Individual Education Programs.

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

You are confusing grade level requirements such as mastering comprehension skills, application etc. which is not the same thing as requiring teachers to utilize classroom time to teach to the test! I cannot believe you do not know the difference. Requiring teachers to “teach to the test” means reviewing past state test questions using entire class periods, question by question. Having kids memorize formulas when they couldn’t even fill out a checkbook nor perform basic multiplication and division without a calculator.

Like another poster wisely wrote, requiring special ed students to memorize formulas that will not be used by anyone other than those going to college geared for a math or science degree defeats the purpose of secondary education.

How can you be so wrong? Did you attend the Acme School of Teaching, taught by Wile E. Coyote? Maybe that is teaching to the test in your backwater school district of continuous failure, but that is not how we did it where I taught. My students were never required to memorize formulae. Their tests provided a formula sheet for any questions on the test.

I taught in a Florida high school, DoD Dependents School, middle school in my county, inner city middle school with all boys in a major city, a rural high school, another two rural high schools in other districts, and a middle school in the suburbs of that major city I mentioned before, In case you weren't counting, that's 8 school districts in all. I think I have enough and varied experience to state facts.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

I am not an accredited teacher, but did some substitute teaching at a time the substitutes didn't have to be credentialed. I have also been PTA President and home room mother. And I agree the little ones are usually easiest though I didn't have much trouble in middle school or high school because the teacher could send the problem kid to the principle's office and the students knew he or she would. It is important to establish early rapport with the class.

I sometimes have cause to be in the local elementary and high school during school hours these days and it seems fairly calm. But I honestly believe at least some of the kids are being promoted/graduated without being educated these days.

Schools are forced to socially promote students who do not learn. Why you ask? Would you want your 12 year-old daughter sitting next to a 16 year-old male student in class?

 

[Foxfyre]

Schools are forced to socially promote students who do not learn. Why you ask? Would you want your 12 year-old daughter sitting next to a 16 year-old male student in class?

But seriously. How many sixteen year olds will fail a class before they just drop out?

What responsible parent allows their kids to fail a class repeatedly? My kids were good students, one more motivated than the other, but they both got it done. Never failed a class. But I have tutored students who were struggling in subjects I knew well. I did it volunteer but their parents would have paid me to help those students.

 

[DGS49]

If a test is properly written and administered, no teacher can produce artificially high scores by "teaching to the test."

This is one reason why for most students SAT (etc) preparation courses are a scam. They only benefit students who are too stupid or careless to properly prepare themselves.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

But seriously. How many sixteen year olds will fail a class before they just drop out?

What responsible parent allows their kids to fail a class repeatedly? My kids were good students, one more motivated than the other, but they both got it done. Never failed a class. But I have tutored students who were struggling in subjects I knew well. I did it volunteer but their parents would have paid me to help those students.

You are not aware that most states require attendance to the age of 18 now?

 

[JoeMoma]

Why is this any of your business?

Why wouldn't it be any of my business? And even if it isn't, this is a discussion board in which people are free to discuss things regardless of "who's business" it is.

Is zero positive or is zero negative? Why?

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Why wouldn't it be any of my business? And even if it isn't, this is a discussion board in which people are free to discuss things regardless of "who's business" it is.

Is zero positive or is zero negative? Why?

You just spread your bullshit is all you do, so it is none of your business.

The answer to your stupid question is neither one!

 

[JoeMoma]

You just spread your bullshit is all you do, so it is none of your business.

The answer to your stupid question is neither one!

It's just as much my business as it is anyone else's business when posting at USMB. If you don't think I should be posting about it, get out of the thread...and go F' yourself.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

It's just as much my business as it is anyone else's business when posting at USMB. If you don't think I should be posting about it, get out of the thread...and go F' yourself.

We can see you definitely had an IEP when you were in school. Is that why you choose to comment?

 

[SweetSue92]

Many kids in school have IEPs due to learning disabilities. As such, these students are afforded a variety of accommodations such as extra time on tests (1.5 times regular time) and/or regular assignments, use of calculator, oral administration of tests, small groups, etc. This can be a very good thing that allows many students to progress an learn better than if they were not afforded these accommodations. That said, when/where should these accommodations end? Students with IEPs get the accommodations on tests like the SAT and ACT and they can in many cases get the accommodations in university classes. When these people move into the work force, are their employers going to give them 50% more time to do their jobs but pay them the regular pay rate?

As has been addressed in this thread, I love working with special ed students for the most part and have no problem with academic accommodations. Sometimes students need extra time for one task--say, test-taking--but excel in verbal or written communication. This can be no barrier in the workplace as they often gravitate toward careers that are a good fit for them.

However.

Many special ed students and some who are not are in behavior crisis many times in a week or even a day, and this disrupts the learning environment to an extent people do not realize. We had a class out of their room last week for over an hour for a kid in crisis. This cannot continue. It's bad. Really bad.

 

[Unkotare]

We can see you definitely had an IEP when you were in school. Is that why you choose to comment?

DECAF.