The State of Florida, Inc. ??

[DuneAHH]

So how do you account for students who go to 3 or more different schools in a year? Which teacher gets credit (or blame) for their standardized test results?

What % of students is this occurring with? Is it a localized phenomenon?

 

[30ashopper]

So how do you account for students who go to 3 or more different schools in a year? Which teacher gets credit (or blame) for their standardized test results?

You throw those data points out.

 

[beachmouse]

It's actually very common in low income inner city areas where parents move frequently to chase jobs or because they can't pay rent. I used to live across the street from a principal at one of those kinds of elementary schools. A 'low turnover classroom' for him was when he ended the school year with more than a third of the kids in a given class that he started with, and there were times when he'd get a 90% turnover rate in a classroom in a year.

It also happens in rural agricultural areas where parents frequently follow the picking seasons around the country- start out picking apples in Michigan in the fall, then work your way down to Texas or Florida for the winter, then some early crops in Georgia in the spring and back to the Midwest after that.

 

[Rita]

What % of students is this occurring with? Is it a localized phenomenon?

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Besides the examples beachmouse gives, add on the kids in foster care. They may be as bright as the next kid, but may get behind because of maybe being in 3 different schools within a year. Don't know percentages but it's not particularly a localized phenomenon. I've tutored in this situation, trying to help with "catch up".


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[30ashopper]

Start simple, find a base model that works, and then work to incorporate the outlier data. This isn't rocket science, it's just statistics.

 

[Rita]

YouTube - RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

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This is so true. To be good problem solvers, students need to be able to think creatively - beyond the "black & white".
We got our daughter involved in creative problem solving groups from 1st grade through 6th and we managed Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination teams and coordinated the programs for her elementary school. The primary focuses were creativity, problem solving, and team building where the kids solve the problem totally on their own with no ideas or input from adults or anyone not on their team. (It is very hard to stay out of it and not share your own ideas, but the kids sense of satisfaction that the end product is theirs is so worth it!)

Problem solving skills and team building are often something larger companies invest in for their employees. Students do need to get these skills early on and have them reinforced.


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[GoodWitch58]

So true. Critical thinking skills are very scarce in the college students I work with every day...we are instituting a new approach as a part of our Quality Enhancement Program--with the goal being to increase the critical thinking. It's a big issue in education everywhere I think.

 

[DuneAHH]

.To be good problem solvers, students need to be able to think creatively - beyond the "black & white". .

Also key for teachers in crafting public school solutions proposals.

30ashopper: Start simple, find a base model that works, and then work to incorporate the outlier data. This isn't rocket science, it's just statistics.

The 80/20 problem solving rule!

I remain unclear. Is there, in fact, an 80% break down in the education system? Or is it really a 20% issue in need of tweaking & polishing?

IF a massive, at large, failing in the education system exists, "But-What-About" questions related to 5% (a theoretical #) of student population issues just clouds bigger issues and does not warrant being the PRIMARY focus for identification (thus solution to) an 80% magnitude problem.

It would be helpful to see Educators analyses of "the problem" defined & outlined in weighted priority order.

Thanks.

 

[BeachSiO2]

I can't seem to believe that there isn't already a way to grade how well our educators are doing. It seems ludicrous to me that the people who are responsible for educating our children and evaluating their abilities haven't already developed some means to be able to perform analysis of themselves. I agree that there isn't a one size fits all approach to evaluating teachers (or students for that matter) but how can a profession that relies upon evaluations of others not be able to provide a fair way to evaluate themselves.

 

[GoodWitch58]

I can't seem to believe that there isn't already a way to grade how well our educators are doing. It seems ludicrous to me that the people who are responsible for educating our children and evaluating their abilities haven't already developed some means to be able to perform analysis of themselves. I agree that there isn't a one size fits all approach to evaluating teachers (or students for that matter) but how can a profession that relies upon evaluations of others not be able to provide a fair way to evaluate themselves.

Lesson learned - SB 6 - The News Herald

The Legislature plans to resurrect SB 6?s principal ideas this year, but with a welcome twist: It wants to involve teachers in the process. Last year, the bill was rushed through with little input from rank-and-file educators and administrators ? i.e., the people who would be most affected by it.

maybe they are getting a real chance at a contribution this time....