en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/301669 Comments by Marvi Hagopian http://change.gov/open_government/entry/indiana_department_of_education/#IDComment14002850 If I were an Indiana taxpayer, I would not want my tax dollars used to improve internet connection speeds. It is doubtful any evidence exits correlating faster connection speeds with increased student achievement. Whether through school library services, specialized computer classrooms, or individual classroom computers very few, if any, school districts do not provide some form of internet access for administrators, teachers, and students. Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:28:50 +0000 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/indiana_department_of_education/#IDComment14002850 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/lakoff_and_grady_report/#IDComment13992386 I disagree with the following statement: The kind of “learning” that takes place during those early years is natural learning, not classroom learning, and much of it is done through unconscious processes. I do not support the stereo types depicted in this document. Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:25:37 +0000 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/lakoff_and_grady_report/#IDComment13992386 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/kipp_foundation/#IDComment13992045 According to stated policy, this site is not supposed to be used for self promotion. Claims of students' academic success should be carefully researched and documented. It isn't hard to show gains in low performing schools. It is the level of student achievement that matters. Do KIPP students perform at the same levels as high performing schools? Thu, 15 Jan 2009 01:59:54 +0000 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/kipp_foundation/#IDComment13992045 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/american_federation_of_teachers1/#IDComment13991672 I support the statements in the AFT document. Thu, 15 Jan 2009 01:28:23 +0000 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/american_federation_of_teachers1/#IDComment13991672 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/national_association_of_state_boards_of_education1/#IDComment13991610 The use of multiple measures may help teachers evaluate individual students; but they are impractical at state and national levels. Performance-based assessments are subjective and extremely expensive to administer. Multiple-choice assessments are highly reliable and inexpensive. Thu, 15 Jan 2009 01:24:17 +0000 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/national_association_of_state_boards_of_education1/#IDComment13991610 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/fairtest/#IDComment13991050 The problem of looming sanctions is causing fear and misunderstanding throughout the educational system Teachers are afraid of losing their jobs, administrators are pointing fingers at one another, “high-performing” schools complain about their standings because African American students, English learners, and special education students bring down their scores. The purpose of testing is to identify low performing schools and to lower the achievement gap. Attitudes about accountability need to change. Identifying which schools and students need improvement should be embraced. You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken. Fair Test claims NCLB has transformed schools into mind-numbing test prep centers. Instead, fear of failure and lack of understanding causes some educators to believe their students might perform better if teachers taught students how to take tests or if they only taught students answers to questions they thought might be on the test. Schools and teachers who have focused on test prep have had little success and become more frustrated. The reason is the majority of students who do not perform well on tests are students who are struggling readers and/or lack basic math skills. Educators would find their students performing at higher levels if they focused on teaching grade level standards using research-based instructional practices. The use of multiple measures may help teachers evaluate individual students; but they are impractical at state and national levels. Performance-based assessments are subjective and extremely expensive to administer. Multiple-choice assessments are highly reliable and inexpensive. The general public is not familiar with basic foundations and policies of NCLB. I am and know NCLB represents our governments’ first and best attempt to base educational decisions and programs on proven methods and materials. For this reason NCLB received bipartisan support. However, passage of good policy does not magically translate into immediate success. Please work toward eliminating the rancor. Without a change in attitude, children, like Kathy’s grandson, will continue to be ignored and the pendulum will continue to swing. Please don’t blame NCLB and don’t make drastic changes. Instead, work toward fixing the forces preventing its policies from becoming a reality. Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:45:30 +0000 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/fairtest/#IDComment13991050