A significant amount of students’ time is spent on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Students update their status and view others’ comments several times a day. That is exactly the problem. Rather than doing homework, students often find themselves spending loads of time chatting with friends online, taking silly quizzes, playing virtual games, and reading status updates. If kids don’t show self-discipline, their use of social networking sites can hurt grades.
These sites are not to blame; some students are allowing themselves to become very distracted. Avoiding homework is easy when there is such an attractive and available alternative. That’s why it is imperative that students prioritize, set goals, and use organization and time management skills wisely. As the first half of the school year comes to a close, ask your child what goals s/he has and how you can help them to find success. It may not be social networking sites that are distracting your child, but rather television or video games. Use the winter break to discuss these topics with your child.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Writing Can Improve Before State Tests
It’s not to soon to begin thinking about the ways you can help your child to do better on the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) testing. Not all Oregon schools participate in the NAEP tests, but all public school students do take the OAKS tests. There are practice tests available online (http://www.oaks.k12.or.us/default.html) to better acquaint students with the format and types of questions that will be asked in reading/literature, mathematics, science, and social sciences.
The paper-based OAKS writing test in particular is given to students in grade 4 and grade 7 in January/February (and 10th grade students during that same time and in April). In the 2008-2009 school year, the percent of students who met the writing standard declined in 7th and 10th grade, but rose for those in 4th grade. There is still a lot of progress to be made. The percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards in the 4th grade was 44% (up from 43% in 07-08); 7th grade was 48% (down from 49% in 07-08); and 10th grade was 55% (down from 56% in 07-08).
Some in education believe the low scores are a reflection of the difference in process versus on-demand writing. In process writing, students have much time to craft, research, brainstorm, draft and revise their essays. The greatest obstacle for students in yearly testing in writing may be the lack of time given (in respect to papers for school). Students have difficulty streamlining the process to fit the on-demand prompts. Frequent practice in both types of writing will benefit students.
At home, parents can provide opportunities for students to write (whether through note-taking, letters to relatives, or using a journal), responding to their children’s writing and giving them praise. Fluency in writing can be improved by this increase in frequency. Parents can help students with school-assigned papers and ask teachers for prompts to better equip students with opportunities to practice on-demand essays.
SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER can help your students with both process and on-demand writing with a mini-writing program designed to prep your child for state testing. In the traditional writing program at Sylvan, elementary, middle and high school level students learn and practice grammar as well as writing techniques. They also write several essays. In the mini-program, students go through each step of the writing process to compose one traditional essay followed by a series of on-demand writing prompts where they will have the opportunity to work within time constraints to streamline their knowledge of the writing process.
Contact Lucille VanHouten at SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER in Tualatin (503/692-5080) for more information.
The paper-based OAKS writing test in particular is given to students in grade 4 and grade 7 in January/February (and 10th grade students during that same time and in April). In the 2008-2009 school year, the percent of students who met the writing standard declined in 7th and 10th grade, but rose for those in 4th grade. There is still a lot of progress to be made. The percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards in the 4th grade was 44% (up from 43% in 07-08); 7th grade was 48% (down from 49% in 07-08); and 10th grade was 55% (down from 56% in 07-08).
Some in education believe the low scores are a reflection of the difference in process versus on-demand writing. In process writing, students have much time to craft, research, brainstorm, draft and revise their essays. The greatest obstacle for students in yearly testing in writing may be the lack of time given (in respect to papers for school). Students have difficulty streamlining the process to fit the on-demand prompts. Frequent practice in both types of writing will benefit students.
At home, parents can provide opportunities for students to write (whether through note-taking, letters to relatives, or using a journal), responding to their children’s writing and giving them praise. Fluency in writing can be improved by this increase in frequency. Parents can help students with school-assigned papers and ask teachers for prompts to better equip students with opportunities to practice on-demand essays.
SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER can help your students with both process and on-demand writing with a mini-writing program designed to prep your child for state testing. In the traditional writing program at Sylvan, elementary, middle and high school level students learn and practice grammar as well as writing techniques. They also write several essays. In the mini-program, students go through each step of the writing process to compose one traditional essay followed by a series of on-demand writing prompts where they will have the opportunity to work within time constraints to streamline their knowledge of the writing process.
Contact Lucille VanHouten at SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER in Tualatin (503/692-5080) for more information.
Oregon State Math Scores Worth Noticing
The 2008-2009 Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) and National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) math scores are now both available for comparison. Even though there was no statistical change in the progress of elementary students on either the OAKS or NAEP tests, the numbers of those students who meet or exceed minimum standards is worth notice.
OAKS math tests are administered to grades 3-8 and 10. Growth was seen in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards in both middle (grades 6 through 8) and high school (grade 10), but elementary school students saw no significant change from the previous school year. Seventy-seven percent of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students passed the mathematics test with basic, proficient, or advanced scores.
The NAEP (referred to as “The Nation’s Report Card”) showed no statistical change for elementary or middle school students from the previous school year. Eighty percent of 4th graders and 75% of 8th graders passed the national mathematics test with at least a basic understanding and application of concepts and skills.
Why worry? There isn’t measurable growth in the percentages of students meeting minimum requirements, but there isn’t a decreased percentage either. One must look at the breakdown within the achievement level numbers to see the problem. Nearly ¼ of 4th graders cannot meet the minimum requirements set by the state of Oregon in mathematics. One of every five Oregon 4th graders tested on the NAEP math tests could not pass with a “basic” achievement score. Of the 80% of testers who did pass the national assessment, 38% earned a “basic” (or minimum) level of achievement, 37% were labeled as proficient, and only 5% achieved an “advanced” score.
Oregon recently adopted improved content standards and assessments (K-8) in an effort to boost achievement. These new standards are meant to focus on a deeper knowledge and skills base that will help students to meet the graduation requirements for the class of 2014. Beginning with this current 8th grade class, students will need a minimum of 3 years in math Algebra I and above. The new standards adopted will help current elementary students to better prepare for a more demanding course load as high school students.
On the 2008-2009 Oregon math assessment, only 54% of 10th graders met or exceeded scores to show competency in mathematics. With these new standards and assessments put into place, what will the numbers look like in two years, in six years?
OAKS math tests are administered to grades 3-8 and 10. Growth was seen in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards in both middle (grades 6 through 8) and high school (grade 10), but elementary school students saw no significant change from the previous school year. Seventy-seven percent of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students passed the mathematics test with basic, proficient, or advanced scores.
The NAEP (referred to as “The Nation’s Report Card”) showed no statistical change for elementary or middle school students from the previous school year. Eighty percent of 4th graders and 75% of 8th graders passed the national mathematics test with at least a basic understanding and application of concepts and skills.
Why worry? There isn’t measurable growth in the percentages of students meeting minimum requirements, but there isn’t a decreased percentage either. One must look at the breakdown within the achievement level numbers to see the problem. Nearly ¼ of 4th graders cannot meet the minimum requirements set by the state of Oregon in mathematics. One of every five Oregon 4th graders tested on the NAEP math tests could not pass with a “basic” achievement score. Of the 80% of testers who did pass the national assessment, 38% earned a “basic” (or minimum) level of achievement, 37% were labeled as proficient, and only 5% achieved an “advanced” score.
Oregon recently adopted improved content standards and assessments (K-8) in an effort to boost achievement. These new standards are meant to focus on a deeper knowledge and skills base that will help students to meet the graduation requirements for the class of 2014. Beginning with this current 8th grade class, students will need a minimum of 3 years in math Algebra I and above. The new standards adopted will help current elementary students to better prepare for a more demanding course load as high school students.
On the 2008-2009 Oregon math assessment, only 54% of 10th graders met or exceeded scores to show competency in mathematics. With these new standards and assessments put into place, what will the numbers look like in two years, in six years?
Do Elementary Schools Need Certified Math Teachers?
In the Fall 2009 issue of American Educator, author Hung-His Wu asks “What’s Sophisticated about Elementary Mathematics?” (www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/issues/fall2009/index.htm). Wu, a professor emeritus of mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, served on the National Mathematics Advisory Panel and the Mathematics Steering Committee that contributed to revising the math framework for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the “Nation’s Report Card”. In this article, available on the American Federation of Teachers’ web site, Wu advocates for math instruction delivered by math teachers starting no later than the fourth grade.
In the eleven page article, Wu provides several sample concepts illustrate the need for highly qualified math teachers at the elementary level, including place value, standard algorithms, and dividing fractions. Seemingly simple, elementary math concepts turn out to be extremely sophisticated.
In an age of standards-based instruction and assessment, a time when students are increasingly challenged by the difficulty of mathematical concepts and application on, sometimes high-stakes, assessments at the state and national level, it makes sense to question the current system of math education.
The National Mathematics Advisory Panel has taken up this issue and emphasizes the need for mathematically proficient elementary teachers in a recent report (see Recommendation 7, 17, and 19 of Foundations for Success: The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel at www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/report/final-report.pdf
In the eleven page article, Wu provides several sample concepts illustrate the need for highly qualified math teachers at the elementary level, including place value, standard algorithms, and dividing fractions. Seemingly simple, elementary math concepts turn out to be extremely sophisticated.
In an age of standards-based instruction and assessment, a time when students are increasingly challenged by the difficulty of mathematical concepts and application on, sometimes high-stakes, assessments at the state and national level, it makes sense to question the current system of math education.
The National Mathematics Advisory Panel has taken up this issue and emphasizes the need for mathematically proficient elementary teachers in a recent report (see Recommendation 7, 17, and 19 of Foundations for Success: The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel at www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/report/final-report.pdf
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