Barbara McKenna’s Post

Chicago 2010 The Flaws of Norm-Referenced Testing in Education We explore the drawbacks of norm-referenced testing and how it affects students from diverse backgrounds. Discover why such tests can be misleading for school evaluations and the importance of investing in effective educational reforms. #EducationReform #TestingFlaws #StandardizedTesting #LearningDisparities #EducationEquity #ACT #StudentSuccess #HighSchool #EducationSystem #TransformingEducation

Chicago 2010 The Flaws of Norm-Referenced Testing in Education We explore the drawbacks of norm-referenced testing and how it affects students from diverse backgrounds. Discover why such tests can be misleading for school evaluations and the importance of investing in effective educational reforms. #EducationReform #TestingFlaws #StandardizedTesting #LearningDisparities #EducationEquity #ACT #StudentSuccess #HighSchool #EducationSystem #TransformingEducation

Why are we doing this to our education system? The current state of education is unacceptable. How can we just cut the school year short and “promote” everyone without ensuring they’ve truly earned it? This is deeply concerning. How did we reach this point?

Good article on challenges school districts face meeting the federal requirements (dating back to the 1970s) that children with special needs are entitled to special education services. One of the biggest challenges is that the federal government has never fully funded its share of that requirement. https://lnkd.in/dmRWhhjp

Hundreds of #hoosier educators are asking some very good questions about current literacy legislation and how it conflicts with state mandated training. Riddle me this. 🤔 Indiana politician Eric Holcomb’s state mandated legislation Senate Bill 1 says: Children not passing IREAD 3 should be held back. State mandated Keys to Literacy training says: “We should not hold children back if they aren’t meeting 3rd grade reading benchmarks, rather the reading intervention should follow them and be applied as needed and prescribed.” How do politicians and school administrators get to make decisions about education that doesn’t reflect the research and impacts millions of kids? I’m a fan of top down approaches, but literacy rates will never improve if the pedagogical structure schools are implementing don’t reflect research. Let’s make the legislation reflect the research, not the urgency to evoke change. The Katie Jenner office needs take a second look at that bill…...STAT.

This recent article from Melissa Collins offers some deep insights into the ways that school censorship laws can undermine efforts to provide students with a safe and inclusive environment. Every child deserves to feel heard, loved, and respected, yet some efforts to avoid "controversial" content make it hard to tackle certain topics honestly. Regulations that restrict curriculum through book bans or the micromanagement of rigid pacing calendars, are forcing educators to question their professional judgement and hindering their ability to help all students in culturally relevant and inclusive ways. Part of being a great teacher is helping students plant firm roots from which to grow into productive members of society, but this is only possible if we provide them an education that is challenging, honest, fair and inclusive. Most importantly, their education should allow them to see themselves succeed. How are individual teachers or school districts working to serve students despite restrictions? #EducationEquity #EducationReform Source: https://lnkd.in/eQS_a9mV

📝 Article of the Day 📝 As we tackle the big question of how to recruit, prepare, and retain teachers who drive meaningful student outcomes, a critical need for reform in teacher preparation emerges—especially in special education. This article delves into the urgent necessity for improvement, examining traditional models and exploring innovative approaches to support students with exceptionalities. From increasing literacy rates to boosting graduation outcomes, this read offers policy recommendations, research insights, and a call for change in educational practices. Read now to explore strategies for a brighter future for all learners! 📘 #EdReform #TeacherPreparation #SpecialEducation #InclusiveEd Read here: https://lnkd.in/gzN9yiGs

📰 Article of the Day 📰 Why do so many new special education teachers leave the profession? This article explores their challenges and actionable solutions to improve retention. Let’s make a difference! #TeacherSupport #SpecialEducation Read here: https://lnkd.in/g8BXgSTp

✏️Education continues to dominate legislative agendas as states struggle to regain learning loss and combat widespread teacher shortages. Click below for a summary of key education issues MWC is following in our footprint states. #education #educationpolicy #highered #teachers

If you could change one thing about the education system, what would it be? 🔍 Let's discuss opportunities for improving schools.