Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Westminster Colo. Schools


I was about to go to bed with nothing prepared for today, when this crossed my path. I may comfortably go to my rest now, for finally, I have heard it all. I must have been born under a bad sign, or at least 50 years too early.

In response to low standardized test scores, and poor student performance, No Child Left Behind,blah, blah blah, the Westminster Colorado School District has decided to rid themselves of grade levels. Not A,B,C,D, but first, second, third......


Students will be assigned by age,and will stay in a subject until they attain mastery of it. Maybe 8 yo Spelling, and 10 yo Math. Picture if you will a class of 9 yo boys studying math. Also in their class is 11 yo boy whose struggling. Will 11 yo be miffed working with the little kids? How well will the bigs kids deal with a smart little kid? I defer to Ms. Mindless.

The inspiration for this was a school district in Alaska that has 250 students spread over 22,000 square miles. Remember those Palin kids? Westminster is suburban Denver.

The plan is to phase this process in over time, in order to give the district officials time to seek other employment.

For further info I recommend:A Colorado school district does away with grade levels

We have met the enemy and it is us.


Toad

10 comments:

ADG said...

Toad...Don't get me started again man! Stop this sh_t. I went off like a rocket about your post yesterday.

Now this one really gets me. I've got an 8 year old third grader who is held hostage to the standardized test phenomenon and mamma and I aren't liking the kind of behavior that the standardized tests are creating in the teachers and the heads/principals of said public schools...and it ain't their fault! Federal money is being held hostage in exchange for test scores.

Now you tell me that they are blending the grades. Remember how monumental and special it was to no longer be a "whatever grader" because you just got moved up to the next one?

Devil, get behind me.

Renovation Therapy said...

My Fiance went so some rich little boys private school that didn't "do grades". That made getting into a college LOADS of fun for him. These kids will likely have the same fun...

Toad said...

Dear ADG it's called teaching to the test. Get used to it mon ami.

Sartre said...

I have to tell you I don't hate this. At least all of it. What I like is: You don't move on until you've mastered the material.

I don't know if this is the right approach, but education does need to be reinvented, and it won't happen by govt mandate, it will happen at the local level. We know (survey after survey after survey) that throwing more $ at the problem is not effective.

I dunno, I don't have any better ideas.

Gladys said...

I wish we didn't have grades when I was growing up because then I could justify still being in the first grade mentally and well physically. I mean we still got to take naps in first grade. Oh and color and eat paste.

Toad said...

in a similiar vein, the Missouri legistlature in an effort to make our schools more competitive with those in say Somalia or Antartica are seriously debating allowing schools to operate on a 4 day week.

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