"Making sure students are not illiterate."

"Go back to the old way of teaching math. The way they try to teach simple math is crazy and takes a lot longer to do. It's very confusing. They make it harder than it should be."

"My child struggled until 4th grade always struggling one point below the criteria for help. When her school got a new principal, she received help and has been A, and B honor roll since. So that whole no child left behind is bull. In 1st grade, she sat in her room while everyone ate a blizzard from DQ except her because she couldn't learn her 100 sight words. Then on awards day, she sat in the gym and was the only child in her class not to receive any type of award so granted lot of this had to do with the teacher but if she had help maybe she wouldn't have experienced it. So the whole scoring system for help is BS IF A CHILD IS STRUGGLING SOMEONE NEEDS TO HELP THAT CHILD. we had to go as far as to hire a private tutor for the summer. She is diagnosed with a learning disability but as I told her teacher that's not an excuse it just means she has to work harder the school system failed her until the new principal came in."

"GenEd teachers need to be more aware of IEP's, the requirements within them for students that have them, and how to adapt their lessons and be prepared for the special needs students who are still able to remain in general education classes. Their bodies and physical abilities are limited not their brains."

"Real-world lessons. How to do taxes, balance checkbook, basic automotive classes (checking oil, tire pressure, change a flat, change battery etc.)"

Teachers

"Standardized testing is unfair because it does not take into account the diverse needs of students. Children with disabilities often do not have enough funding for extra resources to help them succeed on these tests. Additionally, English Language Learners are often required to take the test in English, even if it is not their native language. This can lead to them being incorrectly labeled as needing an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) when really it is just a language barrier. Teachers are also overwhelmed with their workload and do not have enough support or time to plan and prepare adequately to be the best teacher they can be."

"Family involvement. If the parents don't see and show the value of education, neither will the child."

"Home support... too many parents defend/enable their child. I never understood why parents thought people who chose a profession that focused on helping and extrinsic motivation would intentionally do something to harm."

"The amount of prep and planning time for teachers now is inadequate. Now that it is necessary to plan small group lessons for 2 to 3 groups a day, in addition to whole group lessons, the amount of planning time given is not enough. Not to mention having to plan for multiple subjects."

Specialist/Admin Responses

"Time management, lack of funding, lack of motivation - biggest is occupational burnout and salaries."

"One thing is parent involvement in the child's education and supporting the education system. That would include decreasing absenteeism."

"Mental health support for students and educators."

"Fully funding education (you shouldn't have to sell candy bars to raise funds for an academic team), competitive professional pay (no one should have to work two or three jobs to make ends meet), and early literacy (way too many students leaving school/entering adulthood that are functionally illiterate.)"

In the 1990s, standardized testing became a significant factor in the school system. The state assessments put lots of pressure on schools, teachers, and students. All states test in different formats, including modality, subjects, and formats. Test results are used for student diagnosis and other assessments that result in high stakes. The state testing goals allow districts to establish goals on how their students are meeting state standards. However, some argue that high-stakes testing limits teacher creativity and flexibility. The challenge is making the system work for students and teachers as best as possible.

Goertz, M., & Duffy, M. (2003). Mapping the Landscape of High-Stakes Testing and Accountability Programs. Theory Into Practice, 42(1), 4. https://doi-org.ezproxy.waterfield.murraystate.edu/10.1207/s15430421tip4201_2

The Impact of No Child Left Behind on Student Achievement

The No Child Left Behind Act was a law that had a big impact on schools. It required states to test students every year to make sure they were learning and the schools were doing a good job. This testing was meant to hold schools accountable and encourage them to improve. While math scores for older students got better, reading scores for younger students didn't really change. This law affected over 90,000 public schools in the country and introduced high-stakes testing to measure school performance. However, relying too much on test scores can have negative effects on students with different learning abilities.

Reference

Dee, T. S., & Jacob, B. (2011). The impact of no Child Left Behind on student achievement. Journal of Policy Analysis & Management, 30(3), 418–446. https://doi-org.ezproxy.waterfield.murraystate.edu/10.1002/pam.20586

Step 2: Know your district. According to the Hopkins County Schools website, “Hopkins County Schools serves more than 6,200 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The district has six elementary schools, three middle schools, one P-8 school, two high schools, a career and technology center, and two alternate schools. We also offer a blended KERA preschool/Head Start program.”

Hopkins County Schools are 68% Title 1 eligible this will impact resources in our district. 60% of students are economically disadvantaged, 78% of students are white with the remainder making up a diverse group of students. Economically disadvantaged students are around 20% lower in academic achievement than non-economically disadvantaged students. 97% of advanced classwork enrollment is completed successfully, 11% are gifted and talented, and 13.5% transition straight to college.

Step 3: Know where you stand. Where do you stand? Why do you stand there? What brings you to this place of advocacy? Now what are you going to do to get everyone else standing with you? Again, you can find some ideas from the text. Connect to 7e.- check out their ideas on communicating internally and externally in the article!

Develop specific recommendations and/or official positions on issues that will be decided by others at the local, state, and federal levels. I stand to remove standardized testing. I am here because of the need locally to advance our students in a more realistic setting. To get others on board I will brief other teachers and other district groups on this issue, including my district's legislative goals to be included. I will invite key leaders from our community such as businesses, local government, service clubs, and churches. I would push to host a district meeting with other districts and organizations with similar goals to review district positions, learn about other interests, and seek common goals and strategies.

Step 4: Know the decision makers. Form a goal to have a relationship with elected officials representing me and an individual voter and my district and community as a whole.

I will seek out elected representatives by phone, email, or letter and request a personal meeting. Once scheduled, I will present myself as a concerned constituent, fellow elected official, and information source on education. I will build relationships between my district and elected representatives. I will achieve this by setting up meetings with my legislators and superintendents, board president, or legislative network members. I will also ask legislators to visit your schools, I will show them special programs, meet with staff review student achievement data, and share information about facing students and schools in your community.

Step 5: Know how to contact decision-makers. I will be able to quickly and effectively communicate your information and recommendations to key decision-makers. I will quickly and effectively communicate my information and recommendations to key decision-makers. As far as planning for ongoing communication goes, I will make sure to have phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses for my state senators and representatives and state Board members of Congress. To determine the best way to reach my elected representatives I will combine phone calls, letters, and emails to improve communication. Afterward, I will thank elected officials personally and publicly. With all forms of communication, I will state what I want them to do, support my position, offer more information, and thank them for listening.

Step 6: Know the calendar for decision-making. I will need to understand the key steps in the political process to communicate with decision-makers on a timely, useful basis.

Step 7: Know how to state your case. I will effectively present the reasons for my position or recommendation in formal and informal settings. Through testimony, I will discuss the issues in my district as I see them and won't worry about being an expert.

Step 8: Know how to reach the public. I will use school district communications to inform the public by placing a discussion of legislative issues or communication with legislators on each board member's agenda so the press can report it. I will use public and personal communications to share the message but participate in public affairs radio/TV programs concerning the district and its positions. I will also have a small group for district advocacy action with regular meetings that support public education with parents and stakeholders.

Step 9: Know your role in the electoral process. I will participate in the election process which determines the decision makers. I will make sure to keep the boundaries of political activity separated so that the two will not interfere with each other. I will also participate in the electoral process to inform myself and others of candidates' positions and voting records.

I stand to remove standardized testing and in return advance our students in a more realistic setting that will prepare them for the real world. Standardized testing has led to the creation of a society where grades determine one's worth. Join me in removing standardized testing. According to research, No Child Left Behind pushed the education system to be more accountable. However, while doing so, the reliance on test scores negatively affected a broad range of students with different learning abilities while also testing limits teacher's creativity and flexibility. Accountability is necessary in all aspects of education. However, we must change standardized testing to fit the needs of today’s children. I suggest we start locally with an ungraded system that fits various educational needs. Do we truly need high stakes testing to keep educators accountable? Join me in pushing for change in our education system starting with an ungraded system that will remove standardized testing and prepare our students for the real world.