E Wayne Ross – Page 104 – Critical Theories in Education

How does capital represent itself?

Landscapes of Capital is an ongoing attempt by Robert Goldman, Stephen Papson and Noah Kersey to write a multimedia Web-based book dedicated to studying how corporate television commercials portray a world shaped and defined by global capitalism.

Drawing on over 800 TV commercials the authors try to conceptually map the landscapes and narratives of capital, technology, and globalization as seen in corporate TV ads.

The site is organized around six themes, globalizaiton, capital, landscapes, advertising semiotics, grand narratives and speed. Each of the theme maps is linked to a bibliography, database, illustrated glossary, and index.

This is a very intriguing site, highly recommended!

Some Georgia students face 70 days of testing this year

A recent article in the Macon, Georgia newspaper The Telegraph outlines the massive extent of time spent on testing in some school districts in the US. Students in Bibb County, Georgia will have 70 days testing in a school year that is 180 days long. More that one-third of the school will be devoted testing.

As Monty Neill of FairTest points out “It is important to note that testing is exhausting for many kids, and even if only some kids are tested it typically affects the schedules of many more children, with the result that even if the tests officially only take a few hours, it is not uncommon for the day to be compromised, affecting other classes.”

Check out readers comments, including some from students here.

Test dates for Bibb County schools

For description of state and national tests visit www.gadoe.org/ci testing.aspx)
SEPTEMBER

19-29, Iowa Test of Basic Skills third-, fifth-, eighth-graders

25, Georgia alternate assessment window opens (for students with disabilities)

27-28, Fall Georgia High School Writing Tests and Basic skills test

OCTOBER

14, SAT and SAT II

18, PSAT exam, ninth- and 10th-graders

28, ACT exam (high school)

NOVEMBER

4, SAT and SAT II, English language proficiency test (high school)

6-10, Winter Georgia High School Graduation Test

DECEMBER

2, SAT I and SAT II (high school)

5-6, End of Course Tests (high school)

7-8 End of Course Tests make-up

9, ACT (high school)

JANUARY

17-18, Middle grades Writing Assessment

27, SAT and SAT II

FEBRUARY

10, ACT

23, GKAP-R testing window opens

28, Georgia High School Graduation Writing Tests

MARCH

1, Georgia High School Graduation Writing Tests retest make-up

2, ACCESS (for English language learners)

7, fifth-grade writing assessment

8, fifth-grade writing assessment make-up

10, SAT only

19-30, third-grade writing evaluations begin

19-23, Georgia High School Graduation Tests and BST

APRIL

3-12, Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (first through eighth grades)

14, ACT

MAY

5, SAT and SAT II

7-8 Advanced placement exams

9-10, End of Course Tests

11-14, End of Course Tests make-up

JUNE

2, SAT and SAT II

9, ACT

25-27 CRCT retests

28, CRCT retest make-ups
SOURCE: Bibb County Board of Education

The Telegraph: Bibb students face 70 days of testing

Posted on Tue, Sep. 19, 2006

Bibb students face 70 days of testing

By Julie Hubbard
TELEGRAPH STAFF WRITER
It’s just seven weeks into the new school year and Bibb schoold students are already bombarded with homework, school fundraisers – and yes, standardized tests.

Starting today, through Sept. 29, all third-, fifth- and eighth-graders will take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.

That’s a national exam that compares how students fare in English, math, science and social studies compared to peers in other states.

Next week, third-graders also will take the CogAt, a national exam that tests a student’s ability to reason – the scores help school officials identify gifted or at-risk students. Juniors also take a writing exam needed for graduation, Sept. 27-28.

More than 70 of the 180 school days in Bibb County are earmarked to give elementary, middle or high school students some form of a state or national exam, according to Bibb’s testing calendar.

While some parents feel the tests are too much, most school officials say these mandatory exams are vital for detecting a student’s skill level in the classroom, and to help students improve.

“I know there are complaints on how many testing dates are given,” Heritage Elementary School principal Kaye Hlavaty said Monday. “I feel like the benefits outweigh the time it takes (to give the exams).”

Heritage Elementary uses the reading and math scores from the Iowa tests as a precursor to how well students might test in those same subjects when they take the high stakes Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests, a state exam given in the spring.

The Iowa tests give the school system an idea of how students are performing on different subjects at the start of the school year, said Bruce Giroux, Bibb’s director of student assessment and accountability.

“We have the opportunity to have some results earlier on, and we can work with students,” he said.

The federal No Child Left Behind law of 2001 has influenced more student testing, Giroux said. The law says all students, including minorities and students with disabilities – must be learning at their grade level by 2014.

Schools are now held accountable for how students perform, which is why it’s important that systems have test data, he said.

“Do we test a lot? Yes, we do,” Giroux said. “At every grade level, there is some form of testing going on … but you have to have some form of testing to measure and understand where your students are going.”

Some teachers get frustrated with the amount of classroom time spent on testing, and students often “feel very overwhelmed,” said Jeff Hubbard, president of the Georgia Association of Educators. But most educators “see the value,” he said.

Most educators are in favor of standardized testing if school systems use the data for improvement as the data is intended, he said.

“If they do nothing with the results, they’ve lost valuable learning time. Testing for the sake of testing is ridiculous,” Hubbard said. “If it’s used as a diagnostic tool to improve teaching and learning, it’s a good thing.”

And most of the state’s school systems do something with their test data, he added.

Matesa Burnett’s daughter Chasity, a kindergarten student at Burke Elementary, has already taken a state exam this school year.

Kindergarten students took the Georgia Kindergarten Assessment Program during the first two weeks of school, a test to measure social and emotional readiness and literacy and math skills. The tests are used to judge whether the student is ready for first grade.

“I don’t think they give too many (tests), it’s fine,” Burnett said. “It’s teaching children to prepare for the future.”

Another parent, Brenda Johnson, said she didn’t like so much student testing.

“Some kids get nervous taking tests and don’t do well,” Johnson said. Students are often judged just by their test scores, not how well they do in class, she said.

Most of the standardized tests given by Bibb County schools are mandated by the state, Giroux said.

And like it or not, standardized tests are now a part of today’s education.

“We do have more tests … there’s much more accountability,” Giroux said. “We’re measuring students at every grade level, and checking their progress on some form of standardized exam.”

Test dates for Bibb County schools

For description of state and national tests visit www.gadoe.org/ci testing.aspx)
SEPTEMBER

19-29, Iowa Test of Basic Skills third-, fifth-, eighth-graders

25, Georgia alternate assessment window opens (for students with disabilities)

27-28, Fall Georgia High School Writing Tests and Basic skills test

OCTOBER

14, SAT and SAT II

18, PSAT exam, ninth- and 10th-graders

28, ACT exam (high school)

NOVEMBER

4, SAT and SAT II, English language proficiency test (high school)

6-10, Winter Georgia High School Graduation Test

DECEMBER

2, SAT I and SAT II (high school)

5-6, End of Course Tests (high school)

7-8 End of Course Tests make-up

9, ACT (high school)

JANUARY

17-18, Middle grades Writing Assessment

27, SAT and SAT II

FEBRUARY

10, ACT

23, GKAP-R testing window opens

28, Georgia High School Graduation Writing Tests

MARCH

1, Georgia High School Graduation Writing Tests retest make-up

2, ACCESS (for English language learners)

7, fifth-grade writing assessment

8, fifth-grade writing assessment make-up

10, SAT only

19-30, third-grade writing evaluations begin

19-23, Georgia High School Graduation Tests and BST

APRIL

3-12, Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (first through eighth grades)

14, ACT

MAY

5, SAT and SAT II

7-8 Advanced placement exams

9-10, End of Course Tests

11-14, End of Course Tests make-up

JUNE

2, SAT and SAT II

9, ACT

25-27 CRCT retests

28, CRCT retest make-ups
SOURCE: Bibb County Board of Education

Testing tips for parents

Make sure children are well rested.

Serve them a healthy meal (the brain needs fuel).

Help children relax.

Talk about realistic expectations.

Have children dress comfortably.

Tell children to answer questions as honestly as possible.

SOURCE: Bibb County schools officials

Rouge Forum Update: Rouge Forum Conference, Detroit, First Weekend in March! Remember.

Dear Friends,

Rouge Forum Conference, Detroit, First Weekend in March! Remember.

The Rouge Forum No Blood For Oil web page is up to date, with key articles from Robert Fisk, Sy Hersh, and others.

Take note of the color anti-war posters available at cost. And, this week marks the beginning of the many actions to Declare Peace. Check here for your city here.

And, of special interest is this video on military recruiting.

And this classic, repeated by request, of George Carlin on how America works.

OAXACA COMMUNE ALERT: The governor of Oaxaca, whose resignation has been demanded by the massive social uprising initiated by school workers there, has ordered schools to open on Monday. He plans to recruit retired teachers and scabs. Thousands of teachers from Oaxaca are now marching on Mexico City, while others hold their radio station, defending their means of communication. Clear splits have appeared within this struggle, between union leaders who merely want to replace the governor on one side, and radicals and others who seek to fundamentally change an exploitative social order on the other. The federal government has warned they will unleash troops on the strikers.

Oaxaca Communards have carried their struggle, similar in many ways to the Detroit Teachers’ Strike, much farther than nearly anyone expected, demonstrating the Rouge Forum thesis that school workers can initiate social change, if not fully carry it through. The Oaxacans have set up their own communications systems, run the traffic, carried on their own internal education campaigns, fought the police and federal goon squads, deepened already close ties with parents and kids because this fight is truly an all-for-one, one-for-all battle, and, whether this long struggle wins or not, the lessons to be learned from this heroism will be invaluable to educators everywhere. NarcoNews has the best site on this fight, so far. Like the Detroit Strike, it is largely blacked out in mainstream media, even though it has involved hundreds of thousands of people. This is a warning to the militants of Oaxaca, about arriving national trade union sellouts from the US.

DETROIT STRIKE UPDATE: While the DFT sellout of the courageous strike of rank and file educators may be ratified, there is a growing chance that the deal may not be the deal, or that the rank and file will need, because of circumstances, to vote the tentative agreement down. Days after the TA was announced, the Detroit Public School bosses revealed there is a 25,000 student shortfall in attendance, about 16,000 more than projected. DPS claimed to project 123,000 students this year. Predictably, they blamed the shortfall on the teachers. At about $7500 per kid in lost state monies, the district is in real jeopardy.

The 25000 figure may be exaggerated, or it may exist because DPS deliberately lied about attendance figures in the past, but even if the loss is, say, just 16,000, it would be a crippling blow to DPS, and it could put the TA in jeopardy as it would mean a massive layoff.
Here is a piece wrapping up the Detroit Strike as of Friday past.

‘A republic … if you can keep it’

San Francisco Chronicle: ‘A republic … if you can keep it’
– John Cooke, Marshall Croddy
Thursday, September 21, 2006

In 1787, shortly after the close of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, a woman interested in the proceedings approached Benjamin Franklin. “Well, doctor,” she asked, “what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” The venerable champion of American liberty replied, “A republic, madame, if you can keep it.”

As we celebrate Constitution Week (Sept. 17-23), it would be wise to heed Franklin’s challenge. A constitutional republic is not an easy form of government to maintain. It requires wise leaders more interested in the public good than in holding and using power. It requires an enlightened citizenry that understands and exercises its rights and duties and is willing to fight to preserve them. Moreover, both wise leaders and enlightened citizens must arise with each new generation, prepared and able to make the system work.

Nowhere is this more important than in California. California is the most diverse and multicultural of the 50 states. No single racial group composes a majority of the population and more than a quarter of the state’s residents were born in another country. In addition, California’s political system places high demands on its citizens.

From 2000 to 2006, California voters had to make decisions on some 90 state ballot propositions, and each year the electorate faces hundreds of city, county and community-college measures. California’s governments need engaged citizens who keep themselves informed about the issues, who vote and who participate in the public-policy process. California businesses need leaders and employees who know how to negotiate and compromise, work together to solve problems and make sound decisions.

Our state’s schools teach children to read and write, do math and use technology. So must schools educate the young about their constitutional heritage, the institutions and workings of government, and how to participate in a civil society as informed voters and as citizens committed to addressing the problems of their nation, state and communities. In short, California needs a world-class civics education for every pupil in every school.

Fortunately, we know what a quality civic education should look like. The Civic Mission of Schools, a report by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, identified educational practices that research shows are effective in developing knowledgeable and engaged citizens. Students need quality instruction in history, government and law. Pupils need the opportunity to discuss current events and issues and participate in service activities linked to school and community problems and to what they are studying in the classroom.

Students should get involved in extracurricular activities and have a voice in school governance. Finally, students should take part in classroom simulations, such as mock trials and legislative hearings, to experience how democratic institutions work in the real world.

California already has a history-driven social studies framework and standards for all grade levels, but it lacks a consistent and comprehensive focus on civics content. It also fails to adequately address the development of civic skills. All students must learn how to analyze and evaluate public policies, state and support reasoned opinions and work with others to solve problems.

We must make sure our students are adequately prepared to address the public-policy issues and challenges California will face in the 21st century. Now there is a lack of instruction time for civics, indeed all of the social studies, in many California elementary schools. Because, federal and state mandates and assessment programs require performance gains in language arts, math and science, many schools, especially those serving disadvantaged student populations, have sacrificed social studies instruction for more time on these subjects. Unfortunately, missing critical civics content, concepts and skill development in these early grades will make it difficult for these learners to achieve proficiency as they progress through middle- and high-school civics course work, and ultimately as adult citizens.

Math, reading and science are critical, but so are civics and social studies. Schools need our support! To best educate the next generation of California citizens will require using well- researched and proven classroom and school practices. We must offer teachers and administrators professional development opportunities and the materials that incorporate these educational practices as well as encourage schools to support and adopt them.

Assuring a world-class civics education for every California child is everyone’s responsibility. The California Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools convened by the Constitutional Rights Foundation, in collaboration with the Center for Civic Education and nearly 100 civic and educational organizations, is working with public officials, legislators, educators, business leaders, legal professionals, parents and everyday citizens to strengthen civic education throughout the state.

Let’s make sure our generation responds to Franklin’s challenge. Our response must be: “Don’t worry, Dr. Franklin, we will keep your republic.”

John Cooke is the chairman of the advisory committee of the California Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools; Marshall Croddy is director of programs at the Constitutional Rights Foundation.

Page B – 7
URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/09/21/EDG6PKDTQQ1.DTL

Rouge Forum Update

Hold the date for the first weekend in March for the Rouge Forum Conference in Detroit. Details to follow.

The battles in Oaxaca, Mexico, initiated by educators’s struggles continue today. The best source is NarcoNews.com

The Rouge Forum was one of the first signers for the We Declare Peace movement. Events are on for this week all over the US. In San Diego, one of many events is a mass demonstration from 4-7p.m. on Monday, September 25, Horton Plaza.

A friend, Bill McDannel, initiated his own walk to end the war, from Lakeside, Ca., to Washington DC, starting on November 4. You can track his hike, and maybe fix him dinner, on his site.

The Detroit Teachers’ Strike of 2006 appears to be at an end, a tragic sellout by the leadership of the Detroit Federation of Teachers. Though the tentative deal must still be voted by the membership, it is very hard to pull teachers, who already conducted a two week strike, out of school again. An analysis is here.

The choice of democracy and equality, or barbarism, is especially stark in Michigan, tailspinning behind the auto industry. Those curious about the collateral wreck of the United Auto Workers might check here.

We are preparing informal discussion groups among teachers, students, and parents, in San Diego to address the question of how we link imperial wars, high-stakes standardized tests, curricula regimentation, and the militarization of schools. Interested? Email:rgibson@pipeline.com

The Rouge Forum No Blood for Oil web site is updated. Check out those great posters for upcoming demonstrations, and classroom use too!

Bennett and Paige flog national test for schools

In the pages of The Washington Post a tag-team of hypocritical holier-than-thou former federal officials—Bill Bennett and Rod Paige—hump a national test for US schools. Not surprising, but likely the leading edge of the next battle in defense of public schools.

Why We Need a National School Test

No God Left Behind — Why Not?

In a commentary on Inside Higher Ed, William G. Durden, president of Dickinson College, argues that since schools have NCLB and now colleges and universities have their own accountability plan from the Commission on the Future of Higher Education, that it’s time for an accountability initiative for the faithful.

…In the nation’s current zeal to account for all transfer of teaching and insight through quantitative, standardized testing, perhaps we should advance quantitative measurement into other areas of human meaning and definition. Why leave work undone?

I suggest, for example, that a federal commission propose an accountability initiative for those of faith (not such a wild notion as an increasing number of politicians are calling the traditional separation of church and state unhealthy for the nation). This effort should be titled No God Left Behind. The federal government would demand that places of worship, in order to be deemed successful, efficient and worthy of federal, state and local tax-support exemption, provide quantitative evidence of the effectiveness of their “teaching.” (Places of worship are not unlike colleges and universities in that they are increasing their fund-raising expectations — their form of “price” — because of increasing costs.) The faithful, in turn, would be required to provide quantitative evidence of the concrete influence of their respective God upon behaviors within a few years of exposure — say four years…