Re: Nevada State Board of Ed Meeting

[Judi Hirsch <judih@OUSD.K12.CA.US>]

Have you contacted either the Office of Civil Rights or DREDF or
IDEA or MALDEF? this sounds so illega, not to mention immoral!
Judi
if the acronyms are unclear just let me know

----- Original Message -----
From: Michelle Trusty-Murphy <5alive@PYRAMID.NET>
To: <ARN-L@LISTS.CUA.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2000 9:55 AM
Subject: Nevada State Board of Ed Meeting


> Dear ARN,
>
> Talk about disgusting!  They reported the graduation results for kids
> who took the Nevada HSPE (High School Proficiency Examination) at the
> meeting yesterday.  I was joined by fellow ARNer Chuck MacLeod who was
> there to speak about CASTA and hand out flyers.
>
> The report, from the director of the "Accountability" office, Paul
> LaMarka; and a representative of WestED, Stanley Rabinqwitz.  First,
> they reported only percentages of students who took the test who passed
> it--no total numbers on those who passed and failed.  They said there is
> one more test administration in June, so they won't have the numbers
> then.
>
> Here's what they reported:
>
> Of total 12th graders who took the HSPE thus far:
>
> 43.3 % of 3087 kids who took the math test passed it. (56.7% failed).
>
> 49.5% of the 998 kids who took the reading test passed (51.5% failed).
>
> 61.0% of the 656 kids who took the writing test passed (39% failed.)
>
>
> Now for the really bad news.
>
> In math:
>
> 67.3% of Limited English Proficiency students failed (these are word
> problems, mostly!)
>
> 71.6% of IEP/504 students failed.
>
> 42.1% of "regular student" failed.
>
> In reading:
>
> 47.7% LEP students failed.
>
> 70% IEP/504 students failed.
>
> 37.3% "regular students" failed.
>
> In writing:
>
> WestEd didn't provide specific information in their report, no one
> noticed, they glossed it over.
>
> The SBE didn't flinch.  I couldn't believe it.  It was all I could do to
> contain myself--but I did clap loudly at certain points.
>
> What really steamed me was the attitude of the WestEd representative who
> said that "everyone should pass the reading--it's a really easy test."
> I was whispering under by breath to Chuck "Yeah, if you grew up speaking
> English or you don't have a learning disability!!"  He was trying to
> make these kids out to be idiots--he also suggested remediation would
> help them pass--they just needed more reading work (I whispered, "Yeah,
> and people in wheelchairs just need to try to walk, and the blind just
> need to look harder . . . ).  There was a total disregard for the
> legitimacy of learning disabilities--and there is no modification in the
> HSPE for IEP/504 learning disabled in reading in my state!
>
> Mr. Rabinqwitz then really dropped the bomb--he said we needed to do
> more specific "tracking studies."  He suggested that we use social
> security numbers because then those numbers "come from outside the
> system and can't get lost."  SCARY!!!!  He tried his best to convince
> the board that this was the way to go.
>
> I said to Chuck "Yes!  Let them do it--then they will have to get
> permission from every parent in the state in order to give that test!"
> What he was suggesting goes against every intent, spirit, and
> interpretation of FERPA that I can think of.
>
> Well, I will go walk a parade route and kiss babies now.  Catch you on
> the flipside!!
>
> Michelle
>
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