New York education...

Here's an article from The New York Times about the latest test scores: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/education/01schools.html?_r=1&hpw

Here's a few tid bits that struck me and I had to post them (but I do recommend you read the article!):

"There were large drops in passing rates across New York, reflecting new requirements intended to correct for years of inflated results. The exams, state education officials said, had become too easy to pass, their definition of proficiency no longer meaningful."

• Inflated results and become too easy to pass?? Could this be said for other states as well?
  

"The charter school run by the local teachers’ union, the UFT Charter School, showed one of the most severe declines, to 13 percent of eighth graders proficient in math, from 79 percent. "

• 13%...13%?! This is what is happening; these are the young people who are growing up and going to run this country. Now, I just finished a bachelor's degree and had an awful time trying to learn all that would be forgotten, but I passed the tests...
  

"Much of the city’s progress in reducing the achievement gap between minority and white students was eroded by the new numbers, revealing that more black and Hispanic students had been barely passing under the old standards. The percentage of black elementary and middle school students proficient in math fell to 40 percent, from 75 percent, while among white students, passing rates declined to 75 percent, from 92 percent."

• I would suggest reading Jonathan Kozol on the disparities in urban/suburban education.
  

"More than five times as many third through eighth graders — 63,400 compared to 11,800 last year — failed to reach the city’s minimum standard for promotion to the next grade on the English test. Most will still be promoted, but will have to attend summer school in 2011 if they do not improve, education officials said."

• When I had an issue with the way my son was completing homework (or wasn't), I told the teacher I would just give him a failing grade as he had multiple chances to complete his work. I was told that in fifth grade, the important aspect is that he learn the concept and not just flunk him. So this is what is going on...pass the students on, although they have not learned what they need to. Then when they try to learn concepts based on the previous ones they didn't get, they are going to struggle then, too. How many kids are going to summer school? How much does it cost to go to summer school? Wouldn't the system save money by concentrating and getting extra help during the months schools are open and running instead of opening them year round? With severe budget cuts, wouldn't summer school be the last option in the minds of those dealing with the budget?
  

"Yet the new scores also strengthened some Bloomberg administration arguments, underscoring, for example, the weak performance of some schools it has sought to close. At the Choir Academy of Harlem, the percentage of eighth graders passing the English test dropped to 6 percent, from 44 percent. At the Academy of Collaborative Education, also in Harlem, eighth-grade math passing rates fell to 2 percent, from 49 percent. "

• SIX PERCENT OF EIGHTH GRADERS PASSED ENGLISH?! ARE YOU JOKING?! Obviously education should be on the forefront of everyone's minds, whether you are a parent or not. Education should be given ultimate attention, yet look where we are. Who is going to run the country in 30 years? Who will be our doctors, teachers, those in the military, take care of our aging population--if kids aren't learning now?!

Touchy subject for me, so I apologize. This obviously riles me up!