Comments on: High Schools Need Improvement http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/09/18/high-schools-need-improvement/ Superintendent of Schools writes about learning and school management in rural Western New York. Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:20:06 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Jonathan http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/09/18/high-schools-need-improvement/comment-page-1/#comment-454 Jonathan Wed, 20 Sep 2006 04:33:45 +0000 http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/09/18/high-schools-need-improvement/#comment-454 Certainly at the high school level there is much improvement. NYS HS students will be taking real courses with recognizable names for the first time in 20 years or so. I have heard lower elementary teachers (granted, not math-phobic) complain about too much being removed. But the scariest piece, for me, is the amount of high school algebra that has been pushed down into now even 5th grade. The kiddies' level of abatraction in most cases is just not far enough advanced. And the pre- and post- ? Was not a good idea. Teachers will teach their material (for the test) up until March, but most will not work on next year's material for another teacher from March through June. Certainly at the high school level there is much improvement. NYS HS students will be taking real courses with recognizable names for the first time in 20 years or so.

I have heard lower elementary teachers (granted, not math-phobic) complain about too much being removed.

But the scariest piece, for me, is the amount of high school algebra that has been pushed down into now even 5th grade. The kiddies’ level of abatraction in most cases is just not far enough advanced.

And the pre- and post- ? Was not a good idea. Teachers will teach their material (for the test) up until March, but most will not work on next year’s material for another teacher from March through June.

]]> By: Crystal http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/09/18/high-schools-need-improvement/comment-page-1/#comment-449 Crystal Tue, 19 Sep 2006 19:26:22 +0000 http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/09/18/high-schools-need-improvement/#comment-449 When NY State changed from course I, II and III to Math A and B, there were very few guidelines. They didn't want to impede our creativity? or something like that. We see how well that has worked out. We have students passing the Math A exam with scores that would be 43% if it weren't for such an enormous scale. And don't even look at Math B, where we give students no help at all with the curve. Thankfully this nightmare will be behind us shortly. The new curriculum for Math is vertically aligned from K - 12, and has eliminated the awful stall in education which occurred in the middle level grades. The new curriculum is extremely detailed about what needs to be covered, right down to pre and post- march for grades 3 - 8. I've been staying extremely optimistic that NY State listened to teachers, looked at research and has developed a good plan to get our kids back on track and competitive in this area. Let’s hope that NY State commits to this curriculum to see it through the 13th year when our first students will have completed the entire journey from K - 12. When NY State changed from course I, II and III to Math A and B, there were very few guidelines. They didn’t want to impede our creativity? or something like that. We see how well that has worked out. We have students passing the Math A exam with scores that would be 43% if it weren’t for such an enormous scale. And don’t even look at Math B, where we give students no help at all with the curve. Thankfully this nightmare will be behind us shortly. The new curriculum for Math is vertically aligned from K – 12, and has eliminated the awful stall in education which occurred in the middle level grades. The new curriculum is extremely detailed about what needs to be covered, right down to pre and post- march for grades 3 – 8. I’ve been staying extremely optimistic that NY State listened to teachers, looked at research and has developed a good plan to get our kids back on track and competitive in this area. Let’s hope that NY State commits to this curriculum to see it through the 13th year when our first students will have completed the entire journey from K – 12.

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