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May 2008
More CRCT results
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia Department of Education released preliminary CRCT results for all the exams students took this year.
How did students do? It depends on the test. Students didn’t do as well if the exam was based on the new curricula schools began teaching this year. But scores improved if the exam material has been taught in schools for at least the past two years.
The question becomes what to make of these results.
The associate superintendent for assessment and accountability at the Georgia Department of Education says this is good news. Some parents and educators say more must be done to help students who failed the exams this year.
What do you think?
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Who gets to comment at meetings?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Clayton school board members will vote Monday on a plan to change when and how the public can address the board.
Public comments would be considered during a separate monthly meeting, under the proposal. If you want to speak you must call the board secretary by 4:30 p.m. the day of the meeting and submit your name and comment topic. Then you have to submit your comments in advance in writing.
School districts have their own way of handling public input.
In Gwinnett, for example, people can sign up in advance to speak during the board meeting. The board also sets aside 30 minutes prior to the start of the regular meeting for anyone who has an issue they’d like to discuss.
How are comments from the public handled in your district? Is there a better way to make sure people are heard?
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Worried about a summer brain drain?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For many kids, summer has begun. They’ll spend the days relaxing at the pool, cooling off at the movies and playing games with friends.
Sounds perfect, but some teachers and education researchers worry about the “brain drain” — when kids forget what they’ve learned during the school year.
They say kids must read during the summer. They say parents should arrange some educational fun. One suggestion: go to zoo, but first research some of the animals you’ll see.
Teachers, do you have any suggestions for parents? Parents, are you worried about what your kids may forget over the summer?
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High-stakes math
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two stories ran over the holiday weekend focusing on the implications of so many eighth-graders failing the math CRCT — an exam they must pass to enter ninth-grade.
Sunday’s story questioned whether high-stakes testing is valid. Monday’s focused on schools getting ready for the summer classes they must offer to provide kids the extra help they need to pass the retest.
Georgia requires students in grades 3, 5 and 8 to pass selected exams for promotion.
Some argue high-stakes testing is the only way to guarantee students have mastered the content they need to succeed in the next grade. Others say it’s not fair to base such an important decision on an exam, especially since some students don’t test well.
What do you think - is there too much riding on high-stakes tests?
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Teachers you remember
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I bumped into a veteran teacher I know and she told me this is one of her favorite times of the year because former students usually invite her to their graduation ceremonies.
We all have teachers we remember, who changed our lives in ways they may not know. For me, it was Mr. Dechen, my fifth-grade teacher.
He was the only male teacher in the school and every day he carried his lunch in an orange Tupperware container. I was so excited to be in his class but then I couldn’t stand him. He put me in a math group with a couple of boys. I didn’t want to be with a bunch of boys, so I purposely failed and didn’t do my homework.
One day he pulled me aside and said no matter what I did, I wasn’t leaving that group. He said if I wanted to get any where in life I’d have to get used to sometimes being in places where I wasn’t comfortable. He taught me an important life lesson.
Which teachers do you remember? How did they help you?
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Advice for graduates
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Many area high schools are holding graduations this week and the ceremonies will continue into next week.
These graduates have reached one of life’s most important milestones. Many are nervous and excited about what will happen next.
What advice would you give this year’s graduates? Yes, there will be a ton of commencement speeches but how many of us remember what was said when we graduated.
With what you know about life today, is there anything you wish someone told you when you graduated high school?
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Questions about the CRCT continue
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kathy Cox threw out the CRCT social studies scores for sixth- and seventh-graders, but kept the math scores for eighth-graders.
The state schools superintendent says there’s a big difference between the two exams. She said eighth-grade math scores were close to what was projected and align with how students performed on national tests, such as NAEP. The dreadful social studies scores show something went wrong.
Go here to read today’s story. Did Cox do the right thing or should more test scores be thrown out?
Parents, many of you are getting your child’s scores. How did they do?
Teachers, there seems to have been a breakdown between the standards and the tests. What kind of training did you receive on the new lessons? What materials are you using to teach the new curriculum? Is there something you needed that you didn’t get?
Some teachers helped write the new math or social studies curriculum or helped develop the new CRCT tests. For those of you who worked on that, what do you think worked and where do you think things fell apart?
NOTE: The newspaper continues to follow this story. Please contact me at ldiamond@ajc.com or 404-526-7257 if you have information that would help.
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Can anyone teach?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Teach for America will have about 3,700 new teachers working in the country’s poorest schools next school year. This marks the largest class for the program that recruits graduates from the nation’s most prestigious colleges and sends them to teach for two years.
Some school districts, including Atlanta Public Schools, have had good experiences with these teachers. They’re bright, young and energetic. Many entered the program because they wanted to give something back to society. And the program provides teachers to urban and rural schools where few experienced teachers are willing to work.
Others find problems with the program. They say many teachers are unqualified because they receive about a month of training before landing in a classroom. Many critics point out that fewer than 5 percent of the teachers were education majors, further questioning whether they can do the job.
What do you think of this program? Would you want to work with one of these teachers? Would you be comfortable with them teaching your child?
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What happened with the CRCT?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Preliminary results on the state’s CRCT exams don’t look good.
About 60 percent of the eighth-graders passed the math test - an exam they all must pass to move on to high school. That means a lot more kids will attend summer school and retake the test in a few months.
That’s not the worst news. Only 20 to 30 percent of the state’s sixth- and seventh-graders passed the social studies CRCT.
What happened? State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox earlier said scores would drop because of harder tests to match the state’s tougher new curriculum. But the dismal social studies scores stumped many. Cox plans to put together a panel of teachers and other experts to figure out what happened.
What do you think of these preliminary results? Is it a problem with the test, the new standards or the way teachers have taught the new material?
NOTE: The education team plans to write another story about these results. I’d like to talk with some middle school math and social studies teachers and any parents whose children struggled on these tests. Drop me a line at ldiamond@ajc.com.
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Are kids still learning?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here we are - the last week of school.
Around this time I usually get phone calls from parents and others wondering what’s happening in schools. Are kids still learning, they ask. Do teachers teach anything this week, they wonder.
What’s the correct answer?
Some teachers say kids keep learning up until the final dismissal. Others admit they are more likely to play games, but say those activities can have educational value, too. And some describe this week as a wash - spent collecting textbooks and watching lots of movies.
What should happen during the last week of school?
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Teaching teenage parents
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Aileen Dodd wrote about a program at Dacula High that aims to prevent teenage pregnancy. Her story made me wonder what schools should do for pregnant students and teenage parents.
There’s little research showing what’s the best way to serve these students. Walk around some metro high schools and you’ll see that something must be done.
Several alternative high schools in the area - including Crim in Atlanta and Phoenix in Lawrenceville - provide child-care for students’ children.
Some districts opened special schools for pregnant students and teen parents. The Marian Pritchett School in Boise has taught pregnant teens for nearly 50 years. Others - such as New York City schools - have closed schools for pregnant teens after concluding the programs were inferior.
What should schools do for teenage parents? Schools may not want to condone teenage pregnancy, but how far should they go to make sure these kids don’t drop out?
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Fighting new education laws
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Decatur school board members are getting ready to fight a new law Gov. Sonny Perdue signed this week.
The small school system plans to join a lawsuit challenging HB 881, which creates a new state commission to approve charter schools. This new group can approve charter schools - and give them some of the school district’s per-pupil money - even if the local school board voted down the school.
Many local and state education leaders say the law usurps local control of schools. They say the state is slowing chipping away at the rights and freedoms of traditional public schools.
(For additional proof, some point to HB 1133 which Perdue signed Wednesday. That gives businesses tax credits if they donate money to groups that give kids vouchers to attend private schools.)
Charter school supporters argue too many local school systems turn down acceptable charters because they don’t want the competition and they don’t want to lose their money. They argue parents deserve the right to choose between a charter school and a traditional public school.
What do you think of this fight? Are school districts losing local control or is the state trying to give charter schools a better shot of getting approval?
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Should some schools close?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta school leaders proposed closing two campuses because the schools don’t have enough students. Enrollment at Waters Elementary and Walden Middle has steadily declined since nearby public housing projects closed.
The proposal has angered Walden parents more than those from Waters. The Walden community has begged the board to keep the school open. While enrollment has dropped, they argue it will go up as redevelopment continues in the area.
But school officials have said the middle school - which is expected to have just 130 students in August - will be too small to justify keeping it open.
Atlanta isn’t the only school system going through this. As people move, some crowded schools empty out. Still, closing a school isn’t easy. Many view a shut down school as a sign that a community is dying or already dead.
When should a district close down a small school? Many of you have supported smaller schools, but can a campus be too small?
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Can schools make science cool?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Super Bowl of science fairs is in town. For the first time Atlanta is hosting the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
About 45 of the nearly 1,500 students competing are from Georgia. The people who brought the competition to Atlanta hope more of the state’s students will participate in the future.
“We want to raise awareness of the fact it can be cool to be into science when you’re in school,” said Bill Dodd, chairman of the state host committee. “We want to get kids excited about science and engineering so they will pursue it as careers.”
Dodd is one of many people and groups talking about the need for more students to get into science.
Many schools have tried to make science more interesting. Kids can build robots. Some teachers let kids clone DNA and show them how to work with industry-grade equipment.
Still, interest in science isn’t where leaders want it to be. What are they missing? What more can be done to get kids into science?
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Who gets to walk?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Imagine a senior who passed all her required courses, but has trouble passing all parts of the state-mandated graduation tests. Depending on where that girl goes to school she may or may not be allowed to participate in her high school graduation.
Fulton County Schools and Atlanta Public Schools won’t let students walk across the stage unless they pass the Georgia High School Graduation Tests. Others - including Cobb, DeKalb and Gwinnett - let students participate regardless of how well they did on the tests.
It’s easy to see both sides of this argument. Some say it’s unfair to recognize students as graduates if they have yet to achieve that goal. They say letting certificate students participate diminishes the achievements of students who indeed graduated.
Others point to the students who worked hard for four years, but narrowly failed the state exams. They say those children should get to march to the sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance.” Some of these kids are the first ones in their families to finish high school and want that achievement recognized.
What is the fair thing to do? Who should get to walk?
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How close should teachers get?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Whenever students talk about a favorite teacher, they usually say he or she is always there for them. If they have a problem with school or friends or at home, they know they can talk to the teacher and get some help.
Some teachers give out their phone numbers and personal email addresses to students. A few go so far as to have groups of students over to their homes for dinner or study sessions.
I don’t think anything inappropriate is taking place, but I wonder where the line should be drawn.
Teachers, where is that line for you? How do you distinguish between helping a student and getting too close to that student?
Parents, are you comfortable with teachers talking to your kids outside of regular school hours? At what point do you want to know about these conversations?
UPDATE: The state has released district-by-district results for the Georgia High School Graduation Tests. Check them out. School-level results are expected by May 23.
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Can schools fight cyberbullies?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One Georgia school system plans to put rules in place to curb “cyberbullying” — when students send threatening messages through the Internet and cell phones.
According to this story, Oconee County school board members will update the system’s code of conduct to include rules about these types of threats. The changes will warn students not to forward or print out and pass around these messages.
There’s been a lot of discussion lately about kids who threaten and taunt others electronically. Those who say this is problem point to the tragic story of a 13-year-old girl from Missouri who committed suicide in 2006 after some cruel messages about her were posted on MySpace, the social networking site.
It makes sense to say more must be done to protect children, but what can schools really do? Schools have difficulty protecting students from physical bullying, should we expect them to fix this problem?
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What’s the proper etiquette for graduation?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s graduation season. Colleges are conducting theirs and area high schools will hold commencement within the next two or three weeks.
Most will be lovely, but a few will have a scene like this: The band plays “Pomp and Circumstance.” Graduates march across the stage as their names are read aloud. Then someone blows an air horn or hoots to get a graduate’s attention.
Part of the dignity of graduation is that every name is heard. If Johnny’s family and friends scream and holler when his name is called, that could make it difficult to hear the name of the next kid.
Commencement marks a formal milestone in one’s life. No one expects a somber, quiet atmosphere. But principals and some parents say the ceremony must be dignified.
Can we expect decorum with caps and gowns? How should we balance letting people celebrate with making sure they behave?
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How much do students cheat?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A friend of mine has been teaching high school English in the area for about 15 years. Every year she catches more and more kids who cheat. They cheat on tests. They copy homework. They plagiarize papers they found on the Internet.
That’s not the worst part. When she confronts them, many just shrug. Some say everyone’s doing it. Others say it’s the only way to stay ahead in school and get good grades for college.
Nearly four in 10 teenagers say they have plagiarized or cheated on a test, according to a national poll released in December. That poll, co-sponsored by the group that runs the Junior Achievement entrepreneurship program, showed that about half of the students justified their actions by saying they felt an overwhelming pressure to succeed.
It’s easy to cheat. Web sites like schoolsucks.com provide students with papers they can download on nearly any topic.
Teachers can catch these kids by using other Web sites. Turnitin.com searches the Web for writing that matches what students turned in.
Do you think more students are cheating? Why do you think so many students believe it’s acceptable?
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Paying kids to study
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday’s @issue included two different looks at Fulton County’s new after-school program that pays students to learn.
The Learn and Earn program targets kids who struggle in school and pays them $8 per hour to study. It even promises a bonus if kids increase their grades enough.
A Georgia State University professor took the stance that the program fails to instill long-term values. One of the people behind the program wrote money is a way to hook students into studying.
Regardless of your stance, should we be surprised this is going on? Schools already bribe kids with everything from pizza to bikes to iPods to make sure they show up. Money was the only thing school leaders had yet to dangle in front of students. And we all know plenty of parents who reward their kids with cash when they get good grades.
But does that make it right for schools to pay kids? How far are we willing to go to motivate students? What happened to the days when taking pride in getting good grades was reward enough?
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Will higher pay bring better teachers?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Budget discussions in DeKalb County could cost teachers their step salary increases based on years of experience. All DeKalb school employees would get a 2.5 percent raise, but teachers wouldn’t get additional step increases.
DeKalb teachers are fighting to keep that money. They say school districts that pay more, have better teachers. Is that true?
Money may get teachers in the classroom, but it won’t keep them there.
Studies show about one-third of new teachers leave the profession after three years. Surveys show teachers want more than money. They want good training, support from mentors, a setting with fewer discipline problems and the freedom to teach creatively.
Reality is, everyone is looking for good teachers. Georgia will need to hire about 90,000 teachers over the next six years to replace those who retire and keep up with growing enrollment, according to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
Will schools get better teachers if they pay them more? If not, how do school leaders make sure they get the best?
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Making changes to NCLB
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox has asked for some changes in how the state determines whether schools meet the goals of No Child Left Behind.
Cox asked for a waiver to change the passing rates schools must meet on the CRCT math test. She explained the state created harder middle school math tests to match the state’s tougher new math curriculum. She said the state should not be penalized for improving its curriculum.
She also suggested something other than graduation rates be used to measure the state’s 21 alternative schools. The schools are not meant to have students graduate in four years, but the federal government uses four-year graduation rates to determine whether high schools meet adequate yearly progress. She suggested using course completion rates or results from End of Course Tests instead.
The state says the U.S. Department of Education denied the math request and is still considering the one involving alternative schools.
If the changes were granted, more schools could make AYP. The law punishes schools that repeatedly fail with increasingly severe sanctions, up to a possible takeover by the state.
What do you think of the state’s proposals? What changes would you make to NCLB?
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