Tony Doylestown, PA - the county seat of posh Bucks County - held a forum on the No Child Left Behind Act. The consensus among the Doylestown parents seems to be, "Tests for thee, but not for me":
Undaunted by the year's first snowfall and temperatures hovering slightly above negative digits, approximately 150 concerned parents, students and educators attended a forum on the controversial No Child Left Behind program January 15 at Central Bucks West High School.
The forum, sponsored by the Parent Advisory Council at Central Bucks West High School and the Central Bucks School District, gave local officials, Central Bucks administrators and eager onlookers an avenue to express their feelings on the measure...
While many in attendance agreed that No Child Left Behind is a noble idea, they expressed displeasure with the act's implementation, specifically its reliance on one test (the PSSA) to adequately measure a school's and a student's capabilities.
O'Neill, a former special education teacher, spoke up loudest against the test, which is given presently to students in grades 3, 5, 8 and 11.
"I'm not a believer that a standardized test should be an end-all for all these kids and schools," he said. "I object to the concept that kids in Bucks County should be penalized for 50 years of neglect in Philadelphia"...
This past year, all Central Bucks elementary and middle schools made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The overall PSSA scores at both East and West far exceeded the required targets. However, East and West students in special education did not meet AYP, thus the high schools were given "warning" status...
O'Neill clamored for the Pa. Department of Education to set up different tests for different students. "One shoe doesn't fit all," he said.
Emphasis mine. I can understand why a special education teacher is frustrated with NCLB. That's why recent modifications were made, and I expect more changes to come. But why the comment about Bucks County kids having to pay thanks to the crappy state of schools in Philadelphia? They're not being penalized. They're taking tests, and doing well on them (in general).
Posted by kswygert at February 1, 2004 08:13 PM