Ravitch answers Gates

Colchester, VT: Standards-Based Grading

Many high school math problems are made up of a variety of skills (or standards). Using Standards-based grading, do you break down each problem & grade each step?

Standards-based grading pilot

This school continues to us an A-F (15 level) scale with a standards-based grading.

Q&A: Standards-based grading expert Robert Marzano talks about Bangor Township Schools new grading system

Has the Maine DOE also hired Robert Marzano?

Equity and fairness Maine's publicly chartered schools

An excerpt for the article:

"Supt. William Shuttleworth of RSU 1 has been among the most aggressive "can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs" reformers in Maine - in large part because he recognizes that change is going to come. If we're to protect, preserve, and extend the promise of public education in the US, those of us in the system (those of us who ARE the system) need to embrace the new paradigm. Later this week, Maine Enterprise Schools will present this week a dollars-in, dollars-out plan for a collaboration with two or more local non-profits and the four districts that make up the Bath Regional Vocational and Technical Institute. Not only will this proposal not require additional infrastructure, it is explicitly designed to leverage other investment that will preserve and transform cultural assets such as Morris Farm in Wiscasset, the Boothway Railway Village and Museum, Round Top Farm in Damariscotta, or the Kennebec Freight Shed in Bath."

Click on the title to link directly to the entire piece!  Interesting reading.

The Battle for the Mind of the High School Student

A must watch video for all parents.

Time Record: Wiscasset explores withdrawal from RSU 12

PPH: Student tracking project, privacy on collision course

The effect of block scheduling high school mathematics courses on student

The effect of block scheduling high school mathematics courses on student
achievement and teachers’ use of time

Dr. ROBERT G. CRONINGER
Faculty of Education Policy Studies
University of Maryland, College Park

Block scheduling is intended to encourage more active teaching strategies,
reduce fragmentation inherent in single-period schedules, and improve
student performance. To the degree that such policies reallocate existing
resources to realize higher levels of desired educational outcomes, the
goal of productivity can be served. Despite widespread experimentation,
there is conflicting evidence on the impact of block scheduling on student
achievement, and little evidence of effects on classroom practice. This
talk will describe a study exploring these relationships. The study drew
from the National Education Longitudinal Study: 1988 to estimate the
impact of block-scheduled mathematics courses on tenth-grade student
achievement and teachers’ use of class time. Findings suggest that while
block scheduling is positively associated with teachers’ use of multiple
instructional methods and more individualized instruction, it has a
negative impact on students’ mathematics scores, controlling for other
factors. Implications for future research will be discussed.

FRIDAY, NOVEMER 19, 2010
Room 2121 Benjamin Building Univ. of Maryland
11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Nov 19th - Everyday Math article in American Thinker

Excerpt:

Few things could be more useless than a system of math instruction concocted by developmental psychologists, and serious questions must be raised about the real effects (and intent) of Everyday Math.

Are Mid-coast schools making progress?

This lists the Mid-coast (Maine) schools, their current AYP and - if not making AYP - how many years the school has not met the AYP standards.

Times Record: Schools scramble to meet shifting No Child Left Behind standards

"For a school that's not a Title 1 school, the stakes are actually fairly small," admitted Connerty-Marin. "No fund movement will be affected. There's no accountability beyond the public awareness of the status. That does have some impact, though. Nobody wants to be seen as having a school that's not making progress."

Cape Elizabeth, ME Everyday Math Parent Survey

The results of Cape Elizabeth School Board initiated survey of parents with respect to Everyday Math have been posted. The format is not as easy to read as one might wish, and the narrative responses of some parents have been truncated, presumably because of space concerns. In the meantime, the results are a window on the problems some students and their families have been experiencing with the Everyday Math program used in Cape Elizabeth schools. Parents' concerns about the adequacy of Everyday Math prompted the School Board to conduct the survey. Many families seems to be supplementing with outside tutoring (Kumon, etc).

Duncan: Stop Paying Teachers Like 'Interchangeable Widgets'

"THE NEW NORMAL: DOING MORE WITH LESS" Remarks of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan 11.17.10

Current Spending Statistics of Public Elementary-Secondary School Systems for 2007-08

Goodbye Grade Levels

Read the comments on this one. George & Nancy do a good job explaining some of the challenges of standards-based grading.

Fewer Maine schools meeting standards

Former Wiscasset School Board Member Calls For End Of RSU #12

Rumblings of an earthquake in national education policy?

Teacher poses the question: Is Everyday Math finished?

Read this post by a teacher on the PT Blog (11.13.2010): I pose this question to the PT community. I don't ask the question to debate the merits of Everyday math. There is already enough information there discussing pros and cons of Everyday Math. I will say this program is used by my district and I currently use it to teach math. With that said, the common core standards have been released. It appears that our country wants teachers to teach less topics in greater depth and is looking for more of a mastery focus. The common core standards require standard algorithms to be taught like long division. Also, students are to have their multiplication facts mastered by the end of grade 3. Everyday Math has objected to these common core standards in a public statement. It is clear to see that the new common core standards are in direct opposition to the Everyday Math curriculum. I don't see Everyday Math changing its entire philosophy. Are the days numbered for Everyday Math? Also, if school districts leave Everyday Math in what direction will they go? Singapore Math? Saxon? I'm curious what the PT community thinks.

NJ Superintendent Bitches about Making $175,000 a year, Gov. Christie says "Let Me Help You Pack"

4 minute video worth watching.  NJ Govenor sides with taxpayers over superintendent!

WA State local school board brushes off math concerns in meeting devoted to math concerns

This blog discusses standards-based grading, math curriculum, etc. Very timely!

More details about RISC at the State level

Informational Letter:  12
Policy Code:  GCI
TO: Superintendents of Schools
FROM: Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner of Education
DATE: August 6, 2009
RE: Superintendent’s Conference Follow-Up – Standards Based Education

Thank you for your continued interest in Maine’s transition to a standards-based system of education and our work with the Re-Inventing Schools Coalition.  This week we engaged 100 more participants for the 2009 Maine RISC Summer Institute to deepen their understanding and build action plans for this exciting work. 
As promised at the Superintendents' Conference in Bar Harbor, Rich DeLorenzo, Co-Founder of the Re-Inventing Schools Coalition, will be returning to Maine in September from the 10th to the 18th for a series of statewide events that are currently being planned.  These events will provide the opportunities you requested in order for regions and districts to go deeper into the Model to gain increased awareness and understanding. 
At the Superintendents’ Conference the idea of bringing conversations about standards-based education to the regional level surfaced. To that end, we have organized a series of meetings for groups to explore, go deeper and actually have customized interactions with stakeholders for the next steps.
The schedule is as follows:
Performance-Based Systems Workshop for Administrators – Designed for educational leaders who have previously attended RISC workshops

WHEN: Thursday, September 10, 2009 8:30am – 4:30pm
Friday, September 11, 2009 8:00am – 4:00pm
WHERE: Holiday Inn Portland West, 81 Riverside Street, Portland
Directions – http://www.portlandholidayinn.com/Directions

2009 Maine Re-inventing Schools Coalition Fall Symposium

WHEN: Sunday, September 13, 2009 4:00pm – 8:00pm
Monday, September 14, 2009; 8:30am – 4:30pm
Tuesday, September 15, 2009;  8:00am – 4:00pm
WHERE: Wyndham Portland Airport Hotel, 363 Maine Mall Road, South Portland
Directions – http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/PWMHT/mapanddirections/main.wnt?param=1
- Please Provide Feedback Response -
Regional Opportunities for Building/Deepening Understanding of Performance-Based Educational Systems
 
Open for regional work with Superintendents and their shareholders.  I would like suggestions as to how to best utilize Rich’s knowledge and skills to build capacity for this work in your region. 
WHEN: Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
WHERE: Regions To Be Determined by Superintendent Responses
Please e-mail your ideas or suggestions for regional collaborative work to Tammy Morrill at tammy.morrill@maine.gov no later than Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 12:00 noon.  We will try to accommodate as many ideas as possible. 
Meeting with the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs

WHEN: Friday, September 18, 2009
WHERE: Burton M. Cross State Office Building, 111 Sewall Street, Augusta
2nd Floor - Room # 202
Directions – http://www.maine.gov/education/directions.htm

If you are interested in attending any of the meetings, please know that they are inclusive and you are most welcome.  The groups gathering for September 10-11 are a little more ahead in the planning/implementation process, while the meetings scheduled for September 13,14,15 are for a broader awareness of the work.
I realize that the September dates may present a challenge with schools just getting started, but wanted to make the opportunity available to those who may be able to participate.  It is also important to note that the Winter Institute dates are being determined and will provide, yet, another opportunity.  In the meantime please visit the Maine Department of Education website with the latest resources on Standards Based Education at  http://www.maine.gov/education/sbs/index.html
Thank you again for your continued interest in this exciting work to deliver on the promise of Maine’s Learning Results.

RISC in Maine...here's the mandate!

INFORMATIONAL LETTER: 88
POLICY CODE: IKF
TO: Superintendents of Schools
FROM: Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner
DATE: April 13, 2009
RE: Statewide Conference: Transitioning to a Standards-Based System of Education in Maine
In 1989, with the publication of Maine’s Common Core of Learning, Maine began its journey to develop a system of education that was focused on what students need in order to demonstrate proficiency in a common set of knowledge and skills. Much has been learned on this journey over the past twenty years. Learning from our past, the Department intends to build upon its collaboration with school administrative units and truly fulfill the promise of Maine’s Learning Results. Informed by the research of many, especially Dr. Michael Fullan and Dr. Robert Marzano, the Department intends to continue the journey by creating the conditions, policies, and resources to support transitioning from the current standards-referenced system to a standards-based system.
The Department has reached out to the Re-Inventing Schools Coalition (RISC), an organization with fifteen years of experience with standards-based practices and, as Dr. Robert Marzano states: “As far as I can tell, the Re-Inventing Schools Model, as implemented by Chugach and other districts in Alaska involved with RISC is the most comprehensive and well articulated approach to standards-based reform in the entire country.”
It is important to note that Rich DeLorenzo, RISC Co-Founder and Education Specialist, was superintendent of the Chugach School District, and both Wendy Battino, RISC Co-Founder and Executive Director, and Rick Schreiber, Co-Founder and Director of Operations, served as classroom teachers in the Chugach School District, which was awarded the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award in 2001.
Establishing pilot sites in Maine, Department staff and RISC staff will offer technical assistance to support the use of research-based processes and practices that create effective learner-centered, standards-based school cultures. These pilot sites will provide an opportunity to “make visible” in Maine examples of the transition to a standards-based system.
The purpose of this letter is to invite school administrative unit personnel and related stakeholders (school board members, students, and parents/community members) to a statewide conference. This will provide participants with an opportunity to:

• Develop an understanding of the RISC Model of a standards-based system of education
• Learn how to apply tenets of the RISC Model in school administrative units
• Learn about Maine Department of Education’s plans to facilitate and support this work.

More information and links to online conference registration can be found by clicking on the following link: http://www.maine.gov/education/sbs/
If you have any questions, please contact the following Department staff:
Diana Doiron- diana.doiron@maine.gov 624-6823
Nigel Norton- nigel.norton@maine.gov 624-6745
Sarah Simmonds- sarah.simmonds@maine.gov 624-6823

Maine.gov | Education Home | Contact Us | Site Policies

Copyright © 2007 All rights reserved.

The Shadow Scholar

This is just one example of why "Whole Language" needs to be banished as an instructional paradigm.

Portland Press Herald: Our View: New Legislature should make consolidation work

Portland Press Herald on school consolidation.

OUR VIEW: Dumbing down math

Ron White, CEO of HeavyStone Laboratory, told a Salt Lake City media outlet that his firm would hire Chinese graduates and let Utah's graduates flip hamburgers.

Coffee, designers, and U.S. education reform

Teachers are being scapegoated even as their autonomy is further stripped away. Those who have the most contact with children - parents, teachers, and principals - are largely pushed out of the conversation....

Group wants schools that mix business with lessons

Another article about the Maine Enterprise Schools.  This group is suddenly in the news because they're planning to enroll their first RSU1 students -- targeting 6th graders to make a 3-year commitment and 9th graders a 4-year commitment -- in the program THIS FALL (2011).  This is considered an 'alternate path' to graduation and seems to be a driver in the need for standards-based curriculum and grading (no grades), so that students partipating in 'farm school' can still 'meet the standard' and graduate.  What will a High School Diploma represent under this program?  Surely it's not the classical, well-rounded education college admissions and employers expect!?!

Students face tougher testing in math

Maine Reports School Progress to Feds

MATH!

RE: Everyday Math

A California state mathematics professor said, "In normal classrooms with normal teachers, I would characterize these materials (second grade materials) as 'dangerous'. My impression is that it would be very difficult to be sure that the most appropriate material is covered adequately....There is almost no routine practice, although a small amount is built into activities."

Percentage of Students at the Advanced Level in Math

Maine = 28th

THIS MATH DEPRESSES ME

A Canadian mom writes about her daughter's elementary math program...

InnovationMaine - Charter School Blog

Another local Maine charter school blog.....

Maine Enterprise Schools

RSU 2 & RSU 1....... check this out

Maine Enterprise Schools - serving 4 RSUs in mid-coast Maine

The proposal is led by Superintendent Shuttleworth of RSU 1 and Joel Austin of the Bath Regional Technical Institute.

Rally in the works....keep the first week of December open!

We, the concerned parents and citizens all over Maine, must come together and talk to our newly elected State officials and let them know where we stand. 

We don't want our students and schools to be guinea pigs -- the test case for the RISC model is the multiple Alaska schools that dumped it.

While we find Standards acceptable, we believe Maine taxpayers should have a voice in the Standards and that should be able to set higher standards when appropriate.  We don't want to participate in a further "dumbing down" of education that seems the goal of 'lowest common denominator' standards touted in the CCSS and National movement.  (Didn't anyone notice that Massachusetts had to LOWER their excellent standards to join the National movement?)

We believe traditional grading and its' inherent competition is essential to the education process.  Where better to learn how to compete than within the safe, nurturing school environment.  We are not properly preparing our students for life after public school -- or even college -- if we fail to teach them healthy competition or to provide real feedback on their efforts with a 15 scale grading system vise a 4 scale system of standards.

We don't want high-priced administrators siphoning off huge salaries and educator retirement pay simultaneously or setting up self-serving, lucrative consulting positions based on their experience implementing educational models, like RISC, that are not beneficial to our students.

We want community input into curriculum -- get rid of the paradigms that don't work like EDM and Whole Language.  Mastering mathematical algorithms does more to build self-esteem in a student than handing them a calculator and telling them which buttons to press.  (There is a place for technology, but you can't validate/audit work if you don't understand the logic.  One must wonder if Kindergarten is really the place for calculators.)

Readers - please post your concerns in the comment section (you can do this and remain 'anonymous') to help us ensure we capture the biggest issues appropriately.  Together we can effect a better outcome for our student!  Let us TAKE BACK OUR SCHOOLS!!!

Was Galileo wrong?

Has ed school theory called "constructivism" been the cause of America's decline in math & science? Everyday Math = constructivism

US students not measuring up in math

MSNBC video on the state of math education in the USA.

Grading system unsettles Hall-Dale parents

RSU 2 again! These parents have worked soooooo hard to get their School Board to listen.

Parents' petition protests change in grade system

Yet another RSU 2 Standards-based grading article (May, 2010).

Home schooling, education jobs and Social Security: An education roundup

Interesting article and very interesting comments from readers at the bottom of the article. 

School District Faces Failure, Adopts RISC

Wiscassett Newspaper – November 4, 2010

School District Faces Failure, Adopts RISC

By Alan Bebout

Staff Reporter

In a public hearing, Chris Chamberlain stood before an audience composed of her superintendent, teachers, students, parents, and school board members, and acknowledged that the school district has accepted responsibility for failure in its mission to educate students entrusted to it.   She said it was about time for the district to be honest with parents about how bad things are, and went on to describe the problem in painful detail.  More than once she told the audience that the world has changed and America’s schools have not changed with it.  The problem is not uncommon in Maine, and one that most Maine school districts will likely have to address in the near future.

Chamberlain is Director of Curriculum for RSU 2, which includes schools in Dresden, Richmond, Farmingdale, Hallowell, and Monmouth.  Her candid presentation confirmed that students have been passed from grade to grade without mastering basic material.  Prior to graduation, some students get frustrated with falling further and further behind, and become a drop-out statistic.  Chamberlain and RSU 2 Superintendent Donald Siviski are not content to see future graduates get a high school diploma just because they sat in a chair for twelve years.  It is disarming to see a District Superintendent and Curriculum Director openly admitting to the failure of public education.  It is time, they say, to face the problem and begin to solve it.

Chamberlain admits that the United States used to have the world’s finest education system, and now rank fifteenth out of thirty countries.  The US has been slipping in its ranking in the world, and Maine has been slipping in its ranking in the US.  Chamberlain laments that we are no longer equipping kids to be competitive in the world economy.  The picture she paints is bleak.

She recalls the well-worn saying, “If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, we’ll keep getting what we’ve been getting, and what we have been getting is no longer acceptable.”  That, she says, is why she is having meetings at each school in the district.  Her purpose is to expose the problem, and outline what the district sees as the beginning of the solution.

As funding has been available, teachers in the district have been attending classes about a Standards Based Education system called RISC which was created by the “Re-Inventing Schools Coalition”.  A standard may be something as simple as learning fractions in math or learning the alphabet.  Under RISC, a student has to master each standard at his level before moving to the next level.  Grouping students by age is no longer the guiding criteria. 

The student will attend classes with students at his/her level, regardless of age.  It is possible for a student to be learning third grade math and second grade language.  The goal is to be sure students have met all standards before graduation.  Unlike today, nobody will earn a diploma if they are reading at an eighth grade level and doing math at a tenth grade level.  A Diploma will recapture its integrity, and employers and institutes of higher learning will be offered more qualified applicants.

Chamberlain said teachers enthusiastically latched on to RISC, and began introducing it to their students as early as the last school term.  It has not always gone well.  Some of the parents attending the meeting mentioned that their kids, who get good grades and normally love school, are coming home frustrated because they are confused about the new system.  In answer, Chamberlain said that some teachers are apparently going into action without fully understanding how the system works, and it will take awhile to work out the kinks. 

Not everyone at the meeting was on-board with Chamberlain’s plan of action.  Some parents of children in RSU 1 (Bath), along with author Charlotte Iserbyt of Dresden, who identifies herself as the consummate education whistleblower, were sitting at one table and said one of the big reasons for Maine kids’ failing to meet the expectations of employers or colleges is due to curriculum choices.  Woolwich resident Beth Schultz, co-founder of the Maine Coalition for World Class Math, commented that reform is pointless unless school curriculum is intensely scrutinized.  She argues that Maine schools are squarely in the “Whole Language” and “Everyday Math” camp and that is one very strong reason why Maine is no longer #1 in the USA for math achievement.

Others at the meeting were concerned that the flurry of activity around RISC will distract from other systemic education problems like paying teachers based on years of service rather than effectiveness and perpetuating the damage done by ineffective teachers who are protected from termination.  Still others are worried that their children are being used as an experiment.  They wish the school district would offer students a choice of attending a RISC school or another non-RISC school.   

After the meeting, a Richmond High student approached Chamberlain with his concerns.  Since 65% of the student body is not proficient at grade level, he sees them being innocent victims caught in the jaws of a policy change.  Because they have been passed from grade to grade without meeting past standards, by the time they enter high school they are so far behind they cannot catch up in just a year or two.  Yet, the system says they must master all standards prior to graduation.  The student expresses deep concern that many of his friends may not graduate with their class.

Chamberlain was not prepared to respond to him with a clear plan of action, but did try to reassure the student that the district will face the problem and find a solution that does not victimize large groups of students.  She indicated that there are still many questions that have no well thought out answers as yet.    

Chamberlain and Siviski admit that every “I” has not been dotted and “T” crossed, but are intent on not perpetuating something that is not working.  Rather than wait until all the questions are answered, they have chosen to act.  Most teachers are with them.  Their current challenge is to get students and parents on board.

Alan Bebout is the reporter for this article and can be reached at alanbebout@roadrunner.com

Even our best kids lag in math--middle schools to blame

Interesting column from today's Washington Post.

Report Card: A close look at the world of Maine Education

Home schooling, education jobs and Social Security Numbers....an education roundup.

Maine's pupil count drops below 190,000. Rep Finch asks, "Do we have 2,700 fewer kids, or do we have 2,700 fewer choosing public schools?"

Your Child Left Behind

Dec 2010 - Atlantic Magazine

Massachusetts used to "lag behind" states like Maine & Connecticut. Now they just "lag behind" other countries.

Today, Maine's largest demographic ranks approximately 38th in 4th/8th grade math....Massachusetts ranks #1 (regardless of demographic).

New system for grading in more schools (RSU 2)

This is from May. Parents at RSU 2 have organized a Standards-based grading Facebook page.

Standards Based Report Cards - Maine & Hawaii

Apparently, in Pelham NY a standards-based report card comes with 14 extra pages to explain it. This seems like a lot of work for the teachers.

RSU 2's 'standards-based' grading to get oversight

According to an RSU 2 parent, RSU 2 might need to expand the 1-4 grading scale (to include 1.5, 2.5, etc.)

Rethinking Report Cards

More on Standards-based report cards. Be sure to read:

Why don't we see standards-based report cards in middle or high school? (note what they say about college applications)

It seems that the Maine Dept of Education wants schools to "pioneer" this new grading system. Did they sign up for it to try get RttT (Race to the Top) $$? Maine's RttT applicaiton came in almost dead last.

RSU1 Administrator Admits Goal is NO-GRADES at ALL Levels K-12

Dear XXX,

         What thoughtful questions! I will do my best to answer them.  I am currently principal at Fisher Mitchell School, but previously served as K-12 Curriculum Coordinator for the district. In that capacity I worked with at team of K-5 teachers from U47 and Bath schools who volunteered to design a common RSU 1 elementary report card back in spring '08.  At that time we looked at models from numerous other districts as well as a draft card that a committee had been working on in U47.  THe card can best be described as standards-referenced.  For each academic subject area a student gets an overall Effort rating, and then ratings on specific skills or processes within that subject area. The ratings indicate whether a student MEETS expectations for his/her grade level for that time in the year, EXCEEDS expectations, PARTIALLY MEETS them, or DOES NOT meet them. 

           This provides parents with much more specific information about students strengths and weaknesses than a global letter grade of A,B,C which is usually obtained by averaging grades on assignments or tests over a period of time.  For example, on an letter scale a student who does really well at the beginning of the term on one skill area but was much weaker at the end of the term on another skill area would get the same grade as a student who scores fairly well on both (B or C ). Standards referenced ratings would show that the student EXCEEDED standards on the first skill area but only PARTIALLY met standards on the second skill area.

          Although grade level teams have continued to refine some items & calibrate scoring of different items, the K-5 Report Card has not changed in any significant way over the first three years of the RSU. The items are aligned with the Maine Learning Results and RSU 1 Curriculum.  Last year Mr. Shuttleworth convened a K-12 Standards-based Grading Committee to study and plan for transitioning to standards-based grading at all levels.  Meanwhile, the Common Core standards were developed, so as a first step, staff have developed RSU #1 standards for math and language arts, K-12. They are not posted yet on the website as staff at some grade levels are still are in the final stages of review/revision.  Kari Babcock, principal at Phippsburg has been a key leader for this work.

         However, a chart of District Assessments can be viewed on the RSU 1 Website under Depts. Curriculum.  Yes, the NWEA and the DRA2 are definitely used as formative assessments for planning instruction as well as to assess student growth.   

          As the district moves forward in designing a standards-based system, it is definitely important to include parents and community. It's likely we'll get to that point this spring, although the district level Committee has not started the system design work yet this year.  A live and/or online forum with Q & A are on the list of possible ways to include parents that were discussed last spring. We'd welcome your involvement when we get to that point.

                                                         Sincerely,

                                                                    Nancy Harriman 

Nancy Harriman, Ph.D.

Principal

Fisher Mitchell School

597 High St. 

Bath, Maine 04530

Tel.  (207)443-8265

Fax  (207)443-4167

 >>> 'XXXXX Concerned Parent' 11/4/2010 1:46 PM >>>

Hi William-

I understand that the school board will be discussing implementation of the number grade system at the middle school level.  Betsy Varian had indicated that this is tied in with Standard Based Learning.  My understanding of Standard Based Learning is that this provides a way for children with learning differences to receive differentiated instruction within the classroom setting.  Is there a tie between that and the number grade system?  I was unable to find a link between the two when searching the web.  Can you provide me with this information so that I can have a better understanding of it's purpose?  From my perspective, the 4-number grading system is more vague than the range (of 15) that is used with the letter grade system.  

Also, where can I find grade level benchmarks for RSU1 and info. on the core school-based assessments that are given at each grade level.  I was surprised to learn at my daughter's 4th grade conference that the only formal assessments given this year were the NWEAs.  Do the NWEAs provide info. data to drive individual student instruction?  Not even a DRA was done this fall because 'XXX student name' was on grade level in the Spring. 

Before the school board votes on a possible new grading system, I think it would be helpful if parents were given the opportunity to attend a question/ answer forum on the matter.  I feel with the consolodation, parents are less informed and are becoming less of a part of the decision making process.

Thank you,

XXX

 Concerned Parent  (Private individuals names removed, any parent could ask same questions.)

Say goodbye to local control of our schools

A biology teacher's thoughts on the CCSS.....

RSU 1 - email sent to board and superintendent on Nov 1

The following email as sent to the RSU 1 board & superintendent in regard to the elementary math curriculum:

I am glad that you are piloting some supplementary programs and reviewing the calculator policy. I urge you to also do the following:

1) Research alternative elementary math curriculums (avoid "spiraling" curriculums)
2) Start training elementary teachers on ways to teach the standards algorithms
3) Begin teaching the standard algorithms immediately (this year)
4) Immediately do away with Everyday Math for special education students

I am not in favor of the increased federal control that comes along with the adoption of the Common Cores State Standards (CCSS). While the CCSS do have some things that I like (i.e. standard algorithms), they are far from perfect. We'll find out what the Maine Legislature decides in January. If Maine chooses not to adopt the CCSS, it's still likely that they will adopt revised standards and these will specify the standard algorithms.

Many districts in CCSS states are moving away from Everyday Math. We'd be wise to do the same. I'm sure that EDM is working to try to align their text to the CCSS. Do we want to risk adopting their first attempt at a program aligned to the CCSS? Will the writers of EDM continue to push too many different algorithms onto our students? Will the drop algorithms like the "Lattice Method?" Will they do away with the spiraling? The National Math Advisory Panel WARNS against spiraling.

It's been years since many of our RSU 1 elementary teachers have taught the standard algorithms. They will need training to switch back to traditional algorithms. Please commit to giving them this training.

Montgomery MD "Back to Basics" in Math

Reform math programs (Everyday Math) introduce probability in 2nd grade. Under the Common Core Standards, it will be taught in 6th, 7th and 8th grades. This allows more time in elementary school to master the basics in math.

Election Results Raise Questions for Common Standards

More Disappointing News on the Maine Educational Front

The State of Maine placed 3rd highest overall with students graduation from four-year school with an average debt load of $29,143.00.

48th Is Not a Good Place

The US now ranks 48th out of 133 developed and developing nations in quality of math and science instruction.

Outrage at banning spelling tests