CTA on Algebra 1 Test

[George Sheridan <learn@jps.net>]

 The Following Statement Was Released by CTA President David A. Sanchez on July
11, 2008:

State of Board of Education Action Punishes
California?s Students and Proves Absurdity
of Federal No Child Left Behind Law 

?The State Board of Education?s action to force all eighth-grade students to take
a standardized Algebra test is another one-size-fits-all approach that punishes
students and public schools, and a step backward for California?s standards and
accountability system. It is another outlandish example of the No Child Left
Behind Act and the federal government dictating to California how to teach our
students, and of political leaders making irresponsible decisions that will hurt
our kids.

?California has some of the highest academic standards in the country and our
state has been working hard to ensure that our instructional materials,
textbooks, assessments and teacher readiness are all aligned with those
standards.  Our students have been making tremendous progress.  In fact, the
number of eighth graders taking the Algebra 1 end-of-course test has increased by
over 265 percent over the last eight years. But now, because of a federal mandate
we are going to jeopardize that progress by demanding that all eighth graders be
tested on material that they have not all been taught.

?CTA strongly supports academic standards and achievement for all students. We
believe that both standards and assessments must be appropriate for students at
each grade level and in each subject.  We also believe that students must have
appropriately trained teachers and the necessary textbooks and instructional
materials to help them learn.

?Any teacher or parent will tell you that not all children learn in the same way
or at the exact same pace. Forcing all students to take a test that completely
disregards their readiness and ability or whether they have the necessary
learning materials is setting them up for failure.

?Equally outlandish is the State Board?s failure to support any additional
resources to meet this requirement. Forcing these huge educational changes on
California schools when public education is facing $4.3 billion in state budget
cuts is a recipe for failure that will undermine the progress that our students
have been making. This decision is yet another example of policymakers not
understanding how classrooms, student learning and schools work, and how a failed
federal law is being allowed to dictate changes in California that hurt our
students.?

George Sheridan