Search Results for: blog nclb results improving education or teaching to the test

The Number of Minority Students Increases

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Previously I had discussed the large number of applications that New York City has been experiencing in students wanting to attend private schools. However it seems that schools everywhere (public and private) may be experiencing overloading numbers of students. It has been reported that this year public schools will hit a record high with right under 50 million students. The group of students enrolling into public schools is growing and changing. The student bodies of schools are becoming more and more diverse. According to a new federal report, this is largely credited to the Latino population. In the 1980s, schools … Continue reading →

Easter at School

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In a few previous articles I have questioned how much teachers and schools should put into holiday celebrations. Halloween and Christmas are two holidays that usually bring up some controversy in the school systems. Any time that religion can be a focus, parents can create an issue. Another holiday that is coming up soon is Easter. While Easter is typically not as controversial as Christmas or Halloween, it can bring up some discussion. Some people prefer to keep Easter as a religious holiday and pass up on the entire concept of the bunny, the eggs, and the hunting. Some schools … Continue reading →

School Battles Art Cutbacks with “Big Draw”

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There is no denying that the NCLB Act has increased most every school system’s view on language arts, reading, and math. These two subjects have been labeled time after time as being the core subjects. So what label does that leave for everything else? I am not exactly sure. I do know that the idea for science and social studies in the lower grades is usually to be taught in the form of a reading or math lesson. Therefore the students are receiving a touch of the subjects wrapped up in the subjects that are believed to be really important. … Continue reading →

Homeroom Student Assignments

In most cases, the classroom roaster is not created by chance or by luck. Teachers and school administrators usually take much consideration into which children are placed into a classroom. Each school or county has a different procedure for assigning students to teachers. There are many different ways that a class can be created. Class Assignment by Test Scores Some school principals look at test scores when assigning students to a classroom teacher. They do their best to create equal amounts of high, medium, and low students in each class. A balanced class is not overpopulated with one level of … Continue reading →

Parent Night

Parental involvement in school is a key element to a student’s success. It is essential that parents know what their child is doing at school both academically and behavior wise. However due to working and busy schedules, some parents rarely step inside of their child’s classroom. Therefore, it is crucial that schools and teachers make every effort to get parents involved. Many children are now back at school. They have met their new classmates and new teacher. Because it is equally important for parents to also get acquainted with their child’s new class, many schools and teachers host back to … Continue reading →

Class Size

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Each day last week I had at least two students absent from my class. Some days I had as many as four students not there. A stomach virus and flu is going around throughout my community. The primary classes in my school are overloaded with students. Each kindergarten has at least 20 students. Our first grade classes have 23 children. Next year, the first grade classes may have even more students due to a large kindergarten class moving up into first grade. The teachers have been told that they can have up to 25 students before a new class will … Continue reading →

Test Score Bribery

As you know, test scores and data are a big factor in a teacher’s life. The NCLB act has added even more to the stress faced by educators. However, I was shocked to read that some schools have decided to try bribing students for good test results. I recently read an article about a school in Miami that offered rewards to students with good scores. Naturally, they did not use the term bribery. They considered the act a way of trying to motivate students to excel. Florida has recently added science to its list of state comprehension assessments. The scores … Continue reading →

DIBELS Testing

Next week, my class will take the DIBELS test for the second time this year. My district has not been active in taking the DIBELS test for many years. The test does not draw as much attention as the state assessment and many parents are not even aware that it has been given. There are no pamphlets sent home or fancy official score sheets. Therefore, your child may be involved in DIBELS testing without your knowledge. What is DIBELS? The DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) is a district-mandated test given to kindergarten, first, and second grades in … Continue reading →

NCLB Results: Improving Education or Teaching to the Test?

The public school system has a hard job. They have to cater to thousands of students, treat each as individuals and yet somehow find a way to streamline the process so that it’s most effective for everyone. With the 5th Anniversary, NCLB (No Child Left Behind) is definitely on top of all the education headlines. The president has made clear that reauthorizing the act is a priority of his administration. Secretary Spellings, in her recent speech to educators and business leaders points to increased test scores to prove that NCLB is working. “The truth is,” she says, “that NCLB helps … Continue reading →