Long Island students' state test scores plunge (Babylon, North Babylon: home, high school)

[Interlude]

Seen a lot of criticism of the common core program from both sides of the political divide. Seems overall it is going to result in more testing and teaching-to-the-test nonsense.

[ClarkStreetKid]

Nothing wrong with setting standards as long as you do avoid the teaching to the test trap. The better schools will usually surpass the standards anyway but the schools that don't fair as well may raise a stink how they're being discriminated against.

[nancy thereader]

Nancy, were there any repercussions for a school not doing well on those tests?

Sure, the names of all of the individual schools are published in Newsday with the percentage of kids who scored in the "proficient" range . Real estate values are based on the outcome of these tests.

Teachers now probably are denied tenure if their classes do not do well. I do not have to tell you which districts score well & which do not. The stakes are very high for everyone involved.

[veryangry]

Wake up people. Cuomo and the company that makes these tests, Pearson, are in cahoots. This company is making who knows how much money off these tests, and he will have them in his back pocket when he runs for president. This is all about profit for that company, and about backing for advancing his political career. Watch and see. This is a lose/lose for everyone, especially the kids.

[shera11375]

It'd be interesting to see a school-district level breakdown on performance

[WithDisp]

Tying funding to common core violates the state's right to an autonomous education program. Nix forced adoption of common core or assemble a proper federal DOE and abolish the 50 state DOEs.

[zulu400]

Regardless of anything, if we truly have great teachers (and therefore great schools) we (Long Island) should come out on top anyway.... no ?

[twingles]

I'm sure every state is going to see a drop in test scores with the implementation of common core. Not sure how many people here have kids that are school age - or should I say test taking age - but I've got 3. My (last year's) 3rd grader is OK because that is the first year they get tested and there didn't seem to be any gaps in the curriculum. But just one example - landforms used to be a part of the 5th grade curriculum. Now it's part of 3rd grade. So last year's 4th graders never get the landforms lesson. Big deal? Maybe, maybe not...but I'm sure that's not the only gap. My 6th graders were using $100 graphing calculators last year. 6th grade? Graphing calculators? I had friends that took AP calculus and never needed those!!

Anyway - they also changed the tests and some of the format. My sister talked to her teacher friends in NY after the tests this year and they said they didn't even know some of the answers, it was that hard.

Our results will be in in October...I'm sure it will be ugly.

[BigBlue53]

I work as a school custodian in an elementary school and today we were speaking with the building principal about this. He was not thrilled but not surprised by scores. He was also sharing that this year the kids are going to be required to read several books. I asked what several meant and he said depending on grade up to six paperbacks. That's when myself and my day man burst out laughing. Be honest out there CD men. How many of you at age 8, 9 or 10 would read one let alone six paperbacks? At that age maybe OUI, Playboy or MAD but not some school assigned paperback. Good luck selling this one.

[ClarkStreetKid]

I read several books (and MAD and Cracked) a month (the North Babylon Public Library was a home away from home). The side effect of no video games or 100 TV channels.