Tuesday Open Thread
The district finallly put up a public notice about the rash of overdose deaths from pills laced with fentanyl by several teens in the Puget Sound region including one at Ballard High School. Several surprises (at least to me). I am surprised at the amount of time it took. I am surprised that it didn’t get “above the fold” location on the district website for at least a couple of days. I am surprised at the seeming lack of urgency in that notice. School board directors? Might want to tell the Superintendent that her pet projects don’t supercede student safety. (Editor’s note: I don’t know how I missed it - and I checked but readers say they saw the notice more promeniently placed. I stand by the lack of urgency in the district notice; maybe the one to parents was stronger.)
From OSPI on parents’ rights to view the results of their child’s state test scores.
Parents and guardians of students who were enrolled full-time or part-time in Washington public schools during state testing may view their student’s Washington Comprehensive Assessment Program (WCAP) tests. These tests include:
I see that the Seattle Times has done a very gentle story on the Math portion of SPS Ethnic Studies. Pretty puffball writing but again, I’ll put that discussion in a separation post. I note that one reader said that page had been at OSPI but is now gone. I’ll ask some questions and see what I can find out.
What’s on your mind?
From OSPI on parents’ rights to view the results of their child’s state test scores.
Parents and guardians of students who were enrolled full-time or part-time in Washington public schools during state testing may view their student’s Washington Comprehensive Assessment Program (WCAP) tests. These tests include:
- Smarter Balanced (SBA) assessments
- End-of-Course (EOC) exams
- Off-Grade Level (OGL) assessments
- Washington Access to Instruction and Measurement (WA-AIM)
- Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS)
The American Academy of Pediatrics has just issued a report on what pediatricians can — and should — do to help “school-aged children who are not progressing academically.”A judge threatens Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos with jail (yes, please) for continuing to collect debt from students at a online college even after it went out of business. From Newsweek:
One in six kids in the U.S. are struggling in school to the point where they’re really suffering, really feel like they’re failing — and a lot of them are failing,” he said.
We’re talking about a child who is clearly struggling just to stay afloat. Sometimes it’s a child who was doing fine until something changed or went wrong in the school environment — a teacher mismatch, a terrible social situation with classmates. And sometimes it’s an issue with the child’s own learning profile or state of mind that comes to light as academic demands increase.
That ruling, handed down in June of 2018, was made by U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim and prevented DeVos and her Department of Education for going after former students at the bankrupt Corinthian Colleges Inc.
However, Kim said she was "astounded" to discover that DeVos was violating the court order at a hearing in San Francisco on Monday after a filing by the Education Department earlier disclosed that more than 16,000 former students at Corinthian College "were incorrectly informed at one time or another ... that they had payments due on their federal student loans."I do have documentation for the upcoming Curriculum and Instruction meeting this afternoon which I will post separately.
I see that the Seattle Times has done a very gentle story on the Math portion of SPS Ethnic Studies. Pretty puffball writing but again, I’ll put that discussion in a separation post. I note that one reader said that page had been at OSPI but is now gone. I’ll ask some questions and see what I can find out.
What’s on your mind?
Comments
From the https://news.stanford.edu/2016/01/12/ethnic-studies-benefits-011216/ t
(Start) "In the study, Dee and Penner gathered data from three San Francisco high schools participating in the pilot ethnic studies program from 2010 to 2014.
Enrollment in ethnic studies was automatic for students who had eighth grade GPAs below 2.0 and voluntary for those with GPAs above 2.0. The scholars narrowed their observations to a population of 1,405 ninth graders, and compared attendance rates, GPA and grade credits earned for students who came in closest to each side of the 2.0 threshold. Looking at students near the cutoff allowed for the best analysis of the program because a student with a 1.99 GPA, for example, was likely to be very similar to a student with a 2.01 – except that one student was encouraged to enroll in the course, while the other was not.
“It’s similar to a randomized trial where one group of people are assigned to a treatment and another similar group is asked to take a placebo,” explained Dee, a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.
The researchers found that attendance for those encouraged to enroll in the class increased by 21 percentage points, GPA by 1.4 grade points and credits earned by 23. (End)
Meanwhile also out of the Stanford Grad School of Education comes this
"School poverty—not racial composition—limits educational opportunity, according to new research from Stanford" https://ed.stanford.edu/news/new-evidence-shows-school-segregation-leads-racial-achievement-gap-it-school-poverty-not-racial
".......new evidence shows that while racial segregation within a district is a very strong predictor of achievement gaps, school poverty—not the racial composition of schools—accounts for this effect.
In other words, racial segregation remains a major source of educational inequality, but this is because racial segregation almost always concentrates black and Hispanic students in high-poverty schools, according to new research led by Sean Reardon, a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE).
“The only school districts in the U.S. where racial achievement gaps are even moderately small are those where there is little or no segregation. Every moderately or highly segregated district has large racial achievement gaps,” said Reardon, the Professor of Poverty and Inequality at Stanford GSE and a senior fellow at Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. “But it’s not the racial composition of the schools that matters. What matters is when black or Hispanic students are concentrated in high-poverty schools in a district.”
The findings were released on Sept. 23 in a paper accompanying the launch of a new interactive data tool from the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University," Stanford has more info explaining the White-Black Differences in Average Test Scores here https://edopportunity.org/discoveries/white-black-differences-scores/ust the facts
I just fail to see how embedding ES in every subject will make an objective difference to academic outcomes in our district; it might make some people feel good to see their agenda carried out, but the root causes of the disparities will remain.
Just the facts
- Hen
-Hen
data
"Either TCG et al do not understand that you can't compare apples to oranges or it suits them to keep the waters muddy."
Honestly, it's hard to distinguish incompetence and unclear thinking from intentional disingenuousnes these days.
NE Dad
Thanks for any input.
NE Dad
I hope this just some sort of misunderstanding.
--Owler
https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/assessments/state-testing-overview/scores-and-reports/scale-scores-state-assessments
and note how the level 1 and level 4 numbers are pretty much the same for each grade level. It is specific to the grade level tested. That is all.
Re: the district's fentanyl blurb, it would be nice if they had been clear that it's not just an issue of substance "abuse," but simply substance "use." They need to be clear that single-time experimentation is also incredibly risky these days, and that many types of pills can be suspect (not just those id'd as most commonly laced).
all types
If a teacher is using this so called "box of shame" then the teacher and the principle should have to go before the school board and explain. Teachers have been fired for much less.
SPED Parent
LS
One proposal for where to put the students while the construction work to make their building usable while this is going on is... (wait for it)... in the school district headquarters building!!!
Parents want the district administration to move into space available in Strawberry Hills Mansion High School, which they say would open their eyes about some things.
This is an idea we should keep in mind, Seattle!
https://whyy.org/articles/after-contentious-town-hall-philly-high-schools-could-be-closed-longer-than-expected/
As someone who has worked in inclusion classrooms in SPS for 18 years this IS NOT widely known. I have NEVER heard this. IF you have any actual evidence, then please provide it, otherwise I'm calling BS.
Sped Parent
Peace
More Noise Please
And seriously? “inclusion” science? Blech!!!!. Every classroom should be an inclusion classroom! Having special classrooms for students with disabilities, where inclusion is OK... while everything else is exclusion. Well. THAT is the sucky thing.
Another Sped Parent
Right teacher
“Inclusion” is just a word to mitigate legal risk for services SPS doesn’t provide and a term used to make everyone feel good, IMO. My kid is in an “inclusion” classroom which has a teachers aide but otherwise looks like any other classroom and is blended with students who don’t have an IEP. This is NOT sufficient special ed. They’re not even regularly testing her for progress. Totally unacceptable!!
All Spin
A high school is a ‘slave ship’? Seattle should be expanding its gifted programs, not maligning them.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/a-high-school-is-a-slave-ship-seattle-should-be-expanding-its-gifted-programs-not-maligning-them/
HP
My daughter was in honors and AP courses for some subjects, while she was in support classes for others.
A large group of her friends were as well, which is perhaps why I don’t have the inflammatory response that the media does.
Because of the support program offered ( which MGJ did away with), she and her friends were able to get to grade level in math, despite being two yrs behind when entering 9 th grade.
They then were able to complete chemistry and physics before graduation, preparing them to attend college ( and to major in a STEM field if they wanted to, as my daughter did)
She also had TH3 as principal, has he changed requirements for AP coursework?
appreciative
Salut
Wow. I guess I was regularly "abused" as a kid. (Ok, semi-regularly; I didn't have recess taken away *too* often). I'd say this is a case of defining down a term to the point where it loses a lot of its meaning. Frankly, I have mixed feelings on the benefits and detriments of public shaming, although I'm probably out of step with the majority. Positive peer pressure can be a good thing (although the risks of negative consequences should not be ignored).
NE Dad
How is it “race baiting?” Westneat acknowledges the inequities and proposed various ways to overcome them. Did you read the article? Kudos for laying bare Juneau’s approach: eliminate achievement gaps by lowering services for all. Looks good on a spreadsheet but doesn’t help students.
All Spin
TH3 did change requirements somewhat, but in the other direction and not exactly re: AP classes. The move to "Honors for All" ELA and SS classes--which *may* represent increased challenge compared to prior GE versions, but decreased challenge compared to prior Honors versions--was ostensibly to encourage more students who may not have seen themselves as "honors" type students to decide to later enroll in AP classes. It was supposed to push them a little and let them see they could handle more, then they'd want to push themselves further and take the extra leap to AP classes. But the long-promised evaluation of that "pilot" program never materialized, and they expanded it instead. My guess is that is has NOT been effective in converting non-HC students into AP students, otherwise GHS and Juneau would be touting that all over the place. Instead we get things like "slave" ship, that tell me their efforts failed. Not only did those who typically didn't take AP classes generally continue to not take AP classes, those who typically did take AP classes continued to want AP classes. Since SPS couldn't imagine seeing itself as partly to blame for not adequately preparing students in the 9 years (K-8) leading up to high school, they resort to calling HCC as racist instead. Funny thing, though, if they eliminate HCC, most of those kids taking AP classes in high school will still take those classes in high school. The only ones who won't are those at schools that won't be able to offer as many AP classes, which will likely be mostly minority students.
I'm glad to hear your story of how it worked for your daughter and friends. I think that's how it's supposed to work, and how I think it does work. Makes perfect sense. But the demographics of who does what don't look like what's desired, so they want to blow everything up and go one-size-fits-all, for the sake of optics only.
all types
Try it again. Race-baiting by Juneau and SPS leadership. Absolutely.
-long road
Some of the HCC students are treated very poorly in school for their quirkiness. Some SOC are treated poorly in school and life for the color of their skin. One would think there could be more empathy between the groups considering their children are often outliers.
The board members (Burke and Pinkham) made a wise choice to recommend the ALTF have the opportunity to finish their work and recommendations. I personally don't think it matters what comes out of their work, since no Advanced Learning taskforce recommendations have been honored in the history of SPS. But at least this buys some time to let the people vote and the board shift. Hampson will likely replace Geary, and she will be louder and more divisive. The unknown is whether Liza or Eric will win and if Harris will keep her seat. If Liza wins and Harris is booted, I say buckle up and get ready for rapid change. SPS will not only eliminate advanced learning opportunities behind the scenes, as they have been doing for the past five years, they will blow their horn and make a very public celebration out of bringing everyone to the middle with their standardization approach. Option schools will be on the chopping block next, because this isn't about learning pedagogy, this is about controlling white flight and forcing people to stay in their neighborhood schools.
Buckle Up
shoe fits
It took care of their electives, but the teachers promised to work with them to bring them to grade level, no matter where they started from.
Don’t remember if it was considered part of 504, don’t think so, but most kids by far were not Asian or white.
MGJ did not like that it was not in other schools, and so instead of encouraging other schools to increase support of students who could benefit, she eliminated it.
Why lower the bar instead of lifting everyone up?
Isn’t that what education is supposed to mean?
Yes, that's what one would think. Sadly, it does not seem to be the case in SPS. At all.
simple minds
HCC has high percentages of middle and upper income kids and the pathway has been used to bring these kids out of their neighborhoods into lower income neighborhood schools. They drive access to advanced classes for all the students in that school. HCC is definitely in need of better identification to find and serve gifted poor kids, which would also increase students of color in the program.
However by sending kids back to segregated neighborhoods we still have segregated schools.
I am now wondering if the true plan is to segregate schools further, yet drain middle income schools of basic education resources. For example the district is taking funding away from middle income high schools like Garfield, leaving them unable to offer enough classes for all students to remain in their high school.
But are the low income high schools benefiting from these cuts to middle class high schools as part of "equity" or is the money going somewhere else?
wondering
I have seen the impact having a balanced socioeconomic mix in a school can accomplish.
I feel that it has more benefit than a fistful of grants aimed at a school with high FRL.
The district seems to be overestimating the effort that it takes to inspire kids that struggle and empower them to become more involved in their own education.
It isn’t just about allocating dollars, this is about their lives. About giving them the skills to successfully transition to adulthood and make a difference.
Lowering the bar teaches them that you don’t trust them to meet it, even with assistance.
That is pretty sad.
Crying
Are these extra programs implementing the change that they expect?
Over the last 4 years Geary has not stepped up to support IEPs, 504s or SPED. I find her a complete disappointment. Rankin is Race focused activist that has not shown any particular interest in anything SPED in all her years of involvement in SPS.
So is this a political play by MOSAIC to drum up business? Is Kaizuka aware of the complete and utter failure of Geary to fix any of the issues with SPED.
There is a common interest in autism with Geary having an autistic child and Mosaic offering services for autistic children. Kaizuka has a son with a TBI and is an advocate for more help for those suffering TBI.
The SPS TBI population is very small with the most severe cases being outsourced to several companies.
SPED Parent
City FEL Levy $11 million
LAP funding $11 million
Title I funding $4.5 million
Other various grants $4 million
PTA grants $2.7 million
Considering that SPS's entire budget is well over a billion dollars, the title I money is chump change. Wouldn't it be better to desegregate our schools and create inclusive communities where students can get to know and interact with all kinds of people?
More Noise Please
Woops
I have to say from the comments, neither the Ethnic Studies in Math education OR the changing of HCC has much support. I hope that those who want answers and/or don't support these efforts - in this fashion - will speak up to the Board and the Superintendent.
I deleted some remarks here. Please do not tell tales out of school without sending me proof (like the email about the "box").
There was a teacher in the building that the principal wanted to encourage to quit, for reasons.
So instead of documenting what she needed to do to fire the teacher, she assigned the teacher to the Title 1 class..
It took a few months but the teacher did quit.
That class really made a difference for my daughter. NOT.
What would have been better, is for the school to have accountability and for students to be supported by staff and administration instead of being used as pawns to do administrations work for them.
We never had a new car growing up or a single vacation involving taking an airplane but I was never singled out as "poor" in school even though we had very little including food.
Title one just dosn't work for less fortunate students in fortunate populations.
Reality sucks
PUT UP
You and I would agree on this issue. Most of the time I have special education students in my class without an aid because the district has decided that science isn't really one of the supported classes. Some programs have aids and some programs don't. I have not always seen the rhyme or reason why some students come with support and some don't. I have my opinions, but given that I have no real evidence I will keep them to myself
No offense, but every time you comment it makes it clearer that you know very little about IEPs and the services related to them. SDI encompasses every subject where a student needs supports that enable access to the curriculum. In other words, you are the support! See the problem?
I have reviewed via public disclosure documents showing just how little PD there is regarding IEPs. The average general ed teacher has no training on supporting students with IEPs. SPS special education teacher have a bit more, but not much.
SPED Parent
Thinker
Roundthe Block
Wherever are you getting that information! There are a million examples of push in SDI. Just google and you will find that it is actually a topic that is taught, based on evidence, in teacher training programs all over the USA. The notion that it cannot be effective in a general education classroom is absolute nonsense.
Aliceinwonderland
No walk outs and no strikes over SPED. No marches and no posters over SPED.
That really says a lot about liberals don't you think?
-- Missing accountability
Roundthe Block
PS. And how much “evidence based SDI” do those special educators actually ever do? Evidence by Pinterest, at best. Consider that a great many special educators are hired via the IA-to-cert route and have next to zero special education knowledge. Best to steer clear of SDI if possible. You won’t squeeze much out of that turnip.
And now you have it. Nothing has really improved for SPED, but the sky is falling for HCC and AAM students. You really have to scratch your head and wonder why people don't care? No walk outs and no strikes over SPED. No marches and no posters over SPED.
Isn't that a question for the SPED community? Why aren't SPED parents doing those things? I'd bet liberals would be supportive. Wasn't Director Geary a champion for SPED? Have you talked to her?
Fellow parent
Another reader
The only way things will change is if someone steps up and sues and that cost money. I'm hopeful that something on the horizon.
Maybe now that Mcminimee is taking on SPS there might be hope. She knows where the bodies are buried.
-- Missing accountability
Liberal motives for marching and protesting:
GUNS
WAGES
ABORTION
GLOBAL WARMING
2016 ELECTION
BLACK LIVES
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS
But it up to the SPED community and Geary when it comes to SPED.
Have I summed it up correctly?
-- Missing accountability
And when did this happen for AL? It's okay if you think AL gets more attention (I don't agree) but actual action? No.
Geary RAN on her Sped background so yes, it should not be a surprise that many of us thought she would be a Sped champion.
I'm deleting that last comment as it's not helping the discussion.
I want extra foam or I will march. Do you see the hypocrisy in that. I want special attention to AAM, do see the hypocrisy in that? Just because a person is an AAM doesn't mean they need help or are failing. These type of race based generalizations are dangerous.
HCC or Ge-ed parents generally have a bias against special ed, we all know it and we also know if not for the ADA that a large group of special needs students only option would be
Fircrest. Please don't throw out your 2e straw-man.
Comparing AL to SPED is shameful.
--Come on
What is AAM? Do you mean "African-American Male?"
I disagree with all "HCC and Gen Ed parents are biased against Sped."
Lastly, the reader Missing Accountability linked HCC and Sped. I don't get it either.
Yes we talked as a building about the numbers. The district is going to give us more FTE, however it's kind of difficult to hire a .2 science teacher in October and then there are all the student schedules that would have to change if we were able to hire someone. The district does this every year and they always act like it's something they couldn't foresee. ALL SEA will support is paying the teacher a dollar or two per extra student per day. It's better than a "kick in the pants", but doesn't really make it easier to support students when all your classes are full. Oh well.
Parent
Parent
But you’re right about one thing. My opinion does not matter one iota. Neither does yours. Neither does “having the law on your side”. The law provides no remedies for special education, so it isn’t a particularly effective stick. The most common result of very few OSPI legal complaints is to conduct a new Iep. Since IEPs aren’t followed, creating a new one simply represents a paperwork burden but no remedy or result.
R. Block
You can also find a pdf of the NMSC PSAT guide online. The 3 most important questions to answer for NMSF are: 1) Are you enrolled as a high school student? 2) When will you complete or leave high school and enroll full time in college? and 3) How many total years will you spend in 9-12?
For students taking the test this fall, they would need to plan on a 2021 graduation and 2021 college enrollment in order to qualify for NMSF (and get qualifying scores). If you find the personal info is incorrect on your student's test results page (should be handed out at school), you can call the NMSC and get it corrected.
Students outside of the US will be asked, "Are you a Citizen of the United States?" *Note that starting with last year's test administration, they removed the citizenship question for students taking the test in the US (pretty significant change).
HS parent
RBlock, you too this swipe at me because....
"Like what profession bloggers have..."
Another Reader makes assumptions:
“But you are probably typical of the SEA anti-sped ideologues out there. You may not want to do SDI”
R. Block
Parent
Thanks,
-Seattle parent
My feeling is you should be able to ask your school counselor but maybe they don't know for certain either.
Keep asking questions and I will try to call the company on Monday.