tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post9115307220429255882..comments2024-01-08T03:21:35.616-05:00Comments on DeKalb County School Watch: The Office of School Improvement: An OxymoronCerebrationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-49054025177993311462011-06-04T13:01:07.011-04:002011-06-04T13:01:07.011-04:00teacher...I wasn't referring to just the coach...teacher...I wasn't referring to just the coaches. I was referring to the entire department. If they are classified, they can go into those advertised positions currently on PATS. All certified can go into the classrooms. All coaches are supposed to be certified. If they are not, that alone is a travesty.Passionate...https://www.blogger.com/profile/07428539988625033252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-87255631101144108332011-06-04T08:31:09.252-04:002011-06-04T08:31:09.252-04:00Passionate, the army of coaches can't all go i...Passionate, the army of coaches can't all go into the classroom,x as they all are not certified teachers. Some do not have classroom experience and have been hand picked for this high paying job.teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05376631088818447603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-90989105495396578642011-06-04T08:10:18.304-04:002011-06-04T08:10:18.304-04:00Want to help schools succeed? Place all Title I A...Want to help schools succeed? Place all Title I AIC staff members in schools...in classrooms. They all could work as Title I EIP teachers. Capturing both EIP and Title I monies legally. This plan would lower student/teacher ratio. All students needing the extra help would receive it. Interventions would become part of the RTI [response to intervention] process. Imagine...students actually learning what they missed along the way and succeeding. Imagine system AYP! Graduation rates would increase. More students would be ready for college and careers. Imagine!Passionate...https://www.blogger.com/profile/07428539988625033252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-3399273573287989922011-06-03T22:22:13.199-04:002011-06-03T22:22:13.199-04:00@ Teacher
The 211 "security" officers p...@ Teacher<br /><br />The 211 "security" officers plus the dual (or is that dueling?) directors of "school safety" cost DCSS $9,812,575.48 in 2010.<br /><br />Nearly $10 million with almost no return on investment!<br /><br />Of course, that $10 million does not include benefits of approximately 30%. Nor does it include the fuel and maintenance costs to provide those "security" officers and "school safety" directors with cars to drive back and forth between home and work. Who knows how many overpaid clerks and secretaries are attached to that department?<br /><br />Want more information? Read http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2011/05/found-dcss-has-money-for-education.htmlSHShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07809309296308250111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-49460264656365183782011-06-03T21:14:36.894-04:002011-06-03T21:14:36.894-04:00DCSS polic department is another worthless office....DCSS polic department is another worthless office. Alarm has been going off at Shamrock for over 15 minutes and not a police car in site. Wondering what we are paying these officers for and why so much. <br /><br />Hopefully nothing was stolen. Time will tell.teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05376631088818447603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-34648779962081530552011-06-03T15:36:13.551-04:002011-06-03T15:36:13.551-04:00For those of you interested in the reasons DCSS do...For those of you interested in the reasons DCSS does not make AYP - please go to the state DOE website and review the data. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.gadoe.org/ReportingFW.aspx?PageReq=103&CountyId=644&T=1&FY=2010" rel="nofollow">DeKalb AYP</a><br /><br />We fail to make AYP in the following categories systemwide on the CRCT:<br /><br />MATH:<br />Students with disabilities, English language learners<br /><br />ENGLISH/LA:<br />Students with disabilities<br /><br />We fail to make AYP in the following categories systemwide on the GA High School Graduation Test:<br /><br />Math:<br />Black, Hispanic, Multi-Racial, Students With Disabilities, English Language Learners and Economically Disadvantaged<br /><br />English/LA:<br />English Language Learners and Economically Disadvantaged<br /><br />As well as failing in the graduation rate for Hispanics (73%) and "All Students" (79.2%) The students with disabilities only had a 30.6% graduation rate, ELL 54.5%, and the economically disadvantaged 77.5%<br /><br />These numbers will be very much affected by the new calculation methods recently put in place. <br /><br />School by school data is available at the link above.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-90498758090116881272011-06-03T09:30:47.756-04:002011-06-03T09:30:47.756-04:00Teacher - you hit the nail on the head with this -...Teacher - you hit the nail on the head with this --<br /><br /><i>I think that DeKalb is reactive as opposed to being proactive regarding student achievement. We are busy catching students up as opposed to catching them before they fall. </i><br /><br />We say that all the time here on the blog. We simply must start early and stay on top of each students progress. The more we pass along students who are not ready, the further behind they get. We do them no favors in life by pretending that they are ready to move ahead.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-80769176331548458122011-06-03T07:17:00.778-04:002011-06-03T07:17:00.778-04:00Passionate, thank you for responding to wondering&...Passionate, thank you for responding to wondering's uninformed comment. That person painted a broad brush about the teachers at a school that did not make AYP without including information about why the school did not make AYP or whether the teachears were in that subject.<br /><br />As a reminder, there are 6 categories that make up the AYP scorecard and you must have at least 40 students in the category for it to be considered. There were schools that did not make AYP because the Students With Disabilities (SWD) category did not meet standards. The school could have done well in the other categories but failed because it had at least 40 students in the SWD category that collectively did not make the grade. <br /><br />Does these mean that those teachers did not do everything possible to help those students? NO. What everyone seems to forget is that schools have students for 6-7 hours a day, Monday through Friday. There are teachers that go over and above the call of duty but can't overcome what happens with some children when they go home. <br /><br />Teachers have a responsibility to use all instructional strategies at their disposal to help students learn. They have no control over whether the student retain what was taught, despite their best efforts. Some of you need to take a step back and think about all the finger pointing you are doing to teachers.Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04676448124010158751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-78188207679147272312011-06-03T07:02:34.365-04:002011-06-03T07:02:34.365-04:00Wondering...not all teachers at a failing school a...Wondering...not all teachers at a failing school are failures. Rising scholar summer school programs hire successful teachers even if they are from failing schools. ESOL summer school programs hire ESOL certified teachers. ESOL summer school enables Tier A and low Tier B speakers of other languages to be more successful the following school year...less regression. Rising scholar summer school programs in other Georgia counties have gone away. CRCT is administered earlier in April...test scores come back earlier...remediation is done immediately and CRCT retakes occur the last week of school. <br />Teacher...thank you for your comments. We are here to serve children. I agree that the injustices need to go away.Passionate...https://www.blogger.com/profile/07428539988625033252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-3764003316254675392011-06-03T02:03:10.868-04:002011-06-03T02:03:10.868-04:00@ wondering
You make some valid points in your po...@ wondering<br /><br />You make some valid points in your post. I would, however, like to address some of your comments. First of all, I am part of a married couple that works at a school in DeKalb County. I am also teaching ESOL summer school —not Rising Scholar (for CRCT) — at a DeKalb county school which has not made AYP for the past 3 years and probably will not for the next 3 years. My husband also works at this location during the school year as well as this summer. The program begins at 7:30 and ends at 12:30, offering only 1 session. Regrettably, for the last 2 or 3 years, this school has not had summer school to serve our abundant ESOL students. My husband and I also work various programs throughout the school year to supplement our inadequate educator incomes (resulting from furloughs, no step increase, no cost of living raise…in fact after working 8 years in DeKalb County, I make less than a first year teacher at Atlanta Public Schools). One-fourth to one-third of our monthly income goes back into this community in which we do not live. The supplemental money we earn often allows us to help families in the school community that cannot afford basic necessities. This extra money also allows us to expose these children to opportunities that their families otherwise could not afford. We do live in a different county but our church membership and much of our lives (after school & weekends) are spent within in this community. Furthermore, we’ve desired to move our residence here as well but the downturn of the housing market has made it difficult to move. <br /><br />The community is comprised mostly of refugees. This school that I currently work in (during the school year and currently at the ESOL Summer Enrichment program) did not make AYP. This school is the home to over 650 English language learners (from 50 countries, speaking 40 languages). They make up about 67% of our school's population. The majority of our students are refugees. We have students to enroll at our school that have never had any formal schooling, nor have any of their family members before them. Many of these students are “new to the country” students (meaning students in their first year enrolled at a US school) and spend half the school year or more at the International Center learning basic functional English. A large percentage of our refugee students have been in the country for 2 years or less. The most recent influx over the past 2-3 years has been students from Myanmar (Burma) and Nepal, making our school landscape much different than it was just a few years ago. These facts, coupled with the refugee housing in low-income apartments and families who desire to move to actual houses results in a frequent “revolving door” of 25-50% student turnover during the course of a year in many classrooms (much different than beginning and ending a year with the same set of students, wouldn’t you agree?). <br /><br />to be continued...Teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03433858323290112659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-23466543432757315232011-06-03T01:59:47.031-04:002011-06-03T01:59:47.031-04:00(cont.)
Though the newcomers are exempt from the ...(cont.)<br /><br />Though the newcomers are exempt from the reading and ELA portions of the CRCT their first year in the country, those who have been enrolled in a USA school for over 1 year are expected to take and pass the CRCT-reading and math portions of the test. The students we are testing have very limited English. Research suggests that it takes English language learners between 4 to 7 years to become academically fluent in English. I truly question my ability to take and pass even a first grade level reading test in Burmese, Karen, Chin, Arabic, Nepali, Kirundi, French, Swahili, etc...not even after being studying a language for 1 to 2 years. Sadly, these are the demands that we place on our students. Does this qualify the students, teachers, and parents the components of a failing school? Does this make the teachers incompetent? Are all teachers who work at failing AYP schools inept? For some reason, I don't feel incompetent or undeserving of additional teaching assignments. In fact, I feel more equipped and highly qualified. Our amazing students make tremendous progress that goes unnoticed by most since all that matters is the Y or N in the AYP column on the annual state report. The students have proven to be more than just a score to me. It has been through the grace of God that I, myself, no longer measure a child's or person's worth by numerical data, which is why I’ve decided to commit fully to this school in the first place. <br /><br />I think that DeKalb is reactive as opposed to being proactive regarding student achievement. We are busy catching students up as opposed to catching them before they fall. I agree that summer school is not the end-all answer, but the ESOL students I have taught in past summers assuredly need as much additional time in the classroom as they can get and would benefit from extended days and Saturday school during the year as well. <br /><br />I wish that EVERY teacher that desires to work and applies for programs to supplement their income would be able to do so. God has granted my husband and I numerous opportunities to work inside and outside the school walls, not for ourselves, but for others, as He commanded us to do.<br /><br />I must admit, I do not like the dissention I frequently witness among teachers and pray that we can all work together for our rights and for the kids we serve, regardless of our school location and status. We know that we are not treated as fairly as we should and, hopefully, working together, we can make our voices heard in DeKalb and in the state of Georgia. Thank you for your diligence in seeking out injustices in education so we may serve the children to the best of our abilities. This stance could begin with us. Will you join me?<br /><br />May you go in peace and may God continue to bless you.Teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03433858323290112659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-87297137650863718962011-06-02T22:19:42.982-04:002011-06-02T22:19:42.982-04:00One quick way for DCSS to save money is to elimina...One quick way for DCSS to save money is to eliminate summer school. These jobs are handed out not on merit, but you already know, favoritism and nepotism. There is an elementary school in DeKalb that has not made AYP in three years, and from all indication, will not make it this year. Yet, this school has summer school on site. Many of the teachers teaching summer school there are from this school. Please explain why teachers from a “failing” school are allowed to teach summer school??? Is it not enough that they have not been effective with their own students? I guess DeKalb wants them to spread the failure around. It seems to reason that these teachers from this school are not following the Beasley formula for success, but let’s reward their incompetence with some extra cash. It is possible for a teacher to make 9, 0000 extra dollars for summer school if they teach two sessions. There is a husband and wife duo that always work both sessions of summer school at this site, you do the math.<br />Where is the data to support the overall effectiveness of summer school? This is a lot of money to dole out without some accountability .It does not seem reasonable that what a student could not accomplish in ten months they can do so in less than 4 full weeks. Adding to the improbability is the quality of teachers working summer school. As previously mentioned, this one school has not made AYP for at least three years. No worry, they are not alone, many of the other teachers also come from schools that did not make AYP. These teachers will not be impacted by furlough days because they already had their easy cash windfall. DeKalb you need to do what is reasonable, ethical, and fair. (major delusional wandering.)<br />One should also be aware that many of these same teachers have no vested interest in DeKalb County. They have taken their windfalls, along with their tax dollars; their school aged children, and relocated to the more desirable counties. They will not even allow their own children to attend the school system that supports and feeds their incompetence, ironic isn’t it????wonderinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08251394577116560910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-45453637671255418962011-06-01T18:40:10.257-04:002011-06-01T18:40:10.257-04:00@teacher
"What is sad, is that technically DC...@teacher<br />"What is sad, is that technically DCSS isn't miss using Title One money. They aren't using it to best help the kids, but they they aren't doing anything wrong."<br /><br />Don't be so sure about that. I suspect the AYP scores have been used for the past years to show an increasing number of DCSS Title 1 schools are meeting AYP. Until the testing scandal hit Georgia. Last school year (2009-10)after strict test monitoring, the "real" scores show that a decreasing number of DCSS Title 1 schools are meeting AYP. Has anyone asked for an explanation from the state of Georgia Title 1 coordinator as to the accountability of the DCSS Office of School Improvement and Title 1 coordinator?<br /><br />That would be:<br />Barbara Lunsford, Ed.D.<br />Associate Superintendent, Federal Programs<br />1854 Twin Towers East<br />205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE<br />Atlanta, GA 30334<br />404) 657-4209<br /><br />blunsford@doe.k12.ga.us<br /><br />http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/tss_title.aspxGaylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862880288663811743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-64515638342600297882011-06-01T16:21:12.441-04:002011-06-01T16:21:12.441-04:00One can put anything down on paper to fulfill the ...One can put anything down on paper to fulfill the requirements. The government can't look at every plan and make sure that what is down on paper is actually being followed through. DCSS knows how to play the game.teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05376631088818447603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-82031409696664104492011-06-01T16:00:06.500-04:002011-06-01T16:00:06.500-04:00Funny No Duh -- Pam Speaks - but she really doesn&...Funny No Duh -- Pam Speaks - but she really doesn't! Wasn't that her campaign slogan? "Pam Speaks for Children"?<br /><br />Another oxymoron!Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-5475437693506423052011-06-01T15:30:00.208-04:002011-06-01T15:30:00.208-04:00An alert blogger sent this via email -
This link ...An alert blogger sent this via email -<br /><br />This link on the Fulton website has good info.<br /> <br />http://portal.fultonschools.org/departments/Instruction/Title_I/Pages/default.aspx<br /> <br />The following is on the section entitled "Components of a Title 1 Schoolwide Program Plan". <br /> <br />Components of a Title I Schoolwide Program Plan<br />NCLB Section 1114 (b) (1) requires a Title I Schoolwide Program plan to contain each of the following ten components as well as related measurable goals and strategies for implementation:<br /><br />1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school (including the needs<br />of migrant children as defined in Section 1306) with information about the academic achievement of children in relation to the state academic content standards as described in Section 1111(b)(1).<br /><br />2. Schoolwide reform strategies that:<br />a. Provide opportunities for all children to meet the state's proficient and advanced levels of student academic achievement described in Section 1111(b)(1)(D).<br />b. Use effective methods and instructional strategies based on scientific research that:<br />§ Strengthen the core academic program in the school.<br />§ Increase the amount and quality of learning time, by providing an extended school year, before- and after-school and summer programs and opportunities, and an enriched and accelerated curriculum.<br />§ Include strategies for meeting the educational needs of historically underserved populations.<br />c. Address the needs of all children in the school, especially those of low achieving children and those at risk of not meeting the state academic content standards who are members of a population targeted by the schoolwide program. The services of such a program include:<br />§ Counseling, pupil services, and mentoring services.<br />§ College and career awareness and preparation, such as college and career guidance, personal finance education, and innovative teaching methods, which may include applied learning and team-teaching strategies.<br />§ The integration of vocational and technical education programs.<br />d. Address how the school will determine if such needs have been met.<br />e. Are consistent with the state plan and any local improvement plans.<br /><br />3. Instruction by highly qualified teachers.<br /><br />4. High-quality and ongoing professional development for teachers, principals, and paraprofessionals and, if appropriate, pupil services personnel, parents, and other staff to enable all children in the school to meet the state academic content standards in accord with Section 1119 and subsection 1114 (a)(4).<br /><br />5. Strategies to attract highly qualified teachers to high-need schools.<br /><br />6. Strategies to increase parental involvement through means such as family literacy services in accord with Section 1118.<br /><br />7. Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs, such as Head Start, Even Start, Early Reading First, or a state-run preschool program, to local elementary school programs.<br /><br />8. Measures to include teachers in decisions regarding the use of academic assessments (described in Section 1111[b][3]) to provide information on, and to improve, the achievement of individual students and the overall instructional program.<br /><br />9. Effective, timely assistance for students who experience difficulty in attaining the proficient or advanced level of the academic content standards as required by Section 1111(b)(1). Students' difficulties must be identified in a timely way and in such a way as to provide information on which to base effective assistance.<br /><br />10. Coordination and integration of federal, state, and local services and programs, including programs supported under NCLB, violence prevention programs, nutrition programs, housing programs, Head Start, adult education, vocational and technical education, and job training.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-67854772933494029712011-06-01T14:58:11.555-04:002011-06-01T14:58:11.555-04:00NCLB should not have created a new department and ...NCLB should not have created a new department and schools should still be making the decisions on how to spend their Title One funds, as they know the true needs of their students.<br /><br />What is sad, is that technically DCSS isn't miss using Title One money. They aren't using it to best help the kids, but they they aren't doing anything wrong.<br /><br />What is also sad, is that the district can use this money and not have to show any improvements of the children. <br /><br />The office of school improvements has improved the salaries of those who work under it, but not much else.teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05376631088818447603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-78950348502425791412011-06-01T14:33:00.325-04:002011-06-01T14:33:00.325-04:00The BOE remains quiet because they know if the Tit...The BOE remains quiet because they know if the Title 1 Funds were misused then the Feds would come sweeping in and start inducting people for fraud. We wouldn't want that would we? Wait, what? that's right we already have two leaders that have been indicted on RICO charges and the people they hired are still working for the system today. Ms. Speaks, what say you about the current condition of Title 1 spending? Has the Office of Improvement improved anything?Atlanta Media Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16934015425859698186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-40927838796602952782011-06-01T14:02:43.547-04:002011-06-01T14:02:43.547-04:00"Just look at the numbers, which Cere and her..."Just look at the numbers, which Cere and her gang do a terrific job at compiling and reporting for yourself. The numbers don't lie! DCSS is a FAILURE!"<br /><br />And remember both Cox and Culver emphasized that they made decisions about resources based on numbers. They both said data drives their decisions. And they were both railroaded to some degree. DCSS insiders HATE data -- too factual.<br /><br />Let's also remember that our own Pam Speaks (who, ironically, speaks very rarely) was formerly in charge of Title One dollars at DCSS. Why is she so quiet about the Office of School Improvement?<br /><br />And one more thing...if we keep complaining about the Office of School Improvement, they'll just rename it. Lol DCSS always changes its goals to meet its behavior -- not the other way around!No Duhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00544438085465296470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-4610880922757045512011-06-01T13:35:10.680-04:002011-06-01T13:35:10.680-04:00Since AYP is the only way we have of measuring the...Since AYP is the only way we have of measuring the basic academic skills of our students, and the Office of School Improvement ($128,000,000 a year in federal funding) exists solely to increase the AYP rate, I think we have to conclude AYP is the only measure we can use to judge the performance of the Office of School Improvement.<br /><br />Whatever you personally think about AYP is a moot point since Office of School Improvement would not exist without the concept of AYP. So it seems logical to judge its merits on AYP.<br /><br />Since all federal funding flows through the Office of School Improvement and the sole objective is ensuring more schools make AYP, the data would say that this department has failed in its performance.<br /><br />Remember that this department did not exist until NCLB/AYP was devised. Before that, Title 1 funding decisions were made at the school level closer to student needs. Almost all funding went to teachers instructing small groups of struggling students. <br /><br />The Office of School Improvement has spent untold taxpayer dollars for a negative Return on Investment. Just because these hundreds of millions are federal tax dollars doesn't make them "free". <br /><br />Does anyone beside the highly paid personnel employed by the Office of School Improvement and their relatives think this department is a success?Gaylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862880288663811743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-51208285559234025342011-06-01T11:50:18.223-04:002011-06-01T11:50:18.223-04:00I sure wish I could hear a conversation like this ...I sure wish I could hear a conversation like this at a BOE meeting, ON THE RECORD! There are several good posts in this thread. Like Daniel, I am skeptical of AYP, however the Repubs (Bush) and Dems (Ted Kennedy) got together and wrote the NCLB ACT. Was it great? NO! However, is there anything great that the Feds have their fingerprint on? No! A National Curriculum would be a disaster, but Arne Duncan and the Obama Administration wants one. Sounds like brain washing to me.<br /><br />This conversation must be had and it should be in a public forum. Enough with the accolades that are bantered about during DCSS BOE Public comments. <br /><br />Simply put, Tyson, Berry, Beasley and the rest of Clew's inner-circle which surprisingly still have jobs here in DeKalb, have failed our kids and should be fired! Their concerns are not OURS! <br /><br />Do not believe the rhetoric, that pours out of OUR Palace on a daily basis. Just look at the numbers, which Cere and her gang do a terrific job at compiling and reporting for yourself. The numbers don't lie! DCSS is a FAILURE!<br /><br />Can you imagine a BOE meeting where they actually talk about our kids learning? Can you imagine a BOE meeting where a DCSS employee actually comes up to the microphone and blows the whistle on the most corrupt criminal enterprise at DCSS, the Office of School Improvement? I guess that would be the day Hell freezes over!<br /><br />DCSS leadership and the BOE work for US! Don't forget that when you call DCSS staffers to help you out. Sometimes the Palace guard and leadership forget that very important part of the puzzle. These Palace morons actually think they are doing a good job!Atlanta Media Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16934015425859698186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-86271191737276569762011-06-01T11:43:42.112-04:002011-06-01T11:43:42.112-04:00Again - a guess. A good guess - but a guess.Again - a guess. A good guess - but a guess.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-90687773733400982662011-06-01T10:17:45.250-04:002011-06-01T10:17:45.250-04:00The 9th grade bulge has been discussed on this blo...The 9th grade bulge has been discussed on this blog before. There isn't really a class of "well over 500" passing through. What is happening is that a significant number of students spend 2 years in 9th grade, so the size of the 9th grade class is artificially large. <br /><br />Track the size of a class as it passes through Henderson and Lakeside:<br /><br />Fall 2007: 407 8th graders at Henderson Middle<br /><br />Fall 2008: 586 9th graders at Lakeside<br /><br />Fall 2009: 437 10th graders at Lakeside<br /><br />You might try to explain the large 9th grade class at Lakeside as caused by new students and transfers, but exactly the same thing happens at the state and national level (google "9th grade bottleneck", for example).<br /><br />2007: 124,544 8th graders in GA<br />2008: 143,933 9th graders <br />2009: 122,022 10th graders<br /><br />What this means is that tougher standards are applied to students once they start high school, and they're not necessarily prepared.<br /><br />The shape of the graph shows a dropout problem, but not until after 10th grade. <br /><br />http://www.gadoe.org/ReportingFW.aspx?PageReq=102&StateId=ALL&T=1&FY=2010deborahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06770457791506689723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-59839809687901868782011-06-01T09:49:33.671-04:002011-06-01T09:49:33.671-04:00Like I said, since it's not tracked, that is s...Like I said, since it's not tracked, that is strictly a guess. <br /><br />With the amount of $$ we spend in MIS etc, this information should be available with the click of a button.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-57623218954908462482011-06-01T09:38:29.098-04:002011-06-01T09:38:29.098-04:00@ Cere
Yesterday, an article in the AJC described...@ Cere<br /><br />Yesterday, an article in the AJC described how schools in Hall County cleared their rolls of under-performing students before testing by transferring them to a local career academy. <br /><br />This is not unique to Hall County. In fact, I would suggest that these kinds of transfers are routine in failing DCSS schools. The students are usually sent to Open Campus, but some just withdraw or drop out. This happens, as it does in Hall, just before high-stakes testing. <br /><br />Although Lakeside is not a failing school, quite a few of those 200 students who were lost along the way may have actually transferred to Open Campus or to other schools.Joseph Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11173200928266749158noreply@blogger.com