Nancy E. Bailey's Blog, page 94

Common Core and Students with Disabilities—What Now?

Not long ago children with disabilities were denied a free public education. Some were even institutionalized. Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC), in 1972, and the case that followed on its heels, Mills v. Board of Education (MILLS), helped open the door for exceptional learners to attend public school and receive an “appropriate” education. Here is some information to refresh your mind or help you learn about those cases.

http://www.pilcop.org/pennsylvania-association-for-retarded-citizens-parc-v-commonwealth-of-pennsylvania/

http://www.kidstogether.org/right-ed_files/mills.htm

One word used in each case is “appropriate” and that word is worth reconsidering. If parents and teachers ask themselves, “Are students, all students, but especially students with disabilities, being given an ‘appropriate’ education with Common Core State Standards?” they already know the answer. If the comments I’ve heard are any real indication of how parents and teachers feel about what is happening in the classroom, I am certain the answer will be NO!

I hear parents, in general, fretting because their children are bewildered in school. This frustration passes into the family’s home life too. Students are beaten down with so much testing. They are sick of school. There is nothing enjoyable about learning. Magnify this ten-fold when it comes to students with disabilities.

It is sickening to think children are treated so badly with such little regard for, not only their feelings, but their development. I recently listened to two teachers discussing students who came to fourth grade without the “appropriate” skills. They concluded that the skills were too advanced for students in the earlier grades. This is a well-known fact. Check out research by the Alliance for Childhood http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/publications.

Likewise, forcing students with disabilities to take tests beyond their reach, then grading the teachers and the school based on these tests, is not “appropriate” either. It hurts teachers—many will lose jobs—and it especially places undue distress on students. Many parents recognize what is happening in their child’s school. The situation is more drastic with students who have disabilities—whose special needs are ignored.

I believe it will take parents who connect with each other and appropriate advocacy groups to seek a class action suit, similar to PARC and MILLS, on behalf of students with disabilities, because their situation when it comes to “appropriate” is the most extreme. But such cases would have a far reaching positive impact for all children.

Consider the remark of Thomas K. Gilhool, Attorney and Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, 1987-1989. In referring to the PARC case he said:

In other words, what improves the world for people with disabilities improves it for everyone.

Help me explore the advocacy groups that could help. Suggestions or insights are welcome.

Who’s “Dreaming Big”—Students or IBM?

Here’s the question.Is it helping disadvantaged teens to plug them into corporately-designed programs, starting when they are in ninth grade, steering them through six years of training where they will wind up with an Associate’s Degree related to a corporation? Should this be the purpose of all schooling in America? Is it right for teenagers? Or, is it social engineering?

Yesterday President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan visited a school, Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-Tech). The president spoke about how American students needed to keep up with students in different countries…the usual “we’ve got to compete or perish” spiel http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/26/nyregion/obama-visits-brooklyn-high-school.html. Many Americans have figured out the school/economy strings aren’t as tight as they’ve been told. But poverty is insidious, and if this kind of set-up leads to employment for students shouldn’t it be considered?   

P-Tech focuses on “Staffing, Scheduling, and the Strategic Use of Data and Monitoring” called the “3S Model.” This in itself sounds flowery to me. It relies heavily on online instruction and, of course, Common Core. It is a private-public partnership. IBM provides a mentor for each student. Students and parents sign on to rigor. Coursework is accelerated with 90 minute classes in English, mathematics, workplace learning, technology, global history and physics. There is no mention of other kinds of classes like the arts. The emphasis is on acceleration http://citizenibm.com/2012/10/p-tech-where-we-are-now.html.  

So is it right to lead 9-12th graders into IBM at this stage in their lives? Vocational education in high school has always been debated. But a lot of real high schools in New York City have closed, and the Federal Sequestration is to cut $1.2 trillion from vocational schools according to Joy Resmovits in the Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/25/obama-p-tech_n_4160548.html. The idea is to switch from vocational education to career-technical education, updating the kinds of work-related skills for students. But what do students miss out in this process? It seems too narrow.

And there are mixed messages with P-Tech http://citizenibm.com/2012/02/p-tech-the-first-100-days.html. For example, what does it mean to “grow more people capable of working in our business”? If all students learn is how to work at IBM, will they really be ready for another career if they attend a regular college or if IBM downsizes? And why is there such urgency?

The statement is also made claiming IBM mentors are “engaged and involved in helping to build the curriculum” and their “developing a new model for education is totally consistent with IBM’s values and IBM’s culture.” But is this a “public” education? The answer is no. What about other careers? Where do parents and teachers fit in?

I have never minded corporations sending workers to schools as tutors. This was often the case when I taught middle school in Tallahassee, Florida in the 1980s. I valued their mentoring and found those from business to be caring individuals. But there is something different about a real credentialed teacher providing the tutor with work for the student to do. In the current situation it is all about the mentors who are not real educators. Teachers seem to take a secondary role. 

The President clearly likes this kind of school set-up. He spoke about it in his State of the Union address and he wants to see more schools like P-Tech. Since the school is only two years old, another question might be what’s the hurry? Like Common Core State Standards (which will be included in P-Tech’s curriculum) there appears to be no plans for piloting one or two of these schools first. Instead, Chicago will see five P-Techs opening there working with Microsoft, Motorola and Verizon. New York will see sixteen partnerships http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/08282013Students-for-High-Skill-Jobs.

I suppose if everything else in education didn’t seem so draconian I might think a little more positively about programs like this for at-risk students. But like everything else, it has too much of a corporate rubber stamp and I’d rather see students able to broaden their horizons, not streamline them. They are, after all, still children.   

It also scarily reminds me of what some considered a “blueprint for reform.” Reinventing Education: Entrepreneurship in America’s Public School was written in 1995 with false claims that our public schools were failing and how they needed to be part of a “computer revolution.” The book was co-authored by Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., Chairman and CEO of IBM.    

Less High-Stakes Testing—More Focus on Mental Health and Personalized Schooling

This past week saw yet again two horrible instances of violence—once again at schools. Two popular teachers are gone, along with a troubled student. Another student will possibly be tried as an adult and prosecuted. Again we wonder whether public schools do much to help disturbed students. In both these situations, unless something new pops up, we will never know if intervention through school programs may have helped these students.

So how do you reach students who might be on the edge of a catastrophe? Public schools, I believe, are a good place to identify and help troubled students. What needs to be done before disturbed students go awry? Well here are some things, I believe, you don’t do.  

You don’t bombard students with repetitive, cold, calculated high-stakes tests, posting their pictures in Data Rooms along with scores, and not have them notice. For students who do well, this may appear to be no problem, although even here what students learn is fake reliance on what’s important when it comes to learning. But for students on the edge of testing mediocrity, or worse, this scenario could be devastating. It is dehumanizing.

You also don’t plop students with a variety of disabilities, some emotional and/or behavioral into class sizes of 30 or more, and think they are going to feel cared for. I don’t care what Herculean efforts on the part of the teacher the class size is against them. A manageable class size, in general, is important for many reasons, especially so teachers can learn about the hopes and dreams of their students. More importantly, they also discover their student’s troubles too. Learn more about the importance of class size here http://www.classsizematters.org/.

Another thing you don’t do is create a zero tolerance, prison and/or militaristic atmosphere where children will, under no circumstances, ever be heard. Every week I hear horrible stories of students being made to follow draconian rules where their opinions and ideas are ignored…where they are treated like criminals over trite offenses. Often, they are never given an opportunity to explain themselves. Usually, they have a good explanation for their mistakes. By the way, kids make a lot of mistakes. Adults make mistakes too.

Of course it would help if schools didn’t only emphasize a couple of subjects, but recognized that some students thrive in the arts, and that there is nothing wrong with this. Many schools have fired credentialed art and music teachers. The school reformers see the arts as a frill. Yet, for some students, the arts are an outlet for a life that might seem otherwise unexceptional. Boredom can be a real factor in a high-stakes test-driven school atmosphere. The arts are an enjoyable part of school. Why do the current school reformers not see this? Why must school be bleak?

In addition, and extremely important, you don’t ignore parents. Right now changes in curriculum, teaching, school ownership etc. happen so fast parents can’t catch their breath. They, like their students, are disengaged. Ignoring parents is a real mistake. They are a huge part of the public school equation. Schools should welcome them. They also might face insurmountable difficulties that need to be addressed.                 

Back on August 22, I wrote about public schools and mental health. Others have written about it too. Valerie Strauss of The Washington Post’s The Answer Sheet wrote a great post describing a study by Andrea M. Spencer, dean of the School of Education at Pace University in New York and educational consultant to the Center for Children’s Advocacy. The study is entitled, “Blind Spot: The Impact of Missed Early Warning Signs on Children’s Mental Health” http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/09/19/study-impact-of-unaddressed-mental-health-issues-on-students-is-severe/. Spencer’s research included looking at student records of 12 to 16 year olds. Many of these students had been in trouble or had problems in school. She noted that in Connecticut, one in five students have mental problems, but only about half of those students get mental health services. She provides other pieces of information if you are interested in exploring this study further.

Back in January, Strauss also published President Obama’s Budget Proposals on school safety http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/01/16/obamas-proposals-on-school-safety/. The president talks about more resource police officers, counseling, anti-bullying, referral to services, and school psychologists and social workers to create a “nurturing school climate” for students. He also discusses safety plans. Yet, the scenarios I first noted above, I would say, are not considered. To accomplish the president’s goals, I would argue, these other issues must be addressed!

Back in April, the president also spoke of $235 million going towards mental health, $130 million to train teachers, with Project AWARE, how to identify students with problems http://abcnews.go.com/Health/obama-budget-includes-235-million-mental-health-initiatives/story?id=18922699. I don’t care how much money you pour into schools, if teachers have huge class sizes, are pushed to focus on high-stakes testing, ignoring parents and the arts, and are pushed to pick on the mundane mistakes students make, the real emotional issues of their students won’t be addressed.

I also find it interesting that the president never mentions special education. Instead, he speaks of training teachers to recognize mental health problems. Well we used to focus on specially prepared teachers to do this. With the two reauthorizations of PL 94-142, the original special ed. law, special ed., especially for students with mental disabilities, even if the student’s problems are of a transient nature, has lost its pizazz.

I’m not saying self-contained classes for students with emotional/behavioral disabilities were perfect. Certainly better preparation on the part of all school staff to recognize student problems is called for. But the protocol surrounding these students used to at least identify  and provide them with some support. These classes could have been improved. Instead, most students with emotional/behavioral problems are now lost in over-sized classes. 

It isn’t always easy to determine who has an emotional/behavioral disability warranting more attention, especially in middle and high school. But mental health has been pretty much shoved aside in the quest for perfect test scores and sameness. Unfortunately, for society, students have differences and don’t all care about test scores. They don’t fall into the average groove of acceptability. They have more pressing problems, or the school atmosphere itself creates the problems. It is time to reform the reforms and bring more personalization back to public schools.             

How Much Art Does Your Student Get in School? Ask Art Teacher Angie Villa

The arts are critical for children and how they learn. Doing art, learning about great artists, and exploring different kinds of art medium is what all children should experience in their public schools.  It makes a child’s learning complete. Most students love the arts. It motivates them to enjoy school. It also often helps them to do better in other subjects. Best of all, the arts are fun! And children  may grow up to be great artists.We never have enough artists if you ask me.

Every child should also have access to a credentialed art teacher. But the arts are in trouble, and credentialed art teachers are not valued. Many schools pay little attention to art programs and some believe that the arts are a frill and unnecessary. Some schools have eliminated their art programs for extra test prep. Yet, while some students have a difficult time academically, they might flourish in the arts.

Angie Villa is an art teacher and blogger from Allentown, Pennsylvania. She also has a beautiful website where she displays student works of art. In this blog entry, Angie has given me permission to re-post an excellent description of what is happening in Allentown. It is Angie’s blog post from October 20. After I read it, I realized what she described is representative of what is happening with the loss of the arts across the country.

If you are a parent, ask yourself this question. Who is teaching art to your child, and how often does your student get to experience the arts?

Thank you Angie!

Try either links. The post is October 20,2013.

http://angievillaartwork.blogspot.com/   

http://angievillaartwork.blogspot.com/2013/10/intervention-and-enrichment.htmlhttp://angievillaartwork.blogspot.com/2013/10/intervention-and-enrichment.html

      

Common Core State Standards—Ignoring Strengths and Differences in America’s Students with Disabilities and All Students

In America, one way of helping students with disabilities blend in with their non-disabled peers is to consider differences in ALL students. Every child has strengths and weaknesses. Even students who are multi-talented have areas they lean more towards than others. Lifting students up from their weaknesses is important, of course, but I would argue determining their strengths are most important.

Emphasizing the potential in ALL students would change the whole outlook on American schooling and give us hope. Looking at schooling from this angle would lift students to new heights—would encourage America to be proud of its children and their outstanding differences and would send a message to the rest of the world that we are a strong nation when it comes to education.  

In the last 30 years this country has done nothing but tear down its K-12 educational programs and its children. Newspaper headlines have screamed how badly America’s students do based on cold assessment scores.  Leaders have used negative terms like “Dropout Factories” misinterpreting research results. Every news outlet on TV has heavily emphasized the disintegration of public schooling. School budget cuts have gone far to destroy American schools. All of this has been accomplished by looking negatively at student weaknesses instead of emphasizing student strengths.

The start-up of a secondary system in the form of charter schools and vouchers, largely deregulated, has weakened U.S. education overall. Again, these changes have taken place by promoting the weaknesses in students. The strengths students bring to school have been and continue to be ignored. This effort to privatize public schools has not worked. It has only unnecessarily and heartlessly lowered the opinion many have of students, their weaknesses,  and public schools…schools that the American people themselves own.

Now the idea of common knowledge for all might appear, at first, to be the answer to equalizing education—making it somehow fairer for everyone to get the same education—nothing more—nothing less. But instead, it actually further ignores students who learn differently or who need different goals to succeed. I would argue this is ALL students.

The drive behind Common Core State Standards is the expectation of everyone to master the same objectives no matter a student’s strengths and weaknesses. A student who struggles at math might be gifted in the arts, thus their artistic talent will go unrecognized. A student who cannot write well, but who is verbally exceptional, may be categorized as a failure. Once again, the gifts of America’s students will be diminished and those who learn differently, outside the box, will be left to flounder.        

With Common Core State Standards, the strengths of America’s students will continue to go unrecognized, and the weaknesses will again be center stage. More importantly, students really won’t get the kind of education that truly meets their needs. The best kind of education would be to look more closely at each and every child…to personalize their education and to show off their strengths!  Isn’t this what America should be all about?  

Common Core State Standards–Private School and Homeschool–Here, There and EVERYWHERE

Many parents think if they put their children in private school or homeschool they will all be able to hide from the Common Core State Standards. Sorry folks. David Coleman, who said no cares about your student’s narrative writing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu6lin88YXU, wasn’t only the architect of the standards, he moved over to become president of the College Board. The ACT and SAT college entrance tests will be aligned to the CCSS. So if you think you can help your children escape CCSS you can’t http://www.ksl.com/?sid=26810448. 

Any student who wants to go to college will need to take the ACT or the SAT. So it won’t really matter where your child goes to school. Common Core State Standards are here, there and EVERYWHERE! You can run but you can’t hide.

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Oregon’s Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Rob Saxton Calls Himself an SOB: I Concur

While many of us focused on New York’s Ed. Commissioner John King this past weekend, I also watched two YouTube videos that were deeply disturbing from the other side of the country. They both involve Oregon’s Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Rob Saxton. Saxton’s background consists of being a teacher (I can’t find what he taught) and a football coach in Texas. I found both his presentations offensive to teachers and parents and also they raise troubling concerns surrounding student expectations.

First, Saxton is a big supporter of Common Core State Standards. In the first video, he describes Oregon’s P20 program http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJB-noB7wgE. P means prenatal and 20 is when your child, after becoming an adult, reaches grad school. This raises a question. Is the new expectation now graduate school beyond college for everyone? But let’s back up.  

Prenatal care for disadvantage children is a good thing. Diane Ravitch recommends it in her book, Reign of Error, and I allude to it in Misguided Education Reform when discussing the problems of young children—issues like the effects of lead poisoning, and the need for health care etc. Certainly getting a country to care more about its children is a commendable goal. But I’m not sure that is the kind of prenatal care and/or goals to which Saxton is referring.

The concept of “life-long learning” is in itself also not a bad idea. But it is a matter of control. We should be in control of who we are and how we live our lives, within laws, in a democratic society. The idea of readying children from birth and following them through adulthood so they fit into the global economy is something entirely different.   

A lot of us first learned about a “cradle to grave” plan a few years ago with the Marc Tucker “Dear Hillary Letter” http://www.eagleforum.org/educate/marc_tucker/. Like so many concepts, it can be a slippery slope when used in a controlling manner especially if it involves sorting students into two groups—those who can learn and those who supposedly cannot. That is exactly what Saxton references later on as you shall see.  

Saxton, also in this video, claims daycare should be less about taking care of children for working parents, and more about teaching students. While that might also sound harmless, even worthy, young children require nurturing in the early years and not a hard-driving curriculum. It reminds me of the usage of the word “rigor” in regard to early childhood. We hear that a lot lately. Is it paranoia to also worry about parental rights with this kind of talk? I don’t think so.

The more recent video, October 12, has Saxton starting off with P20 references again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv0AtF7_2h0. He says some weird things about legislators not having control of the plan. This makes me uncomfortable because, while I may get upset with my representatives sometimes, they still represent ME! So why would any state school system be able to bypass the governing system and have such blanket control?

But as a special educator, it was Saxton’s comments about children learning to read that worried me most. He said, “I guarantee you if a kid cannot read by the end of third grade they are toast. It is an ‘oh shit’ moment for them if they cannot read by the end of third grade.”

These comments are degrading and irresponsible. We all know there will be those who have reading problems at the end of third grade. I highly doubt Mr. Saxton ever taught young children, or children with reading difficulties. He presumes teachers will work miracles. If they can’t make a child with reading problems read fluently by the end of third grade they fail. It is this black and white approach that leaves out all kinds of compensatory practices and methods to address the strengths and weaknesses we all exhibit.

Does Saxton think a child who has difficulty reading at the end of third grade is lost forever? Has our country become so perfectionistic no safety nets are allowed? Here’s a revelation for you, sir. Anyone can learn to read anytime. It may not be easy but it is doable. And while you are at it, read about Finland and how they don’t start to teach formal reading until a child is seven—that’s right—3rd  grade!  

I don’t like name calling, but as one of the presentations unfolded, Saxton calls himself an SOB. He thinks SOBs are great to instill change. I disagree. I think an SOB is an SOB.      

Are they “Special Interests” or Voices of a Democracy?

The blogger buzz this past weekend concerned an angry audience voicing concerns about Common Core Standards (CCS). It took place at a Poughkeepsie, New York town hall meeting with the state’s Ed. Commissioner Dr. John King. Indignant parents and teachers listened to King for 1 hour and 40 minutes then, with their meager left-over 23 minutes, they bombarded him with their dissatisfaction concerning CCS. The YouTube, embarrassingly entitled, “Commissioner King Gets Spanked” shows it all http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Eiz406VAs.  

King, who only taught a short time, and never in a traditional public school, could not respond fast or effectively enough to satisfy these savvy parents and teachers. Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet highlights New York high school principal and award winner Carol Burris for a fascinating and more complete history of the problems in New York and what is happening with King http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/10/13/how-new-yorks-education-commissioner-blew-it-principal/.    

After the meeting ended, one would think, based on the angry audience reaction, state education leaders would go back to the drawing board to rearrange their priorities. You would expect them to include some of these New York parents and teachers on a board to consider the problems caused by CCS, or back off of the overall push for the program to be implemented so quickly, if at all. Perhaps, you’d assume, they’d at least try some pilot testing to locate difficulties in the program on a smaller scale. Wouldn’t that be what you would do in a democratic government? Public schools are, after all, one of the last American democratic institutions. Are they not? Instead, King called off the other town hall meetings http://www.newsday.com/long-island/state-education-chief-suspends-li-town-hall-meeting-1.6246532. I think this speaks volumes as to what parents and teachers are up against not just in New York but throughout the country.

So why were parents and teachers upset to begin with? What kinds of questions and concerns did they bombard King with to make him run away from those closest to the students and call them “special interests”? Here are a list of a key words and phrases that I heard from parents and teachers. They may or may not be exact quotations, and I don’t credit each individual. The greatness at this meeting seemed to me to be how all these parents and teachers came together. Individually and collectively their words are powerful. By all means watch the video. The statements were all about the Common Core….

It underestimates the student’s ability to learn.

Our students already do well when you compare them to other students.

It is top down. Why not include those most affected?

You are giving reform a black eye.

Kids don’t have hobbies or extracurricular activities.

It is experimentation.

It is not developmentally appropriate.

It is rushed.

It is poorly developed.

Students are not data points.

There are mystery exams not written.

How do math teachers implement a 1,000 page curriculum several days before it is to be taught?

No independent party checked the standards.

There is corporate greed.

It can’t stop data piracy.

We can’t put money into quality learning.

There is a delusion it is working.

 My child hates going to school.

Work is so boring and confusing.

The wording is so clinical it is hard to believe educators wrote it.

Some kids understand, but the others are made to feel dumb.

Students need to learn proofreading marks.

There is no room for imagination.

It asks children to learn things they can’t comprehend.

You are messing with the teachers.

The same people who make the test make the materials.

The district is forced to spend the budget—chunk of change—they didn’t have.

Class sizes are larger.

There are fewer field trips.

There is too much of a college focus.

It has stolen the student’s right to a meaningful education.

It makes me mad.

It makes me sad.

It doesn’t consider individual needs.

Things are crazy this year.

Children are angry.

Children hate school.

Stop testing.

Stop PARCC.

Childhood should not be this difficult.

It compromises professionalism and integrity of teachers.

Professionals are feeling bullied.

It doesn’t challenge students creatively.

I’m not sure junior college is what I want for my child.

The bottom is falling out.

There are fewer support services.

There is less of the arts and enrichment.

Twenty Ways to Break a Child’s Spirit—The New School Reforms

Part II   11-20

Here are the last of the 20 ways current school reforms could break a child’s spirit. Sadly, you probably will be able to think of others. Share them all with those who think the current reforms are going well.

11.  Children are forced to take tests at an early age. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/kindergarten-tough-multiple-choice-tests-article-1.1481197.

12.  Many books available to young children are made for phonics instruction only. Children must sound out vowels and consonants and are rarely given time to read or listen to books meant for pleasure. Some children don’t need phonics but they must sit through phonics lessons. There is little literary appeal.

13.  Children are forced to read early before they are ready. Tests may indicate they can’t read so they are treated like they have learning disabilities when it may be a matter of development. Students could also be unnecessarily grouped and labeled.

14.  Children might live in a state or school district where it is perfectly acceptable that they be hit with a paddle because they are frustrated and act out.

15.  Children are pushed to think about college and careers before they understand these concepts at a high level through inappropriate testing http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/25/us-usa-education-testing-idUSBRE88O05Y20120925.

16.  Children from other countries notice their culture is not valued. They exhibit language difficulties and their families receive little support or engagement.

17.  Children could be lost in large classes and receive little individual attention http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/14/larger-class-size-a-thousand-cuts_n_1659591.html.  

18.  Young students with disabilities may not be provided with an appropriate individual educational plan. They may not have the assistance of a special education teacher for support if they have a disability.

19.  Children may not have a qualified early childhood educator who understands they have unique needs related to this special time in their development. The emphasis is rigor. They are pushed to learn much faster than is appropriate and as a result learn to hate school.

20.  Children are not valued for their individuality—for who they are and what they like. Their interests are ignored.

   

Breaking a Child’s Spirit—Twenty Harshly Negative Effects of Today’s School Reforms

Part I     1-10

These are not easy to read. But I’m sure you will find that many, if not all, have been used to negatively change public elementary schools in recent years. And you will recognize why they break a child’s spirit. Here are the first ten. I will post the others later.

1.      Children watch their schools close or their teacher fired because they hear their test scores are low. Or they are told they must do better on the test if they want to keep their school open (See Feb. 23, 2004 TIME “Beating the Test Bubble”).

2.      Children may not have access to preschool or Head Start.

3.      Children struggle with an overabundance of age-inappropriate homework they don’t understand. They might feel sad and guilty when parents have difficulty helping them. It disrupts quality family time.

4.      Children are forced to repeat a grade due to an achievement test score. They watch classmates move ahead. Check on the research of Shane R. Jimerson to learn more about retention education.ucsb.edu/jimerson/retention/.

5.      Children rarely, or ever, get decent breaks or recess. They may not have a suitable/safe playground. They get little, if any, time to play. Few toys can be found even in kindergarten.

6.      Children get into trouble for not being able to sit still, or they wind up with an ADHD diagnosis because they have to sit and concentrate for long periods of time (Pellegrini, Anthony D. RECESS: Its Role in Education and Development p. 164-174).    

7.      The child’s school lacks a good program for the arts. Young students work primarily on reading and math. If students are lucky, an artisan will visit to do an arts project, or their teacher will incorporate some art into a lesson. But many credentialed art and/or music teachers have lost their jobs. Children are given little if any opportunity to put on plays, dance or paint.

8.      Children don’t get to socialize in school. They march in line to the restroom. Talking to others is seen as disruptive. Even lunchtime must be silent. (Yes I know lunch rooms can be noisy but it is often due to overcrowding and/or lacking supervision).

9.      Children attend school with health issues that go unnoticed. They might be hungry, or they are sick, have serious dental problems, and/or poor eyesight. There are no school nurses.

10.  The child’s school has a meager and/or run-down library, or no library at all. Yet, libraries increase test scores. See the work of Stephen Krashen http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2010/05/stephen_krashen_fix_poverty_an.html.