End-of-Course Tests in High School

I'm curious to what degree (in practice) the score on these tests (see article below) will be the final grade. Given enough time, the government will completely control every aspect of education.

1) They take the citizens' money.

2) They pass laws for mandatory education.

3) They pass laws on how that education will occur.

4) Then they progressively tax those who do well in their education (assuming those people will have higher lifetime earnings).

5) And they wonder why Johnny can't read.

Would we have any greater illiteracy if education was not mandatory?

Kim

Vol. 41, No. 11
February 20, 2007
State Board of Education Approves
End-of-Course Tests in High School

The State Board of Education has given the green light to replacing the current MAP tests for high school students with a slate of “end-of-course” exams that will be required in all public schools starting in 2008-09.

During its meeting in Jefferson City last week (Feb. 16), the board approved a recommendation by Commissioner of Education D. Kent King to move forward with replacing the current Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests which have been mandatory for high school students (grades 10 and 11) for nearly a decade.

While many details remain to be worked out, the board’s action gives the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education the go-ahead to develop statewide “final exams” for algebra I, English II and biology.

State education officials also hope to create end-of-course exams for other classes such as government and American history, geometry, English I, physical science and chemistry. Exams for these subjects will not be available until 2010, at the earliest.

“We have been talking about possible changes in our high school testing program for more than two years, and it is time to move ahead. This plan offers positive changes for students, teachers, parents and schools,” said Stan Johnson, assistant commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The State Board of Education previously considered, but ultimately rejected, a proposal to adopt a college-entry exam, such as the ACT, as a requirement for all high school students.

The most frequent criticism of the MAP tests in high school is that they have no consequences for students, Johnson said.

“We believe that end-of-course exams will be more relevant and meaningful for students. Schools will receive the results from these exams quickly, and teachers will be able to use the scores in determining students’ final grades. This will make a difference in how most students approach the tests,” he said.

Good Day, Bad Day

Two days ago (President's day...no work) was a "blessed" day. I finished up a variety of tasks and cleaned my desk. The sun shined brightly and melted the snow. I pulled out of the hardware store, went through a yellow light turning red, saw a cop behind me, noticed it was dark and didn't have my lights on, and then saw the cop pass by me for a bigger fish.

Yesterday (a work day) was one of those three strikes days. People disagreed with my decisions, didn't respond to complaints, and gave wrong directions to others. And I had to listen to way too many complaints.

So what is it that makes two days seem so different? Is someone deciding what is going to happen? Is it me?

Advice: Don't Blog

My best friend told me I shouldn't blog because my thoughts are ridiculous (my word, not hers).

Luckily I learned from a teacher in college, "listen to everyone and believe no one."

I do like to challenge any existing belief, including hers. I'd rather discover that I was wrong after exploring the opposite viewpoint than blindly accept a commonly accepted belief.

An example: she mops the floor in her studio so often that all the tiles are popping up. I wanted to get some liquid nail and glue those suckers down, even if they are brittle and curled at the edges.

Finally I went last night to the hardware store for a second opinion. Steve, who is a manager there and knows everything, said that I need to give up the idea. To remove the liquid nail will entail destroying the sub floor, and the tiles will never straighten out.

So what was to become a very elegant solution will now become another expensive solution: a new floor.

At least this ridiculous idea was squelched in time!

Picasso at the Lapin Agile

Last night saw Picasso at the Lapin Agile at St. Louis CC - FV. It was a great set by Marie McCool, and a wonderful production, directed by Chris Stephens, by a combination of seasoned and new actors/resses.

I have a lot of axes to grind with Picasso from the time I started to learn about painting, but I still see him as one of my gods. It hurts me that he is projected as such a womanizer and egotist. (When I mentioned this to my wife she was unsympathetic, saying that he was all that.) I didn't have as much problem with Einstein, another hero, though I would have like to learn a little more about him in the play.

This all follows a series of depictions that gnaws at my sensibilities: Jackson Pollack, Diego Rivera, Frieda, and on and on. These individuals made enormous contributions to civilization and to be only represented by their frailties is hurtful. Would we do this to Jesus? Does it help or hurt the public's view of modern art?

I don't know.

Sara Paula Hoffman

Went 2/11/07 to see the new work by Sara Paula Hoffman at Messing Gallery/Mary Institute/St. Louis.

My daughter, getting her Ph.D. in literacy and social justice (I haven't asked her what the actual degree will read), speaks to me about privilege. Walking into a school that competes with any country club, and seeing all the beautiful kids being picked up from Sunday activities by their beautiful parents in their beautiful SUVs sharply contrasts with the urban community college where I work.

But Paula's work, which I believe are extraordinary, speaks about the pain of growing up. Something is not quite right in the childhood presented in these oil on panel 12" squares. Sometimes we see bright local color, and other times the secrets hidden in foggy translucent overlays.

Based on Ibsen's Doll House from 1879, these painting echo the speech at the end of the play when she (a women for all times) finally says she has had enough.

And Paula's "ghosts" are represented not of her mind, but as paintings of discolored and aged Kodacolor prints. We view her self-psychoanalysis in these most poignant and compelling images. See her website: http://www.sarapaula.com/index.swf

Transparency and Assessment

We don't necessarily know how we are affecting people. Autistic individuals can't read facial cues, but can the rest of us? At school, we make a big deal about assessment, and we separate how students do on content exams from how we are doing as teachers.

One of my colleague clamors for transparency, with the assumption that the faculty should know everything about which the administration is thinking. Administrators certainly do a lot of "what if" scenarios which might be exhausting for the faculty or students to contemplate.

And then there is the issue of how to sell an idea. It is probably harder to sell an idea that was communicated prematurely before it was fully realized.

Though in a world of transparency we might learn to hold back judgement until the idea is realized, and we might become part of a process of evolving ideas, not just voting on them.

I do not know.

First Blog-My Third Third

So I retire 6/29/07, after 58 years in school as both a student and teacher, and, against my father's wishes, a dean.

My challenge is to make the most out of my third third. I'm not sure if I want to do this because of a work ethic, because of guilt that maybe I haven't done enough, because I don't know how to enjoy life, or maybe because I want to get very serious about life.

I tried hard to fix some things with others and their institutions. Though I certainly did make changes, I think I probably changed more than anyone else.

I've been thinking more and more about spiritual matters. I've always been more intrigued with mysticism than I have with rational thinking.

Ah, so much to learn about. And miles to go before I sleep.

Kim