A couple of new articles that came out today. *updated*
NC Schools Worried about Reading Requirement
A few points from this article:
-19% of 3rd graders scored well enough on the Beginning of Grade test to qualify for promotion. (I previously said 23% and wanted to clarify the number is actually lower.)
-Legislators continue to play the blame game, saying frustrations are DPI's fault due to poor communication with districts.
-"The Read to Achieve law allows the State Board of Education to approve alternative assessments proposed by local school districts. Hartness said 15 Triad-area school districts have proposed an alternative to be considered next week by the board. If approved, it would be available to all 115 districts statewide." (This is another reason districts should put the brakes on the portfolio. Hopefully the alternative will be something developmentally appropriate for 8 and 9 year olds and not rob them of instruction.)
*Update: These two articles are also about legislators voicing concerns to State Superintendent Dr. June Atkinson
NC Legislators Hear Complaints about Reading Tests
Lawmakers Grill Schools Chief over Reading Tests
NC Students Reading below Grade Level
-Mainly talks about new data that just came out, but mentions Read to Achieve and wanted to include it.
-"Bell argues that the state needs to develop new policies that focus on prevention, rather than retention."
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
To Test or Not to Test-the Read to Achieve Portfolio
Should your child complete the Read to Achieve Portfolio? I'm starting to believe the answer should be NO for all 3rd graders in NC.
I have previously stated that I understood why several districts in North Carolina have decided to require portfolio testing on all 3rd graders. I still believe they made this call with the best of intentions--to give every student an opportunity to succeed. However, with more information coming out about Read to Achieve, I hope districts will reverse this decision.
One principal is quoted in this article:
“I can’t tell you what to check, but if my child were in
third-grade, it would be a big ‘no’ because I want my child taught, not tested
all day,” Wolf Meadow Principal Adam Auerbach said to the parents.
Auerbach added later that his goal is to get every parent to
opt out of the portfolio.
“The kids that are doing well don’t need to do the
portfolio,” Auerbach said. “If (they are) not (doing well), they’re not going to
pass.”
This principal is in a district that is not requiring all students to complete the portfolio, but he makes an excellent point.
Why should districts not require the portfolios and why should parents opt out?
1. In a major change, just made last week, students who passed the Beginning of Grade Test are already considered proficient. Parents, please be aware that if your child scored 442 or above, he/she will not have to go to summer school, and is not at risk of retention. There is no reason for these students to be taking the portfolio assessments. When districts made decisions about the portfolio testing, this exemption was not on the table. Please also be aware that if your child did not pass the BOG, he/she is in good company--77% of students did not score high enough to pass.
2. We have already discussed learning time lost to take portfolio tests, but let's hit it again. If a student is struggling, they need more instructional time, not less! Constant testing is going to hurt a student's chances of passing the EOG because they aren't learning while they are at school (can we see how illogical this is?). Teachers need to be given time to teach. Districts, please give teachers this time back.
3. The tests are faulty. A school district randomly picked 10 out of 120 available tests. They found 6 of the 10 to be on a 5th-9th grade level. WHY should we subject our children to this? No wonder students come home crying and frustrated. It is a complete and utter waste of time to give students tests that they cannot pass. Parents, if this is damaging your child, please do not allow it.
These students are in a vicious cycle right now. Our children are telling us that few are passing the assessments the first time, so they are having to take more tests, compounding the concerns mentioned. Ultimately, parents have to do what they feel is best for their children. I understand many are in a "no win" situation, wondering which is the greater damage--constant test taking or possible retention? I don't have an answer, but my instincts say we must get our students off this hamster wheel and allow them to move forward. If you would like to opt your child out of testing, I encourage you to talk with your child's teacher and/or administrator. You might also consider this letter.
I also want to make certain that I am 100% clear about something. School districts, administrators, and teachers are not to blame for this situation. Read to Achieve was put into law by the North Carolina General Assembly. This post is intended to ask districts to make the best of the horrible situation in which they have been placed. The portfolio is one piece of Read to Achieve. I have another post planned about about the other negative aspects of this program. Parents and concerned citizens, please continue contacting legislators so changes will be made.
Parent letter opting out of Read to Achieve portfolio
Yesterday I posted a parent letter to lawmakers that referenced a letter to a principal/school. This is the letter that this parent is sharing in hopes that others may find it useful.
Dear Principal,
I am the parent of (name), a third grade student at your school. I acknowledge I have a right to guide the upbringing and education of my child and the Supreme Court has upheld this right. According to the U.S Constitution, specifically the 14th Amendment, my rights to religious/spiritual freedom protect me; and this federal law supersedes state in regard to parental control over one’s child. Under the law, you cannot deny my request.
Parental rights are broadly protected by Supreme Court decisions (Meyer and Pierce), especially in the area of education. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that parents posses the “fundamental right” to “direct the upbringing and education of their children.” Furthermore, the Court declared that “the child is not the mere creature of the State: those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right coupled with the high duty to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” (Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510, 534-35) The Supreme Court criticized a state legislature for trying to interfere “with the power of parents to control the education of their own.” (Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390, 402.) In Meyer, the Supreme Court held that the right of parents to raise their children free from unreasonable state interferences is one of the unwritten “liberties” protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. (262 U.S. 399). In recognition of both the right and responsibility of parents to control their children’s education, the Court has stated, “It is cardinal with us that the custody, care and nurture of the child reside first in the parents, whose primary function and freedom include preparation for the obligations the State can neither supply nor hinder.” (Prince v. Massachusetts, 321 U.S. 158)
This letter is notification that I am opting out my child, (name of child) of the Read to Achieve test. I do have a reasonable expectation that I will not be harassed or coerced to change my decision.
-Many thanks to the parent who shared these letters!
Dear Principal,
I am the parent of (name), a third grade student at your school. I acknowledge I have a right to guide the upbringing and education of my child and the Supreme Court has upheld this right. According to the U.S Constitution, specifically the 14th Amendment, my rights to religious/spiritual freedom protect me; and this federal law supersedes state in regard to parental control over one’s child. Under the law, you cannot deny my request.
Parental rights are broadly protected by Supreme Court decisions (Meyer and Pierce), especially in the area of education. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that parents posses the “fundamental right” to “direct the upbringing and education of their children.” Furthermore, the Court declared that “the child is not the mere creature of the State: those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right coupled with the high duty to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” (Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510, 534-35) The Supreme Court criticized a state legislature for trying to interfere “with the power of parents to control the education of their own.” (Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390, 402.) In Meyer, the Supreme Court held that the right of parents to raise their children free from unreasonable state interferences is one of the unwritten “liberties” protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. (262 U.S. 399). In recognition of both the right and responsibility of parents to control their children’s education, the Court has stated, “It is cardinal with us that the custody, care and nurture of the child reside first in the parents, whose primary function and freedom include preparation for the obligations the State can neither supply nor hinder.” (Prince v. Massachusetts, 321 U.S. 158)
This letter is notification that I am opting out my child, (name of child) of the Read to Achieve test. I do have a reasonable expectation that I will not be harassed or coerced to change my decision.
-Many thanks to the parent who shared these letters!
Monday, January 27, 2014
Letters Protesting Read to Achieve from a Parent and a Student
A concerned parent of a 3rd grader agreed to share the letter she sent to NC lawmakers. I edited out only identifying information.
To Politicians Making Decisions Regarding Education:
My name is (parent name), and my family and I reside in the (district number) in North Carolina. My son is a third grade student at (an) Elementary School in (a NC) County. In July of 2012, the Excellent Public Schools Act became law in North Carolina with the Read to Achieve program a part of this law to be implemented during the 2013-2014 school year.
According to the law, students who fail the End of Grade test in 3rd grade are given the opportunity to pass third grade with the aide of assessments collected for student portfolios through Read to Achieve reading passages. Students are administered 36 reading passages throughout the year along with Reading 3D and Dibels reading assessments.
Attached to this email is a letter stating my child, (name of child) shall be exempt from completing any additional Read to Achieve reading tests.
As an educated parent with an advanced degree and National Board Certification, I find 36 reading tests to be an extremely poor measure of my child's thinking, reasoning, and problem solving skills. According to the Excellent Public Schools Act, the criteria for testing is based on college and career readiness skills; however, I am unaware of any career where employees report for work and take a written test three times a week.
My son has already been given several Read to Achieve passages, and while he has passed all passages, he has learned no content during this time. As the law states, students who do not pass the test are given additional passages on the same curriculum strand to attempt passage again. My son, along with half a dozen other students, remain in the classroom and read while students attempt make up tests. His teacher cannot provide instruction to him or others while students are testing, so these children sit idle waiting for other students to complete make up tests. If he were to pass all 36 reading passages, which would likely happen provided I allow him to continue testing, there would be no need for him to take the End of Grade test as his reading ability would surely have been demonstrated with the passing of 36 reading passages and Reading 3D and Dibels assessments.
My child has never been a Tier 2 or Tier 3 child; he does not require reading remediation, and I will not subject him to daily continuous testing that lacks any college or career readiness skills. I would however be happy to have my child complete projects in all content areas to demonstrate his mastery of Common Core Curriculum providing his teacher is given time to instruct her students on the curriculum.
My district representatives are also receiving copies of this letter. Thank you for your time and consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions or comments.
Sincerely,
(Concerned Parent)
*I am planning to include the letter this parent sent to her principal, along with some other information in a separate post (I wanted to double check for her permission). If you would like a copy of this letter now, please email me at amiller123@hotmailDOTcom.
The following was left in the comments on this blog containing a letter from a 3rd grade student. I edited out names/locations.
When my daughter, a third grader broke down in the car this afternoon because she was so upset about her "state tests" she has to take tomorrow, I did everything I could to calm her down. I ensured her that she was prepared to take the test. My daughter is consistently performing well above her grade level in all areas. As the tears streamed down her face, I thought to myself, "What would I advise my high school students to do if they were upset about policy???" I would encourage them to be active in their communities and to not complain without a solution. So, this is what I proposed to her....she wanted to write a letter to you...
Dear Governor:
I just wanted to say that I'm really stressed out about all my tests. I would love to sit down and talk about the tests. My Mom and I have talked and I feel a lot better about them but I am concerned about my classmates that do not have the same support that I have at home. My teachers have been a great support to everyone in third grade. This is the first year that we have had a state test and it just seems like too much all at once. We had three state tests last Friday and I have three this week. My teachers say that I will have 3 every week until the end of school. This is just so stressful. Would you consider decreasing the number of tests that we have to have per week? Thank you for taking time to read this.
Sincerely,
Third grade student
Thank you so much, parents and students, for sharing, and for contacting our legislators about the negative impacts of Read to Achieve! Please see this post for contact information.
To Politicians Making Decisions Regarding Education:
My name is (parent name), and my family and I reside in the (district number) in North Carolina. My son is a third grade student at (an) Elementary School in (a NC) County. In July of 2012, the Excellent Public Schools Act became law in North Carolina with the Read to Achieve program a part of this law to be implemented during the 2013-2014 school year.
According to the law, students who fail the End of Grade test in 3rd grade are given the opportunity to pass third grade with the aide of assessments collected for student portfolios through Read to Achieve reading passages. Students are administered 36 reading passages throughout the year along with Reading 3D and Dibels reading assessments.
Attached to this email is a letter stating my child, (name of child) shall be exempt from completing any additional Read to Achieve reading tests.
As an educated parent with an advanced degree and National Board Certification, I find 36 reading tests to be an extremely poor measure of my child's thinking, reasoning, and problem solving skills. According to the Excellent Public Schools Act, the criteria for testing is based on college and career readiness skills; however, I am unaware of any career where employees report for work and take a written test three times a week.
My son has already been given several Read to Achieve passages, and while he has passed all passages, he has learned no content during this time. As the law states, students who do not pass the test are given additional passages on the same curriculum strand to attempt passage again. My son, along with half a dozen other students, remain in the classroom and read while students attempt make up tests. His teacher cannot provide instruction to him or others while students are testing, so these children sit idle waiting for other students to complete make up tests. If he were to pass all 36 reading passages, which would likely happen provided I allow him to continue testing, there would be no need for him to take the End of Grade test as his reading ability would surely have been demonstrated with the passing of 36 reading passages and Reading 3D and Dibels assessments.
My child has never been a Tier 2 or Tier 3 child; he does not require reading remediation, and I will not subject him to daily continuous testing that lacks any college or career readiness skills. I would however be happy to have my child complete projects in all content areas to demonstrate his mastery of Common Core Curriculum providing his teacher is given time to instruct her students on the curriculum.
My district representatives are also receiving copies of this letter. Thank you for your time and consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions or comments.
Sincerely,
(Concerned Parent)
*I am planning to include the letter this parent sent to her principal, along with some other information in a separate post (I wanted to double check for her permission). If you would like a copy of this letter now, please email me at amiller123@hotmailDOTcom.
The following was left in the comments on this blog containing a letter from a 3rd grade student. I edited out names/locations.
When my daughter, a third grader broke down in the car this afternoon because she was so upset about her "state tests" she has to take tomorrow, I did everything I could to calm her down. I ensured her that she was prepared to take the test. My daughter is consistently performing well above her grade level in all areas. As the tears streamed down her face, I thought to myself, "What would I advise my high school students to do if they were upset about policy???" I would encourage them to be active in their communities and to not complain without a solution. So, this is what I proposed to her....she wanted to write a letter to you...
Dear Governor:
I just wanted to say that I'm really stressed out about all my tests. I would love to sit down and talk about the tests. My Mom and I have talked and I feel a lot better about them but I am concerned about my classmates that do not have the same support that I have at home. My teachers have been a great support to everyone in third grade. This is the first year that we have had a state test and it just seems like too much all at once. We had three state tests last Friday and I have three this week. My teachers say that I will have 3 every week until the end of school. This is just so stressful. Would you consider decreasing the number of tests that we have to have per week? Thank you for taking time to read this.
Sincerely,
Third grade student
Thank you so much, parents and students, for sharing, and for contacting our legislators about the negative impacts of Read to Achieve! Please see this post for contact information.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
A Call to Action
If you are a parent, teacher, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or anyone who cares about the future of NC and you are concerned about the many problems with Read to Achieve, please contact your local representative. I have spoken with many parents over the past two days who are unhappy about this legislation and can't believe it is happening. Unfortunately, complaining to each other and to teachers is not going to change it.
Our children are dealing with this in one way or another every single day. I'm hearing so many negative stories from parents. Children are coming home frustrated. They are asking why they have to take so many tests. They are already afraid to take the end of grade test.
Please ask our lawmakers to end Read to Achieve as it stands now. I am providing links and email addresses below. Please stand up for our children!
If you only contact one person, make it your local representative. To find yours, click here
Senator behind Read to Achieve:
Phil Berger Phil.Berger@ncleg.net
Joint Legislative Oversight committee co-chairs:
Other contacts:
Speaker Thom Tillis Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net
State Board of Education Chair William Cobey william.cobey@dpi.nc.gov
State Board of Ed Co-Chair A.L. Collins al.collins@dpi.nc.gov
Our children are dealing with this in one way or another every single day. I'm hearing so many negative stories from parents. Children are coming home frustrated. They are asking why they have to take so many tests. They are already afraid to take the end of grade test.
Please ask our lawmakers to end Read to Achieve as it stands now. I am providing links and email addresses below. Please stand up for our children!
If you only contact one person, make it your local representative. To find yours, click here
Senator behind Read to Achieve:
Phil Berger Phil.Berger@ncleg.net
Joint Legislative Oversight committee co-chairs:
Bryan Holloway Bryan.Holloway@ncleg.net
Linda Johnson Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net
Jerry Tillman Jerry.Tillman@ncleg.net
Speaker Thom Tillis Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net
State Board of Education Chair William Cobey william.cobey@dpi.nc.gov
State Board of Ed Co-Chair A.L. Collins al.collins@dpi.nc.gov
State Superintendent of Public
Instruction: June Atkinson june.atkinson@dpi.nc.gov
Email makes it so it incredibly simple to contact multiple people. I would love for you to leave a comment if you contact your representatives.
Teachers and parents, if you have stories or concerns about Read to Achieve that you want to share, but want don't want to publicly identify yourself, please email me or message me on Facebook. Thank you.
Friday, January 24, 2014
The Blame Game
And it begins. Another parent of a 3rd grader received an email from a representative of Speaker Thom Tillis after she expressed her concerns with Read to Achieve. Some important excerpts (with my thoughts in parentheses):
"There have been several inaccuracies regarding the Read To Achieve Program... Many of these issues stem from a lack of communication between the Department of Instruction and local school districts." (Of course! It couldn't be because anything is wrong with the law itself.)
He also listed the ways a student can demonstrate proficiency (thus avoiding summer school and/or retention):
-Pass the Beginning of Grade Test.
-Pass the End of Grade (EOG) Test.
-Pass the state developed alternative assessment.
-Pass at a 70% rate the 36 passages in the student portfolio. It is not recommended that all students be required to complete the portfolio as defined by the General Assembly. Students based on teacher judgment should determine which students would be administered the portfolio passages.
-A State Board of Education approved assessment, developed at the local level.
(Glad to get confirmation on the BOG. This means a whopping 23% of NC 3rd graders have already passed. *Update 1/28-only 19% of students have passed the BOG, not 23%.*
Speaking of inaccuracies, students actually have to score 80% on the portfolio passages. There are 5 questions on each assessment, so if a student misses more than one, the score would be too low.)
"Wake County Public Schools, along with many other school districts in the state, is planning to require this portfolio/testing process for all third graders, not just those at risk of not passing the EOG. This is a decision that is being made at the local level, and is not required by state law."
(I understand why local districts have made this decision. I believe the BOG counting towards proficiency is a new development that local districts are just now finding out about. Also, I certainly would not want to be the teacher at the end of the year saying, "Well, I feel your child is on grade level, so didn't give him the portfolio tests. Unfortunately, he bombed due to extreme nerves since the stakes on this test are so high for him. Sorry I can't go back in time and give him those 36+ tests!")
Lawmakers can blame local districts and DPI all they want, but this program is unacceptable. Whether all the students do the portfolio, half the students (based on about half not passing last year), or selected struggling readers, the students are suffering. NO student should be taking tests over and over and over instead of being taught!
I do want to note that at least one parent in my district (which is requiring all students to take the portfolio tests) wrote a letter and the student is now exempt from taking the 36 assessments. I want to mention it so that other parents can consider that option. The student would still have to meet one of the other requirements by law.
I am interested in the "State Board approved assessment, developed at the local level." I believe this is what Representative Warren mentioned to me. If anyone finds any information about what that might end up being, please let me know.
"There have been several inaccuracies regarding the Read To Achieve Program... Many of these issues stem from a lack of communication between the Department of Instruction and local school districts." (Of course! It couldn't be because anything is wrong with the law itself.)
He also listed the ways a student can demonstrate proficiency (thus avoiding summer school and/or retention):
-Pass the Beginning of Grade Test.
-Pass the End of Grade (EOG) Test.
-Pass the state developed alternative assessment.
-Pass at a 70% rate the 36 passages in the student portfolio. It is not recommended that all students be required to complete the portfolio as defined by the General Assembly. Students based on teacher judgment should determine which students would be administered the portfolio passages.
-A State Board of Education approved assessment, developed at the local level.
(Glad to get confirmation on the BOG. This means a whopping 23% of NC 3rd graders have already passed. *Update 1/28-only 19% of students have passed the BOG, not 23%.*
Speaking of inaccuracies, students actually have to score 80% on the portfolio passages. There are 5 questions on each assessment, so if a student misses more than one, the score would be too low.)
"Wake County Public Schools, along with many other school districts in the state, is planning to require this portfolio/testing process for all third graders, not just those at risk of not passing the EOG. This is a decision that is being made at the local level, and is not required by state law."
(I understand why local districts have made this decision. I believe the BOG counting towards proficiency is a new development that local districts are just now finding out about. Also, I certainly would not want to be the teacher at the end of the year saying, "Well, I feel your child is on grade level, so didn't give him the portfolio tests. Unfortunately, he bombed due to extreme nerves since the stakes on this test are so high for him. Sorry I can't go back in time and give him those 36+ tests!")
Lawmakers can blame local districts and DPI all they want, but this program is unacceptable. Whether all the students do the portfolio, half the students (based on about half not passing last year), or selected struggling readers, the students are suffering. NO student should be taking tests over and over and over instead of being taught!
I do want to note that at least one parent in my district (which is requiring all students to take the portfolio tests) wrote a letter and the student is now exempt from taking the 36 assessments. I want to mention it so that other parents can consider that option. The student would still have to meet one of the other requirements by law.
I am interested in the "State Board approved assessment, developed at the local level." I believe this is what Representative Warren mentioned to me. If anyone finds any information about what that might end up being, please let me know.
Read to Achieve-described as "torture," "a nightmare" and "3rd grade hell"
Update: A call to action-please contact these legislators and officials with any concerns
I am starting this blog because I have concerns about NC's Read to Achieve Program. I believe it is potentially harmful to our children. I have many issues with this program, but my major ones are:
1. The amount of learning time being stolen from NC's 3rd graders for testing.
2. The negative impact on children's desire to read and learn that will result from the unreasonable amount of testing and pressure.
3. The decision for a student to be retained should be reached by the parents, teachers, and administrators who know the child and how they are performing. The idea of legislating achievement through testing is ridiculous.
I pulled together the information I found about RtA and posted it below to try and get the word out to parents of 3rd graders. Below are the articles I have found so far. Parents, guardians, teachers, please let me know if you find anything I can add.
An explanation of Read to Achieve is lengthy and confusing, but I'll try to summarize. It is part of a new NC state law. It requires 3rd graders to pass the EOG (End of Grade) test (only about half of last year's 3rd graders passed the EOG). If they don't, they get one more chance at another test. If that is also failed, they are required to attend 6 weeks of summer school. If they don't attend (or don't pass) summer school, they are basically retained and not promoted to 4th grade. There is another option to these high stakes tests, though. Students can get an exemption if they pass a portfolio. For the portfolio, students have to pass a minimum of 36 tests over a 12 week period. Some lawmakers and the DPI are trying to minimize concerns about the amount of instructional time that will be spent on testing, saying only the students at risk of failing the EOG should do the portfolio. But according to the Beginning of Year test 3rd graders took, that is 77% of our students. Many districts are going ahead and giving the portfolio assessments to all students so they have a backup if a child were to not pass those 2 high stakes tests (and who can blame them?).
Wake County Article
“This seems like torture to a struggling reader,” school board member Jim Martin said.
The portfolios are meant for students who are considered to be at risk of failing the end-of-grade exam. But school officials said they don’t want to run the risk of missing students who might fail.
“We’re covering our bases, regrettably, with this truckload of a portfolio,” Superintendent Jim Merrill told the board.(I would like to note 36 would be the minimum number to complete the portfolio. If a student misses more than 1 question on any given test, she/he would have to take another one on that standard.) Diane Ravitch's Blog Post"The time spent on testing is time that should be spent reading, writing, listening, and learning. As the old chestnut goes, you don’t fatten a pig by weighing it."
Rowan-Salisbury's Concerns
“I want a stay in Read to Achieve for the current year because the readability level of the selections that I have seen are not appropriate,” said board member Susan Cox.
"Only one passage selected was on a third-grade reading level. Six of the passages were between a fifth- and ninth-grade reading level." (Mooresville schools tested 10 out of the 120 passages and this is what they found)
“Our goal is to teach our kids to read, not to assess them so much that it takes time away from teaching them to read,” said Valerie Truesdale, CMS’ chief learning services officer.
Board member Rhonda Lennon was more blunt, citing the adage that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
“This looks like third-grade hell to me,” she said, calling the program “a heavy-handed mandate.”
I emailed my local representative, Harry Warren, earlier this week. He also expressed concerns about Read to Achieve. He has been told by DPI, "going forward, local LEAs have the opportunity to develop their own modifications which they can utilize, upon DPI approval." These are supposed to be modifications to the portfolio. I haven't found this information anywhere else and wanted to include it. Students are already taking the tests for the portfolios (they had to go ahead and start to fit it in before EOGs), so learning time is already being lost. The longer the state takes to make changes or end this insanity altogether is just more learning time lost and frustration for our children.
Update: Click here to join Facebook group: NC Parents and Teachers against Read to Achieve Legislation
I am starting this blog because I have concerns about NC's Read to Achieve Program. I believe it is potentially harmful to our children. I have many issues with this program, but my major ones are:
1. The amount of learning time being stolen from NC's 3rd graders for testing.
2. The negative impact on children's desire to read and learn that will result from the unreasonable amount of testing and pressure.
3. The decision for a student to be retained should be reached by the parents, teachers, and administrators who know the child and how they are performing. The idea of legislating achievement through testing is ridiculous.
I pulled together the information I found about RtA and posted it below to try and get the word out to parents of 3rd graders. Below are the articles I have found so far. Parents, guardians, teachers, please let me know if you find anything I can add.
An explanation of Read to Achieve is lengthy and confusing, but I'll try to summarize. It is part of a new NC state law. It requires 3rd graders to pass the EOG (End of Grade) test (only about half of last year's 3rd graders passed the EOG). If they don't, they get one more chance at another test. If that is also failed, they are required to attend 6 weeks of summer school. If they don't attend (or don't pass) summer school, they are basically retained and not promoted to 4th grade. There is another option to these high stakes tests, though. Students can get an exemption if they pass a portfolio. For the portfolio, students have to pass a minimum of 36 tests over a 12 week period. Some lawmakers and the DPI are trying to minimize concerns about the amount of instructional time that will be spent on testing, saying only the students at risk of failing the EOG should do the portfolio. But according to the Beginning of Year test 3rd graders took, that is 77% of our students. Many districts are going ahead and giving the portfolio assessments to all students so they have a backup if a child were to not pass those 2 high stakes tests (and who can blame them?).
Wake County Article
“This seems like torture to a struggling reader,” school board member Jim Martin said.
The portfolios are meant for students who are considered to be at risk of failing the end-of-grade exam. But school officials said they don’t want to run the risk of missing students who might fail.
“We’re covering our bases, regrettably, with this truckload of a portfolio,” Superintendent Jim Merrill told the board.(I would like to note 36 would be the minimum number to complete the portfolio. If a student misses more than 1 question on any given test, she/he would have to take another one on that standard.) Diane Ravitch's Blog Post"The time spent on testing is time that should be spent reading, writing, listening, and learning. As the old chestnut goes, you don’t fatten a pig by weighing it."
Rowan-Salisbury's Concerns
“I want a stay in Read to Achieve for the current year because the readability level of the selections that I have seen are not appropriate,” said board member Susan Cox.
"Only one passage selected was on a third-grade reading level. Six of the passages were between a fifth- and ninth-grade reading level." (Mooresville schools tested 10 out of the 120 passages and this is what they found)
Cox said administering assessments that are beyond the reading level they are assessing is counterproductive. The assessments put students and teachers under unnecessary pressure.
“We’re saying to our students: ‘You’re not measuring up. You’re failing,’ when in essence, it isn’t the student—it’s the assessment in and of itself,” Cox said.
Kannapolis School board asks for waiver for Read to Achieve
Some of the alarming information in these articles:
"In addition, the Read to Achieve program is time consuming. According to the Board of Education’s calculations, implementation will take 180 minutes a week, which means teachers will lose 2820 minutes of reading instruction a semester. That adds up to 30 percent of a semester’s total instruction time." (Note: I believe they are including other required testing, such as Reading 3D in that number)
"The board also feels the summer reading camps were poorly planned."
Board member Rhonda Lennon was more blunt, citing the adage that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
“This looks like third-grade hell to me,” she said, calling the program “a heavy-handed mandate.”
“It’s really a nightmare,” Ashe County Schools Director of testing and accountability Phil Howell said of the new third-grade reading program. “It’s an injustice, but it’s also state law, and (the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction) was given a directive and they have to carry it out.”
“What happens is if you’re the best reader in the class, you’re still going to miss 36 days of reading instruction,” Blackburn said. “And if you luck up and pass the first time, you’re still missing out on 36 opportunities that you could have had to be in front of a great teacher and had instruction. It’s not a good thing for kids.”
And by asking only five questions, Westwood Elementary School Principal Jennifer Robinson said the test reduces the margin of error for students.
“You have to get four correct,” Robinson said. “I have a third grader that I feel is a pretty good reader and on any given night I feel she could miss more than one question. You might think, oh, we have this portfolio and I’m so glad we’re doing it, but if you can’t read enough to pass that (EOG), it’s going to be real hard to pass that portfolio.”
"Late last week, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools learned that students who scored at third-grade level on that test will be eligible for promotion without having to worry about the barrage of tests they encounter during the rest of the year" (Note: This is referring to the BOG, Beginning of Year test 3rd grades took. According to one of the articles above, 77% of students were at risk of not passing the EOG according to the BOG. So, an overwhelming majority of 3rd graders would still be on track to take the portfolio assessments) I haven't found this information anywhere else and would like to know if this is true statewide. Update: This has been confirmed. Please see comments below and this post for more information.
Article describing a parent meeting at one school
Article describing a parent meeting at one school
“The portfolio requires your child to read up to 120 reading passages…(They) have the potential to lose 20 percent of instruction to complete their reading portfolio,” Brinson said.
Even then, there is still no guarantee that they will pass or demonstrate proficiency, she added.
“I can’t tell you what to check, but if my child were in third-grade, it would be a big ‘no’ because I want my child taught, not tested all day,” Wolf Meadow Principal Adam Auerbach said to the parents.
Auerbach added later that his goal is to get every parent to opt out of the portfolio.
“The kids that are doing well don’t need to do the portfolio,” Auerbach said. “If (they are) not (doing well), they’re not going to pass.”
I emailed my local representative, Harry Warren, earlier this week. He also expressed concerns about Read to Achieve. He has been told by DPI, "going forward, local LEAs have the opportunity to develop their own modifications which they can utilize, upon DPI approval." These are supposed to be modifications to the portfolio. I haven't found this information anywhere else and wanted to include it. Students are already taking the tests for the portfolios (they had to go ahead and start to fit it in before EOGs), so learning time is already being lost. The longer the state takes to make changes or end this insanity altogether is just more learning time lost and frustration for our children.
Update: Click here to join Facebook group: NC Parents and Teachers against Read to Achieve Legislation
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