The repeated discussion I have heard in school, class, ballgames, church, etc...By 2014, 100% passrate on the Sols. It is very unrealistic. I have worked in schools that have inched their way up to be accrediated and make AYP. Moving any higher seems impossible at this time. What about the schools that started in the 90s? They are probably having a harder time improving their scores than we are right now. I'm sorry NCLB, some children will be left behind. That's life!
I think that the most controversial issue affecting education today is standards-based education and teacher accountability. I have heard a lot of talk about a new evaluation process for teachers and how our evaluations may now be linked to student performance. I have very mixed feelings about this issue. I do feel that teachers need to be held accountable for what goes on in their classrooms. However, I don't really understand who would want to enter the field of education if this new system ends up becoming a reality. Standards are important, but I think that we need to take a closer look at student growth in a given year, rather than their performance on ONE test.
A controversial issue in the educational world today is testing. Parents, teachers, school boards, and students focus on test data. Students are assessed daily for the importance of data collection. My own children come home daily and discuss what benchmark they took, what test they had, what pre assessment they did or did not do so good on....I feel that at times as educators we tend to keep the focus on the data because teachers have become accountable for the students learning and we often miss out on the communication of a teacher/student relationship. We need to teach to the needs of the learners and not to the test.
Testing is a very touchy subject for all educators. I feel there is too much pressure put on students, teachers, and other staff to be perfect and make perfect scores. If the test is supposed to be the measure of what students need to learn in order to progress to the next grade, then why do students progress even if they have not met the minimum requirements? Evaluations of teachers will now also be effected by student scores on these tests. SOLs are supposed to be one tool to use for student progress, not the end all be all of the student's progress. It seems as though testing is having a major impact on every aspect of teaching.
I agree with Bethany, but what do you mean "Evaluations of teachers will now also be effected by student scores on these tests"? Please explain. If you think things are tough now, just wait until we get a bit closer to 2014. The pressure is on, but at this point, teachers just need to show good progress. By 2014, I would guess many close to retirement age will do so, and the rest of us will probably be taking a prescription or buying weekly lottery tickets.
The topic that I have heard a great deal about is teacher evaluations based on student performance. I feel that teacher evaluations are necessary but they need to be careful of how student scores are added a puzzle piece to this. I feel that many teachers have a fear of this because they do not have true understanding of the process. Does anyone?
I agree with everyone else concerning teacher accountability. A teachers performance cannot be based on student test scores alone. The scores greatly depend on the students. Some students are not capable of passing the test not matter what the teacher does. There are also students who do not care about test scores and don't even try. Teacher accountability should be assessed, but not based on SOL scores alone.
I agree with all the previous posts regarding teacher accountability. I also believe that the most controversial issue in education today is that of high stakes testing. It is unrealistic to expect all students to show what they know in a uniform way. This is particularly true for students with disabilities. For a learning disabled child, asking them to complete certain portions of SOL's would be similiar to asking a student in a wheelchair to run track.
I believe that it is the testing the is required of the students and the accountability of the teachers. I can not help it if "John" never comes to class and when he does his eyes never seem to open. How am I supposed to get this child to pass a test, which is a reflection on me, when he can not even pass my class, and chooses not to even try to. Some children need to be left behind and at some point the students and parents need to be held accountable.
I think the 'high stakes testing' and teacher accountability are tied for first place. There is no possible way that EVERY child will be able to pass the NCLB in 2014. It isn't a realistic goal. I would love to see the creators of the tests take all of the assessments they create and compare their scores. Teacher accountability. Research shows that states who have been doing this have NOT shown any improvement in their overall test scores.
Testing and accountability is the most controversial issues affecting education today. There is too much focus being placed on standardized test. Students and parents should be held more accountable in the learning process. There are no repercussions on the students’ if they do not perform well on the test. However, teachers are held accountable for the academic performance of the students.
Testing and accountability on both teachers and students. Standardized testing has become our focus. Education has taken a back seat to memorization and teaching to a specific test. I know teachers who start SOL review as soon as winter break is over. Most of them haven't covered half the material they need to cover, but are so familiar with the SOL setup that they can "get the kids by." I think this is only hurting our children. We are in many ways failing them. College and Universities continue to tell us, public educators, just how unprepared our students are when they get to them. Can you blame the teachers? We are looked down upon if SOL scores aren't up to par. Things need to change.
I agree with everyone that has mentioned testing and accountability of teachers. We have been dealing with the testing concerns for quite a while and it seems more has been added with little direction/clarification or additional support. Now, the added concern of teacher accountability. Again, an idea that has been introduced with little clarification on the matter.
High stakes testing and the related teacher accountability, as others have said, is one most significant current issues in curriculum. The high stakes tests control the curriculum more than they evaluate instruction.
Some people had mentioned questions concerning the student achievement becoming part of teacher evaluations. In a nutshell, the state of Virginia must implement student growth models and have this impact teacher evaluations as part of accepting stimulus funds. They are currently looking at test scores this year for 3rd through 8th graders to get a base. This will be used to create student growth percentiles. Eventually, student growth and achievement is supposed to make up 40% of teacher's evaluation.
The most controversial issue with our education today is that of standardized testing of each student. Not all students learn the same way, nor should a standardized test tell them that they have comprehension of the material. My oldest son is a honor student, but has trouble with standardized testing. He second guesses himself way to much, but the system will say because he made such a grade, he doesn't understand the concepts of the subject. His grades are nothing below a 105, how can he not understand the material. I feel having the standardized testing should not halter a student from pursuing what that desire in their education.
I think that the biggest issue facing education today is teacher effectiveness based on student performance. I wonder if our students will be better learners or will some teachers become more manipulative. Everyday it seems you hear of an educator breaking/bending the rules on testing. With so much at stake in this economy, is it really a shock to us?
The issue I believe to be of utmost concern today is testing. I have a problem with a year's evaluation (180 days in most cases) being evaluated on 50 mutiple choice questions. When I first began teaching, a test of all multiple choice was considered a poor evaluation. Tests I made had multiple choice, short answer and essay. I was able to get a better picture of what my students knew and needed to learn more about. The stress level was there, but not tied to a number. It was on "what do I need to teach" so this student has a concept of our history and how cause and effect plays into it. It was not can I exceed the score or bar that has been set.
I agree with Crystal completely! I think that the idea of teacher effectiveness based on student performance is a controversial issue that we will see explode in the next year or so with the addition of the idea of merit based pay. I feel that teachers will continue to "bend the rules" when it comes to testing. I know we want our children to be successful, but at what cost? It makes me crazy when lecturers and leaders in education compare our schools to schools in China and other countries around the world... we educate EVERY child and we cannot compare to schools that only educate the best and brightest. I think the idea of merit based pay is going to be a topic of contention in the future.
I must agree with almost every other person posting: testing and teacher accountability. How can one teacher be responsible for a junior in high school's performance on one test when that student has had how many other teachers prior to coming to that particular teacher? On the other hand, how do we make incompetent teachers responsible for doing his/her job to promote the success of all students instead of showing up for a paycheck? It's a definite catch -22, isn't it?
I also agree with almost every other post. Testing and teacher accountability seem to be in every educational headline we read. Students do not learn as much anymore, we are teaching to the "test" since we are being held accountable.
Obviously, the number one answer with educators today, is testing and teacher accountability. I do think that we are in a sad state of affairs that teachers feel so much pressure that they "think" that they have to stop instruction in order to teach to the test just to get "Johnny" to pass. I think it's even sadder that our nation's teachers are quaking in their shoes worried about being evaluated on "Johnny's" test scores. Our nation did need to raise standards in our educational system...however,I believe that we need more balance between a curriculum that is standards-based and one that focuses on a student's self-esteem and becoming a citizen of society. I also believe that our teachers needed some accountability too. Our educational system needed some Standards of Quality. So, future administrators, how do we solve this issue? How do we stop this quagmire? How do we help our fellow educators? How do we balance the curriculum? Do we complain about the "dripping faucet" or are we going to be a part of turning it off?
I feel like we focus on catching up with the rest of the world and we need to focus on leading the world. How can we put our nation into the educational leadership role and not the put our finger in the dam role. We worry about testing, not paying teachers too much and tenure when we should be more concerned with teh model that Finland has put out there. We should put education on a pedestal and make people want to teach and want to learn instead of forcing a bunch of test down their throats. I feel like most controversial thing in education is that we really do not value it the way we should.
I agree with what has been said already and I am also concerned with the ideas of merit pay, as that issue relates to teacher accountability and student performance. I have not seen any proposed suggestions to how merit based pay will be equitable for all good teachers, even when some do not have SOL data to back up their success.
I am in agreement with all of the previous comments. As a present educator, the most controversial issue that I fear the most is the 100 percent pass rate with NCLB. I do feel that we should all work our hardest to get each child to pass. However, it is so unrealistic to try to put each child trough the same round hole. All children are different and trying to put those squares though the round hole is just not possible sometimes. I also agree with previous statements regarding all of the focus put on standardized testing. I realize that state standards are the 'minimum' requirements of a course; however, it puts so much pressure on a teacher to only teach the test.
I find that the most controversial subject affecting education of our time is the federal mandates on educational issues, such as the movement to national standards, and federal money to support needed educational programs.
I believe that the SAT's have always been a problem and whether not students should have to take it to get into college. There are many exceptional students that do not do well on the SAT's. I was one them :( I was not accepted into many of the schools I wanted to get into even with a 4.0 unweighted 4.3 grade point average weighted. This goes for the SOL's as well. Are they really mandatory for graduation...I say NO!
I hate to sound like a broken record but, teacher accountability and its relation to testing is the most controversial issue facing education today. Unfortunately, how well a teacher's test scores are at the end of the year will tell you how effective and successful that particular teacher is. Is that teacher's view - not necessarily, is it the principal's view of that teacher - not necessarily, is it the community's view - most definitely, is it the state's view- most definitely! If not, then why the push for 100% success rate in the next couple of years??
The future of public schools is tied to pass rates on standardized tests. As we move into a political season, public education will be a key feature in each party's platform; you can bet that teacher accountability will be a phrase we'll hear daily. I am very worried about how we move forward with needed changes to the way we educate school-aged children in our country.
NCLB is a challenge, however, there are many "loopholes" to meet the requirements. The reg is not written in stone so when everyone does bad, the feds adjust the requirments (i.e. they lowered the score requirements last year because of all the snow days which saved our school. I believe GENERATIONAL POVERTY is the MOST CONTROVERSIAL issue affecting education today. The children from generational poverty are truly at a disadvantage academically and socially. It doesn't matter if the students are American born or are immigrants. It also affects any intervention, follow thru or assistance that may be offered. CHildren from poverty have a completely different culture (set of values). Education is not a priority. Long term goals are not set. Priorities are daily survival. These children bring emotional baggage to the classroom which prohibits them from learning how to read or do math. Poverty is an increasing issue in America. It is worth learning how many Title 1 schools you have in your school district so you can measure the amount of poverty there is around you.
Testing and Teacher accountability seemed to be at the forefront of every educational argument in the United States. There seems to be a sentiment that our education system is broke, and extreme accountability measures are needed in order to fix it.
I think the most controversial subject affecting education of our times right now is testing. Not only the teachers, but the administrators and central office workers focus completely on the test scores and whether or not the students are passing or not. Therefore, teachers are teaching to the test instead of just teaching the material. They are spending more time making sure the students know how to take the tests and the answers to look for. I too don't understand why we are looking for a 100% pass rate...that itself shows that all we are doing is teaching to the test.
I agree with P. Beckman. The idea of NCLB is great, but honestly, how realistic is it? Of course we all want our students to succeed and we strive for that day by day. But the reality of the matter is that there will always students who struggle to reach the "barely passing" grade. And yes, we are, basically, teaching to the test. Wouldn't be great to be able to have some "down time" and teach some "fun stuff"?
I am truly obsessed with two topics at this time. The first is NCLB and the seemingly impossible requirements (100% pass rate). The second, and the one that is in the front of the news in our state right now, is merit pay for teachers. I am realistic in thinking that some form of merit pay is likely to be developed and implemented in the near future. However, entire schools should be rewarded for exemplary performance - not individual teachers. The administrators, the teachers, the paraprofessionals, the secretaries, the custodians, the cafeteria workers, the bus drivers, and the guidance counselors ALL play a part in educating our children. They all deserved a "bonus" if the school does well. Instead of reinventing the wheel, we would be well served by looking to another state (like NC) that has a system like I mention in place, and implementing what works well for them.
Education is full of controversial issues. I think at the forefront of those issues is testing. This is a kind of umbrella issue because it encompasses so many controversial topics. Everything revolves around the SOLs. This leads to teaching to the test and very little creativity in teaching. The idea of a 100% requirement is ludicrous. The stress and pressure this will place on students, teachers, and administrators will be crushing. In addition, teachers will eventually be evaluated based on the performance of their students on these state-mandated tests. This could lead to many negatives such as manipulation and cheating.
One of the most controversial subjects I think we are facing as educators today is the state wanting us to meet 100% pass rate on SOLs. I do not know if it is the generation of kids or the lack of guidance at home from many parents, but I am finding the majority of students could careless about education. Many of them are doing the minimum amount needed to pass the classes which they are taking. Most teachers I work with have completely quit giving homework because their failing rates continually increase. So with the lack of effort comes the decrease in testing scores which will keep us from 100% pass rate.
I agree with most of the comments that have already been posted. Teacher accountability and testing are huge issues in education today. I feel the pressure for teachers to get all students to pass is unachievable. All students do not learn and progress the same. I think it should be based more on the individual students progress for the year instead of what is being required of us now.
I agree with the testing and teacher accountability, however one big thing now is funding. With the economy, money for schools is going away fast, which makes it hard for school systems to function. There have been many teachers laid off, programs ended, schools closed, and such a decline in budgets for school operations in general, that it is scary to think about what might happen. The expectations are so high, but financial support is so low, and this really takes its toll on our educational system with bigger class sizes and not as many extra curricular activities. I believe that funding for schools is a huge issue!
I am concerned with whether or not we are truly equipping our students with the necessary skills to be successful in life. And better yet, how do we measure that? We put so much focus on numbers and "the test" that we might be missing out on teaching the whole child. I've had many conversations with family members, who just happen to be college professors, about the foundational skills that many students in this generation are lacking. It's disheartening to think that we're part of system that may be broken.
The resegregation of schools to me is the most disturbing and controversial topic in education. We have set up systems which encourage increasing disparity on the basis of race and class. It's scary to think of the egress we are making.
High stakes testing and SOLs. I believe that teachers should be held accountable but I don't think it should be based on a single SOL test. There has to be a balance and we must also be realistic. A 100% pass rate is not realistic. As educators we should always strive for 100% but realistically it is unattainable. I believe that we sometimes set students up for failure but in this case the student and the teacher are being set up for failure.
The most controversial subject facing our shools today is standardized testing. It seems completely contradictory to what we learn as teachers with regard to least restrictive learning environment. We are asked to differentiate instruction and create a classroom environment that "levels the playing field" regardless of ability level, but then our students and our teaching ability is assessed with a system that considers every student the same. We must assess and be held accountable; however, I am in agreement with Sallie when she says under the current system our students and teachers are often being set up for failure.
High-stakes testing is certainly one of the most controversial subjects in education. Many people feel that it has actually brought down the quality of education in that school is focused on teaching tests rather than other skills.
I agree with most everyone else that testing and teacher accoutability are two very controversial issues affecting education today. These issues will continue to be in the forefront of education until something is done to combat them on a state and national level.
The repeated discussion I have heard in school, class, ballgames, church, etc...By 2014, 100% passrate on the Sols. It is very unrealistic. I have worked in schools that have inched their way up to be accrediated and make AYP. Moving any higher seems impossible at this time. What about the schools that started in the 90s? They are probably having a harder time improving their scores than we are right now. I'm sorry NCLB, some children will be left behind. That's life!
ReplyDeleteI think that the most controversial issue affecting education today is standards-based education and teacher accountability. I have heard a lot of talk about a new evaluation process for teachers and how our evaluations may now be linked to student performance. I have very mixed feelings about this issue. I do feel that teachers need to be held accountable for what goes on in their classrooms. However, I don't really understand who would want to enter the field of education if this new system ends up becoming a reality. Standards are important, but I think that we need to take a closer look at student growth in a given year, rather than their performance on ONE test.
ReplyDeleteA controversial issue in the educational world today is testing. Parents, teachers, school boards, and students focus on test data. Students are assessed daily for the importance of data collection. My own children come home daily and discuss what benchmark they took, what test they had, what pre assessment they did or did not do so good on....I feel that at times as educators we tend to keep the focus on the data because teachers have become accountable for the students learning and we often miss out on the communication of a teacher/student relationship. We need to teach to the needs of the learners and not to the test.
ReplyDeleteTesting is a very touchy subject for all educators. I feel there is too much pressure put on students, teachers, and other staff to be perfect and make perfect scores. If the test is supposed to be the measure of what students need to learn in order to progress to the next grade, then why do students progress even if they have not met the minimum requirements? Evaluations of teachers will now also be effected by student scores on these tests. SOLs are supposed to be one tool to use for student progress, not the end all be all of the student's progress. It seems as though testing is having a major impact on every aspect of teaching.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bethany, but what do you mean "Evaluations of teachers will now also be effected by student scores on these tests"? Please explain.
ReplyDeleteIf you think things are tough now, just wait until we get a bit closer to 2014. The pressure is on, but at this point, teachers just need to show good progress. By 2014, I would guess many close to retirement age will do so, and the rest of us will probably be taking a prescription or buying weekly lottery tickets.
The topic that I have heard a great deal about is teacher evaluations based on student performance. I feel that teacher evaluations are necessary but they need to be careful of how student scores are added a puzzle piece to this. I feel that many teachers have a fear of this because they do not have true understanding of the process. Does anyone?
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone else concerning teacher accountability. A teachers performance cannot be based on student test scores alone. The scores greatly depend on the students. Some students are not capable of passing the test not matter what the teacher does. There are also students who do not care about test scores and don't even try. Teacher accountability should be assessed, but not based on SOL scores alone.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all the previous posts regarding teacher accountability. I also believe that the most controversial issue in education today is that of high stakes testing. It is unrealistic to expect all students to show what they know in a uniform way. This is particularly true for students with disabilities. For a learning disabled child, asking them to complete certain portions of SOL's would be similiar to asking a student in a wheelchair to run track.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is the testing the is required of the students and the accountability of the teachers. I can not help it if "John" never comes to class and when he does his eyes never seem to open. How am I supposed to get this child to pass a test, which is a reflection on me, when he can not even pass my class, and chooses not to even try to. Some children need to be left behind and at some point the students and parents need to be held accountable.
ReplyDeleteDonna Fortune
ReplyDeleteI think the 'high stakes testing' and teacher accountability are tied for first place. There is no possible way that EVERY child will be able to pass the NCLB in 2014. It isn't a realistic goal. I would love to see the creators of the tests take all of the assessments they create and compare their scores.
Teacher accountability. Research shows that states who have been doing this have NOT shown any improvement in their overall test scores.
Testing and accountability is the most controversial issues affecting education today. There is too much focus being placed on standardized test. Students and parents should be held more accountable in the learning process. There are no repercussions on the students’ if they do not perform well on the test. However, teachers are held accountable for the academic performance of the students.
ReplyDeleteTesting and accountability on both teachers and students. Standardized testing has become our focus. Education has taken a back seat to memorization and teaching to a specific test. I know teachers who start SOL review as soon as winter break is over. Most of them haven't covered half the material they need to cover, but are so familiar with the SOL setup that they can "get the kids by." I think this is only hurting our children. We are in many ways failing them. College and Universities continue to tell us, public educators, just how unprepared our students are when they get to them. Can you blame the teachers? We are looked down upon if SOL scores aren't up to par. Things need to change.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone that has mentioned testing and accountability of teachers. We have been dealing with the testing concerns for quite a while and it seems more has been added with little direction/clarification or additional support. Now, the added concern of teacher accountability. Again, an idea that has been introduced with little clarification on the matter.
ReplyDeleteHigh stakes testing and the related teacher accountability, as others have said, is one most significant current issues in curriculum. The high stakes tests control the curriculum more than they evaluate instruction.
ReplyDeleteSome people had mentioned questions concerning the student achievement becoming part of teacher evaluations. In a nutshell, the state of Virginia must implement student growth models and have this impact teacher evaluations as part of accepting stimulus funds. They are currently looking at test scores this year for 3rd through 8th graders to get a base. This will be used to create student growth percentiles. Eventually, student growth and achievement is supposed to make up 40% of teacher's evaluation.
The most controversial issue with our education today is that of standardized testing of each student. Not all students learn the same way, nor should a standardized test tell them that they have comprehension of the material. My oldest son is a honor student, but has trouble with standardized testing. He second guesses himself way to much, but the system will say because he made such a grade, he doesn't understand the concepts of the subject. His grades are nothing below a 105, how can he not understand the material.
ReplyDeleteI feel having the standardized testing should not halter a student from pursuing what that desire in their education.
I think that the biggest issue facing education today is teacher effectiveness based on student performance. I wonder if our students will be better learners or will some teachers become more manipulative. Everyday it seems you hear of an educator breaking/bending the rules on testing. With so much at stake in this economy, is it really a shock to us?
ReplyDeleteThe issue I believe to be of utmost concern today is testing. I have a problem with a year's evaluation (180 days in most cases) being evaluated on 50 mutiple choice questions. When I first began teaching, a test of all multiple choice was considered a poor evaluation. Tests I made had multiple choice, short answer and essay. I was able to get a better picture of what my students knew and needed to learn more about. The stress level was there, but not tied to a number. It was on "what do I need to teach" so this student has a concept of our history and how cause and effect plays into it. It was not can I exceed the score or bar that has been set.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Crystal completely! I think that the idea of teacher effectiveness based on student performance is a controversial issue that we will see explode in the next year or so with the addition of the idea of merit based pay. I feel that teachers will continue to "bend the rules" when it comes to testing. I know we want our children to be successful, but at what cost? It makes me crazy when lecturers and leaders in education compare our schools to schools in China and other countries around the world... we educate EVERY child and we cannot compare to schools that only educate the best and brightest. I think the idea of merit based pay is going to be a topic of contention in the future.
ReplyDeleteI must agree with almost every other person posting: testing and teacher accountability. How can one teacher be responsible for a junior in high school's performance on one test when that student has had how many other teachers prior to coming to that particular teacher? On the other hand, how do we make incompetent teachers responsible for doing his/her job to promote the success of all students instead of showing up for a paycheck? It's a definite catch -22, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI also agree with almost every other post. Testing and teacher accountability seem to be in every educational headline we read. Students do not learn as much anymore, we are teaching to the "test" since we are being held accountable.
ReplyDeleteObviously, the number one answer with educators today, is testing and teacher accountability. I do think that we are in a sad state of affairs that teachers feel so much pressure that they "think" that they have to stop instruction in order to teach to the test just to get "Johnny" to pass. I think it's even sadder that our nation's teachers are quaking in their shoes worried about being evaluated on "Johnny's" test scores.
ReplyDeleteOur nation did need to raise standards in our educational system...however,I believe that we need more balance between a curriculum that is standards-based and one that focuses on a student's self-esteem and becoming a citizen of society. I also believe that our teachers needed some accountability too. Our educational system needed some Standards of Quality.
So, future administrators, how do we solve this issue? How do we stop this quagmire? How do we help our fellow educators? How do we balance the curriculum?
Do we complain about the "dripping faucet" or are we going to be a part of turning it off?
I feel like we focus on catching up with the rest of the world and we need to focus on leading the world. How can we put our nation into the educational leadership role and not the put our finger in the dam role. We worry about testing, not paying teachers too much and tenure when we should be more concerned with teh model that Finland has put out there. We should put education on a pedestal and make people want to teach and want to learn instead of forcing a bunch of test down their throats. I feel like most controversial thing in education is that we really do not value it the way we should.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what has been said already and I am also concerned with the ideas of merit pay, as that issue relates to teacher accountability and student performance. I have not seen any proposed suggestions to how merit based pay will be equitable for all good teachers, even when some do not have SOL data to back up their success.
ReplyDeleteI am in agreement with all of the previous comments. As a present educator, the most controversial issue that I fear the most is the 100 percent pass rate with NCLB. I do feel that we should all work our hardest to get each child to pass. However, it is so unrealistic to try to put each child trough the same round hole. All children are different and trying to put those squares though the round hole is just not possible sometimes. I also agree with previous statements regarding all of the focus put on standardized testing. I realize that state standards are the 'minimum' requirements of a course; however, it puts so much pressure on a teacher to only teach the test.
ReplyDeleteI find that the most controversial subject affecting education of our time is the federal mandates on educational issues, such as the movement to national standards, and federal money to support needed educational programs.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the SAT's have always been a problem and whether not students should have to take it to get into college. There are many exceptional students that do not do well on the SAT's. I was one them :( I was not accepted into many of the schools I wanted to get into even with a 4.0 unweighted 4.3 grade point average weighted. This goes for the SOL's as well. Are they really mandatory for graduation...I say NO!
ReplyDeleteI hate to sound like a broken record but, teacher accountability and its relation to testing is the most controversial issue facing education today. Unfortunately, how well a teacher's test scores are at the end of the year will tell you how effective and successful that particular teacher is. Is that teacher's view - not necessarily, is it the principal's view of that teacher - not necessarily, is it the community's view - most definitely, is it the state's view- most definitely! If not, then why the push for 100% success rate in the next couple of years??
ReplyDeleteThe future of public schools is tied to pass rates on standardized tests. As we move into a political season, public education will be a key feature in each party's platform; you can bet that teacher accountability will be a phrase we'll hear daily. I am very worried about how we move forward with needed changes to the way we educate school-aged children in our country.
ReplyDeleteNCLB is a challenge, however, there are many "loopholes" to meet the requirements. The reg is not written in stone so when everyone does bad, the feds adjust the requirments (i.e. they lowered the score requirements last year because of all the snow days which saved our school.
ReplyDeleteI believe GENERATIONAL POVERTY is the MOST CONTROVERSIAL issue affecting education today. The children from generational poverty are truly at a disadvantage academically and socially. It doesn't matter if the students are American born or are immigrants. It also affects any intervention, follow thru or assistance that may be offered. CHildren from poverty have a completely different culture (set of values). Education is not a priority. Long term goals are not set. Priorities are daily survival. These children bring emotional baggage to the classroom which prohibits them from learning how to read or do math. Poverty is an increasing issue in America. It is worth learning how many Title 1 schools you have in your school district so you can measure the amount of poverty there is around you.
Testing and Teacher accountability seemed to be at the forefront of every educational argument in the United States. There seems to be a sentiment that our education system is broke, and extreme accountability measures are needed in order to fix it.
ReplyDeleteI think the most controversial subject affecting education of our times right now is testing. Not only the teachers, but the administrators and central office workers focus completely on the test scores and whether or not the students are passing or not. Therefore, teachers are teaching to the test instead of just teaching the material. They are spending more time making sure the students know how to take the tests and the answers to look for. I too don't understand why we are looking for a 100% pass rate...that itself shows that all we are doing is teaching to the test.
ReplyDeleteI agree with P. Beckman. The idea of NCLB is great, but honestly, how realistic is it? Of course we all want our students to succeed and we strive for that day by day. But the reality of the matter is that there will always students who struggle to reach the "barely passing" grade.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, we are, basically, teaching to the test. Wouldn't be great to be able to have some "down time" and teach some "fun stuff"?
I am truly obsessed with two topics at this time. The first is NCLB and the seemingly impossible requirements (100% pass rate). The second, and the one that is in the front of the news in our state right now, is merit pay for teachers. I am realistic in thinking that some form of merit pay is likely to be developed and implemented in the near future. However, entire schools should be rewarded for exemplary performance - not individual teachers. The administrators, the teachers, the paraprofessionals, the secretaries, the custodians, the cafeteria workers, the bus drivers, and the guidance counselors ALL play a part in educating our children. They all deserved a "bonus" if the school does well. Instead of reinventing the wheel, we would be well served by looking to another state (like NC) that has a system like I mention in place, and implementing what works well for them.
ReplyDeleteEducation is full of controversial issues. I think at the forefront of those issues is testing. This is a kind of umbrella issue because it encompasses so many controversial topics. Everything revolves around the SOLs. This leads to teaching to the test and very little creativity in teaching. The idea of a 100% requirement is ludicrous. The stress and pressure this will place on students, teachers, and administrators will be crushing. In addition, teachers will eventually be evaluated based on the performance of their students on these state-mandated tests. This could lead to many negatives such as manipulation and cheating.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most controversial subjects I think we are facing as educators today is the state wanting us to meet 100% pass rate on SOLs. I do not know if it is the generation of kids or the lack of guidance at home from many parents, but I am finding the majority of students could careless about education. Many of them are doing the minimum amount needed to pass the classes which they are taking. Most teachers I work with have completely quit giving homework because their failing rates continually increase. So with the lack of effort comes the decrease in testing scores which will keep us from 100% pass rate.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the comments that have already been posted. Teacher accountability and testing are huge issues in education today. I feel the pressure for teachers to get all students to pass is unachievable. All students do not learn and progress the same. I think it should be based more on the individual students progress for the year instead of what is being required of us now.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the testing and teacher accountability, however one big thing now is funding. With the economy, money for schools is going away fast, which makes it hard for school systems to function. There have been many teachers laid off, programs ended, schools closed, and such a decline in budgets for school operations in general, that it is scary to think about what might happen. The expectations are so high, but financial support is so low, and this really takes its toll on our educational system with bigger class sizes and not as many extra curricular activities. I believe that funding for schools is a huge issue!
ReplyDeleteI am concerned with whether or not we are truly equipping our students with the necessary skills to be successful in life. And better yet, how do we measure that? We put so much focus on numbers and "the test" that we might be missing out on teaching the whole child. I've had many conversations with family members, who just happen to be college professors, about the foundational skills that many students in this generation are lacking. It's disheartening to think that we're part of system that may be broken.
ReplyDeleteThe resegregation of schools to me is the most disturbing and controversial topic in education. We have set up systems which encourage increasing disparity on the basis of race and class. It's scary to think of the egress we are making.
ReplyDeleteHigh stakes testing and SOLs. I believe that teachers should be held accountable but I don't think it should be based on a single SOL test. There has to be a balance and we must also be realistic. A 100% pass rate is not realistic. As educators we should always strive for 100% but realistically it is unattainable. I believe that we sometimes set students up for failure but in this case the student and the teacher are being set up for failure.
ReplyDeleteThe most controversial subject facing our shools today is standardized testing. It seems completely contradictory to what we learn as teachers with regard to least restrictive learning environment. We are asked to differentiate instruction and create a classroom environment that "levels the playing field" regardless of ability level, but then our students and our teaching ability is assessed with a system that considers every student the same. We must assess and be held accountable; however, I am in agreement with Sallie when she says under the current system our students and teachers are often being set up for failure.
ReplyDeleteHigh-stakes testing is certainly one of the most controversial subjects in education. Many people feel that it has actually brought down the quality of education in that school is focused on teaching tests rather than other skills.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most everyone else that testing and teacher accoutability are two very controversial issues affecting education today. These issues will continue to be in the forefront of education until something is done to combat them on a state and national level.
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