tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038828360589919480.post6461465606075627614..comments2023-10-12T05:22:07.181-04:00Comments on The Prichard Blog!: Hold onto your hats: NAEP science results by family income levelSPWestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602329486466534720noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038828360589919480.post-14397977861184170222011-01-27T10:42:39.536-05:002011-01-27T10:42:39.536-05:00Awesome results! Hard work has paid off.Awesome results! Hard work has paid off.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038828360589919480.post-68560827689166503702011-01-27T09:37:23.875-05:002011-01-27T09:37:23.875-05:00Susan,
I'm sure you recall, as do I, the cont...Susan,<br /><br />I'm sure you recall, as do I, the contentious debates that occurred in Kentucky during the early 1990s, regarding the issue of whether or not we should have a uniform, state curriculum for students in elementary and secondary schools. Policy makers and state level leaders at the time unequivocally denied that the KERA has ushered in a statewide curriculum; they described the Program of Studies as a "guide" for SBDM Councils to use in designing individualized curricula at their respective schools. <br /><br />Although no one wanted to admit to having a uniform, state curriculum, teachers and administrators quickly figured out that if the state-designed assessments would evaluate students (and schools) on curricular content found in the Core Content for Assessment (a sub-set of the Kentucky Program of Studies), it would behoove them to adopt the de facto state curriculum as their own.<br /><br />As the most recent results of the NAEP testing in science reflects, having a uniform, state curriculum has not been a bad thing. I remember as a young teacher when the rigor and appropriateness of the science curriculum (and other curricula)was based solely on individual school districts' adoption of textbooks; there was no uniformity whatsoever from district to district.<br /><br />Although some of the various components of education reform contained in the initial KERA legislation may have been modified or even eliminated over the past two decades, the uniform, state curriculum (ushered in by the development and implementation of a "focused" statewide assessment program)has made a tremendous difference in improving the academic achievement of "all" the state's children enrolled in public schools.Jim Simpsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038828360589919480.post-53851964733591146792011-01-27T09:04:37.193-05:002011-01-27T09:04:37.193-05:00No matter where these kids are coming from, whatev...No matter where these kids are coming from, whatever home life they are experiencing, this shows that when we belive, and expect, ALL kids can learn and at high levels. Thank you Kentucky teachers!carol edelennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038828360589919480.post-43805494312666439832011-01-26T18:06:18.394-05:002011-01-26T18:06:18.394-05:00How amazing is this???????How amazing is this???????Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03085983300263691481noreply@blogger.com