Reply to Why is there no levelling for middle school English/ELA (is there a backstory?), and is that possible to change?

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Reply to "Why is there no levelling for middle school English/ELA (is there a backstory?), and is that possible to change?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As a teacher, when you try to differentiate in the classroom, the children always see and understand which group is the advanced group, and which group is the on level group. Try as a teacher might, the children perceive the difference and are embarrassed.[/quote]

Thats because they are not idiots.  Teachers and Staff job is to refocus the kids on their learning and understanding that everyone can meet the standards that just might do it at different times.[/quote]

You believe that everyone can meet the standards?  You are part of the problem, not the solution.[/quote]

Yes, short of a severe special need, I do believe all kids can meet the standards.  Will they all meet said standards at the same time and on the same pacing, No.  You believing the greater majority of kids can’t meet the standards is part of the problem.[/quote]

How do you propose that 5th graders who are unable to add two numbers or read, can pass the standards? There is no extra support for these children.

Do you also feel a doctor is the problem when they can’t save a patient who walks in with stage 4 cancer?

Teachers should work on progressing kids, but they can’t get all kids to the standard.[/quote]

Where did I ever say that a 5th grader who can’t do basic addition or read and has no extra supports can pass the 5th grade standards??? I said, most students can meet standards AND that they would not all get there at the same time.

The problem isn’t that students can’t meet standards.  The problem is that we incorrectly assume that all students will meet all standards on the same pacing with the same supports(or lack thereof).   And that if we just move them on to the next level without having met the standards of the prior level that there won’t be major problems. Oddly, we seem to understand that all kids will not learn to read at the same time and make allowances for this.

So once again.  Yes I believe that the greater majority of students can meet standards. I[b]f we start with that premise the problem becomes What is necessary to ensure that all kids meet standards?[/quote][/b]

We know the answer to that question. It is focusing on fundamentals for those kids who have missed them. What folks in this conversation are trying to say is that MCPS is not doing that. They are offering a slightly-below-grade-level ELA curriculum to all kids in grades K-10, and then being shocked when it serves the needs of neither the below-grade-level kids or the above-grade-level ones.

The answer is clear - meet kids where they are, give them the opportunity to progress. It's just politically unpalatable. [/quote]

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