Click here for article about the Read to Achieve waiver
The State Board approved 30 districts' proposals to use their own tests assess 3rd graders' reading.
"The board also made provisions to allow other districts to adopt their own reading tests if the district’s local school board signs off on the test’s ability to accurately demonstrate students’ reading ability. The vote on both measures was unanimous."
The good news: This measure should give districts more flexibility in determining whether students are on grade level in reading. In theory, this means no more constant "portfolio" testing since teachers should be able to use assessments they already have in place. Hopefully we will see this happen quickly so students can stop wasting their learning time taking tests. Maybe teachers will have time to get back to instilling a love of reading in their students. This was a major victory--many thanks to parents and school districts who insisted on this change!
The bad news: There are still many problems with Read to Achieve. School districts say the summer school component is grossly underfunded and going to be a huge burden for families, especially for working parents. Most educational experts agree that retention is not an answer in boosting student achievement and that there are better alternatives. Overall, Read to Achieve remains an unfunded mandate handed down from Raleigh by out of touch politicians who obviously are not aware of what goes on in classrooms.
Article from Mooresville about alternative assessments
Here is a follow-up on this post which listed an advisory committee's recommendations about improving Read to Achieve. One of the suggestions was to consider this school year a "trial year." The senator behind Read to Achieve, Phil Berger, is not amenable to that suggestion:
“No,” Berger said in a statement. “It’s wrong to let another class of third graders slip through the cracks. Passing them along unprepared has not solved the problem before, and it is not a solution now.” (I have to interject here and say that retention has also not solved student achievement problems before and also will not solve them now. In fact, it is one of the highest predictors of dropping out of school.) Link to story is here
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Monday, February 3, 2014
What's wrong with NC's Read to Achieve?
Please read this blog post about reading getting political.
The author says:
"Everyone wants kids to read at grade level or better. But who’s responsible when the plan to reach that goal is extraordinarily unpopular?"
I'd like to answer that question, from the perspective of the parent of a 3rd grader (and two future 3rd graders).
Senate leader Phil Berger (champion of the Read to Achieve law) blames NC's Department of Public Instruction for failing to implement Read to Achieve correctly. I agree with him. The portfolio (with between 36 and 120 mini-tests) that DPI came up with is beyond ridiculous. Dr. Atkinson (State Superintendent) has defended the portfolio by saying it wasn't intended for all students and claiming it is grade-level appropriate. Multiple districts and at least one remedial reading expert have sounded an alarm, saying passages are too difficult. Claiming all students shouldn't be given this portfolio is hardly a defense. Even one student having to waste multiple hours taking tests when they should be learning and making progress is one too many. I realize changes are now coming to the portfolio, and hopefully there are going to be alternative assessments, but I do lay the blame of the portfolio solidly on DPI.
That said, let's move to the larger problem. What is truly striking fear in the hearts of parents? It's the thought that their child, a child who hopes, tries, laughs, and loves, is going to be reduced to nothing more than a data point by the state of North Carolina and therefore flunk the 3rd grade. Parents instinctively know retention is a bad thing for their children. But, in the post linked above, Berger says this (in response to Dr. Atkinson suggestion to remove the retention portion of the law):
"...research shows children who leave third grade unable to read are on a path to academic failure and life-long economic hardship. Superintendent Atkinson’s continued insistence that we keep advancing kids who can’t read into fourth grade is disturbing and could amount to an economic death sentence for those students. We – the legislature, the Department of Public Instruction, educators and parents – can no longer accept allowing even a single child who has the ability to learn to leave third grade unable to read.”
Wow, really? Apparently Senator Berger did his research about the importance of literacy (and I couldn't agree more), but where on earth did he get the idea that retention is the answer? Because there is overwhelming evidence that retaining a child has the same negative effects as the ones he claims to be trying to avoid! This is why this law has brought out the "mama bear" in so many parents in an effort to protect their children. I know, there are a lot of people out there that would say we can't just keep passing on kids who can't read. I agree. We should allow the teachers and parents who know the child make this decision instead of leaving it to high-stakes testing and politicians. Dr. Atkinson had a wonderful suggestion when she said to give students who are below grade level extra help while still being promoted. Since Senator Berger brought it up, what I find "disturbing" is that our state cut instructional assistants, making teachers' jobs of meeting the wide range of student needs many times more difficult, particularly in the grades Read to Achieve is supposedly aiming to help (K-3).
I would love for North Carolina to do something revolutionary with ensuring our students all excel in reading to the very best of their abilities. Failing students does not even come close to achieving such a goal. Using my child as a pawn in a political game is not okay. When placing blame, I place the overall cause on lawmakers for putting this misguided program in place. I sincerely hope they will reverse this decision, begin to show some trust in our state's teachers, and do something that really matters.
Yes, there is plenty of fault to go around. But in the end, I care about getting this fixed much more
than I care about who is to blame. My hope as a parent is that both lawmakers and NCDPI will stop pointing fingers and do the right thing for our children.
The author says:
"Everyone wants kids to read at grade level or better. But who’s responsible when the plan to reach that goal is extraordinarily unpopular?"
I'd like to answer that question, from the perspective of the parent of a 3rd grader (and two future 3rd graders).
Senate leader Phil Berger (champion of the Read to Achieve law) blames NC's Department of Public Instruction for failing to implement Read to Achieve correctly. I agree with him. The portfolio (with between 36 and 120 mini-tests) that DPI came up with is beyond ridiculous. Dr. Atkinson (State Superintendent) has defended the portfolio by saying it wasn't intended for all students and claiming it is grade-level appropriate. Multiple districts and at least one remedial reading expert have sounded an alarm, saying passages are too difficult. Claiming all students shouldn't be given this portfolio is hardly a defense. Even one student having to waste multiple hours taking tests when they should be learning and making progress is one too many. I realize changes are now coming to the portfolio, and hopefully there are going to be alternative assessments, but I do lay the blame of the portfolio solidly on DPI.
That said, let's move to the larger problem. What is truly striking fear in the hearts of parents? It's the thought that their child, a child who hopes, tries, laughs, and loves, is going to be reduced to nothing more than a data point by the state of North Carolina and therefore flunk the 3rd grade. Parents instinctively know retention is a bad thing for their children. But, in the post linked above, Berger says this (in response to Dr. Atkinson suggestion to remove the retention portion of the law):
"...research shows children who leave third grade unable to read are on a path to academic failure and life-long economic hardship. Superintendent Atkinson’s continued insistence that we keep advancing kids who can’t read into fourth grade is disturbing and could amount to an economic death sentence for those students. We – the legislature, the Department of Public Instruction, educators and parents – can no longer accept allowing even a single child who has the ability to learn to leave third grade unable to read.”
Wow, really? Apparently Senator Berger did his research about the importance of literacy (and I couldn't agree more), but where on earth did he get the idea that retention is the answer? Because there is overwhelming evidence that retaining a child has the same negative effects as the ones he claims to be trying to avoid! This is why this law has brought out the "mama bear" in so many parents in an effort to protect their children. I know, there are a lot of people out there that would say we can't just keep passing on kids who can't read. I agree. We should allow the teachers and parents who know the child make this decision instead of leaving it to high-stakes testing and politicians. Dr. Atkinson had a wonderful suggestion when she said to give students who are below grade level extra help while still being promoted. Since Senator Berger brought it up, what I find "disturbing" is that our state cut instructional assistants, making teachers' jobs of meeting the wide range of student needs many times more difficult, particularly in the grades Read to Achieve is supposedly aiming to help (K-3).
I would love for North Carolina to do something revolutionary with ensuring our students all excel in reading to the very best of their abilities. Failing students does not even come close to achieving such a goal. Using my child as a pawn in a political game is not okay. When placing blame, I place the overall cause on lawmakers for putting this misguided program in place. I sincerely hope they will reverse this decision, begin to show some trust in our state's teachers, and do something that really matters.
Yes, there is plenty of fault to go around. But in the end, I care about getting this fixed much more
than I care about who is to blame. My hope as a parent is that both lawmakers and NCDPI will stop pointing fingers and do the right thing for our children.
Alternative assessments for Read to Achieve
Alternative assessments for the Read to Achieve portfolio
According to this article, 28 school systems have submitted proposals that would allow students to show they are proficient by passing tests the districts are already using, rather than the 36-120 portfolio tests provided by the state.
The State Board will be deciding whether to approve these alternatives this Thursday. Any approved proposals will make the alternatives available to all systems in NC. The State Board has put these proposals on a "fast track." It would normally take two months for these types of proposals to be decided.
If approved, the alternative assessments would give instructional time back to students and teachers. While it wouldn't solve all of Read to Achieve's problems, it is a potential step in the right direction. It is unlikely these items would be considered this quickly if not for the public outcry this program has caused. Many thanks to the districts and parents who have asked for these and other changes.
Click here to see district proposals that will be decided on Thursday
According to this article, 28 school systems have submitted proposals that would allow students to show they are proficient by passing tests the districts are already using, rather than the 36-120 portfolio tests provided by the state.
The State Board will be deciding whether to approve these alternatives this Thursday. Any approved proposals will make the alternatives available to all systems in NC. The State Board has put these proposals on a "fast track." It would normally take two months for these types of proposals to be decided.
If approved, the alternative assessments would give instructional time back to students and teachers. While it wouldn't solve all of Read to Achieve's problems, it is a potential step in the right direction. It is unlikely these items would be considered this quickly if not for the public outcry this program has caused. Many thanks to the districts and parents who have asked for these and other changes.
Click here to see district proposals that will be decided on Thursday
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Read to Achieve Updates and link to Facebook group
Third-Graders may end up in summer camp for slow readers
“Ending social promotion makes a good sound bite. Sound bites don’t make good public policy, however, and retesting and retaining kids because they don’t meet an artificial deadline doesn’t improve learning,” Carr said. “And, measuring learning only one way, by a standardized test, doesn’t give an accurate or complete picture of what kids have learned.”
"For now, Guilford’s camp plans are based on 3,200 students needing to attend, about 58 percent of its third-graders. Guilford officials expect state funding for the camps to fall about $1 million short of costs."
“You’re testing them on a very narrow set of knowledge and skills,” said Karen Wixson, the dean of the School of Education at UNCG. Wixson is consulting informally with Guilford County Schools on implementing Read to Achieve. The current approach overemphasizes knowledge of the alphabet, letter sounds and how to blend those sounds into words, and not other skills such as knowledge of vocabulary and concepts, she said. (Note: Wixson is an expert in remedial reading instruction.)
NC's looming third-grade retention crisis
"The Read to Achieve law contains a provision that students may avoid retention by demonstrating proficiency on a "portfolio." In educational circles a portfolio generally refers to a collection of a student's best work from throughout the year tied to specific standards. However, the portfolio that has been developed in North Carolina is actually nothing more than a series of 36 half-hour standardized tests. Some districts like Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Wake plan to have all third graders take the series of portfolio tests in an attempt to limit the number of students who will be retained.
The portfolio, as initially conceived in the law, showed promise as a means to wean the state off its overreliance on standardized testing. Unfortunately, the portfolio that has been created dramatically increases the amount of testing that the state's third graders must face. The implementation of the Read to Achieve program has effectively turned the purpose of the program on its head by administering even more tests that significantly detract from the time students and teachers have available to improve vital reading skills by the end of third grade."
"Research clearly indicates that those children who are retained will face an uphill battle for the rest of their educational careers with a much higher likelihood of dropping out prior to graduation."
Read to Achieve advisory committee searches for improvements to law's implementation
The NC Dept. of Public Instruction (DPI) convened a special committee on Friday (1/31) to provide feedback on ways to improve the implementation of Read to Achieve. The following are the committee's recommendations and general policy changes for lawmakers to consider. (The suggestions are considered preliminary and subject to change)
-Reduce the required number of passages students must master in order to demonstrate proficiency
-Provide local school districts more flexibility in how they administer summer reading camps
-Allow local school districts to adopt more balanced school calendars
-Allow students who are not reading proficient at the conclusion of a summer camp (or similar) to be promoted to the fourth grade, with appropriate instructional interventions in place
-Offer traditional public schools the same flexibility in complying with the Read to Achieve law that charter schools currently enjoy
-Consider using the 2013-14 school year as trial run for Read to Achieve, which would mean districts would not implement a retention policy or conduct summer reading camps.
**These are suggestions for lawmakers. Parents who agree, disagree, or have other opinions or suggestions should make their voices heard by contacting their representatives. Changes will only happen if legislators are made aware of the problems with this program.** Click here to find out who to contact.
Cabarrus County school board to discuss resolution on Read to Achieve concerns
“The resolution is intended to send a documented response to NC DPI (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction) and join other districts in support of changing the implementation guidelines as set forth by NC DPI.”
In the recommended resolution, it notes that the school board “requests an immediate stay of the portfolio assessments for the current school year.” It also proposes that the system be able to have a four-week summer reading camp, instead of a six-week camp, to fulfill the 72-hour requirement.
Facebook group: NC Parents and Teachers Against Read to Achieve Be sure to like this page and join in the conversation.
“Ending social promotion makes a good sound bite. Sound bites don’t make good public policy, however, and retesting and retaining kids because they don’t meet an artificial deadline doesn’t improve learning,” Carr said. “And, measuring learning only one way, by a standardized test, doesn’t give an accurate or complete picture of what kids have learned.”
"For now, Guilford’s camp plans are based on 3,200 students needing to attend, about 58 percent of its third-graders. Guilford officials expect state funding for the camps to fall about $1 million short of costs."
“You’re testing them on a very narrow set of knowledge and skills,” said Karen Wixson, the dean of the School of Education at UNCG. Wixson is consulting informally with Guilford County Schools on implementing Read to Achieve. The current approach overemphasizes knowledge of the alphabet, letter sounds and how to blend those sounds into words, and not other skills such as knowledge of vocabulary and concepts, she said. (Note: Wixson is an expert in remedial reading instruction.)
NC's looming third-grade retention crisis
"The Read to Achieve law contains a provision that students may avoid retention by demonstrating proficiency on a "portfolio." In educational circles a portfolio generally refers to a collection of a student's best work from throughout the year tied to specific standards. However, the portfolio that has been developed in North Carolina is actually nothing more than a series of 36 half-hour standardized tests. Some districts like Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Wake plan to have all third graders take the series of portfolio tests in an attempt to limit the number of students who will be retained.
The portfolio, as initially conceived in the law, showed promise as a means to wean the state off its overreliance on standardized testing. Unfortunately, the portfolio that has been created dramatically increases the amount of testing that the state's third graders must face. The implementation of the Read to Achieve program has effectively turned the purpose of the program on its head by administering even more tests that significantly detract from the time students and teachers have available to improve vital reading skills by the end of third grade."
"Research clearly indicates that those children who are retained will face an uphill battle for the rest of their educational careers with a much higher likelihood of dropping out prior to graduation."
Read to Achieve advisory committee searches for improvements to law's implementation
The NC Dept. of Public Instruction (DPI) convened a special committee on Friday (1/31) to provide feedback on ways to improve the implementation of Read to Achieve. The following are the committee's recommendations and general policy changes for lawmakers to consider. (The suggestions are considered preliminary and subject to change)
-Reduce the required number of passages students must master in order to demonstrate proficiency
-Provide local school districts more flexibility in how they administer summer reading camps
-Allow local school districts to adopt more balanced school calendars
-Allow students who are not reading proficient at the conclusion of a summer camp (or similar) to be promoted to the fourth grade, with appropriate instructional interventions in place
-Offer traditional public schools the same flexibility in complying with the Read to Achieve law that charter schools currently enjoy
-Consider using the 2013-14 school year as trial run for Read to Achieve, which would mean districts would not implement a retention policy or conduct summer reading camps.
**These are suggestions for lawmakers. Parents who agree, disagree, or have other opinions or suggestions should make their voices heard by contacting their representatives. Changes will only happen if legislators are made aware of the problems with this program.** Click here to find out who to contact.
Cabarrus County school board to discuss resolution on Read to Achieve concerns
“The resolution is intended to send a documented response to NC DPI (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction) and join other districts in support of changing the implementation guidelines as set forth by NC DPI.”
In the recommended resolution, it notes that the school board “requests an immediate stay of the portfolio assessments for the current school year.” It also proposes that the system be able to have a four-week summer reading camp, instead of a six-week camp, to fulfill the 72-hour requirement.
Facebook group: NC Parents and Teachers Against Read to Achieve Be sure to like this page and join in the conversation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)