Please add your
questions to be presented to the administration. Communication has been lacking in the past,
let’s give our new administrators the opportunity to hear our concerns and
present us with the information we, as parents and the community, need to know.
Common Core
Implementation.
- Will the administration publish, as soon as possible, a
calendar listing the dates and times of all student assessments? State
assessments, reading assessments, bench mark exams – all testing.
- Can the
administration ascertain and report back to parents as to what level the new
Common Core State Standards have been tested so as we can be assured of their
effectiveness? Are we privy to the results of these longitudinal studies or
pilot programs as to assuage our fears of yet another expensive curricular
mandate that will yield few long term results?
- Will each teacher communicate to parents exactly how much
time and how often children participate in practice tests? And is this decided
by the teacher or the administration?
- Will each teacher communicate to parents how they plan to
adopt Common Core in to their individual curriculum?
- What steps will the administration be taking to support
teachers implementing new curriculum(s)? Can teachers expect to see more
classroom support? Will there be additional training? Will there be lesson
sharing or collaboration with educators from other schools? Can we get support
from student teachers?
- Will the administration please communicate to the community
how much money is being spent on testing and test prep materials?
- Will the administration please communicate to the community
how much is being spent on hardware, software and infrastructure changes to
accommodate testing mandates?
- Will the administration communicate to the community exactly
how our teachers will be evaluated under the new curriculum and exactly what
impact test scores have on teachers at GD?
[added later]
- How does the administration see
Common Core integrating with special education plans?
- If teachers are being removed from
the classroom during the school day for training purposes parents should be
notified exactly when and for how long.
- It was rumored that last year was a
“practice year” implementing
Common Core, APPR and the new more rigorous test format and teacher evaluation
system, and that test scores would not play a part in teacher assessments. Were last years test scores used to evaluate
teachers at Gardner Dickinson? Were any teachers deemed in need of improvement
based on test scores?
Data Mining.
- A component of Common Core is the creation of student
learning databases. What specific information is contributed for a GD student?
- What organization will maintain the database(s) containing
information pertaining to GD students?
- With whom will these organizations be permitted to share or
sell this information? For instance,
inBloom, maintained primarily by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation,
states on its FAQ page : “districts
who use inBloom in conjunction with commercial applications and services may
choose to disclose certain student information to those third-party
providers”. Will GD
administration give permission to share or sell information gathered on GD
students to private companies? If not how will this be prevented from
happening?
- What data mining software is currently employed at GD
and what company provides it?
- Will parents be able to opt their child out of this
process? If so please provide the steps necessary.
State Testing
Refusal.
- It is understood that the school must present each child
with the state test. What will be the procedure when a child indicates that
they are refusing the test?
- How will students receiving AIS be impacted if they refuse
to take the state tests?
- What, if any, programs or classes are offered on the basis
of state assessment scores? Will GD consider other factors for participation in
these programs if a student refuses the exams?
[added later]
- How will resources supplied to
special education students be impacted if the student refused to take state
tests?
- Could a child be removed from
advanced placement classes based on test scores?
Physical activity,
recess.
- Is the
administration well versed in the physical, cognitive and social emotional
benefits of daily recess?
- Will the administration communicate to parents their policy
regarding recess for each grade?
- Will the physical education teachers communicate to the
parents how gym classes will be conducted as to maximize participation?
Field Trips and out
of the classroom experiences.
- What role does the administration feel field trips play in
each grades curriculum and what does the administration do to support that?
- As parents what can we do to encourage GD to take part in
the activities, experiences and performances our area offers?
- A fear under the Common Core is the narrowing of curriculum.
How can parents help in providing meaningful out of the classroom experiences? Would it be possible for the faculty or
administration to present ideas for each grade level that would help parents
find appropriate projects or activities to complement their child’s curriculum? Is this something that we could look to student teachers for?
Again, please add your
questions to be presented to the administration. Communication has been lacking in the past,
let’s give our new administrators the opportunity to hear our concerns and
present us with the information we, as parents and the community, need to know.
