> -----Original Message----- > From: Vivec [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 4:35 AM > To: cf-community > Subject: Bush was right when it mattered most > > http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&ad > dress=103x418807
Boy... talk about thread fodder. Let's everybody limit us to one line or else we'll go crazy. ;^) I'll pick "Mr. Bush was right to pass No Child Left Behind (NCLB), requiring states to set up tough accountability systems that measure every child's progress at school. As a result, reading and math scores have risen more in the last five years since NCLB than in the prior 28 years." At the cost of other scores - for example science, humanities, art, music, etc. Personal experience with three schools across two states every teacher my kids have had have lamented that "we just teach to the test now". My son is in fourth grade: he does a single 45 minute period of math a WEEK - actually there one period for "alternate study" a day: science, social studies, music, art and "Library". This personal experience is backed by studies and research showing that time for science and social studies have been cut drastically. In addition much of the funding promised for NCLB programs has not materialized putting the burden on the school districts who are forced to cut other programs (often music and physical education where the budgets tend to be higher) to subsidize the tested subjects further. There are serious questions about the metrics used to determine the efficacy of the program. The much larger negative incentives for failure may be resulting in more "creative bookkeeping" and an artificial inflation of the program's success. It's ridiculous to make a statement like he's made here without determining how to compare the new standardized tests with the universe of older methods. Honestly if you understood things enough to make a direct comparative statement like that then why institute global standards to begin with. The testing itself is questionable simply because to make it "standard" it must also be made homogenized and simplistic. Variations in culture (North/South, Midwest/Coasts, Urban/Rural, etc) are not taken into account and subject learning (essays, project work, etc) are eliminated. Critical thinking and creativity are getting short shrift at a time when education is being attacked by religious and political zealots. All that said (and much more left unsaid) I believe that education is the most pressing social issue in the United States. While reading and writing are clearly important I feel that a lack of science (to meet and understand the challenges of our complex world) and social studies (to better understand our place in that world) will be enormous hindrances to this generation of Americans. To be clear I honestly don't know if NCLB is a "good decision" - I have my doubts, but I would love to be proven wrong. What bothers me more is the lack of a broader sense of caution. Do these kids perform as well outside of school? Do they continue education more than previously? These are long term questions that will better let us understand what we've done. But instead of that cautiousness (either cautious optimism or cautious negativity) we get absolute certainty and rhetoric. I guess I'd just feel more comfortable with a sense of humility from those in power on this topic rather than rah rah jingoism from either side. This issue shouldn't be political. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:286631 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
