| Show A8 Sanpete Messenger Sanpete What is the goal When No Child left Behind was enacted on fan 8 2W2 public education got a new mission universal high achievement That mission was added to the existing missions of universal access and equal educational opportunity for all The nation has worked hard to provide universal access But have we achieved the goal of equal educational opportunity? Without universal access and equal educational opportunity universal high achievement is unattainable And yet we may be overlooking another mission that is critical to both equal opportunity and universal high achievement Namely developing citizens to maintain tire democracy There are as many as five interrelated missions for public education A recent poll highlighted the relative importance of two of them that are often forgotten: getting kids ready to learn and preparing the next generation of Americans to maintain our democracy In a random sample of adults mid parentsof public school children the following question was asked “There are two important tasks in public schools today developing better citizens and improving achievement If you had to prioritize which would you say is more critical to the future of this country?" The surprising answer to the Wednesday December 8 2004 Valley Edition Messenger-Gunniso- ofpublic education ? question was that more than 57 percent said developing better zens was more critical while 36 percent said improving achievement was and 6 percent said both equally ( percent did not did not respond) In a recent educational conference John Goodlad one of the nation’s most respected educators argued that the most critical mission of public education is preparing the next generation of citizens to maintain the democracy “We must take care of democracy because it does not take care of self” he said The Gallup poll of education has asked this question in the past four years: “In your opinion is the achievement gap between white students and students of color most related to the quality of schooling received or mostly related toother over Concerning the achievement gap created by wealth it has been said that “If as a society we choose to preserve big social class differences we must necessarily also accept substantial gaps between and achievement of children” The polls point out the contradiction of holding schools accountable for high achievement but not giving them credit for the equally important mission of producing the next generation of citizens We must make sure that public education does not become the victim of accountability programs that focus only on what can be most gaps easily measured Similarly accountability systems used to judge schools and school districts must also hold policymakers — Congress and the President state legislatures and governors and local school boards — accountable by calibrating those systems with the resources provided to meet challenges An example might be: if students are not achieving because they are sick or cannot see well T he next question in the poll asked “In your opinion is it the responsibility of the public school to close the achievement gap between these classes of students?” f percent of those polled said public schools should be responsible for closing the gap they r lid not create or have no control then society must provide affordable health care and glasses If health care and glasses are not made available then achievement targets must be adjusted What? Reduce achievement targets because students are chronically ill or can't see? That’s right! low else can light shine on legis- - factors?" Every year a large majority as high as 80 percent this year said other factors were most responsible That large majority indicates that the public understands that there are many and complex causes for achievement Courtney Syme Sanpete School Superintendent North District lative and policy bodies that are failing to uphold their end of the bargain? Eventually accountability systems must cover all the missions charged to public schools in order to give credit where credit is due and to identify where we need to improve I started with the question “What is the goal of public education? The real question is “What are the goals of public education?” We need to consider How to assure that all goals are addressed Accountability means making sure that the important missions of developing citizens and getting kids ready to learn are not overlooked in education discussion and legislation Surely accountability should identify areas needing improvement stead of saddling schools and teachers with the task of making up for social inequities Information and poll numbers for this article came from "Stand Up for Public Education a publication ofthe American Association of School Administrators Jessica McAllister exercises with Ronald McDonald at Fountain Green Elementary School Epiiraim Elementary The Ephraim Elementary School annual Christmas program is scheduled for Tuesday Dec 21 at the Snow College Activinvited ity Center Families and other community members are to come at 6:30 pm for an hour of music and narration This year’s theme is “Families Making Memories at Christmas” Ronald McDonald taught students the importance of fitHe taught them that they must exerness and safety on Dec cise everyday to stay healthy He reminded them that they must cool down afterwaids to avoid and exercise warm up before being stiff All the students exercised with Ronald Gunnison Valley IIigii School Students and faculty ate participating in Bulldog Bucks for Christmas to raise money lor needy families in out community The student body officers will be at the gills’ and boys’ basketball games and wrestling matches on Dec 7 910 and 16 Each class has a goal of raising $100 and the school asks everyone to conti ibute to the jnis at the games NCLB Sanpete Academy SANPETE (Continued from A1) the mark for a particular subgroup of students Schools may also not make AYP because of numbers of students tested not having acceptable levels on attendance or graduation rates " NSMS was deemed to have not made AYP according to NCLB only because the attendance rate for one subgroup was less than the 93 percent re- quired” The statement further explained that notwithstanding that subgroup the overall attendance rate for the school was 95 percent North Sanpete School District officials say this instance of a school making good progress yet not making AYP illustrates a failing in the state's method of compliance to NCLB They question the fairness of holding a school strictly accountable for attendance rales and say in their statement “Parents primarily control attendance rates This designation underscores the importance of parent and student that is ignored in sponsibility NCLB” Even Kent Lai sen Principal of LMS — the school making the most progress over last year — worries about inadequacies Utah’s NCLB compliance in “It's the Mother laws” Larsen says Theresa of “It sounds ADEQUATE COUNTY The software combined with the school’s sound recording studio will place Sanpete Academy light among the top high school audio and video production piogiams in the stale Commenting on the donation Pimcipal Ciaig Rasmussen said “We now have the technology to produce a nun ie similar to “The Polar Express” SCHOOLS PROGRESS (AYP) (NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND) TEST (CRT) really good and everybody wants it but it's implemented like Hitler’s regime The stress on teachers (to make AYP is horribly YEARLY REPORTS SCORES unfair" In fact Larsen downplays his school's success this year He says that his school's improvement came from improving testtaking techniques and increasing student awareness about the importance of the test rather than from improved teaching and learning “Personally I don't think our kids are any smarter” he says NCLB is improving test scores but not necessarily improving education" South Sanpete School trict Superintendent Dis- James Petersen has many reservations about NCLB He thinks the current accountability system needs to be improved or replaced altogether “Sometimes the test ends up apples to oranges” The test itself says changes from year as do the student populations that take the test “That invalidates the process to a degree" he says Further Petersen believes that the way Utah’s accountability program is administered lends itself to comparing Petersen inaccuracies and unfairness “The kids tested do not accurately reflect how well students are really doing The data is not a clear reflection of what is hap- way pening” in part This may explain why Manti High School showed a drop in its CRT math scores even though it still met the level needed for AYP As an example he says that Utah tests high school students that are taking algebra or But most of the better math students will take those classes in seventh and eighth grades Therefore the high school math students are generally those that have a harder time in math any Brcnan Jackson voices the view of many local and state education leaders when he says commenting on his school’s NCLB performance “Be careful reading too much into it Be open to the idea that there are problems that need to be addressed” Manti High Sanpete Academy has received a grant of architectural engineering manufacturing and animation computer software valued at $1 2000 from The CAD Store in Glendale Ariz Principal Christmas give that special someone a GIFT CERTIFICATE for services or products This November Bulldog Pride recipients named GUNNISON — Gunnison Valley High School has announced November’s Pride awards which ceived by Joshua Corrie Thomas Bulldog were reand Squire Joshua Squire is a senior at Gunnison Valley High School He is the son of Garlyn and Debra Squire of Gunnison Joshua has played tennis for three years at GV11S and has also helped coach the girls tennis team He participated in basketball his freshman year and has played “Manly Man" volleyball each year for homecoming week He has been a teacher’s aide and has sung in the choir for three years as w ell as participated in several assemblies Joshua represented the school in Soccer matches and competed ferred Man this year Joshua loves church basketball for Pre- playing and has held various positions in the church He is a member of a Soccer Club for young adults and also helps out at the Mayfield Community Care Center Joshua's interests include poetry playing video games is active in her church as well and is first counselor in the Mia Maid class in her w ard listenphotography computers tennis ing to music bowling table tennis soccer and riding motorcycles he loves to shop at Spencer’s and enjoys making people laugh Corrie Thomas is a sophomore at Gunnison Valley High School She is the daughter of horses A Paul Mitchell Corrie Corrie loves to ride her and rope and loves going to school and being with Gift Pack or a slcighful of products of your choice! Christmas specials on Scruples Biolage Matrix Paul Mitchell Kiwi Textureline Apple Pectin and more! 'cutci’s Salon of IkattUj 65 W 400 S Manti - 1 CG and Julie Thomas of Gunnison Corrie enjoys playing volleyball and was a member of the volleyball team here at GVHS she is also a member of the FFA and the speech team and enjoys running track She was in the musical “South Pacific” this year Tell a friend! The Ssnpcte Messenger Connie Thomas K The Voice of Sar pete Qxnty since r 1 1S93 POOR |
