Category Archives: Elementary School Assessment
New York changes math and literature standards in Kindergarten
The Wall Street Journal reported that New York is going to raise the bar when it comes to what is expected in kindergarten. By the 2011- 2012 school year staff will begin to implement the new standards. “The new kindergarten math standard will build on the instruction of basic math and counting concepts. The new standard will seek to develop understanding of ordinal numbers — first, second, third, etc., recognize and identify coins and use other methods that had been taught in later grades.” The new literature standards will teach students to respond to literature “by employing knowledge of literary language, textual features, and forms to read and comprehend, reflect upon, and interpret literary texts from a variety of genres and a wide spectrum of American and world cultures.”
21st Century Learning: what’s so different?
Through an educational source I was reading I ended up viewing a YouTube video put out by the Pearson Foundation. The video is simply done having a black backdrop as people who work in the field of education all over the world speak candidly about where education could go in the 21st century. They all seem to agree that schools should be a very different type of place than schools of the last century.
Girls fare better than boys when it comes to reading
I just finished blogging that girls are performing better in math than what most people believe. That we should not believe the stereotypes that abound in education citing gender makes a difference in what subjects a child will excel. Now I read about a study that upholds the stereotype of girls being better readers – that girls are 1.5 years ahead of boys! Whoa!
What’s Behind the Gender Gap?
Can kids really do more at a younger age?
As I look around at the kids of today I often wonder, “How did they know that?” It seems they can read and write, work electronics, and even use more advanced language at younger ages than ever before. Is it for real? Can (and are) kids learn more sooner?
The research is in
Interestingly enough the Gesell Institute for Human Development found there really hasn’t been a change. The Gesell Institute is known for tracking child development and noting benchmarks (average ages) of when most children can do certain tasks. They have been keeping track if these developmental schedules since 1925. The assessment, the Gesell Developmental Observation (GDO), is used in thousands of preschools and elementary schools across the country.
Four Math Programs: Mixed Results
The US Department of Education recently released the second part of a study of mathematics in early elementary education. The study looked at four math programs used with first and second graders (a report will be released in the future that includes third grade). As the report states, the goal was to determine “whether some early elementary school math curricula are more effective than others at improving student math achievement in disadvantaged schools.”
High Poverty School Scores High Marks on Testing
A school in Alabama recently discussed why it is as good as it is. The school follows a definitive plan. At E.D. Nixon the teachers believe all students can learn. They also follow the three R’s: rigor, relevance, and relationship. The teachers at E.D. Nixon believe they make a difference – and they do.
Change the Atmosphere, Change the School
Girls rock when it comes to math!
You go girls! According to a study out of Berkeley, girls are good at math in spite of the stereotype many of us grew up with – that boys excel in math while girls perform better in reading.
Factors that Influence Math Success
The study found that “gender (was) dead last among nine factors, including parental education, family income and school effectiveness, in influencing the math performance of 10-year olds.” It also seems to suggest that teachers need to pay attention to this information and address it accordingly. I think teachers already knew this. I certainly did, but maybe that’s because I loved math even as a child. I thought numbers were fun, and I liked how there was always a right answer. Fast forward to my teaching years and I feel I energized many a child when it came to math both boys AND girls!
How do you know if a school is a “good school?”
I just finished reading about some “good” schools. Schools where the principal is being praised for raising the achievement level of the students. I also read how people feel schools are failing our nation’s youth. Then I read Nancy Flanagan’s article in the Washington Post that pointed out things may not be what they seem.
What does Good Mean?
“Were” did spelling go?
You’re right; it should be “where.” The problem is that some of our younger students may never know the difference.
Two well respected school districts near where I live have decided to officially stop giving weekly spelling tests. Why? They claim students only memorize words for the weekly tests and do not retain the correct spellings. That coupled with the time it takes to give pre-tests and post-tests each week the districts figure they are “gaining” an hour of time each week by not giving the tests at all. In West Newsmagazine, some people said Spell Check might be one of the reasons for doing away with teaching spelling because they questioned if spelling really matters at all anymore. The districts say they may not be testing spelling, but they are still teaching spelling by moving toward something called word study.
Elementary Test scores published
In a few days 6,000 Los Angeles area teachers will have the test scores of their students posted for all to see – and compare. It is said this document will show how much the teacher’s students improved on standardized tests. They are using something called the value-added method of calculation.
According to the Los Angeles Times the “value-added (method) looks at each student’s past test performance and uses it to project his or her future performance. The difference between the child’s actual and projected results is the estimated “value” that the teacher or school added (or subtracted) during the year.”
