Parents use loophole to graduate students who cannot pass TAKS

[VicMan]

http://www.khou.com/news/local/education/s...g.d727ec29.html

Here's a trick to get a high school diploma for a kid who cannot pass TAKS: Some parents pay a private school money so the kid can become a "student" and then immediately graduate with all of the required credits.

For instance, many kids pay $250 to "enroll" in Parkway Christian School and immediately receive a diploma. The kids are immediately able to graduate because they passed all of the high school classes required to graduate at Parkway Christian School.

See, this loophole exists because the State of Texas does not require graduating *private high school seniors to take the TAKS test. Also, this trick reduces the dropout rate at public schools, since the kids, instead of dropping out or repeating a year, simply transfer to another school and then graduate.

EDIT: Forgot the word "private"

Edited August 7, 2007 by VicMan

[Jeebus]

So what are you suggesting? Should private schools have to meet state standards even though they don't get state funding?

Do private schools get state funding?

[KatieDidIt]

So what are you suggesting? Should private schools have to meet state standards even though they don't get state funding?

Do private schools get state funding?

I certainly hope that private schools are never forced to meet the "state standard." I got really tired of the "fill in the bubble" education and the stressed out teachers, and look forward to more liberal arts. We spent 80% of the school year last year studying and preparing for the TAKS test in CISD. Private schools have their own testing at the end of the year.

I understand the TAKS test is going to be phased out and I am glad to hear it. It makes schools educate only for the test so the can achieve that "Excellent" rating. While they may have excellently passed the TAKS, that doesn't mean the spectrum of the education is excellent.

I am glad there is a form of a loop hole. Some very brilliant people do not do well in standardized testing. There are several cases of straight A, AP students that have failed the TAKS.

[VicMan]

So what are you suggesting? Should private schools have to meet state standards even though they don't get state funding?

Do private schools get state funding?

1. Private schools get no state funding. The Texas Education Agency has no control over any operations of any private school in Texas.

2. I am not sure what to think of this loophole...

[musicman]

1. Private schools get no state funding.

would you be for vouchers?

[Trae]

I certainly hope that private schools are never forced to meet the "state standard." I got really tired of the "fill in the bubble" education and the stressed out teachers, and look forward to more liberal arts. We spent 80% of the school year last year studying and preparing for the TAKS test in CISD. Private schools have their own testing at the end of the year.

I understand the TAKS test is going to be phased out and I am glad to hear it. It makes schools educate only for the test so the can achieve that "Excellent" rating. While they may have excellently passed the TAKS, that doesn't mean the spectrum of the education is excellent.

I am glad there is a form of a loop hole. Some very brilliant people do not do well in standardized testing. There are several cases of straight A, AP students that have failed the TAKS.

Like me.

[VicMan]

would you be for vouchers?

I do not believe that vouchers are the best solution to solving the ills in the public school system.

Vouchers are politically divisive. The legality of school vouchers is often questioned. For instance, a Florida judge dismantled the system in its state: http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page...T20020805b.html - http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-0...-vouchers_x.htm

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0523/p01s03-usgn.html - This article states that many parents in Milwaukee are satisfied with vouchers in that city.

But these reasons convince me that school vouchers are not beneficial:

"In one of the worst instances, a convicted rapist opened a school, which has since shut down. Reporters from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tried to visit all 115 schools then in the program last year, and found a mixed bag. Nine schools refused to let reporters in, and the paper cited "10 to 15 others where ... the overall operation appeared alarming when it came to the basic matter of educating children."

One school was opened by a woman who said she had a vision from God to start a school, and whose only educational background was as a teacher's aide. Others had few books or signs of a coherent curriculum. Yet they've been able to enroll students.

Some of the worst schools - including four this year - have been shut down, often for financial reasons, and voucher proponents hope that the new requirements will make it tougher for bad schools to enter the program.

Studies done in the early years of Milwaukee's program, before the state stopped requiring yearly reporting from voucher schools and before religious schools were allowed into the program, showed little difference in student achievement among voucher students, but measurable improvement in parental satisfaction. A new five-year study was just announced by Georgetown University in Washington.

Nationally, studies on vouchers have been mixed. A few showed signs of improved student achievement and evidence that competition improves public schools. Others showed negligible difference. "The evidence to date is very mixed," says Jack Jennings, director of the nonpartisan Center on Education Policy. "For [the] sake of kids ... it would be good to have an objective analysis."

Smaller voucher programs currently exist in Washington, D.C. and Cleveland, while Florida and Utah have specialized ones that target students with disabilities. A larger Florida voucher program was declared unconstitutional by that state's supreme court earlier this year.

"People feel good about having choice," says Martin Carnoy, a professor of education and economics at Stanford University. "But most of what they're having is the choice to move into a private school that is not so different from the public school they left.""

Also, Texas has very few laws that apply to private schools (See http://www.ed.gov/pubs/RegPrivSchl/texas.html ) - After all, the TEA has no control over private schools. - If vouchers are initiated, I would suspect that some private school parents would be against this as they see vouchers as government intrusion.

-----------

I see school choice options within a public school system and a private scholarship fund for private schools as better options.

Establishing magnet schools, charter schools, and inter-district transfers are more politically palatable. In addition, magnet-only schools can be demonstrated as remarkably different than neighborhood schools due to statistics such as test scores. A range of school choices, often associated with vouchers, can be (and in some cases, such as Houston ISD, already are) created within an existing public school system, especially an urban school system.

This 2005 article shows that many Houston I. S. D. students are taking advantage of school choice by bypassing neighborhood schools, much to the chagrin of declining enrollment neighborhood schools such as Yates High School: http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive....id=2005_3900502 This 2007 article describes the scenario as continuing: http://search.chron.com/chronicle/openDocu...edPath=Archives

Some large corporations in Philadelphia contribute to a scholarship fund for private schools. Low income school kids in Philly have avenues to attend private school. The difference from vouchers is that the money comes from private companies, and no government strings are attached to the money: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_kmtp...01/ai_n17121325

Edited August 6, 2007 by VicMan

[musicman]

I do not believe that vouchers are the best solution to solving the ills in the public school system.

Vouchers are politically divisive.

of course they will be politically divisive. vouchers won't solve the ills in the pub school system. do you think ANY school district supports them? NO because money will be taken away from them.

i'm not sure your example concerning a convicted rapist opening up a school has anything to do with vouchers. this happens with or without vouchers.

[VicMan]

i'm not sure your example concerning a convicted rapist opening up a school has anything to do with vouchers. this happens with or without vouchers.

From what I can tell, Milwaukee's system screens schools so that they are eligible for vouchers. For some reason, this guy's school slipped through. It had to have been marked as "eligible" for the program as it was mentioned in this article.

[musicman]

From what I can tell, Milwaukee's system screens schools so that they are eligible for vouchers.

again, that has nothing to do with vouchers. sounds like it is a screening problem.

[Toggle3]

And don't forget, all those home schooled kiddos don't have to take the TAKS either. It's not limited to the private school students.

(Which is how it should be IMO)

After seeing the mess that HISD has done with TAKS testing, I'm convinced it's nothing less that a waste of taxpayer money. You all realize that the only real testing is done by students who can pass already that dumbdowned instrument.

Any student can legally graduate without passing the TAKS test. How? Each kids is given three chances to pass and if they still can't figure it out, a commitee can intervene and save them, place in SPED, remove them from the requirement. It's all such an unethical racket.

[VicMan]

How often does that happen?

I get the feeling that the committee route does not happen often, because if this often happened, we would not see a lot of seniors who cannot pass TAKS take the "private school" route.

By the way, does the Texas Education Agency discuss this committee detail on its website? It would be nice to see if there are extra criteria or details.

Any student can legally graduate without passing the TAKS test. How? Each kids is given three chances to pass and if they still can't figure it out, a commitee can intervene and save them, place in SPED, remove them from the requirement. It's all such an unethical racket.

[foxmulder]

It happens in public school too, I knew a few "dumb" kids that skipped school 4 days out of the week senior year, Natuarlly there grades were d and f's. They went to ALTA in east houston(an HISD) school and they passed and graduated/walked with there (old)school.

[cottonmather0]

I fail to see how this is a "loophole," nor can I see how this practice is even a problem. So what? Some two-bit state legislator is offended that his influence over other people's lives doesn't quite extend to everyone? Big whoop.

Edited August 17, 2007 by cottonmather0

[VicMan]

In order to get a public school high school diploma, the student MUST have TAKS passed. No exceptions.

TEA rules do not regulate private schools, so private school kids do not have to pass TAKS to get a diploma.

So, a kid who has all of the credits in public school but cannot pass TAKS can transfer to a private school and get a diploma, bypassing the TAKS requirement.

I fail to see how this is a "loophole," nor can I see how this practice is even a problem. So what? Some two-bit state legislator is offended that his influence over other people's lives doesn't quite extend to everyone? Big whoop.

[cottonmather0]

In order to get a public school high school diploma, the student MUST have TAKS passed. No exceptions.

TEA rules do not regulate private schools, so private school kids do not have to pass TAKS to get a diploma.

So, a kid who has all of the credits in public school but cannot pass TAKS can transfer to a private school and get a diploma, bypassing the TAKS requirement.

Um... I read the story and I know what it says. My point is that I don't see how it's a scandal. So what that a kid gets a private diploma instead of a public one?

Use of the word "loophole" implies that they're getting around a requirement that everyone else has to adhere to, which would be accurate if these kids were getting public school diplomas and not passing the test. But they're not, they're getting private diplomas. So where is the "loophole"?

The indignation on the part of Alma Allen is quite funny. Public and private schools have lots of differing requirements for graduation and matriculation. So what? Despite what she may wish, the state doesn't control everything. Too flippin' bad.

[sevfiv]

i agree - maybe loophole isn't the best term for this

this deals with students in the public school system not being able to pass public school requirements and then getting the "private" diploma and not going through a private school system and its own requirements.

[cottonmather0]

i agree - maybe loophole isn't the best term for this

this deals with students in the public school system not being able to pass public school requirements and then getting the "private" diploma and not going through a private school system and its own requirements.

Actually, read the article again. They are getting course credit for passing their classes in public school and therefore are indeed meeting the requirements of the private school. The article explicitly says so.

That indeed may be the "loophole" that is mentioned, that they are getting a diploma from a school they did not attend, but again, why is this such a big deal? It doesn't harm anyone other than the students themselves, if they truly are illiterate or math-disabled or whatever, and it harms the people who might someday hire them if they are hired on false pretenses and the employer is expecting a certain level of competency that may not be there.

But how is it a scandal worthy of our shock and horror? And how in the world is it Alma Allen's business? Her job is to make sure that students graduating from public high schools meet a certain set of standards and nothing in this article says otherwise. Some kids aren't passing the TAKS test and they're not graduating from public school. Her job is done. So why does she care?

[sevfiv]

i was just mentioning that they were not able to pass the public standards (the TAKS test) and therefore went to the private to get a diploma. they may have all the public coursework, but it may indeed be different (and possibly inferior) to the private coursework.

[Toggle3]

Newsflash: Passing the TAKS doesn't mean a kid knows jack...or Jill for that matter.

HISD students are trained like little monkeys in test-taking strategies for months on end and the extgent of their education is limited to the topics covered on the TAKS. These kids pass but still can't read well; they've been taught some math tricks but have no real comprehension.

My experience is that kids from private schools, and especially the homeschoolers, are simply more active and engaged learners. For them, it's not about passing some test or gettting grades. Their focus is authentic learning; integrating, applying new knowledge. It's not been 'schooled' out of them.

[VicMan]

Newsflash: Passing the TAKS doesn't mean a kid knows jack...or Jill for that matter.

HISD students are trained like little monkeys in test-taking strategies for months on end and the extgent of their education is limited to the topics covered on the TAKS. These kids pass but still can't read well; they've been taught some math tricks but have no real comprehension.

My experience is that kids from private schools, and especially the homeschoolers, are simply more active and engaged learners. For them, it's not about passing some test or gettting grades. Their focus is authentic learning; integrating, applying new knowledge. It's not been 'schooled' out of them.

Which is why academic/university preparatory schools do not solely use TAKS topics. The focus for those programs is the AP Test (if an AP class) or the IB Exam (if an IB class).

Remember that many kids are NOT on the goal to academic success. Even if teachers revised their tactics, many students in poorer neighborhoods are not taught to respect books or classes. It's not that the parents do not love them. It's simply a continuation of a mentality in the household.

Besides, the main problem with failure in high schools is that many students simply do not wish to be there (hence, they drop out when they can).

Toggle, look at this article by Richard Geib. It explains what I said, but it also advocates for an expansion of vocational programs: http://www.rjgeib.com/biography/inner-city...response18.html

If students are allowed to pursue their own goals in school, you would likely see lower dropout rates. Sure, they may not be on the track to university prep classes, but then again, being forced to sit in a regular school environment won't help them either if they do not wish to be there.

And, I would be okay with "TAKS Prep" curriculum in a program for vocational tech students, as they only need to know the bare minimum in terms of academics. Vocational tech students are meant to specialize in technical fields (i. e. electrician, automobile mechanic, etc.) If you want a more intensive academic program than a TAKS curriculum, then you would seek university-preparatory programs (AP, IB).

Remember that TAKS is meant to be a minimum-skills test, and hopefully other teachers should remember that too. A solely TAKS curriculum is best used with students who do not wish to dive into academic fields of study.

[musicman]

many students in poorer neighborhoods are not taught to respect books or classes.

not sure if money has anything to do wiith respect.

[VicMan]

not sure if money has anything to do wiith respect.

It's not that the money directly influences the "respect" - rather it is the mentality that happens to be in the same place.

The main page for Geib's Inner City School site happens to explain this: http://www.rjgeib.com/biography/inner-city...s/innerblu.html

"There was not much I myself could realistically do. The school system was already overwhelmed and the radical change needed was not on the agenda. Moreover, the vast majority of the parents had vague or shallow academic aspirations for their children: too many immigrant parents from Latin America looked at school as a vehicle to learn how to read, write, and behave in the primary and secondary grades after which they would go to work in some blue-collar capacity to help the family economically. It was not so much valuing education as it was a question of understanding the power that an education confers upon an individual in the postmodern Information Age economy of the United States (which is very different than that of Mexico and Central America). I could tell that my pep talks about college were often not reinforced in the home and a student who had their eyes firmly on the goal might have to go it alone. College was an unknown quantity which, while prestigious and desirable in the abstract, seemed expensive and out of reach. The typical student in my class knew no one (besides their teachers) who had been to college. I remember meeting a young Mexican-American woman in a Westwood bar who was celebrating after having just graduated from UCLA. After talking with her about my job, etc. she told me, "I am the first woman in my very conservative Mexican immigrant family to graduate from college. I think you know what that means." Sure I knew. It meant she had done it by shear force of will power. I respected that very much and knew it had not been easy."

EDIT: I would read this essay by Carol Jago describing her idea to reform public education: http://www.rjgeib.com/biography/inner-city...igh-school.html

" I am not suggesting that youngsters who cannot meet standards remain in middle school. If three years in an institution had little impact on their learning, a fourth is unlikely to either. Students who do not qualify for high school entrance should be offered two alternatives. The first would be the option to enroll in an accelerated program focusing on basic skills. Small, intensive classes would help students catch up, pass the entrance test and get on with their education.

The second option would be for students who have no interest, at least at the moment, in education. These 14-year-olds would be able to enroll in apprenticeship programs where they could learn job skills in a field of their choice. Attendance would be mandatory until they are 16, but once they demonstrate their worth to an employer, there would be no reason why they couldn't be paid as they learn. The option to go back for the accelerated program would always be open and from there the door to high school or community college. "

Edited August 19, 2007 by VicMan