Explanations aren't excuses. Really.
The kindergarten students from last year are enjoying their time as first graders. From what I've heard, their teachers are enjoying their sparkling personalities, humor, and talents as well. Yes, oh yes, let's not forget those academic skills too: we made sure our students could count past 111 (the kindergarten standard in the district was 30), they could write their first and last names, problem solve not only mathematical problems but social situations as well, interact appropriately with teachers and classmates, and many of them were enjoying reading and sharing their thoughts through writing. They laughed, giggled, shared, observed, inquired, negotiated, apologized, encouraged, sang, took risks, re-evaluated, and grew. Unfortunately those last traits couldn't be measured by criterion referenced tests.
The remainder of this post can be found at my other blog site, "Tending the Kinder-Garden" and is now password protected. Yep, you'll have to ask for the password, and nope, I probably won't give it out to everyone. "Think it, don't say it."
In an era of research-based education reform, there is a strange disconnect between common sense and best practice. Why is it, I wonder, that testing results overrule what anyone would know if they took the time to just watch and listen?
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