Concerns addressed to the Accreditation Committee of the NEASC

Before I share the thoughts and concerns of myself, students, parents and citizens with the Accreditation Committee of the NEASC, I must make clear that these concerns are NOT a referendum on our teachers--Morse teachers are very dedicated, talented and capable professionals who have imparted great learning in interested students; these concerns are a referendum on both our administration’s and school board’s communication and policy.   These are serious concerns shared by many parents and citizens regarding our local and state education system.  We have high and well achieving students at Morse and it is our goal to bring the rest of the student population up to the standards of these students.   We do not want to reduce the quality of our education by manipulating the curriculum and paradigms to enable students to graduate without the basics (i.e. unable to read, write or perform basic math calculations). 

I.   Communication – The School Board and Administration exhibits a pervasive disregard for the most basic communication and transparency. 

A.      Lack of administrator communication with parents/taxpayers and students

1.  Notice of event often ‘day of’ or ‘day before’ via “InfiniteCampus” email or NONE

2.  Notice of schedule change to 4X4 was June 2010 (last week of school) for Sept 2010 implementation.

3.  School Board Agendas improperly posted, not posted in advance of meeting, no longer published in newspaper, etc.

4.  Requests by parents/taxpayers to be included in agenda are ignored/denied.

5.  Student petition of 220+ students to Principal and School Board Chair regarding schedule change to 4X4 acknowledged then ignored.   Parent petition also ignored.

6.  Notice of events targeted to perceived interested parties rather than community as a whole.

7.  Minutes from School Board and SAG meetings are written by administrators and not by professional secretaries/recorders; often resulting in a self-serving PR piece and not an accurate representation of discussions and concerns expressed by dissenting participants.

                B.   Lack of administrator communication with teachers

                       1.  Mid-term exams cancelled in 2009 – teachers couldn’t answer    parent’s questions because the administration hadn’t informed them

                       2.  Teachers did not know about move to 4X4 until April 2010 -- not enough time to change syllabus, learn new teaching methodologies (no instruction provided, either), etc. to  prepare/implement such a dramatic change.

               

II.  Curriculum & Paradigms

A.   No transparency in curriculum decisions/considerations.  (Should be committee comprised of faculty members, community members and area academics like Bowdoin College faculty in addition to administrators and should not be reserved exclusively for administrators.)

B.   Administration/School Board not responsive to parent/taxpayer requests for information and input into curriculum.

C.   Published goals of School Board and Administration do not align with those of parents/taxpayers.

D.   Administration expects teachers to monitor “independent study” courses for students unable to take course due to schedule conflicts inherent in 4X4 Block but does not carry schedule space for “independent study” in student or teacher blocks.

III.  Schedule

A.    Implemented without teacher training in block methodologies

B.   Class periods exceed attention span

C.   Compressed curriculum and accelerated pace make course more difficult for students – increases stress not learning

D.   No time to refresh skills from prerequisite courses (i.e. start Algebra II in middle of book when most students’ last math class was Geometry with no refresher of Algebra I taken over a year previous)

E.    All courses not offered all periods/all semesters.  Many courses taken by same type student conflict requiring student to take lesser/greater-challenging course to make schedule work; this is resulting in students taking more “independent study” options.

F.    Too much increase in homework and still compromised curriculum

G.   Leaves students stuck in remedial courses (i.e. student receiving ‘straight As’ in remedial program seeking move to regular classes was told “not possible under this schedule, class too accelerated for remedial learner”.)

H.   Morse has continued to fail to meet AYP and the scores are increasingly worse, not better, in the 3+ years of this administration which coincide with the block schedule implementation (all formats).  It is not possible to truly assess this principal cumulatively with regard to AYP and schedule, because this schedule was foisted on Morse prior to the principal’s arrival.  He is, however, at the helm for the move to the 4X4, which has not yet been assessed at AYP.

Report Cards Give Up A’s and B’s for 4s and 3s

Is RSU 1 considering going to a 1-4 Standards Based Grading system in grades K-12? If they are, should they consider a "hybrid" standards based report card....keeping the A-F (with - and +) for academic achievement? The hybrid gives you 15 possible performance levels compared to just four (1-4). The standards based report card seems to evaluate many more skills, but do the parents get the feedback that they need with a shortened grading scale of just 4 levels?

Be sure to read the comments on this one....

Sputnik Screwed Up American Schools and Superman Can't Save Them

Everyday Math in today's Huffington Post. Are we stacking the deck against teachers with reform math programs?

Fuzzy Math: A Nationwide Epidemic

Michelle Malkin on the Everyday Math Curriculum.

RSU 2 won't delay standards-based grading

Standards-based grading K-12....

The Yarmouth school administration just proposed eliminating letter grades in middle school, but their board voted to keep traditional grades. Do we want to go the way of RSU 2 or Yarmouth in regard to Standards Based grading?

Did RSU 2 share false NAEP data to push RISC reform?

Today, the Kennebec Journal added a clarification to their RSU 2 article from October 22nd. RSU 2 shared "their" NAEP results with their parents. They used this data as an argument to switch to the RISC model of Standards Based Education. There was one slight problem....individual districts in Maine have NO WAY of learning their NAEP data. This Federal test only gives the results for the entire state.

If you are trying to create a case that reform needs to take place....use REAL data!

When a School Board meeting goes wrong.....

Un....Be.......Lievable!!!

School Board Members take note RE: book selection

According to this ruling, a school board is beholden to the voting citizenry and has absolute authority to regulate what happens in the classroom, even after the fact. School Boards have the sole and ultimate authority over every aspect of the curriculum.

RSU 12's Ralph Hilton Petitions Board To Change Funding Formula

"Alna pays roughly $9000 per student while Wiscassett, a much larger town, pays $3000, " Hilton Said. Despite having two RSU 12 school board members, Alna does not have a full vote since it's a town's population that determines representation.

How is RSU 1 set up?

Who is Marc Tucker?????

Marc Tucker is one of the drivers of education reform. He's overseeing the new "Board Examination" system.

It's time that parents start investigating his agenda. Are you in agreement with his plans for education reform? Are we currently seeing his plan, outlined in his famous 1992 letter, take hold?

Why Lou Gerstner Is Wrong

Lou Gerstner is influencing education policy. He's on record as saying that he'd like to abolish local school boards and all local school districts. Is it really necessary to eliminate the nations local school boards? While some of his ideas might work, this one is concerning....

Key talking points from Marc Tucker in regard to Board Exams

Eight states are joining with NCEE. Maine is one of them.

A Diploma in 10th Grade?

10th grade diploma. Thoughts?

Do the goals of RSU1 align with those of the contributing communities?

Some of the RSU1 goals.......

“…support and supplement the Everyday Math program…”   Why are we continuing to support a program that is Nationally rated among the worst math program available?

“…review the superintendent’s vision document and discuss next steps towards achieving…”  What about the communities’ goals for our education system?

“…expert and wise staff negotiations that address current economic needs.”  The vast majority of the staff are paid less than half the salary of the administrators, are the ‘expert and wise’ negotiations targeting the right employees?  Is the lay-off of multiple teachers in the Spring on 2010 followed by the quiet hiring of the superintendent’s daughter in the Summer of 2010 included in ‘expert and wise staff negotiations’ or is it simply nepotism?

Something to think about.

U.S. High Schools in Eight States to Implement Board Exams

Marc Tucker announced that Maine will work with NCEE. "Board Examinations" will be introduced in pilot schools in Maine as early as the 2011-2012 school year. Exactly which districts in Maine are slotted for board exams? One such exam , the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program Exam, comes with controversy.
See
http://www.truthaboutib.com/

Adams 50 latest test results

Refer to "Standards in Westminster." This article presents Adams 50 results after a year with RISC. The district says that the drop in scores was expected. Perhaps the growth model (see other posting) is the model to watch closely?

Adams 50 latest "Growth Model"

This shows the latest % at or above proficient at Adams 50 (currently using the RISC model of reform).

Adams 50 performance levels spelled out

This link brings you to the exact performance levels for Adams 50 (by content). They have "personal and social skills" levels.

RISC - Westminster Schools Launch Radical Overhaul (Adams 50)

Another article on the Adams 50 district. This sounds like an interesting model to try out at an alternative school or a charter school. What are your thoughts about converting an entire RSU to this "radical" model in Maine?

Which school board candidates will fix TERC math?

Interesting! These parents are getting involved! See their petition:

www.petitiononline.com/FERTERC/

863 signatures and counting!

Clearly, these parents feel that school board members should be informed on curriculum choices before voting!

Math Audit Signals Curriculum Changes Coming

Below is a comment posted to this article. The poster is a current School Board Member in a prominent New Jersey School District.

The SOMSD can spends thousands and thousands of taxpayer dollars on expensive audits/reports and professional development and spend months looking at data trying to align existing curricula to NJ's standards, etc., or they can face up to the fact that it is the math program itself that is the cause of their state test scores and troubling achievement gaps. The Everyday Math program just does not work for many, many kids unless there is a huge amount of outside tutoring to fill the gaps. In my opinion, the kids in the top 5% of cognitive ability or so will probably be fine with the program. But average kids and kids "at risk", especially those with learning disabilities or ELL, will really suffer with this reform math program and they will be behind the eight ball with regard to their mathematical skills for too long.

For years, parent organizations have formed all across the country trying to rid this program (or others like it, such as TERC Investigations and Connected Math) from their school district. I formed one myself just 30 miles away, in the Bridgewater-Raritan district, then I ran for the BOE and helped to convince our new administration to evaluate the math program. They did evaluate it and found it was not working. We dumped it and adopted Harcourt's HSP Math last year and it is working well. Everyday Math does not provide enough practice on the foundational skills required for higher level math. It spends too much time on teaching silly algorithms, while "spiraling", or jumping from topic to topic without having kids attain mastery first. Everyday Math is not a balanced program. All the money in the world paying for professional development and data analysis will not fix the problem. One other problem is that teachers are afraid to speak out against a program for fear of retribution, so it's difficult to get an accurate gauge on what teachers think of the program. We gave an anonymous parent and teacher surveys which were very revealing.

I told my success story to the blogger of Parents for Quality Math Education:

http://pqme.org/uncategorized/encouragement-from-bridgewater-nj/

Bridgewater-Raritan District BOE Votes 9-0 to Drop Everyday Math and Adopt Harcourt HSP Math 2009:

www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20090227/NEWS/902270359

Complete Bridgewater-Raritan Math Program Evaluation:

www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/files/filesystem/K-6%20Math%20Program%20Evaluation%20Complete%20Document.pdf

Bridgewater-Raritan Math Program Evaluation PowerPoint:

www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/files/filesystem/Math%20Program%20Evaluation%20v%202.ppt

Jill Gladstone
1981 graduate of the SOMSD
Co-founder, US and NJ Coalition for World Class Math,

http://njworldclassmath.webs.com/  and http://www.usworldclassmath.org/

*I am a BRRSD BOE member and am expressing my thoughts as an individual. I do not represent my BOE as I have no authority to do so

NORTH AMERICA: Big drop in maths skills of students

According to US Universities:

"It's not merely a matter of students being unable to handle trigonometry or algebra.....Even basic arithmetic is throwing them, and we're talking about adding three two-digit numbers."

"While most educators agree that numeracy has declined, there's no consensus on how much it matters. Some argue that in the age of calculators, people don't need basic skills to acquire higher level mathematical knowledge, and that it's more valuable for students to spend their time learning larger concepts. Others say that the more fluent you are in the basics, the more easily you can grasp more advanced maths."

Which camp are you in?

NAEP vs NECAP

This piece from NH explains how the NECAP results can mislead parents. RSU 2 parents just found out the districts 2009 NAEP scores compared to their 2009 NECAP results. The discrepancy was shocking.

Parents in NYC recently found out that their state exam inflates proficiency, causing parents to disrupt school a board meeting.

See:
Parents bring school board meeting to halt
August 16, 2010
www.gothamschools.org

NECAP is flawed

Another article on the NECAP (Maine's state test).

Questions to ask your school board candidates before you vote

Election time is here. Keep in mind the importance your school board vote that this time of year.

Why use the NECAP to assess Maine’s math standards?

RSU 2 just shared their NAEP data with parents. The results were shocking. Approximately 65% of students are not proficient in math or reading according to their NAEP results. Their NAEP results looked nothing like their NECAP results. Their NECAP results told many more parents their their children were proficient. Parents need to know that the bar for proficiency on the NECAP is very low.

If a parent truly wants to know their child's profeciency, do they need to hire someone to privately test them?

Parents skeptical of new system as math scores stagnate

Reporter summarizes RSU2 meeting run by the Curriculum Director for parents.  This was the "set the stage" meeting to shock parents with the terrible the RSU2 academic performance data.  Create the atmosphere to welcome radical change.  Unfortunately for the RSU, only a handful of parents attended and many weren't embracing the RISC model.

Especially noteworthy are the comments that follow the article. 

RISC School - Adams 50 - Do they have school choice?

In looking at the Adams 50 school website, they say that it's the "district of choice.". This implies that Colorado has school choice. Is this the case?

Massachusetts: If new math just won’t do

Parents find specialized schools to fill in the gaps. Read the parent comments. There are several references to Everyday Math.

RSU 2 workshop examines standards base

It appears that RSU 2 began implementing RISC last year with a reformatted report card. At what point in the process did the district begin to hold meetings on this model involving the public?

Some schools grouping students by skill, not grade level

The RISC public relations people sure "stay on message."

Forget grade levels: Schools try something new

School District Does Away With Grade Levels; Students Craft Lesson Plans

It seems that the RISC model is so new that most of the articles are about this one school in Colorado (Adams 50). I'm sure that we'll soon notice some Maine articles, since the ME Department of Education has hired the RISC consultant. Are the Maine schools going to be the "case studies" for RISC?

Adams 50 skips grades, lets kids be pacesetters

This is an article about RISC & Adams 50 (Denver). Read the comments. There are some in favor and some against the model. There are also two parent posts indicating that the high achieving students are leaving Adams 50.

21st century skills soft at core

According to the writer, 21st century skills and the national standards initiative both stress skills over academic content.

Almost two-thirds of students entering RI Community College not ready for college work

This is a must read! Keep in mind, RI develops Maine's state exam (NECAP). What does it really mean to pass the NECAP? Are the community colleges in Maine willing to share the remediation data like they did in Rhode Island?

In the Basement of the Ivory Tower

The idea that a university education is for everyone is a destructive myth.   An instructor at a "college of last resort" explains why.

OUTCOMES-BASED EDUCATION & THE DEATH OF KNOWLEDGE

This is an interesting paper from Western Australia. Is OBE simply a newer version of Bill Spady's Chicago "Mastery Learning?" What is the differences between Standards Based Education and Outcomes Based Education? Below is an excerpt from this paper:

"I will conclude with an anecdote. I have a colleague who, until recently, taught at Lyndhurst House Preparatory School in Hamstead, England. A Preparatory School is essentially a school that prepares children to enter selective schools, usually at age 11 or 13. There are many such schools such as Eaton, Westminster and Charter House. A significant aspect of the curriculum focuses on a classical education and encompasses exam taking technique and all these public schools (i.e. private under Australian nomenclature) based selection on the Common Entrance test which all children, including those in state schools, can attempt if they wish to go to a private secondary school. I asked my colleague weather her school was in any way committed to the notion of OBE. With a wry laugh she simply said "no, outcomes based education is for the masses, here we teach the country's future leaders"."

Maine: Moving from Tradition, SAD15 Pilots Standards-Based Learning

Can anyone answer this question - If a student is in 6th grade, but working on a 5th grade standard for math, do they take the 5th grade level NECAP? How does a teacher manage a "spiraling" curriculum with the RISC model? Is the RISC model anything like the controversial Outcomes Based Education model in Western Australia? A quick Google search on this will bring up many Western Austraila articles on OBE.

RISC: Will Adams 50 make the grade?

According to this recent article, Maine's Department of Education is providing training for its districts with the goal that all schools will adopt this model. Approximately six schools in Maine have committed. Which schools are next? Does this model need to be voted on and approved by local school boards?

Maine: Dropouts, The Summit on Dropout Prevention, RISC, and a Climate Survey

Is the answer to Maine's dropout problem RISC?

Sycamore's Everyday Math program to be evaluated

IL district plans to evaluate the Everyday Math Curriculum.

Another look at Alaska's RISC Reform

MUST READ! - This article critiques a Denver Post article about RISC (the reform model being adopted in RSU2). Should the words "consultant" and "Alaska" set off alarm bells in Maine, as the writer suggests?

RSU 2 to host public meetings on standards

RSU 2 moves ahead with Standards Based Education. They will be hosting a group of public meetings.

The RSU 2 Curriculum Coordinator mentioned that the "traditional" approach to schooling has led to "less-than-stellar results." It's hard to find a district in Maine that has chosen a traditional approach to education within the last 15 years (although I understand that Brunswick has stuck with a traditional math program). The colleges preparing our teachers tend to push whole language and reform math. Both of these approaches are considered "non-traditional."

Should districts be required to disclose their curriculum and educational philosophy on their school websites for parents to consider before moving into a district? If parents are in disagreement with the RISC model, should the district provide vouchers to alternative schools with a more traditional approach to education?

IL School Board Presentation - Everyday Math

IL adopted the Common Core State Standards. This group of parents in IL is asking their School Board to evaluate EDM against the new standards.

Public Education Community Blog

This is an interesting education blog for parents, teachers and community members (WA state). There are some great articles posted under "past articles." WA state parents have recently been active (and successful) in lobbying the state to improve WA state education standards. Parents in Seattle brought a lawsuit against their school board to address the selection of the Discovering Math series of textbooks. The judge ruled in favor of the parents.

Grammar problems caused by "hyper-constructivism"

This WA state high school teacher blames grammar problems on those involved in curriculum development.

Get Rid of Grammar in Elementary School!

Many elementary schools have done away with grammar as an isolated subject. This teacher argues that teaching grammar as a separate subject is a waste of time. Thoughts?

Sorry, Kids, Tests Help You Learn

Is this a call for schools to return to low-stakes weekly tests? Have today's high-stakes standardized tests caused schools to do away with low-stakes tests?

NECAP Testing: In R.I. schools, October dominated by standardized testing

School math books, nonsense, and the National Science Foundation

This is a very interesting paper by David Klein (California State Univ - Math Department). Do we use CMP & Core-Plus math books in Maine? The Common Core State Standards specify standard algorithms. It will be interesting to see how these text book companies revise their books to align with the new standards.

What does "Delivering on the Promise" mean for Maine?

This is the book authored by Richard DeLorenzo and other founders of the Re-Inventing Schools Coalition (RISC) and details the beginning of the movement and its' success with education in extremely remote, impoverished Alaskan towns.

A recent article in the Kennebec Journal (September 30, 2010) states "DeLorenzo is now working with a handful of Maine school districts as they transition to standards-based education in his capacity as co-founder of the Wasilla, Alaska-based Re-Inventing Schools Coalition. The Maine Department of Education has retained the group as a consultant, paying the coalition more than $190,000 during the 2009 fiscal year, according to www.maineopengov.org."  according to staff writer Matthew Stone.  (Full article is already linked to existing post on this blog.)

Page 30 of the book "Delivering on the Promise: The Education Revolution", they tout the following:

"The state [Alaska] has an extremely high incidence -- if not the highest incidence -- of fetal alcohol syndrome in the United States....  ...Alaska Department of Health and Social Services showed that over 80% of 755 individuals tested were diagnosed with some level of organic brain damage resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol (Information Insights, Inc. 2005)."

1.  Should what works well with an extremely challenged population be extrapolated to the average Maine town? 
2.  If so, why are town like Cape Elizabeth, Yarmouth and Falmouth exempted from the RISC model when the balance of Maine towns are expected, and indeed working toward its implementation? 
3.  If our top performing schools are exceeding the results gleened from the RISC model, why aren't all Maine towns following those models (all variations on traditional learning) instead?  Especially when these TOP PERFORMING TOWNS ARE SPENDING SIGNIFICANTLY LESS PER PUPIL THAN RSU1 and would not cost Maine taxpayers $190,000 in consulting fees plus travel, lodging, etc. as applicable.

Cape Elizabeth ASKS PARENTS for input regarding Every Day Math

Really good website with lots of information about their schools and curriculum...haven't found such a site for RSU1, does it exist?  Would like to see the EDM (Every Day Math) survey offered to RSU1 families. 

EDM has received mixed reviews from parents and teachers in RSU1.  The EDM program text was rated the "worst" nationally but some of our elementary teachers feel that rating is unfair.  Does the RSU have any data on the success of the EDM-taught student performance at the high school math (Algebra I, II, Geometry and Calculus) level? 

NEWS FLASH: Maine Moves a Step Closer to Nationalized Testing

Today, Maine's Commissioner of Education, Angela Flaherty, approved the Common Core Standards. This IS NOT a full adoption, since standards must be approved by the State Legislature in Maine. Maine's next legislative session convenes in January.

Critical research on H. S.English! Literary Study in Grades 9, 10,and 11

Maine: Public quiet on new proposed state education standards

It's amazing that we've heard so little about Maine's proposed adoption of the Common Core State Standards. How do the teachers feel about Nationalized Testing?

Singapore Math is “Our Dirty Little Secret”

Interesting discussion on elementary math curriculum.

Gov Rick Perry (TX) on National Standards

Gov Perry explains why Texas did not sign onto nationalized testing. What strings are attached to Race to the Top money and the Common Core Standards Initiative?

Community College Passing Scores Investigated

This article reviews just how well some community colleges prepare students for college level courses. The passing math score at this NY Community college for math is 30 out of 100. The passing score at Maine's community colleges should be investigated.

Bye, block schedules, and good riddance, too

Interesting editorial. Rockland High School (ME) moved from a 4x4 schedule back to a more traditional schedule this year. Yarmouth, Cape Elizabeth, etc. all use more traditional schedules.

Block Scheduling – Is More of Less Cheating Students?

Instead of allowing for more depth in study, students many end up with even less instructional time in core courses than before...click on the link to read the full article.

Block schedules: Take 8, pass 6

Is block scheduling being used for a quick fix for graduation rates?

The Problems With Value-Added Assessment *

Diane Ravtich - high stakes testing leads to a narrowed curriculum

Diane Ravitch dubs 21st Century Skills "The Latest Fad"

The problem with skills driven approaches to learning is that there are so many things we need to know that cannot be learned by hands on experiences......click on the link to read the full press release.

SCHWARZENEGGER VETOES CURRICULUM-NARROWING BILL

California has resisted the trend to water down education in high schools.

Wash DC - Sept 16: ED LEADERS OBJECT TO 21st CENTURY SKILLS PROGRAM

Is the 21st Century Skills Movement undermining the quality of education in America? Read this press release.

Re-Inventing Schools Coalition

According to this website, Maine seems to be heavily invested this model of education reform. Is the best model for our students?

In remote Alaska, an innovative district ditches grade levels -- and increases learning.

The Maine DOE has hired a consultant to model some of our districts after this tiny school district in Alaska. Is this the best model for schools in Maine?

EDM (WA) school hope new curriculum, strategies will equal higher math scores

After 15 years of Everyday Math, this WA state district turns to another math curriculum (and traditional algorithms). Thoughts?

EDM (NH) - Questions linger about learning initiative

Interesting....more discussion about Everyday Math in Nashua, NH.

EDM (NH) - District seeking ideas from public (Everyday Math)

Nashua NH turns to parents for feedback on Everyday Math

Honey, When Did the Feds Take over the Kids' School?

The Maine State Legislature will decide on nationalized testing in early 2011. Parents should research all sides of this issue.

RSU1 School Board Role in Curriculum

Our School Board apparently does not believe it has a role in curriculum or schedule and defers to the Administration.  This is counterintuitive.  The School Board employs the administration and should have total oversight to all facets of local education.  It is the School Board that is accountable to the parents and citizens/taxpayers comprising RSU1.  School Board members must do their own research, assessment and discussions regarding every aspect of education without regard to the preferences of the administration.  If current policies and processes are in place that prevent such scrutiny of the administration and curriculum by the board then those policies and processes must be overturned and replaced. 

The local curriculum is not preparing our students adequately.  We have students in high school that cannot read, write or perform basic math functions.  Our high school has failed to meet AYP again this year and has not met it for several years.  This is alarming and it didn't start in high school -- we need to look at our total curriculum and the review must include teachers, parents and the public not a handful of administrators.  This meeting, we focused on math: 
 
Are our students better prepared for high school and college math, like Algebra I, II, Geometry and Calculus, by NOT being taught basic algorithms, long division, rote multiplication and the like? 
    
How can a student audit their work if they don't understand how to break complex mathematical statements into smaller components and troubleshoot logical errors?  

Is educational excellence obtained by starting in the middle of the math book because the schedule (4x4) doesn't allow time to refresh last years' lessons after a summer vacation or a summer vacation plus a semester?  

The high school teachers didn't create these constraints but they are working very hard to overcome them.  Is that the best we can offer our students?  It is something to consider.

Study on Student Performance and Technology

8.30.10 - DURHAM, N.C. -- Around the country and throughout the world, politicians and education activists have sought to eliminate the “digital divide” by guaranteeing universal access to home computers, and in some cases to high-speed Internet service.

However, according to a new study by scholars at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, these efforts would actually widen the achievement gap in math and reading scores. Students in grades five through eight, particularly those from disadvantaged families, tend to post lower scores once these technologies arrive in their home.

Professors Jacob Vigdor and Helen Ladd analyzed responses to computer-use questions included on North Carolina’s mandated End-of-Grade tests (EOGs). Students reported how frequently they use a home computer for schoolwork, watch TV or read for pleasure. The study covers 2000 to 2005, a period when home computers and high-speed Internet access expanded dramatically. By 2005, broadband access was available in almost every zip code in North Carolina, Vigdor said.

The study had several advantages over previous research that suggested similar results, Vigdor said. The sample size was large -- numbering more than 150,000 individual students. The data allowed researchers to compare the same children’s reading and math scores before and after they acquired a home computer, and to compare those scores to those of peers who had a home computer by fifth grade and to test scores of students who never acquire a home computer. The negative effects on reading and math scores were “modest but significant,” they found.

“We cut off the study in 2005, so we weren’t getting into the Facebook and Twitter generation,” Vigdor said. “The technology was much more primitive than that. IM (instant messaging) software was popular then, and it’s been one thing after the other since then. Adults may think of computer technology as a productivity tool first and foremost, but the average kid doesn’t share that perception.” Kids in the middle grades are mostly using computers to socialize and play games, Vigdor added, with clear gender divisions between those activities.

Vigdor and Ladd concluded that home computers are put to more productive use in households where parental monitoring is more effective. In disadvantaged households, parents are less likely to monitor children’s computer use and guide children in using computers for educational purposes.

The research suggests that programs to expand home computer access would lead to even wider gaps between test scores of advantaged and disadvantaged students, Vigdor said. Several states have pursued programs to distribute computers to students. For example, Maine funded laptops for every sixth-grader, and Michigan approved a program but then did not fund it.

“Scaling the Digital Divide: Home Computer Technology and Student Achievement” was published online by the National Bureau for Economic Research. The research was funded in part by the William T. Grant Foundation.

Letter From Concerned Morse HS Parent

This letter is meant to express my concerns with the academic status of Morse High School. I will direct my questions and remarks to the following areas:

1.Current CIPS 3 Status - What's being done to improve the current status of MHS? This current standing certainly does not support RSU 1's mission of a "World Class Education".

2. Implementation of new 4 x 4 schedule. Who's decision was it to implement this new schedule? Based on what research/information supporting its success? Who and when will it be determined if it is to remain in place?

It has become clear to me that the staff was not adequately prepared/trained to prepare for this new schedule. Many are feeling overwhelmed with the amount of information they need to disseminate during this school year and did not have the opportunity to review/refresh from last year's content. Some classes even meet for a period of time and then leave the classroom for their lunch break, which means they then have to "settle back in" to the subject matter being discussed prior to the disruption. Many students are feeling overwhelmed with their course loads and the amount of homework due the following day and are not able to complete the required courses necessary to apply for colleges of their choice. Lastly, research shows that the disruption (due to scheduling conflicts) in basic core subjects such as Math, English, Science and History does not support student learning and academic progress.

It is disheartening to see the current academic status of our school and would encourage our school district to seek outside help through a professional consultant and/or create a committee focused on the improvements necessary to support the staff and students of MHS. Thank you.

If Mid Coast Mainers Don't Want National Standards...

Nationally -- the move to implement National Standards, which dangles 'Race to the Top' funding for successful participants (Maine hasn't received any of these funds to date), sounds promising at first read but, in reality, TAKES CONTROL OF EDUCATION OUT OF THE HANDS OF PARENTS, CITIZENS AND LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS/ADMINISTRATORS AND PLACES IT IN THE HANDS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. If you feel the Federal government will make better choices for your child than you make, then do nothing; otherwise, write, call, email your State appointed and elected officials and speak out. Here are your contacts:

Arrowsic - House District 61 - W. Bruce MacDonald (D-Boothbay) - Senate District 19 - Seth A. Goodall (D-Sagadahoc)
Bath - House District 62 - Vacant - Senate District 19 - Seth A. Goodall (D-Sagadahoc)
Bath - House District 65 - Peter S. Kent (D-Woolwich) - Senate District 19 - Seth A. Goodall (D-Sagadahoc)
Georgetown - House District 61 - W. Bruce MacDonald (D-Boothbay) - Senate District 19 - Seth A. Goodall (D-Sagadahoc)
Phippsburg - House District 64 - Leila J. Percy (D-Phippsburg) - Senate District 19 - Seth A. Goodall (D-Sagadahoc)
West Bath - House District 64 - Leila J. Percy (D-Phippsburg) - Senate District 19 - Seth A. Goodall (D-Sagadahoc) West Bath - House District 65 - Peter S. Kent (D-Woolwich) - Senate District 19 - Seth A. Goodall (D-Sagadahoc)
Woolwich - House District 65 - Peter S. Kent (D-Woolwich) - Senate District 19 - Seth A. Goodall (D-Sagadahoc)

Maine State Board of Education members attached; their credentials can be reviewed at this link: http://www.maine.gov/education/sb/members.htm

Each of these people needs to know that Mainers don't want National Standards for education to be implemented in Maine. Most of us would rather have input into the Standards and see our teachers actually teaching our children real information, processes, strategies, etc. and imparting learning than see them teaching to bi-weekly, minimum proficiency tests.

October 3, 2010 8:22 PM

The Federal Takeover of Education

The Federal Takeover of Education

Excerpt from article.....read more at the link provided

...As an incentive, states that adopted the Common Core by August 2, 2010 greatly improved their chances of receiving a share of the $4.35-billion Race to the Top federal grant. The strategy worked: most states adopted the standards. However, only nine states and the District of Columbia were actually awarded the money. All ten of those winners had adopted the standards.

As a penalty, states that failed to adopt the Common Core risked losing funding from Title I, a $14.4-billion program that provides funds for low-income students. Most school districts participate in the Title I program.

This penalty was announced in a White House press release issued on February 22, 2010. It stated that new polices from the Obama administration would "require all states to adopt and certify that they have college- and career-ready standards in reading and mathematics, which may include common standards developed by a state-led consortium, as a condition of qualifying for Title I funding."...

Making Math Lessons as Easy as 1, Pause, 2, Pause ...

This is an interesting article about a Singapore Math. It's worth reading the comments. Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC switched from Everyday Math to Singapore Math. Singapore Math has skirted the "Math Wars"...perhaps because it uses traditional algorithms and doesn't spiral. Thoughts?

Kennebec Journal - Educator touts new approach to learning

In some RISC classrooms, schools have done away with traditional grade levels, grades and class ranks. How do colleges feel about student's transcripts without letter grades? Were the parents in RSU 2 right to start a petition to put a stop to this new grading system?

Why More Students Rely on Tutors (Math) Sept 27, 2010 New York Times

Do you agree or disagree with the contributors? Many of the contributors call for doing away with calculators at the elementary level. Thoughts?

Welcome to a blog focusing on education in Mid Coast Maine.

Welcome to our new blog!  Many parents and citizens in the Mid Coast Maine area have been concerned about our local K-12 education system.  We've been researching and networking to better understand what's happening in our local public schools as well as the in the national arena. 

We're reaching out to anyone interested in educational excellence and especially to those in Mid Coast Maine.  We want to share ideas, successes and failure -- what has & hasn't worked in our schools, in other schools and for individual students/families.  We welcome input from everyone but ask that contributors follow appropriate etiquette protocols:  no profanity and no personal attacks.