Posted on 11/28/2005 7:32:48 AM PST by worldclass
The University of California system is trying to force Christian schools to use the same textbooks that lower-scoring public-school students use. An association of Christian schools is fighting back
(Excerpt) Read more at worldmag.com ...
Strange that no conservative outlet has picked up this story.
So what part of 'private school' do these DoE idiots not understand?
It's not just CA. Colleges and universities are going toward using the same exit tests to graduate. The Middle Atlantic Accreditation Association (don't remember the exact name) is forcing all colleges and universities here to go toward this. They won't get accrediation if they don't. And they are being forced into outcomes-based results. What the powers that be couldn't do so well in secondary schools has now gone to higher education where parents don't have as much say.
Reason number 1001 why I left that sinkhole in my rearview mirror.
"It's not just CA. Colleges and universities are going toward using the same exit tests to graduate. "
If you happen to know of any good articles on this, please let me know. I would like to read more....thanks!
I haven't been able to find anything written. My husband is a professor in a Middle State college and it's happening. The faculty was called into a meeting about 2-3 years ago and told this was going to happen. There would be no discussion; it was a done fact. Profs have been told that they must redo their style of teaching to conform. Because my husband has always reworked his courses every year and has fashioned them to be used on computer, he was asked to help develop new standardized curriculum. He has put them off because he doesn't want to be involved. My concern has been that this is happening NOW and no one outside higher education knows about it. It's part of our daily conversation and concern and has been for several years. It's being run (under the radar) by the Princeton Testing Service. It seems that they have convinced powers that be that they should be doing this. They, of course, administer the tests.
using the same exit tests to graduate is one thing, forcing the same textbooks is completely another...
There's nothing like using the power of the state to enforce it and, if need be, to create it. And the end result? Everyone an ill-educated slob.
The article pointed out that the students at the Christian Schools outscore their public school counterparts by about 18-25 PERCENTILE points on the standardized tests like the ACT and SAT.
This is very poorly presented information.
If it says what I think it says, then it means that if the average public school kid is a 60th percentile in the nation, then the Christian school kid is anywhere from 78th to 85th percentile on average.
That's a phenomenal difference. It means that the average public school kid has 40% of the nation scoring better than him and the average Christian school kid has only 15-22% of the nation scoring better than him.
What I find funny about this thread is how it mirrors the Evo/ID threads that have everybody so exercised...except regarding ID, freepers jump on board with the education nazis denying its inclusion with particular gusto...complete with matching sarcasms for those that dare to dissent...
One easily leads to another once we enter the slippery slope...
There are other reasons for the higher Christian scores than just the school (I sent my dau to a Christian and can testify to the superior education). These parents are much more involved (and put their money out to prove it), the students are probably better students to begin with and the teachers go out of their way to insure that students get extra help if needed. And I might add that prayer surrounds these schools, a fact not to be overlooked. Public schools have more levels of students taking the tests, averaging out to a lower average score. Plus most Christian schools are not equipped to take special-needs students and public schools have to.
However, I still think your point is well made. My dau did not particularly like her Christian school, but she really saw the difference in her education when she went to college.
I for one don't think ID should be excluded.
The state (in my case, Pa.) is the primary reason why my husband and I decided to homeschool our children.
Pa. is one of the more "regulated" homeschooling states and requires standardized testing in 3rd, 5th, and 8th grades. So far, my children are scoring well above the national average.
My dad says that there was an article in the Wall Street Journal about this case a while back. Unfortunately, he can't remember anything more specific.
I'm sure your children have excellent teachers! I'm in PA too.
I guess it's kind of the same with us. We didn't want someone else's agenda, morals, goals, and schedule taking over our lives.
Our state requires testing every year. I discovered this spring that several kids were behind in math, which is why we're having Math Blitz this year.
I'll post again later. Thunderstorm moving through and I don't want to fry my mom's computer.
This is an interesting point, but it, too, can be misunderstood.
One could say that Christian school kids are "more intelligent" to begin with, or one could say that Christian kids have a better environment to begin with.
I've seen the McGuffy readers and exams from a different era AND for children far younger. They were pretty tough and the work to meet those standards must have been exceptional.
Given the lower ages of the students, I'd say that the issue is environment. Everyone was expected to learn, and they expected that school work took lots of effort. Christian school kids benefit from a better environment...not from higher "inate" intelligence, imho.
Here's a recent email I received:
8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS -1895Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph
4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of"lie,""play," and "run."
5. Define case; Illustrate each case.
6 What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.
Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per metre?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt
U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.
Orthography (Time, one hour)
1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.'
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8 . Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.
Geography (Time, one hour)
1 What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.
Notice that the exam took FIVE HOURS to complete. Gives the saying "he only had an 8th grade education" a whole new meaning, doesn't it?!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.