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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?