BY DAVE PARRO
As if things weren't bad enough in the East Aurora School District already, now a principal is being investigated for helping students cheat on ISAT standardized tests.
While district officials are downplaying the "improprieties" as isolated incidents -- which they very likely could have been -- there's a larger question here of why the Krug Elementary educator would set such a poor example for her students. In a financially struggling district that has landed schools on the state watch list in the past based on adequate yearly progress standards, the pressure to perform has to be immense.
Has the federal No Child Left Behind Act put administrators in the terrible position of being tempted to cheat on standardized tests, especially in poor districts where budget cuts have led to fewer resources?
According to Chicago Public Radio, Illinois wants to be one of 10 states to take part in a pilot program announced this week that would give some states more leeway under the act. Matt Vanover, of the Illinois State Board of Education, said the program would mean "districts could focus more resources on schools needing drastic reform" instead of worrying about how all schools perform.
Read more about the proposed changes here. Here's an excerpt from the Tribune story:
Under a plan unveiled by Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, states would be allowed to differentiate how they label -- and punish -- schools, based on the degree to which a given school fails to meet No Child Left Behind standards.
A school that missed only one achievement target, for example, could get a more favorable label and less severe sanctions than a school that missed several goals.
The "one-size-fits-all approach," as the story calls it, lumps schools that fail in one area in with the worst-performing schools. According to the story, "In Illinois, for example, about 150 schools were labeled underperforming last year, only because special education students did not make the grade."
Illinois state schools Supt. Christopher Koch called No Child Left Behind "overly punitive."
At Krug last year, scores slipped a bit from the year before, especially in reading. Was the principal worried about sanctions when she allegedly gave students answers and allowed them to change their responses?
Search for any state school's scores here.
I'm praying for the day when we get rid of "No Child Left Behind". It's an unfunded mandate that forces schools to "teach to the test", instead of concentrating on truly educating students. No wonder this principal felt that she had to help students cheat--what results did she get when they followed the rules?
Its a shame no one has commented on this. Does anyone care? or is this now the norm or standard?
Anon:
Quite agree with you, NCFB is a sham and farce...just read an article in the past week about States and School Districts that 'skew and kludge' their graduation results when reporting to the Dept of Education, then the 'real ones' they keep either internally or report at the State, local levels.
We're talking about 15-25% variances, in many cases. Also how they exclude out or hide the failure rates or student population rates to 'hit the targets' or show major improvements and results.
States’ Data Obscure How Few Finish High School
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/education/20graduation.html
Rather certain that happens here in our local school districts as well.
By no means exempting or excusing this alleged behavior by the principal or others involved. In the end, it is the students who are ripped off and short changed...they get 'passed along' without the fundamental skills, behaviors and foundations to achieve later in life.
Could do an entire series on investigative articles on these matters...the underlying behaviors and results would be a true eye opener for many parents, students and tax payers.
Not directly related, but another underlying factor facing our kids and communities. Contributes to so many other failures and shortcomings our kids face as they make the journey towards adulthood.
A Boy the Bullies Love to Beat Up, Repeatedly
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/us/24land.html
How many incidents have been reported in the local papers this year alone? Small wonder many of our kids are stressed out and have problems getting a well rounded and meaningful education.
Yeah it's NCLB fault that cheating may have occurred. That is sort of like blaming the neighbor child who left their bike out in the back yard overnight when the bike gets taken.
The question is what would someone have had to gain from this?
Wait a minute. I agree that No Child Left Behind is a bad deal but lets not condone cheating. Are we really saying its okay to cheat because we don't agree with the law. There is a great message for our kids.....
The NCLB legislation was good political capital eight years ago. But the flaws, also obvious years ago, are beginning to show up. The fact is that many humans are not cognitively able to be educated past a certain level. Given that all humans are born with a different set of abilities, it is also given that some people are less intelligent than others. A better school will not raise a low I.Q. score. Intelligence is determined at birth.
Scholarship, on the other hand, is not determined at birth. If the school systems could address the myriad differences in learning abilities, then the US would have the greatest schools in the world. Schools cannot do that. Othe countries are careful to group their students by ability level when they begin school. Due to the rather pleasant charter of the US (our constitution) the type of "human capital we receive is variable.
It would be "better" that the school systems, particularly in areas with immigrants with different language and math skills, should concentrate their resources on the basic skills. The basic skills (Reading & Math) need to be taught/tested and the result contemplated, but only insofar as the bell curve of ability dictates. The result of a school, or any independent variable will tend to follow the normal error function. . .
Testing student progress is of course an important facet of education. But the pressure from a piece of work like NCLB is bound to cause an unethical administrators to look for a shortcut. Unless you can make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) every year the schools is likely to remain on the watch list. Given that the human capital that any school district receives every year does not change all that much, the chance that a student will "improve" by a set percentage is very unlikely. Ninety percent of the human race has an average I.Q. A better school cannot raise a average I.Q. score. Intelligence is determined at birth.
Anyone who has parented more than one child or taught more than one child can tell you that NCLB's "all-or-nothing" policies are ridiculous. Penalizing a school because one tiny sub-set of students fails a test accomplishes nothing.
Of course the principal should be punished for cheating--have her do a few hours of community service or pay a small fine. Meanwhile, more of us are learning how badly "No Child Left Behind" has left behind common sense.