2 'R's' not enough:

[Harold F. Schiffman]

>>From the Salt Lake Tribune, 3/27/2006 11:00 PM


2 'R's' not enough: Schools should guard against narrowing curriculum

Tribune Editorial

The emphasis put on math and reading test scores by the federal No Child
Left Behind education-reform act may have the residual effect of shifting
curriculum time away from other important subjects, such as science and
history, a new study shows.  A few schools across the country have gone
further - we believe too far - and have eliminated some of those courses
in favor of only two "R's,"  readin' and 'rithmetic .

   Educators in Utah should guard against "narrowing the curriculum" as
described by the Center on Education Policy. That dangerous strategy would
hurt children who are performing adequately in those two basic subjects
and are ready to move ahead to other and more challenging work. Courses in
a variety of subjects beyond reading and math should be available to them,
including music, art and social studies.  On the other hand, children who
can't read well enough to go on to other subjects - because reading is a
prerequisite for everything that comes later - may need to catch up. The
foundations for math, too, must be firmly laid.

   But playing a remediation game of catch-up to ensure that students can
read as well as add, subtract and multiply before they leave elementary
school is expensive for the school and demoralizing for the children. A
better method is to provide early help for disadvantaged students - whose
parents don't have the time and resources to give them educational support
at home - who make up the majority of students scoring at the bottom of
the scale.  Sadly, the Utah Legislature did not see fit this year to fund
all-day kindergarten for low-income children - a proven way to ensure they
have an opportunity to enter first grade near the same level as their
peers who aren't starting with two strikes against them. Lawmakers also
failed to provide extra money to help English-language learners and other
disadvantaged students in the early grades.

   Without a leg up from the state, disadvantaged children are almost sure
to fall further behind. At some point, in order to raise their test scores
to the levels required by the federal law, their teachers must focus on
math and reading.  To do so at the expense of a broader education for all
students would be a mistake.





 http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_3645792