The homesexuals are coming for our childrens

[xchristinax]

Over in weddingplans, crazybouncycrls is having some issues with her racist grandmother. This isn't the stupid.

crazybouncycrls thinks it's especially odd because she's from California, which is more refined. , but someone else points out that racism exists everywhere... even in Maine. Here comes the kicker:

"Um, I live in Maine, and I don't think they're racist, I think they just

Comments

[anomie666]

These people are the future of this country...comforting thought, huh?

[ex_thexphial147]

And you're the one we get to blame for their lack of education. Even better!

[anomie666]

Nah, NCLB has improved test scores.

In Massachusetts, the improvements have been far beyond expectations.

We have given surveys both to teachers and to students, and the negative opinions about school reform have been decreasing each year.

It has worked and you can't argue with success.

[ex_thexphial147]

LOLs at you thinking I care about your obviously biased viewpoint.

[anomie666]

Statistical reports are not my viewpoint. Math and English test scores on the NAEP have consistently gone up and the racial achievement gap has been narrowing.

Look at the research.

[evildamsel]

The NCLB Act has all but destroyed education as we know it and as it should be. It was a thoughtless government program that was expanded onto a population it was not intended to encompass that then proceeded to blackmail, underfund and basically undermine local schools at every turn. Tell that to the teachers who have problems because they raised their low achievers to medium achievement levels but not the point where the kids can pass the exams yet. Tell that to the music programs that are no longer in existence. Tell that to the kids who who barely have a grasp of geography and social studies because many of those programs are cut to provide more funding to teaching-to-the-test.

Please don't talk about the NCLB Act.

[anomie666]

Did you not look at the research? You need to move away from getting all emotional about the issue and start looking at the facts.

NCLB requires all teachers and paraprofessionals to be highly qualified. This means passing all State requirements (generally MA degree for teachers and an undergrad degree for paraprofessionals). It requires "evidence based practices", such as rigidly designed curriculum frameworks that have been proven effective.

It empowers parents to take their children out of underperfoming schools at the districts expense when they consistently fail to make AYP. It requires actual accountability, which is something that has been severely lacking in education for many many years

[evildamsel]

I did look at the research. There has been article after article reporting on how the state scores and the NCLB scores don't actually jibe. That's not even the point. NCLB was intended for special education students. It was originally supposed to encompass the arts, science and other fields aside from basic reading and math and had other ways to measure success aside from standardized exams. Unfortunately when it was expanded, everything except the reading and math was dropped as the government was basically too lazy to come up with a way to keep those other measurements. The other issue is that the program isn't funded, thus leaving school districts scrambling to cut their own budgets, which often ends up cutting art and music, which research has shown do impact educational potential and growth, as well as science and social studies. Furthermore, in order to pass, every class and group in the school must pass those tests, which means if the special ed fifth grade class has three kids and one fails, the group fails and thus the school

[anomie666]

Show some of the research showing testing scores haven't improved???

NCLB was intended for special education students

No. Where did you get that? Special Education is covered by the IDEA legislation. There are entire other legal provisions specifically for special education.

It was originally supposed to encompass the arts, science and other fields aside from basic reading and math and had other ways to measure success aside from standardized exams

Where the fuck do you get this info?

Seriously. WTF? This is my job, I know the NCLB legislation inside and out. There was nothing in the history of the legislation that it wasn't supposed to have rigid criterion referenced outcome measurements. That is the heart of accountability.

The other issue is that the program isn't funded

This criticism is what I laugh at the most. On the one hand, NCLB critics talk about how horrid the law is, and then they say it was underfunded. Which is it? Is it a good law and the problem is underfunding or is it a bad law so that you would

[evildamsel]

First of all I got all my information from the NY Times over the past several years as well as from local teachers and aides.

Second, the program is crap to begin with and even worse because it's no funded which forces the school districts to move finances from their other programs. So no there is no reason to be happy that they have to use arts money or sports money or money for that field trip to the Statue of Liberty.

Third, the progress is measured by grade not class and there is no allowance for improvement unless it goes from not proficient to proficient. Getting kids who get 0s to almost passing counts for nothing.

[anomie666]

First of all I got all my information from the NY Times over the past several years as well as from local teachers and aides

Give a link that has such utter lies and misinformation in it then. Your facts are purely wrong; unbelievably wrong, magnificently wrong. Your local teachers and aides also need to read the NCLB legislation and learn a thing or two about it.

Second, the program is crap to begin with and even worse because it's no funded which forces the school districts to move finances from their other programs

Again, which is it? Is the program crap and therefore you are happy it is "underfunded" or is it great program so therefore you are sad it is "underfunded"? You can't have it both ways. Pick a direction and go with it.

Third, the progress is measured by grade not class and there is no allowance for improvement unless it goes from not proficient to proficient. Getting kids who get 0s to almost passing counts for nothing.Again, your facts are simple wrong. How wrong, let me count the ways. 1) Of course

[evildamsel]

It's crap and I would be happy if it wasn't funded if the government wasn't requiring the states follow it. You really just don't get that do you? If it was just a suggestion and there were no funds, fine, it could be ignored because it's stupid and they aren't giving the schools any money to even make them want to do this. But they're forcing the schools to do it and making them do it on their own funds which should be going to other more useful things

[anomie666]

Like this summary of the achievement research. In Massachusetts, you can read some of the things I've worked on that show very good results.

Testing is just how you measure progress and assure accountability. The real educational value is structured curriculum frameworks and evidence based practices (combined with highly qualified teachers).

[anomie666]

The NAEPs tests are independent of the government (its a program of the NCES and has a private governing board). It is the only nationally normed test system that can compare each State to each other (and to the national average). The NAEP results have shown consistent improvement since NCLB.