FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2006
425-823-5244 or 425-753-3635
PTA
Case Studies of Three Districts Find that Districts Struggle to Meet Core
How
are our children in these districts being prepared to meet today’s learning
standards? “The case study clearly
demonstrates that inadequate state funding in school districts has led to cuts
in instructional programs,” said Barb
Billinghurst, PTA’s Researcher.
“Although districts try to protect instruction, two of the three districts
studied found it necessary to reduce expenditures in basic education, special
education, highly capable, and transitional bilingual programs among others.”
The three School Districts,
PTA found that these three
districts face formidable challenges in meeting state and federal mandates.
Poverty, language and cultural differences, security issues, and aging school
buildings pose huge barriers to the learning process and burden the districts
with significant costs – both in terms of money and lost learning
opportunities. Other
describing characteristics from the three high schools:
much diversity, with one school having 56 languages used, poor (as well
as wealthy) students, the poorer ones sometimes spending nights in shelters, on
the street or in dumpsters.
An
example of lack of funding in instructional areas found in the studies:
“The sophomore English teachers last adopted their program in 1992
(before reform legislation). One set
of literary books serves two or three sophomore classes.
Specifically, the teachers share one set of the course’s main book.”
PTA
identified five major concerns that impact instruction: difficulty in hiring or
retaining teachers, core class sizes too large, and too few textbooks.
Other concerns include security and custodial/maintenance systems.
Budget constraints cited included limited professional development,
narrowed curriculum, and staff reductions. Principals
and district officials have concerns that teachers are using textbooks,
curriculum, and instructional strategies that are not aligned with the
curriculum. This fact is
troublesome; students are being tested based on state standards, not individual
classroom goals.
“Every
child, no matter the district, must have all the resources needed for that child
to succeed.
*(In a March 2004 study, PTA identified 17 districts with very high rates of students with extraordinary needs and yet very low levels of funding. The below-average fourth grade WASL scores of these districts suggested a struggle to meet academic standards as well. The three case studies were drawn from these 17schools.)
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The Case Studies:
PTA Case Study Part 1: www.wastatepta.org/PTA_Case_Study_Part1.pdf
PTA
Case Study Part 2: www.wastatpta.org/PTA_Case_Study_Part2.pdf
Background Information:
Washington
About