Making tomorrows Military today: Children left behind find comfort in failing tests

Children left behind find comfort in failing tests

Today I talked to a guidance counselor at one of my schools. We had a deep conversation about the No Child left behind act, the IL laws similar to NCLB, and other small topics.

Her graduating class of 2005 seniors is a grand total of 65. It is a rural school, kinda. It is within eyeshot of a larger city.

The problem with legislators making a law is that they do not see thing from the deckplate level. The Principal is getting worried about the PSAE. The PSAE is the standardized test given in the 11th grade to everyone, including Special Education students (so they do not feel left out, according to my source). The test is not an exit exam, it is not really anything to the kids, but everything to the staff. My source is even telling me that by 2015, if a certain percentage of the children do not pass, their students then go on a voucher system, financed by the school, for their local students to go somewhere else if they want. What does this mean to you the consumer?

First off, the small schools of the world that are doing things right (educating the kids) are going to be affected based soley on numbers. If the test show <90% get Satisfactory or better, then ALL of the students get an opprotunity to go to the larger city's district, as if they live there. So with my source school, 7 students (4 of them are special education that have to have the test read to them) have to get unsat scores and they lose funding.

Last year, a kid at her school made a 32 on the ACT. That will get you into most any school in the US, especially schools in IL. That same kid, because he knew the test did not count against him (colleges do not/cannot look at it, "Companies lobbied the state congress to have the PSAE on the transcript... so they can use it to hire kids" she said), failed the PSAE. Why try? Why not create a christmas tree of dots and sleep for 2 hours? Personal initiave and drive are not taught in schools. That is a perfect example.

So... what can we do to fix this? Easy. Make the PSAE 3/5 satisfactory or better to graduate. That is a 60% which is a "D-" right? If they do not pass the test, they stay another semester and take the exam again at christmas time. They fail again, bye-bye... you are left behind. You are not a child anymore.

There is also a test for 3rd graders. They are easy. IF you are a school teacher and you cannot modivate a 3rd grader, you may need a change of careers. Now we have to worry about the test. Same stakes. If they are <90% Sat or better, the school loses money on vouchers. Same Special Education requirements.

Vouchers are good for big cities, but horrible for rural schools or small city schools. If I were 15 again (ohhh... bad thought... nevermind) I would definitely go to the school 20 minutes away that had more to offer me, even driving by other schools to make sure I got an education that would help me get off the ground. If that happens to be the biggest school in the area, so be it. I would love to see a Math and Science Magnet School locally at least when I have kids. The University High Schools are ok, but I want Magnet Schools.

Amazing Race is about to boot their first person. Will Blog more about this topic later.