The Scores

Blog delay. It's two years later. In 2007, 75% of the writing students passed their WASL scores! In 2008, 58% of the students passed, with 43% improving their fourth grade WASL scores.

Statistically, our class sizes are too small (less than 30 -- actually, less than 20 students) to compare. There's not enough data to support trends.

The scores don't reflect improvement of individuals, and the efforts or obstacles employed and overcome over the years.

We are teaching children, not building airplanes. We focus on needs and strengths of children, not input of data into a computer. Anyone who works with children, and any one who has tried to learn something, knows that the components of learning involve more than the teacher, more than the lesson, more than the content, more than the learner. It's all the "more than" that is not shown on tests.

We are more than the tests; and schools must be allowed to continue to nurture and nudge learning, rather than press and punish. Standards are the goals to reach, and each child can achieve given the knowledge and time to grow in his/her style and need.

Why can't we see the human element in education?

Just asking. Just for kids. To succeed with standards, we need equity in resources and time for each child. We can't force kids to learn at the same rate. We can ask all kids to learn each day.

Please visit:

PBS The Whole Child
ASCD The Whole Child
Brain-Based Learning
ASCD The Brain and Learning
WEAC Standardized Testing
Fair Test
Standards-Based Learning