Have finally arrived- and next week they are taking the 2007 test. The state really needs to get a little more organized.

I think you might be right. Give me a couple of weeks and I'll get back with you.

Please go to suntimes.com for what is sure to become the latest front in our re-education. All of the school districts which the Pres points to in her quest finished in the top 20 of middle schools. Hadley finished 55th. You will be inundated with this information at the next session - coincidentally at Hadley.

To be honest- I just want the teachers to be allowed to teach the skills needed in order for the students to be successful- not teach to the test, but expose the students to the needed information and provide them with guided practice particularly with extended responses and the written portions. I am not convinced that this is always the case...curriculum "improvements" are not always "improvements".

Yeah, and I want world peace. In this results oriented educational/political system, where awards are handed out for teaching to the test, bureaucrats can only point to the score as a measure of success. My point is that we will hear the song about how all of those schools up north are doing the model the Pres wants to foist on us, and that's why they are successful. Never mind the vast sums they spend per pupil. Just be prepared on Thursday to hear this nonsense.

I was always under the assumption that Ben Franklin was academically superior to Forest Glen. Looking at my kid's fifth grade class at FG last year, I couldn't help but notice that they walked all over those poor kids from the other side of the tracks. What happened? We truly do live in the coveted area.

quote:

Originally posted by Clamato:
I was always under the assumption that Ben Franklin was academically superior to Forest Glen. Looking at my kid's fifth grade class at FG last year, I couldn't help but notice that they walked all over those poor kids from the other side of the tracks. What happened? We truly do live in the coveted area.

Maybe you could spin this into some kind of pro-mobile argument. More mobile classrooms = higher ISAT scores. Maybe the district could just sell all the schools, purchase additional mobile classrooms and have a completely modular school district. Increase in population in the FG area? Send over a couple of mobiles! Newcomers buying four connecting lots to build one huge house for their family of three? Move out a couple of mobiles out and send them to another area. It's all so simple . . . and we'll have the best scores in the state!

With an all mobile system we have the flexibility of moving them and creating whatever grade level system we want. ANd if enrollment goes down to where we do not need all we can rent them out.

I'd not be surprised if Mrs. Thomas told the kids that if they didn't apply themselves...they'd be living in one of those babies in 8 years. Her method worked.

I heard Theres a Trailer Park proposed right down from the Mews.
Is this just a coincidence ?

Hey Clam-
maybe our paths have crossed- My daughter is a fifth grader at Churchill now but attended Forest Glen from kindergarten through 3rd grade.

Okay, where's the outrage from our school board? With the ISAT results, that is. I can't believe we ranked 55th. That is embarrassing. Particularly in light of our taxes. Downright embarrassing. Yes, let's definitely send MORE kids over to Hadley. Perfect.

Not a school in the top 50. That's priceless. Figuratively speaking.
What time is the Thursday meeting at Hadley? I couldn't find it on the website.

I wonder how much of a point difference is between the #1 and #55 Hadley...all of these schools may be pretty close- there may not be a significant statistical difference in how they perform.

I don't think that there is a significant difference between the scores at Hadley from grade level to grade level- I bet that if given on a different day the numbers would be flip flopped the biggest difference is only 3% - I might be wrong though- perhaps Amy knows. I also know that all students are supposed to take the ISAT- or an alternative- some districts give more students an alternative assessment- including fewer special needs students in the scores- making it more likely to come closer to 100% meeting or exceeding standards than districts that have most or all of their students take the ISAT. The numbers alone probably do not tell the whole story.

I do not think 5th graders need to be at Hadley but it is not because of test scores. Developmentally a 10 year old and a 14 year old are very different.
The difference between the overall composite of the number one school and Hadley at number 55 is 5.3%.....that is not a huge spread- and overall better than 90% meet or exceed standards. Sure we would all like to be number one or at least in the top 10 but I am not willing to get my underwear in a knot over 5.3%....I am very willing to get upset and be very vocal if I think that the school/curriculum/ or teachers have not done their best in order to prepare students for the tests- again not teaching the test, but providing them with the tools they need in order to be successful. I had a few talks with a previous curriculum director at D41 about my concerns when my current 8th grader was a 3rd grader and my 5th grader was in kindergarten. I have to say that this year both of my kids have teachers that have done a GREAT job preparing them for extended responses and the written expression portions of the ISAT.

I just know that MY kids didn't cause the District 41 numbers to go down!

Seriously, I agree with Mrs. Speechlady: the point spread is not very signifcant from #1 to #55.

Hi Amy

Hi! I'm in DC but had to check on the BB and see what's going on at home.

Same old same old...I have hung up my scarlet letter for good- I am keeping a very low profile! It is very interesting to see the next generation of rebels lining up. We have 3 more years at D41 I think I can go 3 years without making any waves.