junior high and dropouts in high school.

By Lynn

November 14, 2005 04:51 PM | Link to this

We moved to GA in time for my son to start 3rd grade. As a new student, he was initially placed in a “slow” class. After literacy testing, he was immediately moved. At that time, he tested at a 6th grade reading level. He was sent to a special reading group with a few other kids who were also far above grade level. Now, in 4th grade, he is in a gifted class. Even within this class (made up of all socio-economic levels) the kids are broken up into reading groups by ability. I think this has helped him stay motivated.

Oldteacher - I do have a problem with determining these levels by CRCT scores. My son has ADHD, and is not at all good at taking tests. His abilities are always above his scores. Do teachers have some sort of input, so that kids with test-taking trouble are not overlooked?

By oldteacher

November 15, 2005 08:05 AM | Link to this

Lynn, We ask for input not only from the former teachers but from the parents as well.

By confused parent

November 15, 2005 08:21 AM | Link to this

I wish something like it was available in my childs middle school. She is in sixth grade and can only check out books from the “Media Center” that have her grades dot color on the binder. Each grade it seems has a color and each book has a color. If a book is not in your grades’ color you may not check it out. My child is an advanced reader. She was reading before she started school. The books she is forced to read are books that in some cases she read two or three years ago. I say forced because the sixth grade is required to read 25 books per year (not a problem W/amount) from her grade color & pass a test on each. Simple, easy to do for her but it is not teaching her anything and is making reading which she loves into a chore that I have to make her do.

By Karen Armsby

November 15, 2005 08:46 AM | Link to this

confused parent, Have you talked to her language arts teacher, the grade level coordinator or the principal? If I were you I would schedule a meeting ASAP with the teacher, media center person and the principal. Your child should be allowed to check out books on her reading level! And take her to the public library every week and let her pick out ANYTHING she wants to read. Stifling her interest in reading will kill her interest in learning.

By oldteacher

November 15, 2005 08:53 AM | Link to this

I’m confused too. Why in the world would anyone hold down a student who can and wants to read?

By confused parent

November 15, 2005 09:01 AM | Link to this

Yes,yes, and yes. We drive the 25 miles to the public library once a week. I get no satisfaction with the lame policy answers with this school or it’s laughable BOE. They are too busy buying out their superintendants contracts (I think we are up to 3 in the last 5 years) to pay attention to actual students or their needs. Such as Special Ed. testing taking a year & 1/2 to get done after requesting it or Written requests for IEP meetings ignored and not even replied to.

By Karen Armsby

November 15, 2005 09:09 AM | Link to this

Is this school in Georgia? Have you contacted your State School Board member?

By RF

November 15, 2005 09:10 AM | Link to this

Lynn- if you don’t know already, you should look into having a special education IEP (individual education plan) for your child. Since he has a medical diagnosis of a condition which impacts his success, he will qualify for services (like extended testing time, etc.). ADHD kids generally need extended time so they can take the test in smaller chunks. That or a 504 plan will give him the individual modifications he requires. I’m sure you know all of this already, but I thought I’d share just in case.

By high school teacher

November 15, 2005 09:29 AM | Link to this

COnfused Parent, I am so sorry for you and for your daughter. The school obviously createda program to promote reading, and it targets the middle-to-low kids by assigning books based on grade level. She is a victim of tracking! Do you have a gifted program in your school? Perhaps the gifted teacher/coordinator can help with this situation.

By high school teacher

November 15, 2005 09:31 AM | Link to this

Sorry for the typos - band aid on the papercut on my finger :(

By Ernest

November 15, 2005 09:34 AM | Link to this

RF, is your suggestion to Lynn similar to requesting a Student Support Team (SST) review? While speaking to someone recently, they mentioned they request one for their child each school year so that everyone is clear on successful strategies to help the child learn. They also indicated that some feel there might be a ‘stigma’ associated with this however a parent/guardian should simply swallow their pride and do what is best for the child.

By jim dumond

November 15, 2005 09:51 AM | Link to this

I have mixed feeling on this issue.

On the one hand, I took issue when my child was in elementary school reading at a level 6 years ahead of his grade level, and was being tasked with assisting students with difficulties in time he should have been allowed to complete his studies. Instead he was bringing everything home to be done as homework, requiring extensive time at home to stay on task.

On the other hand, helping other students gave him great satisfaction and has made him lean towards a teaching career.

I still take issue with teachers copping an attitude that they need not worry about the gifted students, they will get it regardless. As I reflect back on those years I can say the only redeeming feature offered by the school system was the gifted program. One can’t help but wonder though, what course a child’s life would take if they were provided the opportunity to remain in a class, all day, of other children that regularly tested in the top 5%.

I would say, that in this “Test Frenzied� NCLB era, a strong argument could be made for or against both homogeneous and inclusive class structures. The bottom line being that not all students are alike, what works for one may not work for the next and I really have no more answers than the educational establishment does at this point.

By RF

November 15, 2005 10:00 AM | Link to this

Ernest- the 504 plan is handled through SST, and some parents have enough success with strategies implemented by teachers through the SST that no other paperwork is needed. It depends on the child and his needs. An IEP gives you additional rights that the SST can’t (like extra testing time). There’s no more stigma attached than you choose to have. I have students with IEP’s for ADHD who have no problem with that fact because it gives the teachers specific required strategies to help the kids learn. I also have one in SST that is served successfully. I think if I felt like my child needed more specific help, I’d swallow my pride and for special ed. IEP. Does that make sense? I get lost in all the acronyms these days!! LOL

By Karen Armsby

November 15, 2005 10:23 AM | Link to this

Jim, I think the teacher was wrong to have your son help other students before he had his own work finished! In elementary school my kids also helped others in their classes, but only after they had their own work completed. The teacher misused her authority and shortchanged your son. She should have given your son advanced work to complete and let him use class time like the other children. Did you complain?

In order to develop their abitiies, the gifted students need even more direction and encouragement than the slow learners. Does NCLB even address the needs of the top students and the gifted?

By high school teacher

November 15, 2005 10:24 AM | Link to this

My brain is having a hard time getting in gear this morning…

I meant to tell confused parent that her child is a victim of “untracking,” or assuming that children of the same age are on the same level.

I’ll go drink a Coke now and wake up! :)

By jim dumond

November 15, 2005 10:51 AM | Link to this

Karen, Did I complain? You betcha. But remember I live in Gwinnett County and have been watchdogging our BOE for years.

It was not just one teacher by the way. I’ve heard the comment “don’t worry about him, he’ll do just fine” on more than one occasion when he allowed a grade to slip.

Having it explained that he would more than make up for it in other areas caused us to place him in a private school for two years where he could work up to his potential.

I think that in that regard NCLB does address the needs of the brighter students—by ignoring them.

Gwinnett must rob from Peter to pay Paul just like every other school system in the nation in order to maintain funding. They do as well as they can, better than most, in providing for the gifted kids but let’s face it. We must show improvement and that improvement must come from the bottom.

By SWC

November 15, 2005 01:31 PM | Link to this

Re - Tracking: By not using “tracking” or “ability grouping” we are hurting the below grade level kids more than anyone. The gifted or advanced kids will survive (although it is obviously much better for them to be challenged) but the lower rung kids are being ruined by “mainstreaming”.

We’ve always had advanced math and sometimes advanced language arts classes available, and last year the lower level kids were pulled out into a smaller class for every single subject, with great results. I think this was done below the radar screen with no official acknowledgement of what was happening in order to get past the bureaucratic rule police.

This year (middle school) the kids are all grouped together in classes like science and social studies. The smarter kids are being held back as the teacher has to explain what the equator is for the umpteenth time, and the lower rung kids are flailing around trying to keep up.

Re: Restrictive media center rules. This sort of reading level tyranny is disgraceful, but sorry to say, not surprising. If no one will respond in the “system” how about a letter to the editor of the local paper? The AR reading program has personally been a real ball and chain for us as everytime I suggest a book I am told that its not at the correct reading level. This is such an appalling distortion of an author’s purpose. Do authors write books, especially “classic” literature, only for a very narrow “reading level”? Many of these books are enjoyable for a very wide age range and should be read by anyone who wants to read them at any age or reading level, no matter what the AR list bureaucrats have determined “fits” the tested reading level. We would have read many more books if these ridiculous restrictions were not in place, and it saddens me that I am unable to share many of my childhood favorites because they don’t happen to fit into a pre-determined box at the time I suggest them.

Re: Assigning students to help other kids read. We had a “reading buddies” program, but last year my kid got assigned a kid that he couldn’t stand to be around - he picked his nose, coughed in his face, and all sorts of disgusting behavior. He was forced to read to this kid in a closet sized room where he couldn’t escape the germy behavior and was threatened with punishment if he didn’t comply. I finally spoke with the school counselor and asked that he be reassigned to a kid who wasn’t so revolting to be with. Yep - I admit it - we’re anti-stinky kid bigots. Generally speaking, I’m not a big believer in forcing kids to “volunteer” anyway, and they certainly shouldn’t be faced with more homework as a result of their “volunteer” work.

By high school teacher

November 15, 2005 03:08 PM | Link to this

SWC,

The AR program is, in a word, disgraceful. Do you know how they determine grade level of the classics? It’s a formula based on the words per page versus syllables per page. Therefore, Steinbeck’s classic Of Mice and Men is deemed acceptable for fourth graders. The subject matter of that novel is a bit more sophisticated than your average 4th grader! AR also makes kids despise reading because they have to take tests on the novels. And, they can only choose the novels that are on an approved list. Those kids who have a love of reading are squashed by the requirements of AR.

By jim dumond

November 15, 2005 03:19 PM | Link to this

“The gifted or advanced kids will survive”

I get nauseated every time I hear that.

I think they deserve to recieve an education every bit as much as kids that are not quite as fortunate—

Don’t you?

By SWC

November 15, 2005 04:33 PM | Link to this

Jim - I’m saying that Tracking is beneficial to both the lower rung and the high achievers, but that mainstreaming hurts the low achievers the most. No need to get nauseous - I assume that you are in favor of tracking, right? Mainstreaming holds everybody back. My point was that the very people the educrats thought that mainstreaming would help is actually hurting the most - the law of unintended consequences perhaps.

High School Teacher: THANK YOU! I will copy this info and send a letter to my son’s school.

All teachers: When I complain about “the educational establishment” I am referring to the ones who make the rules, the administrators, the professional educrats, not teachers (except when they fall hook line and sinker for the propaganda that they have been fed by the so called “experts” who know absolutely nothing beyond promoting a Marxist-Utopian society).

By SWC

November 15, 2005 04:43 PM | Link to this

High School Teacher - Am I right that the AR tests also focus on trivial details that are easily forgotten instead of the meaning or substance of the novels?

By oldteacher

November 15, 2005 04:43 PM | Link to this

For those who use AR in the schools, it is something that was forced upon us by the media people in our schools. We have since refined it a great deal. We don’t require kids to read for as many points (don’t get me started on that) and we are now requiring some other types of book reports. My students just read biographies and we are going to spend time tomorrow telling each other about the people we read about. BTW - I always model the behavior and read and do a book report too.

By SWC

November 15, 2005 04:54 PM | Link to this

OldTeacher - we’re still restricted by “reading level”. Where on earth did these “media specialists” get the idea that this was a good idea? When they were getting their degrees perhaps? Unless there is reform at the college level, all this garbage is going to keep trickling down to our kids. I’m sure that there are a lot of important things like classroom management that are learned when in pursuit of a degree, but most of it is so obviously counter-intuitive to how children really learn.

By oldteacher

November 15, 2005 04:58 PM | Link to this

I think many media specialists want to decide which books the kids should read and this is a good way for them to do it. They have total control over what the child reads for school.

By oldteacher

November 15, 2005 04:59 PM | Link to this

We don’t even order books for the media center unless there is an AR test for it.

By oldteacher

November 16, 2005 08:21 AM | Link to this

Sorry, we don’t order books for the media center unless there are AR tests for them.

By jim dumond

November 16, 2005 08:39 AM | Link to this

SWC,

Sorry, Still in the system with a gifted student, I just really can’t help but take offense to the “they will do fine� comment. “Doing fine� is not teaching them anything other than we will accept less than their best effort. My child still coasts through many of his classes in high school with “A’s and B’s� informing me he needn’t study “because he already knows more than his teachers.� Unfortunately, in several subjects, that statement has been proven true too many times.

Yesterday I posted this comment; “not all students are alike, what works for one may not work for the next and I really have no more answers than the educational establishment does at this point.�

Oddly, since that post I read an interesting article by K.P. Loftus that addresses the issue of homogeneous grouping of students that I’d like to share.

The following text is from an article GRADE “LEVELS” SOMETIMES UNBALANCED and can be read in its entirety at http://www.educationnews.org/grade-levels-sometimes-unbalanced.htm

“In our nation’s effort toward political correctness, we have all but done away with ability grouping, in lieu of “age grouping,� even though this is the very concept on which classroom instruction and grade levels were formulated in the first place. Back when schools were more likely to retain any student who failed to make the grade, “grade levels� remained fairly homogeneous, in terms of ability levels. However, in schools’ efforts toward uniformity of curricula, teacher contracts, and bell schedules, students’ individual learning needs have become secondary. How sad that most schools are now completely missing the point�

“SOLUTION: No child should be permitted to move forward in any subject until they have demonstrated sufficient mastery of the previous instruction, while no student should be kept from advancing their knowledge because of their birthday.�

By jim dumond

November 16, 2005 08:56 AM | Link to this

Chiming in on the AR discussion.

As a parent I have NO problem with the schools doing their AR thing. I think the point that has failed to be touched on is that if all your child is reading are books prescribed by the school YOU are failing.

As parents it is our job to instill the joy of reading in our children, to share with them the Literary Classics. This is not the job of the schools. Our house is full of books, if we don’t have one of interest Gwinnett County has some wonderful libraries and needless to say the one good thing about urban sprawl is that we have several very nice book stores within a 15 minute drive. So don’t blame the schools for your children’s reading selection.

By high school teacher

November 16, 2005 10:05 AM | Link to this

Unfortunately, Jim, there are schools and teachers that require their students to attain a certain number of AR points to get an A for the class. The students spend their time reading novels they don’t want to read instead of being allowed to read what they do want to read, all for the sake of “exceeding expectations” in a class. How sad!

By oldteacher

November 16, 2005 10:06 AM | Link to this

Don’t forget the used book stores and the library for books.

By jim dumond

November 16, 2005 10:17 AM | Link to this

So what’s the problem high school teacher?

What I’m saying is that as parents we must a*******ume responsibility and not point fingers at the schools for what our children read. They should be reading for pleasure and knowledge as well as for the grades. They (well most of them) are capable of reading more than just one book at a time.

I think the AR program in Conjunction with other reading is a great resource. If a child is ONLY reading from the AR list then the odds are they wouldn’t read at all if they weren’t being forced to.

By Parent

November 18, 2005 10:02 AM | Link to this

Sorry to see you leave DeKalb Patti. You did an absolutely great job covering our schools. Your coverage was very fair and always was noteworthy. There was truly no bias in your reporting. I look forward to reading future articles by your successor and I certainly hope that she will be as objective as you in covering our schools.

By Patti Ghezzi

November 18, 2005 10:35 AM | Link to this

Thank you very much for the kind words and support. As beats go, it doesn’t get much better than DeKalb schools. I regret that there were great stories I never got around to covering. With the stories I did get to write, I never had trouble finding parents to comment!

Patti