A few posts from one thread:
Florida SB 6: learning gains impossible to measure
Posted by: High School Teach on 3/27/10
We are assured by the proponents of SB 6 that we will be
evaluated on student learning "gains", and that we will not
be at a disadvantage if we have low-level students in our
class. Teachers will just be evaluated on their
students' "gains" compared to students' previous year's
scores. Teacher evaluations will not be based on whether
their students scored 100's on the exam, but rather whether
their students showed improvment or made "gains" from last
year. We are also told that student learning "gains" will
be measured by using end of course exams.
If I teach 9th grade Biology, and am evaluated on my
students' learning gains as demonstrated on an end of
course exam, then there must have been an 8th grade
Biology class to base the gains on. If I teach 10th grade
Geometry, there must be a 9th grade Geometry class. If I
teach 11th grade World History, there must be a 10th grade
World History class, and so on, or the whole system of
measuring learning "gains" collapses.
Not only must there have been a previous lower-level
Psychology class the year before, in order to evaluate the
teacher of this year's Psych. class on "gains", but all
students taking Psych. this year must have taken the lower-
level class last year. Otherwise, Mr. Thrasher and SB 6
proponents, it is impossible to accurately measure student
learning gains!
Responses:
Mike
Posted on 3/27/10
I do not think they actually seek improvement. I think they
want to rig the process to support their goal of shifting
school money into private hands. Knowing this makes it much
easier to understand all the innaccuracy and misuse of data.
This is political corruption on parade.
Posted by: ElemESOL on 3/27/10
I agree that the goal is to get rid of teachers and unions, thus
reducing pay and pensions (which means more tax breaks!) and win
political points with the public (who seem to think most
teachers are lazy bums just sitting around waiting for summer
break).
I'm sickened by what's happening. The republicans want the
middle class and government services destroyed. I never used to
be so radical left-wing, but I've seen the republicans do
nothing positive for the middle class and public schools at all.
Posted by: Teech on 3/27/10
We have no end of course exams in elementary...how will they
measure our gains? Gifted kids make less gains than low level
kids...who will want to teach them? ESE kids make gains
slowly...who will want to teach them? ELL kids make gains
slowly...who will want to teach them. In K-2 elementary we
give our own students the FAIR to determine reading
gains...what will stop teachers from making sure the students
make gains?
Posted by: IAgree on 3/28/10
I teach 1st grade. There are those teachers who misread the
instructions on FAIR, etc. So if we have someone else
administer the tests, I fear some of the younger students will
freeze up and scores won't be as high as they could be.
Also, there is NO way a school could find the staff needed to
have someone other than a teacher administer these tests. There
are not enough parapros or administrators to go around.
Posted by: conservativeteacher on 3/28/10
Surely we must look beyond party lines. Top leaders of both
parties (in several states) believe that teachers should be
evaluated by student learning gains. Have you ever listened to
the President speak about education? Many notable far left
figures also believe and state that teachers are completely
responsible for the success or failure of students. Everyone,
who has never been in a classroom, seems to think that the
problems of public education are because of teachers that do not
do enough.
As teachers, we know better. We understand about populations
that do not grow as much or as fast as others. We know about
truancy issues, behavior problems, disrespect and students who
have no desire to learn.
We know that everything is not so black and white. This is not
like a factory job where you can simply be judged on how much you
produce (because everyone starts off with equal conditions).
Although some may argue that all teachers aren't created equally
(and should be paid accordingly)they also need to know that all
students aren't equal either (I mean in reading level, math
skills, behavior and motivation).
There is simply no fair way to handle this. Even if you take
gains from beginning and end of course exams, some students
simply do not have support and do not grow as much as fast, no
matter what teacher they have. Some students will grow even with
a teacher who is not exactly the greatest. So how do you handle
this?
Posted by: Jill on 3/28/10
On a hot and humid day, Jeb Bush brings four experienced teachers to
the race track. He gives one a T.B. the next a Quarter Horse, the
next a pony the next a mule. He says all your mounts are healthy,
this race will be one mile and an eighth. You will be evaluated on
your performance in the race. GO! That is what is going to be done.
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