Are these tests based on the "Every Child Left Behind Act"?
Testing students is very important to educational development, but I do want to say that "Teaching the Test" is not what I'd call progress in education.
When the focus becomes "Teaching the Test", which although unfortunate, is now an unavoidable evil under the current GOP Administration and Congress, the children are the real losers.
Has anyone seen the episode of the old British TV show "The Prisoner" tiotled [as I recall] "The General"? In that episode we had a very similar situation. They came up with a learning system that taught with unerring accuracy loads of unconnected and useless information, and were surprisingly efficient when it came to retention. The problem was that when you teach nothing but useless facts, and not cause and effect [take history for example], or practical uses [math and various aspects of science] the knowledge itself, although retained is in itself useless.
Here in America we are seeing a rise a Fascism that hasn't been seen since the 1930's, and yet nobody seems none the wiser. Why is this? Other than the media collaboration, it is the lack of teaching of cause and effect. Unfortunately the most scholorly works concerning the evils of Fascism, and historical contemporary analysis of it's first rise are essentially still taboo in American culture simply because of the origin, and the activities of a Party that supported it to suppress such historical analysis from America altogether. The damage that this has done to America is immeasurable. I will give you one example now: "Fascism: What it is, and How to Defeat it". This text, which although fairly concise, and derived from much larger analyses by the same author, and others, is probably one of the most accurate analysis pieces on the subject. Although the piece does push an ideology, that fact does not discount that other than ideology, it's suggestions on actions would have actually worked, and could have prevented the Fascists from killing tens of millions of people in the first half of the 20th century. All of the points made are valid, and the suggestions are even good today, and this is even if you disagree with the author's ideological choices, as I do.
Science is another area where both cause and effect as well as practical uses need to be taught, not just facts. What good is teaching math, if a kid doesn't understand the practical uses beyond simple arithmatic? If I may be so bold, why not teach algebra and trig within physics and natural science courses? Teaching this way works for the good of the country. Unfortunately, we have religious groups who think science is a threat to their point of view [hey folks, that's called self-control! it took a full five minutes of mulling more appropriate phrases before I chose "point of view"], so they either want to ban it altogether, or replace it with anything but science, but under the same name. Luckily thus far, all they have managed to do is reduce such things to useless unconnected facts and learning by rote, hoping that kids don't develop critical thinking, or even, God Forbid, creativity in the sciences [after all, they say it's not profitable for Americans to be innovative].
When I look at the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, I do more than say "Wow". I look at the background and see the very fabric from which the galaxies themselves were created about 15 billion years ago in our localized bubble we call the "universe" upon an infinite field of such bubbles called "universes". God or not, the facts of the picture are undeniable. My personal opinion of the radicals who would say otherwise is that they are calling God a liar. Unfortunately right now, in the sciences, such are the people just itching to control the textbooks and classrooms, and take such knowledge back to the superstitions of the middle ages and before. Such are the people that screamed en-masse to kill funding for the Hubble camera upgrades, and are doing everything within their power to kill the Webb before it's launched.
I do have a theory on why the Pope didn't burn Gallelio at the stake. The Pope probably looked for himself and saw the truth.
The reason high technology jobs are going overseas is largely because most kids couldn't care less about high technology because they don't understand how what they are FORCED to learn applies to such things, combine that with greedy Fascists who couldn't care less about Americans as long as they make a profit, and think it's "patriotic" to send such jobs overseas and use slave labor instead of paying Americans good wages [no just living wages].
My question is this: how much funding would have to be made up if St. Paul voluntarily dropped from "Every Child Left Behind" and instituted it's own educational priorities?
Testing is important, yes. Testing is not an ends to a means, nor is it supposed to replace learning and teaching.
As for religion, there are already excellant schools set up for that, and those are called Churches. If religious groups keep losing members, that's their own fault, and not that of the PUBLIC education system. I praise Minnesota as a whole for doing a good job of keeping such things seperate from public education, but when you look at the people behind the "Every Child Left Behind Act", you can't help but wonder if their goals really are, but based on the people involved, it doesn't take rocket science to figure out that the goals are not altruistic.
Tim Erickson wrote:
Thanks to Anne Carroll for passing this along to me. -----------------------------------------------------
The results of the 2005 Basic Skills Tests in math, reading, and writing have just been released, and there is very good news for Saint Paul Public Schools!
Overall results:
Statewide the results for eighth-graders were up in reading (from 81% of students passing in 2004 to 85% in 2005) and up in math (from 71% of students passing in 2004 to 75% in 2004).
In the Saint Paul Public Schools, we have very good news. The percentage of eighth-graders passing the BSTs on their first try is at an all-time high for both reading and math (65% in reading and 48% in math). In addition, the percentage of 10th-graders passing the writing BST also reached an all-time high (80%).
Highlights of the 2005 Basic Skills Test Results for Saint Paul Public Schools:
* The percentage of eighth-graders passing the BSTs on their first try is at an all-time high for both reading and math. * We're at our highest ever passing percentage for eighth-grade reading at 65%?up from 58% last year. * We've matched our highest ever passing percentage for eighth-grade math at 48%?up from 43% last year.
* Many individual junior high/middle schools saw a higher percentage of eighth-graders passing the BSTs on their first try this year compared to last year. * Several schools saw double-digit percentage point increases in reading and math this year.
* English language learners did much better on the BSTs this year than in the past. * The percentage of eighth-grade ELL students passing the reading test increased from 42% last year to 64% this year. * The percentage of eighth-grade ELL students passing the math test increased from 30% last year to 47% this year. * When you include students who are not ELL but whose home language is not English, you see that we have closed the achievement gap for English language learners. Students whose home language is not English had the same passing percentage on both the reading and math tests as students whose home language is English. (48% math and 65% reading).
* We saw increases from last year for ALL ethnic groups in BOTH subject areas, and we are beginning to close the gap. * The biggest increases were for Asian American and Hispanic American students. * Asian American students: In reading, 54% of eighth graders passed last year compared to 68% this year. In math, 45% passed last year and 54% passed this year. * Hispanic American students: In reading, 47% of eighth graders passed last year compared to 61% this year. In math, 29% passed last year and 40% passed this year.
* A higher percentage of eighth-grade students in every economic category passed the test. * In reading, 58% of eighth-grade students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals passed the test compared to 47% last year * In math, 39% of eighth-grade students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals passed the test compared to 32% last year.
* We once again confirm our statement that students who have been with us three years or more do significantly better on these tests. * In math, 70.1% of eighth-grade students who have been enrolled in Saint Paul Public Schools for three years or more passed the test compared to 51.5% who were enrolled in the school district for one year. * In math, 54.2% of eighth-grade students who have been enrolled in Saint Paul Public Schools for three years or more passed the test compared to 29.1% who were enrolled in the school district for one year.
* Special education saw a higher percentage of students passing compared to last year. * In reading, 26% of eighth-grade special education students passed the test compared to 19% last year. * In math, 15% of eighth-grade special education students passed the test compared to 14% last year.
* The overall percentage of 10th-grade students passing the writing test is at its highest level ever. * District wide 80% of 10th-graders passed the writing test this year compared to 78% last year. * Five schools had an increased percentage of students passing this year compared to last year. One school had a 15 percentage point increase compared to last year.
We're so excited!
* We are extremely pleased to see the results of the BSTs and to see that all the hard work of staff, students and parents is paying off. Even as we serve more students with challenges, we continue to be accountable and show results with students.
* These test results confirm that our agenda in the Saint Paul Public Schools is working. We have focused many of our efforts this year on the junior high schools and these test results show that our work is paying off. The 10th grade writing results also reflects our emphasis on writing in Saint Paul at all levels.
* Saint Paul Public Schools is a leader in working with students who are English language learners, students in poverty and special education students.
* We still have a ways to go, but we are beginning to close the gap with students of color.
* Unless we receive adequate funding from the legislature this year, our momentum is at risk. We just can't continue to do more with less.
=================================================
Tim Erickson Hamline Midway [EMAIL PROTECTED]
--
"Religious fundamentalism is the biggest threat to international security that exists today."
United Nations Secretary General B.B.Ghali, 1995
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Fascist State organizes the nation, but leaves a sufficient margin of liberty to the individual; the latter is deprived of all useless and possibly harmful freedom..." -- Benito Mussilini, 1932
http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/patriot2-hi.pdf -- The GOP agrees
-------------------------------------------------
JOIN the St. Paul Issues Forum TODAY:
http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/
-------------------------------------------------
POST MESSAGES HERE: [email protected]To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul
Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
