Palmerton schools make grade

I agree with Mr. Beeling and Mr. Pollard. Stick to the rules! Good job for Palmerton grades!

All or most of the credit has to go to the teachers for their dedication to the students even when they don't get the support they deserve.

Credit to Teachers wrote:

All or most of the credit has to go to the teachers for their dedication to the students even when they don't get the support they deserve.

Who do we blame last year for not passing the AYP in the junior high? I say kudos to everyone. Kudos to the school board for high accountability standards. Kudos to the teachers for a job well done. Kudos to the administration for working towards high standards. Kudos for the students and parents for striving for higher achievement. Everyone deserves a pat on the back.

Accountability wrote:

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Who do we blame last year for not passing the AYP in the junior high? I say kudos to everyone. Kudos to the school board for high accountability standards. Kudos to the teachers for a job well done. Kudos to the administration for working towards high standards. Kudos for the students and parents for striving for higher achievement. Everyone deserves a pat on the back.

Kudos to the board??? What are U on?? What have they done to achieve AYP?? They are too busy playing politics with basketball coaches, interviewing superintendents and approving change orders for the Towamensing and Lab Building money pits to know what's going on in the classroom. Good job teachers, students and parents!

Accountability wrote:

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Who do we blame last year for not passing the AYP in the junior high? I say kudos to everyone. Kudos to the school board for high accountability standards. Kudos to the teachers for a job well done. Kudos to the administration for working towards high standards. Kudos for the students and parents for striving for higher achievement. Everyone deserves a pat on the back.

Good point. Do the teachers take credit for the failing AYP last year also?

Credit where its DUE wrote:

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Kudos to the board??? What are U on?? What have they done to achieve AYP?? They are too busy playing politics with basketball coaches, interviewing superintendents and approving change orders for the Towamensing and Lab Building money pits to know what's going on in the classroom. Good job teachers, students and parents!

The school board didn't raise taxes. We're all happy about that! Change orders go with any job! Kids made the grade according to the paper that is. All is well. I'd elect them again in a heartbeat! Good job school board!

Accountability wrote:

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Who do we blame last year for not passing the AYP in the junior high? I say kudos to everyone. Kudos to the school board for high accountability standards. Kudos to the teachers for a job well done. Kudos to the administration for working towards high standards. Kudos for the students and parents for striving for higher achievement. Everyone deserves a pat on the back.

The only reason the junior high didn't make it last year was due to the special ed. population which as a subgroup did not make AYP. As a result, the whole school failed. When you have a small number of students in this group and a few don't make it, that causes failure right away.

To think that most of the board members care about high accountability makes me believe you live in a fantasy world. Most, but not all, of this board only cares about MONEY and TAXES. Everything else doesn't matter.

Accountability wrote:

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Who do we blame last year for not passing the AYP in the junior high? I say kudos to everyone. Kudos to the school board for high accountability standards. Kudos to the teachers for a job well done. Kudos to the administration for working towards high standards. Kudos for the students and parents for striving for higher achievement. Everyone deserves a pat on the back.

The board has nothing to do with accountability standards. Standards are dictated by No Child Left Behind and PDE.

The poster above is absolutely correct. Overall, the junior high scored more than 15% above the accountability standards in math and almost 20% above in reading. However, the way that NCLB is written, ALL subgroups must also score at or above the set percentages. This includes minority groups, economically disadvantaged students and students with IEPs. Last year, Palmerton junior high students with IEPs (those that often struggle the most) did not make the percentages so the junior high was placed on the warning list. If you really want to blame someone, blame the flawed law that has set up these ridiculous loopholes to ensure that schools will fail and write to your senators and congressmen and ask them to fix it.

FYI wrote:

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The board has nothing to do with accountability standards. Standards are dictated by No Child Left Behind and PDE.
The poster above is absolutely correct. Overall, the junior high scored more than 15% above the accountability standards in math and almost 20% above in reading. However, the way that NCLB is written, ALL subgroups must also score at or above the set percentages. This includes minority groups, economically disadvantaged students and students with IEPs. Last year, Palmerton junior high students with IEPs (those that often struggle the most) did not make the percentages so the junior high was placed on the warning list. If you really want to blame someone, blame the flawed law that has set up these ridiculous loopholes to ensure that schools will fail and write to your senators and congressmen and ask them to fix it.

To clarify things a little more: In order for a subgroup to exist in a school, there must be at least 40 students in that subgroup. This means that Palmerton Junior high school had more than 40 students with IEP's. The vast majority of other schools also have trouble bring their IEP students up to the proficient level, but if they don't have enough IEP kids to make a subgroup, it is not held against them. It is also important to note that not all students with IEPs are educated in their own districts. Depending on their identification, they could be educated in a more appropriate placement. But their score on the PSSA is included with the scores of the other IEP students in their home district. So even though the home school has no control over that child's education, the home home school is held accountable if that child does not do well on the PSSA. This is another flaw in this very flawed law, one that some believe is intended to guarantee that all schools will eventually fail.

Forgive my skepticism, but what this "success" proves to me is that the teachers are doing well in teaching the test and the students are doing well in learning and taking the test. Every teacher that I know HATES the standardized tests and feels that they take away from a well-rounded education during a good part of the years that the PSSAs are given. Science and social studies practically disappear. I saw this first hand when I was a fifth grade teacher's aid. Everything was focused on PSSAs for months. The kids hated it, too.

I personally have written my legislators about this issue. I know that many of them are aware of the flaws, but this system is so ingrained now, that it would be hard to change it.

I applaud the teachers in doing the best they can under the circumstances, but as the poster before me said, it IS a flawed law and many children ARE left behind in spite of so-called success in the district.

Why the board would deserve any credit for this is beyond me.

Way to go Carl!