Okay, now I'm mad.

[Bang!Zoom!]

In my commentary today on "overall" progress I see this note:

 

 

It has come to our attention based on conversations with other programs and WALA that we need to make a statement regarding timeline toward goals and learning activities. We have been basing progress on the completion of goals within the learning plan all year, but hopefully this will provide clarity. Each month, the student will be expected to master approximately 10% of the yearly goals for this class (or 20% of semester goals), with all of the goals being met by the end of the year (or semester). The consultant understands that mastery of any one goal may be an on-going process and that some goals may overlap or be difficult to measure. Evaluation of progress toward the mastery of the goals will be based on monthly completion (or progress toward completion) of the learning activities that are designed to provide the means to achieving the goals of the learning plan.

 

 

Anyone care to decode that for me? I'm so mad all I can see is

 

blah blah blah we own you ha ha blah blah blah

mowahahahaha (satanic laughter..)

[Mrs Mungo]

I would interpret it as: some students are not making satisfactory incremental progress; we need to see quantitative results throughout the year.

[QueenCat]

I would interpret it as: some students are not making satisfactory incremental progress; we need to see quantitative results throughout the year.

 

:iagree:I would interpret it this way too.

[justasque]

I would interpret it as:

The powers that be above us are making grumbly noises about how they can't tell if students are making satisfactory incremental progress, so we're going to be on your back a bit about it, but don't stress overly much, ok? Just give us something we can give them to keep them off our backs, and we'll keep off yours. :D And, you know, we can't say it that way, cause we'll get in trouble, so we're kinda hiding the message in this mass of big words.

Us 'n you are still cool though. Right?

[joannqn]

It has come to our attention based on conversations with other programs and WALA that we need to make a statement regarding timeline toward goals and learning activities. We have been basing progress on the completion of goals within the learning plan all year, but hopefully this will provide clarity. Each month, the student will be expected to master approximately 10% of the yearly goals for this class (or 20% of semester goals), with all of the goals being met by the end of the year (or semester). The consultant understands that mastery of any one goal may be an on-going process and that some goals may overlap or be difficult to measure. Evaluation of progress toward the mastery of the goals will be based on monthly completion (or progress toward completion) of the learning activities that are designed to provide the means to achieving the goals of the learning plan.

 

They've been talking to other ALEs about things and figured out that they should have told you how satisfactory progress is measured. Every month, your student is expected to completed 10% of the goals listed in their learning plan for each subject. If it is a semester-length class then 20% of the goals must be completed each month. Your advisory teacher understands that the goals may not be mastered in one fell swoop but rather take more than a month to master or that some goals might be hard to measure. In that case, progress will be determined based on the work you've completed that matches up with those goals.

 

And what Pauline said. The ALEs are getting a lot of flack from OSPI right now. They are realizing that they didn't interpret the new laws properly and OSPI is on their backs about it. So, they are scrambling to make the changes required before they get seriously busted for doing it wrong all year.

 

 

Which ALE are you in?

[Happy2BaMom]

In my program (also in WA State), all that the above statement means for us is that we need to write in the %age of work covered for the year each month. So, for WWE, for instance, I write: Student completed Units 12 - 15 this past month (out of 36), so approx. 11% of the work for the year was done. Student completed all work with a 90% or greater degree of accuracy. (or whatever it was, by my best approximation)

 

We have a very strict program, but I've never been questioned on my estimates or work completed. For the most part, the 'bark' of the state is much worse than the 'bite' of meeting the requirements.

 

Please understand, I'm not saying you shouldn't be angry. These programs have become less attractive because the state keeps messing with them. I, however, am not ready to drop and go to a coop situation....I've gotten too disgusted with how little so many hs parents seem to be willing to do for a group education experience (but that's another topic....).

 

HTH.

[Bang!Zoom!]

I'm going to have to sleep on this one. :toetap05:

 

I'm in the ALE in Richland WA.

 

This kid is way past any 3rd grade stuff OPSI checklist-way. I'm so mad I can't see straight.

 

We give them book lists, hours in each subject, movement of course work, materials used, attendance...I mean I don't know what else to give them.

 

They want a daily journal or something, hour by hour? Because I can do that with a lift/paste out of excel if they want. And I'm only relaying a small portion of her actual work. Administratively, this kids workload would cause a huge stress on her consultant, and I mean huge.

 

I'm so glad I'm not going in there for a week, I'm going to need that time to reformulate our focus.

 

I know absolutely factually positively that there are families involved that aren't holding down their responsibilities. I'm not one of them. In fact, when they (the parents) get sniffing around me, they absolutely hate me.

 

I'd been dorking around the idea to go in there and scrapping the entire plan that is programmed in at the moment and just redoing it all, but I thought I could just implement it and do the reports as it pleases the machines. Now this.

 

What in God's name do they want from us?

Edited March 9, 2012 by one*mom

[runmiarun]

What in God's name do they want from us?

 

 

***being snarky***...your children. And their firstborn.

 

Hugs to you as you slog through this. I can't even imagine having to do all that paperwork.

[NorthwestMom]

One*Mom, I'm not trying to be snarky at all, but why stay in? You are doing a ton of work, why set yourself up to jump through the artificial hoops the state and district sets? It sounds like too much of a PITA, that's why we don't do it. So much of the "added value" an ALE brings can be gotten outside of them as well.

[Ellie]

Oh, wait...your dc are enrolled in a public school program, right? I didn't think WA homeschoolers had to do that kind of stuff, but if you've enrolled your dc in a virtual academy, I get it now.

 

ITA with Pauline. :)

[tex-mex]

I strikes me as rather pretentious. Not that I expect to be talked down to, but get a grip.

I hate to agree with this post.

 

But truthfully? She is right.

 

It is simply "edu-speak" from a autocrat in the public school. They say the same thing on goals met or not met on IEPs.

[gardening momma]

Oh, wait...your dc are enrolled in a public school program, right? I didn't think WA homeschoolers had to do that kind of stuff, but if you've enrolled your dc in a virtual academy, I get it now.

 

ITA with Pauline. :)

Is an ALE some sort of virtual academy?

[tex-mex]

LOL...are you trying to butter me up? :D

HAAAAAAAA :lol:

 

I was about to use a :chillpill: simile for my post... but thought it would come across as too bold to the OP. Loved what ya said. But hopefully the OP won't feel like we are ganging up on her. Eeeeep. :tongue_smilie:

[elfgivas]

is it possible that they really meant it when they said,

 

"we need to make a statement blah blah blah"

 

it may be hard to figure out what you have to do because nothing has really changed; they just needed to make a statement...... and they did, so that is that.

 

having made the statement then allows them to work with folks who are doing nothing by referring back to the statement.

 

fwiw,

ann

[Bang!Zoom!]

One*Mom, I'm not trying to be snarky at all, but why stay in? You are doing a ton of work, why set yourself up to jump through the artificial hoops the state and district sets? It sounds like too much of a PITA, that's why we don't do it. So much of the "added value" an ALE brings can be gotten outside of them as well.

 

We won't be going back next year...we'll finish this year out with them, but honestly, it doesn't fit what I feel her needs are. In order to even attempt to accomplish the lowest level of what's coming next year, it would be a very bad fit.

 

There's a couple of facets I'll miss, but they aren't enough to keep us there (if we stay at all in the area.)

 

Should we stay, I'm filing for a certificate and be done with it. I'll have three more of these things to fill out between now and then, aggravating at worst for me.

 

My standards vs. their standards are not on the same measurement scale at all, not even close.

 

At the end of the day it's political.

 

I don't think it's going to be any better next year either, probably much worse.

[bolt.]

It has come to our attention based on conversations with other programs and WALA that we need to make a statement regarding timeline toward goals and learning activities.

So, we have these learning goals. People are saying that our goals are pretty clear, but we're not good at expressing how far along the process towards a goal while they are working on it.

We have been basing progress on the completion of goals within the learning plan all year,

We've been providing ongoing feedback about goal completion already

but hopefully this will provide clarity.

But some people seem to be confused.

Each month, the student will be expected to master approximately 10% of the yearly goals for this class (or 20% of semester goals), with all of the goals being met by the end of the year (or semester).

Here's the basic math -- if a goal is for a whole school year, that's 10 months, so if you do 10% of it per month, that's good progress. If it's a goal for a semester, that's 5 months, so if you do 20% of it per month, that's good progress. At that rate, by the end of the year, the whole goal will be completed.

The consultant understands that mastery of any one goal may be an on-going process

Obviously some goals aren't easily broken down like that -- It's easy to know if you've finished 10% of your math curriculum. It's harder to know what 10% of "can employ cursive writing" would be. We get that, so don't worry when things like that get vague and confusing.

and that some goals may overlap or be difficult to measure.

Some goals cover the same ground, so if you've done 20% of one, you've done 20% of the other one. You don't have to work towards each goal individually.

 

Also, if you have a goal like "enjoys reading" -- of course nobody knows what 10% of 'enjoying' is! Some things are just hard to put a number on.

Evaluation of progress toward the mastery of the goals will be based on monthly completion (or progress toward completion) of the learning activities that are designed to provide the means to achieving the goals of the learning plan.

None the less, we are going to have to put a number on it. We need numbers, statistics and accurate records. So, when goals like that are being evaluated, we just pretend that all of the learning activities that are planned towards that goal constitute 100% completion of the goal (as if the activity plan was a textbook, and completing the book was the goal) -- that lets us plug a number in based on how far through the 'plan' you are, just like all the other progress goals.

[BlueTaelon]

Sounds pretty simple, you progress as at a rate of 10% per month. Its pretty easy to measure if your using regular materials. It sounds like an email that was probably sent out to everyone and not just targeting you. We make that 10% with both our charters every month but we still get reminders because they send them to everyone and not just us. As long as your on target just ignore it until you get a phone call telling you otherwise.