2008 TAKS scores, 30 districts, ranked by score and ranked by low income percentage

[Grainraiser]

"the problem with Dallas and Fort Worth and Arlington is that they are too big--when a district gets too many students/schools/administrators/parents/--too many whatevers--it is so easy for the day to day inefficient and non-productive, poor management and poor teaching to be glossed over or swept under the rug...
and that is one reason that HP and Carroll have stayed strong is that there is ONE high school and not that many others...not that much room to hide"


I gotta disagree with this one. HP and Carroll districts do well because the parents are high achievers and the expect the same from their kids and the school. Parent involvement is huge and the lower you go down the economic rung the less parent involvement you get. I was a teacher at a poor school and a middle class school. The poor school parent involvement was minimum at best and the ones that showed up always had the smartest kids. Plano schools are huge and they offer great education. The DISD schools are getting smaller not larger. A school is only as good as the parents. High achieving parents demand the schools their kids attend to be demanding. It's just that simple.

[PennyGWoods]

Originally Posted by jpeagle21

It IS astonishing that they do well...it's awesome.....it's great....it's unbelieveable.

And I agree with you, jpeagle. We're on the same page, believe me. The difference w/me is that I'm not surprised at all. Mesquite ISD is a competent school district - nothing, IMO, to write home about, but more than adequate. Should a child get into MISD in say, the 7th grade, the average MISD student should pass the TAKS by senior year. I seem to recall a very strong ESL system in MISD, as well as speech therapy.

And honestly? I look at the new TAKS test like I look at the new SAT - a bloated attempt to make kids look smarter than they are, especially if these schools are still "teaching to test" like they were when I graduated in 2000. I've seen a sample TAKS as well. It's ridiculous, typical NCLB "Road to Broad" garbage. I greatly applaud the passing students, but I hate that they have to waste their time on things like that. Education is so much more than just a bunch of standardized tests. Have I used a single thing I learned in AP Biology towards my real life? Or Algebra II, for that matter?

[loves2read]

Penny--the new SAT is NOT going to help kids "look" smarter--believe me writing that essay is not something that will make kids look smarter than they are...it will definitely hurt kids from ESL backgrounds that are struggling with writing fluency and other students who find it very difficult to write in a timed environment--the TAKS essay portion is untimed afterall...
writing is usually considered a much higher-order proof of performance than answering multiple choice questions where one of the answers is correct--there is no correct answer available when you face a blank sheet of paper

while you can be coached in how to approach writing an essay--the task of creating a quality product in a time limit is not so simplistic that students will automatically get a good score
and the math portion is more difficult as well from what I have read--in fact the new SAT has reshaped itself to be more like the ACT which is a test of achievement--how much you have learned up to that point--instead of an aptitude test--what might you be capable of...

[loves2read]

bump

[catluvr]

My husband was talking about an article today in the dallas morning news about how kids can do well on TAKS test, but they can't pass a logic exam. I wish it would go away. I'm so sick of hearing about how wonderful and smart kids are that go to perfect school districts. Could the kids of Carrol ISD pass a logic exam? According to the article my husband was telling me about...no! When are teachers going to get the skills and autonomy to teach kids how to learn? Profeciency should be based on homework grades and multiple test scores...not a once a year test where the answers are given to you.

Anyone can regurgitate information....not everyone can think creatively or logically.

Food for thought...not everything in life comes with a test booklet of answers given to you by somebody. Life actually is full of decisions and critical thinking. Do any of these kids today know about Foust? How about the Fall of Rome?

[tycobb2522]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

I agree also. You need a little worldliness and street smarts and to make friends from different backgrounds, races and economic stations.

It's called, "the real world". And I don't mean MTV.

I highly value my public school days here in Dallas -- as you might know!

Is Trey Garrison active on this forum? If so, he must be as amused by this kind of post as everyone else is:

Trey Garrison: Why I don't want diversity in my neighborhood | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Opinion: Viewpoints

[PennyGWoods]

Originally Posted by catluvr

Anyone can regurgitate information....not everyone can think creatively or logically.

But-but-but this piece of paper here says my kid is smart! Look at how high those numbers are!

[loves2read]

read that article--I am surprised someone does not look that guy up on the appraisal board site and do a drive by...
then I did a search and found this article--against the clone-development look--
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...1.4db5d4d.html
so what works with sameness in attitude is not ok for facade???
there is nothing like a man who knows his own mind...

[tycobb2522]

Originally Posted by loves2read

read that article--I am surprised someone does not look that guy up on the appraisal board site and do a drive by...
..

Do you mean as in 'drive by shooting'? For an editorial? Am I understanding you correctly?

[loves2read]

probably the people who would take offense are not reading the paper