[quote=KristonI say again, I really think that pre-testing (above/below level, as an individual child needs) to get a read on where a child is actually performing, then requiring a year's worth of progress from that spot makes the most sense. If every child makes at least a year's worth of progress for a year's worth of school, no one is wasting time. But focusing on some perceived gap as if everyone has equal abilities is just ludicrous. How can anyone accept that?
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Go Kriston!
I just finished the book 'Outliers' that proposes that the achievement gap/ income levels isn't really something that takes place during the school year, as much as it takes place over the summer. I would strongly support Kristons 'Years worth of progress in a year's worth of time' and, if the data suggested in Outliers is found to be reproducable and reasonable, add to that a sliding scale fee summer program of academics so that kids who don't have home environments that facilite learning can be kept from falling further behind every summer. I was suprised to learn that kids in the US have significanly longer school breaks than kids in other parts of the world.
I guess I would also be in favor of studing other countries that are getting good results from their education systems and testing if we can impliment those stratagies here.
Grinity
