Re: AYP celebrations

["Nancy Patterson" <patterna@gvsu.edu>]

This is a bit of a spam message, but it is also, in a way, an apology.  I thought the question about AYP celebrations was posted to a different list, one that does not normally discuss standardized testing, NCLB, etc.  So, excuse the "obviousness" of my response.  I was writing for a different audience. 

Nancy

Nancy Patterson, PhD
Literacy Studies Program Chair
College of Education
Grand Valley State University 
920 Eberhard Center
301 W. Fulton
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504
616-331-6226
patterna@gvsu.edu
http://faculty.gvsu.edu/patterna

>>> <QCao009@aol.com> 1/21/2008 4:00 PM >>>
In a message  dated 1/21/2008 3:26:45 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
patterna@gvsu.edu  writes:

Under  NCLB, all but the severely impaired have to take the tests, even if 
they can't  read.  And, non-english speaking students have to take the tests, 
too,  even if they can't read the tests.

What has happened in some schools is  that special education and at risk 
students have been shoved out--sent to  alternative schools or simply kicked out.  
In other schools, kids who  aren't likely to pass the test are retained the 
year before a significant test  is taken.  Then they skip a grade, into another 
grade where a significant  test is not given.  It becomes a game of looking 
good rather than being  good.
 
Nancy:
 
Schooling parallels what's happening outside.  ESE and ESOL  students have 
been used as the pretext for reform, and both groups have been  disenfranchised 
in the process despite so-called "acommodations" and  "opportunity 
scholarships"( a bone for ESE students to push them out).  The  fact of the matter is if 
they do not leave, they will not graduate and will  just receive a certificate 
of attendance when their peers graduate.
 
In the real world, minorities and poor people who vote for values and  a 
return to yesterday in the blue states are rewarded with  their jobs being 
outsourced and extra unaccounted time on their  "volunteer" tours of duty.
 
What an outstanding spin job by Washington-bashers while they take over  
Washington.  Guess the old adage has been proven wrong:  you can fool  most of the 
people most of the time, and when they dare rise up for  justice, just 
mention the boogey terrorists and their mushroom  clouds !!!   Lock up our children 
if we don't want them  left behind.  Reform like this is good for selling more 
tests and just give  testmakers a bad name.



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