Colorado Bumped From First Round of Race to the Top

Bummed to hear the news..

Looks like the "Statewide" scores zinged us. We still have many Districts in Colorado not willing - or ideologically able - to embrace educational innovations. I'm thinking we might have a "deeper" story here.  Thanks for writing about this.

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by: Just Anita @ Tue Mar 30, 2010 at 21:09:03 PM UTC

I'm curious about which innovations you speak?

And I wonder at what point does underfunding effect statewide scores? Is there a formula for that?  

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by: Fong @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 00:22:05 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

We're on the same page!

CBPP.org might be working on similiar speculations at the State level. There appear to be several links to CO statewide disparities; including underfunding, union concerns on tenure, and uncooperative Districts.

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by: Just Anita @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 15:47:03 PM UTC

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CSAP

Of course our kids don't perform well, our teachers are stuck in a system where they can't teach. They have to force in a curriculum around a test. Why do you think kids learn more about the subjects in their elective classes then they do about history, math and science? The elective teachers are allowed to actually teach.

Senator Buck will give me a great sense of "Buyers Remorse" in the way that it would feel like my Senator was screwing me over.  

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by: thegreatandpowerfuloz @ Tue Mar 30, 2010 at 21:30:25 PM UTC

First read

Ok, thats a really long assesment doc.  So after my first read (probably going to require at least 3 or more reads cross referenced with the original application, so bear with me) but the CSAP assesment actually seems to be a positive for the Race to the Top (called RttP).

The areas that the plan seems to have fallen short is the failure to address the areas of achievement gap fully, the metrics on graduation rates, and funding were across the board generally seen as the big problems.  Now this is based on a preliminary read, but I don't think that insofar as the RttP assesment goes, CSAP was a problem.

Now, in regards to CSAP being its own special hell, I don't disagree with you that we have gutted education in favor of metrics.  I however think that we do need some sort of measurement of how well the students are picking up the material.  Of course, as in everything we do anymore, its a cost benefit.  From what I've read, the essay exams are most effective, but prohibitively expensive to grade and asses.  Standardized testing is much cheaper and makes voters feel at enough ease that they don't try to fire a whole school. Ok, some standardized testing at least.

While I am all for teachers having the freedom to work on their own cirriculum in the classroom, we do need a method of determining how effective a teacher is.  In my job, if I had employees that were ineffective at their job, I need to know, so that I can move them to a position that they can do more effectively or to get them out of the industry so that they can find a company that they can work at.

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by: Song @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 17:05:11 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yeah...

Kids should test well on the CSAP because of the robustness of the curriculum, not because all curriculum focuses on it.  This is what's happening in schools today.

And yes, teacher evaluations are woefully inadequate.  They need to be moved away from the private domain of principals and include peer and parent reviews, with goals and coaching included.  They don't presently do that.

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by: conductrix @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 20:20:46 PM UTC

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It is curious that the unions were mentioned/blamed in the press

Why oh why are unions blamed for the sky falling?  

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by: OH!4CryingOutLoud @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 03:25:50 AM UTC

The real problem is the test

The CSAP is not a good test of a student's education, never has been.  It basically tests two subject areas, the two that are easiest to write a test for, reading and math.  But that is an incomplete assessment at best.  And even if it has some validity, how can the answer always be that the teachers aren't good enough?  Where are we supposed to get better teachers?  They're lucky they have a union because they are being judged by a completely unfair standard and without a union, we'd have even less teachers.  

I'm all for good education, but this grant was a distraction and comes with strings we don't need.  Colorado needs to find better ways to assess students AND teachers and help them all to be better.  Unfortunately, Race to the Top doesn't do any of that.  

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by: ColoradOpinion @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 04:07:06 AM UTC

Thanks, that says a lot

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by: Fong @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 04:29:12 AM UTC

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Race to the Top is NCLB in sheep's clothing

I'll say this from the get-go: it's a good thing that Colorado lost out on Race to the Top, because it's just a re-wrapped version of No Child Left Behind.  NCLB is the right's way to justify spending tax dollars on educating little brown and black children.  We create standardized tests, we pare down curriculum to only teach directly to these tests, and when the kids are drilled to death and dutifully regurgitate high test scores, we feel like we're doing a great thing for them.  Only, no one stops long enough to see if the kids are truly more than just functionally literate or can critically think their way out of a paper bag.

What's more, if all you're doing is delivering a formulaic curriculum for overly long hours a day, why on earth would you need a professional, seasoned educator to offer differentiated teaching and coach kids to use their natural-born talents?  Why wouldn't you expect teachers to be on call via cell phone all night?  A pesky union gets in the way of all that stuff.  

Plus, RTTP is a gimme to the privatized charter school industry, just like a health insurance mandate is a gimme to the health insurance industry.  RTTP practically forces states to let charters take over their school systems.

It is totally not cool to offer money bribes to cash-strapped states just so they take on their own versions of Chicago Public Schools' failed social experiments with choice and competition.  There is no place for Milton Friedman's free-market theories in the public education system.  Kids are not widgets, and they are certainly more than just test scores.

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by: conductrix @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 06:03:56 AM UTC

I understand your anger about standardized tests, and I share it.

What I don't understand is, if you feel you have something to offer the conversation, why don't you make an appointment and very calmly, go down and talk to the Senators and persuade them to see what you see with facts and reason and kindness? None of them are terrible people --in fact they are all pretty great here in CO, in terms of being approachable and willing to listen to their constituents.

Just because people may not agree with you, doesn't mean it gives you a right to demonize them, or assume your motives. Good leaders are statesmen first. I suspect your goal is leadership on this issue?

My opinions here do not reflect any organization or group with which I may be affiliated.  

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by: peacemonger @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 17:00:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I meant "assume their motives".

My opinions here do not reflect any organization or group with which I may be affiliated.  

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by: peacemonger @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 17:01:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What are you talking about?

RTTP was crafted at the Department of Education, not at the Senate level.  Who exactly is being demonized here?

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by: conductrix @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 20:22:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm happy to see you have this perspective.

It is totally not cool to offer money bribes to cash-strapped states just so they take on their own versions of Chicago Public Schools' failed social experiments with choice and competition.  There is no place for Milton Friedman's free-market theories in the public education system.  Kids are not widgets, and they are certainly more than just test scores.

Additionally, Coloradopinion's statement about the test-ablity of math and english as being woefully incomplete is another consideration for the validity of the meaning of the decision.  

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by: Fong @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 17:09:25 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

How to improve education

Forget about standardized tests that dominate instruction time.  Instead, focus on well-funded and robust early-childhood programs and mandatory full-day kindergarten.  Even out the playing field at the start so that all kids have the same pre-literate skills before 1st grade.

That, and ensure that only the best teachers are in the classrooms, via fair evaluations paired with coaching and professional development programs with value.  Research proves that the achievement gap is closed with just five years' of quality teaching in a row.  

Within 12 years, you will have cured the graduation rates.  

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by: conductrix @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 20:25:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Excellent comment.

I worked in early childhood development and there is simply nothing more effective that an engaging early childhood program that stresses specific, individual structuring to fit individual needs.

Standardized tests are ruining the education system--teachers are forced to teach to the test to keep scores above a certain level to ensure federal funding and to ensure their jobs. Individualism is completely ignored in the interests of preventing a school district from losing it's funding and status.

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by: MiddleoftheRoad @ Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 20:32:52 PM UTC

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