I Found The Method Used To Dumb Down Our Children - "Teaching To The Test"!

[Vic Spencer]

I discovered how this was AND IS done to this date!

State tests to evaluate our children's scholastic standing were and are available in a number of different forms and "strengths" for several decades. An education district could buy the practice tests for a specific tests. And that is what school districts did and do. Many of the questions on the practice tests were the same (with answers and explanations about how to do the problem) as in the REAL test. So the children were being taught how to answer the same exact questions or problems, as those that would be appearing on the real test. Therefore the child did not have to learn much of the course material taught. He/she just had to practice the practice tests! This way the children could get much higher grades than they could if the test was a surprise. For example the recent Tennessee test for math, Tennessee children scored a whopper 87%. But in the SAME LEVEL national test for which there are no practice tests with very similar or identical questions and answers, the same Tennessee children scored 21%! A huge failure in education. Now there is a big rush to fix this, because it is becoming more public as to what the education system is doing to our children. Watch for all the excuses that will be coming from KCS Central to explain why our children's score will be taking a dive in future years. The reason: what KCS Central should have done, but didn't. They dumbed down our children for three decades and are now dumbing down the second generation. Without a doubt, this has to do a lot with KCS having some understanding problems with the parents. The parents were dumbed down in the "first wave".

Who benefits from this? There are dumber and dumber (easier) versions of these tests in the same subject showing better and better grades each year. Imagine the headlines "Our School System IS Doing A Fabulous Job! They Achieved A Record 87% In Math, Like Never Before!". Who benefits? THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE TOP POLITICIANS of the school district! Look at past issues of the Knox County Sentinel articles about the Report Card and how McIntyre was praising how well we did. Remember? And he knew better in my meeting with him before the State Report card. Tennessee is/was the worst or one of worst in this distortion of education quality, and I am told that our Board of Education spoke up to the Tennessee Department of Education about this problem in 2007 according to the then chair person. She told me.

One teacher told me recently that this is still going on. I would like to ask any teacher to try to get for me copies of practice tests and the final test, that shows that the practice tests are teaching the problems to our children that the real test will cover. As usual, I am not going to reveal anyone's identity or school. It would be best if I could get blank practice and their final tests preferably in math. I will review each such test or practice test and make sure that it is sanitized even for finger prints. These are highly protected documents within the school system. They are not to leave the school. However, they are the tools that KCS Central purposefully chose to spend OUR TAX DOLLARS on, in order to show good results, while actually making our children less able to take on a job or go to college after graduation. I tried to meet with the assistant superintendent to discuss this topic, but she does not respond.

This article describes in some detail what has been going on in every state. In some like Tennessee more, than in others.
http://www.tegr.org/Review/Articles/vol1/Lake_Woebegon__Twenty_Year...

I am not sure that the Board of Education members were aware of this practice. I would think that the superintendent, and the persons in charge of curriculum must have been aware. They were certainly aware of all sorts of indicators showing that our children are being dumbed down by them for decades, but did nothing.

Many teachers hate this practice. It is not their or their principals fault. Work with them closely as a parent to get your child the best education. The ACT cannot be influenced by such "tricks". It is a highly secure accurate measurement of what a child has achieved from grade 1 through 11. The only general measurement of how our school system is doing and what McIntyre is achieving is the ACT score for the school district. For 2008 it was 21.9. We better see a half point improvement or 22.4 at minimum this year.

And all of you in an education management role who went along with such a practice to look good, while you damaged the future of our children by dumbing them down AT OUR EXPENSE, God will not forget what YOU did NOT do to stop it. I hope that you can sleep at night.

[Cathy McCaughan]

Vic - I think that after all of your well-researched, chart and statistic heavy essays, this line of thinking seems to be based on stereotypes. I understand that you are asking how we reach the children of the parents who don't value education. It comes across differently.

[Vic Spencer]

Cathy, absolutely! They are out there in numbers. If we can improve their thinking about the education of their children, we can crack the toughest nut. That is the way to a winning strategy. By the way, I really do not care a bit about political correctness, other than not insulting people, other than a system that did not deliver for decades and has not shown any signs of a turn around yet. Trust me not to approach them as a bunch of dummies.

OK, so you don't like my charts and stats. I don't think I had any for a long time. Believe me, there will be no charts and stats for this group. What else should I consider in the article?

[Bob Hunter]

Vic,
SB knows I didn't like his reference but I do agree with most of his thoughts about parents needing to step up. Like Cathy I don't like the stereotypes you presented but in reality they are probbaly pretty close on. Debi's comment about teaching ethics is too. So here is the problem - alll of this in my mind can pretty well be summed up in the phrase moral values. I would feel it a pretty safe bet to say most posters on this site hold themselves and their children to some pretty good moral standards and if they are violated there is punishment AND more teaching. I know that is the case in our family. But the problem is our government has pretty well said those standards no longer matter (by judge's decision and new laws passed to water down the old ones) and further you cannot teach a lot of them in school and it is practically impossible to enforce any of them you can teach. So I think the issue comes down to 2 solutions:

1. Those of us who do have the values and do care about our children's education have to be even more diligent and more dedicated to making sure they have what they need to succeed whether the system provides it or not. Then we have to teach our children to be the same way and try to influence others around us to do that as well. Ultimately my kids are my responsibility and I can't blame anyone but me if they don't get what they need.
2. We have to stay involved in the political process to get the right people in every office that will make the changes needed. We really need to "recruit" people to run for office that we think will actually make a difference. We need statesman not politicians. The first one is easy because it is my responsibility. The second may be our greatest challenge yet in this society.

[Vic Spencer]

Bob, the first point applies to us individually, so I cant use that. I will have to see if I can come up with some easy-to-understand logic to convince parents in the lower 50% of high school performance.

Your second one is becoming more and more impossible each year. Communication and psychology related to it is becoming more and more sophisticated. It is by the way the basis for modern advertising, a branch of behavioral psychology. Political candidates learn how to use these skills, and those who run for higher positions have more money and better coaches. Presidential candidates can get the best coaches in the country. On the other hand there are people who would be much more effective in office, but they cannot compete with the first type. The general public will be sold by the first type. It is extremely rare, that you will get both types in the same person who also wants to put up with public life as an elected individual. I think that it is an awful environment.

I am of the opinion that while we try to vote for people with substance, the Internet will become even a better communications tool as the years go on. Perhaps to the extent that we the public can participate more directly in national and state decisions if we wish. Intermediaries may not be needed at all, just a presentation of the pros and cons of a topic to be voted on. Although it will be real tough to get the intermediaries out. Why do I say that? In Brazil, they have been voting using ATMs for more than 10 years. There is really nothing more secure than banking software, and ATMs could be task-shared. If they can do it, we certainly should be able to. We are still arguing about voting machines. We supposed to be more advanced. I'll give you another one on Brazil, formerly a third world country. They developed alternate fuel for cars from a version of very prolific sugar beet that has no commercial use. Not corn, an important commodity that could raise corn prices. Within about 5 years, they developed cars that can be alternately fueled by switching a switch on the carburetor. You could also find this cheaper fuel for close to $1.25/gallon, at every gas station as a separate pump. And Brazil happens to have oil as well. This program was completed more than 5 years ago and is running successfully.

This is why I keep suggesting to people to look for education solutions world wide. We even know who the leaders are. Today we are best in the world in many things but not all things.

[Debi]

I agree wit the ethics thing. I remember in school being told, "Lying is wrong." I would think, "Who says?" According to the school system, it was a value created by men for men. I would always wonder who is one man to tell me what to do. Then I became a Christian at age 26. Everything changed for me. I found One who had the authority to make a rule I was subject to follow. It was only then ethics became an important cornerstone of my life. I'm not saying someone who is not a Christian lacks ethics, what I am saying is that if I had this thought process, there are surely many others who also think this way.

[Vic Spencer]

What were you before 26?

[Seely Booth]

Vic, you are right in that parents really can't be held accountable...perhaps persuaded would have been the better word for me to have used.

For the record, I really like charts and stats. I know that probably puts me in the "nerd" minority.

If a broad audience could read your facts about the ACT scores and then be persuaded that they can help improve the scores by committing to try harder as parents this school year to do their part (monitoring homework, decent bedtimes, communicating w/ teachers, supporting the school), it might motivate some to make a better parenting effort this year.

You broke down the low performing group I thought realistically. I do feel for single parents. It is hard to " do it all". And there will always be parents and kids who just don't care.

I guess what scares me somewhat in the heart of "suburbia", is this mindset I see w/some of my neighborhood parents that school is secondary to soccer, gymnastics, and family vacations. These are college-educated parents. Some of them actually resent school "life" interferring w/ their "family schedule/life!"

I fear that we have a large group of parents now who do not have the mindset that the academic and spiritual education of their children should be the #1 priority.

I think that is why other countries are "smoking" us on performance. Those parents see education as the ticket to a good life. Sometimes I wonder if we as a country think of school as something you have to endure to get to the good life.

Jackie Kennedy once said that if you bungle the raising of your children, nothing else you accomplish matters. What a profound thought! (I shall now get off my soapbox, and will return sometime tomorrow to read everyone's thoughts.) :)SB

[Vic Spencer]

You raised a very good point. What I called "dumbing down" of kids started more than 3 decades ago. That means that there are parents out there who managed to get through HS only or less, who have been dumbed down but not as much as today's kids. If they went through a college education, that raised up. This may be significant contributor to some parental attitudes at the low end unless they in turn had very good parents. So convincing such people of the importance of education is key.

[Cathy McCaughan]

Vic - I DO like your charts. I was saying that without charts and numbers, the point you are trying to make looks more like an opinion than a reality.

[Vic Spencer]

Thanks Cath. But I cannot think of any picture or diagram. Well, I am using a character called Marvin and a few cute "talking pandas" at my Web site toward the end at knoxedu.info . Check it out and tell me what you think.

[Jamey Dobbs]

Have you spoken to the staffers at Project Grad? and those working on Full Service Community Schools? They are working every day on this issue of changing the outlook and physical circumstances of impoverished families and students, and have for years. It would be valuable to tap into their insights and experience, and hear what is still lacking. You ask for a report on the recent meeting of school partners held to discuss alignment. Could some of these staff members respond? I would like to hear their perspective. The recent plan calls for a year of assessment and retooling and community input. I appreciate all of this analysis, including yours. By the way, the article is really thought provoking.

[Vic Spencer]

Thanks Jamey. I have contacted those groups. What I am finding is that most groups, just like school Boards and central organizations have been operating in a certain way for a long time, and they rely only on the ideas that they can think of. In other words they are thinking only within the box where their comfort zone is. It is very difficult to learn to think out of the box. You would be very surprised what training program helped me with it a long time ago. But that is where the solutions lie, unless you are on top already among the top five or so. In my opinion it would be a very small high value investment to investigate the top 3 and learn how they are achieving that, since we are 29th-34th. But I cannot seem to be able to convince KCS Central nor the Board to do that.
Another important area. KCS and the Board feel that I am too business oriented and would like to see the school system run like a business. I don't believe that at all. However, there are some fundamental principals that were developed in modern management (Peters at al), that absolutely apply. For example, if you are asking for a $370 million bag of money to be approved, you have to commit to what you will achieve with it in the best educational achievement indicator called the ACT. Anyone or any organization who gets money but has no targets will waste the money, especially if there is no visibility of where the money goes, like at KCS. Furthermore if one wants to achieve a goal like the ACT, you have to manage the components to it. Two items here: by operating unit or school, and by time progression such as you must have goals at least every quarter, in order to correct any problems along the way to an annual goal.
This kind of stuff applies not only to businesses, but to all organizational actions, including the military, even on a low level. It is simple planning, and it is lacking in the education system. Two things happen: you miss your goal for sure, and you waste money and/or other resources. So the education systems simply need some out of the box ideas. In the winning countries they would find improved techniques and materials to teach and manage. And by the way, they all speak English: Finland, Alberta Canada, and Hong Kong.

Unfortunately the only change of substance that happens is one mandated by the state or the federal government. That's because people are not comfortable with anything that is an out of the box idea. This is the biggest challenge in all organizations.