posted on March 23, 2006 11:15:42 PM new
DALLAS - Young Hurricane Katrina refugees living in Texas scored considerably worse on a statewide standardized exam than Texas children, and thousands of them could be held back.
Teachers and state officials blame the low scores on New Orleans' poor school system, the trauma of being abruptly uprooted from their homes, and the possibility that some of them were put in the wrong grade after arriving in Texas with no records.
The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, a test of reading and math ability, was given in February to third- and fifth-graders, who must pass in order to move up to the next grade. About 38,000 Katrina evacuees are enrolled in Texas schools.
Only 58 percent of evacuees in third grade passed the reading portion, compared with 89 percent of all students. In fifth grade, 46 percent of evacuees passed the reading portion, versus 80 percent among all students.
"We've got kids who are coming into our secondary system and cannot read," Houston school board member Larry Marshall said. "Now that is a tragedy."
Between the two grades, about 2,000 refugees failed. Students who failed will have two more opportunities to pass the test this spring, but some worry the learning gap is too wide to close.
"Unfortunately a lot of the children came to us two and three years behind. It's going to be a struggle for a lot of them to catch up," said Texas Education Agency spokeswoman Debbie Graves Ratcliffe.
Educators and administrators warn that holding students back a grade increases the financial burden for the state, which has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars on housing, health care and other services for the half-million refugees who came to Texas after Katrina swamped the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29.
The TEA estimates the state will spend up to $350 million educating refugees this school year.
To help ease the burden on schools, the TEA announced Thursday that all federal aid sent to Texas for educating hurricane refugees will be given to affected districts.
"Our schools have acted in good faith by taking in" the evacuees, Texas Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley said. "They shouldn't be penalized financially for this act of kindness."
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
Never ask what sort if computer a guy drives. If he's a Mac user, he'll tell you. If he's not, why embarrass him? - Tom Clancy
posted on March 23, 2006 11:17:15 PM newTo help ease the burden on schools, the TEA announced Thursday that all federal aid sent to Texas for educating hurricane refugees will be given to affected districts.
Well, isn't that generous of them. Isn't that where it is supposed to go?
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
Never ask what sort if computer a guy drives. If he's a Mac user, he'll tell you. If he's not, why embarrass him? - Tom Clancy
posted on March 24, 2006 04:48:18 AM new
I suppose they are publicizing this problem in preparation for the news next year that they will again need substantial additional federal and state funding.
posted on March 24, 2006 06:06:31 AM new "So when do they stop beig refugees and become new residents?"
Actually, the term "refugee" when applied to Katrina victims is inappropriate. The hurricane victims remained in their own country.
A refugee is someone who:
owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it
posted on March 24, 2006 06:09:38 AM new
Imo, IF third and fifth graders couldn't read already...it does speak volumes about their poor school system....as is the same across the country.
Katrina shouldn't have made an ounce of difference if a child can or can't read by the fifth grade.
Sounds to me like the schools were failing them LONG before Katrina hit.
posted on March 24, 2006 10:02:59 AM new
Am I the only one here who sees this as a GOOD thing?
These kids were being raised in New Orleans to be yet another generation of illiterate lifelong welfare recipients. Now, due to the disaster of Katrina, they are going to learn to read and hopefully become productive adults.
Everything happens for a purpose. There is a lot of good that will come from Katrina in the long run.
Dr. Arcane, revelator of mystical secrets http://www.drarcane.com
Got questions about the secrets of the universe?
posted on March 24, 2006 10:58:39 AM new
No, you're not the only one. This gives them many opportunities. Most important, imo, is better 'modeling' by adults who are raised to make something of themselves....and how to go about making that happen.
This might just be the very best thing that could have happened to them...at least this way...they stand a chance.
posted on March 24, 2006 12:55:33 PM new
What this report didn't say was that the teachers are having to spend more time with the uprooted Katrina Victims and the other students are feeling the lack of attention and or progress in the teaching in a class. This is talked about all the time on our local news station how not only the Katrina victims are suffering from Katrina but the regular students are not advancing in the curriculum as they should due to this slow learning and or behind students brought into the schools. It has brought many disruptions in schedule of subject and a lot of disciplinary problems too. Yes bad behavior can be attributed to their uprooting but a lot of it is NOT!
**************
Without my ignorance, your Knowledge would be meaningless.
posted on March 24, 2006 02:03:11 PM new
I suspect that the disruption and declining scores may be a problem with overcrowding...not inferior students with inferior parents as is being suggested. There is no reason to believe that city schools serving a poverty tax base are any better in Texas than they are in Louisiana.
posted on March 24, 2006 02:23:20 PM new
Helen - wouldn't the math say something different?If you have one group that has three times as many problems as another, wouldn't you look for the difference in those two groups, i.e. Educational history, to discover the issue?
by your logic, no one school system should ever score higher or lower than others but we know that not to be the reality. I don't think it's har to imagine that one school system is less comptetent or has a low level of standards than another.
More importantly, should we placate these kids that can't read and be magnamous and politically correct and move them forward with a loving pat on the back? Or, now that the issue has recognized and problems pinpointed, take the active steps towards bringing these kids up the par. And once that is done, shouldn't we take a look at the school systems these kids came from and see what can be done, as those areas rebuild and repopulate, to ensure that history does not repeat itself.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
Never ask what sort if computer a guy drives. If he's a Mac user, he'll tell you. If he's not, why embarrass him? - Tom Clancy
posted on March 24, 2006 02:26:56 PM new
These kids have had six months to recover from their trauma. Remember kids are more resilient that adults and as such recuperate faster than adults.
The only tragedy evident is the quality of education NO schools provide.
"“More Iraqis think things are going well in Iraq than Americans do. I guess they don’t get the New York Times over there.”—Jay Leno".
posted on March 24, 2006 03:00:02 PM new
Yes, fenix...I believe in education. You are certainly reading a lot into my comment that has not been stated. What on earth would lead you to believe that I would gloss over the fact that a child cannot read.
My point is that the problems that you find in New Orleans schools are common to inner city and poverty neighborhoods everywhere....even Texas! The poor Katrina victims are moving from one poverty situation to another. This fabulous opportunity that has been mentioned... afforded by a move to Houston is a fantasy, in my opinion.
posted on March 24, 2006 03:12:54 PM new
Helen - I think it's unrealistic to believe that they would live in poverty and thru an event that robbed them of everything they owned, they would suddenly move up. The one advantage seems to be that even if their living conditions have not improved, at least the level of expectations with their education has. Rather than them being passed along with limited skills they at least are in a situation wihere their lack of education has been pinpointed anmd can be addressed. If we can't give them a better standard of living today, at least we can give them a better educational base to help them improve on it in the future.
BTW - I'm not saying this with any acromony (hard to tell in print sometimes I know). Call me an optimist, but I say these things with hope.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
Never ask what sort if computer a guy drives. If he's a Mac user, he'll tell you. If he's not, why embarrass him? - Tom Clancy
posted on March 25, 2006 08:53:33 AM newMy point is that the problems that you find in New Orleans schools are common to inner city and poverty neighborhoods everywhere....even Texas!
Helen, how would that explain the Texas children in inner city neighborhoods STILL scoring higher than NO inner city kids.
"“More Iraqis think things are going well in Iraq than Americans do. I guess they don’t get the New York Times over there.”—Jay Leno".
posted on March 25, 2006 10:52:03 AM new
If you took the same number of students from a city like Houston and moved them to Louisiana you would probably see similar declining test scores in the state of Louisiana.
posted on March 25, 2006 11:13:17 AM new"We've got kids who are coming into our secondary system and cannot read," Houston school board member Larry Marshall said. "Now that is a tragedy."
That is indicitive of the problem of the NO schools.
"“More Iraqis think things are going well in Iraq than Americans do. I guess they don’t get the New York Times over there.”—Jay Leno".
posted on March 25, 2006 11:16:39 AM new
Who said that there was no problem in New Orleans schools? They have a BIG problem just like most inner city schools. In our area for example the Washington D.C. public schools are notoriously bad.
posted on March 25, 2006 04:20:01 PM new
"I suspect that the disruption and declining scores may be a problem with overcrowding...not inferior students with inferior parents as is being suggested. There is no reason to believe that city schools serving a poverty tax base are any better in Texas than they are in Louisiana."
Strange that "overcrowded" private and parochial schools don't have this problem.
