Teaching

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

I don't have any understanding what is ASD, or what makes for a "green" day in this child's life.

Sorry, Autism Spectrum Disorder and his teacher's color code short hand for how his day went.

That is, his "test score" may not be "passing", but it's only a number.
But if it's a valid number across schools and states, then resources
might be better used or created to have a better outcome for John.

Like Clod said his teacher, assuming competence, is using both formative and summative assessments in the classroom. Distributing resources is a whole other tar baby but not one validating child abuse.

New York State is under a court order to address the spending gap on students between poor and rich districts. They are ignoring the court order. If you dig around in the numbers it becomes apparent that poor rural and urban districts, which are the only places where New York's system is failing, are under-funded. New York uses mostly property taxes to fund schools but they also have formulas for construction etc... to send extra money to districts that often ends up going to richer districts. You have limited resources in the areas where education is generally less valued. That in my mind is the real problem.

[classicman]

" It's not about what Common Core hoped to do. It's about what Common Core has actually done, in reality. "
"Common Core is not evil, it's just a failure. Intentions are irrelevant."

[Lamplighter]

Clod says:

Of course not. Common Core is not evil, it's just a failure.

Classic says:

" It's not about what Common Core hoped to do.
It's about what Common Core has actually done, in reality. "
"Common Core is not evil, it's just a failure. Intentions are irrelevant."

I'm quite surprised at the emphatic statements being made.
On one hand, the links that Griff posted took me to people who were saying
CC had not been tested. One blogger said she did not have the time to wait
around to see the results. etc., etc., etc.

Please post some links to support the testing /results that have convinced you that "It's just a failure."

[classicman]

My daughter is a teacher. She has many friends, some who are also teachers. I have read, seen & heard much about CC.
Link that.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

I'm quite surprised at the emphatic statements being made.
On one hand, the links that Griff posted took me to people who were saying
CC had not been tested. One blogger said she did not have the time to wait
around to see the results. etc., etc., etc.

Please post some links to support the testing /results that have convinced you that "It's just a failure."

Did you watch the John Oliver video? There was plenty of factual evidence contained within. Our international ranking has gone steadily downward not just since CC but since standardized testing in general. Meanwhile, the poverty gap in scoring within our country has widened, which is the opposite of what these programs were supposed to do (i.e., support the bottom learners who weren't receiving the same education as their rich-school peers.)

[Clodfobble]

More firsthand evidence of the bureaucratic stupidity:

Texas was so pissed off about Common Core--because it came from a Democratic president, basically--that the Texas legislature actually banned it in 2013, and commissioned the design of a different program. So as of this year we use the TEKS standards, which is no better, it's just another fucking acronym for the same stupid problem.

Meanwhile, Minifob had to take the STAAR standardized test last month, still required for all 3rd graders by the state. (He will also continue to take versions of this test in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade, then the testing from 7th-12th becomes different but still the same.) But the new TEKS guidelines have not yet decided what a passing score is. So now we all know how many questions our kids got right, but no one has any idea if they actually passed. In an email from the principal today:

We will receive an updated report sometime this fall that will indicate what decision has been made regarding the passing standards and which students have passed/failed.

They can't even decide what the results of their own arbitrary tests mean.

[DanaC]

Given the potential damage overtesting or inappropriate testing can do, it is very worrying. The high levels of stress that even young children are experiencing as an integral part of the learning process is deeply unhelpful.

One of the recurring themes in education policy over here - and I suspect over there - is the way that good practice and sensible strategy ideas get transformed through political and economic agendas. What ends up in the classroom is what is left after its been through the meat grinder.