Seattle Schools Community Forum

The Seattle Times, like Crosscut, has redesigned itself (well, not in editorial writing so don't get your hopes up).  Both redesigns - to my eye - are not good.  Busy and hard to follow the categories.  The Times does have a good overview article from the AP about the opt-out movement. — Thousands of Colorado high school seniors walked out on new state-mandated science and social studies tests last fall. — An Ohio middle school teacher published a letter calling state officials “bullies” for printing a pamphlet that warned of wide-ranging consequences if students sit out exams. — At least 93 students at a single Philadelphia middle school are declining upcoming tests in a city that saw only 20 students districtwide sit out the exams last year. The Washington Post's Answer Sheet also has a great article from a high profile principal, Carol Buris, on what is really happening in American public education. - Backlash against Common Core - Pain but no gain ...

So what did you think happened?  He failed math and got in D in reading.  From The Answer Sheet : “It might be argued that I’ve been out of school too long, that if I’d actually been in the 10th grade prior to taking the test, the material would have been fresh. But doesn’t that miss the point? A test that can determine a student’s future life chances should surely relate in some practical way to the requirements of life. I can’t see how that could possibly be true of the test I took.” Here’s the clincher in what he wrote: “If I’d been required to take those two tests when I was a 10th grader, my life would almost certainly have been very different. I’d have been told I wasn’t ‘college material,’ would probably have believed it, and looked for work appropriate for the level of ability that the test said I had. 

First up, Testing It appears that most people are in agreement - there is too much testing in this country.  (Sorry, except for Arne Duncan.)  Going to the press conference at the Senator Patty Murray event at Madrona certainly made that clear.  Senator Murray says there needs to be work to reduce the "redundant and unnecessary testing" in our schools.  (No, she wouldn't be more specific than that.)  She also said she had heard from many parents and educators that the current testing does not meet the needs of students especially around progress.  She could not have been more clear, "NCLB is broken" and it's "no secret" that it is not working.  She said there was no disagreement about this in Congress.   But she did say a couple of disturbing things.  One, they need "data."  Data is what is going to tell us everything we need to know about student progress.  Two, I asked her about student data privacy being included in any rew...

From SPS Communications: Press Conference Friday: U.S. Senator Patty Murray and Seattle Public Schools Superintendent to discuss “No Child Left Behind” Law   What:             U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland, will discuss the “No Child Left Behind” law tomorrow morning at Madrona K-8 school. Murray will address her ongoing efforts to fix and improve the legislation and Nyland will talk about NCLB challenges from an administrator’s perspective. Murray will read to a 1 st grade class, followed by the press conference. Who:                Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)                         Larry Nyland, Superintendent, Seattle Public Schools   ...

From Town Hall : Seattle’s recently-passed universal pre-k measure included a stipulation of standardized testing, but according to NPR’s Anya Kamenetz ( Generation Debt ), today’s schools are sacrificing learning by enacting such regulations. The Test: Why Our Schools are Obsessed with Standardized Testing–But You Don’t Have to Be is her insightful look at the world of standardized testing in the era of No Child Left Behind, increased college expectations, and overachievers. She’ll outline the pressures these tests place on students, their families, and school districts, ultimately offering a wake up call for educators–and parents–to move beyond numbers, and refocus on the child. Kamenetz is the author of several books and NPR’s lead digital education reporter. 7:30PM, Tuesday, January 20, 2015 , Downstairs at Town Hall , 1119 Eighth Avenue, $5

From Seattle Education blog: Would you like to learn more about what tests will be administered to your child in the Seattle Public School District, from kindergarten through 12th grade ( See page 3 of this document  to see how many standardized tests your child will take unless you opt out), and how to opt-out of those that are not necessary for graduation? Do you have a testing experience with your student(s) that other caregivers and parents would benefit from hearing, or would you like to listen to the concerns and questions parents of Seattle Public School students have, to find common ground? Join us for an informative meeting.  All are welcome! Thursday, December 11, 2014 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Harbor Pointe Coffeehouse 2818 East Madison Street 206-420-1187 For additional information on standardized tests, see  What’s wrong with standardized tests? For more on the opt out movement, see  United Opt Out  for opt out letter forms and o...

Testing Landscape via Education Week

If you blinked, you might have missed it. The Times does some really weird thinking on how long they allow education opinions/op-eds to stay (1) on their front page of their website and (2) on the Opinion page of their website.  I've seen some stay for just a day, some for a week or more and some, you cannot find even if you search. This one is a bit of a record as it was just there this morning on their front page webpage and now it's not. But, of course, the Times wants the NCLB waiver issue to run to their view and this, well, doesn't. In fact, President Sharon Peaslee, rather than arguing the rightness or wrongness of having the waiver, does the opposite.  She talks about how one score will not achieve better outcomes for anyone. And, she's right. She even puts in a throwdown to Common Core, saing that Common Core should be "decoupled" from high-stakes testing.  But, it's not because Common Core is bad:: The testing is putting the Common...

The blowback from the comedian Louis C.K. and his tweets about Common Core are useful in pointing out some fundamental issues with Common Core. These are issues that ALL public school parents have a right to weigh in on both as taxpayers AND as parents investing their children into public education.  And that, to me, means parents have more rights to talk about Common Core than say, Bill Gates.  Beware of anyone who says that parents cannot and shouldn't air concerns about what is happening at their children's schools.  I don't care if it's Arne Duncan or anyone else; don't let anyone challenge your right to ask questions.  Backstory: Louis C.K. is a divorced NYC parent of two daughters.  He is very involved with their lives including school.  They attend public schools in NYC.  On April 28th, he tweeted this and thus begin a national discussion (note: misspelling are his): My kids used to love math. Now it makes them cry. Thanks standardi...

Fun at Teacher Appreciation Day at Arbor Heights Elementary.      I happened to be checking what schools require uniforms (I believe there are only 3-4 elementaries).  K-5 STEM is one of them.  From their webpage, the school certainly has quite a different feel to it.  For example, they have four sections to their Uniforms page and the FAQ is really long and fairly strict.  I can only say that you would have a problem getting most kids on the autism spectrum to abide by these rules (they say they make a case-by-case exception for kids with special needs).  Also, to put on your calendar, there will be a showing of the film, " Standardized; Lies, Money and Civil Rights, How Testing is Ruining Public Education" on Wednesday, May 14th at 6:30 p.m. at the NW Film Forum.  The movie is free and sponsored by Seattle Education and Parents Across America, Seattle. The push is on for the NCLB waiver.   I always smile because you can te...

This is truly a fascinating article from the New York Times as they interviewed students about testing. I love the way it opens: William Summitt and Simon Sanders said they were ready. Their fourth-grade class at the Children’s School , near Park Slope in Brooklyn, had prepared for the state reading tests by going over sample passages beforehand, including a challenging excerpt from “King Lear” in which the king asks his three daughters questions about their love for him.  King Lear for 4th graders?  That's one way to get them ready. And this question must have been a doozy: One educator, who declined to be identified because the test questions are supposed to remain confidential, said one third-grade question seemed inappropriate for children that age. It required them to decipher a passage about a wife’s threatening to leave her spouse if he did not divulge a secret. What?  And here's what was explained about that question (shake your head or ...

For some, not well. There's a new site, Testing Talk, that allows teachers and principals to talk about how it went and what they observed. (No, they don't give away any deep, dark test questions or secrets.) From the NYC Public School Parents blog: Liz Phillips, principal of PS 321 in Brooklyn, who was scathing about the 2012 exam as well, but says this one was as bad or worse. PS 321 PARENTS--Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders have just completed three days of the New York State English Language Arts Exam. Your children were wonderful and worked incredibly hard. On the whole, we think that we were able to protect them from the worst stresses of the test, and most seemed fine during most of the exam. However, the teachers and administration are truly devastated by what a terrible test it was and how little it will tell us about our students. Because we are bound by test security, we cannot reveal details but we can tell you that we have never seen an ELA exam...

FYI, the correct legal term that districts and states use is "refusal" and not "opt-out." From the Mrs Mom Blog (in case you didn't know what the Supreme Court has to say on this subject): Until last year, I, along with most parents, did not realize that parents have the right to refuse state testing on behalf of their children. Parents have the right to refuse . There is no provision that allows for the opting out of state assessments, however according to parents’ federal constitutional rights:  "The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that parents possess the “fundamental right” to “direct the upbringing and education of their children.” The Court also declared that “the child is not the mere creature of the State: those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right coupled with the high duty to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” (Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510, 534-35) The Supreme Court criticized ...

There's a petition going to direct the Department of Education and Congress to remove annual standardized testing mandates of NCLB and RttT.  It needs 97,350 signatures and needs to get to 100,000 to get attention from the White House.  (Update: I had this backwards previously.) Meanwhile the Today show on NBC has a Facebook poll going on about testing: Do you think standardized tests are the best way for kids to learn? Tell us why or why not in the comments below. We’ll tackle the debate on air tomorrow! It's running about 4,000K+no to 32 yes.

I asked SPS for a comment on what the policies are for parents who want to opt their students out of standardized testing.  (Although MAP is not mentioned, these answers probably apply.)  Here is the reply (and I'm happy to see this district not being punitive): Currently for the MSP, we do not have “opt out” but rather parent or student refusal. (The language from the Washington State Assessment Coordinators Manual is at the bottom of this email.) For parents who refuse to have their child tested – they may choose to keep them home in the morning of the test dates or if they come to school, they will be supervised but not have individualized instruction. Supervision could be helping in the library or assistance in K-2 since they do not test MSP. The parent refusal must be initiated by the parent and not a teacher suggestion. We do not have the “sit and stare” policy. Because it is parent initiated, they know their child will not be testing. They will not go to the o...

In a very moving and determined move, this Massachusetts parent tells his district what he thinks about ALL high stakes testing. This comes via The Answer Sheet at the Washington Post. Rosa is an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth who specializes in curriculum and instruction, language policies, Literacy and social studies education. In his letter, he refers to the 2013  Massachusetts Statement Against High-Stakes Testing , which was signed by  more than 130 Massachusetts professors and researchers  from some 20 schools —  including Harvard, Tufts, Boston and Brandeis universities —urging state officials to stop overusing high-stakes standardized tests to assess students, teachers and schools. Boy, I'd guess he'd be one of the ultimate parent experts given his profession.   And 130 academics all agreeing on something?  Not bad. What did he have to say?  (Emphasis mine). Last academic year, duri...

Update: well, this is interesting.  So SPS is not going to field test any students in grades 3-10.  The only schools that were participating were Ballard and Roosevelt.  Ballard has bowed out for 11th grade and that leaves Roosevelt testing some 11th grades in the math test.  It's a bit confusing because we here at the blog know - from reading newsletters at Hale - that Hale wanted their students to take this test but maybe Hale was trying to test the waters (pun intended) .  So we have just one high school field-testing the Smarter Balance math test. End of update. It's a busy education news day but this is important news. The testing consortium for Common Core assessments that Washington State belongs to -Smarter Balance - announced today that they need a one-week delay for the field test. The testing window was to start on Tuesday, the 18th. I have not found out yet how many Seattle schools were participating (I only knew of Hale and Ballard) but the ...

As the nation gets into its standardized testing season, the number of parents, in districts throughout the nation, that are opting their children out is growing.  In a story from Chalkbeat Colorado , one mom was very clear on her wishes for her daughter.  When the school ignored them - placing her daughter in an office with adults who were talking to her about the test and refusing to allow that child back in class AFTER testing was done - well, you watch the video. It's funny because a letter sent out to superintendents that had a series of "misconceptions" seemed to also have its own problems. Angela Engel, a former Colorado teacher is became an author and parent activist said this: Parents are sick and tired of the commercialization of our child’s education,” Engel said, explaining just one of the many arguments of parents who want to opt-out their students. “They are not for profit. The policies around high-stakes testing is making a lot of money for the test...

From the Washington Post: The U.S. Department of Education is allowing California to bypass federal requirements by giving standardized tests in math and reading to millions of public school students this spring without publicly reporting results or using them to hold schools or teachers accountable. This is for this year only. Duncan had been threatening to hold on to up to $3.5B in federal funding (shades of Washington State) : But in a letter sent to California officials Friday, Assistant Education Secretary Deborah Delisle wrote that her department has approved the state’s plan. “I hope you find this flexibility helpful,” she wrote. Well that's big of them.

To note: college success is better verified by GPA than SAT or ACT. From the president of Bard College via Time : The SAT needs to be abandoned and replaced. The SAT has a status as a reliable measure of college readiness it does not deserve.   The blunt fact is that the SAT has never been a good predictor of academic achievement in college. High school grades adjusted to account for the curriculum and academic programs in the high school from which a student graduates are. First, despite the changes, these tests remain divorced from what is taught in high school and what ought to be taught in high school.   Second, the test taker never really finds out whether he or she got any answer right or wrong and why.  What purpose is served by putting young people through an ordeal from which they learn nothing? Is the SAT a reasonable representation of the ideals and benefits of learning? No, it makes a mockery of them. The time has come for co...