Actually, geographically, I'm right in the middle-- Fresno. I'd love to meet you and get together. On Friday, May 25, 2007, at 09:30 AM, thomas wrote:
> Elaine you're up north way right? I will look forward to maybe > getting to > meet and work with you in some way. Can't wait to read yournew book. > > sally > > > On 5/25/07 10:00 AM, "elaine garan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> I one hundred percent agree with you. I wish we could get the media >> and >> parents to understand this too. To do that, we need to have the facts >> and the language to make the issues accessible to people who don't >> have >> the background or education to understand the issues or for media >> people who don't necessarily do their homework. They are so taken with >> the quick, glib sound bytes. >> >> I was quoted in the congressional hearings on NCLB and Reading First >> (a >> quote from my last book). While that was excited, what really bothered >> me was that book was full of substance, hard work and analysis put >> into >> plain English. And what got cited? A glib, little bumper sticker sound >> byte I made about the rampant conflicts of interest. It actually made >> me sad that that's what they valued and used from my book. >> >> On Friday, May 25, 2007, at 08:06 AM, Renee wrote: >> >>> Thank you, Elaine. This is what I was getting at in my purposely >>> obtuse >>> way, hoping that people would think about it. I know that benchmarks >>> are arbitrary, and I think grade levels are suspect as well. I think >>> people need to remember and think about this when they are fretting >>> over a child not meeting a benchmark, when they are in committees >>> deciding at what point children will be considered "at grade level" >>> or >>> "proficient" and when they are making out their report cards. >>> >>> The truth is important. >>> Renee >>> >>> >>> On May 25, 2007, at 8:55 AM, elaine garan wrote: >>> >>>> I will tell you the truth. The benchmarks, what subject matter is >>>> important to test (in other words, the test questions) are decided >>>> by >>>> a >>>> bunch of people sitting around a desk somewhere-- some of whom never >>>> even taught-- As for grade level, I believe that's done >>>> statistically. >>>> That is, large numbers of kids are tested. The results are normed. >>>> Those normed results are put on a scale. Loosely put, what most kids >>>> can do at a certain grade becomes the norm. However, as I said at >>>> the >>>> beginning, WHAT kids need to know is purely arbitrary. It is the >>>> opinion of the people who happen to be making up the test questions. >>>> >>>> What's more, as soon as test scores improve and too many kids start >>>> doing too well--- the tests are renormed to ensure that there is a >>>> sufficient number of kids who fail. If every kid in the country >>>> because >>>> of brilliant teaching on our part made incredible strides on those >>>> tests, they'd just renorm and make sure enough of them and of course >>>> we >>>> as teachers are failures. That's a fact. The fact that some kids >>>> must >>>> be left behind is built right into the system. >>>> >>>> On Friday, May 25, 2007, at 07:22 AM, Renee wrote: >>>> >>>>> >>>>> On May 25, 2007, at 4:23 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> In a message dated 5/23/2007 10:27:39 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, >>>>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: >>>>>> >>>>>> Who decides what "on grade level" actually means? >>>>>> What is the measurement that determines whether or not a child is >>>>>> "on >>>>>> grade level"? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> There are benchmarks for each grade level. These are used as >>>>>> measures. >>>>>> >>>>>> Laura >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> I return to my original question. Who decides on these benchmarks? >>>>> How >>>>> are they created? >>>>> >>>>> Renee >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> "Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. >>>>> It >>>>> is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to >>>>> a >>>>> worthy purpose." >>>>> ~Helen Keller >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>>> [email protected] >>>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>>>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>>>> >>>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>>> >>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>> >>>> >>> "We are here to infiltrate space with ideas." >>> ~ Ramtha >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Mosaic mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>> >>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >> >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >> > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ > mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. 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