Our district makes the teachers take down or cover everything on their walls
to have a standardized testing environment. I thought all teachers in the
state did the same.

I have heard CA standards are higher than most other states. This tells me
that the standards are too high, kids aren't learning what is appropriate for
their age level or the higher standards either. We're pushing kids into
classes they aren't ready for. Ask any high school student. They are
strongly encouraged to take AP courses, because the more students taking the
AP tests the higher the ranking for the school. They are encouraged to take
advanced math courses for the same reason. Most students don't need advanced
math-they need to learn basic math first and well. We're creating a
generation of overly stressed teenagers.

Certainly demographics plays a part. When that is recognized and admitted then
we can move forward, but we won't if we keep thinking that the next "program"
(GLAD, CLAD, etc.) can fix it. It's politically incorrect, but we have to be
able to admit the the culture affects performance. Once we do that we can
work toward HOW we can bring the scores up. BUT it will take money.

Even before the budget crisis, class size was too big, kids weren't learning
what is appropriate for their developmental stages. I wonder what test scores
will be like next year. I a twisted way I hope they go down so that maybe the
point will be made that funding on a shoestring doesn't work.

It's not accident that when schools in California were among the highest in
the nation in per pupil funding we were performing among the highest states.
Now we're 47th in funding and that's just about where we're performing.

On 10/16/09, teacher in so CA wrote:
> I've been teaching in southern california public schools for 15 years and
> agree with the comments that have been posted re the reason the schools
> are doing poorly....excellent, hard working, dedicated teachers aren't
> able to overcome the burden of the demographics...just a fact
>
>
>
> On 10/15/09, Judy2/CA wrote:
>> Ditto to the above posters' comments. And I also wonder what the
>> results would be if all states used the same tests. I read a series of
>> articles in my hometown paper last year about a 5th grade class and
>> how they progressed through the year. The teachers were allowed to
>> keep up any posters, etc that they used throughout the year, during
>> testing. The classroom walls were covered with posters that contained
>> info that the kids used all year and they could use during the tests.
>> My district makes us even take down the alphabet and number lines on
>> the walls - as it the kids would take the time to use them. Maybe the
>> tests and testing procedures should be uniform as long as they're
>> comparing us.
>>
>> On 10/15/09, sped wrote:
>>> I have seen not only immigrants from typically underperforming
>>> groups, but I have seen immigrants that are in special education in
>>> our district. A double whammy.
>>>
>>> On 10/15/09, same answer wrote:
>>>> California has a high population of minority students who are
>>>> part of low performing demographics (i.e. black, hispanic,
>>>> native american, somali, phillipino, etc.) The schools with a
>>>> lot of white, Chinese, Korean, and other high performing
>>>> demographics do very well on the state tests.
>>>>
>>>> On 10/15/09, Cnn wrote:
>>>>> Immigration is the reason. Our top students do just as well
>>>>> if not better than students from other states. California
>>>>> has the most immigrints from poor countries than any other
>>>>> state. It takes years for a stundent eith little formal
>>>>> education, whose parents have little formal education to catch
>>>>> up. California will nfver outperform Connecticut. Apples and
>>>>> oranges. Not all groups of immigrints perform poorly. Look
>>>>> at the test scores of recent Korean immigrints whose parents
>>>>> usually have some form of formal education if not college
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 10/15/09, wondering wrote:
>>>>>> I am hearing a lot of chatter, on radio, tv, and newspapers
>>>>>> that CA schools are just above Mississippi and Alabama in
>>>>>> how students are doing on tests. I'd like to know why that
>>>>>> is. I have my own ideas, but it would be good to hear from
>>>>>> people that are in the field, not talking heads,
>>>>>> politicians with an agenda, and disgruntled parents.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Just how did CA go from being innovative and at the top in
>>>>>> public education to where we are now?
>>>>

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