Not just TN and NYC, Delaware also has more poor test scores.

[madfloridian]

So I am gathering they are raising cut scores generally, making it look like more students are failing. Also judged by test scores, a single standardized test, are teachers, principals, and schools.

Just as happened when I posted about New York City scores and Tennessee test scores raising cut offs I am sure someone will come along and say maybe they were all failing anyway.

Someone will say maybe they really were not doing so well after all, and it's good we caught their failures. So what will be said when the cut scores are raised again in a year or so, and more students who thought they were okay are not?

I say it is pretty obvious they are speeding up the process to have more failures so the public schools will become more profitable to the powers that be.

If you keep moving the goal line, keep changing the standards...you will have more failures more quickly. Frankly I think this is what it is about.

Delaware was a recipient of the Race to the Top Funds along with Tennessee. NYC is under Bloomberg's mayoral control and is following Arne's dictates.

So students who were considered fine and dandy last year are not considered okay this year because they raised the cut-off goal they were supposed to meet. Changing scores in mid-stream after the school systems sweated blood to pass the tests.

This way it will be quicker, the big rush to "turnarounds". The rush to fire principals, teachers, close schools, and turn them around into charter schools run by management companies.

Delaware schools leaving more children behind

About half of Delaware's schools failed to make adequate progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, a dramatic increase from a year prior.

The number of top-rated schools dropped as federal standards for test scores in math and reading increased from the year before. The state's school accountability ratings also showed that 20 percent fewer schools received a "superior" ranking from the state Department of Education.

Education now is no longer about interaction between teachers and students, no longer about a depth of learning that is hard to measure, no longer about the students at all. It is all about data and scores now.

I will quote a favorite blogger.

She speaks about the trends in this decade of learning.

Buzzword of the decade: data. Every person with a computer sees data analysis as the solution.

In the lunchroom, colleagues express skepticism about the Texas Miracle even before it's exposed as just another Data Hustle. Some of the best teachers in the building discover they are not Highly Qualified. Meanwhile, the worst teachers in the building--genuine stinkers--look good under NCLB regs. We begin administering tests to third graders--and relinquish development of performance assessments that tell us real things about kids' writing, number sense, comprehension, familiarity with the scientific method. No time for that now--the data-driven race to the top has begun even before it's formally named.

It is all about data and the usual things that always have applied in schools don't count anymore. All the years I meticulously kept grade books which gave a picture of the weekly and even daily work done by students...not important anymore. We had portfolios of students' work samples and thoughts and ideas...not important anymore.

Just data on a standardized test on which standards are changed when success is shown.

I am reminded of NYC Mayor Bloomberg's quote of the week:

Quote of the week

Responding to reports that earlier test scores were inflated to demonstrate the success of mayoral control, New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg said,

“This doesn’t mean the kids did any worse — quite the contrary. What this is simply saying is that we’ve redefined what our objectives are.”

[Angry Dragon]

1. Raw material in = product out

I do not see any problem with turning all schools into factories.

Just think of the cost savings. All children are the same, they learn at the same pace, and they all have the same interests and aptitude. Except for the future ceos and politicians. They will go to private schools.

We can use public and charter schools to mass produce fodder for the endless wars that this country so desires. This country will have an endless supply of non-thinking, conformist military products.

I am really pissed about the direction that some think the education system should travel.

Rant over for awhile.

[madfloridian]

2. Assembly line education, so to speak.

Nice rant.

[Angry Dragon]

3. I can at times do rants well

Thank you

If the people that are setting up these rules had to pass the same achievement bar that they set for teachers
they would be on the unemployment line. That goes for politicians too.

[madfloridian]

4. Bloomberg: the kids didn't do worse...we just changed the goals.

You can't keep patting kids on the back and saying "good job" or whatever the latest cute thing to say is. And then turn around and change the cut off for success on the test and say sorry kids you really are not doing a good job after all.

It is a terrible thing to do to kids.

Heck, why bother with teachers' grade book, with portfolios, with student conferences...why go to all the trouble if classroom grades are not going to count at all.

The stupidity is hurting my eyes and brain.

[Johonny]

25. certainly the case in NY

New York use to have a perfectly sensible tiered education system. Where only AP kids and regents kids needed to pass these advanced tests to get credit, while school level classes had there own set of standards. The current system plops all student into advanced classes with little regard for if all teachers are/were prepared to teach the material, that all students are mature enough to handle the material. The result is more failures. But worse it drags down the material for the advanced kids, while basically promoting failure amongst students that previously could get a solid vocational level high school diploma. It's a system where everyone loses when they did not need too. The older New York standardized structure was one of the best in the nation until Republicans set out to make a one size fits none system designed not to function and teach but to fail.

[Joe Fields]

5. Personally, I believe the standards were too low, the teachers

didn't teach, and now comes the day of reckoning.

[madfloridian]

7. Oh, goody.

Another vote for the day of reckoning.

:shrug:

[Joe Fields]

16. and the public schools have done so well...

:eyes:

[MyOwnPeace]

17. Well...............

Er, actually, Joe, they have.
Who is the most advanced, industrialized country with the highest standard of living in the world - and is committed to educating ALL citizens?
What country do SO many other countries send their best learners to so that they may get advanced degrees?
The CEO's of the top corporations in the US - where did they go to school? Let's see, if they're in their 50's, that means that they probably were in college when the great scam/scare "A Nation at Risk" came out. If they were so bad off, how did they manage to succeed?
Are you really that blind, Joe, that you can't see what's really happening here?
If so, maybe you're proof of how education has failed some.

[Joe Fields]

18. It isn't the United States....

I've done research on this very topic. You should do a little yourself, before you make such statements.

Several countries surpass the U.S. in education.

[rpannier]

36. And what has your research taught you Joe

I'm curious
Because the poster above is correct

In the United States we educate everyone in the same type of schools and we test everyone

Here in Korea and in Japan they don't

In Korea and in Japan (as a society) we spend millions in academy fees for our kids to get extra education in Math, Science, History, Korean (Japanese) and English

Education is something this society and Japanese society values.
It's the responsibility of the family to make sure their child is educated
And society supports education wholeheartedly

If you want to NOT get re-elected to any office in Korea, tell people you think cutting spending on public education is a good idea
In the next election -- you're through

A guy like Bill Gates would not have had the kind of success he's had if he had grown up in most other places around the world
The US still produces more Nobel Prize winners than any other country.
Much of the advances in society today are the result of work done in America

I've read your other posts.
You hate teachers. You hate public education.
I get it

ow tell me what your research has taught you

Because my time living in Europe and my ten years here in Korea, as well as my contacts in Japan, has taught me I disagree with you

[proud2BlibKansan]

43. Thank you

:thumbsup:

[rpannier]

52. You are more than welcome

I waited 2 days for his response
I received none

[Sancho]

35. maybe the teacher taught, but you didn't learn...

some of us learned decades ago that there are never any standards too low! Heck, in my book all elementary students should master calculus, all high school students should practice performing arts every day, and all doctors should spend two years in the Peace Corp before being allowed to practice medicine. Hmmmm....seems that my standards are too high for most others; don't you agree? Bet you were one of the Friday Night Light parents who thought I was a bad teacher if I failed every student including your little darling! You don't really know what you are saying if you spout off, "standards are too low".

[ljm2002]

6. The same thing goes on in industry...

...where part of the received wisdom is, "If you can't measure it, you can't control it".

Of course this all presupposes that "it" is worth measuring and controlling. And there's the rub. As pointed out by Stephen J. Gould in "The Mismeasure of Man", one thing about numbers is you can measure just about anything. Once you come up with a measure of something, you can then start talking about that thing as if it is real -- i.e. reification.

So if, for example, you measure the distance from everyone's nose to their uppper lip, you can then correlate that with something, and come up with facts about what it means that the distance is 1.5" vs. 2". Only the thing is, it is totally spurious as what you are measuring has no meaning.

Now the standardized tests are, of course, not quite that bad in that they do measure a certain kind of skill. Still, one thing they measure is the ability to take tests. Some very smart kids are not good at taking tests, so they will suffer the consequence of being rated less smart than they are. And of course, the tests do not measure reasoning or creative ability, etc. And none of this is of any interest to the measurement nazis.

Don't get me wrong. Measurement is necessary. But it can be overused and misused, and I think you are doing a great job of showing where that is happening in the education arena.

[suffragette]

8. Delaware also denied accommodations to students

who had previously qualified. They did this on the advice of the Dept. of Education.

This is appalling.

Providing accommodations helps assure that students' results measure their understanding of the content rather than the impact of their disability. By denying proper accommodations, they were denying proper access. The test should not be about their success at accessing the material through a prescribed manner (in this case, the eyes rather than the ears) but whether with proper access, they can comprehend the content. This is as crucial to students who have a learning disability as to students who are blind.

Parents need to challenge this all the way to the Supreme Court, particularly since there is now a Justice there who fully understands this issue: Justice Sotomayor.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/2010/07/delaware_test_results_draw_att.html

Delaware Department of Education officials said the decline in reading scores was caused in part by a change in the way some students were given the test. Fewer special-needs students were given an accommodation on the reading test this year, meaning they had to take the test the same way as their peers. The accommodation, called "read aloud," allowed educators to read printed text out loud to students taking the exam.

In 2009, 6,321 students had portions of the reading test read aloud to them. In 2010, 1,435 got that assistance during the test. State leaders asked districts to limit their use of this accommodation based on the advice of U.S. Department of Education officials, said Michael Stetter, the state Department of Education's director for curriculum and instruction and acting director of accountability.



Be sure to read the comment section. There are some thoughtful and apt statements there.


http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100716/NEWS03/7160355/Struggles-with-reading-get-worse

Changes affect scores

If the state would remove the scores of the students who didn't receive an accommodation that they had the prior year, the state would have seen a 1 percent to 4 percent increase in the reading scores, Stetter said.

[madfloridian]

9. Denied accommodations on recommendation of the DOE Stunning.

That is shocking. How in the world can anyone think that every child, no matter what disability or problem, can pass a test that is mandated by the government and the DOE.

Where has all the common sense gone?

And caring about children as individuals?

That is just stunning.

[suffragette]

11. It is absolutely shocking that the DOE endorsed

denial of accommodations.

From the 1st article, it looks like they are challenging the accommodation itself, which is why I'd like Sotomayor engaged, since she decided and wrote the landmark case in this arena:
http://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5733426

This action has consequences that reach far beyond this series of tests.

I am stunned that this happened and is not being challenged.

I would not have known of this if you had not posted your OP. It looks to me like this was rigged, in the most cynical of ways, to produce results designed to further an agenda.

[madfloridian]

12. AND if we try to point out that some students need special accommodations....

someone will jump in and say we don't demand enough.

It's a no-win situation when some are determined to defend this administration on education no matter what.

[suffragette]

14. That's the truth

All this while the DOE is demanding arbitrary changes that are completely inconsistent with democratic principles and policies.

The central idea of RTTT funding being competitive based rather than need based demonstrates this arbitrary direction.

I am looking further into the denial of the accommodation of reading aloud now that I am aware of it and on the quickest search, I am finding it is being done an arbitrary fashion as well. Parents whose children have been affected by this need to join together in a lawsuit and challenge this on this basis.

Found these about DC:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2009/03/dc_schools_cutting_back_on_rea.html

http://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/nclbfinalassess/dcmoa2.pdf

[madfloridian]

15. We are fast becoming a society in which education is not revered.

The attitude toward teachers is only part of it. The easy acceptance of down the line rote learning, the acceptance of one test fits all, the acceptance of zero tolerance for the learning disabled.

Happening quickly.

[suffragette]

19. Sadly I think this has been part of our society for far

too long.

Anti-intellectualism has long been popular here, even popping up in stories such as "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," with its depiction of a gullible and foolish teacher. The conclusion of that story says much.
http://ia301504.us.archive.org/2/items/thelegendofsleep00041gut/SLEEP10.TXT

The brook was searched, but the body of the schoolmaster was
not to be discovered. Hans Van Ripper as executor of his estate,
examined the bundle which contained all his worldly effects. They
consisted of two shirts and a half; two stocks for the neck; a
pair or two of worsted stockings; an old pair of corduroy small-
clothes; a rusty razor; a book of psalm tunes full of dog's-ears;
and a broken pitch-pipe. As to the books and furniture of the
schoolhouse, they belonged to the community, excepting Cotton
Mather's History of Witchcraft, a New England Almanac, and
book of dreams and fortune-telling; in which last was a sheet of
foolscap much scribbled and blotted in several fruitless attempts
to make a copy of verses in honor of the heiress of Van Tassel.
These magic books and the poetic scrawl were forthwith consigned
to the flames by Hans Van Ripper; who, from that time forward,
determined to send his children no more to school; observing that
he never knew any good come of this same reading and writing.
Whatever money the schoolmaster possessed, and he had received
his quarter's pay but a day or two before, he must have had about
his person at the time of his disappearance.

The mysterious event caused much speculation at the church
on the following Sunday. Knots of gazers and gossips were
collected in the churchyard, at the bridge, and at the spot where
the hat and pumpkin had been found. The stories of Brouwer, of
Bones, and a whole budget of others were called to mind; and when
they had diligently considered them all, and compared them with
the symptoms of the present case, they shook their heads, and
came to the conclusion chat Ichabod had been carried off by the
Galloping Hessian. As he was a bachelor, and in nobody's debt,
nobody troubled his head any more about him; the school was
removed to a different quarter of the Hollow, and another
pedagogue reigned in his stead.


It's far less often that we have heard and acted on views such as those espoused by Eleanor Roosevelt in "Good Citizenship: The Purpose of Education"
http://newdeal.feri.org/er/er19.htm

The New Deal and the Great Society both placed public education, equal education for all high on the list of what is critical for our society. Now, we've seen the pendulum move ever farther away from the ideals encouraged there and have undergone decades of revisionist critique of those aims and programs.

[proud2BlibKansan]

46. We can't read the test to any students in MO

We could until a couple years ago. Then our state education dept said no more.

We can read the Math and the Science test but we can't read Communication Arts.

[madfloridian]

10. Have you noticed how Democrats now refuse to see kids as individuals?

I have.

I never figured they would fall for the cookie-cutter idea of every child is alike.

But they did.

[suffragette]

13. This is so disturbing and reflects a radical philosophical shift.

People are not commodities and should not be viewed, measured and treated as such.

This is a direct attack on disability rights and goes to core tenets of requiring individual assessment and accommodations and of measuring ability rather than the impact of the disability.


I never thought they'd fall for the cookie-cutter idea either.

So often I see the phrase, "But you're not surprised are you?" used to dismiss actions and reactions here.

Well, I'm saying it: I'm surprised.

Not in a million years did I see this coming.

[Jefferson23]

26. Holy shit, that is incredible.

"In 2009, 6,321 students had portions of the reading test read aloud to them. In 2010, 1,435 got that assistance during the test. State leaders asked districts to limit their use of this accommodation based on the advice of U.S. Department of Education officials, said Michael Stetter, the state Department of Education's director for curriculum and instruction and acting director of accountability."

I am building a loathing I never associated with Democrats before, we are talking about the future of millions of children here.


suffragette, thanks for posting.

[suffragette]

29. I'm completely stunned by this

I'd like to know the names of the DOE officials involved.

[Jefferson23]

30. Absolutely, this was a conversation, or a memo? I want to hear

the reasons given for the decision too.


None of this is pro-active to the child. I live in Ct. and the state lost a second time getting Federal RttT funds, but they'll keep trying.

They wanted 175 million so they'll go along to try and get it next time.

1) adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy;

2) building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;

3) recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most;

4) and turning around our lowest-achieving schools.


http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2703&Q=322442

[suffragette]

31. I tracked some of the info down for DC

The links are in my post:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8864132#8865388

D.C. Schools Cutting Back On 'Read-Aloud'
More than 2,000 students in D.C. public and public charter schools with reading difficulties have questions and passages in the English Language Arts portion of the annual DC-CAS standardized test read to them. But federal and state officials have ordered D.C. schools to sharply reduce the number of "read-aloud" accommodations, contending they have been overused.

Under an agreement between the U.S. Department of Education and the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), the District must cut by half the number of read-loud arrangements before next month's DC-CAS exams. By 2010, it can be used "only for students with particularly severe dyslexia or other decoding disabilities," according to a recent letter to parents from Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee.

Rhee said the accommodation "can hide the extent to which your child may be struggling to read. Therefore, changing the use of this accommodation will allow us to see more clearly the kind of help your child may need." Officials said they have reviewed the IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) of students with the accommodation to see who meets the more stringent criteria.

Federal law says that no changes in a student's IEP can be made before parents have a chance to meet with the team of educators that devised the plan. But DCPS is asking parents to waive that requirement.



From that, it looks like they are imposing an arbitrary 50% reduction in this accommodation. Do read the rest of the article. A parent noted that the accommodation is being removed without testing to see if his child still needs it or not and he is planning action. I hope more do.
The reasoning itself is absurd since diagnostic testing to diagnose a disability would reveal "the extent to which your child may be struggling to read."

The other link in my previous post is to a PDF I found from the DOE to the DC State Superintendent for Education thanking them for submitting their plan for the reduction, so that's an acknowledgement of the change instead of the initial request/demand.

I haven't found anything similar for Delaware yet. I am wondering how extensive this is.

You're right - none of this is pro-active to the child. I went to the link you posted and noticed a glaring omission there - not once do they use the word "learn" in connection to a student (they use "learned" once in regard to funding). That omission says it all.

[Jefferson23]

33. Thank you for the information. To begin with this statement:

"But federal and state officials have ordered D.C. schools to sharply reduce the number of "read-aloud" accommodations, contending they have been overused."

Overused? By what measure was this decision made I would like to know. Just who are these people, this appears to me to go directly
against the heart of IDEA right here: "By 2010, it can be used "only for students with particularly severe dyslexia or other decoding disabilities," according to a recent letter to parents from Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee."


And they want to see how much more help the student needs, what is this some kind of screwed up double blind study??


They are asking the parents of children who presently have IEP's to waive the requirements, I would love to be a fly on the
wall to hear those conversations! And what about the children coming into the system who don't yet have an IEP, considering that
only the "most severe" will be accommodated. This whole scenario is so filled with legal holes it's not funny. I wonder who wrote up the
criteria to define the most severe.

Some parents will fight, I am afraid too many will not have the wherewithal to do so. I can't even begin to
put into words how outraged I feel right now.

[suffragette]

34. I share your outrage

On this anniversary year of the passage of the ADA, this is the direction they take?
Is it a requirement now for states or are they targeting particular states?
I'd like to know the measures used as well.
It looks to me like the non-accommodation pattern emerging at some charter schools is now being applied to public schools.
At this point, I have more questions than answers.

The parents need to band together on this. They probably feel so alone and overwhelmed.


Back to Delaware for a moment.
One thing we do know from this is that it clearly impacted Delaware's tests, as noted in the excerpt from the article in my earlier post., basically causing Delaware to not pass the reading test, which is then used to point to "failure" to improve.

I doubt an assessment was made of the psychological impact on the students who were subjected to this capricious withdrawal of previously afforded accommodations. I hardly want to think of how terrible this experience had to be for these students.

[Jefferson23]

37. I have no doubt many parents are overwhelmed, and I'm not

kidding about wishing I could hear what the administrator's are saying to these parents to try persuade them to waive their
own child's IEP to participate in this SCAM. Of course you're right, for the children this must be confusing and very troubling!


I am going to try and find out more about how this may apply here in Ct. As they did not gain the Federal funds a second time they
may not be participating in any such request for parents to exclude assistance as outlined and agreed upon in the students IEP's.

But I can't help but wonder too if this is part of the package for any state, you want the money, this is what you have to do.

Arne Duncan, salesman for the RttT....ugh.

[Odin2005]

41. Wow, that is just wrong!

:grr:

[suffragette]

44. As wrong as can be

:grr:

[LWolf]

20. Your blogger has obviously spent her time in schools the last decade.

She nailed those trends.

As for Bloomberg? He's simply explaining how, no matter how well students do on tests, the system will be able to find "failing" schools and "turn them around" until there aren't any public schools left.

[madfloridian]

21. The magic words: "turn them around"

and keep turning until they are not really public schools anymore.

[LWolf]

22. That's it.

Now that we're all "data driven," keep changing what the data means, keep turning us OVER, until public education is gone.

[donco6]

42. I've seen the same thing here, too.

And also the change in accommodations ala Delaware - thanks suffragette.

[cjbgreen]

23. Facts!

Thanks Madfloridan!
Reminders about Arne's record and why not improving schools while calling it reform does not work for kids or their communities.
http://gfbrandenburg.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/arne-duncans-cloudy-legacy-from-chicago-public-schools/
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/05/29-10

[madfloridian]

24. Thanks for the links and the reminders...

that Arne is spreading failed Chicago education policy throughout the nation.

And too many Democrats are along for the ride.

[johnaries]

27. GOOD! I'm sick and tired of "lowering standards" so that failing students

"seem to pass" just to make the local board "look good".

This simply points out how corrupt many local school boards are. They don't care if students are learning, as long as they can lower standards so that they look good.

And who are the losers? OUR STUDENTS.

I'm glad the corruptions of many local boards are finally being exposed, as well as the disservice that they are doing to students.

[madfloridian]

28. Do you support what this administration is doing to students and teachers?

[cjbgreen]

32. Boards

I think this involves more than just Boards! Whether students score higher or lower isn't the real issue that no one is clear if these tests and the way they are administered and scored really depict student performance. Which is why we need multiple measures and consideration of student performance that occurs during multiple points in time. Assessment and accountability is important to teachers, students and educators, regardless of what politicians want people to believe.

[LostinVA]

40. I bet you think they should go to charter schools, right?

:eyes:

[roody]

49. Have you taken the test lately?

You better know what onomatopoeia is in third grade or you are a failure!

[proud2BlibKansan]

51. Local school boards??

Standards come from the state. So do the tests. And the scoring guides. And those are based on federal mandates.

The only thing the local school boards do is pay for the tests and the scoring.

[JDPriestly]

38. So, how do they educate the children at Stilwell Friends, where Obama's children are attending?

Are those children being administered the same tests as the children who attend public schools?

Sidwell Friends Lower School is dedicated to educating the mind, body, and spirit of each child with special emphasis on the Quaker principles of dignity, self-worth, and reverence for life. We treasure our diverse backgrounds; we stress acceptance of differences; we emphasize cooperation with and concern for others; and we encourage a sense of commitment toward the larger community. Above all, we prize the unique worth of each individual.

We seek to provide a challenging curriculum with flexibility to meet the needs of each student. We believe that to be effective, education must be founded on secure mastery of basic skills, taught not only in isolation but also in integration with one another. We place strong emphasis on reading, personal expression of ideas through speaking and writing, and the mastery of computational and problem solving skills. We also encourage scientific exploration, artistic creativity, physical activity, second language acquisition, and technology as a tool for learning. In every area we stress independent thinking and judgments balanced by receptivity to the ideas of others.

Our high expectations for academic achievement are balanced with a growing awareness of others. We seek to develop in our students a broader sense of the world and the obligation to perform service to others. We want children to realize the importance of standing up for their own beliefs, as well as the value of quiet reflection.

Our school atmosphere is informal and friendly. Although the styles of teaching vary, we recognize and respect different learning styles and are united in our commitment to reach each child. Our faculty is excited about education and constantly learning and growing. They show children a caring community by working together and respecting one another. In addition they strive to reach consensus on issues that affect them.

We believe in the Inner Light in every individual and hope to nurture well-rounded, curious, self-respecting, and friendly children.

http://www.sidwell.edu/lower_school/academics/index.aspx

When I googled Sidwell Friends and test scores -- I got their page on sports scores.

And when I looked further, this is what I found:

Sidwell Friends School is instituting ImPact baseline testing to detect concussions in our high school student-athletes.
The ImPact Sports Concussion program will be led by Dr. Gerard Gioia,
director of the SCORE Concussion program at Children's National Medical Center. He will work closely with you and Sidwell Friends School certified athletic trainer, coaches, school personnel, and your designated primary care physician. While we do not want to overly alarm parents or student-athletes, a concussion is a serious injury to the brain that must be treated properly. This program strengthens our commitment to keeping your student=athlete safe.

more

http://www.sidwell.edu/data/files/gallery/AthleticsFileGallery/impact_testing.pdf

Maybe the Sidwell Friends students are tested and they just don't publish the scores or talk about it on their website.

But what is good enough for America's public schools ought to be good enough for Sidwell Friends, don't you think? I'm sure the Sidwell Friends students would score at the very top of the nation. Considering who their parents are for the most part, that should be the case. But still if the Obamas want to test America's children, wouldn't you think they would want to test their own????

I'd like to see how they would react if their children were being taught how to take tests rather than how to learn and develop themselves as individuals.

[Jefferson23]

39. +1

[suffragette]

45. +2

[proud2BlibKansan]

47. A+++

[JDPriestly]

48. I will post this independently. This deserves scrutiny.

What is good enough for Sasha and Malia ought to be good enough for my kids and grandkids.

[roody]

50. You make sure the kids come from families that

were reading to the children in the womb, and have plenty of good food to eat, and go to expensive museums and cultural events.