Does anyone like Curriculum 2.0?

[Anonymous]

IBID:

The College Board, like MCPS leadership, is made up of the old generation elite (old guard) and the education estabilshment that are watching a new generation of high performers that are not their children but are children of recent immigrants. Imagine the College Board sanctioning prep the SAT reasoning and aptitude test (heresy). Imagine yet the College Board rewarding the elite test prep payers with a special SAT exam session in the summer! Guess what, thrifty recent immigrant children do not shell out five grand for a 3 week summer prep. The old guard does this. An in a "TIA" moment (blind spot) the College Board gives this group an advantage. Why? For precisely the same reason the old guard here in MCPS wants to block the advancement of these new high flying performers by eliminating pathways to give their own aan advantage and close the gap. This phenomenon is permeating all phases of education in America. The The children of the educational leadership are no longer the high performers and hence it's time to change policy and the rules.

The College Board blundered and they were called out. MCPS, too, has blundered and they are being called out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/p...012/06/06/gJQAeLZpIV_blog.html

http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.huffin...CNE4-ClC5s0wEqrqcXe2qh7DgwsWGQ

http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.latime...p://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-...p://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-...p://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinion-la/la-...CNFwmOugsuzeEB5rA_EIg6yUI-EatQ

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that Curriculum 2.0 is structured as prep for the MSA. I've heard several school admins say this off the record. The reality for math is that it just doesn't matter if kids want to learn math. They only need to perform to the level of the MSA so any resource spent beyond this point is a waste of a resource for MCPS.

Really? That is odd, because our school admins told us that with Common Core standards coming in, MSA would be phased out. Curriculum 2.0 IS the MCPS way of adopting common core. There will be testing, but it won't be MSA, and we were told it would be very different from MSA. The proposed timing we heard was that those kids finishing kindergarten now are unlikely to take MSA, as the new tests will be in place by the time they hit 3rd grade. MSA may remain for middle and HS as 2.0 is rolled out to the those grades, but I am not sure.

This pp is correct. The MSA will be replaced in a year or two with the new standardized test, PARCC, that is currently being developed nationally. The person who suggested C2.0 is prep for MSA is misinformed.

[Anonymous]

Repasted the links:

The College Board, like MCPS leadership, is made up of the old generation elite (old guard) and the education estabilshment that are watching a new generation of high performers that are not their own children but are children of recent immigrants. Imagine the College Board sanctioning prep for the SAT reasoning and aptitude test (heresy)?

Imagine yet the College Board rewarding the elite test prep payers (old guard) with a "special SAT exam session" in the summer? Note, others prepping in the summer can't take the test until the fall with course work, college applications and extracurriculars in the mix.

Guess what, thrifty recent immigrant children do not shell out five grand ($5,000) for a 3 week summer prep capped off with the opportunity to take the SAT immediately afterward at peak prep mode. The old establishment guard does this.

An in a "TIA" moment (blind spot) the College Board gives this group an advantage. Why? For precisely the same reason the old guard here in MCPS wants to block the advancement of these new high flying performers by eliminating pathways to give their own children an advantage and "close" the gap. This strategy is "quietly" permeating all phases of education in America. The children of the educational leadership and old guard are no longer the high performers and hence it's time to change policy and the rules (while they are still in charge).

The College Board blundered and they were called out. MCPS, too, has blundered and they are being called out. Who benefits and stands to gain the most from from these attempted policy changes? Who is the worse off because of these attempted policy changes?


http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/articles/college-board-receives-backlash-on-new-sat-summer_12424.aspx
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/how-college-board-can-move-past-sat-blunder/2012/06/06/gJQAeLZpIV_blog.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-college-board-sat-20120605,0,5866106.story
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/31/sat-summer_n_1560537.html
http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/articles/college-board-receives-backlash-on-new-sat-summer_12424.aspx

[Anonymous]

Who blew the cover off the entitled elite summer exception SAT test administered by the College Board?

http://www.examiner.com/article/examiner-unleashes-firestorm-of-controversy-over-exclusive-test-date

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I relayed a conversation with my 1st grader and another parent made an assumption that because something requires no thought and is easy that the child was bored. That was an incorrect extrapolation. Easy does not always lead to boredom- her (and her classmates) creative response is a high level of sociability. Perhaps I should have noted I had been observing the class that day (and do go in periodically when they ask for volunteers). I've been surprised by the consistent noise and lack of direction when I walk in on occasion. On the other hand, for the most part it is "happy noise" without conflict so I attribute this to the work style of the current teacher.

I do not in any way discount the needs of the ESOL kids- this is first grade and no doubt they will be fluent in English and better off for speaking multiple languages within a couple of years. My point was that if the kids speak English as a native language, most of the work is not challenging. And, given the "no acceleration" policy with the new curriculum, they will provide extra work, but it is busy work and not inherently challenging. Without the challenge the tasks can be fun, but they do not expand thought or require as much concentration as your average video game. If you want progress, you have to do additional work at home. This is not just true for the gifted students, it's true for a large number of students.

The fact is, the note that they sent home indicates that all students should be getting 100% right on their spelling every week. They are all being given the same words, but the reading levels are vastly different. Why not give them words that reflect the level where they currently are? Why not push all children? I'm not saying all the time, but yes, a lot more than they do now.

DD is finishing first grade a Silver Spring ES. Her class does not all get the same spelling words. Those on first grade spelling get one set of patterned words, those on second grade spelling get a different set of patterned words. The high frequency words are even more individualized because kids will continue to get the high frequency words each week until they spell them correctly. So some may have three new high frequency words and two repeats from last week, some may have five new words, some none, etc. A couple of the kids in DD's class have moved up to third grade high frequency words because they tested through all the first and second grade words.

On the one hand I find it reassuring to know that they are doing this at your school, which means the curriculum does allow for it, on the other hand I am a bit confused that for some reason this was not done in my child's class. Or perhaps just enlightened. They had a set of core words and then the kids would choose 2 words to add to the list (and some of them were quite difficult, strange, or unusual). So we would have spelling lists with white, write, and rollercoaster, aquarium or monkey bars. I like the empowerment/ self direction, and as far as exercises in memorization it worked. Sounds like the universal curriculum is interpreted differently in different schools. They didn't get repeats, as far as I saw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that Curriculum 2.0 is structured as prep for the MSA. I've heard several school admins say this off the record. The reality for math is that it just doesn't matter if kids want to learn math. They only need to perform to the level of the MSA so any resource spent beyond this point is a waste of a resource for MCPS.

Really? That is odd, because our school admins told us that with Common Core standards coming in, MSA would be phased out. Curriculum 2.0 IS the MCPS way of adopting common core. There will be testing, but it won't be MSA, and we were told it would be very different from MSA. The proposed timing we heard was that those kids finishing kindergarten now are unlikely to take MSA, as the new tests will be in place by the time they hit 3rd grade. MSA may remain for middle and HS as 2.0 is rolled out to the those grades, but I am not sure.

I bet your school administration also told you that 2.0 was great and that parents and teachers really support it too, right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that Curriculum 2.0 is structured as prep for the MSA. I've heard several school admins say this off the record. The reality for math is that it just doesn't matter if kids want to learn math. They only need to perform to the level of the MSA so any resource spent beyond this point is a waste of a resource for MCPS.

Really? That is odd, because our school admins told us that with Common Core standards coming in, MSA would be phased out. Curriculum 2.0 IS the MCPS way of adopting common core. There will be testing, but it won't be MSA, and we were told it would be very different from MSA. The proposed timing we heard was that those kids finishing kindergarten now are unlikely to take MSA, as the new tests will be in place by the time they hit 3rd grade. MSA may remain for middle and HS as 2.0 is rolled out to the those grades, but I am not sure.

I bet your school administration also told you that 2.0 was great and that parents and teachers really support it too, right.

I am the pp who started my comment with ReallY? If I am the one you are quoting, our principal acknowledged that it s a work in progress and that not everyone is happy with the math curriculum. So, not sure why you sent the eye roll my way. Everything isn't either/or, black and white. Well, at least it isn't for thinking people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do agree that education policy makers are not interested in gifted kids, but I don't think they are trying to put down any particular ethnic group. The fact is that schools are now judged on closing the achievement gap and also having as many kids as possible meet some minimum education level. Spending resources to optimize the well prepared kids hurts the achievement gap because it raises the bar needed to close the gap.

Judged by whom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I do agree that education policy makers are not interested in gifted kids, but I don't think they are trying to put down any particular ethnic group. The fact is that schools are now judged on closing the achievement gap and also having as many kids as possible meet some minimum education level. Spending resources to optimize the well prepared kids hurts the achievement gap because it raises the bar needed to close the gap.

Can't these aims or objectives (I am not endorsing either) be achieved without the elimination of math pathways for able students?

How does eliminating pathways achieve these objectives?

There is more nefarious than meets the eye here.

[Anonymous]

Public education is there to ensure that the next generation work face has the skills to be prosperous. It ties back to the overall economy. The current and future jobs are in science and technology. The US currently has worker shortage in these area. A significant percentage of graduate and PHd level science and engineering grads from top US universities are foreign students who can stay in the US and take these skills back to their home country. The reality is that kids coming out of public education do not have the appropriate foundation in math and science. A US student who excels at math and science is the exception not the norm. This is not occurring because US students are genetically unable to do math and science but a reflection on how current educators favor language arts so significantly over math.

Math acceleration should not be available but promoted and rewarded. The bar should be raised for all kids and more instructional time should be given for subjects that the future economy needs not what older educators are more comfortable offering.

[Anonymous]

The flaw to that arguement is that MCPS had lots of math acceleration and they were not successful with it. That is why there is a backlash now. The majority of kids (2/3s's) in my socs ES were 2 year ahead in math (heading for 7th grade algebra). The MS and HS teacher were forced to water down their classes to accomodate these advanced students who were accelerated right past the basic skills. Depsite the fact that we all think our kids need acceleration and are bored. Learning basic facts can be boring. For the few kids who are truely ready..doesn't seem like MCPS has the reasources to run a class for only a few kids...and that is a shame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The flaw to that arguement is that MCPS had lots of math acceleration and they were not successful with it. That is why there is a backlash now. The majority of kids (2/3s's) in my socs ES were 2 year ahead in math (heading for 7th grade algebra). The MS and HS teacher were forced to water down their classes to accomodate these advanced students who were accelerated right past the basic skills. Depsite the fact that we all think our kids need acceleration and are bored. Learning basic facts can be boring. For the few kids who are truely ready..doesn't seem like MCPS has the reasources to run a class for only a few kids...and that is a shame.

If the teacher had to water down the class to meet the needs of the accelerated students - it begs the question - were those kids actually "accelerated" or not.

[Anonymous]

Its a mistake to believe that there are tons of science/math careers out there that need students that overachieved in those areas. The jobs in those fields are extremely small and for the most part they are not well paying.

This is one of the reasons Americans are not entering those fields. If you like in Kentucky what are you going to do with a Chemistry degree that brings home the bacon?

[Anonymous]

Its a mistake to believe that there are tons of science/math careers out there that need students that overachieved in those areas. The jobs in those fields are extremely small and for the most part they are not well paying.

Wow, nothing could be farther from the truth. The top paying jobs are dominated by science and engineering. The skill shortage is so bad in this country that the HB-1 visa quota is filled in a days. It is crazy to keep focusing on skills that lead a zillion liberal arts and communication majors.

[Anonymous]

I'm new to the STEM jobs craze. Can you tell me what these types of jobs are that are in high demand now?