From a teacher's prospective, in our district, the inconsistency in retesting would have prevailed as it apparently did here. Here are problems I face as a teacher: On a federal level we get No Child Left Behind that says within a few years, all students are going to achieve at expected levels. It's up to us to figure out how to physically and financially do it. In Missouri we have a MAP Test (MO Assessment Program). The standards are set higher than the federal expectations and are considered to be some of the toughest in the nation - in the top 5, I believe. Again, it's up to us to figure out how to physically and financially do it. Every district in the state must meet these standards, that are being raised each year. In MO, all students are to be tested, including special needs students. Of my 150 students, 30+ are special needs kids with IEPs (Individualized Educational Plans) that allow all kinds of adjustments as deemed necessary: less work, more time, tests read to them, answers transcribed for them, notes done for them, essay questions replaced with multiple choice questions with fewer answer choices, word banks, group testing, etc..., this list goes on and on. The kids get this help in the classroom but the state now says they will take the same MAP test everyone else takes, under the same conditions, with very few exceptions. On a district level, it's up to each of us to figure out how to physically and financially get our students to meet these standards. I have one class with 15 'advanced' students, my other 5 classes range from 25-30. One of the classes of 30 includes 9 special needs kids. By law, I must meet all guidelines stated in their IEPs. Our district has a set grading scale, but each teacher has the right/responsibility to set rules for make-ups, retakes, extra credit, and determine/weight grades within that scale. The key is to set your guidelines, make them known to all, and stick with them. We operate on a 9 week, 4 quarter, 2 semester year. My students quarter grades are: 25% daily work and homework; 25% daily reading project; 25% lab work, 25% tests and quizzes. Semester grades are 1st qtr, 40%, 2nd qtr 40%, final exam 10%, same for 3rd and 4th qtrs. Now, my 15 advanced students will typically complete 3-5 labs and take 3-5 tests in a 9 week quarter. My class of 30 with the 9 special needs kids will normally complete 2 labs and 2 tests for this same time frame. Therefore their tests and labs actually carry more weight. Is that fair? Maybe yes, maybe no. But that's reality, that's life. We bash our public educational system because we fall short compared to a lot of foreign countries. We also offer every student an education, regardless of needs. I had a college professor from Iran. She said it's easier to get into college here than it was to get into Jr High there. As teenagers, she said only the top students were allowed to continue in school. The rest were put to work in factories and such. A lot of people, including the politicians that set standards for education, need to spend some time in their local school systems, and I'm not talking about a 30 minute walk-through photo op. Volunteer to be an aid all day long for two weeks. Get a real taste. You might come away with a different perspective. I know this is a long rant, but I'm not sorry. And don't get me wrong, I love what I do more than anything else I've ever done. If you are a teacher, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you've ever worked for or dealt with the government, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Teachers aren't always the problem.
