WSJ article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125065253283242295.html
Of four subjects- English, reading, math and science- students were least prepared for college science.
The article also notes that according to a Department of Education report released in April of this year, US high school students "haven't made any significant progress in reading or math for nearly four decades." This study was based on National Assessment of Education Progress results. It quotes a representative from an advocacy group who notes that the class of 2009 was in the 5th grade when NCLB was passed.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
Did you notice the phrase "students were least prepared for college science"?
I'd like to offer three reasons why that is true for many PPS students.
First, many students are shoved into the higher sciences without a proper math backround. If you don't know algebra well (C+ level at least), you're going to have trouble in chemistry and be totally lost in physics. Yet we see students who have a D or even failed algebra in those courses.
Second, many schools are eliminating or have already eliminated the lab periods of the higher sciences (labs are 2 additional periods per week).
This to me is almost inconceivable! We are told during our in-services that many students learn best by doing. Very true! Then they take away the "doing" part of the courses! We are told to still do experiments, just do them in the reduced time alloted. But we have a set-in-stone curriculum. And woe to the teacher who falls behind.
So your average PPS student will go to college knowing next to nothing about basic laboratory technique and practice. Next to nothing.
Lastly, and this is the big secret. A handful of disruptive students will destroy progress in any class. Central administration, and the union, talk big about this, but no one above building level does anything. Suspend a student and he's back a day later to repeat his/her behavior. i new quite a few studens who by mid-year quit writing referrals except or assaults. It's not worth the time involved.
I'm no beginner at all this. I have seen it all. But I must tell you something. I feel so bad about the situation of the average kid at PPS that sometimes I want to cry.
Sorry for the typos. I got upset just typing this. The next-to-last paragraph should read:
Lastly, and this is the big secret. A handful of disruptive students will destroy progress in any class. Central administration, and the union, talk big about this, but no one above building level does anything. Suspend a student and he's back a day later to repeat his/her behavior. I know quite a few teachers who by mid-year quit writing referrals except or assaults. It's not worth the time involved.
This is really, really sad.
Re: students not having the math background for higher science classes- this may have an impact at the science school, which plans to offer advanced science courses that are better than AP classes.
Re: disruptive students- this is who Clayton (CEP) was meant to address!
Please know that Clayton is not much more than a publicity stunt.
Every school is allocated a maximum number of students that can be sent to Clayton, typically less than 10.
Our school saves its slots for students found with weapons or for major drug-dealing. Students who "just" disrupt class or habitually curse out/threaten teachers don't make the cut.
Beyond that, the paperwork involved is daunting, especially if the student is special education. I was told - not sure if it's true -that for a student to be sent to Clayton now, a parent must first give permission.
yes, this is very sad about the average kid in PPS. I often hear how fabulous the gifted and AP courses are, but never any praise for the so called "scholars" program. if your child is simply average....dont send them to the PPS.
And I know this because I had one child in CAS/AP and another in "scholars" and their educational experiences were worlds apart.
to "Sad too":
Yes, a CAS/AP class is usually in a different world than a PSP class.
And it's not because the PSP teacher is weaker or automatically less demanding.
And it's not because a genuine PSP student is that much different than a genuine CAS student.
It's because we let anyone into PSP. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with that if the student is willing and able to work at the PSP level.
But I estimate that only about 50% to 60% of PSP students are willing and able to do that.
Many students elect to take PSP simply because they, or their parents, rightly perceive a PSP class to be safer and more orderly than a mainsteam class.
What is a PSP teacher to do? You can't just fail half the class. And some of these kids are really trying. They just don't have the skills.
And this is very important: about 10% of PSP students are disruptive! One disruptive student can significantly hinder a class. And 10% can destroy it.
Just think about how tough it would be for you to teach something to a group of people (and you have a time limit) if just one person keep on talking loudly to a neighbor. Or if someone pulled out a cell phone and made a call. Or if someone started cursing you because they wanted something immediately that you couldn't provide.
Disruptions like that were unheard of 10 years ago in PSP. They are still unheard of in today's CAS classes.
Bottom line is this. Most PSP teachers are forced to just slow it all down.
Many of our school principals and vice-principals are excellent. But they can only do so much. Real solutions must come from above them.
I don't think the central administration or the union is in any way incompetent or evil. They just don't have a full grasp of the actual day-to-day situation.
I wish more PSP parents would become more knowledgeable about these problems. I'd ask every PPS parent who visits this site to please share this thread with others.
And even more so, I really wish the mainsteam parents would become more knowledgeable about this.
I do not exaggerate when I tell you the problems I describe here are ten times greater in the mainstream classes.
So it's the mainsteam students who lose the full learning experience most of all.
P.S. I apologize for the length of my postings. But I suppose you can tell I'm very distressed about this.
The steel mills and factories are gone. There are no good jobs left unless you have a good education. And a good education should not be for the CAS kids alone.
"I don't think the central administration or the union is in any way incompetent or evil. They just don't have a full grasp of the actual day-to-day situation."
! How can they not grasp the situation and still be considered competent.
Post a Comment