THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 27, 1995 TAG: 9507270375
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
Virginia's new education standards, which spell out what the state's public school kids will be expected to learn beginning this fall, have won high marks from a national teachers' group.
In a report that evaluates academic standards in all 50 states, the American Federation of Teachers cites Virginia as one of four with the ``clearest, most specific standards,'' considered key to improving education. The others are California, Georgia and Colorado.
The teachers' group based its findings on Virginia's overhauled math, science and English ``Standards of Learning'' adopted last month by the state Board of Education.
The group did not examine the state's social studies standards, which went through several revisions because of widespread criticism and were not final when the study was done.
Virginia's standards in the other three disciplines passed muster because they were considered measurable and grounded in essential academic subjects.
``The AFT believes that standards must focus on the core subjects so that all children will be exposed to the essential knowledge and skills they need, so that academic progress is measurable in terms credible to parents and the public, and so that standards don't focus on vague, non-rigorous topics like self-esteem or personal relationships,'' the group said in a statement accompanying the 28-page report, scheduled for release today.
The report does not judge the specific content of the standards, which in Virginia outline grade-by-grade what kids should know.
Virginia education officials, who have touted the updated standards as the most rigorous in the state's history, said the federation's report reaffirms their efforts.
But James P. Jones, president of the state board, said adopting standards is only a first step.
``The proof in the pudding will be in higher academic achievement for kids,'' Jones said. ``Just adopting standards and patting ourselves on the back is not enough.''
By 1997, Gov. George F. Allen wants to have statewide tests in place to determine how well schools are meeting the standards, and he wants to impose consequences for schools and kids that don't measure up. Schools, for example, could lose accreditation. Allen has said he favors withholding driver's licenses to kids who don't pass the tests, a controversial idea that Jones said he did not favor.
The AFT report calls for assessments and consequences, which it says are needed to make the standards meaningful.
School districts face a host of issues this fall as they begin to implement the new standards.
``Kids will have to perform at a higher level, teachers will have to be prepared to teach at a higher level, there will probably be more homework and, in many cases, . . . (school districts are) going to have to spend more money,'' Jones said.
Marian Flickinger, president of the Norfolk Federation of Teachers, a local AFT affiliate, said Virginia's standards do a good job of spelling out expectations for teachers and students. Even so, she said, she still has problems with specifics.
``At least we're at a good starting point and we can move on from there,'' Flickinger said. ``We're probably at the cutting edge, and that's certainly positive.''
A shortcoming that the AFT report found with a majority of the states, including Virginia, is that the standards are not considered ``world class'' - they do not ensure that students can compete with their peers in other industrialized countries. ILLUSTRATION: THE CRITERIA
The American Federation of Teachers judged states' education
standards by five criteria:
Does the state have standards or curriculum frameworks in the
core academic subjects?
Are the standards clear and comprehensive enough to form the
basis for a core curriculum?
Does the state have student assessments aligned with the
standards?
Are there stakes for students attached to the standards? More
precisely, are students expected to meet these standards to
graduate?
Are these standards benchmarked to world class levels?
KEYWORDS: STANDARDS OF LEARNING VIRGINIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION REPORT
VIRGINIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
by CNB