The best part of NCLB is that this kind of performance can no longer be swept under the table. Note that they only had to pass some of the material at an 8th and 10th grade level and still couldn't do it.
Bad news in California
Number 2 Pencil blog
Not a good sign:
Nearly 100,000 California 12th graders — or about 20% of this year's senior class — have failed the state's graduation exam, potentially jeopardizing their chances of earning diplomas, according to the most definitive report on the mandatory test released today.
Students in the class of 2006, the first group to face the graduation requirement, must pass both sections of the English and math test by next June.
The exit exam, which has come under criticism by some educators, legislators and civil rights advocates, is geared to an 8th grade level in math and to ninth- and 10th grade levels in English.
I like the fact that the article lists the critical complaints and the low standards in the same sentence. It certainly lets readers draw their own conclusions.
Teachers, according to the report, said that that many students arrive unprepared and unmotivated for their high school courses and that their grades often reflect poor attendance and low parental involvement.
Point being? That the test isn't necessary? That it's impossible to teach them? Or is this the only politically-correct way to make a reference to what might be driving the achievement gap between ethnic groups?
Opponents of the exam said that it penalizes minority students and those in low-income communities whose overcrowded schools often lack experienced teachers and other necessary resources.
"It's unfair to give this test because of the unequal school system we have," said Edgar Sanchez, who teachers U.S. history at Washington Preparatory check tol High School in South Los Angeles. "Every day I see students go through conditions of overcrowding. Sometimes students don't have a desk to sit at."
If the system is this unequal, then the tests are absolutely necessary; otherwise, how will schools know what students need help? And without some sort of corrective measures, how can the state ensure that schools focus on those students?
The critics, as always, are calling for alternative assessments such as portfolios, which can be graded so squishily that no kid will ever be denied a diploma, no matter how poor their attitude or performance. I support the tests, but California's Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell faces an uphill battle against parents, students, and an educational community who believe that every student who wants a diploma must be awarded one.
kimberlyswygert.com |
