Comments on: Mediocrity: do it for the children http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/ A daily webzine and forum for discussion of news that arises at the intersection of religion and culture Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:55:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: krm http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-300328 krm Fri, 09 May 2008 18:16:31 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-300328 Musing - indeed we do need to wory about favoritism (or dis-favoritism). The standardized testing was a part of that facet. Musing - indeed we do need to wory about favoritism (or dis-favoritism). The standardized testing was a part of that facet.

]]> By: musing http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299742 musing Thu, 08 May 2008 02:12:46 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299742 krm post 35, that makes more sense. Your model sounds potentially reasonable, but we still need a check to make sure we do not have overt favoritism. krm post 35,

that makes more sense.

Your model sounds potentially reasonable, but we still need a check to make sure we do not have overt favoritism.

]]> By: Xion http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299707 Xion Thu, 08 May 2008 00:21:45 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299707 O Kimberly, let it suffice that thou hast put this mere mortal to shame and challenged him to suppress the memory, the tortured membrane, joint and limb of past experience with that bard and to rethink anew the quest for the eternal flame of majesty divine. Translation: You've shamed me into trying again! Thanks! ;-) O Kimberly, let it suffice
that thou hast put this mere mortal to shame
and challenged him to suppress the memory, the tortured membrane,
joint and limb of past experience with that bard
and to rethink anew the quest for the eternal flame
of majesty divine.

Translation: You’ve shamed me into trying again! Thanks! ;-)

]]> By: krm http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299670 krm Wed, 07 May 2008 21:34:45 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299670 Musing - I didn't say a "single standardized test". When I was tracked into tiers in school, it was done with a combination of multiple standardized tests, teacher recommendations (based upon observation and interaction) and consultation with the parents. That seemed to work fairly well. Musing - I didn’t say a “single standardized test”. When I was tracked into tiers in school, it was done with a combination of multiple standardized tests, teacher recommendations (based upon observation and interaction) and consultation with the parents. That seemed to work fairly well.

]]> By: kimberly http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299629 kimberly Wed, 07 May 2008 19:52:56 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299629 Xion--I hope the difficulty of Milton didn't keep you from liking him. LONG LIVE MILTON!! :) Xion–I hope the difficulty of Milton didn’t keep you from liking him.

LONG LIVE MILTON!! :)

]]> By: musing http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299422 musing Wed, 07 May 2008 11:24:36 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299422 krm post 26, but a single standardized test would suggesting risking testing only a single modality of learneing and thought at a singel point in time. Are we sure all students are molded in a single dimension and that they do not change over time? What happens when a student is sick during the test? What happens if a student has major home stress during the test? Single dimensional categorization of children does seem a bit problematic. krm post 26,

but a single standardized test would suggesting risking testing only a single modality of learneing and thought at a singel point in time.

Are we sure all students are molded in a single dimension and that they do not change over time?

What happens when a student is sick during the test?

What happens if a student has major home stress during the test?

Single dimensional categorization of children does seem a bit problematic.

]]> By: Reg http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299385 Reg Wed, 07 May 2008 03:31:21 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299385 29- my experience as a mom, home schooler, private and public school parent, leads me to guess that the smaller classroom in the private school is a HUGE advantage. 29-
my experience as a mom, home schooler, private and public school parent, leads me to guess that the smaller classroom in the private school is a HUGE advantage.

]]> By: Pauline http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299379 Pauline Wed, 07 May 2008 03:08:35 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299379 My 8-year-old son complained one day about there being a 9-year-old girl in his class. He didn't think it was fair that an older girl got to be in his class, it should just be for kids his age. I didn't bother explaining to him that the 9-year-old probably had been held back (whether by her parents or the school), and it was hardly considered a privilege to be the oldest kid in the class. I did explain that we had waited until he was six to start kindergarten, because when he was five he was still in a special class, getting used to being with other kids. (He can't remember any more how he used to hate to even be physically near other kids.) I also told him that I would prefer that age played little role in assigning kids to class, that they went to a reading class based on their reading level, a math class based on their math level, etc. That's normal in high school (I don't know how <i>common</i> it is but I still would consider it <i>normal</i>), but I don't know how well it would work in the youngest grades (due to the logistics issues of getting little kids to the right class at the right time). They do have ELP (extended learning program?) programs at the elementary and middle schools here, and both my sons have participated. Reading and math are not divided by tracks (as they were in my old elementary school) but the kids do a lot of self-paced work. My younger son is years ahead in reading, but struggles more in math. Seeing other kids doing multiplication while he was still doing subtraction motivated him, though, to master subtraction well enough to move on. My older son is in "enriched" or "intensive" sections of math and English, where he is with other sophomores, but takes a chemistry class with mostly juniors. And of course there's AP classes for additional challenges. (His AP U.S. History exam is this Friday - he's afraid he won't do well on it, though I suspect he'll do better than he thinks he will.) The high school also has a special study hall for students struggling with one class or another, with a specially trained teacher who helps them with developing study skills or works with a particular subject or whatever they need help with, and apparently some students have improved a lot due to that. My 8-year-old son complained one day about there being a 9-year-old girl in his class. He didn’t think it was fair that an older girl got to be in his class, it should just be for kids his age. I didn’t bother explaining to him that the 9-year-old probably had been held back (whether by her parents or the school), and it was hardly considered a privilege to be the oldest kid in the class. I did explain that we had waited until he was six to start kindergarten, because when he was five he was still in a special class, getting used to being with other kids. (He can’t remember any more how he used to hate to even be physically near other kids.)

I also told him that I would prefer that age played little role in assigning kids to class, that they went to a reading class based on their reading level, a math class based on their math level, etc.

That’s normal in high school (I don’t know how common it is but I still would consider it normal), but I don’t know how well it would work in the youngest grades (due to the logistics issues of getting little kids to the right class at the right time). They do have ELP (extended learning program?) programs at the elementary and middle schools here, and both my sons have participated. Reading and math are not divided by tracks (as they were in my old elementary school) but the kids do a lot of self-paced work. My younger son is years ahead in reading, but struggles more in math. Seeing other kids doing multiplication while he was still doing subtraction motivated him, though, to master subtraction well enough to move on.

My older son is in “enriched” or “intensive” sections of math and English, where he is with other sophomores, but takes a chemistry class with mostly juniors. And of course there’s AP classes for additional challenges. (His AP U.S. History exam is this Friday - he’s afraid he won’t do well on it, though I suspect he’ll do better than he thinks he will.) The high school also has a special study hall for students struggling with one class or another, with a specially trained teacher who helps them with developing study skills or works with a particular subject or whatever they need help with, and apparently some students have improved a lot due to that.

]]> By: Xion http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299372 Xion Wed, 07 May 2008 02:48:47 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299372 A fourth-grader who who is reading <i>A Tale of Two Cities</i>? Really? I read <i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> twenty years out of college and I thought it was one of the toughest books I ever read, topped only by Chaucer, Milton and Jonathan Edwards. Should such literary ineptitude have put me on track to be a taxi driver instead of an engineer? A fourth-grader who who is reading A Tale of Two Cities? Really?

I read A Tale of Two Cities twenty years out of college and I thought it was one of the toughest books I ever read, topped only by Chaucer, Milton and Jonathan Edwards.

Should such literary ineptitude have put me on track to be a taxi driver instead of an engineer?

]]> By: Kyle A http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299346 Kyle A Wed, 07 May 2008 02:11:41 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/05/06/mediocrity-do-it-for-the-children/#comment-299346 Spinoza, money is not the problem. Many small Christian schools operate on shoestring budgets--based on what parents can afford to pay. The teachers are paid less than public school teachers. Corners are cut, such as replacing textbooks less often or having second-hand science equipment. Despite spending less, kids in those schools outperform public school kids on standardized achievement tests. (I'm speaking in terms of generalities and averages, of course.) Spinoza, money is not the problem. Many small Christian schools operate on shoestring budgets–based on what parents can afford to pay. The teachers are paid less than public school teachers. Corners are cut, such as replacing textbooks less often or having second-hand science equipment.

Despite spending less, kids in those schools outperform public school kids on standardized achievement tests.

(I’m speaking in terms of generalities and averages, of course.)

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