Data and Teaching

I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine the other day. She was talking about how her school was climbing up the missed AYP ladder that NCLB has established. Ultimately that has resulted in her school focusing on teaching to the test- the results of that not yielding what they (school/district admin) have hoped (still really low, still "failing").

I understand the argument against one high stakes test. There are kids who have really good days, as well as really bad days. A kid might miss the standard by one question, whereas one makes it by a question. The delineation seems somewhat arbitrary, and the kids mentioned above usually are very similar in their skill sets. Eliminating the test wholesale isn't really a valid option for me. I'm ok with the idea that we need a yearly measuring stick. It could be helpful information for kids, parents, and teachers.

What I struggle to grasp is the logic behind teaching to the test. I understand the stakes that necessitate this sort of practice- jobs are at stake for adults, funding for the school, things of that nature. But if the test is based on the state standards, why not just continue to use the state standards? My teaching is rooted in those standards, and I make sure to periodically check which standards I still need to incorporate as the year goes on. I'll use some of the state released test items throughout the year, but not as my only teaching materials. They are a means of exposing kids to the question format, as well as test-taking strategies. But as a whole, when we use the released items I highlight the strategies we already use (go back to the text, look for clues, monitoring to see if the story or response makes sense).

The whole concept made me scratch my head. I've really tried to get away from the national/political end of education. But comes up from time to time and I'm still left confounded. I won't even get into the other issue at hand: who is actually responsible when cohort groups don't achieve, and what should be done with that information (the former being an easier question to answer than the latter I think).

It's Been Too Long

Has it been 6 weeks? It has indeed. In all honesty I've simply been lazy, not in the mood to write. What has happened in the meantime? Spring Break came and went. Our focus groups for state testing came and went. State testing has come... and is almost done, with one more day and some makeups to be done.

April made a few things painfully obvious...

First was that I should have started our novel study months ago. The switch was flipped for many of our kids as they started to get engrossed in really good literature. Accompanying that was a fact/question/response log (FQR) that grabbed question stems from the standards and put them to use in responding to literature. Kids got a chance to show comprehension of literature, analyze elements of literature, and experience how quality children's authors write. I wish I'd started in the fall, but will need to settle for taking that knowledge into next year. Additionally I'll pour more money into book sets published more recently.

Second takeaway was how beneficial targeting students can be. This is a no-brainer, and is done by countless teachers on a daily basis. I've done this as well, but I've seen the payoff of late. There are times when the loudest, or the most disruptive, can monopolize your time, making teaching less about the 20+ kids in the room and more about those 1-2 children. But at some point you need to focus your resources to impact those kids that might be lost under the loud or disruptive, the kids that might more comfortable not being pushed.

Lastly, you need to maximize instructional time and focus on your standards. There are so many things that will pull you away from instructional time, from concerts to art projects to god knows what else. As we hit April, I was constantly going "gosh, there isn't much time left between now and testing time" which is when they are expected to demonstrate proficiency in the standards. Time is a luxury you have in October, but less so in March/April. You need to use it wisely.

On Deck and In the Hole

I couldn't resist the baseball title considering pitchers and catchers report within the next 7 days. With baseball season coming, the urgency of teaching starts to kick in. It certainly has been there, but I feel like it is ratcheted up a notch (or five). Why? Well, state testing starts in early May. While testing is maligned for a myriad of reasons, the reality is that schools are evaluated in one way or another on their test scores.

Right or wrong, the scores are a reflection on the schools, teachers, and students. If you have 92% pass, then many will say that the teachers and students are brilliant. If 35% pass, then your school is seen as a failure. Those numbers are arbitrary, but the thinking isn't. For me, I don't want to be the weak link on my team that could potentially bring down the scores for the cohort as a whole. Is my instruction the major push in either direction? I don't think so. We're all in this together, and the instruction throughout the course of a student's life will be the driving force. But that doesn't stop me from feeling self-conscious, nor does it diminish the urgency in my teaching.

As far as content is concerned, we'll start diving into the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution. We'll also explore the branches of government. The content is exciting to me, and should be to the kids. If the loyalist/patriot debate is an omen, then this should be received very well.