W3_Reading

Ohio Schools After No Child Left Behind  http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/14202/education/ohio_schools_after_no_child_left_behind.html

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was set standards in 4 areas:

• assessment - testing of standards in academic areas of reading, math, and science for 8th grade
• planning - instructional planning on the part of the teacher in order to teach the standards
• implementation - teaching the standards in a manner that students can understand and remember
• evaluation - evaluating progress of each individual student in order to make sure they are getting the standards                                                                                                                                    Schools that need help in help in these areas receive aid from the state.

Statistics:

• NCLB started 7 years ago
• scores increased 20 pints
• schools continue to have success
• no more schools in academic emergency
• grad rates rising
• Literacy Specialist Program

My second resource for this week is Pros and cons of NCLB: What the research says  http://www.ernweb.com/public/892.cfm

Only a handful of scholars and practitioners have argued in defense of standardized tests," write Wang and fellow researchers Gulbahar H. Beckette and Lionel Brown. 

evidence-based research
According to Wang, Beckette, and Brown - "Only a handful of scholars and practitioners have argued in defense of standardized tests."  

Assessment-driven reform

          Pros:  assessment driven, reform needed to change decline in standardized tests, big influence on school curriculum and improvement

          Cons:  lower scores have been caused by poor home quality, lack of communication and help from parents, lack of qualified teachers, Standardized tests lose teacher - student relationship

Standards-based assessment

         Pros:  common core of knowledge, common standards, statewide poll supports testing of standards

         Cons:  these tests simplify the knowledge and don't test the higher-order thinking skills  

Assessment-centered accountability

        Pros:  best alternative, accountability

        cons:  no differentiation of instruction evaluation

High-stakes consequences

        Pros:  high stakes makes students and teachers want to perform better

        Cons:  "Some of the negative consequences of high-stakes accountability systems include higher dropout and retention rates, lower motivation, teaching to the test, unethical test preparation, etc."  " Some reports of gains have been discredited as test-polluting practices such as excluding students or higher dropout rates.",  research shows rewards, such as high stakes, are not productive

My 3rd resource for this week is Study Island Case Study.

Study Island isn't exactly a vacation, but it is a program to help increase student knowledge of standards.  

Unique to each state's standards.

Questions set up to instructor's desires.

Pretest and posttest questions

Each lesson is separate

70% must be achieved to receive blue ribbon

Teacher can reset each student's progress as needed

games or lessons at student's choice for each topic

Teacher can design own worksheets or use preset ones.  

They can also be reorganized.  


The 4th resource I am taking notes on for this week is Study Island and No Child Left Behind.

Study Island is set for each state's standards

Offers instruction, assessment and diagnostics

Specific practice for areas needed

Diagnostic reports to teacher about each individual student on strengths and weaknesses

Helps teacher design lessons based on the reports

Teacher knows which topics to focus on

Helps schools meet Average Yearly Progress (AYP)

Parental involvement

All pictures courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu/