tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post6521691301771295153..comments2024-03-26T04:19:38.862-07:00Comments on kitchen table math, the sequel: Adams County School District 50 Eliminates Grades Levels and GradesCatherine Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-90211543735895593492008-12-31T12:15:00.000-08:002008-12-31T12:15:00.000-08:00Chugach is actually pretty civilized. It's a subu...Chugach is actually pretty civilized. It's a suburb of Anchorage, between Anchorage and Wasilla/Palmer (yes Palin's Wasilla).<BR/><BR/>I looked up it's latest standards based assessment scores and it does do extraordinary well, though with such few students it's a very small sample size.TurbineGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09781298806992944235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-72712348161991773502008-12-28T15:05:00.000-08:002008-12-28T15:05:00.000-08:00Allison:I like your opening "I want to believe". M...Allison:<BR/><BR/>I like your opening "I want to believe". Me too!<BR/><BR/>The key to this thing, that strikes a chord with me is the replacement of grade levels with mastery levels. Unless they pervert this (as you caution) by letting the kids determine their status, the concept has huge benefits.<BR/><BR/>I teach kids that have a, minimum, 6 year spread in abilities. It's a nightmare. Anything that gets this variability narrowed would have enormous benefits in classroom management and kid's ability to reach the curricula put in front of them.<BR/><BR/>Only time will tell if the PC Police and Union Hacks collaborate to water down this concept.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-37557724664265084252008-12-27T20:31:00.000-08:002008-12-27T20:31:00.000-08:00I want to believe..but I will wait to see the resu...I want to believe..but I will wait to see the results. Now, every time I ever read a newspaper article about something I know, I see just how far from the truth an article is, so I imagine that's probably happening here, too. So my questions based on the article might be off, but they are all I've got, you know?<BR/><BR/><I>The new system will have 10 levels instead of the traditional kindergarten through 12th grade model.<BR/>Students will be tested this spring to determine their proficiency in reading, writing and math, and will be grouped next year with peers who are learning at the same level. </I><BR/><BR/>on the surface, this is no different--10, 13, big deal. And some get held back, okay. But that's it? Regrouping once a year? Sounds like grade levels to me! <BR/><BR/>Regardless, without an actual curriculum that can be done to mastery, this can't work. What curricula are being used here?<BR/><BR/><I>Six-year-old Dominic Herrera showed one of them on the subject of counting pennies. On the chart were four categories: "I need help," "I think I can," "I know I can" and, finally, "I can teach it." </I><BR/><BR/><BR/>okay, those categories frighten me. The CHILD has to assess what the child knows? Sounds like middle school all over--kids don't know what they don't know. How are they supposed to now know? What's the mechanism? Who tells 'em? Who corrects them? When does "I know I can" actually mean "TEACHER KNOWS I can" ?<BR/><BR/>...<BR/><I>The Gates Foundation gave the Chugach district $5 million to replicate the model across Alaska. About a dozen Alaska districts have tried to implement the model — some with success. Others abandoned it.<BR/>Denali Borough School District removed the system from two of its three schools when teachers complained that tracking student progress was becoming too burdensome. </I><BR/><BR/><BR/>why did it work in some AK places and not others? is the Denali district example merely illustrative? What was burdensome, and what other reasons are there? re: gates foundation: Did the Gates Foundation figure out why it didn't work? Does anyone do followup at these darn foundations and publish it? Can we read the research?<BR/><BR/><I>Adams 50 is doing away with grades A-F, but students will get grades ranging from 4 to 0, allowing them to still have a grade-point average that colleges will recognize.</I><BR/><BR/>what is the point in changing alphabets? does someone think this means something, to change from A-F or 4-0?<BR/><BR/>But the curricula matter. What goes used in AK, does anyone know?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-16269863516337590082008-12-27T02:54:00.000-08:002008-12-27T02:54:00.000-08:00Here's my take on differentiated instruction. It'...Here's my take on differentiated instruction. <A HREF="http://arp148.com/blog/?p=43" REL="nofollow"> It's not what you think.</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-86955518409670109742008-12-26T14:52:00.000-08:002008-12-26T14:52:00.000-08:00I wish I could give my district a list of consulta...I wish I could give my district a list of consultants I would be willing to pay for. <BR/><BR/>Marzano, Schmoker, DuFour, McEwan, Damer<BR/><BR/>And of course anyone from ADI & from Morningside...<BR/><BR/>I'd be happy if they'd just pay for a reading instructor from Windward to come over and teach phonics to staff & parents.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-2643031832715256792008-12-26T14:50:00.000-08:002008-12-26T14:50:00.000-08:00wow - Robert Marzano.I've got at least 3 of hi...wow - Robert Marzano.<BR/><BR/>I've got at least 3 of his books & I've read most of the famous one (Classroom Instruction that Works, I believe)<BR/><BR/>That was the book covering research showing that correcting homework was one of the most powerful things a teacher could do to improve learning.<BR/><BR/>The existence of this research has had no effect on my district.<BR/><BR/><I>But practitioners might draw a different conclusion from the research on providing feedback to students, which has found that providing “feedback coupled with remediation” (Hattie, 1992) or feedback on “testlike events” in the form of explanations to students (Bangert-Drowns, Kulik, Kulik, & Morgan, 1991) positively affects achievement.</I><BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.marzanoandassociates.com/" REL="nofollow">The Case For and Against Homework</A><BR/><BR/>You can download the article from that URL. It contains the chart on homework showing effect sizes.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-47979189453351483342008-12-26T14:45:00.000-08:002008-12-26T14:45:00.000-08:00It's far more likely that your child is either ahe...<I>It's far more likely that your child is either ahead (and bored) or behind (and overwhelmed) their cohort.</I><BR/><BR/>but WAIT!<BR/><BR/>what about DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION??Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.com