leedslearningcentre.com http://leedslearningcentre.com Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:07:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 EQAO Testing http://leedslearningcentre.com/blog/eqao-testing/ http://leedslearningcentre.com/blog/eqao-testing/#comments Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:00:03 +0000 shane http://leedslearningcentre.com/?p=232 So, the EQAO testing is done for our elementary students for another year. I get a fair number of questions concerning these standardized tests from anxious parents. Many parents feel that these tests are an unnecessary stress on their kids. I don’t have a problem with the test per se, my issue is with the weight the scores are given and the knee jerk reaction that immediately follows the Fraser Institute’s publication.
The grade 3 and 6 testing would be a fine idea if it provided an accurate snapshot of our students’ education level from the regular curriculum; however, it does not. Typically, what you get are the results of teachers stopping the regular curriculum to prepare the kids for the test.  In addition, many kids are exempted from the test so the numbers do not include these potentially low scores. Identified students and those most at risk of failure are given scribes to record the work for them and can have the questions or stories read to them, taking away the literacy element of the test.
 So does this really tell us anything about the curriculum?  How can these results be used to modify or improve the curriculum when it doesn’t accurately show weak areas? If there was no prep, no exemptions, and no scribes assigned, we would see very different (and far more accurate) scores.
I completely understand why the teachers and schools prep, exempt, and assist students with these tests. When your school’s ranking is based on these scores of course you would use any means allowed to achieve more favourable results. I have seen parents ready to jump ship from a school with a low ranking to one with the highest ranking. This reaction is frustrating when you have parents who were happy with their school and with the classroom teacher but suddenly have doubts based on a dubious ranking system. 
To me, the chemistry between the teacher and the students plays a more crucial role in the early years than an unreliable ranking.
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario has proposed a two-year moratorium on the EQAO testing in order to review the testing and consider the best way to measure students’ progress.
I have been having conversations about the EQAO tests for years now and I was surprised to see many of my own concerns and complaints listed on the ETFO site.  One thing that really surprised me was the cost of the testing and development of the test. I thought it would be around 10 million each year. Nope.

EQAO’s most recent annual report indicates expenses of $33 million in 2009-10. A further
$77 million is spent by the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat designing and mandating
programs designed to improve test scores. And individual boards spend more. Think about
what that money could do if it were spent on education instead.
Taken from ETFO website. Link provided below

 

This is money spent every year yet we have high school students coming to us without textbooks! I know books are expensive- we buy them too, but schools shouldn’t have to fundraise for materials. My other pet peeve is the lack of educational assistant support. If the money spent on this yearly test was set aside for textbooks and EAs that would go a long way towards improving the quality of our education system.
The ETFO and I are very much in agreement on this issue.
I urge all parents to consider these rankings with a grain of salt.

LINKS
For more information on the ETFO’s viewpoint on EQAO testing please visit this link:
http://www.etfo.ca/issuesineducation/eqaotesting/pages/default.aspx

For the Government of Ontario’s side follow this link:
http://www.eqao.com/AboutEQAO/GeneralQuestions.aspx?Lang=e

 

]]> http://leedslearningcentre.com/blog/eqao-testing/feed/ 0 Summer Slide http://leedslearningcentre.com/blog/post-5/ http://leedslearningcentre.com/blog/post-5/#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 14:49:00 +0000 tairak http://leedslearningcentre.com/wp/?p=141 “When school children close their books in June, they too often forget about reading, writing and arithmetic until September rolls around.
For teachers that means a fall filled with remedial work. Educators typically spend four to six weeks getting students back to where they were at the end of the previous academic year. “
This phenomenon is referred to as summer slide.

Our school calendar was established when the vast majority of the population was involved in agriculture and schools were not climate controlled. Conversely, today only 3% of the population works in agriculture and schools have the ability to stay cool all summer long. Our 196 day school calendar (minus PA Days, minus snow days, minus sick days) simply does not provide enough educational instruction for today’s youth. This is especially true when students compete against international students for post-secondary schooling.  To illustrate, Japan has 220 instructional days.

Now, I am not going to be the one to tell kids that they have to go to school for 30 hours a week all summer long; I value my life too much. But the fact remains that summer slide does exist and even the parents with the best intentions can’t commit to the hours needed during the summer months to keep kids skills up.

Studies have shown that students lose between 1-3 months of academic achievement over the summer. The subjects hardest hit by summer slide are spelling and math. So if a high-achieving student stands to lose at least a month of academic achievement what about a struggling student? Johns Hopkins researchers have found that some students lag behind by as much as 2 1/2 grades by fifth grade. Scary thought.

As a student progresses through the grade levels, the curriculum becomes more demanding and failing a student seems to be a thing of the past. Struggling students fall further and further behind and the summer slide can greatly exasperate their struggles.

So what can a parent do?
Sub-contract!

The very best decision would be to enrol your child in a summer academic program. Leeds Learning Centre offers full-summer programs that allow parents to balance all the fun that summer offers with just a wee bit of education. The best part is that you don’t have to be the one creating age-appropriate work to keep your kids learning. With as little as two hours a week Leeds Learning instructors can help prevent summer slide and keep your child’s skills up. For more intensive help we also offer academic clinics that can be up to 10 hours per week. Again, a student can attend academic clinics all summer long or you can choose weeks around your vacation schedule.

Your kids deserve a smooth September start. Why set them up for struggles by allowing them to lose valuable academic skills during the summer when they have more free time on their hands than ever.
We think your kids are worth it!

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