By:John Borrelli
Teachers find ways to teach more in less time
New York State's assessment testing for fourth graders is in its fourth year, and parents and educators agree that "raising the bar" is a good thing. But the state-imposed curriculum, which must be taught to ensure success on the tests, is changing what kids learn and how they learn it.
There is no disagreement among area principals that the state put its plan into action too fast. Educators are also in agreement that the tests should be spread out, and the state is responding to them, moving one test to the beginning of fifth grade.
But now that some time has gone by, teachers are more familiar with curriculum changes and are making adjustments. Nola Bacci, principal at West End Elementary School in Lynbrook, said, "The curriculum has been modified to meet the state's standards." Changes are being made to make sure everything that needs to be covered in fourth grade is covered well. Bacci said that at West End, some areas of study once taught in fourth grade are now taught in third, and material covered in third is now taught in second grade.
Peter Graffagnino, principal at Marion Street Elementary School, said, "The reality is that expectations are significantly higher in fourth grade than in any other elementary level grade." And the students are aware of it.
"The tests are designed to show mastery, which is difficult for kids with less ability. Children who aren't as strong academically feel pressured. They work so hard, but they just might not yet have the cognitive ability."
So at Marion Street, big steps have been taken to help students in need. Graffagnino explained that his school employs a teacher's assistant, who floats from class to class, helping students who need a little more work on a particular area of study. In addition, a special education resource teacher is also available. Along with the class teacher, Graffagnino said, "there are three professionals available at any given time for children with needs."
The school also introduced a program called Reading Recovery. Students in the lowest 20 percent of the class must receive 20 weeks of one-on-one assistance in reading, writing and language arts -- not once a week for 20 weeks, but every day for 20 weeks. The assistance is given by two reading specialists.
So many tests have caused stress among some, but not all, parents. "Parents have had mixed reactions," Graffagnino said. "Some parents with kids doing well are very concerned, while other parents whose children are not up to level haven't said anything. It runs the gamut. "
Principal Timothy Silk from East Rockaway's Centre Avenue Elementary School believes that one way to get students to do better involves the studying done at home. "Kids are getting much more difficult homework. Parents have to pitch in."
At West End Elementary School in Lynbrook, a plan was put into place to make that happen. Principal Nola Bacci said parents were invited to observe their kids taking a sample exam, as a way of "demystifying" the test. According to Bacci, "Some parents said they wouldn't be able to pass it." The school responded by offering parents a workshop, during which they were given suggestions by educators as to how they could help their kids perform better on the tests.
No one is arguing that fourth grade is a tougher grade to get through since assessment tests. There's more to learn, more pressure, and less time. But some are noticing significant improvements since the curriculum was adjusted.
Bacci, for one, thinks that the tests have made the curriculum stronger. "The tests," she said, "have guided instruction toward critical thinking, writing and reading." She explained that before the tests, students might read a story and then have to answer questions about it. Now, they might read two stories and find similarities and differences between them.
"Students are developing critical-thinking skills," she said, which "used to be covered at the high school level. In math, kids have to do more than get the right answer. Now they have to explain the process. They have to be able to explain how they got the right answer."
Silk has also seen improvement. "One good result," he said, "is that students have much better writing skills than they did before the testing began."
Rhame Avenue Elementary School Principal Marie Calder points out that, though teachers have made the necessary adjustments to teach to the test, some sacrifices have been made. She said that the pressure to get so much done can rob from teaching what she called the "creative moment." Graffagnino offered an example, from his days as a fourth grade teacher. He had his students read a story about a soapbox derby.
" The kids really liked the story, so I decided the class would build a soapbox derby car. We spent a good deal of time on the project." The class actually built the car, and then got to ride it down a nearby hill.
"If I was teaching fourth grade now, I don't know if I'd feel comfortable doing that, because of what I knew had to be taught, Graffagnino said.
In other schools, events have had to be canceled or moved to other grades. Rhame's Invention Convention, an event for which kids in science classes had to invent a simple machine, has been canceled. Calder said it was a great event that many parents got involved in.
" There is no time to expand upon the curriculum. That's what teachers miss," she said.
One solution: move some of these special events to other grades. That's what many schools are doing to enhance student's education experience.
"It's not that we can't go into depth where children express interest, " Calder said. "It's just more of a challenge."
