CARL BOGARDUS spoke of The Real Story 2 to DAN TRIPLETT on 09-29-96
CB> DT> effort is quality).  
CB>I think that is excellent, but to me the transfer from primary to 
CB>intermediate, (K-3 to 4-6 for those in other countries) is not
CB>happening for  a large section of the population - why? I think
CB>Charles is arguing about the  same thing?
CB> 
CB>Why are so many learners lost at that age?
CB> 
CB>Why does the two year spread you notice become six years or more at
CB>Fifth  grade? Something is not right-what do you think is wrong?
Good question.  One I don't have an answer for.  I have heard from 
middle-school teachers that 60% of the kids entering 6th grade are not 
reading at grade level.  When I asked what they meant by that I did not 
get a definitive answer.  When I asked where the 60% figure came from I 
did not get an answer except "That's what I heard."  One fifth grade 
teacher I talked to told me today she has a student reading at a 2nd 
grade level.  He has a "I don't care about anything" attitude and she 
wondered why our system would allow him to just go on to the next grade 
level when he cannot function at that grade level.
It is frustrating to hear that many children are reading below grade 
level.  I don't know how true this is because I have not seen any data 
but Im sure there are many who do read below grade level.  I am also 
sure there are many who read at grade level or above.  What has made the 
difference?  I think home may be a factor.  
I wonder if another factor is that (some schools?  many??) don't operate 
with exit outcomes in mind.  Isn't a good question "What should an 
exiting (grade level) look like.?"  "What are the necessary skill levels 
for an incoming (grade level) in math, science, reading, writing, 
speaking, listening??  
Perhaps there is a greater need for connections from grade level to 
grade level?  (As in top-down design of goals and objectives)
What are districts doing to address some of the apparent skill 
deficiencies they are seeing in some students?  Does this problem exist 
everywhere?  Is is exaggerated?  What are the _accurate_ statistics that 
could help define the problem?  
Homework time....
Dan    
CMPQwk 1.42 445p
A student who changes the course of history is probably taking an exam.
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