From the Union Leader Article:
Schools not making the progress standard for two consecutive years in the same area are designated a "school in need of improvement. There are 72 new schools on that list this year, including Derry Village School, Londonderry Senior High School, Oyster River Middle School, Portsmouth Middle School, and Windham Center School.
Whatever the flaws of the tests and testing system, what the NECAP results purport to reveal is that our middle school is not meeting standards in reading, and that's not getting better.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, at the last School Board meeting, we witnessed a nearly one-hour discussion about our District's lack of a strategic plan. Ultimately, at least so far as I can tell, what was decided was that the SB should form a committee to look at whether they should form a committee to come up with a strategic plan.
Is it me, or does this sound like fiddling while Rome burns? Our schools are failing in measurable ways and we can't decide whether we even need a plan to guide our District!
As I say, I am not a fan of the tests, and I can believe that some kids don't take them seriously. But the problem here is not entirely the test or the kids--it's the long-standing lack of leadership in our schools.
We can't change the test or the kids, at least in the short term, but we can and should demand better of the adults in charge. Our School Board and Administrators need to do better, and we citizens need to make sure they get that message loud and clear.