The 2014-2015 school year has been in session for almost two months. Students and teachers are settled into daily routines, teachers are getting to know their students, and learning in Prince William County Schools is taking place. Or is it? Are the students really learning?
With the signing of No Child Left Behind, on January 8, 2002, public education began its unfortunate spiral into darkness and destruction. NCLB, the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is an education reform “idea” based on setting high standards and establishing measurable goals which will undoubtedly, according to legislators and education reformers, improve education for all students. States are required to create standardized tests for all students, with the goal of closing the gap for specific student groups, including economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiency. The focus for improvement: MATH and READING scores.
With the focus on math and reading improvement, what about the other subjects? What happens to science and social studies? What about those elective classes that students love to take?
“Since 2007, almost 71% of schools have reduced some instruction time in history, arts, language and music, in order to give more time and resources to math and reading. In some schools, the classes remain available but individual students who are not proficient in basic skills are sent to remedial reading or math classes rather than arts, sports, or other optional subjects” (Pederson, P. (2007). What Is Measured Is Treasured: The Impact of the No Child Left Behind Act on Nonassessed Subjects. Clearing House, 80(6), 287–291. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database).
Several years ago, Prince William County Schools fell under the demise of NCLB and implemented block scheduling in most of their middle schools. Research varies on the pros and cons of block scheduling. I have read many articles that report that it is effective and has improved students’ scores dramatically. I have also read that it is not effective, scores don’t really improve and it’s a disservice for students in middle school to follow a block schedule. When thinking about adding or taking out block scheduling, I would hope that school divisions across the country would talk to those directly involved in the issue: the students and teachers.
NCLB is rearing its ugly head in Prince William County. The middle schools that follow an A/B block schedule have math and traditional language arts every day, while science, social studies, extended language arts, and world language are seen every other day. Explaining this concept to my students is always a chuckle: “Well, yes, science and social studies are important, too, you just don’t see us every day like you do math and language arts.” “It’s very important to be here for my class since you only see me every other day.” “Um, yes, you have 183 days in your math and language arts classes, but you only have 91 or 92 days in science and social studies…so PLEASE BE HERE!”
While on a recent adventure trying to figure out how many clock hours were required by the state, I found that the VA Department of Education, in its Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia, page 26 - VAC 20-131-90. Instructional program in middle schools, states: “To provide students a sufficient opportunity to learn, each student shall be provided 140 clock hours per year of instruction in each of the four disciplines of English, math, science, and history/social science." An exception to this regulation applies to sixth grade students who are only required to receive a total of 560 instruction hours in the four core subjects.
I then did the math, and being a civics teacher, I triple checked my math:
Math and language arts, based on an 83 minute block:83 minute block X 5 days a week = 415 minutes a week X 36 weeks seen all year = 14,940 minutes ÷ 60 minutes an hour = 249 clock hours per year
Science and Social Studies, based on an 83 minute block:
83 minute block X 5 days a week = 415 minutes a week X 18 weeks seen all year (every other day)= 7,470 minutes ÷ 60 minutes an hour = 124.5 clock hours per year
Based on these numbers, it shows that there is a gross inequality in the clock hours. Now, I’m a little biased: I AM A SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER! It also shows that science and social studies classes are NOT meeting the state standard. Is this okay? The science and social studies teachers that I have talked to over the last few years are extremely frustrated with this current schedule. Is there a waiver the school division has applied for that allows these two subjects to be seen less?
With the recent elimination of 5 SOL tests (3rd grade Science and Social Studies, 6th grade Social Studies, and 7th grade Social Studies), there is a growing fear with the direction of science and social studies. Students need to be able to read and understand basic math concepts, but they also need to understand the importance of voting and what it means to use your voice because citizens have 1st Amendment Rights. They will lose that understanding if education only focuses on math and reading and less on science and social studies. The amended Code of Virginia (22.1-253.13:3.C), eliminating several SOL tests and approved by the VA Board of Education, states,
“The Standards of Learning assessments administered to students in grades three through eight shall not exceed a) reading and mathematics in grades three and four; b) reading, mathematics, and science in grade five; c) reading and mathematics in grades six and seven; d) reading, writing, mathematics, and science in grade eight; and e) Virginia Studies and Civics & Economics once each at the grade levels deemed appropriate by each local school board.”
After reading this, one wonders what will happen to social studies and science? What will become of our children when they forget the past because they never learned about it? What will become of the emphasis on STEM if “S” is taught less and less in our schools?
If you are a science or social studies teacher, and are frustrated about seeing your students every other day, please contact me via email. Standing up together can make a difference.
If you are an Encore teacher (Music, PE, FACS, Tech Ed, Art, etc…), please let me know how your content has been impacted by NCLB. Next time…what happens to those crucial and fun, but “not necessary,” classes when we only focus on math and reading?
Riley O’Casey is a local educator who teaches middle school social studies. She is also an active member of the Prince William County Education Association.
This column is an opinion piece and does not necessarily reflect the views of Bristow Beat, its editors, writers or sponsors.
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