Quote:
Originally Posted by KSig RC
If SpEd and ESL students are such a drag on the numbers, why are they included and/or why aren't these individuals placed in a location that can be fairly judged against standards (i.e. another program/school)?
|
Because the government, per NCLB, want them included. They can't segregate the special needs kids (well the ones that can function on their own), it's what is called "inclusion." Once they get to certain grade, they are put into a 'normal' classroom, whether they are ready or not. It's why my legally deaf cousin, is part of a normal 3rd grade monolingual class. It's called "inclusion." So he'll be taking the same TAKS test (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) that all the other 3rd graders take. It doesn't help that his teacher doesn't know how to teach him and because he's already been put into the "normal" class, he doesn't get his special ed classes anymore.
His test will be the same, except he won't have the field questions (i.e. the questions that are meant to be so difficult that the kids can't pass that question---but they aren't included in the final score).
Really unless you are a teacher, you won't really 'get' why there is so much hostility towards NCLB. It is a good system, in theory, but it hasn't been implemented properly.
ETA:
Quote:
Originally Posted by UGAalum94
And, unless I've missed something major, NCLB doesn't really require that anyone do anything to teachers based on the results of the test.
|
That's actually not true. NCLB may not be directly responsible for it, but there are consequences if schools don't meet AYP. If a school doesn't meet AYP, they get put on a growth plan (like i mentioned earlier). If after the 5th year, a school doesn't meet AYP (in any area) then the school will be taken over by the "government." It will be up to them what would happen to the teachers..they could keep them, dismiss them all, or just dismiss some of them.
That has been something that has been in place since the beginning of NCLB. I never had to take the TAKS (the TAKS started the year after me) but even then I heard that if the students didn't pass the TAKS, then teachers could be fired.
Like I mentioned before, there is one school in this area that is on their 5th year not meeting AYP's graduation rate (and we've already talked about that). If they don't bring up their graduation rate, then the school will be taken over.