Stop the ISAT!

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Illinois Teachers Chatboard

Stop the ISAT!

by Susan

Aug 20, 2010

“Hey I got a solution for IL to cut millions of dollars in Debt! Get rid of the ISAT!!! It costs IL millions of dollars to buy, distribute and score the ISAT! Let's get rid of the ISAT! It does nothing for the students anyways. It does nothing for "accountability" of teachers. It doesn't follow the school district's curriculum. It doesn't improve student learning. It forces teachers to teach to the test; which leaves them no time for other important academic lessons. It takes 2 weeks for students to take the test. This means students are losing 2 weeks of academic instruction during the school year just to take the test!!! The ISAT isn't fair to bilingual students, or students with learning disabilities!

Let's save million of dollars a year and just not buy the ISAT! Perfect solution!

Assessments should be a tool to diagnose academic weaknesses and strengths and guide instruction. It should not be used to punish schools; which is currently happening now.” The ISAT...See More

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sped On 8/20/10, Susan wrote: > “Hey I got a solution for IL to cut millions of dollars in > Debt! Get rid of the ISAT!!! It costs IL millions of > dollars to buy, distribute and score the ISAT! > Let's get rid of the ISAT! It does nothing for the students > anyways. It does nothing for "accountability" of teachers. > It doesn't foll...See MoreOn 8/20/10, Susan wrote: > “Hey I got a solution for IL to cut millions of dollars in > Debt! Get rid of the ISAT!!! It costs IL millions of > dollars to buy, distribute and score the ISAT! > Let's get rid of the ISAT! It does nothing for the students > anyways. It does nothing for "accountability" of teachers. > It doesn't follow the school district's curriculum. It > doesn't improve student learning. It forces teachers to > teach to the test; which leaves them no time for other > important academic lessons. It takes 2 weeks for students to > take the test. This means students are losing 2 weeks of > academic instruction during the school year just to take the > test!!! The ISAT isn't fair to bilingual students, or > students with learning disabilities!

I agree with everything you say. However, NCLB requires a test like the ISAT in public schools. Every state has one. You can't simply not do it.

> Assessments should be a tool to diagnose academic > weaknesses and strengths and guide instruction. It should > not be used to punish schools; which is currently happening > now.” The ISAT is a "One Size Fits All" solution; which is > currently NOT working!"

NCLB was created to destroy public schools, so that the people President Bush worked for, i.e. rich, white Christians, could get vouchers to send their kids to rich, white Christian schools. They already send their kids to rich, white Christian schools, but now they get to send them on the school district's dime. This is why NCLB eventually requires 100 percent of students to read English at grade level, including students with severe LD and students who just arrived from Pakistan with zero English ability a week before the test is given.

Obviously, as teachers, we know that you don't call a student a failure because the got a 99 percent on a test... most likely you reward him. However the people who wrote NCLB wrote it to do exactly that. In 2014, if your school doesn't have 100% meet or exceed, then it's failing. It is a conscience effort to turn public schools into the equivalent of county hospitals and public housing..., only the poorest with no other options will go there. Just the way the people who wrote NCLB want it!

Sep 2, 2010

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tyler Hi sped, I lurk here on the Illinois teacher board, but I have never posted before (I usually just post on the Spanish teacher board). I find your feelings about NCLB to be very interesting and to be sentiments that I have never thought of in terms of the drafter's motive for this legislation. I know it is hard to prove the motives behind political...See MoreHi sped, I lurk here on the Illinois teacher board, but I have never posted before (I usually just post on the Spanish teacher board). I find your feelings about NCLB to be very interesting and to be sentiments that I have never thought of in terms of the drafter's motive for this legislation. I know it is hard to prove the motives behind political maneuvering, but do you know of any well-respected literature or research that shows that NCLB was created to destroy public education? As I recall, NCLB had strong bipartisan support and has arguably increased federal public education funding. I hope I'm not coming across as saying "prove it", or sounding overly political.

On 9/02/10, sped wrote: > On 8/20/10, Susan wrote: >> “Hey I got a solution for IL to cut millions of dollars in >> Debt! Get rid of the ISAT!!! It costs IL millions of >> dollars to buy, distribute and score the ISAT! >> Let's get rid of the ISAT! It does nothing for the students >> anyways. It does nothing for "accountability" of teachers. >> It doesn't follow the school district's curriculum. It >> doesn't improve student learning. It forces teachers to >> teach to the test; which leaves them no time for other >> important academic lessons. It takes 2 weeks for students to >> take the test. This means students are losing 2 weeks of >> academic instruction during the school year just to take the >> test!!! The ISAT isn't fair to bilingual students, or >> students with learning disabilities! > > I agree with everything you say. However, NCLB requires a test > like the ISAT in public schools. Every state has one. You > can't simply not do it. > >> Assessments should be a tool to diagnose academic >> weaknesses and strengths and guide instruction. It should >> not be used to punish schools; which is currently happening >> now.” The ISAT is a "One Size Fits All" solution; which is >> currently NOT working!" > > NCLB was created to destroy public schools, so that the people > President Bush worked for, i.e. rich, white Christians, could > get vouchers to send their kids to rich, white Christian > schools. They already send their kids to rich, white Christian > schools, but now they get to send them on the school district's > dime. This is why NCLB eventually requires 100 percent of > students to read English at grade level, including students > with severe LD and students who just arrived from Pakistan with > zero English ability a week before the test is given. > > Obviously, as teachers, we know that you don't call a student a > failure because the got a 99 percent on a test... most likely > you reward him. However the people who wrote NCLB wrote it to > do exactly that. In 2014, if your school doesn't have 100% > meet or exceed, then it's failing. It is a conscience effort > to turn public schools into the equivalent of county hospitals > and public housing..., only the poorest with no other options > will go there. Just the way the people who wrote NCLB want it!

Sep 2, 2010

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sped On 9/02/10, tyler wrote: > do you know > of any well-respected literature or research that shows that > NCLB was created to destroy public education? As I recall, NCLB > had strong bipartisan support and has arguably increased federal > public education funding.

NAFTA had bipartisan support, and was signed by Bill Clinton, a...See MoreOn 9/02/10, tyler wrote: > do you know > of any well-respected literature or research that shows that > NCLB was created to destroy public education? As I recall, NCLB > had strong bipartisan support and has arguably increased federal > public education funding.

NAFTA had bipartisan support, and was signed by Bill Clinton, and that has decimated the middle class in America, shipped millions of good paying jobs overseas where they can be filled with almost slave labor, and turned America into a nation of waitresses and Wal-mart cashiers. The Republican party doesn't have a monopoly on screwing up America, though they are admittedly very good at it. That Democrats backed NCLB only means they're cashing checks from the same people the Republicans are.

In order to make AYP, NCLB requires 100% of virtually all students to read and write at grade level by 2014. If a school scores 99%, it is a failure and is subject to penalties, including eventually allowing parents to yank their kids out of said school. This includes students who immigrate and speak no English and special education students who work their whole educational careers to get to a 4th grade reading level.

Imagine other fields given the same standard. The police are failures because they don't solve 100% of crimes. Fire departments are failures if they don't save 100% of people trapped in a fire. A doctor is a failure because he doesn't cure 100% of his patients. The military is a failure because they don't kill 100% of the enemy. It's an impossible standard.

This impossible standards was created because conservatives don't like public schools. They don't like teachers because of those pesky unions, and after all, they feel that rich, white, Christian kids deserve better education. They shouldn't be mixed with all those non- rich, non-white, non-Christians.

The state of American education is terrible. This has been made worse BECAUSE of NCLB. Public education has become simply test prep. I work there everyday. Gifted students are largely ignored because they're going to pass the test anyway. Lower students are pulled from every enriching activity to drill-and-kill on computers. The middle isn't taught much that isn't on the test. Students who have come up in the NCLB world have almost no exposure to civics or history, art, music, and so on... don't even think about it if you need test prep! This is education today in the USA.

I run a middle school sped program for a good district. Most of our schools usually make AYP. We take special ed 8th graders with computational skills at about the 2nd grade level, and teach them Algebra. Well, I'm pretty sure we don't teach them Algebra, but a teacher is teaching Algebra in the room while they're there not making heads or tails of it. We do this because they have to take that test in 8th grade, and they have to pass the PSAE in 11th grade. It doesn't matter that they don't understand decimals, can't add three digit numbers, couldn't understand a bank statement, and can't tell time, but we're exposing them to Algebra, Geometry, and Trig because they gotta pass the test. It doesn't matter that we're depriving them of math-based life skills like counting money or managing a bank account. We're teaching they sine and cosine, and that's important for them to know because... it's on the test!

NCLB is hurting kids across the board. It was designed to hurt teachers and their unions, and get kids away from those crazy liberal public school teachers and non-believing brown people and into a "faith-based" school that teaches proper things... like that Jesus founded America and that cavemen rode dinosaurs in 1520 AD.

Sep 4, 2010

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tyler Let me start by saying that I appreciate your response and passion on this issue. Additionally, I pretty much agree with most of what you are saying. I think we all know that 100% is an impossible standard in anything. My main issue is with the statements you have made about the purpose of NCLB, that is to harm public education and essentially funn...See MoreLet me start by saying that I appreciate your response and passion on this issue. Additionally, I pretty much agree with most of what you are saying. I think we all know that 100% is an impossible standard in anything. My main issue is with the statements you have made about the purpose of NCLB, that is to harm public education and essentially funnel public education dollars into private christian white schools. While this may be one aspect of NCLB, there were a lot of non christian, non white supporters of NCLB. In fact, many inner-city residents have championed the ability to move their children into compliant schools.

I suppose I also have an internal struggle with NCLB. I really think that there should be standards for public education, and schools should be held to those standards. We should expect good things from public education. It is a necessary part of a functioning democracy. I also think that choice can be a wonderful thing, and if a particular public school is not doing what it needs to be doing, then individual families and students should be allowed to attend a school that is excelling.

On 9/04/10, sped wrote: > On 9/02/10, tyler wrote: >> do you know >> of any well-respected literature or research that shows that >> NCLB was created to destroy public education? As I recall, NCLB >> had strong bipartisan support and has arguably increased federal >> public education funding. > > NAFTA had bipartisan support, and was signed by Bill Clinton, and > that has decimated the middle class in America, shipped millions of > good paying jobs overseas where they can be filled with almost slave > labor, and turned America into a nation of waitresses and Wal-mart > cashiers. The Republican party doesn't have a monopoly on screwing > up America, though they are admittedly very good at it. That > Democrats backed NCLB only means they're cashing checks from the same > people the Republicans are. > > In order to make AYP, NCLB requires 100% of virtually all students to > read and write at grade level by 2014. If a school scores 99%, it is > a failure and is subject to penalties, including eventually allowing > parents to yank their kids out of said school. This includes > students who immigrate and speak no English and special education > students who work their whole educational careers to get to a 4th > grade reading level. > > Imagine other fields given the same standard. The police are > failures because they don't solve 100% of crimes. Fire departments > are failures if they don't save 100% of people trapped in a fire. A > doctor is a failure because he doesn't cure 100% of his patients. > The military is a failure because they don't kill 100% of the enemy. > It's an impossible standard. > > This impossible standards was created because conservatives don't > like public schools. They don't like teachers because of those pesky > unions, and after all, they feel that rich, white, Christian kids > deserve better education. They shouldn't be mixed with all those > non- rich, non-white, non-Christians. > > The state of American education is terrible. This has been made > worse BECAUSE of NCLB. Public education has become simply test prep. > I work there everyday. Gifted students are largely ignored because > they're going to pass the test anyway. Lower students are pulled > from every enriching activity to drill-and-kill on computers. The > middle isn't taught much that isn't on the test. Students who have > come up in the NCLB world have almost no exposure to civics or > history, art, music, and so on... don't even think about it if you > need test prep! This is education today in the USA. > > I run a middle school sped program for a good district. Most of our > schools usually make AYP. We take special ed 8th graders with > computational skills at about the 2nd grade level, and teach them > Algebra. Well, I'm pretty sure we don't teach them Algebra, but a > teacher is teaching Algebra in the room while they're there not > making heads or tails of it. We do this because they have to take > that test in 8th grade, and they have to pass the PSAE in 11th grade. > It doesn't matter that they don't understand decimals, can't add > three digit numbers, couldn't understand a bank statement, and can't > tell time, but we're exposing them to Algebra, Geometry, and Trig > because they gotta pass the test. It doesn't matter that we're > depriving them of math-based life skills like counting money or > managing a bank account. We're teaching they sine and cosine, and > that's important for them to know because... it's on the test! > > NCLB is hurting kids across the board. It was designed to hurt > teachers and their unions, and get kids away from those crazy liberal > public school teachers and non-believing brown people and into a > "faith-based" school that teaches proper things... like that Jesus > founded America and that cavemen rode dinosaurs in 1520 AD.

Sep 10, 2010

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sped On 9/10/10, tyler wrote: > I think we all know that 100% is an impossible standard in > anything.

Yet it remains the law.

My main issue is with the statements you have made about the > purpose of NCLB, that is to harm public education and essentially > funnel public education dollars into private christian white school...See MoreOn 9/10/10, tyler wrote: > I think we all know that 100% is an impossible standard in > anything.

Yet it remains the law.

My main issue is with the statements you have made about the > purpose of NCLB, that is to harm public education and essentially > funnel public education dollars into private christian white schools. > While this may be one aspect of NCLB, there were a lot of non > christian, non white supporters of NCLB.

There were black slave owners, an historical fact, but that didn't make them the main benefactors or progenitors of slavery. Likewise, while there are non-white, non-Christian supporters of NCLB, they aren't the people who created it.

> I suppose I also have an internal struggle with NCLB. I really think > that there should be standards for public education, and schools > should be held to those standards.

A perfect red herring. Why is it when someone questions NCLB and it's pending 100% achievement rate, they say we don't want any "standards" for public schools? If I question militant Islamic Sharia law and it's requirement that women cover themselves completely, then I believe all women should be completely nude in public and active prostitutes? If I believe that 20 mph is not a proper speed limit for a highway, then I want unrestricted speed limits with people barreling down school zones at 150 mph?

100 percent at grade level is beyond unreasonable. It is particularly so when such an achievement nationwide would require an unprecedented amount of funding and support and that support has not been forthcoming. Plus, the narrow testing requirements of NCLB have created a startlingly ignorant population. We focus on standardized testing in reading and math. We don't really care if they're functioning readers or mathematicians, but only that they can do well in the narrow confines of the test. We are graduating high school seniors who have no idea who Adolf Hitler is. Genuinely have little to no idea. They can't tell you what photosynthesis is. They can't find their home state on a map. They have almost no marketable job skills, and more and more, high school graduates don't finish college because the don't have the skills to do so.

> We should expect good things from > public education. It is a necessary part of a functioning democracy.

America is not a functioning democracy. 51,000,000 people voted for Al Gore in 2000 and 50,500,000 voted for G.W. Bush the same year. I think you know who won. This has nothing to do with Florida or hanging chads, but the official total, even with Florida's fishy totals. However, as we all know, Dubya won the electoral college because... we're a democracy? Nope, in democracies, majority rules. The US electoral college system was created to disenfranchise citizens. Again, not hyperbole, but this is taken directly from the Federalist Papers, which in case you're a recent graduate of US public schools, were documents which discussed and analyzed the nation's new Constitution and were written by those who actually wrote said Constitution.

Throw on the whole Senate filibuster thing, electronic voting booths with no paper trail, corporations being treated as "people" and corporate money being treated as "free speech," and you don't have a functioning democracy in the US.

I > also think that choice can be a wonderful thing, and if a particular > public school is not doing what it needs to be doing, then individual > families and students should be allowed to attend a school that is > excelling.

Individual families ARE allowed to attend said schools. You just have to pay for them...

OK, if you can find a school that meets or exceeds 100% of the time, and your local school doesn't (wow, a school is failing if it doesn't have 100 percent of all students passing a multiple choice test), then sure, go ahead and change schools. Of course, private and religious schools aren't tested, so they shouldn't be included or eligible for any public support because how do we know they are any better if they don't have any test scores to back it up? What's good for the goose..., in my opinion

Sep 17, 2010

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