2 posts tagged “drama”

Mississippi's Department of Education is in the process of unveiling its new accountability system. It would eliminate the current system of assigning schools a level between one and five (one being assigned to the lowest-performing schools and five being assigned to exemplary schools, as measured by state standardized tests) and would move to give students a score of anything between 0 and 300 based on a school's percentage of students scoring minimal, basic, proficient, or advanced on those state tests. Schools would get one point per percentage of students who score at the basic level, two points per percentage of students who score at the proficient level, and three points per percentage of students who score at the advanced level. No points for the percentage of minimal-scoring students. Thus, the computation looks something like this:
                 

 School score (known as "QDI" or "Quality of Distribution Index" = % Basic + (2 x % Proficient) + (3 x % Advanced) 

For a quality school such as Madison's middle school their 7th grade language arts score would look something like this:

                                                                   231 = 10 + (2 x 40) + (3 x 47)

putting them somewhere in between "High-Performing" and "Star School" (when coupled with other variables that I'll neglect to mention here).

I heard about the system a few weeks ago and read about it in the Clarion-Ledger this weekend (article here) but today our whole faculty meeting/professional development session at the junior high in Humphreys County was about the new accountability system. Our scores look like the following:

                                                                         98 = 35 + (2 x 27) + (3 x 3)

putting us somewhere between "Failing" and "Ya'll are about to get taken over with the quickness per this little ditty" category. Our scores on each test--7th grade language arts, 8th grade language arts, 7th grade math, and 8th grade math--were each below 100. All "Failing."

Our principal asked the faculty about solutions to this crisis and, as always, most teachers essentially threw their hands in the air and complained about their students' inabilities, laziness, focus on sex, etc. Few tangible things we felt we could do. It's late February but we're all already tired as heck. More later....

Hypothetical situation #1:
You have a student who honestly tries hard to do their work, consistently comes to school and turns in assignments on time, and is never a behavior problem. They are one of the "smart" kids and participate in a number of after school clubs because one of their best friends from their neighborhood does and, at some point, someone just might have told them that they too were academically superior. The students is a complete joy to have in your class and always asks to help with little things that you're doing such as passing out papers or cleaning up your room. Quite nice.

Problem: The kids is not the sharpest tool in the shed. Despite attempting to do the classwork most of their assignments are graded as D's and F's since the student rarely follows directions to assignments, really struggles with reading comprehension questions, and cannot write cohesive paragraphs using standard English. At the end of the nine week period after all is said and done the student ends up with a 69 average. You have told the students time and time again that you do not and WILL not give out any points extra on a report card just as will not take any away. Although the students will not know this, you can change her grade. Only you will bear the knowledge of having violated your principle. What do you do?

Hypothetical situation #2:
After a long day at work you are invited to a party at a social club in the small, rural town where you teach and live. You're not sure who has invited you but you think, "Hey...I'm 22!" and decide to go. You hear that this is where the elite of your town party so you're looking forward to it as an opportunity to meet and mingle with these so-called "elite." Upon arrival at the party's venue the first person you see is a student of yours. A star student. Actually, one of the star students at the school. You soon find out that the party is a birthday party for the student's father. She is helping set-up and music is playing inside the social club while alcohol is being brought in by the caseload. The student's father thanks you fervently for coming and says that once the kids leave you should let loose and get down (meaning drink, dance or do more with the scantily clad women on their way, and engage in weekday/work night tomfoolery). To top it off your principal, a good friend of the birthday man, soon shows up and pours himself the first of what may be numerous alcoholic drinks as he slaps you on the back and addresses you in an informal and friendly manner the likes of which you've never seen from your boss. It could be a long night. What do you do?