The Save Our Schools Bill
Sent to the Santa Monica Daily Press,
August 11, 2009
?
Unnoticed by the media, an extremely
important piece of legislation was
introduced in the House of Representatives
at the end of July.
Representative Joe Baca, a democrat representing
Rialto, has introduced
the Save Our Schools Bill, which would
eliminate all required No Child
Left Behind (NCLB) testing in the United
States.
?
NCLB has failed every time it has been
evaluated. According to the gold
standard, the National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP), grade
4 reading scores are up, but the gains
occurred before NCLB went into
effect, and there have been no gains
for grade 8 reading under NCLB.
?
Math scores are up, but they have been
rising at the same rate for
years, since well before NCLB. It deserves
no credit for the higher
scores.
?
NCLB has not narrowed the achievement
gap. The gap between high- and
low-income children has not changed since
2003, not for math, not for
reading, not for Grades 4 and 8.?
?
We all want accountability, but the NCLB
tests are excessive and
inappropriate, and have? turned our schools into test-prep centers. We
should only test as much as we have to,
and use means of assessment
that encourage real learning. Removing
the requirement of using NCLB
tests has the potential of saving billions,
and making life easier and
more productive for students and teachers.
?
Baca's bill deserves the support of every
member of congress.
?
Stephen Krashen
Professor Emeritus
?
Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D.
Florida Atlantic University
Dept. of Teaching and Learning
College of Education
2912 College Ave. ES 214
Davie, FL 33314
Phone: 954-236-1070
Fax: 954-236-1050
-----Original Message-----
From: Mena <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tue, Aug 11, 2009 1:50 pm
Subject: [MOSAIC] Bill to get rid of NCLB
The?Save?Our?Schools?Bill
Sent?to?the?Santa?Monica?Daily?Press,?August?11,?2009
Unnoticed?by?the?media,?an?extremely?important?piece?of?legislation?was?
introduced?in?the?House?of?Representatives?at?the?end?of?July.?
Representative?Joe?Baca,?a?democrat?representing?Rialto,?has?introduced?
the?Save?Our?Schools?Bill,?which?would?eliminate?all?required?No?Child?
Left?Behind?(NCLB)?testing?in?the?United?States.?
NCLB?has?failed?every?time?it?has?been?evaluated.?According?to?the?gold?
standard,?the?National?Assessment?of?Educational?Progress?(NAEP),?grade?
4?reading?scores?are?up,?but?the?gains?occurred?before?NCLB?went?into?
effect,?and?there?have?been?no?gains?for?grade?8?reading?under?NCLB.
Math?scores?are?up,?but?they?have?been?rising?at?the?same?rate?for?
years,?since?well?before?NCLB.?It?deserves?no?credit?for?the?higher?
scores.
NCLB?has?not?narrowed?the?achievement?gap.?The?gap?between?high-?and?
low-income?children?has?not?changed?since?2003,?not?for?math,?not?for?
reading,?not?for?Grades?4?and?8.??
We?all?want?accountability,?but?the?NCLB?tests?are?excessive?and?
inappropriate,?and?have??turned?our?schools?into?test-prep?centers.?We?
should?only?test?as?much?as?we?have?to,?and?use?means?of?assessment?
that?encourage?real?learning.?Removing?the?requirement?of?using?NCLB?
tests?has?the?potential?of?saving?billions,?and?making?life?easier?and?
more?productive?for?students?and?teachers.?
Baca's?bill?deserves?the?support?of?every?member?of?congress.
Stephen?Krashen
Professor?Emeritus
University?of?Southern?California
Copy?sent?to?Representative?Henry?A.?Waxman
Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D.
Florida Atlantic University
Dept. of Teaching and Learning
College of Education
2912 College Ave. ES 214
Davie, FL 33314
Phone: 954-236-1070
Fax: 954-236-1050
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group
<[email protected]>
Sent: Tue, Aug 11, 2009 1:20 pm
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Creating a database
I created a data base for the whole district when we created guided reading
book
rooms in each elementary building.
I probably had more fields then you would need, but here are the fields I used
most often:
Title
Author
Genre
Subject/topic (I used the library information at the beginning of the book)
Reading Strategy
Write Trait
Fountas & Pinnell Level
(I also had other level systems down, but didn't find that useful)
Integrate with (If I knew a grade level studied a particular topic, I would add
this)
Publisher (I had this in case I needed to replace titles; some primary titles
are repeated many times)
If teachers would have been given the time to learn the system, it would have
helped them tremendously in their teaching. But, again, there was never enough
time to do this with the teachers.
Carol
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sue" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 11:07:44 AM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central
Subject: [MOSAIC] Creating a database
I am interested in finding out what you are using to create a database for
book cataloging. All my books are leveled but not cataloged which can be
frustrating when I am looking for a read-aloud book to match instruction. I
would like to create a system to find the books I want to use instead of
digging through 4 bins in a certain level (Then of course enlisting the
kids! LOL)
Sue
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_______________________________________________
Mosaic mailing list
[email protected]
To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to
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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.
