Fairfax County General :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
IB exams
()
Date: January 02, 2014 11:42AM
More county students take IB exams
Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20140102/NEWS/140109855/1117/more-county-students-take-ib-exams&template=fairfaxTimes
The number of county students taking International Baccalaureate exams surged last school year, according to data recently released by the school system. But for the first time in at least a decade, Fairfax saw a slight dip in students taking Advanced Placement tests.
While the statistics show the programs heading in different directions, both trends bear the markers of the school system’s continuing effort to boost participation in advanced academic courses, school officials said.
An 8.8 percent increase in students taking IB tests from 2012 to 2013 shows a program coming into its own, according to Chris Powell, the International Baccalaureate specialist for county schools. He linked the stagnation on the AP side, with 0.7 percent fewer test takers, to an expanded slate of honors courses last school year.
“That small drop in kids taking AP courses results in part from the growth of the honors option,” Powell said. “But in the long run honors courses provide more students a gateway to the higher AP and IB levels.”
AP and IB programs offer college-level courses to high school students. End-of-year exams provide the possibility for college credit if students meet scoring benchmarks set by universities. In Fairfax County, eight high schools offer the IB program, while 17 have the AP program.
At the end of the 2012-13 school year, 16,233 students took at least one AP exam. While the number of test takers decreased slightly, students across the county took 35,759 exams, the same total as last year.
The drop in AP test takers ended years of slow but steady growth. Since 2010, the number of county students taking AP exams has increased by 5 percent, and the number of exams taken has increased by 11 percent.
In that same period, the number of students taking IB exams has grown by 20 percent, and the number of exams taken has grown by 26 percent. However, just 3,154 students took 8,137 IB exams in 2013, numbers dwarfed by the behemoth AP program even accounting for difference in population between the AP and IB schools.
Students can be intimidated by the IB program, according to Powell. The program offers the option of pursuing an IB diploma, which requires a more intensive curriculum for high school juniors and seniors, including multiple advanced courses each year.
County schools, though, push an open access model for IB courses, allowing students to choose courses a la carte if they do not want to pursue the IB diploma. That effort, Powell said, is one of the reasons for the program’s continued growth.
“Students are learning that the IB can be a success, whether it’s one course or multiple courses,” Powell said. “We don’t see it as an all-or-nothing opportunity. Students are taking advantage of the open access the schools are providing.”
That push for student choice extends to honors classes. Five new classes were added to the course offerings last year: 11th and 12th grade English, level two world history and geography, Virginia and U.S. history and Virginia and U.S. government.
Students are filling the rosters of these classes, according to Erin Sikes-Thurston, the high school advanced academic programs specialist for the school system. These classes can remove the intimidation of AP and IB classes, Sikes-Thurston said, and can open students to the possibility of more advanced classes.
For Sikes-Thurston, the push for more students across AP, IB and honors programs needs to be a united effort.
“We’re thrilled when kids take an AP or IB test, but we’re just as thrilled when they take an honors class,” Sikes-Thurston said. “Our scores have remained pretty solid, and we think our efforts will lead to further increases in students taking these classes and scoring well on these tests.”
Last year, International Baccalaureate scores in the county saw a small increase and Advanced Placement scores a small decrease. But mean scores across both programs have held relatively steady in the past five years.
On IB exams, 74 percent of county students reached the typical benchmark score for college credit, and on AP exams, 71 percent reached the benchmark score.
Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20140102/NEWS/140109855/1117/more-county-students-take-ib-exams&template=fairfaxTimes
The number of county students taking International Baccalaureate exams surged last school year, according to data recently released by the school system. But for the first time in at least a decade, Fairfax saw a slight dip in students taking Advanced Placement tests.
While the statistics show the programs heading in different directions, both trends bear the markers of the school system’s continuing effort to boost participation in advanced academic courses, school officials said.
An 8.8 percent increase in students taking IB tests from 2012 to 2013 shows a program coming into its own, according to Chris Powell, the International Baccalaureate specialist for county schools. He linked the stagnation on the AP side, with 0.7 percent fewer test takers, to an expanded slate of honors courses last school year.
“That small drop in kids taking AP courses results in part from the growth of the honors option,” Powell said. “But in the long run honors courses provide more students a gateway to the higher AP and IB levels.”
AP and IB programs offer college-level courses to high school students. End-of-year exams provide the possibility for college credit if students meet scoring benchmarks set by universities. In Fairfax County, eight high schools offer the IB program, while 17 have the AP program.
At the end of the 2012-13 school year, 16,233 students took at least one AP exam. While the number of test takers decreased slightly, students across the county took 35,759 exams, the same total as last year.
The drop in AP test takers ended years of slow but steady growth. Since 2010, the number of county students taking AP exams has increased by 5 percent, and the number of exams taken has increased by 11 percent.
In that same period, the number of students taking IB exams has grown by 20 percent, and the number of exams taken has grown by 26 percent. However, just 3,154 students took 8,137 IB exams in 2013, numbers dwarfed by the behemoth AP program even accounting for difference in population between the AP and IB schools.
Students can be intimidated by the IB program, according to Powell. The program offers the option of pursuing an IB diploma, which requires a more intensive curriculum for high school juniors and seniors, including multiple advanced courses each year.
County schools, though, push an open access model for IB courses, allowing students to choose courses a la carte if they do not want to pursue the IB diploma. That effort, Powell said, is one of the reasons for the program’s continued growth.
“Students are learning that the IB can be a success, whether it’s one course or multiple courses,” Powell said. “We don’t see it as an all-or-nothing opportunity. Students are taking advantage of the open access the schools are providing.”
That push for student choice extends to honors classes. Five new classes were added to the course offerings last year: 11th and 12th grade English, level two world history and geography, Virginia and U.S. history and Virginia and U.S. government.
Students are filling the rosters of these classes, according to Erin Sikes-Thurston, the high school advanced academic programs specialist for the school system. These classes can remove the intimidation of AP and IB classes, Sikes-Thurston said, and can open students to the possibility of more advanced classes.
For Sikes-Thurston, the push for more students across AP, IB and honors programs needs to be a united effort.
“We’re thrilled when kids take an AP or IB test, but we’re just as thrilled when they take an honors class,” Sikes-Thurston said. “Our scores have remained pretty solid, and we think our efforts will lead to further increases in students taking these classes and scoring well on these tests.”
Last year, International Baccalaureate scores in the county saw a small increase and Advanced Placement scores a small decrease. But mean scores across both programs have held relatively steady in the past five years.
On IB exams, 74 percent of county students reached the typical benchmark score for college credit, and on AP exams, 71 percent reached the benchmark score.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
EEO
()
Date: January 02, 2014 11:57AM
Can you break this out by race and gender? As a Fairfax liberal that's all I care about, race and gender.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
Bill.N.
()
Date: January 02, 2014 12:01PM
Sorry Mr. Powell, but a growth in the number of students taking IB exams says little about the IB program. It's primary statement is on the number of above average kids attending IB oriented high schools.
There are two real tests to determine whether the IB program is in fact coming into its own. The first would be a head to head test. Take a school and offer both IB and AP classes in the same subject and see over the course of a few years how many opt for the IB. Both IB and AP are perceived as being advanced academic classes. Growth in the number of kids talking IB classes could be nothing more than an increased desire to take advanced academic classes in general rather than IB classes in particular.
The second test is how many kids end up actively pursuing and obtaining the IB diploma rather than simply taking the classes.
There are two real tests to determine whether the IB program is in fact coming into its own. The first would be a head to head test. Take a school and offer both IB and AP classes in the same subject and see over the course of a few years how many opt for the IB. Both IB and AP are perceived as being advanced academic classes. Growth in the number of kids talking IB classes could be nothing more than an increased desire to take advanced academic classes in general rather than IB classes in particular.
The second test is how many kids end up actively pursuing and obtaining the IB diploma rather than simply taking the classes.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
truth in Progress
()
Date: January 02, 2014 12:44PM
You can blame the anti-America Teaparty republiKKKan rednecks! Bunch if dumbass homeschooled idiots.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
need more info
()
Date: January 02, 2014 12:47PM
Numbers might be down because, although there is an overall increase in students, most of that increase is at the lower elementary grade levels. There is actually a decrease at the upper secondary levels. This is a nationwide demographic trend. This upcoming senior class is the smallest in years. What we need to know are percentages of students taking the tests---not raw numbers.
It is also the case that IB programs are in place in schools that have seen more growth in total numbers of students. This matters.
It is also the case that IB programs are in place in schools that have seen more growth in total numbers of students. This matters.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
Liberal policies taking toll
()
Date: January 02, 2014 12:53PM
This is clearly the effect of the dumbing down of the public school system by liberal policies.
Thank libs. You get what you deserve.
Thank libs. You get what you deserve.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
hands off me gold!
()
Date: January 02, 2014 01:05PM
enjoy your gold coins you retarded redneck republiKKKan
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
IB Hype
()
Date: January 02, 2014 01:57PM
need more info Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Numbers might be down because, although there is
> an overall increase in students, most of that
> increase is at the lower elementary grade levels.
> There is actually a decrease at the upper
> secondary levels. This is a nationwide
> demographic trend. This upcoming senior class is
> the smallest in years. What we need to know are
> percentages of students taking the tests---not raw
> numbers.
>
> It is also the case that IB programs are in place
> in schools that have seen more growth in total
> numbers of students. This matters.
FCPS stuck IB in low income schools like MV and Lee. These press releases are just designed to hide the fact that so few kids get this IB diploma. If there were only five seniors out of 400 seeking a diploma and all five got it there'd still be a press release talking about an amazing 100% success rate. So what if it does next to nothing for the other 395 kids. It's a giant waste of money at most schools.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Numbers might be down because, although there is
> an overall increase in students, most of that
> increase is at the lower elementary grade levels.
> There is actually a decrease at the upper
> secondary levels. This is a nationwide
> demographic trend. This upcoming senior class is
> the smallest in years. What we need to know are
> percentages of students taking the tests---not raw
> numbers.
>
> It is also the case that IB programs are in place
> in schools that have seen more growth in total
> numbers of students. This matters.
FCPS stuck IB in low income schools like MV and Lee. These press releases are just designed to hide the fact that so few kids get this IB diploma. If there were only five seniors out of 400 seeking a diploma and all five got it there'd still be a press release talking about an amazing 100% success rate. So what if it does next to nothing for the other 395 kids. It's a giant waste of money at most schools.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
IB Hype
()
Date: January 02, 2014 01:57PM
need more info Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Numbers might be down because, although there is
> an overall increase in students, most of that
> increase is at the lower elementary grade levels.
> There is actually a decrease at the upper
> secondary levels. This is a nationwide
> demographic trend. This upcoming senior class is
> the smallest in years. What we need to know are
> percentages of students taking the tests---not raw
> numbers.
>
> It is also the case that IB programs are in place
> in schools that have seen more growth in total
> numbers of students. This matters.
FCPS stuck IB in low income schools like MV and Lee. These press releases are just designed to hide the fact that so few kids get this IB diploma. If there were only five seniors out of 400 seeking a diploma and all five got it there'd still be a press release talking about an amazing 100% success rate. So what if it does next to nothing for the other 395 kids. It's a giant waste of money at most schools.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Numbers might be down because, although there is
> an overall increase in students, most of that
> increase is at the lower elementary grade levels.
> There is actually a decrease at the upper
> secondary levels. This is a nationwide
> demographic trend. This upcoming senior class is
> the smallest in years. What we need to know are
> percentages of students taking the tests---not raw
> numbers.
>
> It is also the case that IB programs are in place
> in schools that have seen more growth in total
> numbers of students. This matters.
FCPS stuck IB in low income schools like MV and Lee. These press releases are just designed to hide the fact that so few kids get this IB diploma. If there were only five seniors out of 400 seeking a diploma and all five got it there'd still be a press release talking about an amazing 100% success rate. So what if it does next to nothing for the other 395 kids. It's a giant waste of money at most schools.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
another waste of money
()
Date: January 02, 2014 02:27PM
Chris Powell =
International Baccalaureate Specialist =
Gatehouse Bureaucrat =
WASTE OF TAX MONEY
International Baccalaureate Specialist =
Gatehouse Bureaucrat =
WASTE OF TAX MONEY
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
American Tourister
()
Date: January 02, 2014 02:35PM
another waste of money Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chris Powell =
> International Baccalaureate Specialist =
> Gatehouse Bureaucrat =
> WASTE OF TAX MONEY
Oh, go fuck yourself. What, the schools can't have a FEW good programs for high achievers? IB is great; it's VERY demanding; kids come back from college saying that IB was great preparation for college. Some of you dicks would rather have kids scraping on a slate with a burnt stick.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chris Powell =
> International Baccalaureate Specialist =
> Gatehouse Bureaucrat =
> WASTE OF TAX MONEY
Oh, go fuck yourself. What, the schools can't have a FEW good programs for high achievers? IB is great; it's VERY demanding; kids come back from college saying that IB was great preparation for college. Some of you dicks would rather have kids scraping on a slate with a burnt stick.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
cutting the crap
()
Date: January 02, 2014 03:11PM
IB might have more support if FCPS were to cut crap like turf fields, Olympic sized pools, boosterthon and band trips.
As it stands, any expenditure is seen as wasteful, especially those with a "specialist" running them.
As it stands, any expenditure is seen as wasteful, especially those with a "specialist" running them.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
nope to the dope
()
Date: January 02, 2014 03:15PM
cutting the crap Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> IB might have more support if FCPS were to cut
> crap like turf fields, Olympic sized pools,
> boosterthon and band trips.
>
> As it stands, any expenditure is seen as wasteful,
> especially those with a "specialist" running them.
perhaps seems wasteful TO YOU. your opinions do not represent the majority you teabagging faggot.
-------------------------------------------------------
> IB might have more support if FCPS were to cut
> crap like turf fields, Olympic sized pools,
> boosterthon and band trips.
>
> As it stands, any expenditure is seen as wasteful,
> especially those with a "specialist" running them.
perhaps seems wasteful TO YOU. your opinions do not represent the majority you teabagging faggot.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
....
()
Date: January 03, 2014 07:45AM
How can a specialist be wasteful? The specialist is there to make them more efficient and eliminate the waste.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
"make them"?
()
Date: January 03, 2014 09:36AM
"How can a specialist be wasteful? The specialist is there to make them more efficient and eliminate the waste."
LOL. And just how can they do that when they have no power to evaluate them or fire them? They have no power at all! The teacher is evaluated at the school level by their "boss" there. The "specialist" has no real power to "make them" do anything.
LOL. And just how can they do that when they have no power to evaluate them or fire them? They have no power at all! The teacher is evaluated at the school level by their "boss" there. The "specialist" has no real power to "make them" do anything.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
Gerry & Sharon
()
Date: January 03, 2014 09:39AM
Its perfectly clear we need to raise taxes.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
....
()
Date: January 03, 2014 11:33AM
"make them"? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "How can a specialist be wasteful? The specialist
> is there to make them more efficient and eliminate
> the waste."
>
>
> LOL. And just how can they do that when they have
> no power to evaluate them or fire them? They have
> no power at all! The teacher is evaluated at the
> school level by their "boss" there. The
> "specialist" has no real power to "make them" do
> anything.
That's a very good point.
-------------------------------------------------------
> "How can a specialist be wasteful? The specialist
> is there to make them more efficient and eliminate
> the waste."
>
>
> LOL. And just how can they do that when they have
> no power to evaluate them or fire them? They have
> no power at all! The teacher is evaluated at the
> school level by their "boss" there. The
> "specialist" has no real power to "make them" do
> anything.
That's a very good point.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
specialist = waste
()
Date: January 03, 2014 12:11PM
What does a specialist do? Go to meetings at Gatehouse, make slide presentations, and not much else.
These people are, almost without exception, a complete waste of money.
These people are, almost without exception, a complete waste of money.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
American Tourister
()
Date: January 03, 2014 12:21PM
specialist = waste Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What does a specialist do? Go to meetings at
> Gatehouse, make slide presentations, and not much
> else.
>
> These people are, almost without exception, a
> complete waste of money.
OK, so you admit you have no idea what they do. Running a program involves NOTHING as far as you're concerned.
As long as we're clear on that. Because that really means you know nothing generally, and that's a real time-saver for the rest of us.
-------------------------------------------------------
> What does a specialist do? Go to meetings at
> Gatehouse, make slide presentations, and not much
> else.
>
> These people are, almost without exception, a
> complete waste of money.
OK, so you admit you have no idea what they do. Running a program involves NOTHING as far as you're concerned.
As long as we're clear on that. Because that really means you know nothing generally, and that's a real time-saver for the rest of us.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
school watcher
()
Date: January 03, 2014 12:38PM
OK, so you admit you have no idea what they do. Running a program involves NOTHING as far as you're concerned.
As long as we're clear on that. Because that really means you know nothing generally, and that's a real time-saver for the rest of us.
Not the prior poster about specialists. However, I can cite a couple of times that I have run into an FCPS specialist from my neighborhood out shopping (not groceries--the kind of browsing store) on more than one occasion. She was "between schools" she told me. I've been a classroom teacher and I know how hard they work. I no longer teach, but I still resent the attitude of some specialists who think they are above it all. Most of them have spent little time in a classroom. Money would be better spent on more classroom teachers.
Of course, we need administrators to run programs--but no where as many as FCPS hires. The one that gets me the most was the full time hire to recruit minorities to TJ. At least two years in the position and nothing to show for it.
As long as we're clear on that. Because that really means you know nothing generally, and that's a real time-saver for the rest of us.
Not the prior poster about specialists. However, I can cite a couple of times that I have run into an FCPS specialist from my neighborhood out shopping (not groceries--the kind of browsing store) on more than one occasion. She was "between schools" she told me. I've been a classroom teacher and I know how hard they work. I no longer teach, but I still resent the attitude of some specialists who think they are above it all. Most of them have spent little time in a classroom. Money would be better spent on more classroom teachers.
Of course, we need administrators to run programs--but no where as many as FCPS hires. The one that gets me the most was the full time hire to recruit minorities to TJ. At least two years in the position and nothing to show for it.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
simple test
()
Date: January 03, 2014 04:09PM
Get rid of the specialist, see if it makes any difference.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
American Tourister
()
Date: January 03, 2014 04:56PM
simple test Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Get rid of the specialist, see if it makes any
> difference.
Brilliant. Testing the capacity of a bridge? Drive heavier and heavier trucks over it until it collapses. Then, you know.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Get rid of the specialist, see if it makes any
> difference.
Brilliant. Testing the capacity of a bridge? Drive heavier and heavier trucks over it until it collapses. Then, you know.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
am tourister = J. Dale suckup
()
Date: January 03, 2014 06:46PM
These specialists are devotees of Jack Dale. Karen Garza keeps them around as she figures they'll be useful pawns in her plan to convert Fairfax to a football county. It must irk her no end that George "Football Family" Allen rendered himself unelectable due to his Klan Konnections.
Putting the specialists on unpaid leave is a great idea. If things fall apart, bring them back. If things don't change, well, there you are, proof they did nothing at all. This isn't the silly testing thing Am Tourister thinks it is, but the solid scientific method.
Hypothesis: specialists do nothing. Test by removing them, note differences, if any.
Along the way, we make sure Velkoff, Reed, Storck, McElveen, Moon and Kaufax are never re-elected.
Same logic applies to the Board of Supervisors and their pet monkey, Ed Long. Strongly suspect we don't need him at all either.
Putting the specialists on unpaid leave is a great idea. If things fall apart, bring them back. If things don't change, well, there you are, proof they did nothing at all. This isn't the silly testing thing Am Tourister thinks it is, but the solid scientific method.
Hypothesis: specialists do nothing. Test by removing them, note differences, if any.
Along the way, we make sure Velkoff, Reed, Storck, McElveen, Moon and Kaufax are never re-elected.
Same logic applies to the Board of Supervisors and their pet monkey, Ed Long. Strongly suspect we don't need him at all either.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
American Tourister
()
Date: January 03, 2014 07:10PM
am tourister = J. Dale suckup Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> These specialists are devotees of Jack Dale. Karen
> Garza keeps them around as she figures they'll be
> useful pawns in her plan to convert Fairfax to a
> football county. It must irk her no end that
> George "Football Family" Allen rendered himself
> unelectable due to his Klan Konnections.
>
> Putting the specialists on unpaid leave is a great
> idea. If things fall apart, bring them back. If
> things don't change, well, there you are, proof
> they did nothing at all. This isn't the silly
> testing thing Am Tourister thinks it is, but the
> solid scientific method.
>
> Hypothesis: specialists do nothing. Test by
> removing them, note differences, if any.
>
> Along the way, we make sure Velkoff, Reed, Storck,
> McElveen, Moon and Kaufax are never re-elected.
>
> Same logic applies to the Board of Supervisors and
> their pet monkey, Ed Long. Strongly suspect we
> don't need him at all either.
Another ass-clown who hates losing elections. Ever occurred to you that programs like IB are why Fairfax County has a good school system? Nah, you'd rather have the 1/8 of a cent off your property taxes . . . and then wonder why your property values drop when the schools go downhill.
-------------------------------------------------------
> These specialists are devotees of Jack Dale. Karen
> Garza keeps them around as she figures they'll be
> useful pawns in her plan to convert Fairfax to a
> football county. It must irk her no end that
> George "Football Family" Allen rendered himself
> unelectable due to his Klan Konnections.
>
> Putting the specialists on unpaid leave is a great
> idea. If things fall apart, bring them back. If
> things don't change, well, there you are, proof
> they did nothing at all. This isn't the silly
> testing thing Am Tourister thinks it is, but the
> solid scientific method.
>
> Hypothesis: specialists do nothing. Test by
> removing them, note differences, if any.
>
> Along the way, we make sure Velkoff, Reed, Storck,
> McElveen, Moon and Kaufax are never re-elected.
>
> Same logic applies to the Board of Supervisors and
> their pet monkey, Ed Long. Strongly suspect we
> don't need him at all either.
Another ass-clown who hates losing elections. Ever occurred to you that programs like IB are why Fairfax County has a good school system? Nah, you'd rather have the 1/8 of a cent off your property taxes . . . and then wonder why your property values drop when the schools go downhill.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
much fat to be cut
()
Date: January 03, 2014 08:00PM
I will be utterly unsympathetic to the schools until a lot of wasteful spending is cut.
For example, the Turf Task Force announced that turf fields benefitted ALL county residents. I've asked my school board rep and all of the at-large reps to justify this comment, what comes back is "well we have have to build for the future" and other such crap.
The schools spend too much on peripheral activities and not enough on core learning.
The schools spend too much on these "specialists" and "administrators" to say nothing of these contracts to the Gibson Group in Texas. There have been issues with Gibson's performance, but the contracts keep rolling in.
For example, the Turf Task Force announced that turf fields benefitted ALL county residents. I've asked my school board rep and all of the at-large reps to justify this comment, what comes back is "well we have have to build for the future" and other such crap.
The schools spend too much on peripheral activities and not enough on core learning.
The schools spend too much on these "specialists" and "administrators" to say nothing of these contracts to the Gibson Group in Texas. There have been issues with Gibson's performance, but the contracts keep rolling in.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
WestfieldDad
()
Date: January 03, 2014 08:50PM
Quelle surprise! IB goes up.
Guess how much of that surprise is due to the South Lakes redistricting.
Oh, we forgot to mention that...
Guess how much of that surprise is due to the South Lakes redistricting.
Oh, we forgot to mention that...
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
Do explain please
()
Date: January 03, 2014 10:57PM
"OK, so you admit you have no idea what they do. Running a program involves NOTHING as far as you're concerned.
As long as we're clear on that. Because that really means you know nothing generally, and that's a real time-saver for the rest of us."
If teachers can't see the benefit of the specialist, then any information from those meetings and those slide presentations are not helping them to understand what "running the program" entails. Maybe the specialist doesn't know how to communicate what she is doing? Or maybe, just maybe, she is not doing anything that the teacher can see is valuable. There might be some specialist out there who is worth something, but if you gave a truly anonymous survey to teachers, I would bet that 95% of them would say that they don't benefit much from the "specialist" in their area. And 95% of them would say that they have benefited most from their immediate colleagues' help, support, and advice (which makes sense because they communicate with those people on a daily basis).
What does it mean to "run the program"? Because I think I know nothing as you say and I want to know something. And please don't tell me that it's a waste of your time to explain it to me. Your attitude strikes me as "above it all" as a previous poster suggested.
As long as we're clear on that. Because that really means you know nothing generally, and that's a real time-saver for the rest of us."
If teachers can't see the benefit of the specialist, then any information from those meetings and those slide presentations are not helping them to understand what "running the program" entails. Maybe the specialist doesn't know how to communicate what she is doing? Or maybe, just maybe, she is not doing anything that the teacher can see is valuable. There might be some specialist out there who is worth something, but if you gave a truly anonymous survey to teachers, I would bet that 95% of them would say that they don't benefit much from the "specialist" in their area. And 95% of them would say that they have benefited most from their immediate colleagues' help, support, and advice (which makes sense because they communicate with those people on a daily basis).
What does it mean to "run the program"? Because I think I know nothing as you say and I want to know something. And please don't tell me that it's a waste of your time to explain it to me. Your attitude strikes me as "above it all" as a previous poster suggested.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
Trim the IB Waste
()
Date: January 04, 2014 08:48AM
WestfieldDad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Quelle surprise! IB goes up.
>
> Guess how much of that surprise is due to the
> South Lakes redistricting.
>
> Oh, we forgot to mention that...
One more legacy of Stu Gibson funneling more kids into South Lakes, which FCPS now wants to expand to a 2700-student school, back in 2009. Imagine how much more attractive that area would be if FCPS had built a new 2100-student AP HS in Floris/Oak Hill years ago.
If you've ever listened to an IB coordinator at an "IB World School," you'll want to laugh. They will say IB will turn kids into "critical thinkers" and "global citizens," which is ironic given that they all seem to be reading the exact same marketing script from the IBO. Of course, when you see that only 3% of grads at schools like Mount Vernon get the IB diploma, and the diploma rate at Marshall is under 20%, you know it's a big waste of money for FCPS to have eight I
B schools, each with a separate coordinator.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Quelle surprise! IB goes up.
>
> Guess how much of that surprise is due to the
> South Lakes redistricting.
>
> Oh, we forgot to mention that...
One more legacy of Stu Gibson funneling more kids into South Lakes, which FCPS now wants to expand to a 2700-student school, back in 2009. Imagine how much more attractive that area would be if FCPS had built a new 2100-student AP HS in Floris/Oak Hill years ago.
If you've ever listened to an IB coordinator at an "IB World School," you'll want to laugh. They will say IB will turn kids into "critical thinkers" and "global citizens," which is ironic given that they all seem to be reading the exact same marketing script from the IBO. Of course, when you see that only 3% of grads at schools like Mount Vernon get the IB diploma, and the diploma rate at Marshall is under 20%, you know it's a big waste of money for FCPS to have eight I
B schools, each with a separate coordinator.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
LLLLLL
()
Date: January 04, 2014 09:24AM
AP rates are down because students don't want to risk a D on their report card. Schools are under increased pressure to equate AP passing rates with class grades. A 3 on the AP test is (suppose to be) = to a college C. Too many students get lower than a 3 on the test and a D in the class is the likely grade.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
been there
()
Date: January 04, 2014 09:49AM
If teachers can't see the benefit of the specialist, then any information from those meetings and those slide presentations are not helping them to understand what "running the program" entails. Maybe the specialist doesn't know how to communicate what she is doing? Or maybe, just maybe, she is not doing anything that the teacher can see is valuable. There might be some specialist out there who is worth something, but if you gave a truly anonymous survey to teachers, I would bet that 95% of them would say that they don't benefit much from the "specialist" in their area. And 95% of them would say that they have benefited most from their immediate colleagues' help, support, and advice (which makes sense because they communicate with those people on a daily basis).
Good post. But, you left out the most important part: Teachers are required to go to these meetings in order to justify the employment of the specialist. So, not only is it a waste of money to employ the specialist, but we are taking precious planning time away from teachers who are already overworked. Remember, too, that with each special "program" that the specialist requires, the classroom teacher is required to do more paperwork--again, taking time away from planning and teaching.
Of course, some programs need specialists--but FCPS has far too many programs. They need to let the teachers teach.
Good post. But, you left out the most important part: Teachers are required to go to these meetings in order to justify the employment of the specialist. So, not only is it a waste of money to employ the specialist, but we are taking precious planning time away from teachers who are already overworked. Remember, too, that with each special "program" that the specialist requires, the classroom teacher is required to do more paperwork--again, taking time away from planning and teaching.
Of course, some programs need specialists--but FCPS has far too many programs. They need to let the teachers teach.
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
been there
()
Date: January 04, 2014 09:50AM
sorry--forgot to put quotes on first paragraph above
Re: More county students take IB exams; Number of students taking AP tests drops after years of steady growth
Posted by:
time for answers
()
Date: January 04, 2014 10:55AM
@been there: Thank you. You are so right---many of the specialists (not all) cost more than their own salaries---they do not all create "efficiency" and "eliminate waste" as a previous poster suggests. They do waste a lot of teacher time. If a "specialist" cannot explain how they are important to the students (to a panel of teachers who are not handpicked by an administrator), the "specialist" probably needs to go.