How was your kid school year this year?

[Mskanga]

Did you notice any difference since the "no child left behind" policy was implemented?
Do you think some kids have been held back from excelling ?

 

[kasar]

Do you think some kids have been held back from excelling ?

Yes, I do. I'm so frustrated with our school right now. Talking to the principal today, in fact. As always, the kids who follow rules, want to learn and actually are trying are the ones who get the short end of the stick.

 

[cynsaun]

Originally posted by kasar
Yes, I do. I'm so frustrated with our school right now. Talking to the principal today, in fact. As always, the kids who follow rules, want to learn and actually are trying are the ones who get the short end of the stick.

I COMPLETELY agree! We live in an area of the country that has county run schools rather than town run schools, so as a result, the district is huge.

We have a lot of inner city kids that are bussed in to our schools that have MAJOR disipline issues, and NO ONE does anything about it! They are allowed to not come to school for weeks at a time, they are disruptive, they are rude, they verbally (and sometimes physically!) abuse other students, and they don't do homework or school projects. Yet, they are passed every year to the next grade level, although it is clear that they aren't prepared! And, now with the "No Child Left Behind" program, the district and especially the individual schools are more concerned about the "numbers" and funding than every before, so this behavior has gotten a lot worse!

I think the idea was a good one, but when school administrators don't take responsibility and correct these bad behaviors, everyone suffers! The teachers spend most of their day trying to work around the select few that are trouble, which then hurts the students that truly want to learn!

 

[SC Minnie]

DD9- 4th grade just completed- had a tough year. She had a tough teacher. The school district here prides itself on the academic achievement of the students and expects everyone to excel. I have not witnessed any child being promoted to the next grade when the grades didn't make it. Actually in DD class after the 1st couple of months of school she told me about a boy in her class that was sent back to 3rd grade. He had moved to the area over the summer and had completed 3rd grade where he was but he was not where he needed to be for this school.

It does the school and the especially the kids and even society as a whole an injustice to promote them to the next grade when they are not academically ready.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Wow I agree with all that has been said. I live in a very small district where problem children are abundant. Kids are regularly advanced without the grades necessary to do so. The kids don't care, the parents don't care.... it's really, really ugly.

I agree 100% that the ones that are getting hurt the most are the kids themselves. They are going to go out into the world and get a rude awakening.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I noticed absolutely nothing. I have a 1st grader and a 7th grader. The schools at no time even mentioned the "no child left behind" deal.

What was it supposed to do in my schools?

 

[cynsaun]

Originally posted by The Mystery Machine
I noticed absolutely nothing. I have a 1st grader and a 7th grader. The schools at no time even mentioned the "no child left behind" deal.

What was it supposed to do in my schools?

Our school doesn't speak of the "no child left behind" program either, but if a school doesn't make the "cut" they loose their academic funding.

 

[cynsaun]

Originally posted by SC Minnie

It does the school and the escpecially the kids and even society as a whole an injustice to promote them to the next grade when they are not academically ready. [/B]

I absolutely agree! I can't imagine how hard it must be for these kids to be promoted without having learned all they were supposed to that year! They just keep getting farther and farther behind, never to catch up. This makes them not care about school even more and they then become more disruptive, it's a vicious cycle!

I can't tell you how many children I have witnessed first hand at our school with these behaviors!

 

[Microcell]

There are teachers in the metro area here that are being accused of cheating by supplying kids answers so they can be promoted to the next grade!

 

[Pete's Mom]

Originally posted by Mskanga
Did you notice any difference since the "no child left behind" policy was implemented?
Do you think some kids have been held back from excelling ?

Yes, and I think it is a good program. We must have some type of system to gauge whether a child is learning or merely being shuffled off to next grade.

In Georgia, students in grades 1 through 8 had to take the Georgia Criterion Reference Test (CRCT) which measures student acquistion of skills and knowledge required in Georgia's Quality Core Curriculum (QCC).

As required by state law, this year students in Grade 3 were required to meet standards on Reading to be promoted to the 4th grade. In addition to this, next year, students in Grade 5 will be required to meet standards in both Reading and Mathematics in order to be promoted to Grade 6.

Pete is in 1st grade and he got "exceeds the standard set for students in the 1st grade". We really worked hard this year and I am so very proud of him.

 

[Mskanga]

In my kids school nobody talks about the no child left behind act either, but it has been noticed that the kids who have actually been doing good in school academically, following the rules , have been kind of ignored just because they were not giving any problems in any aspects. That makes me mad, it makes me feel that unless you give problems, you get no attention.
I'm all for everyone should get the same chance at academics, but they should not hold back on those who academically want and have the potential to excel, especially when the programs are at hand in the schools. I was lucky that we knew about the programs and our request for dd to join was granted due to her good grades and record, but not all the parents know about them.

 

[Trish Bessette]

I haven't noticed a lot of what has been mentioned here. My daughters (1st & 4th grade) both do very well. However, we come from a small school. Only 200 students for K-8th grade!! I love it! The is a lot of attention given to students who need extra help, which only helps the child in the long run

 

[SC Minnie]

In SC ours kids take the PACT test every year which is similar to GA's. If children do not meet the requirments they do not go to the next grade. Since the schools are funded on how well the kids do on this test the elem. schools here have special reading and math teachers to help those that need it. (not sure ablout the Middle and HS since I don't have a child there)

In our school all children are tested every year to see of they meet the requirements for the Gifted and Talented program. Once they are accepted they are in for the rest of their school career unless they opt out or their grades do not stay up. In grades 3-5 they have GT math and science. In middle and high school the whole curriculum is GT if they are in the program. So the children that are doing well do get the extra boost in GT and the ones that need extra help are getting through the addition of the reading and math teachers.

SC schools have gotten a bad rap in the news over the past couple of years but many districts are excelling.

 

[pkasbohm]

We have heard of the nclb but didn't notice anything real different this year. i have a kindergartener and a 3rd grader and the only reason i have heard of it is because i have some friends that are teachers.

Pam

 

[tlgoblue]

There was a lot of grumbling about NCLB from the School Administrators right on down through the Staff. But, I did not notice any program cuts, or extra curricular cuts, and in fact (a bit of a bragg here ) DS was on the Honor roll all four semesters!

Having said that, what I did notice was the fees increased dramatically. Most of our Field Trips were paid for out of the parents pockets. The Special programmes were soliciting $$ left and right, and our Fund raising efforts were incessant.

Basically, it is the same thing all over. Those districts that are located in wealthy areas, will find ways to keep their $$ in their programmes, while other districts will be allowed to wither. As Students are "allowed" to take their $$ with them to "passing" districts, eventually, the "non Passing"districts will go under, and the other districts will be picking up the slack, and watch their programmes suffer. The wealthy will simply move (Yes, they are that fluid), or enroll their kids in private schools, and the cycle will continue.

I believe in accountability. I also believe in those who have, helping those who haven't. But until the underprivledged have a real voice, and a government who is going to champion them, nothing will change, except the weathy will further isolate themselves and their wealth, and the underprivledged ranks will swell. JMHO, I could be wrong.

Keep the Faith!
Tracy