NCLB

[UGAalum94]

http://www.state.nj.us/education/new...0aypreport.htm

That link says that New Jersey also only considers Math and English. So no doubt the schools are breathing down the necks of science teachers to improve science test performance, but it has NOTHING to do with NCLB AYP in New Jersey or Georgia.*

Now, DolphinChicaDDD may not even be in New Jersey and some states may have made science part of the AYP measurements. But this kind of stuff is what I mean about how the rhetoric around NCLB and the actual law often don't overlap much.*

At my school, the administrators will talk about AYP and graduation tests scores in all the areas, but really all the kids could fail the social studies and science grad. test, and we'd still be okay if everyone was good on ELA and Math.*


* Actually, although this was correct in the past and for this year, in 2007-2008, according to the New Jersey website, high schools do have to add science assessment. Maybe DolphinChica's school is just really forward thinking and they've been assessing "accountability" all along. No school in New Jersey could have failed to make AYP because of science so far, however. That part was right, and since I can't really find anything saying Georgia is adding science to the mix next year, I don't know if it's a NCLB deal or not. Anyone know?

[DolphinChicaDDD]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

http://www.state.nj.us/education/new...0aypreport.htm
* Actually, although this was correct in the past and for this year, in 2007-2008, according to the New Jersey website, high schools do have to add science assessment. Maybe DolphinChica's school is just really forward thinking and they've been assessing "accountability" all along. No school in New Jersey could have failed to make AYP because of science so far, however. That part was right, and since I can't really find anything saying Georgia is adding science to the mix next year, I don't know if it's a NCLB deal or not. Anyone know?

The state has been giving the science test for awhile, and starting next year they need to pass Science in order to graduate. Social Studies is in the works. Next year, we're going to start being held accountable for science test scores.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by DolphinChicaDDD

The state has been giving the science test for awhile, and starting next year they need to pass Science in order to graduate. Social Studies is in the works. Next year, we're going to start being held accountable for science test scores.

Oh, yeah, Georgia's had a five-part graduation test (writing, ELA, math, science and social studies) for years, too. But my point was just it's not actually a NCLB thing.

(And it looks like, despite what the NJ website says, that science might not really be required to be assessed next year. Neither of the states that I looked up yesterday has any mention of adding science in 2007-2008 on the NCLB national website and the documents were updated in 2006. Surely, we’d be hearing more about it in Georgia since the graduate test scores came out this week, but maybe not.)

There may be problems with testing in general, but it bugs me when people attribute stuff to NCLB that doesn't really have anything to do with what the law requires.

NCLB is scapegoated by the education establishment for everything that's wrong. Especially at the building level, administrators give NCLB as the reason behind any unpopular decision or initiative.

You all may be held accountable for scores way beyond your control, but more of that is a local decision than a NCLB thing. Most of what NCLB measures is very basic reading and writing, really.