Friday, May 3, 2013

Why I'm not opting my kids out of standardized tests

Why I'm not opting my kids out of standardized tests:

Why I'm not opting my kids out of standardized tests

Published: April 17, 2013 at 3:02 PM (MST)

Some parents around the country are pulling their kids out of federally-mandated standardized tests this spring. They're hoping that by taking an individual stand against high-stakes testing, they can help change the system. Students testing. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Students testing. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

But opting out of testing is the wrong choice. By taking individual stands against testing, parents are reinforcing the corrosive belief that education is a consumer product. And they're making it easier for opponents to turn more citizens against their local schools.

The parents whom I've seen talk about opting out of tests strike me as well-informed, engaged parents who are wealthy enough to have both an Internet connection and the time to sit around and write about this stuff. Given that parents' income and education all but determine a student's test scores, this suggests to me that their kids would likely be scoring above average on their states' test.

If those kids opt out, their schools' and districts' test scores will decline, helping education "reformers" portray those schools and districts as failing.

If parents succeed in getting other parents to opt out, their school might find itself no longer meeting the minimum participation thresholds mandated by federal and state laws. Congratulations, you've just cost your school a bunch of money, which will lead to more layoffs, larger class sizes, less individual attention and probably, more punitive testing as the school tries to "earn" its funding back.

A boycott only works is if enough families pull out in enough schools, in enough districts, in enough states, that the federal government is forced to change the system. As anyone who's ever worked for a paycheck ought to know, a strike works only when the factory shuts down. If you're out on the picket line alone, you're only hurting yourself.So how do we get what we want? The same way unions have for a century and more -- we organize. Whether it's joining a national group such as the Network for Public Education or a local organization such as Invest in PUSD Kids, parents will change public education only by working together, and not by

NYC Public School Parents: The Cathie Black Fiasco: Lessons for Confronting Entrenched Power

NYC Public School Parents: The Cathie Black Fiasco: Lessons for Confronting Entrenched Power:

The Cathie Black Fiasco: Lessons for Confronting Entrenched Power

from NYC Public School Parents by Leonie Haimson

She's BA-A-A-ACK!

Just Visiting

Nearly 3 years have passed since that quiet afternoon in November 2010 when I glanced at my phone to see the newsflash:

SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR JOEL KLEIN STEPPING DOWN. BLOOMBERG TO APPOINT CATHLEEN P. BLACK, HEARST MAGAZINE, AS REPLACEMENT

The news is always presented so matter-of-factly, so unemotionally. The effect is predictable and comforting to so many in a hectic, unpredictable world like the one we inhabit. The news usually makes sense of it for us.

Usually, but this news didn’t make sense. Not to me.

I called my teacher friends, then a principal, then a parent advocate. Nothing but confusion. Nothing but disbelief. And shoulder-shrugging acquiescence. There’s enough crisis fatigue going around the public school system to slide this next unbelievable fact into the shoebox of unbelievable, but inevitable, administrative moves. Mayoral control means mayoral control, and if

NYC Educator: The SBO--Make Them an Offer They Can Easily Refuse

NYC Educator: The SBO--Make Them an Offer They Can Easily Refuse:

The SBO--Make Them an Offer They Can Easily Refuse

by NYC Educator

Last week, Ms. Teacher went to work, and noticed there was a ballot box in the check-in room. She had no idea there was going to be a vote, and neither did any of her colleagues. But there it was, and she was handed a ballot.

There was an SBO, a proposal to increase the school day, already six hours and fifty minutes, by 37 minutes Monday to Thursday. Ms. Teacher saw nothing about getting paid for the extra time. Then she heard some of her colleagues screaming about it in distinctly uncomplimentary terms. The consensus was that this was nuts, and why would anyone want to do such a thing?

Ms. Teacher located her chapter leader, who told her the District Representative wanted this SBO. Now, to me, that's pretty hard to believe, but I suppose if I were pushing such a crappy idea, I'd blame the DR, or pretty much anyone handy.

It was a stressful day for Ms. Teacher. She's kind of sensitive, and doesn't like too much controversy. And yet, there it was. All day, everyone was shouting at one another. They weren't really mad at each other, but rather agitated that anyone would have the audacity to

Recognizing Exemplary Schools - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

Recognizing Exemplary Schools - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Establishes
Two New Areas for Recognizing Exemplary Schools

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today recognized 19 public schools, which are also 2013 Distinguished Schools, with two new state Exemplary Program Awards for their successful and innovative efforts to promote either the arts or physical activity and nutrition.

'If we want our students to succeed inside and outside the classroom, they need an education that takes the ‘whole child' into account," Torlakson said. "Encouraging creativity and good nutrition and physical activity are just some of the ways these schools are working to accomplish exactly that."

The schools are the first to be selected for the two new exemplary program awards that reflect Torlakson's goals outlined in hisBlueprint for Great Schools report, which provides vision and direction for California's education system.

The Exemplary Arts Program Award reflects Torlakson's commitment to the arts and creative education as essential components of a high-quality comprehensive education. This program recognizes schools that, in addition to high academic achievement indicated by their Distinguished School qualifications, have committed time and resources to broad-based arts education programs that strengthen students' creativity and encourage their personal interests.

Schools selected for the Exemplary Arts distinction have demonstrated school and community support for standards-based arts programs across multiple disciplines. These programs have made a significant impact on school culture and academic success. This award is directly related to the California Department of Education's involvement in CREATE CA, a statewide coalition of agencies and organizations working to further arts education in California.

The Physical Activity and Nutrition Exemplary Program Award recognizes schools that are making significant strides in their school environment related to physical activity and nutrition. Active and well-nourished students demonstrate improved attendance and greater academic achievement. A healthy school environment provides clear and consistent health messages, accurate health and nutrition information and opportunities for increased physical activity.

The goals of Torlakson's Team California for Healthy Kids

initiative are increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables; increasing access to fresh, free drinking water; and increasing moderate to vigorous physical activity.

A third program, the exemplary Career Technical Education Program, has been ongoing, and the award winners were announced last month when the 2013 Distinguished Schools were named.

Elementary and secondary schools are recognized in alternate years, and this year middle and high schools were acknowledged.

The 2013 Exemplary Arts Program Awards

County	School District	School
Kings	Pioneer Union Elementary	Pioneer Middle
Los Angeles	Downey Unified	Warren High
Los Angeles	Hart Unified	Hart High
Los Angeles	Los Angeles Unified	Renaissance Arts Academy
Los Angeles	Walnut Valley Unified	South Point Middle
Orange	Irvine Unified	Northwood High
Orange	Saddleback Valley Unified	Mission Viejo High
Riverside	Temecula Valley	Vail Ranch Middle
Sacramento	Natomas Unified	Natomas Charter Performing & Fine Arts Academy
San Diego	Grossmont Union High School District	Grossmont High
San Francisco	San Francisco Unified	Lowell High
Santa Clara	Milpitas Unified	Rancho Milpitas Middle
Sonoma	Gravenstein	Hillcrest Middle

The 2013 Physical Activity and Nutrition Exemplary Program Awards

County	School District	School
Alameda	Castro Valley Unified	Canyon Middle
Los Angeles	Downey Unified	Warren High
Los Angeles	Norwalk-La Mirada Unified	Arlie F. Hutchinson Middle
Ventura	Oak Park Unified	Oak Park High

The 2013 Exemplary Career Technical Education Program Awards*

County	School District	School
Los Angeles	Downey Unified	Warren High
Riverside	Temecula Valley Unified	Vail Ranch Middle

*These schools were first acknowledged April 11, 2013, when the 2013 Distinguished Schools Awards were announced.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Women in Science and Tech Industries Profiled in State Agency Project

Project Leads to Conference to Encourage Students to Enter Science and Tech Fields

SACRAMENTO—Trailblazing women from California in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) will be profiled each week in a state project leading to California's first STEM Conference this fall, said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

The California Department of Education, the California State Library, the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and the California Research Bureau are joining forces in this work, designed to encourage more students—especially underrepresented groups, such as young women and students of color—to enter the STEM fields.

"Maintaining our place on the cutting edge of science and technology depends on educating the next generation of leaders in these fields," said Torlakson. "Every student deserves the opportunity to acquire a world-class education that prepares them for college and careers."

A different California woman has been profiled each week since March, through the California State Library

Web site, using the keywords "California Women in STEM." For the month of March, these include research pathologist Dr. Edith Claypole

; information scientists The Gillis Girls

; pilot and physicist Margaret Gee

; field botanist and horticulturalist Lester Rowntree

; and bookbinder Idah Meacham Strobridge

. The month of April includes botanist Rebecca Austin

; geographer and Arctic explorer Louise Boyd

; economist and sociologist Charlotte Gilman

; and inventor and agriculturist Harriet Strong

. The month of May includes civil engineer, Marilyn Reece

; paleontologist and field researcher Annie Alexander

; psychologist Dorothy Baruch

; osteopath Louisa Burns

; and physicist Maria Simani]

. More California women will be profiled each week leading up to the STEM Conference planned for November 18-19, 2013, in Sacramento.

The Conference, titled "Invest in California STEM Education: Innovate, Integrate, and Inspire!" will help schools share best practices, provide professional development for teachers, help districts form partnerships with business and higher education, and provide STEM resources for the attendees. Keynote speakers and special guests include Academy Award® winning actorGeena Davis

of the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and education researcher Sugata Mitra

. The Conference is sponsored by the California Department of Education and the Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation.

A 2011 U.S. Department of Commerce study, "STEM: Good Jobs Now and For the Future (PDF)

," found that over the past 10 years, growth in jobs involving STEM fields was three times greater than that of non-STEM occupations. The report also forecast that STEM jobs are expected to continue to grow at a faster rate than others in the coming decade. STEM-related industries are a major component of California's economy.

For more information on STEM education in California, visit the California Department of Education's Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics Web page.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Pedagogy vs. Andragog | My Island View

Pedagogy vs. Andragog | My Island View:

Pedagogy vs. Andragog

by tomwhitby

Over this last year I have been fortunate to have been sent to many education conferences on behalf of SmartBrief in pursuit of content and guest bloggers for SmartBlog on Education. It is a dream job for a retired educator and an education blogger. The intent is to always keep the educator’s voice on SmartBlog authentic and relevant. In that capacity, I have attended and conducted a multitude of workshops on various education topics. Since I am no longer in the classroom, and have no need to apply what I learn about current teaching methods in a classroom setting, I often attend these workshops as an observer, or even a critical observer in some cases.
In conference after conference, and workshop after workshop I have observed successes and failures in the methods employed by presenters to get their material across to their audiences. Of course my biggest criticism is that too many presenters view the people in the room as audiences, and themselves as some sort of

Meet the 2013 National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductees | NEA Today

Meet the 2013 National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductees | NEA Today:

Meet the 2013 National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductees

by twalker

By Helen Yoshida

On June 14^th, five teachers hailing from Maryland, Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma will be inducted into the National Teacher Hall of Fame (NTHF). These members of the Class of 2013 were guests at the Department of Education on Friday, where they met with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to discuss educational issues they face in their schools. Following the meeting they were honored at the National Education Association headquarters in Washington D.C. where they met with education leaders, including NEA President Dennis Van Roekel.
“Each year, the National Teacher Hall of Fame honors five individuals from more than 7 million great teachers in the U.S.,” said Van Roekel. “Those selected are exceptional career teachers who demonstrate excellence in teaching. They have made student learning their top priority by finding creative and effective ways to engage their students. Congratulations and thank you to all of those recognized by the Teacher Hall of Fame.”
Meet the 2013 inductees:
A physical science teacher at Byng Junior High in Oklahoma since 1987, Deborah Cornelison enjoys teaching the fundamental concepts of physics and chemistry as well as science research. Now in her 26th year of teaching her passion for profession still burns strong. Prior to her position at Byng, Deborah was an East Central University adjunct instructor of biology and physical science and taught science in the ECU Upward Bound Programs. She holds a B.S. and M.Ed from ECU as well as a National Board Certification in Adolescent and Young Adulthood Science.
Darryl Johnson teaches 10^th-12^th grade English/Language Arts at Smithville High School in Missouri. A native of Port Washington Wisconsin, Johnson earned a B.S. Ed and an M.S. Ed in English from Northwest Missouri State University and was awarded the Missouri Teacher of the Year in 2007. With 21 years of teaching experience he currently teaches Communication Arts II, British Literature and Film as Literature.
Martha McLeod is a 5^th grade science lab instructor at Fulton 4-5 Learning Center in Rockport Texas. Growing up she was instilled with a hard work ethic and an appreciation and respect for the natural world. She received a B.S. in Animal Science from Texas A&M and received her teacher certification and biology specialization from West Texas State University and has been teaching in Aransas County ISD for 20 years. As an educator she believes her job is to instill a love and understanding of the world in her students and believes that students learn best when they can see, taste, touch, hear, and smell the scientific concepts that she teaches. An advocate of the outdoors, McLeod always tries to link the knowledge we are learning to each student’s own life and make it applicable to them. from a hands-on approach.
Beth Vernon is an 8th grade Earth and space science teacher at Brittany Hill Middle School in Blue Springs, Missouri. Last week, her school surprised her with the news that she had been inducted at an all-school assembly tat she thought had been called to unveil pictures of the new school. Known as “the singing science teacher,” Vernon has been teaching for almost 30 years. She was a Disney American Teacher Award winner in 2000 and was also selected for the Missouri STARR Teacher program, an extensive master teacher development program.
Rebecca Gault, a 6th grade language arts teacher from Bel Air Middle School in Bel Air, Maryland, has been teaching for 22 years. In Gault’s nomination video, Bel Air Middle principal Sean Abel said Gault performs “magic in the classroom.” One of her most significant contributions to her school is a job-embedded professional development program which she created collaboratively with three other colleagues. A published author, Gault has written eight books on topics related to literacy for K-12 educators.
Related posts:

Parents Across America Update | Seattle Education

Parents Across America Update | Seattle Education:

Parents Across America Update

by seattleducation2011

Parents Across America Action News May 2, 2013

Welcome to PAA Action News, the information and action newsletter of Parents Across America.

PAA Action Alert

Help a student speak out against using tests to evaluate teachers

Here’s a quick action for the week:

Please sign this petition posted by Miami University of Ohio student Aaron Shafer. Aaron explains: “Standardized tests are not a sound or fair way to evaluate teachers. The higher the stakes we give these tests, the more we will see test prep and test cheating, which goes against the positive, democratic nature of public education.”

We agree! Take a look at PAA’s fact sheet, “Tying Teachers’ Salaries to Test Scores Doesn’t Work.”

PAA and PAAers in the News

Great news for PAA!

After several months of arduous work, the PAA Board of Directors has finalized our by-laws and application for our IRS 501c3 status.

We also elected officers:

Dora Taylor, President

Natalie Beyer, Vice-President

Julie Woestehoff, Secretary

The by-laws have been sent to the PAA leadership group for feedback, then we hope to have our application in the mail.

Many thanks to our current Board for all of their hard work – to Karen Miller and Officers Dora, Natalie and Julie, and to former Board members Pamela Grundy and Karran Harper-Royal. We have had excellent advice and support from Dusty Federko, a volunteer attorney from Chicago’s Katten Muchin law firm via The Law Project, a Chicago-based group that provides pro bono legal assistance to non-profit organizations.

Congratulations to Rita Solnet on Florida parent trigger win!

The indomitable Rita Solnet, who helped beat back the parent trigger bill last year in Florida, has done it again, with the help of other parent groups and some major goofs by Parent Revolution.

The astroturfers got caught setting up front groups, forging signatures on pro-trigger petitions, and lying about a video used to show Florida legislators that there were, yes, there were some

Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education Executive Director Wendy Katten walked the distance between Earl Elementary and Goodlow Elementary Magnet School in Chicago. Earl is being closed, and its students will be sent to Goodlow where the staff is being replaced by the Earl staff. | Fred Klonsky

Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education Executive Director Wendy Katten walked the distance between Earl Elementary and Goodlow Elementary Magnet School in Chicago. Earl is being closed, and its students will be sent to Goodlow where the staff is being replaced by the Earl staff. | Fred Klonsky:

Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education Executive Director Wendy Katten walked the distance between Earl Elementary and Goodlow Elementary Magnet School in Chicago. Earl is being closed, and its students will be sent to Goodlow where the staff is being replaced by the Earl staff.

by Fred Klonsky

Popout.

Posted by Tim Furman

Had an interesting walk through West Englewood with Raise Your Hand’s Wendy Katten on Sunday morning. On this particular visit we walked the distance between Earle Elementary and Goodlow Magnet.

This is one of the scenarios that probably made sense to some TFA intern somewhere and it made its way up the ladder of yes-people to the top. I have trouble even explaining it— basically, the Goodlow staff is being shown the door, and the Earle staff is going to take over, and they’re going to bring the Earle neighborhood kids along. Earle may or may not be converted into some kind of magnet, and whether or not that magnet will have any seats reserved for the kids in the neighborhood is beyond me.

I also don’t know what’s happening to the Goodlow magnet concept, now that it’s a sorta-kinda magnet with a bunch of neighborhood kids and their teachers. The only thing reasonably certain is that it’s going to be a crowded, crowded school, and there aren’t very many people in the neighborhood who think it’s a good idea.

Steve Cohen: From Closing the Achievement Gap to Closing the Opportunity Gap - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Steve Cohen: From Closing the Achievement Gap to Closing the Opportunity Gap - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Steve Cohen: From Closing the Achievement Gap to Closing the Opportunity Gap

by Anthony Cody

Guest post by Steve Cohen.
On Monday, when teachers headed back to classrooms, 15,000 other educators descended on San Francisco's upscale Union Square hotels for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting.
Feeling a tad overwhelmed by 2,400 sessions, I braved my way to the Westin St. Francis where an audience of about 250 gathered for a session based on the just-released book Closing the Opportunity Gap: What America Must Do to Give Every Child an Even Chance in School It proved to be a wise choice. Judging from the audience's response to the session, it seemed to reasonably represent a direction that most other AERA meeting goers would like to follow to improve American education.
Here's the SparkNotes version: The kids who come to school with less get less from school. Closing the achievement gap with high-stakes, test-centric teaching combined with low resources, few opportunities and a lack of support has failed. The best way out is to close the mushrooming opportunity gap, create more equitable opportunities and gauge how well states and districts are doing to create those opportunities. Achievement follows from opportunities to learn.
The book's editors, Kevin Welner and Prudence Carter, plus five of the 17 Opportunity Gap chapter authors -- Christopher Tienken, Harvey Kantor, Linda Darling-Hammond, Bob Lowe and Patricia Gandara -- were on hand with mounds of evidence on how we need to reboot: how to go from the proverbial Education 1.0 with a focus on

Jersey Jazzman: Computerized Testing Disaster Preview

Jersey Jazzman: Computerized Testing Disaster Preview:

Computerized Testing Disaster Preview

by Duke

It's going to be so feakin' awesome when we finally get all the kids taking all those Common Core and PARCC and state-level standardized tests on computers! Because - considering they must all take them at the same time - what could possibly go wrong?

School testing came to a halt statewide early Monday because the CTB/McGraw-Hill testing company servers in New Jersey crashed around 9 a.m., state education officials said.

In the last week of Oklahoma's April testing window, the outage has raised rescheduling concerns among school officials across the state.

"We're working with (McGraw) very closely" to resolve the problems, said Sherry Fair, spokeswoman with the state Department of Education.

School districts were advised to cancel online testing because of the server crash,

Questions about the questions on new Common Core tests

Questions about the questions on new Common Core tests:

Questions about the questions on new Common Core tests

Posted by Valerie Strauss on May 3, 2013 at 2:28 pm

New York state students in several grades recently took new high-stakes accountability tests aligned to the Common Core State Standards (even though there is not yet a Core curriculum in New York schools), and a number of educators who saw the test reported problems with some of the questions.

Some questions, they said, appeared to have more than one correct answer and no single obviously correct one; others were considered so time-consuming to answer that many students couldn’t finish. Some literacy experts said that versions of the English Language Arts 5th grade reading test had some multiple-choice questions that did not really lend themselves to the multiple-choice format.

I have a copy of the 2013 Common Core English Language Arts Test Book 1, Form C, for fifth grade. Because of copyright issues, I can’t publish the whole thing, but I can include a few questions. (The New York Daily News received the test earlier and published some questions, here.)

Look at this question and tell me if you can be sure of the right answer:

Students are asked to read a poem titled “Aloneness,” by Gwendolyn Brooks, and answer

Ed Notes Online: Randi's "Mid-Course" Babble on Common Core: Who's doing more harm to public education, Glenn Beck or Randi Weingarten?

Ed Notes Online: Randi's "Mid-Course" Babble on Common Core: Who's doing more harm to public education, Glenn Beck or Randi Weingarten?:

Randi's "Mid-Course" Babble on Common Core: Who's doing more harm to public education, Glenn Beck or Randi Weingarten?

by ed notes online

Can we call for a moratorium on Randi Weingarten? -- Fred Smith

Susan Ohanian asked that intriguing question about Glenn Beck and Randi in the headline. The amount of damage Randi's AFT/UFT capitulation has done to public education is exposed as parents and teachers reacted to Weingarten's worthless words to cover her ass with a soundbite when the entire common core crap she has had the AFT/UFT push down everyone's throats comes apart, as so much of ed deform has before it, ed deform

Follow up Question Guide for Ed Writers (on Teacher Evaluation) | School Finance 101

Follow up Question Guide for Ed Writers (on Teacher Evaluation) | School Finance 101:

Follow up Question Guide for Ed Writers (on Teacher Evaluation)

by schoolfinance101

I was reviewing the past few days of news coverage on NJ teacher evaluations and came across the following quote, which was not-so-amazingly left unchallenged:

Cerf said research shows test scores are “far and away” the best gauge of teacher effectiveness, and to not use test score data would be “very anti-child.”

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/05/state_board_of_education_adjus.html
Here’s a reporters’ guide to follow up questions….
Mr. Cerf… can you show me exactly what research comes to that conclusion? (this should always be the immediate follow up to the ambiguous “research shows” comment)
Exactly how is “far and away” measured in that research?
And what is meant by “best gauge of effectiveness?”
That is, what is the valid measure of effectiveness against which test scores are gauged? (answer… uh… test scores themselves)
So, Mr. Cerf, are you trying to tell me that the Gates MET study proved that test scores are “far and away” the

NPE Friends & Allies | The Network For Public Education

NPE Friends & Allies | The Network For Public Education:

NPE FRIENDS & ALLIES

MAY 3, 2013

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Friday, May 3, 2013