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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Now that APS has CKLA — a literacy curriculum that is solid and works well, APS needs to replace their math curriculum with one that works.

“Primary Math (US Edition)” is almost identical to the “Primary Math” curriculum used by Singapore, which consistently has high math score in the PISA tests.  The only differences are (1) that the US Edition teaches US weights/measures rather than Metric-only and (2) the US Edition teaches US coin and printed money denominations rather than Singaporean ones.  If they would switch and use that, it would be great.[/quote]

While it’s a solid curriculum, Singapore (and other high-performing countries) do well because: 1) everyone values education and 2) they group kids by ability.

Our teachers have to spend all their time and energy teaching to the bottom and trying to get kids to behave. No wonder they’re leaving the profession.[/quote]APS students were doing better in 2018-19, and even last year.  There's no reason scores shouldn't be recovering to at least post-pandemic levels.  Instead scores are decreasing.  That's not okay.[/quote]

Yeah and the differences in ability are much greater now than they were pre-pandemic. Some families realized their kids weren’t learning anything and either taught material themselves or hired tutors.

Huge differences in ability + unwillingness to group kids by ability = teacher has to use iPad to babysit so they can work with struggling learners

Don’t be fooled into thinking Dreambox and Lexia are used because they’re solid resources. They’re babysitters.

I know it doesn’t feel good to have your kid in the low reading/math group, but we’ve got to start separating these kids (but in a system where the struggling learners DO get the help they need and have points where they can shift to the medium and higher ability groups as they make progress).[/quote]
I really don't think it's just grouping. I think it's a gap in content--[b]the materials being taught are not challenging enough[/b] and don't include enough practice.  I also think there's too much self teaching and exploratory work, versus direct instruction.  Students need to be taught.[/quote]

This is what happens when you don’t group by ability.

Imagine if they held swim classes based solely on age and not ability level. The kids who are ready for butterfly stuck with the kids who are too scared to get in the pool.

They all get to stay in the shallow end. Whoopee.[/quote]
I don't think ability grouping is going to happen.  APS isn't going to do it any more than they already do (see gifted clusters).  Choose a battle you can win.

We need to look at viable options to raise scores.  I think points to choosing a stronger curriculum and dumping ineffective EduTech.  [/quote]

Of course grouping isn’t going to happen. But, neither is implementing a more challenging curriculum. It would widen the achievement gap too much. Yes, higher ability kids would thrive, but struggling learners would be left behind and lawd knows APS ain’t gonna allow that.

Better to make everyone suffer.[/quote]
I don't think this is true.  A better curriculum will allow all learners to access a more challenging curriculum. We saw this when we switched from LC to CKLA and 95Phonics.  All students are doing better.  We have to make a change if we want to increase test scores.  [/quote]

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