Posted on 05/17/2007 7:13:29 AM PDT by devane617
FORT WORTH -- Three of every five eighth-graders in the Fort Worth school district failed the science portion of last month's Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, down from last year's 53 percent passing rate and well behind the state average of 70 percent, according to preliminary scores released Wednesday.
Tenth-graders did not fare much better: Only 41 percent passed the science exam. And 617 seniors in the district -- 16 percent, up from 10 percent last year -- won't graduate on time because they haven't passed all portions of the exit-level TAKS exam.
However, in a bit of good news for the district, students in almost all grades did well on the reading portion of the exam and made some gains in math. In particular, reading scores for fifth-graders increased from 72 percent passing to 82 percent.
Superintendent Melody Johnson said that school officials expected some scores to be lower as the district retools its philosophy from one focused on drilling and practicing for the TAKS to a push for academic rigor.
Meanwhile, the state's accountability standards are rising, meaning the passing standard is higher this year, Johnson said Wednesday.
"I feel very confident that we are doing all the right things," she said.
Still, district officials were surprised by the eighth- and 10th-grade science scores, which Johnson described as an "anomaly."
In a meeting with the Star-Telegram Editorial Board, Johnson said the scores are troubling and could reflect a mismatch between what is being taught in Fort Worth schools and what is on the state exams.
The results could also indicate that students lack the mastery of processes or theories needed to answer science questions.
Students often develop these skills from rigorous lab work instead of memorization, officials said.
"It's not that teachers across the board stopped teaching," Johnson said of the science scores.
This is the second year that eighth-graders take the science test.
The scores won't count toward this year's accountability rating, which the state will announce later in summer, said Sara Arispe, director of assessment and accountability for the Fort Worth school district.
The eighth-grade science test will start counting toward the ratings next year.
Despite the challenges in science and math, Johnson said, the district made significant gains in reading in almost all grades. Johnson said she credits some of these gains to the district's literacy efforts.
Math scores for grades 7, 8, 9 and 11 went up. Tenth-grade math scores went down slightly, from 51 percent passing to 48 percent.
Johnson said the state's increased standards are also why more seniors -- 16 percent -- won't graduate on time this year.
Fort Worth's numbers mirror a state trend: The number of seniors who won't graduate this year because they failed at least one exit-level TAKS exam has reached an all-time high -- more than 40,000 students, or about 16 percent of those who took the tests as juniors last year.
Students can retake the TAKS in upcoming weeks.
Fort Worth seniors who pass by the end of summer can take part in an August graduation ceremony.
Wow you’re so smart, I stand in awe of your spelling.
I think you are right on the mark. The foolishness of our elites can be explained by their social distance from the scene. So long as they have their maids and gardeners and can fill their shops with sweat-labor.
Forty years ago I lost a teaching job, and I applied to another school district. When I explained that one of my problems was that I failed ten percent. (of 170) students in my math classes, the interviewer took time to explain how the game actually worked. One sits down and patiently works with students until all (except one or two) get a passing grade. The simple fact is some people can no more do math than they can run a mile in under 5 minutes.
That is a huge part of the problem. Another is the fact that they have mainstreamed too many students who should not be mainstreamed. They are funding for those who need assistance, by hiring additional aids/teacher assistants to be with each one of those students in the regular classrooms. If children with severe disabilities were taught in an environment more conducive to actually meeting their needs, those students who do not need special education, i.e., regular students, would have the bar lifted to their abilities.
Public schools would suck regardless.
LOL. Sure you do.
“The simple fact is some people can no more do math than they can run a mile in under 5 minutes.”
Yeah, they become journalists - most of whom seem to be completely innumerate and scientifically illiterate and couldn’t tell you the difference between a kilogram and milligram.
Everyone's a millionaire on the internet!
The whole story starts here:
http://wigu.com/overcompensating/2006/05/illiterate-princess-part-1.html
And they're good looking and smart too!
Sorry for late reply, been out of town. I don’t doubt that this is starting that early in school. I keep wanting to believe that there is good reason for this but am about to run out of possibilities. We are working on graphing linear equations now here the last week of the 7th grade. I guess we will start calculus next year. If so, I am going to have to do a lot of studying this summer.
There is nothing wrong with teaching for a test if the test is a good test. An experienced teacher knows what he wants the kids to learn. He knows what he is going to ask on the test. He teaches for his own test.
So, if the state has good, experienced teachers make up the test, you would want to teach for it. The alternative is to teach one thing and test for something else. Disaster for young kids.
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