GilfordGrok

And no high school, it seems, is immune to the problem.

The experiences of local graduates show that even the best area high schools - those rated "excellent" by the state - are graduating students who need extra help once they get to college. Figures from the Ohio Board of Regents that track 2003 graduates who attended Ohio public colleges and universities reveal that every area high school reporting produced a student who ended up in a remedial college class. (Archdiocese-affiliated schools were not required to report and are not included.)

This is a rather sad indictment of the current level of high school achievement.  Given the  large number of students, assuming a normal bell curve applies for these students (standard percentages bright, average and not-bright), it would seem that the SES distribution could be factored out.  Thus, it points out that there has to be something to my hypothesis as well - real world results have to be account for - the missing leg of teaching and curriculum.

Anyways, back to Dr. DeMinico's article.

Even if you partially embrace the premise above, you may logically infer that students coming from lower SES families and those who may not be able to demonstrate proficiency on multiple choice tests are disadvantaged straight away.

Notice the second excuse - those that cannot take multiple choice tests are cast as "victims".  There are some kids that are this way - and many more that try to use the excuse as well. I fully admit that I've tried this excuse a couple of times, and when my Mom caught on, the excuse went away real quick.  And yes, this shows that I had one "advantage" that some did not - a parent (although a single parent) made sure that I lived up to HER expectations - not mine.  In fact, it was the her family's expectations - of the 12 nieces and nephews on her side, all of us have advanced degrees except my younger brother with just a BA (what the heck, he only owns a multi-million dollar company).

What is more, schools serving lower SES communities are further disadvantaged as they face sanctions by the government if the results are not in accordance with NCLB, which may include:

a) Publicly embarrassing the school in the local newspapers.

So what?  Where is it stated that the educational industry should granted immunity being held up when it fails?  When I read missives, Letters, and Columns from those that are in Academia locally, they certainly seem to have no problem in ridiculing other parts of public life. 

If the school is bad, it should be held up for examination (see Ohio, above).  Hiding the problem will not solve the problem.

Sorry, this DOESN'T make it with me, nor with most people.  Why?  The over-emphasis of "building self-esteem", or advocating non-competitive environments, has run amok in the liberal academic world (see here just for Gilford). In the non-educational world, if you don't do well, you fail.  Trust us, Dr. DeMinico, the embarrassment will fade.

Unless you fail to correct the problem, and then you graduate to "laughing stock".  And yes, there is a place for ridicule yet in this world.

b) Losing school funding from the government.

This is a major reason for a paradigm switch - a student should not be entitled to a public school education but should be entitled to a publicly funded education.  If a school is so bad that it cannot be mended, it should be possible for these students to go elsewhere to succeed.  Why should a child be trapped because the management and employees cannot teach well?

When I hear outcries that this would destroy the public school systems, I just shrug - welcome to the world of paradigm shifts!  My industry (computer programming, engineering, consulting) confronts this every day.

You know what the answer is?  Make yourselves better and add value to your selves and your products (yes, your educational services are indeed products).

c) Inability for the school to attract and retain qualified teachers.

Welcome to the real world - no one in the private sector wants to go to a company that is failing - unless they believe that they can profit in helping to turn it around.

d) Control of the school taken from the local board by the state.

Again, the analogy is bankruptcy court in the private sector.  If the school management is so bad that the school has failed in its mission, the school board and the school management SHOULD be stripped of control.  Why should the children be punished for the failings of those that should be providing for them?  By definition, management has failed - why would YOU want to keep them in place to fail more?

It certainly seems to me that Dr. DeMinico's A through D scenarios show an amazing lack of what happens in the real world, or a belief that bad outcomes should not happen to schools.

My question is, why should they be held differently than anyone else?

Again, the consumers of our governmental educational system have already judged the entire system as lacking, otherwise NCLB would not exist.  If you in the educational - industrial complex were doing a good job all over the country, we would not be writing what we are writing.

The fact that we are shows that the bond of trust has already been broken - you've already lost that argument. 

At Gilford, children are not punished for their inability to readily grasp a concept. Teachers do not deprive children of recess or lunch for poor performance. Children are not ridiculed by adults, scolding them in front of others or by requiring them write on the marker board "I will ¿" 100 times.

Gee, congratulations, you're doing your jobs (sarcasm implied).   And this is supposed to mean what?  So you do not punish for poor performance - should we be expecting that you should be?. 

Based on the last statement, let's flip it the other way - do you think that this might have something to do with the lack of respect or discipline that is shown to the staff - a big component as to why teachers are leaving the industry?  I remember being caught at doing something I should not have - being told to stay after school, and literally write on the blackboard 100 times "I will not act up in the class".  Embarrassed?  Yes.  Ridiculed?  Yes.  Did I do it again?

No. My behavior became much better at a very fast rate of change.  And, so did my grades.

I'm not talking about ridiculing - but sometimes I hear what might constitute ridicule and just wonder what might actually constitute punishment that would be meaningful? 

What good schools do is to re-teach students using alternative strategies and then reassess their understanding in multiple ways. Many accept this as an important part of learning — that is, being free to fail without sanctions. When students are free to fail without ridicule they are more likely to learn freely, on their own, which will lead to more lasting understandings.

There are things in the private world that in failing, you will be sanctioned - and rightfully so.  Yet, there is the phrase "if you are not making mistakes, you're not trying hard enough".  Students should feel that they can try new things - if teachers and management do not train students to a given standard of excellence, then yes, the teachers and management should be sanctioned.

A Concerning View of NCLB:

For the sake of argument and as unlikely as this may be, let's just say that the goal is achieved — that is, all students in the U.S. achieve proficiency and above in math and reading by 2014 as assessed by a standardized test. If that happens, do you believe the government would?

a) Award bonus money to all schools.

b) Recognize teachers for doing an excellent job.

c) Buy advertisements in the local newspapers praising the schools.

d) Give principals an all expense paid trip to Socrates' birthplace.

e) None of the above?

This is silly - again, if you were doing your jobs right, NCLB would not exist.  If teachers successfully have taught their students (for the burden is on them and not the students), the reaction should be just like in the private sector - an internal sense of satisfaction for a job well done.  After all, I keep hearing that phrase "it's for the children"!  For if this does happen: 

• Students are learning what they should.
• Teachers and staff have successfully met our expectations of their duties.

Why should government do all these things if you are just doing your jobs correctly?  Since the unions are fighting merit pay, there are no incentives that should be offered.  Can't have it both ways, right?

If you answered "e" none of the above, you are correct. One could even speculate that if all students achieve at the proficient and above levels by 2014, the designers of NCLB would say that the standards are too low and would revise them accordingly. In effect, this hypothetical would continue to advance the notion of "winners and losers" among students and schools — and that prospect, sadly, is contrary to the mission of most schools where each child is expected to be successful.

Got news for ya, doc, that IS how it operates in the real world.  Ever hear of six sigma, of continuous improvement manufacturing?  Standards are there to be met AND EXCEEDED.  And once the bar has been met, it most certainly should be raised again.  Don't your best teachers continuously  challenge their students to do better, to be better?

And yes, Dr. Deminico, there are winners and losers out there.  Some are absolutely winners (think Bill Gates) and some that are complete losers (no one comes to mind, but think of those that have deliberately made such poor choices in life that they have precluded themselves from ever  being productive citizens), but most of use have things are we have won at, and some that we have lost at. 

Regardless of current educational theories go, this IS life's reality. 

Once you step into the world outside of education and academia, it is ALL about competition.  While we should try to create a level starting place, the real world does say that this probably will not happen. And outcomes are not guaranteed either - nor should they.  We should be equal in the eyes of the law and each treated with respect.  But nothing but nothing else is a sure bet in life.

What is NOT a certainty is anyone's eventual outcome once they leave school (and the most wise will realize that one never leaves learning behind - it will be necessary to be a live long activity in order to succeed). Saying or wishing that it isn't so will not change it.

Why the notion even exists that students and schools are exempt from competition is just beyond me.  For if we insulate our students from that competition, they will have been ill served by those that claim to prepare them for life.  In fact, we will have failed them.  Kids, in general, are not the delicate beings that they are made out to be - the vast majority understand this and can cope with this reality.

Once again, Dr. DeMinico goes on:

Lessons That One May Take Away From This Situation:

a) The results are not intended to compare schools or school districts.
b) Communities are different, with varying levels of SES which may influence results.
c) Look for trends in test results over a period of four to five years, and not just one
    year.
d) NECAP's do not test for depth of understanding or for the application of knowledge.
e) A student may show good progress and still not meet the standards of NCLB.
f) Success is a broad concept involving a student's academic, emotional, social and   physical growth.
g) Consider multiple measures rather than a single test to determine the success of each student — remember, one size does not fit all.

A) Actually, they are and should be.  For too long, schools have held themselves up with the phrase " give us more resources and we can do better".  We as consumers who pay the bill are no longer willing to accept this on face value, for we have seen the dispiriting results.  The bill has come due, Dr. DeMinico - show us the results, because what we are seeing now in those that are joining the real world are sorely lacking the skills that they need.  And those results will only come about when everyone can see, in standardized way, what the results of our expenditures are.

B) Again we see the the relentless effort to put so many items into the process to try to convince us of "hey, you cannot possibly measure what we do!"  We understand this item - now prove that you have the skills to overcome it.  And frankly, when spread over thousands of schools and millions of students from all kinds of backgrounds, we can indeed measure and quantify the results.

C) On this point, I can agree.

D) It is a snapshot, but sufficiently broad to give us an understanding of how teachers are educating our kids (and the emphasis is on the teachers, not the kids).  Stop making excuses - we get the part of there are multiple variables to the process - control those that you can (e.g., teaching methodologies) and strive to overcome those you cannot.

E) This is still true, but I consider it a straw man argument. Please "get" the following - prove that you can still handle the basics of why we entrust our kids to you - the academic portion of reading, writing, math, science, et al).  By widening your definition of what success is, you may be ignoring the core parts of that mission.  For outlier type kids, if you do not agree with the law, change it, and not just belittle it.  However, you folks are the professionals - start in depth analyzing of your teaching methodologies to see which work and which are just "pie in the sky".  Many other industries do this - try ideas, measure them, keep those that work, and throw out the ones that are just nuts (like this one)

Lastly, do not lose sight of the prize which for public schools is the development of intelligent, sensitive, adaptable and civically minded young people, well prepared to learn through out life and to solve the problems that we, with all our best intentions, have left behind.

Again, you are missing what many of us want you to do - the core mission.  You are like many companies that stray from the things that have made them successful and branch out to other endeavors for which they find they are not so successful.  Like them, educators are failing by ignoring the basics of their industry. 

Competition is coming, Dr. DeMinico, in the form of homeschoolers (and colleges are starting to chase after them too!), charter schools, private schools, and vouchers. I understand that there is a great market developing for offshore tutors too! As parents and citizens become more and more disenchanted with the failings of the present system, there will be more pressure to change the system that you are trying to defend.  

Remember, when consumers no longer embrace your products or services, you will fail.  Instead of attacking and denigrating NCLB and other efforts to better monitor your services and student outcomes, embrace and go past them.  Let us know what your standards are - in excrutiating detail outline what they are and how your teachers are planning on meeting them.  You have new software in the schools and new tools via the Internet to keep those parents that wish to in the loop.

Prove to use you are adding and providing value.