School ratings flat; changes promised by state leaders
By Burt Hubbard, Rocky Mountain News (Contact), Nancy Mitchell, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published December 9, 2008 at 10 a.m.
Darin McGregor © The Rocky
Lariah Lee-Davis raises her hand with a question in Dave Tabano's seventh-grade anthropology class Tuesday at the Denver Center for International Studies, an international studies magnet school in Denver Public Schools.
Photo by Dennis Schroeder © The Rocky
Paula Cardona , Abraham Pizano and Daisy Hernandez get help from ESL teacher Colleen Thumm during a 4th grade science lab grade at East Elementary School in Littleton. Although East Elementary serves a lower income base of students, with 75 % of its students qualifying for free lunch programs, it has shown high achievements in educational progress, according to the release of new CSAP results.
The latest round of state school ratings released Tuesday appears to be yet another sign that academic progress in Colorado's public schools is stalled.
Slightly more students attended schools rated "excellent" or "high" in 2007-08, or 44.4 percent compared with 43 percent the previous year.
And slightly fewer students attended schools rated "low" and "unsatisfactory," or 19.6 percent compared with 20.7 percent in 2006-07.
The number in the middle moved just as slightly, with 35.9 percent of students attending "average" schools in 2007-08 compared with 36.2 percent the prior year.
Sound familiar? It should. The annual December ratings, officially known as the School Accountability Reports or SARs, are based on the already released results of state exams given the previous spring — and they've been flat for years.
"Yeah, achievement is flat. That's troubling," said Rich Wenning, associate commissioner for the Colorado Department of Education. "But things not flat in the state are things like poverty, which is worsening."
That's not an excuse, he said, but an example of why Colorado's focus on school reform must shift from the performance of huge groups of kids to the individual academic growth of students from one year to the next.
Wenning and his boss, Education Commissioner Dwight Jones, are leading the effort to overhaul an accountability system created by former Republican Gov. Bill Owens that emphasized labels and sanctions such as the state takeover of struggling schools.
"The basic thing a parents wants to know, or an educator wants to know, is how much progress is this child or this group of children making and is it good enough to meet state standards?" Wenning said. "By changing the conversation, we can provide information that's actually useful for improvement."
A different look
Wenning this summer unveiled Colorado's new growth model, which compares how students with similar state test scores perform over time. It also shows whether students are on track to proficiency on state exams by the 10th grade.
"The growth data showed us some sobering things ... particularly that our lowest-achieving students are not making enough progress to catch up," he said.
"We also saw from that data that some students ... once they reach proficiency, they're not making enough progress to stay there and they're falling back."
Tuesday's report cards reflect "a baby step" toward the new focus, he said, with the changing of the academic growth rating for schools.
Instead of five categories, from "significant improvement" at one end to "significant decline" at the other, the new cards have three categories. They are "high," "typical" and "low," aligning with the new growth model's categories for individual students.
The new growth ratings reflect how a school's students are progressing toward proficiency on state standards.
Other changes on the SARs result from a content overhaul approved by the Democrat-controlled state Legislature in 2007. Lawmakers scrapped categories such as "teacher turnover" and the term "teacher tenure," which is despised by the state teachers' union.
They added categories showing whether schools offer advanced classes and extracurricular activities. Schools also can add their own "points of pride" to the reports.
"I think it's clear that parents want to know more about a school other than just testing results," said Sue Windels, who sponsored the changes in the state Senate. "If you're really going to help parents make a wise choice for their child, they want to know some of the things offered in that school."
Some question whether the changes are weakening the state's accountability system.
Van Schoales, urban education officer for the Denver-based Piton Foundation, pointed out the change in growth ratings results in 62 percent of the state's 1,998 schools being rated "typical."
"If so many schools are rated typical, how can I tell one from the next?" he asked.
And while the state's sole takeover of a school, Cole Middle School in Denver, was considered a disaster by some, Schoales said the state does need some sanctions in its arsenal.
"It's not enough to provide information unless there is some accountability," he said. "The significant portion of school funding comes from the state and the state should say, 'Are you using our money well?' And, if you're not, there should be consequences around that."
But Windels and Wenning counter that the focus on individual growth means more accountability, not less.
"We have been working on trying to get this growth model in because that's where the accountability comes in," said Windels, who is leaving the Senate due to term limits. "You're going to suddenly make CSAP (state tests) very relevant to kids like they've never seen it before because the parents and the teachers will be tracking individual student growth."
It's clear from state leaders that the direction in accountability has been set — and it's moving away from the Owens model.
"The governor from his very first State of the State speech laid out very ambitious, very bold and very long-term education goals," said Evan Dreyer, spokesman for Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter. "We know we can do a lot better and the path we have started down ... is the right one. These are the kinds of steps we need to be taking so that we aren't looking at year after year of flat-lined ratings."
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December 9, 2008
10:19 a.m.
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hikingartist writes:
"There continues to be a strong correlation between school performance and income."
Well there's your problem right there. And as the underclass grows, there will be more underachieving dropouts roaming the streets kind of like those leftists South American countries. It would seem the GOP tax cuts are working out just fine, I just don't understand why they create a breeding ground for socialism while constantly demonizing it.
December 9, 2008
10:48 a.m.
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bookwerm writes:
I am working at the school Obama mentioned in his 30min infomercial, and visited last May or so, and I definitely can see the socioeconomic impact on learning. Peer group expectations for doing homework, not talking in class, etc. are so so off compared to the better schools, becomes a self fulfilling prophecy somewhat.. time is lost keeping order, doing missed homework in class, that the amount of time for instruction shrinks, and the amount of material covered also shrinks. And there are just as many sharp kids here as in Boulder and Cherry Creek.. just functionally and socially in a hole!
Now, I don't have any simple answers on how to fix it, just pointing out that there are many reasons for this.. families not valuing education as much, Students thinking it OK to skip, not do homework, not pay attention, not try. The teachers are dedicated and well trained.. like trying to plow a field with an unruly mule instead of a high powered tractor, just not as much is planted. We need serious social engineering, students need changed outlooks. When it is a few students acting up and talking, that is one thing, but most of the class? And that is common in this type of school.. just too prevalent to be a coincidence.
December 9, 2008
10:59 a.m.
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eventempered writes:
Makes sense to me. If you work hard and get an education then you make more money and you make sure your kids understand the impotance of a good education. "The underclass" like you call them hikingartist are stuck in a loop where the parents don't push the importance of an education or lack the discipline at home. What's the cause, maybe their own education, maybe they feel they don't need one because they cash a welfare check and that is just fine with them. maybe the schools can't attract good teachers because of the dangers from some undisciplined students or crime ridden neighbor hoods.
We need to wake up and realize that school choice(vouchers) provides competition for good teachers and elevates schools as they compete for student attendence/dollars. We also need to bring back discipline to the class room with zero tollerence.
This is not a political/money thing. The cycle needs to stop somewhere but getting a handout and not a handup perpetuates the cycle.
December 9, 2008
11 a.m.
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HopiMedicineMan writes:
If income and quality of educational results are linked, and achieving a quality education is desirable, obviously encouraging higher earnings is the ticket.
December 9, 2008
11:06 a.m.
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eventempered writes:
Maybe teaching the value of education at early stages of school instead of programing them with global warming and sexual diversity crap would be a great start. The schools seem good at doing the later ranther than the former.
December 9, 2008
11:14 a.m.
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denverrma writes:
As an educator here in Colorado that has worked in DPS, Cherry Creek and Douglas Co. Schools, I have seen first hand the socioeconomic impact on kids in lower end schools and neighborhoods. Throwing money at the situation isn't going to fix things though. Yes, funding for materials and top teachers is important, but the fix will come from parents when they begin to value education, teach their kids English (that is not the sole responsibility of schools!) and realize that it's the only way their kids will have a future. Families that model behaviors that benefit kids and prepare them for social and business interactions in the real world will have success. Families that don't bother to do these things and don't bother learning and teaching their kids English will always be relegated to the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder.
December 9, 2008
11:15 a.m.
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LOUIE writes:
Not true HIKINGARTIST, nowhere have the Charter Schools like West Denver Prep. or Kipp been evaluated here. Both serve the least priveledge in society to the highest standard of academic advancement. My daughter struggles hard there, reading is killing her, but it is a good struggle that we as parents try to help her with; and I am too "dumb" to even be able to understand much of her homework! It's not about money at these two schools; it's about dedication to excellence by the staff there. I handle multifaceted businesses and wear many hats in business, and looking at my 12 year old's homework, I am dumber than dirt! Socio/ economic background along with racial disparities are being overcomed by a very bright man, Mr. Gibbons, and those he directs to excellence. Hard to find people gifted as Mr. Gibbons; he is giving back to those much less fortunate than himself. So how do we find answers? I think the models of success are in front of DPS to observe when looking at selected Charter Schools as to what they are doing that is working.
December 9, 2008
11:18 a.m.
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eventempered writes:
Maybe the left education machine just wants to "keep the man " down and dependent because if you become to smart they loose their voting base. Nah, big labor wouldn't do that to push their own agenda would they? It's obvious t me that at the school level they plead poverty but middle management and union heads sure soak up a lot of money. Competing schools find a way to get lean and mean and put the money where it gets results, education. If they can't educate their enrollment drops.
Lets see, big labor involvement-Auto, Airline, Education...3 really big but failing businesses.
December 9, 2008
11:25 a.m.
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BigSky182 writes:
"Students thinking it OK to skip, not do homework, not pay attention, not try."
Why should they try? We have taken monumental strides to ensure that no one's self-esteem is ever injured by removing all competitiveness from Schools.
My Daughter was so sick and tired of JeffCo Schools that she took her GED half way through her Junior year and then dropped out and started College a year early.
In one of her classes, the class was being rowdy so the teacher kicked out all but 4 students and made them sit in the hallway. My daughter asked the teacher "Won't they need the lesson today for the test on Friday?" The teacher responded "I get paid either way".
In another class, a girl skipped class every day for 18 consecutive days and still passed the course with a C.
My Daughter skipped her Junior Year Final Exams. Didn't take them at all. She was awarded a D on 3 of them and C's on 2 others.
My Daughter took French for 3 years... and cannot speak a single word of it. Literally, not one word. She was given assignments but only did a handful of them, and translated her papers on Babblefish.
She passed all 3 years with a C.
There is a Charter School near my home for kids kicked out of everywhere else. The kids are only "required" to attend 1 day per week, for 1 hour. Supposedly to get their assignments for the week and use the computer lab. The lowest possible grade in that school is a D. But since D is passing, it is not possible to fail, so no one does any of the work.
With no possibility of failure, there is no motivation to succeed.
December 9, 2008
11:33 a.m.
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MeAgain writes:
Just my 2 cents but I, as a teacher, think that retention is the key to making kids actually try. I have had students come to my class in the 6th grade who have flunked EVERYTHING for 3 years yet they are still passed along to the next grade. It seems to me those students should still be in the 3rd grade then. In CO there is no consequence for not passing so WHY would the kids even WANT to try, rather than float their way through life? You wonder why the few kids that actually graduate aren't prepared? It is because NO ONE (especially the parents) have held their kids responsible for their actions for 13 years. Good luck fixing it now.
It has to start at the bottom; at the youngest grades and follow through every year from now on. If the kids cant read by the end of Kindergarden, then dont let them go on to 1st grade. It will take 13 years to fix the whole problem but at least it will work.
December 9, 2008
11:33 a.m.
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farsidefan writes:
Louie, kudos to you for being involved and concerned about your child's education. That, folks, is the key. If education is important to the parent, it will be a priority for them and their child.
I realize some folks are working their tails off just trying to make a go of it. Take time for your kids ! Get involved just by asking questions and then listening. Help when you can, find help when you can't.
Louie, I'm with you on some of this math stuff. I have a child in school and thank goodness for the Internet. We can usually figure things out together.
December 9, 2008
11:49 a.m.
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BigSky182 writes:
Hey MeAgain, you'll LOVE this.
We just put my son into a Charter School this year. We were on the waiting list for 2 years. We had decided that if he didn't get in to the Charter School this year we were going to home school him because his JeffCo Public School announced that starting this year they wouold no longer be teaching "regular math" in grades k-6, but instead would be teaching "estimation math".
My Wife was the room Mom for him in 1st grade, so she was in the classroom a LOT. The teacher would give out assignments, but nearly half the class wouldn't bother doing them... so the teacher stopped giving them out.
When it was discovered that over half the class couldn't read the Dolce words, the teacher had my Wife download photos and make cards with pictures on them so the kids could memorize the words and pass the test rather than actually teaching the kids to read the words.
December 9, 2008
11:52 a.m.
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Willy writes:
On the money denverrma. If parents make it a priority, the student is likely to be successful. Obama is an example.
December 9, 2008
12:12 p.m.
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Heidi writes:
Maybe if teachers started failing the failing students, parents would wake up! Change is not going to start with the parents if the failing children are allowed to pass.
December 9, 2008
12:35 p.m.
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BigSky182 writes:
They can't do that Heidi.... the Stupid People would get offended and sue the State for violating their "Constitutional Right to Happiness."
December 9, 2008
1:19 p.m.
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denverrma writes:
Thanks 'willy'.....like your comment about Obama too! No more excuses people! Barak Obama (didnt even vote for him here) could have been set on a terrible track for life if his parents and other family member hadn't taken the time and made the effort to impart the best of them, in him.
December 9, 2008
1:24 p.m.
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SoCol writes:
I've known many new teachers who went in with enthusiasm and a high motivation to make a difference in the classroom only to feel discouraged and unsupported by many parents, who, when told their child had whatever problem (acting up in class, not trying hard enough, not doing homework, etc.) would respond with "it's not MY child's fault, you must not be doing your job well enough, you have a bias toward my child", etc. When parents start disciplining their children and backing up the authority of the teacher rather than undermining it, significant improvements can be made. I think pigs'll fly first, though.
December 9, 2008
1:35 p.m.
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ThinkinTooMuch writes:
Thanks Denverrma, you're exactly right. Parents are where the drive to succeed comes from. It is a parent's responsibility to promote and supplement education at home. For decades we have been placing more and more of the responsibility on schools and teachers to create good citizens. But the education system is only a piece of a child's total education, and it should be focused on academics. Values, ethics, conscience, empathy, sexual responsibility, social responsibility, personal accountability....these are only a hint of the things that parents are on the hook to teach, and as we all know, they must teach by example. Families that don't promote the importance of education, respecting others and themselves, hard work, and a responsibility for their own future, are dooming their children to becoming caught in the cycle of failure. Unfortunately, lower income families are often lower income because they weren't given those values by their families, and so on. The cycle of poverty has to end, but it has to begin at home. If we could lay some responsibility for the education of children on the parents for a change, and actually provide assistance and training for parenting, I think we might actually see improvement.
December 9, 2008
1:38 p.m.
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Heidi writes:
You're right BigSky. We can't hurt anyone's feelings!
December 9, 2008
2:58 p.m.
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JustaMom writes:
It is a two way street. It starts at home with parents who are involved with their kids and their kids' education. It starts with parents who teach their kids the difference between right and wrong. Parents who make their child understand that they are going to school to learn, not to have a big social hour, and that they are to sit in their seats and pay attention and learn, not be a distraction for the rest of the class.
It starts with making sure that any students attending REGULAR classes already knows how to speak and understand English so the rest of the class isn't wasting its time waiting for that kid to understand.
And it takes teachers who have a commitment to their profession rather than just being in it "because they get paid no matter what". It also means learning the basics first. My kid is one of those kids who is learning "estimation math" which is a HUGE joke.
One question last year on a paper he brought home was what is 2 x 4. He wrote 8. The teacher wanted to know how he got that answer. He said he memorized his math tables. That wasn't good enough, he had to show his work. Huh? I'm sure next time he's making change or something he's going to have time to count out a bunch of little circles showing 4 x 2 = 8. Common sense needs to come back to our elementary schools.
Another problem is schools that tell a student if you do this much you get an A. If you do this much you get a B or a C and so on. What the heck? Why not just tell them what needs to be done? You are giving them permission to turn in substandard work if they don't care if they pass with a C as opposed to an A.
December 9, 2008
3:17 p.m.
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BigSky182 writes:
"When parents start disciplining their children and backing up the authority of the teacher rather than undermining it, significant improvements can be made. I think pigs'll fly first, though."
This would require an extra heavy dose of Personal Accountability... to which most Americas are violently allergic these days.
An example of that, as many others have stated already, is pushing more and more off on the school. Expecting the school to teach about sex... and politics,.,.. and ethics... all things that are the PARENTS' JOB.
I know MANY People in my neck of the woods who feel that sending little Johnny off to school with a pencil and a new pair of shoes is the begining and end of their Parental obligations to him.
It's revolting.
December 9, 2008
3:21 p.m.
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Heidi writes:
JustaMom,
I agree with you. But the parents who currently appear to not care and don't take an active role in teaching their kids responsibility aren't going to do it unless they have to. If their kids are passing on to the next grade, then I don't forsee anything changing. But if their kids are held back because they are not performing as they should, maybe the parents will step up to the plate. Or maybe that is only wishful thinking.
December 9, 2008
3:44 p.m.
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Willy writes:
denverrma and any other teacher posting here. I agree it is the parents responsibility to teach their kids the importance of school. I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of education my kids are getting in Littleton Public Schools. My biggest complaint right now is that we have a portal where we can monitor grades and attendance, but it doesn't help me help my kids when grades and missed assignments are not updated for six weeks at a time. I know teachers are very busy, but I don't know any use of your time outside of the classroom (and other student face time) that is more important than communicating with the parents.
December 9, 2008
3:52 p.m.
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BigSky182 writes:
OMG that's just TOO hillarious!!
RMN Updated the Headline on this story from "Not much has changed with Metro Schools" (or something like that) to " Some metro districts rise in school ratings".
THAT is EXACTLY what is wrong with Modern America.... the problem is too difficult to fix SO LET'S JUST CHANGE HOW WE REPORT IT SO THAT IT SOUNDS BETTER.
Doctor: We can fix your broken leg but it will cost $5,000.
Patient: Wow! That's WAY too expensive! How much would it cost to just color in the X-Ray?
December 9, 2008
5:09 p.m.
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BO writes:
Big Sky-
"In one of her classes, the class was being rowdy so the teacher kicked out all but 4 students and made them sit in the hallway. My daughter asked the teacher "Won't they need the lesson today for the test on Friday?" The teacher responded "I get paid either way"."
If I was the teacher of that class, I would have told you daughter that it wasn't any of her business and not for her to worry about. How would that treat you? Sounds like to me that it was the kids' fault they weren't getting the material for the test, not the teacher's.
"My Daughter skipped her Junior Year Final Exams. Didn't take them at all. She was awarded a D on 3 of them and C's on 2 others."
If this did happen, that's lousy on the school's end. It does, however, beg another question. Why on earth did you condone your daughter skipping her tests? I don't care how rotten the teacher or school was. That's not an excuse for condoning your daughter's truancy.
"My Daughter took French for 3 years... and cannot speak a single word of it. Literally, not one word. She was given assignments but only did a handful of them, and translated her papers on Babblefish.
She passed all 3 years with a C."
Again, if true, lousy and terrible on the school's part. Would you care to name that school? But alas, another question rears it's head. Why would you allow your daughter to cheat when completing her French homework? Not a good example to be setting. No wonder she doesn't speak a single word (which I doubt- I took a year and a half of German, and while only earning a C for the semester of German II I took, I still remember quite a few words, enough to form a few sentences).
When I was in HS, I had an English teacher that was a complete flake. My parents knew this, as my older brother had her as well. Guess what? My parents had the same expectation of me in that class as any other- I was to behave myself and do the work to the best of my ability.
December 9, 2008
5:19 p.m.
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BO writes:
Heidi-
"But if their kids are held back because they are not performing as they should, maybe the parents will step up to the plate. Or maybe that is only wishful thinking."
I agree. However, in CO at least, a kid can't be held back between grades K-8 (inclusive) without parental/guardian permission. In other words, if little Johnny doesn't repeat 8th grade despite earning Fs in all of his classes, it's because his parents/guardians didn't want him to (then again, do you want your 7th grade daughter near a 17-year-old male 8th grader?). On up to HS he goes, where he will likely flunk every class as a 9th grader (including PE), and then the blame of the teachers will begin.
December 9, 2008
6:33 p.m.
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Tizzy writes:
I've seen it, and yes the less affluent communities in the Denver area tend to have students that don't perform as well as other communities. Parents who are affluent usually stress the importance of education to their children at a young age, whereas parents who have to work 3 plus jobs to make ends meet, probably don't have the time to sit and do homework with their children or stress the importance of education. Another problem with poor performing schools is the transients (for lack of a better term) who come in and out of the program. Children need consistency with an education program, and if they are in 5 different schools by the time they are 9 years old, I bet they will have difficulties in their studies. In affluent communities like say, Bromwell or Slavens, you have people who put down roots and stay for a longer period of time in their neighborhood versus a community like Glendale where it's full of apartments and people change addresses when the lease is up.
I think the education boards of Colorado figure why put the money into the poor performing schools. If you don't have financial means, but education is important to you, you would send your children to a charter or academy like Knight Fundamental, where your kids get a good education, if you say NOTHING and keep your kids in one of 61 percent of failing schools mentioned you're taking your chances that your kid may or may not just "get it" with their studies. I wouldn't take the risk. There are excellent schools in every community, so when seeking a new apartment, rental home or even buying a house, this should be the Number One requirement in signing the papers! What is the school like! I know several families living in super so called affluent communities like Country Club, that are not in an excellent school district because they are north of 6th Avenue and aren't in Bromwell's boundaries. They were stunned to learn their kids wouldn't be allowed in that school, but I asked them, isn't the school boundaries listed on every MLS realtor's report, when searching for a home?
December 9, 2008
7:31 p.m.
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Toe_nail writes:
First, parents need to quit sending their children to school for the free day care.
Second, its called accountability; students, parents and government.
As parents, you can't discipline your kids due to the fear of being reported. So you send them to school. There, they know that they can act up due to parents being afraid to punish them. Instead of consequences they are rewarded with gifts, ipods, computers, cell phones, etc. No accountability. But in the mean while they have interfered with the learning of the other students. Now they know that they will not be held accountable for their actions, so the sky is the limit. They hold their parents hostage. Bad grades, no problem, you need your own computer, here you go. You ditched school, no problem; here is a car for you to drive around in while you ditch school. No money, here is a credit card for you. You want to go to college to party, no problem we'll mortgage the house. No degree, no problem you can live at home where no one can hold you accountable!
Put discipline back in the schools, hold the kids accountable for their actions and take the government out of education.
December 9, 2008
8:38 p.m.
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bronco writes:
I took a great speed trading class from this guy, he home schools his children with his program. Pretty incredible, hes the worlds fastest reader, but also has great programs for memory retention and math. I would highly recommend any of his programs for your children if the teacher is too busy teaching english instead of actually teaching.
www.MrReader.com
December 9, 2008
8:49 p.m.
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redhead68 writes:
@BO... I was thinking exactly the same thing when I read BigSky's post about parental culpability. Pot, meet kettle!
December 9, 2008
9:59 p.m.
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bad_vibes writes:
Lazy students who work hard to grow up stupid, apathetic parents who think their kids are smart because they know how to mouse around on the computer, weak administrators who sit in time wasting meetings all day, and teachers who can't overcome special education laws, are what our public education system has become.
December 9, 2008
10:45 p.m.
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roger44 writes:
They need to get back to basics, all these courses some dummy dreamed up are not working. If the kid doesn't speak english he don't attend school. And it's a fact they don't push education in the hispanic community. International studies in the 7th grade, These kids going to be diplomats or something?
December 10, 2008
3:19 a.m.
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BO writes:
Red-
Its amazing how many parents (and people in general) don't get it.
December 10, 2008
7:32 a.m.
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mighty writes:
Schools, teachers, state, blah, blah, blah..... Ummm Why doesn't any blame or accountability fall on the parents and students. There is no such thing as student accountability. Schools can't even fail students with out parental permission. Seriously there is something wrong when schools who are to be held accountable can't even make students accountable for homework because parents aren't accountable for thier students!!!! When as a society we decide to be parents like our oldschool parental philosophies of our children first and us second I think scores will go up.
December 10, 2008
8:16 a.m.
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redhead68 writes:
We moved to Colorado from the east coast a couple of years ago, and rented a house in an area where the elementary school had a very good reputation. Our daughter had performed well through first grade, so we were confident that she would make the transition well. Little did we know that the school, which was tracked, would put her in a classroom with 15 other kids who had transferred in and a pregnant teacher. I expressed concern and requested another track, but I was reassured that this was common and things would be fine, so I acquiesced.
A few months later, the teacher went on maternity leave with complications, and a frighteningly incompetent substitute took the reigns. By the end of second grade, our daughter was showing signs of problems, particularly in math. We repeatedly expressed concerns to the teacher, but we couldn't get any traction. We began working with her rigorously at home, and we enrolled her in an private math tutoring program. She showed dramatic improvement, and she made good scores across the board in third grade, but I had a nagging feeling that she was not performing as well as she should. Her writing seemed rudimentary and stilted, and she was not a particularly fluent reader, although she was on grade level. I again expressed concerns to the teacher and school administration, which reassured us that she was right on track.
This past summer, we moved to a Cherry Creek school district, where her initial evaluation showed that she was performing far below expectations, particularly in writing. I met with the principal, who pulled out her CSAP scores and confirmed that there was a problem. The principal immediately arranged for my husband and I to meet with the school intervention team. Based on their recommendations, we enrolled her in a school-sponsored writer's clinic, and she began received extra help during class. We also hired a reading/writing tutor, doubled down our efforts at home, and arranged regular conferences with her teacher. After a few months of intensive help, she is coming along nicely, and we are thrilled with her progress.
I am extremely frustrated with the entire experience, and frankly I'm resentful that our previous school ignored our requests for help. I was treated like a helicopter parent, who didn't have a clue. So, now we're working to undo the damage. It's not easy. There are nights when we are all ready to tear out our hair, but at least now we're on the right track. BTW, her previous school had only a 50% pass rate for writing. No surprise there!
December 10, 2008
8:38 a.m.
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kirbysfriend22 writes:
These tough economic times will force people to care more about their education as the free hand outs dry up. I think that will be a good thing. Successful societies allow for too many parasites. Many of these would be weeded out in a "survival of the fittest" 3rd world country. We've softened up too much. And I'm not talking about civil liberties, we need to keep all intact. But common sense values, expectations and personal resonsibility.
December 10, 2008
8:38 a.m.
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denverrose15 writes:
More creative statistics and semantics instead of going back to basics and teaching everything in English. No biligual... it has destroyed our students by allowing them to learn in their own language. Buck up Denver students and parents and be willing to try what hasn't been done before.... ENGLISH!
December 10, 2008
9:07 a.m.
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BigSky182 writes:
Bo:
I condoned her skipping the tests because by the time the tests came around she had already completed her GED and begun her College courses. Junior year finals seemed less than crucial at that point.
As for the cheating on her French papers, I did not find out about that until she had been out of High School for almost a year. I certainly would not have condoned it if I had known about it. I don't speak French. She was getting C's. At the start of her second year of College, I asked her why she wasn't taking French. From that conversation, it came out that she speaks less French than I do. I asked "then how on Earth did you get C's 3 years in a row?"
She said "Babblefish... Duh!"
She would be grounded if it were possible for me to ground a 19 year old with her own condo.
December 10, 2008
9:36 a.m.
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redhead68 writes:
Denverrose...At our previous elementary, all of the children who failed the writing portion of third grade CSAP spoke English fluently, and so did the vast majority of their parents. Also, all of the classes were taught 100% in English. I think the problem is much bigger than inconsistency in TESOL programs. I think it's combination of ineffective teaching, disciplinary problems, a society that values mass media over literacy, and parental apathy.
This is what we do in our house: no TV at all (we don't even own one); homework before anything else; computer time limited to three hours a week; at least 30 minutes of free reading every night; and a weekly trip to the library. We eat together nightly and take time to review our children's school work everyday. We also supplement our school's curriculum with holiday gifts of books, science kits, art supplies, writing journals, games and museum visits, which we enjoy together as a family
Yep; we do all that and we still had to hire a tutor to help her improve her math & reading skills. She does not appear to have any definable learning disabilities, and her performance has improved dramatically since we moved to Cherry Creek, so I'm not quite sure what the problem has been other than lackluster instruction.
December 10, 2008
9:42 a.m.
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redhead68 writes:
BigSky...Why was your daughter still enrolled in high school if she had passed the GED and begun attending college courses? Something doesn't sound quite right here.
December 10, 2008
10:20 a.m.
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BigSky182 writes:
We told the School in January that she would not be returning. They left her name on the books. I have to presume this was so they wouldn't have to report her as a drop out.
December 10, 2008
10:33 a.m.
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redhead68 writes:
Did you officially dis-enroll her? When we moved from Douglas County to Arapahoe County, we were required to fill out several forms, severing our ties to the district and notifying them of our future plans. I would assume the same type of process exists for Littleton Schools.
December 10, 2008
10:48 a.m.
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BigSky182 writes:
We are in Jefferson County, but I am sure the policies are similar.
No, we didn't fill out any forms. When I informed the Principal that she had received her GED and was enrolled in College, the Principal proceed to lecture me on the dangers of allowing her to start College early and trying to convince me that it was imperative for her to return to High School asap. I politely informed her I was not open to receiving her advice on how to raise my child, repeated that we had made this decision and that I was merely informing her as a courtesy so that they would not wonder why she wasn't attending class, and then left.
You are the first one who has ever told me that there are official forms to be completed.
December 10, 2008
10:52 a.m.
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SlouchingTowardBoulder writes:
"Changes promised" = let's throw more money at it and fill the pockets of our constituency (no, NOT students silly ... the teachers' unions!).
December 10, 2008
10:58 a.m.
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redhead68 writes:
BigSky...I don't know that Jefferson County has the same system, but Douglas County was very strict about paper trails. It might be worth checking out, especially if JeffCo. thinks that your daughter should be a senior this year.
December 10, 2008
11:53 a.m.
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jay writes:
i imagine that if the religious right ceased their requests for tax money for religious indoctrination, we'd have a voucher system in place before you could say flying spaghetti monster.
December 10, 2008
2:33 p.m.
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psu96 writes:
for those of you preaching retention, all you will get is 16yr olds dropping out in middle school. also learn the law, parents have a say in holding a child back.
December 10, 2008
4:47 p.m.
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MeAgain writes:
psu96
I am very aware of the retention law in CO and it is misplaced. I feel it was created under good intentions when school failure rate was less than 5% and people and lawmakers didn't want their children "emotionally scarred" by holding them back (boo hoo) or whatever but now it is more like 50% and it NEEDS to be fixed.
The sooner you promote responsibility at those younger grades, the sooner we can fix this mess. I say WE meaning Teachers, Students, Parents, Community Members, and all those people making rules for educators who have no idea of how to teach.
Washington DC making education laws? Really? It seems to me that within miles from the nations capital are some of the worst schools in the country? What the ____ are they thinking? They should be fixing the probs right there and then worry about/telling the rest of us how to do our jobs. I wonder how many of our politicians here in Denver send their kids to DPS? I am betting not many, yet they are pretty insistant in telling us how to fix our schools.
Volunteer in the schools in DPS. I am not talking about the suburbs with all the "nice white kids." I am talking about the schools testing at 22% proficient where our "English as a 2nd language" students are testing higher than our Black students and THEN tell us how to fix it. My $$ is on parental involvement and the threat of not going on to the next grade.
All of you go and volunteer, not just the 5 of you that do already.
I'm off to go make next week's lesson plans.