New Content at SusanOhanian.Org!

[Susan Ohanian <susano@gmavt.net>]

Many thanks to Georgia Hedrick, our indefatigable cartoonist, who is now helping out with finding news items too, proving the adage that those who already do a lot are the ones who do more.

This issue is stuffed with news, outrage and commentary.
Susan

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School Board Questions Accuracy of Reports
Rachel Gottlieb
Hartford Courant
2003-12-17
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=1517

Hartford school board members aggressively questioned the accuracy of new statistics and reports showing dropout and graduation rates and the percentage of students going to college.

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Disappointing Vote Turnout in UK
Richard Garner
Independent.co.UK
2003-12-17
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=1518



A threatened boycott of national curriculum tests for 1.2 million children was lifted by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) yesterday, after members delivered a crushing blow to union activists. Not enough members bothered to vote.



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Rhetoric Gets Outrageous in Fresno
Jim Davis
Fresno Bee
2003-12-12
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=1519

Fresno County's top educator blasted Fresno Mayor Alan Autry on Thursday for saying the education system "commits socioeconomic murder on our children."



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Results from the NAEP 2003 Trial Urban District Assessment
Kemetris N. Baltrip
New York Times
2003-12-18
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=1520

The results are in from the 2003 Trial Urban District Assessment, part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress that is called the "nation's report card." A representative sample of 72,266 fourth and eighth graders from 1,159 schools was tested in January, February and March in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego and Washington.



But take any news about the NAEP with a huge grain of salt. Read what Gerald Bracey has to say. Subscribe to Phi Delta Kappan.



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Reveal the Racial Data on SAT Scores
 Mark Franek
Christian Science Monitor
2003-12-17
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=1521

The dean of students at the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia writes a scathing article about the SATs.

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Does Kindergarden Need Cops?
Claudia Wallis
Time magazine
2002-12-15
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=1522

An article picking on the youngest in school: kindergardeners who act up in class.  Maybe their behavior is telling us something about our own craziness to test without rest.

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Start the babies in school at age 3

Education Law Center
2000-12-18
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=1523

Earlier and sooner, send the children to school.

Age 3 is now being pushed into school, and away from Mom. Ms. Hansen calls this 'universal and free access to preschool for all children'.

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What the Democratic Candidates Say About NCLB
Democratic Presidential candidates
AFT website
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_news.html?id=243

The democratic candidates give their positions on NCLB. Hold your nose--except for our guy Howard, who focuses on the assessments rather than the money.

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Law to Help Disabled Kids May Open Up MCAS Appeals
Kevin Rothstein
Boston Herald
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_news.html?id=244

A new law loosening the MCAS appeals process for disabled students might force the state to open the relaxed process to all students, Massachusetts Board of Education Chairman James Peyser said yesterday. 

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School District Fights State Over NCLB Sanctions
Eleanor Chute
Pittsburgh  Post-Gazette
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_news.html?id=245

A Pennsylvania school district apparently has become the first district in the nation to sue a state education department over No Child Left Behind requirements. 


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Utahns Challenge School Standards
Ronnie Lynn
Salt Lake Tribune
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_news.html?id=246

Two Utah lawmakers already are hatching plans to loosen -- if not ignore -- new federal standards that this week labeled a third of the state's public schools inadequate.


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Students score below average on tests
Ben Feller
A.P. News on the web
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_news.html?id=247

WASHINGTON - Students in some of the nation's largest urban school districts score below the national average on federal math and reading tests, new scores show. Yet in these urban centers, where large numbers of disadvantaged kids live, students compete well when compared with peers elsewhere of the same race, ethnicity or economic level.

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Test Scores Improve in City Schools
Gail Russell Chaddock
Christian Science Monitor
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_news.html?id=248

Same testing, same results, different title,so that this time the Urban schools are improving.
Bottom line is still: education is all about testing kids!