Nancy's suggestion to advocate for change to the state office is one I
resonate with.  I also feel that Gail has information that is crucial to
take into account, however.  Her account is so vivid and real, spoken
with a sense of one who knows how to stand in the shoes of another and
tell their story.  Thank you for painting a picture with words, which
sends a message that I read as "Take off these burdens!"  It brings us
to setting a higher standard for project design:  "If we must require
this step, have we fully informed the teacher and student why it is
necessary?"  "If this information is necessary to make the project
beneficial to the student, can we obtain this information any other way
that avoids burdening the student and teacher?'

 


>From the perspective of a state office program specialist, it is a real

dilemma for us that our "office" has a status all its own that is often
tagged with a negative reputation.   Our intention is to do our best to
meet the needs of teachers and students.  Sometimes we have certain
rules that are tied to the federal money we are responsible for.  But
always, our intention is never to ignore the needs of the teachers and
students, and always to make it as easy and beneficial for them as we
possibly can.  We at the state level are given opportunities to provide
input to federal initiatives, which more often than not, brings about
positive results.   Input from the teachers and administrators is very
welcome, because we cannot possibly be experts in every aspect of adult
education to know how best to meet every need effectively.  Projects we
design in collaboration with teachers and administrators, using the best
knowledge available at the moment, sometimes result in consequences that
were not foreseen.  While I am speaking on behalf of Florida DOE, I
think it is likely that this rings true in other state offices.   The
comments posted by Gail and others are very welcome, and inform us in
Florida.  Thank you for them. 

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Philip Anderson

Adult ESOL Program

Florida Department of Education

Tel (850) 245-9450


 

Please take a few minutes to provide feedback on the quality of service you received from our staff. The Department of Education values your feedback as a customer. Commissioner of Education Dr. Eric J. Smith is committed to continuously assessing and improving the level and quality of services provided to you.Simply use the link below.  Thank you in advance for completing the survey.
 

http://data.fldoe.org/cs/default.cfm?staff=Philip.Anderson@fldoe.org|13:55:11%20Thu%2019%20Jun%202008
 



 ________________________________

From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Nancy Markus
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 12:21 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1019] Re: Content Standards: More questions,more
answers, more discussion-TM

 

Why not contact your state leadership and ask why the CASAS is required?
If it really is irrelevant then advocate for change.

 

Nancy

 

On 6/19/08, Rinderknecht, Gail A. <garinderknecht at dmacc.edu> wrote: 

We use TABE to determine the 6.0 grade level for the Dept. of
Corrections.  It's quick, easy and non-threatening.

The CASAS is required by the State Department of Education.  No one
seems to know the rationale for requiring the students to take the CASAS
after completing their GED.  It's one of those mandated things that
happens when the State is instituting "Standards".  None of the GED
teachers that I know of like the idea, but at the same time we are
required to re-CASAS.  I suppose it is supposed to show growth in the
reading and math, but as I said before, most of the men do not see a
reason to try very hard on this test and just view it as another hoop
that they are required to jump through.

Gail Rinderknecht
garinderknecht at dmacc.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Kelsee Miller
Sent: Thu 6/19/2008 9:41 AM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1013]   Re: Content Standards: More
questions,more answers, more discussion-TM

Question for Gail: Why does your state use both the TABE and CASAS? What
is the rationale for testing CASAS again after the GED?

I have found this discussion very insightful!
Thank you,
Kelsee



Kelsee Miller
Casper College
Adult Basic Education/GED Instructor
125 College Dr.
Casper, WY 82601
307-268-2895
307-268-2230


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