In 2009, Jefferson County joined the Trial Urban District Assessment in reading. In that program, NAEP produces district level scores as well as state and national results, and NAEP also reports scores for large cities as a group.
The full report, including disaggregated results for by ethnicity and family income, is here. Because 2009 was the first year Jefferson County participated, the report cannot say whether reading skills have improved over past years.
Why do we always hear a spin from JCPS that makes us sound so held back by our kids' ability level? It sounds like the students are incapable of learning. I am so tired of the excuses. Do they believe that only wealthy typical white kids have brains and that they are the only ones that need a good education.
ReplyDeleteWe hear constantly about some athlete "making it against all odds." Some overcome their losses by extra effort, for some we hear the coaches bragging about how they made the kid what they are and then others report that the team is their family and that is why they won the game or the record. We have put our kids in sports to get scholarships instead of teaching them to be students.
Granted not every student can become a famous scholar but how and when is that decided? Do we decide when we see the color of their skin, the money in their pockets or how fast they learn their first words? Why do we not cheer them on at every benchmark and hashmark, every test score or game score? Why do we not look at every kid as though they have the same promising future?
We hear success stories in other all-urban districts in the country. Since when are black kids, poor kids and kids with disabilities folks that can't be taught. I for one am tired of the constant spin. When I was a kid, this town expected the scores to be ahead of the nation, not just ahead of Detroit and Cleveland. We can always make excuses. When are we going to care enough to stop the excuses and demand change?