Washingtonpost.com:

Republican lawmakers in Virginia announced Monday they intend to make reforming the state’s Standards of Learning tests a key part of their legislative agenda in 2014.

Virginia students currently take 34 standardized tests between third grade and graduation, said Del. Tag Greason (R-Loudoun). “That’s a lot to ask from our students,” he said.

He also said legislators are devising a plan that would reduce the number of SOL tests and improve them so they emphasize more problem solving skills and less rote memorization.

“We expect them to do and perform on our standardized tests in a very rigid way,” Greason said. “We think there’s a better way.”

Expletive! Expletive!   Last year the GOP lawmakers wanted to be gynecologists.  This year they want to be educators.

What they need to do is turn the SOL tests completely over to the State Department of Education and get the hell away from it.

The problem isn’t the concept of the SOL tests.  The problem was how they were being used to satisfy all the hoops of NCLB.  I don’t know how you reduce the number of SOL tests.  Really, asking students to take 34 year-end tests in 10 years doesn’t seem like a huge issue to me, especially since in Prince William County passing the SOL exempts you from your exam in whatever exit subject you are taking.   The social studies SOL isn’t given every year in grades 3-8.  The most tests any kid would take is 4 in one year.

The problem isn’t the tests.  The problem is the incredibly stupid objectives that must be taught/learn.  Lets think about math for just a minute.  How many times in this life do you use a stem and leaf plot?  How often must you calculate the surface area of a cylinder?  Not often, unless you are into painting water towers or silos.  Other subjects have their share of dumb-ass objectives also.  I am thinking that teachers could probably come up with a pretty nifty curriculum for each grade level or subject.  Of course they would have to do this within the confines of scope and sequence  and all the other catch phrases used in education to make sure kids are exposed to the right things in the right order and that there aren’t big gapping holes in one’s learning.

I would demolish those research papers in 8th grade and 11th grade.  Piaget would roll over in his grave.  There is just something about mental maturity that isn’t there for kids at either of  those  ages when they are expected to research and create these extensive research papers.   So many of the objectives just ask too much before many students are ready.  That’s what you get when people like politicians get involved in deciding what kids should be learning in school.

The Washington Post added some insult to injury:

In addition to testing reform, the Republican lawmakers over the coming year hope to expand virtual learning programs and develop career ladders to help teachers stay in the classroom, Greason said.

House Majority Leader Kirk Cox (R) highlighted some legislative achievements from the previous year, including approving a 2 percent pay raise for teachers, creating a pilot program for strategic compensation incentives, and reforming teacher contracts.

Cox said that last year was dubbed “the Year of the Teacher” by Gov. Robert F. McDonnell. This year, the focus will be “the kids in the classroom,” he said.

I saw that evaluation form where about 40% of teacher success was based on the outcome of students test scores.  Yea, that’s really pro-teacher.  Load someone up with a few tough classes of slow learners.   Wouldn’t want to be that teacher on the day of reckoning.   I also saw the McDonnell initiative Report Cards for Schools.  Not so sure that was real pro teacher or pro student.

What’s this about teachers staying in the classroom?  Where are they going?  I am all for virtual learning and also for vocational training in our high schools.  Very little attention is paid there.  The state curriculum assumes everyone goes to college,  Not only does everyone not go to college, about 25% of students don’t graduate from high school.  That is simply unacceptable.  I have heard nothing for years about expanding any type of vocational training and it is desperately needed for many of our Virginia kids.

The one thing I would like to see also is some student accountability.  It always seems like it is someone else’s fault when Johnny doesn’t do his homework, make the football team, or doesn’t learn to read.  It’s some other kid’s fault when Johnny gets in trouble or disrupts the class.  If Johnny does drugs or drinks all weekend, or gets his girlfriend pregnant, it isn’t Johnny’s fault.

If something ever needed defunding, it would be NCLB.  I hope that horrible, but well-intentioned law has gone the way of the doo doo bird.  Let’s get our state lawmakers to just stick to making laws that make voting easier for people like me, solve transportation issues, create jobs, and help shield our federal workers and contractors from the whims of  the idiots in  congress.

They really should not be meddling in education other than to give localities as much freedom as possible.  Yes, they have a place in education and it is to allocate funds.  The State Board of Education is perfectly capable of dealing with the education issues without meddling  politicians.   Most of them are posturing and don’t know the first thing about what they are talking about.  Remember 2 years ago when they were going to mandate that every kid in the state of Virginia would have to have 150 minutes of physical education  per week?  They never thought about where this would happen and that Virginia has a winter season and schools don’t all have gyms.  I rest my case.

Great plan.  Implementation impossible.

 

31 Thoughts to “GOP lawmakers want to reform SOL testing in Virginia”

  1. What they need to do is just get rid of them.

    1. Why? Should there be no state standardized learning? Should it just be a free for all? Each classroom teacher decides what to teach?

  2. As it is currently designed…. get rid of it.

    The state should list basic requirements and allow the school boards to design the curriculum. If I don’t like what’s going on in my county…I can move. But I can’t get away from the SOL’s.

    The emphasis now is too much on getting ready for the tests. Knowledge is a mile wide and paper thin.

    When schools start dropping things like handwriting so that they have more time to get ready for SOLS…you have a problem.

    1. @CArgo,

      You are making some valid points although I for a while and I do want to discuss this. I think there should be a state wide curriculum that covers the basics. As I see the problem, (let’s set aside NCLB for a while) The SOL objectives are so filled upper grade level and content area, there is no time for teacher creativity and fun. I would pull some objectives, cover core material, and leave a little wiggle room for teacher creativity and even division wide objectives.

      Lets see…designing the curriculum….I think the basics should be designed by the state. It creates continuity. If you move from Richmond to Prince William, you will cover the same curriculum.

      Is there a need for handwriting? I think everyone should know how to sign their name.

      SOLs got out of hand because of NCLB. Too much emphasis on each test. It was bad before that but not as bad. Virginia needs to throttle back a bit. I think kids would do better actually.

  3. Steve Thomas

    I agree with Cargo, get rid of NCLB and the SOLs. Leave it to the various school systems to measure competency in the required subjects, since it is the school system that must worry about accreditation of their programs, and their diplomas. The only requirement that should be placed on the schools by the state should be accreditation, as in they must be accredited by one of the state-approved organizations.

    Let’s quit doling out grants and state/fed education dollars on the basis of standardized tests. Either do away with these funds altogether or award them tied directly to graduation rates, as in improve by x% and funds continue. Don’t and they go away. Bring back vocational schools, for those less academically inclined.

    1. I totally support doing away with NCLB and pouring big money into vocational training. Not everyone wants to go to college or should go to college.

      I would keep basic curriculum at the state level and allow local jurisdictions to add to the basic curriculum. I don’t mind SOL testing. That brings some accountability to everyone: school systems, schools, and individual kids. I mind very much how the SOLs are being used now.

      I believe there should be modified tests for kids with disabilities and those who are learning English. Expecting those kids to pass right along with Average Joe is just not realistic. That is where the intense pressure has been: ESOL, economically disadvantaged (based on free lunch), minority and special ed students. This pressure has translated into all recourses being used to promote the scores of those in the subgroups at the expense of everyone else.

      Not sure what grants you mean. The only grants I know about are from private ventures. State and federal funding is another matter. I don’t mind the state or feds sending money to pay for additional help for kids with learning problems, for whatever reason. That money should be used for homework groups, additional helpers, smaller instructional settings and even to pay for busses to get kids home after special learning classes. I don’t approve of bribing kids with pizza.

      Let’s say I give a 60% nod of agreement to your statements, Steve.

    2. White boards are a great educational tool. Most schools wouldn’t have computers if it weren’t for the state.

      What the general public doesn’t realize is how many programs are mandated by law and all the mickey mouse that goes with some of those programs.

      Special education is horribly expensive also. The hidden cost and mandates simply take your breath away.

      I am not sure why you want to tie ed dollars to graduation rates. That is bribery rather than money going towards a specific goal.

      Some schools will always have high drop out rates because of cultural factors and demographics that are more fluid.

  4. Steve Thomas

    The Grants I refer to are for one-time purchases like computers, smartboards, tablets, iPads… When I sold Smartboards and trained teachers on their use, I helped school systems write their grant applications. These were Fed, State and private.

    I think the max responsibility, accountability need to be at the local level. If we want this, then we must also accept max flexibility in how and what students are taught. Agree, the State should set the minimum ciriculim.

  5. Scout

    Health care is a complicated issue. So is education. I get very, very, concerned when legislators anywhere, but not least in Virginia, start talking about establishing education standards at the legislature level. If these guys would just limit themselves to designing and testing playground equipment, I would be less concerned.

    But, as Moon and others indicate, one does have to have some objective standards. I guess the issue for me is who establishes them. I am not particularly comfortable with the General Assembly establishing math standards (or history standards, for that matter).

    I travel internationally quite a bit. I am always very impressed with the people I deal with overseas, particularly in Northern Europe and in Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. They seem, at any age, to be extremely well-informed, linguistically quite agile, and analytically very astute. I suppose part of this is that I’m dealing with high achievers. But there must be something going on in these education systems that would benefit us to understand. I can’t believe that it comes down to testing the daylights out of people. But, then again, maybe that’s how other countries do it. Someone knows.

    1. Part of the problem with excessive testing stems from the fact that NCLB was placing such stringent requirements on schools that there was division or school wide testing all the time. There was testing at the end of units. There was snapshot testing to see that everyone was on tract. the testing to death actually started out under Dr. Kelly when he mandated a computer generated testing system called the CMS testing. Food for thought became a full course meal.

      It isn’t the SOL tests, it’s the hundreds (not kidding) of tests that the average kid takes per year in SOL subjects to make sure the kid is ready.

      Then there are all the study groups for those who aren’t mastering all the objectives. I am surprised teachers don’t drop dead in the classroom from exhaustion.

      I don’t know where NCLB stands now. It sure doesn’t have the teeth it used to have. But…it hasn’t gone away totally. The Standards of learning need to be a guide not a slave master.

      I wish DB would drop by for a visit so we could as her some questions.

  6. Rick Bentley

    Cursive writing is no longer taught I believe. Unless my grandson’s lying to me.

    We do, I think, need at least some SOL tests in place to have some objective basis for passing students.

    From what I see of the PWC school system, they generally are doing a great job day in day out. I would hesitate to offer them advice.

  7. @Rick Bentley
    It’s not. I’ve tried to teach my daughter, but…. nope.

    It’s a wonderful tool for improving eye/hand small motor skills in the very young.

    1. So is playing jacks. Jacks are a lot more fun.

      Call and ask if cursive is a 3rd grade SOL objective. it looks like it is under the writing strand and is SOL 3.8

  8. Steve Thomas

    @Scout
    “I am not particularly comfortable with the General Assembly establishing math standards (or history standards, for that matter).”

    Scout, were you aware that Delegate Jackson Miller has received the endorsements of the VEA, PWCEA, and MEA? Not challenging your position, mind you. Just pointing this out. It would appear that they really like his 65% of funding must be spent in the classroom.

  9. Pat.Herve

    In PWC cursive is taught in third grade – http://3rd-grade.languagearts.departments.pwcs.edu/modules/groups/homepagefiles/gwp/980799/2347664/File/Grade%203%20Level%20Guide/PWCS%20Final%20Curriculum%20Framework%20Grade%203.pdf?sessionid=b2e7d8f16f3c60d3e62a71873e7b173c – although it is not enforced as the child gets older.

    Evaluating a teacher and evaluating a school is a difficult thing to do. Do you grade them on the grades their students get or compare them to other children in other areas through a standardized test? What happens when a teacher gets a few slow learners? What happens to a school in a lower performing area – studies have shown more affluent areas perform better because of a better home environment (parents work less, spend more time, reading enforced). And why is it the job of schools to teach kids everything?? I work with my kids to ensure that they gain knowledge on a variety of things that are not taught in school. My kids have homework every night – sometimes school work, sometimes my work. They do not watch TV during the week – most homes the tv is in the bedroom and unmonitored. Kids are watching tv shows at 10 and 11pm at night.

    1. Good find, Pat. I guess we can put that one to bed, that kids are no longer taught cursive.

      If it is in PWC’s objectives, it must be a state objective, just not a tested one.

      If someone’s kid isn’t getting taught cursive, then that parent has every right to go raise hell.

      Cargo, go rattle some cages if squidette wasn’t taught cursive.

  10. Elena

    I can attest to cursive not being taught. My kids were briefly in public school last year and Rachael, who has beautiful cursive writing, was told to stop doing her work in cursive, she could only write her name. Huh? She has a skill most kids don’t have and she was told to stop? Never did understand that.

    The question for me is really more holistic. We want our kids to find their own gifts, every person has some talent. Some talents are measureable, others, not so much. My little Rachael has the gift of resiliency and positive attitude. She truly does light up a room, her social skills are simply amazing. Is that a measurable gift, no, but will it allow her to have a happier life, I imagine so.

    Kids need to be challenged in thought and ideas. Teachers need to have the freedom to be excited to teach, to try out new ideas, to instill a love of learning, not just because you can pass a test, but because you become a more self realized human being.

    1. It is a third grade objective. It sounds like her teacher was …well…never mind. Kids also learn it in second grade according to the objective. I would stare a teacher down over telling my kid they couldn’t write in cursive. I think it should be taught if for no other reason, every literate person should be able to sign their own name.

  11. Scout

    Steve: I have a better opinion of Jackson Miller than many of his colleagues, despite VEA’s endorsement. It would take more than that to make me think ill of him. I still don’t want the legislature setting educational standards. I’d prefer a non-political commission of educators from all levels, primary, secondary, university.

  12. Rick Bentley

    They are definitely not being taught to write cursive in any way that sticks. A lesson plan might touch on it, but the kids aren’t learning it.

    Which is ok with me. I was ahead of my time, I was printing everything by the time I got to high school. The teachers were all okay with that because they found it easy to read.

  13. Steve Thomas

    Just got the progress report from my daughter’s teacher, along with her reportcard. My daughter excels in all academic subjects, is the most well-behaved and organized student in the class, always prepared, and has been identified as a “peer-leader”, in that students tend to follow her example. When pressed for what this means, her teacher said “When I have a student who has trouble paying attention, focusing on their work, or is easily distracted or talks alot, I place them in a peer-leader’s study-pod. They quickly begin following the leader’s example, and begin paying attention, and behaving according to expectations.

    Very proud of my little girl.

    1. Congratulations! You should be proud of her. Keep up the good work, Miss Thomas.

      I like that the teacher honed in on the two attributes that are the most important for student success. First off, good behavior If a student is behaving, not only can he or she learn but so can everyone else. Secondly, organization which is perhaps the most under-rated earmark of student success Its almost impossible to teach someone how to be organized. I have struggled with the issue my entire life.

      Good organization can compensate for all sorts of things. If you don’t have organizational skills, it really doesn’t matter how smart you are academically, you still run from behind.

  14. Steve Thomas

    As a student trained by the Palmer-system of cursive handwriting, I can attest to the usefulness of this skill. The system was design to enable writting at the speed of a typwriter, which has certainly helped me in life. i’m thankful that my 1970’s ublic elementary school experience included this subject.

    1. If you don’t use it frequently you will loose speed also. I used to have good penmanship and now it looks like chicken scratching. I can’t imagine anyone not knowing how to write in cursive. How does a person sign their name????

  15. Steve Thomas

    @Moon-howler
    I can’t imagine anyone not knowing how to write in cursive. How does a person sign their name????

    “X”?

    1. I wonder if people even take that as a signature nowadays?

  16. Rick Bentley

    I haven’t written in cursive since I was 14 or so, with the exception of writing checks. And when I do that, I go slowly and make mistakes.

    And there are no ramifications. I take effective notes. Actually I’m looking right now at my scrawled work to-do list. It’s printed more or less, but in a hasty way where the characters approach cursive. Looks like particularly when writing an ‘e” in haste I do it cursive off the end of the previous letter. It’s hybridized print/cursive.

    People younger than me tend towards typing notes. They can text at 10 times the speed that I can, on any makeshift keyboard. i do believe that cursive writing is a thing of the past.

    1. Other than signing your name, you might be right. I can’t text like my daughter or grandkids. They look like they have monkey thunbs. That’s why I stick with android, so I can take advantage of having SWYPE where I just slide my finger over the letters.

      Thumb typing is just ….so not me.

  17. Rick Bentley

    Apparently there’s no particular mental process going in on cursive vs. printing –
    http://www.today.com/moms/learning-cursive-writing-it-worthwhile-or-wasted-time-8C11045379

    “But Professor Karin James, an Indiana University neuroscientist who studies brain changes as a result of learning, says she hasn’t yet established the benefit of teaching or not teaching cursive (despite how some of her studies may have been interpreted. In fact, her forthcoming study found no differences in brain function for 7 year olds, as seen on MRI scans, when they wrote in cursive versus print lettering. So far, her research has shown the change that matters for children, she explains, is between handwriting and typing, and the brain is more engaged when writing letters— any kind of letters— by hand. “

  18. Censored bybvbl

    I think the only advantage of cursive is that it enables a person easily to read historic documents or texts. I suppose it can be quickly learned by those not taught it. I learned it in days as a child when I transferred from a school system that didn’t teach it until the third grade to one which had taught it in the second. I had to play catch-up quickly. (In my field printing was more important…. now, no doubt, replaced by keyboarding.)

    1. I think the historical document thing becomes more important when we extend it to personal letters. How do people even communicate with older generawtions who do write cursive?

      We are already running in to a archive desert. Who really writes personal notes now? Most people write emails. What happens to those emails when we get new computers? They get turned out to pasture just like our old computers.

      I have no letters from my husband at all. Maybe a few notes jotted on the bottom of a purchased card. He isn’t a letter writer because his penmanship is so illegible. No deeply personal secrets revealed in my family. They don’t exist. all our business was conducted on ma bell.

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