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03/26/2006:

"Schools Cut Back Subjects to Push Reading and Math"

SACRAMENTO — Thousands of schools across the nation are responding to the reading and math testing requirements laid out in No Child Left Behind, President Bush's signature education law, by reducing class time spent on other subjects and, for some low-proficiency students, eliminating it.

Schools from Vermont to California are increasing — in some cases tripling — the class time that low-proficiency students spend on reading and math, mainly because the federal law, signed in 2002, requires annual exams only in those subjects and punishes schools that fall short of rising benchmarks.

The changes appear to principally affect schools and students who test below grade level.

The intense focus on the two basic skills is a sea change in American instructional practice, with many schools that once offered rich curriculums now systematically trimming courses like social studies, science and art. A nationwide survey by a nonpartisan group that is to be made public on March 28 indicates that the practice, known as narrowing the curriculum, has become standard procedure in many communities.
nytimes.com

And what is the demographic of these children who 'test below grade level'? Overwhelmingly poor and non-white. So the most deprived people in the country are now being deprived of history, art, and science in their schools. Sickness.


Exams cut by third as stress on pupils soars
The true level of pressure facing children was laid bare last night as Britain's most senior exams official admitted pupils faced a huge and excessive exam load that had distorted the balance of what was taught in schools.
Ken Boston, chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), said he was determined to reduce the number of tests that pupils in England and Wales are forced to sit. He also admitted, however, that it was time to raise the standard of exams, with new higher-level grades and harder exams for the brightest students.

'The assessment load is huge,' Boston said. 'It is far greater than in other countries and not necessary for the purpose. We are pushing for the overall burden of assessment to be reduced.'

Colleges and schools could see the exam load fall quite quickly. By 2009, A-level students will spend up to a third less time in the exam hall. The QCA plans to cut the time spent in the exam hall from 10.5 hours to a maximum of seven hours. Students will sit four papers over the two years rather than six.

That, argued Boston, would allow room for longer, essay-style questions that would pick out the most talented.

It would also reduce the stress for students facing competitive exams in four out of their five final years at school, he added. 'We need to look critically at the assessment regime,' said Boston. 'Assessment for learning is critical but stacks of [tests] can distort the balance of the curriculum and put too much emphasis on what is examined. I think this has been happening.'

...The push to stretch the brightest children was welcomed by parents' groups. Margaret Morrissey, chair of the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations, said: 'Parents worry that if their child is bright they don't get special attention that would lead them to a higher level. This is good news and a sign that the QCA is becoming more parent- and learning-focused.'

And what is the demographic of 'the most talented'? Guess.