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| Thank you so much for this info. We are discussing the NCLBA in my social problems class this week and I will pass this on. I wonder which children aren't getting left behind with this kind of crap being promoted.
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| I think it is time for change in this country and the sooner the better. It is refreshing to hear you guys talking about this. I am not new to Spark but this is my first time to check out this particular board. Bravo to you all for caring.
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LAYERS_OF_ME
6/13/06 1:47 A
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| Excellent resource, Leslie!
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For those who are interested in delving deeper into the unintended negative side-effects of our test-focused educational institutions, check out Alfie Kohn's website and/or his books. I find his arguments (and overall philosophy) very persuasive and refreshing.
http://www.alfiekohn.org/stdtest.htm
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| Another problem with NCLB is that it makes it hard to get services when the school knows you'll be out of the district when the test comes up. It's an unfortunate fact with military families that we move often and I've had to fight tooth and nail to get my DD support services for her reading at every school because they need to use their limited resources for the kids that are going to have to take the tests and count for them, not for someone who's going to move away next year and count for someone else. It's frustrating to see the paperwork pushed back to the absolute latest date it legally can be every time they found out we lived in military housing which meant nothing was finished before the school year was over and we started the next year in a new school at the begining yet again.
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| I am definitely an opponent of NCLB and its unfunded mandates. But I also have issues with the tendency to teach to the test now since so much emphasis has been placed on these tests, tests that cannot possibly measure the capacity or intelligence of any child. I was actually working on my Bachelor's degree in English to later become an English teacher when NCLB came about... I have since abandoned that path because of the issues I have with this act.
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| A friend of mine has a son who is making a failing grade in several classes. When I asked her would he be held back due to those classes, she informed me that ever since the NCLB act, a child would only be held back if he failed all his courses. I was so surprised. When I was in school, if you failed one course you did not pass to the next grade.
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LAYERS_OF_ME
6/11/06 3:33 P
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| There are a few inaccuracies to the original e-mail. Thank you for posting the snopes site. This is always a good source of information. NCLB is flawed in many ways. In the education world we call it an unfunded mandate. In Washington State only 54% of our 10th graders passed the Math WASL. We must now provide summer school to these kids and give them a make-up test in August. If they fail that, they get 3 more retakes on the states dime. Where will this money come from? Education is already radically underfunded. They can take it more than that, but parents will have to foot the bill. This years 10th graders are the first group of kids who must pass the test in all three areas (Reading, Writing and Math) in order to recieve a certificate of academic achievement and be awarded a high school diploma. The CIA (Certificate of Individual Achievement) will be for kids with disabilities (ranging from mild learning disabilities to severe and profound medically fragile disabilities) who cannot pass a grade level test but demonstrate through other means that they have met state requirements. We're puninshing kids for having disabilities. NCLB, the new discrimination.
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PHAT-N-SEXY
6/11/06 3:15 P
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| A GED is all good depending on the situation. But if a child can't read or write out of middle school what help is a GED going to do. They need the basics. That's why so many people are at an old age getting GEDs and having to take the 6 to 8 week course more than one time around. The good thing is those who do get it can go to college.
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SUMMERBABIES
6/10/06 5:24 A
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http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/completion.asp
This site addresses the inaccuracy of emails that are going around. It goes into detail that a student could infact go into the armed services, ect. Very interesting reading. Read the whole post, not just the green block. Each state sets their own requirements. I guess we should all look into what our state requires. Have a great day. 
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CVIBERT- THANKS! That e-mail was truly scary!
I'm glad to know that even though they would not be able to continue on to get their GED, a person would be able to go back and get their high school diploma. Which in turn would enable them to enter any trade school they desire.
I will be bookmarking www.snopes.com That is quite a handy site!
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I can't read this at work because it's blocked, but I googled "Certificate of Completion" and this is what I got from snopes (my trusted source for urban legends):
www.snopes.com/politics/bush/completion.asp
And this is a statement by the Deputy Press Secretary Chad Colby on the US Dept of Education's website:
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2006/05/05242006b.html
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BUFFEDSTUFF
6/8/06 8:37 P
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| this is so true phat, sad but true.
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PHAT-N-SEXY
6/8/06 7:50 P
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| which is why when they get to high school what you mention happens to them
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PHAT-N-SEXY
6/8/06 7:48 P
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| The other thing is there are children being socially promoted. Pushed along. I have met and delt with children who are in 8th grade and not only can they not read, they can't even recognize there letters and write.
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BUFFEDSTUFF
6/8/06 7:16 P
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| thanks for the information
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The "Certificate of Completion or Attendance" that is being offered in lieu
of high school diplomas, is a part of Bush's "No Child Left Behind". This
is how it works:
It is for students who are unable to pass both the Language Arts and Math
portions of the 10th grade ISTEP. Students must take the same 10th grade
test over in the 11th and 12th grades until they pass both portions. If
they are unable to pass the 10th grade test by the 12th grade then they
have two options:
1. Drop out and go to a GED program or,
2. accept a "Certificate of Completion" - it is NOT a diploma.
Once a student accepts it, they cannot ever get a diploma or a GED. A
certificate of completion means that a student can never (as long as they
live):
1. go to the armed services
2. go to college
3. go to trade school
4. go to journeyman's school
5. go to beauty school
6. go to culinary arts school
7. get a federal loan in their lifetime
This is the portion of NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND (2001) that Bush slipped in
during the 2004 revision of the NCLB bill. It has not been publicized. At a
high school in Indiana, in 2005, there were 87 seniors in the graduation
class. Five got diplomas and 82 got Certificates of Completion". This is
being referred to as the "Paper Plantation". It is better for students to
drop out and get into a GED program so they may seek other forms of
education, later in life, if they desire to do so. All 50 states have
"Certificates of Completion or Attendance".
Please pass this information along to EVERYONE you know who has school age children.
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