Arkansas Blog

325 schools can't hit the mark? Isn't that just about one in every district in the state? Has anyone bothered to read the department's report about how a school lands on the improvement list? The ENTIRE school could have improved scores but if even ONE subgroup (ESL, special ed., etc.) fails to hit the arbitrary AYP goal established back in 2001, then the ENTIRE school is placed on improvement. What's so bad about that you ask? That's when schools do things like cut art, cut music, add remediation classes for which students receive no credit. You can imagine a teenager's joy at being forced into a "practice" math class for an extra hour each day that they are not even receiving a credit for. NCLB is a nightmare and dangerous to a substantial number of students.

No Child Left Behind is TERRIBLE!!! I have family that are teachers and they HATE IT - we are teaching the test to kids, NOT teaching anything that is SUBJECT or SKILL oriented... plus there is pressure of "pass this test or else!".... Stories of kids crying during test time for a standardized test are all too common. NCLB says that 100% of kids MUST be "proficient" in X years..... wtf??? Now I'm all about 'love everyone' and stuff, but seriously, how can all those Chapter I kids, and all those mentally challenged kids, and all those self-contained, and all those ADD kids whose parents REFUSE to give them ritalin, how can all those kids who have family trauma or are abused or in foster care at home.... how can 100% of our kids EVER get "A"s in everything???????? THEY CAN'T!!!!!!! And the NCLB act says, if you don't --your school gets taken over. A few states, Florida even, have said "screw it! we aren't obeying your law, W"...... funny thing is, Arkansas has to obey it, because Herr Huckabee is eyeing a top GOP spot in '08 - Cabinet, VP short list, you name it..... Take it from someone who hears family complaints EVERY DAY - NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND IS DESTROYING OUR SCHOOLS MORE THAN ANY OTHER FACTOR IN THE HISTORY OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I am TOTALLY Serious.

(And yes, I am a Republican that voted for Bush. Twice. But I'd vote for Ned Lamont&Howard Dean if it meant the repeal of NCLB)

Warwick-
When you posting the new paper on the site?

Looking forward to it.

Recently saw a bumper sticker that summed up W.
NO CHILD LEFT A DIME

I looked and looked for Paron High on that list. I guess I just missed it, hunh?

Did anyone else notice how many of the schools on the list (like Whitehall and Vilonia) have NO checkmarks? I also noticed that most of the listed schools are in large, consolidated districts - while small, rural schools appear to have achieved the benchmark.

Nobody says small rural schools are bad at educating, they are just terribly inefficient in doing so. Having taught 5 years in a small rural school I can assure you that the basics are done there better than anywhere(I even taught in a split classroom, 3rd onthe left, 4th on the right), but when it comes time to educate our children for the 21st century, it simply can't be done in an affordable way in these small rural schools. And you can't take a kid from one school to another for 1 class period to get them a chemistry course because it dirupts the entire day. To have these little schools and to have their basketball teams would be great if we could afford them, but we can't.

I happen to be a product of, at the time, one of the smallest public schools in the State. My graduating class consisted of six students. Today, I am a systems analyst in the medical research field, who enjoys a little database design in my spare time, and I am dyslexic. The vast majority of the kids in my high school, who do not own their own businesses, hold professional jobs. Ninety-five percent of the graduating body from that school went on to graduate from college. And no, we did not play football.

I did not start out in a small school, however. Through elementary and middle school, I attended one of the larger schools. But because that school was so overcrowded and the staff so overworked, it could not "afford" to waste time making certain that I learned the basics. If I had not transferred to a small school when I started ninth grade, I would not have graduated. So what if a child can graduate high school know how to throw a forward pass, if he can't read? If a school can not teach the basics, then they may as well teach nothing.

Besides, with today's technology and information access, there is absolutely no reason that a small rural school can not offer everything that a larger school can. Consolidate the administration, but leave the schools. That will also cut down on six-year-olds standing by the road at 6am to catch a bus.

This thread reminds me of the old internet joke applying NCLB rules to high school football.

--

"No Child Left Behind meets football"

The Federal government has announced that all high school football teams must meet "No Child Left Behind" legislation beginning next season.

* No team will be declared a winner, as that will leave 50% of participants behind.

* All high schools will be divided into districts with eight teams per district. Every team must finish at least 3rd place to be proficient.

* All teams must score at least 21 points, but no defense can allow more than 7 points.

* No tournaments will be held as this would result in one champion.

* All teams must make the state playoffs, and all will win the championship. If a team does not win the championship, they will be on probation until they are the champions, and coaches will be held accountable.

* All kids will be expected to have the same football skills at the same time and in the same conditions. No exceptions for interest in football, desire in athletics, genetic abilities or disabilities.... ALL KIDS WILL PLAY FOOTBALL AT A PROFICIENT LEVEL.

* Talented players will be asked to work out on their own without instruction, because the coaches will be using all their instructional time with the athletes that aren't interested in football, have limited athletic ability, and whose parents don't like football.

* Games will be played year round, but statistics will only be kept in 4th, 8th, and 11th weeks.

* This will create a New Age of sports where every school is expected to have the same level of talent and all teams will reach the same minimal goals. If no child gets ahead, then no child will be left behind.

Anyone know how to read this spreadsheet? Does a dot in the column indicate a deficiency or a benchmark met?

My school district, Fort Smith, does an excellent job explaining these results at each particular school. The "explanation meeting" is mandatory and because my child's elementary has not met benchmarks, I have heard the report several times. I am sure the school is on "double secret probation" as this point.

At this elementary are some of the hardest working and most talented teachers I have ever encountered at the elementary level. The district has put all the manpower on board that it can possibly find. The trouble is, our school experiences (this is accurate) an 80% turnover rate each year. Eighty. Percent.

So instead of testing the retained 20% to see if progress was made from one year to the next, all students count in the test. New students, new ESL students, kids whom the teachers have had for exactly one year. How valid can this evaluation be?

NCLB has negatively altered everything educators are trying to do. I can't find one benefit. None. It's time for it to go. I can't tell you how dashed and embittered this very talented group of teachers (and staff and administrators) feel to find themselves marked "deficient" when I find them to be no less than heroic.

"Consolidate the administration, but leave the schools. That will also cut down on six-year-olds standing by the road at 6am to catch a bus."

And it will keep my kid on the bench for our basketball team because if he had to try out at a 2A school he'd never make it.

I agree that NCLB is a terrible system. I can tell you from firsthand experience that when your school goes on school improvement, nothing gets taught except for how to pass those tests. Social studies and science go out the window and so does any type of critical thinking. The teachers have no say in curriculum because of all the pressure being put on by NCLB. They must teach whatever new idea comes along.
In addition, the goals are unreasonable. Any statitician can tell you that the end goals of NCLB are impossible to attain. There is this small thing called the "Bell Curve." When one analyzes data, there is reason that one can determine the mean, median, mode and range of it. If all test-takers score at 100%, the test is flawed in some way. Students who speak no English or have disabilities are forced to take tests that are not on their level by this law, which directly violates another federal law. Teachers are forced to violate the federal law and administer tests to children who have no hope of understanding the test, much less scoring well on it. In addition, valuable teachers and support personnel are being lost to the private sector because of the restrictions being placed on teaching. If teachers were allowed to teach the children to think critically, the test scores would take care of themselves. Instead, they are being mandated to create little test-taking robots who have no idea how to think or be creative, much less become good citizens of this country. It is a disgrace when an elementary child can tell you what the ACTAAP is but can't tell you what the three branches of government are.
Lest you think I am exaggerating, you can visit the state DOE website and view the released items from previous tests. Picture yourself 8, 9, or 10 years old trying to work through some of the items, especially the math. The question becomes whether teachers teach kids to pass a test or whether teachers teach kids to become productive citizens who will someday be responsible for taking care of the country by making them think on a higher level and develop lifelong skills. I know other states have filed lawsuits because of the violations of the NCLB Law, and some states and districts have refused federal monies so they don't have to adhere to it. Did you know that it only pertains to poor districts who accept federal money? Did you know that companies are making big bucks off of the demise of our childrens' education?Are you beginning to see a pattern? Are you beginning to think? I encourage you to conduct some research and discover for yourself the future implications.

Vernal, I agree with you. Small schools, at the elementary level, provide the safety and security that the youngsters need. Wee tots at the bus stop at 6AM should be a criminal offense. Why are parents not taking their children to school if the child must take the bus at such an hour? Schools are not parents. Schools should not be responsible for teaching character education but supporting what is taught at home. Schools should not be responsible for clothing a child, providing food for families, insuring pre-school education, making sure immunizations are up to date but we are. Each State legislation and NCLB replaces parent responsibility and places it on schools. With this mindset, schools - large and small - will and almost have replaced any parent responsibility in the advancement of the children they produce.
PS: There is no way mathematically one can derive 95% of 6 and therein lies the falacy of NCLB.

Quit complaining about NCLB until you have the real facts. In 2001, before NCLB really kicked in, only 14% of Arkansas' 4th grade children could read at the 4th grade level. And guess what -- nobody really cared. There was very little outrage, very few people asking questions and demanding better from our schools.

Since NCLB was passed by both Democrats and Republicans, school superitendents and classroom teachers have done nothing but complain. Why? Because for the first time in their entire careers they are being held accountable for not just showing up at school but, instead, for ensuring that children learn -- white children, black children, rich kids and poor kids, too. I'm amazed at people who are critical of NCLB. The result -- because of classroom accountability and annual assessment, 52% of Arkansas' 4th grade children now score proficient or better in 4th grade literacy. Absolutely remarkable improvement. Raise your hand if you would rather have a public education system that continues to graduate students who have not been prepared for the workforce or higher education. Not me!!! I like the progress being made. And I think our school children probably do, too.

Marvel
You supported the point that A+ made. Kids are scoring better on "the tests", but do they really have usable knowledge? After 30+ years in the business of education, I have ALWAYS been accountable for the progress of the children in my classroom. Do you happen to remember the joy of discovery when you were learning? Nowadays, we teach what the Feds, State, and the District dictate. There is no time for the children to experience the sheer joy of learning to learn. You are correct. Test scores have improved.

Educator: How have you been accountable for 30+ years? You might be a wonderful teacher but do you actually know what happened to your students after they left the classroom? Too many Arkansans hold a high school diploma that is meaningless. They struggle to hold a job because they cannot read, OR they found themeselves not prepared for the challenges of higher education.

"In God we trust. Everybody else should bring data."

I have two children in high school who continue to experience the joy of learning. Good teachers are not teaching to the test. They continue to be creative and provide challenges that are not tested by the state of the feds. My children are not just studying for tests. They are researching and reading and writing papers and assembling research projects on subjects and topics not covered by the so-called "test." They are doing well on state and national tests -- national tests being what I am most concerned with as my oldest is now out-of-state competing in college with students from the rest of the country.

Marvel:
I, as a matter of fact, do know how many of my kids have fared after leaving my classroom. That is because they visit me nearly every year and I continue to take time with them and listen to them, just as I did when they were with me. Are you in the classroom? Do you know what happens in the elementary schools as a result of NCLB? From your comments, I highly doubt it.
Maybe you should quit complaining and find out the facts about NCLB before passing judgement. I have no problem with being accountable. My kids always did well on "the test". But, it was not because I taught the test. It was because they were challenged to think.
I see teachers every day who are so frustrated because they are not allowed to teach. In the high schools, there is a lot more freedom than in the elementary schools when it comes to meeting the standards of NCLB. Last year, I watched children spend six weeks taking tests. That is ridiculous! That is not even counting the ones that are not mandated by the state. I watched those children shed tears and shut down because they were sick of the testing. Many refused to even try and some just bubbled in patterns. How is that a true reflection of what kids know? Have you read about America's Choice? More restrictions placed on teachers. Less real learning for the kids. The entire goal of public education right now is to do well on the tests in order to avoid sanctions. It is not about our kids, it is about money and politics.
I assume you are a supportive parent, because you seem passionate about this topic. Your child, I'm sure, performed well on the tests. Much of that comes from the fact that you are supportive and involved. I'm sure that you provide your children with experiences, such as family vacations, visits to museums, help with homework and projects, etc. Statistics show that parental involvement has just as much, if not more, impact on test scores and student success as having good teachers. The reality is that 52% scored well on the tests. That does not necessarily mean that they are reading at a proficient level. It just means that they took the test well. Some children who score poorly on tests may be excellent students and high achievers. I have seen the proof.
If you want accountability, how about longitudinal tracking? Why not a beginning of the year test and an end of the year test to measure growth? If the goal were to improve education of our children, this would be the ideal measurement. However, that is not the goal of NCLB. Do some research. Find out who benefits from schools being labeled as "failing." It is definitely not the schools or our children.

It's time that people face the fact that under NCLB standards every public school in this country will be on the Needs Improvement List by 2112. Every child does not come to school equal and public schools must meet each child where they are when they arrive. We can not "cherry pick" our students like private schools. I would love for anyone who does not believe that we are not doing the very best possible in our public schools to volunteer to spend a week in a LRSD school in central or southwest LR. Deal with students who have no motivation to learn at 4 and 5 years old, who are joining gangs in the 4th or 5th grade, don't speak a single word of English, haven't been feed or bathed, been to a dentist or doctor, need remediation, have been abused in ways unimaginable to most, and a host of problems I can not begin to describe. When NCLB deals with the real problems in education I'll take it seriously.

325 schools missing the mark supports your argument. At this rate, every school will be on the list and then what? America's Choice will come in and take it all over? If they have such a great plan, why isn't everyone using it already? And you are totally correct. The vast majority of the "public" do not know what educators greet every morning in terms of need. Need for clothes, notebooks, food, love, encouragement, discipline, guidance. We do well to get the kids through the day and when you consider what they actually learn academically on top of that, it's incredible. I'm sick of kids spending weeks bubbling in circles. NCLB needs to go.

"Many refused to even try and some just bubbled in patterns. "

Hey, at least they're developing some pattern recognition. That's essential to learning higher mathematics.

Do you ever wonder why all of a sudden the federalist-minded Repubs are interested in regulating education at the federal level? Many of them wanted to completely do away with the Dept. of Education just a few years ago, and now they want central control over state schools. Why is that? What are the real intentions of NCLB? What are the real consequences of the policy on a macro level?

To answer these, all you have to do is follow the money.

from earlier comment, "I agree that NCLB is a terrible system. I can tell you from firsthand experience that when your school goes on school improvement, nothing gets taught except for how to pass those tests."

Let me get this right, a national test shows there are 325 public schools failing and need improvement. Yes, when a school is a failure it is time to get back to the BASICS of reading, writing, math and science.

Why is there no disappointment in the teachers or administrators of these institutions? ...because it is easier to blame the test, blame the feds, blame society, blame overpaid administrators, blame the state government, blade republicans, blame democrats, blame low teacher pay, blame, blame, blame. shame, shame, shame.

Where has our society of responsibility gone? Does anyone feel like these schools could do better? Do we continue on the same path of failure? Do we allow our country to be a total education failure for 1/3 of the children in this country?

You have no comprehension of the testing issue whatsoever. There is NO motivation for a student to score well on this test. NOTHING happens to them if they do poorly. Why would they even try? These same schools are also turning out high scorers on the ACT and AP exams. I can speak with authority. SO, no we are not failing 1/3 of our children, nor are we settling for poor performance. We are not blaming anyone. We are trying to explain what these ridiculous tests do the curriculum and therefore the daily life of every student--not just the low achievers. The ENTIRE school does nothing but practice test taking. They do not concentrate on the basics, they concentrate on test taking skills for ONE particular type of test. Please explain to me how one student can score 4 on the AP English exam and be ranked only proficient on the ACTAAP? Need help? It's because he is a great writer and can say what he means succinctly and won't play the fill up the ACTAAP box game. The public should be very worried about what NCLB is doing to the entire curriculum for every student. The high achievers are all but ignored just as that football NCLB analogy suggested. IT IS HORRIBLE. We are not blaming and not afraid to held accountable. We are worried about what is happening to our children.

from 'get over yourself', "We are not blaming anyone. We are trying to explain what these ridiculous tests do.... The ENTIRE school does nothing but practice test taking."

Maybe you could help me with these statements... How do you practice taking a test with out learning to answer the questions correctly? How do you not blame, then point fingers at students and the test?

When a student fails, they receive an F; when a teacher/school fails, nothing happens.

By the way, there are ways to statistically identify and remove extremely low test scores that are obviously non-takers. Using your reasoning, one out of three schools in Arkansas is only having a testing problem, right?

Your statements just don't jive outside of the teacher lounge. This is a not a testing issue, this is a performance issue. Administrators and teachers don't like to be accountable, that is the way our unionized education monopoly thinks.

When I graduated in 1993 from an entire LRSD education, my main thought was, "How can some of these teachers sleep at night after graduating completely failing young people into our society?" Maybe they don't want to see those students again next year in the same class, maybe they don't want to see these same students ten years later either...

Failing Schools:
Do you just not comprehend? First of all, this is not a national test. It is a test devised by ARKANSAS only. HHave you even looked at a test? You practice taking a test by learning things like answer elimination, working to fill the boxes, putting a title, etc. Every little thing adds up points.
As for removing non test-takers, perhaps you need to look at the subgroups. EVERY CHILD must be tested, regardless of disabilities, language barriers, etc. We are told that unless they are totally nonfunctional, i.e. extremely disabled, they must take the test. If they cannot write, they take it. If they speak not a word of English, they take it. If they are severely autistic, they take it. If they throw a desk across the room and scream and bang their head against the wall, they don't take it, they just get a big, fat zero. Once upon a time, we could exclude these children, or at least their scores if their IEP's indicated no testing or modified testing. Now, they are tested, no exceptions. No testing is not even allowed to be put on IEP's. Their scores are compiled into the total score for the school.
I'll say again that I don't mind accountability, I welcome it. If you are going to hold me accountable though, hold me accountable for my teaching and my students' learning. Not societal, behavioral, physical, lingual and emotional problems.
Next, as far as failing a student who is not performing. Did you know that if a parent fights retention, there is nothing a school can do but pass them on? Special education children and non-English speaking childre may not be retained either. It is a violation of law. Age also plays into this. I have seen children skip entire grades because of their age. That is the law. We have no control over any of this.
Finally, I am sick to death of everyone blaming the teachers. Teachers work their hearts out to reach these children. Teachers are professionals who have degrees. Would you presume to tell your doctor how to do his job? How about your lawyer? Yet, that is exactly what is happening in our schools. The people who know what to do are being ignored and every yahoo that comes up with an idea is being listened to and their ideas are being purchased for big bucks because of NCLB. The true experts are being ignored and criticized. Once upon a time, education and educators were respected. In countries that perform well, they still are. Perhaps that is where the problem truly lies.

That 5:03 post is just ridiculous. You reek of ignorance. Just to pick a couple:

"This is a not a testing issue, this is a performance issue."

When dealing with NCLB, how exactly can you talk about teacher/school performance without talking about testing? The students' scores are what determines the performance rating.

"Administrators and teachers don't like to be accountable, that is the way our unionized education monopoly thinks."

Here's more proof that you have no clue as to what goes on in a public school. Do you think school administrators like unions?

The problem is know-it-alls like yourself who've never come close to being a teacher and who doesn't know half of what it's like to actually teach a class in public school. People like you with absolutely no inkling of what it takes to be a teacher come along and want to determine a performance rating system for teachers. Please tell us more of this subject you know nothing about.

Here's one important aspect of NCLB that most lay folks don't know. When the law was enacted, the government basically took 100% and divided it over 12 years. So, in 12 years, 100% of students will read, write and do math on grade level. Each year a school must show that percent of improvement.

Okay, if you say so. But, ask anyone who knows ANYTHING about statistics or "stastically significant improvement" in data, and they'll tell you that you cannot do this. Not gonna happen.

So, if in year one I have 0% on grade level, the next year I have to have a little over 8% improvement. Then, I have to have 16% in year 2; then about 25% in year 3. If at any time I don't have this percent (for the entire school or any sub-population as defined by our state - which is 40 kids), my school goes into school improvement. We're a "failing" school. It doesn't matter if your school makes ALMOST the given percent or if many of your kids move tremendously within the category of "basic" but they don't quite make it to proficient.

That's ludicrous. And please understand that no educator who is worth his/her salt will tell you that they don't want the accountability aspect; it's much larger than that, and if you're not in a classroom on a daily basis, you probably don't fully understand the concerns.

Oh, and starting this year (2006-2007), because we don't have enough to do as public schools, we now have to include a wellness section in their school improvement plans as defined by the state department of education. Our data that we have to use? Your school's BMI percentages.

failingschools:
When was the last time you ventured into an elementary classroom during instruction time? When have you visited a high school classroom?When was the last time you , heaven forbid, voluntered in a public school? If being a graduate of LRSD makes one an expert, then I am one twice over.... maybe even three times. I am a proud product of LRSD, 1966. I also graduated from the U of A in 1970. I did realize a need to update my skills and returned to school at the age of 40 for a MEd. With a minimum of 112 hours of professional development for each of the last three years, I am here to tell you: the majority of the school year is spent teaching the released items and the format of the test. Should you have a problem with this approach, contact your child's principal, district superintendent , the director of the Arkansas Department of Education and the Secretary of Education. Teachers have no say so in what is being taught. Good Luck.

Don't know about Vilonia but White Hall ain't no small rural school any more. It's a SUBURBAN school which has had growing pains in the fairly recent past. Yet they manage to build new facilities, figure out how to pay for them IN ADVANCE and stay off the financial distress list. That's a lot more than I can say about other districts around here.
Why two of their schools are on the "underperforming" list, I couldn't tell you, but I'd guess the administration is working on it.

They're on the list because at some point every school will be on the list. See above. It is statistically impossible to achieve the mandates of NCLB. I am so relieved to read so many comments by people who know and understand the damage caused by teaching to the test. Please, call your legislators and complain, call your school and offer to help, better yet, out a Dem in the White House and tell Congress to fix this mess!!!

from US Department of Education website:

"Why No Child Left Behind Is Important to America

Despite decades of hard work and dedication to education in our nation, achievement gaps remain stubbornly wide. Since 1965, when the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was enacted in Congress, the federal government has spent more than $267.4 billion to assist states in educating disadvantaged children. Yet, according to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on reading in 2002, only 31 percent of fourth-graders can read at a proficient (passing) or advanced level. Achievement among the highest-performing students remained stable, and America's lowest performers have improved only slightly. A wide achievement gap remains between poor and more economically advantaged students, as well as between white and minority students.4

The good news is that many schools in cities and towns across the country have improved academic achievement for children with a history of low performance. Teachers and administrators are working together in schools to target areas of weakness, improve skills and spend money more wisely, producing better results for all children.

While spending increased in the 1980s and 1990s, achievement remained flat. Clearly, resources and effort are not lacking as educators around the nation work to improve student achievement. The reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act, called No Child Left Behind, calls for states, districts and schools to be accountable for dollars spent on education. NCLB creates a culture of accountability, requiring schools to reassess what they are doing to raise achievement of all students and support teaching and learning."