By Harvey

August 30, 2008 2:46 PM | Link to this

Considering I just got notified that the auditor hiked my tax valuation by $15k, I think I will be giving Beavercreek another “no” vote.

By Mary

August 29, 2008 6:56 PM | Link to this

Creek Mom, you need to pick up your school district’s financial report and read it. You obviously do not know what you are talking about if you think the volunteers and parents pay the majority of costs for athletics in Beavercreek or anywhere. The state does not require athletics, either. As far as the medical businesses paying the total costs of new athletic facilities, do not believe that either. The main way school boards operate is to feed the public disinformation. The media eagerly cooperates or maintains their ignorance. There have been contradictory articles on how the artificial turf in Beavercreek and elsewhere are financed. Besides, why are medical institutions getting into the football business while health care costs are off the charts?

By Creek Mom

August 29, 2008 12:52 PM | Link to this

I think Mary is from Beavercreek and is mostly anti everything there. Mary, the new stadium and track were paid for by Miami Valley Hospital in return for advertising. Kids who run have not been able to host a track meet for over a decade because the track was so poor! Have you seen the facilities? They are beautiful and not a dime of tax money - what a great thing! As for gifted kids, I agree we don’t do enough for them but as long as the state only requires that they be identified and nothing else you can’t expect much from districts who are overcrowded, with old buildings, to provide funds when no one will pass even routine levies because people like you naysay progress in any form. They don’t fund athletics either! As a parent of an athlete I know where the money comes from - volunteering parents, not the district. Notice the sunshine for once, would you?

By Mary

August 29, 2008 7:36 AM | Link to this

Lou, lots of components, and Laura, actually one of the few sources of information I had as a parent for the child identified gifted was the standardized tests. Grades are inflated sources and many times cloud the picture because of the attitude a high ability student may have, and many times does have, about turning in loads of busy work while learning little new. A lot of busy work drives classroom grades. My child hated to do busy work to appease teachers for grades, but he absolutely did not mind taking SAT or ACT tests every year since about 7th grade (we paid the costs). His scores went up each year even while in college classes. He did not take these tests his senior year in high school which was also his senior year in college. Most of his teachers and principals seemed to have little training in gifted ed or concern about his and other students’ lack of challenge. The school district was also non-supportive and resented state funds being diverted from them to colleges. They were much more supportive of high ability athletes getting trophies and athletic scholarships. They would pay for athletic facilities and trips to events, but do not offer to pay for standardized tests like SAT/ACT and give an ear to parents concerned about the classroom experience for high ability, bored, and underchallenged students.

By lou

August 28, 2008 9:34 AM | Link to this

Every district in the areas scores are lower in the 5th gr. Don’t think the classroom can be blamed for that. It is not just 1 district. There must be something to that. Mary, I assess my students daily but standardized tests do not and will never tell you what a student knows and will never give a true score for the highly intelligent or the student with specific learning disabilities. As a mother of gifted students you should know this, or have you just over looked this with your children.

By Lots of components

August 28, 2008 12:29 AM | Link to this

There are LOTS of reasons why 5th grade scores might be lower. One obvious one is that the expectation for writing fluency increases each year. While the student may know the content, their writing skills may not have developed apace. It’s not necessarily an indictment of the school or teacher (although it may be). Remember, learning is not linear. It happens in fits and spurts. Also, you never know if the grading of written questions was just wrong. That’s happened a lot in the past few years and is a dirty little secret of the industry. In the end, remember what the OAT for each content area tells you: how one kid did on one day in the spring. How many people would like their pay rate to be determined like that? So, why do we insist that high stakes testing is a good idea. I’m not saying drop the test (although I think it would be a good start), but don’t be so quick to judge based on a single criterian.

By Laura

August 27, 2008 9:34 PM | Link to this

No, Mary, the lower tests scores across the board for a specific grade level says something about the test and the material it tests. Quite frankly, if you check the number of standards and indicators required for 5th graders there are more than in most if not all other grade levels. As far as saying it is only one test a year- that is the only one published. Students have many, many more tests and in DPS, they have so many that students groan about halfway through the year. We spend so much time testing that very little time is left to teach or especially remediate.

By Mary

August 27, 2008 5:41 PM | Link to this

Well, Lou, it sounds as if the tests are saying something important about value added and the classroom. Why would 5th grade scores be lower if the 4th grade tests are harder? That is why testing is important. It is raising a flag about the classroom experience. That is why we need tests.

By lou

August 27, 2008 12:18 PM | Link to this

Mary have you ever read the OAT test. There is not that much much difference in the test. As a matter of fact I find the 4th grade test a little more difficult. I was just comparing the state averages to how my son did. I never said that was the reason for every districts low scores. My son is highly intelligent but believe he does not and has never heard from home that the test are not important. My son’s education is much more important than what sport he is playing. Yes he does play sports but education and household responsibilities come first, and he knows that. If they did a blog about the 2 students dying you would have complained that we are not talking about academics.

By Mary

August 27, 2008 9:06 AM | Link to this

lou, there are a lot of “maybe’s”. Maybe 4th grade tests are too easy. Maybe your son is reflecting some “adult” attitudes he has picked up at school or home about the tests. How is once a year testing too much? Does anybody worry about too many scores or torn ACLs in sports? Two K-12 football players died last week - one from heat, another from a concussion. Where is the concern over that? Should schools ban sports? Maybe testing in school indirectly causes some trauma, as well, but at least it is somewhat focused to the primary business of education and academics.

By lou

August 26, 2008 10:25 PM | Link to this

I found it very interesting that the 5th gr scores were low across the board, even Oakwood. My son did very well in 4th and didn’t do well on the 5th gr test either. He did tell me that he passed those stupid tests last yr (4th gr)so why did he have to take them again. He didn’t really even care after he saw his scores. Again, I passed them last year and I take then again in 6th gr. Maybe we are over testing the children. Did we forget these are children?