The exams have been taken, scored, curved, and students received their grades.
The FCAT has been taken, scored, scaled, and schools have received their grades.
Springboard has been implemented county-wide for the entire year - some schools have used it longer.
Teachers have had training, observations, retraining and review.
As skeptical as I am about Springboard, I was determined to give it my best shot.
*The kids exam grades were mediocre.
*The kids FCAT scores were mediocre.
*My school's grade dropped.
I failed.
No M.A.P.S. No Performance Pay. I failed.
We are owed an examination of all the data.
*How closely (if at all) does Springboard correlate with FCAT and the Sunshine State Standards?
*Are we teaching the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful on the FCAT?
*Since Springboard is the child of the SAT, how did our kids do and how do our kids compare with those who have not been exposed to Springboard?
*Can we make a determination about Springboards efficacy?
I did my part to the best of my ability with one LESS planning period Ms. Elia. I am not alone.
We are owed an explanation of the data.
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4 comments:
You will be given your explanation.
Its YOUR fault. You will be re-assigned, you will NOT get your bonus 2K.
If you make too much noise, you will find yourself in the Professional Standards office.
Keep quiet.
Dont tell the emperor that the clothes they wear are made of invisible thread.
Take the blame.
Bow your head and promise to do better.
Take work home with you.
Go to all the in-service programs no matter how inane they are. Get those points.
Don't ever let a School Board member think you are a smart a$$. Pretend they want to engage you in a discussion of how to re-write SB policies.
Pretend to believe they really care about you.
Oh yes, make sure you politely raise your hand. Be meek. They love meekness.
For God's sake don't violate the civility policy.
We MUST be civil right?
All we need is more money, better "programs" and meeker teachers. Meeker parents too. Just keep playing the game. Your job is safe. Who are they going to get to replace you?
Suzie-- I just found you, again, and caught up with your posts! Welcome back! I've followed you since Steve explained and guided me through the blogging process. I ache to hear your discouragement. I am you--and so many others are you, also. YOU DID NOT FAIL--plase, don't give up (though Thomas offers some valuable advice). YOU and the rest of us cannot bail out the proverbial sinking ship with only a teaspoon!!! And-yes--SPRINGBOARD has been a dismal failure. Yes, FCAT results have been disappointing, to say the least. Yes, our SCHOOL GRADES have gone down. WE teach because we make a difference--I still believe that. That's why so many of us put up with all the ROSSAC harrassment, persecution, mismanagement, cronyism, hypocracy, financial hoo-doo, etc. We make a difference--to some kids, every single day we can bear to show up. I worry about my 150+ students--sometimes I'm all they have.
PollyAnna
After all the faculty meetings this week, we learned that we the teachers are the problem. It's not SpringBoard, the parents, the administrators, or the students. They think SpringBoard helped us from dropping more. It's sad that our leaders have more hope and respect tied up in this SpringBoard book than in the people they hired.
All the high schools' grades dropped, except Newsome, which has only 11% of their students on free/reduced lunches.
I saw a T-shirt, and wish I bought it. It said, "It is what it is, and it ain't what it ain't". The school system continues to ignore best practices (research) on how to support teachers in order to give the best instruction that is known. Spending a gazillion dollars on new curriculum will not give results without other supports in place. I am all for high expectations, I think our students can and should do more.
I think the high school grades are a clear reflection of two years of the wonderful 6/7 concept. If it can't be done in the classroom and on class time it will probably not get done. With content planned by the period or 1/2 period, there's not much time for that additional help and mentoring so many of our students need.
Let's not forget what students are like today. Wait until you get involved in "response to intervention" (RTI) this year. We need more than new books and a piece of chalk, especially for those we need to reach the most.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/education.html?id=frol02s28afq996
And I know the district has the answer to my concerns... we now have those extra early release days. (LOL, I was doing a training on Wednesday, and one of the teachers thought those days were when you could use use comp time!)
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