Parent Post: In case anyone hadn't guessed, the "happy, child-centered, let's all sit at tables, have fun, work together and have high self esteem school" is RU. It doesn't make sense to have these child centered discovery programs that are supposed to be more humane, Then throw all the curricula out the window and do nothing but test prep worksheets from January on and then try to bully and scare the children into doing well on the tests. What is "child centered" about that? If the child-centered programs can't get the children ready to take the Oklahoma CRT then get another methodology. We should follow the chosen curricula, run through ONE practice TEST (not booklet with multiple tests) in each subject, then take the test! This would be a true test of the curricula and our children's abilities.

With that said, many of the teachers at RU are excellent and not guilty of the practices listed above!

Our Reply: This touches on a criticism we have had with the school from day one.  It appears that the district is teaching towards these state tests and not towards the student's future.  One would have to look no further then the district’s remediation rates to see that.  The student's future will be not be dictated by what they scored on a test in the elementary school, but will be dictated by what knowledge they gain from their entire educational career.  Isn’t time to put the children first?  Oh by the way, give the students a first rate education during the whole year and you won’t have to cram for an exam.

Parent Post 1: My 4th grader goes to Rose Union.  Our teachers motivational tactics only upset my child the night before a test.
 

Parent Post 2: That is exactly what I was asking and why.If one school is putting out that message - then the School Board needs to address it. If our entire district is putting that message out - then parents have to decide what they want for our district. That was my point.

Our Reply: We think the parent was asking if both of the students went to the same school. Therefore was it one school sending this message about the testing or did different schools give the same message.

Parent Post: To the parent of the 4th grader. Teachers from other districts have told me that it is impossible to retain a child in elementary school if the parents don't agree. We have several teachers in our family. They all assure my child that as long as I don't agree, retention won't happen. I always tell my child that I wouldn't let that happen. Still with all the reassurance, my child is up worrying several times a night. I can't imagine this helps my child test well!

I am tempted to unenroll my child the day before testing next year and then re-enroll the day after so I can get some sleep in April and May. If DCES can selectively use enrollment for its own purposes, why can't we? I can't understand why testing is such an issue. We are clearly getting high enough test scores to avoid triggering any of the provisions from NCLB for schools that are underperforming. If a good night\'s sleep improves test taking ability, I don't think frightening the children helps one bit!

In answer to the curious parent. The 5th grader supposedly heading for remedial math is at the happy, child-centered, let's all sit at tables, have fun, work together and have high self esteem school. Is that what you were expecting?

Parent Post: Curious if both of the parents who wrote in were from the same school?

Parent Post: My 4th grader was told that they could be held back in the 4th grade next year if they do not do well on the CRT test. Which may be true. My child came home in a panic about it and all of the rules for the test (eating the right breakfast, getting enough sleep, do not close your booklet too early, do not leave your desk, color the cirle in perfectly). It was an interesting evening getting my child calmed down and asleep.

Parent Post: For any parent of a 5th grader who seems unusually nervous about the CRT this year, try asking him what his teachers have told him would happen if he doesn't do well on the test. My child was told that he would be in remedial math if he didn't do well enough on the math test. He was also led to believe his placement in science would be affected. With only one science class offered for 6th graders, I can't believe they will invent a new class specifically for all the children who don't do well on the science CRT. Also, if the middle school children are told that the CRT won't affect class placement, I can't believe the CRT will affect incoming 6th graders. After a couple of nights of lost sleep over this, all I can say is I couldn't be more disgusted with the atmosphere in the elementary school and middle school can't come soon enough!

Parent Post: What a great idea about the testing!  Have the other grades go on a field trip on that day.  That is a really neat idea.  You should go to the next Board meeting and suggest that idea.

Just so everyone knows, there is an open time for parents to talk about ideas and issues at Board meetings now.  The school has not managed to update the website with the information about the new policy yet (surprise surprise) but if you have something you want to tell the Board about, go to the meeting!  It is time to share ideas and tell OUR Board what we think about issues, ideas, principals, etc.  GO TO THE BOARD MEETINGS AND BE HEARD!

Parent Post: The Middle School is conducting its annual testing, and I'm getting the feeling it's not as well organized this year as in the past.  The students don't seem to really know from one week to another, one day to the next, if they will have testing and if so, in what class.

Just a thought:  In Wichita, Kansas, where we have a niece in the 8th grade, they get their testing done on a very organized, short-term schedule.  The most interesting thing to us is that on days when the 6th graders have testing, 7th and 8th graders have a day off or are away from the school on a field trip or outside activity.  Likewise, 6th and 8th graders are off on 7th grade testing days and so on.

Their philosophy behind implementing this plan is that:

1. It is less disrupting to the testing students if the other students are away.
    
2. By excusing or "redirecting" the students who are NOT testing, additional faculty and staff are available to assist with the monitoring, moderating, etc. of the testing being conducted, making it infinitely less stressful for the teachers in that day's testing grade.

They do not have as many built in snow days, even though their weather has been as severe as ours; and unofficially, these days out of school do not affect the actual number of days they are required be in attendance.

I thought it put an interesting spin on a situation that seems to be becoming more difficult to pull off as the District continues to grow . . . .