Friday News Roundup

Here’s your Friday News Roundup.

Skyrocketing Test Gains in Oklahoma Are Largely Fiction, Experts Say (The 74)

Sometimes, high-stakes testing leads to unintended consequences – like cheating. The 74 reported last week that,

“Oklahoma school districts got some shocking, but welcome news this month when the state released results of student tests from last school year.”

“Student performance, especially in English language arts, appeared to have skyrocketed. A highlight: An impressive 51% of third graders scored proficient or better, compared to 29% last year. The reported jump came a full eight years before the majority of Oklahoma students are expected to reach proficiency under the state’s plan to meet federal accountability laws.”

…

“Interviews with those familiar with the state’s testing process, as well as emails and other documents shared with The 74, reveal that the scores don’t reflect true growth, bur a decision by the state, under the auspices of Superintendent Ryan Walters, to lower the bar for proficiency.”

“’Last year, you needed to know more to get proficient,’ said a source familiar with the work of a Technical Advisory Committee the state convened this summer to examine proficiency targets. But the source, who asked not to be named because of ongoing work with the state, said ‘this year, using the same items, you didn’t need to know as much and you’re still considered proficient.’”

Say what? Shouldn’t “proficient” always remain at the same level? I guess not in Oklahoma.

Why Cellphone Bans Aren’t the Cure for Student Anxiety (EducationWeek)

Here’s an excerpt from an opinion piece posted by EducationWeek, written by a current English teacher working at an independent school in New York City:

…

“As you read this, school leaders, from California to France, are contemplating a total ban on cellphones in school to begin in September. I am now in my 25^th years of teaching and I can say that it is hard to build a case for the unrestricted use of phones in classrooms. That said, it is also hard to see how a phone ban will be, as some suggest, the cure for the anxiety, lack of engagement, and general anomie felt by teenagers today.”

…

“As teachers and school leaders, we must consider the extent to which our policies are geared toward learning, which is liberatory, or control, which is limiting. Cellphone-free classrooms might have a role to play in learning, but we should also create occasions for celebration and joy. There must be something for students to look forward to other than lunch, final exams, and getting their cellphones back.”

I predict (with tongue in cheek) that this decision of banning cellphones is the silver bullet to cure all of the ills public education faces.

Let’s watch the test scores soar.

Education Debates You’ll Likely Hear About in the Election, Explained (EducationWeek)

EducationWeek posted an article this week addressing the issues they think Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will be discussing about our current public education system.

Those topics include school choice, the Every Student Succeeds Act, Title IX, critical race theory, religion in public schools, and teachers pay.

Here’s my prediction:

Very little of the above will be discussed by either candidate, since most decision-making about our K-12 system occurs at the state and local level. Not since the Obama administration has the federal government taken leadership in improving our public schools.

Young Students in Majority Black Charleston Schools Face Greater Suspensions (The 74)

Media outlets should stop running headlines like these. This isn’t news. It’s just an embarrassing reality.

I started teaching in 1984, and I can tell you that blacks (especially African-American males) were suspended way more than their white classmates. And I’m guessing it’s like that still today in most public school districts, no matter their geography.

Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD), Explained (EducationWeek)

After the cameras caught Gus Walz, son of Democratic nominee for Vice-President Tim Walz, crying during his dad’s acceptance speech, plenty of MAGA-backed social media sites (including Ann Coulter exclaiming “Talk About Weird” on her X account) made fun of the young Walz.

Turns out, in addition to Gus having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and anxiety disorder, he has a condition known as nonverbal learning disorder.

According to EducationWeek this week,

“’NVLD refers to a condition that a group of kids or adults have, which includes difficulty with visual and spatial reasoning, and problem-solving, leading to functional impairments in their every day life,’ said Amy Margolis, a professor of pediatric neuropsychiatry at Columbia University.”

I know our politics is strange these days, but when has it become okay to make fun of a young man’s emotional state?

WWJD?

Alabama Sees Reading Gains from Summer Programs, but Gaps Remain (Alabama Reflector)

Amazing things happen when kids learn to read. So, in addition to celebrating Alabama for their summer reading gains (how many times has that happened?), isn’t it time to call this question:

Why aren’t we spending more time teaching reading to kids who can’t read?

I’ll be off until September 9^th. Til then. Take care. SVB