It may be the teacher's turn for testing

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tests. but has. been disoouraged by the extensive federal regulations. Feld' ' , stein said. , , Under the program.' students. whO' Many local officials believe compeBy Fred Scheker normally apply for admittance to the tency testing, for teachers belongs at . The Star's education wmer . school late in theIr second or early in the state level. , "We'll really get into a mess if every hen reports of high schooi their third year _.college. will be ex; graduates unable to read amined for knowledge of English and district sets up then: own program," street signs or make correct math. The program is being tested Donald E. Darnell, drrector of person nel services for the Kansas City. Kan change began making headlines in re- this spring with 150 students. Such testing at the university. how- sas. district. said. He added that sur cent years. tests of student competenever. is nQt in respose' to the fears veys of "personal characteristics. ,, cry suddenly became fashionable. Now. demands for proof of skill are about inadequate teachers. Sandness' such as the desire to tch and liking children" might be more important'. maving to the front of the classroom. said. Dr. Arzell Bal. upertedent f?r. Interest in competenc testing is , The question is no longer simply. "Can Johnny read? " It's also. "Can based on the false. assumptIon thatstu- the Shawnee MlflSlon district., sald dents are not as smart as they used to many of tbe learning problems some Teacher teach? " "It may be the result,olthe public's be. he gaid. which is an assumption children are having are "not the , ,clamor for accountability," said R.V. growing out of reports of declines in teacher's fault." "There are so many things that in∑ Wilson. director of teacher education scondary .school ' students ' test , terfere with learning-children not and certification at the Missouri De- scores. scores have dipped getting the right amount of sleep or and SeconAverage test partment of Elementary dary Education. "We're aware there no because of a decline in quality o f nutrition." he siid, adding that the are some teachers out there who teachers. but because more marginal oncept of teacher testing is not being ' . students are in high school than in the Ignored. shouldn'tbe teaching." Norman Hudson, president of tile Support for more teacher testing in past. Sandness argued. In addition. he the l:iasics;such as English and math. said. current tests are, designed to Kansas City Ams;ican Feder Wp# measure computational skills, rather TeLoc!fmJi, said'fie as not however. is by no means unanimous. "There are problems in education, than focusing on problem solving abil- od to teacher and administrator testing. but' believed it was being adso people believe that someone must ities stressed in schools. "I think that teachers are faced with ministered at the Wrong level. be to blame. They're trying to find a "I have no trouble with giving m scapegoat," said Dr. Wesley J. Sand- a whole series of dilemmas.'" Sandness, dean of Pittsbijl'g State Universi- ness said. "There is the problem of a tency tests to college professors ty's School of Education in Pittsburg. proliferating curriculum and a num- who are supposed to teach education," Kan. "Teachers are not that incompe- ber of new subjects. which the teacher he said. "It will weed out the bad ones. ' . "It all starts in the colleges which must teach; there is the problem of tent at all.'" ' Nevertheless. more state 'legisla- special programs, which have divided have, watered down their curricu STAR tures and teacher training institutions the attention of children; and there is lum." Hudson added. "They're di are looking at or implementing teach- the problem of mainstreaming, which vorced from realities in the schools KAflSAS CITY, 'O. - has required the teaching of gifted and. as∑ a consequence, some poor E-315,OOO er competenc tests. ' ... -4tO,OOO In Missouri he Mucational Confer- children and those of less ability in the teacher comes, out believing he or MAR.. 27∑ 81 she's competent and isn't." ence. made up mainly of deans and same classroom." presidents of state universities. is Competency testing should be used discussing a requirement, that appli- only to determine whether college stu ,. cants ,to their schools of education dents have basic skills. Sandness said. 0\ ." pass a competency test before admit- If the test is xpanded to determine ' their grasp of concepts or philosophies tance. NEW YORK (AP) - A IS- ear-cild' student at The next two years will be used to of education. institutions Will start gather data on cutpff scores, Wilson training for the test. and curricula will Brooklyn's Bushwick High School has been charged with manslaughter in the death of a tEi.acher who died said,addingthat the program could be suffer; he argued. after being hit while breaking up a fight between the Teacher training methods have implemented by 1983. f youth and another student. Such a move' would follow on the changed tn recent years. The Univer , John Sette, 37, WhO died of multiple/skull fractures heels of another state decision to im- sity of Kansas now requires five years March 19, is the first teacher ever to die "as a result of plement a minimum grade point aver- rather than four for an education de student violence," according to a 'spokesman for the age of 2.5 for teachers effective Sept. gree. in order to increase the number United 'Federation of Te chers. .,..;.- , ∑ :' 1. 1982. That grade point average of basic skills courses future teachers aid't1'iE9 difeste the student, Anthony Davis, must take and the time they spend would be rougbly a C-plus. at his home yesterday. Witnesses had ,told police that "This is all part of a big package of teaching as interns. Davis hit or shoved Sette during the fight, causing the things we have done here," Wilson Dr. Eugene E. Eubanks. dean of,the teacher to bang his head against a wall "or some other said. "We have revised many certifi-University of Missouri-Kansas City fixe'd object." , , cation requiremens and are consider- School of Education. said the greatest The other student was not j\CC\ised of striking Sette, ing new guidelines for certification in change in teacher training at his and he was transferred to an alternative high school administrative. special education and school has been the increased' practi program for special attention without being charged. some vocational education areas. cal experience' with children, before Sette, a high school social studies teacher since 1965, "We're setting up checkpoints to intern teaching even begins. had taught at Bushwick since 1969. eliminate as many teachers as possi- How' public schools select their ble who are riot proficient." he contin- teachers. however, has changed very BULLETlU ued. "We in Missouri feel it is time to little. Local school officials still renorL ROVIDEUCE, R. I. make sure tliat teacll,ers are proficient a reliance on the applicant's colltlge . record. certification and a series of in'in the basics." E-145,000 The Kansas Legislature is consider- terviews. Area schools report' that APR∑7 -81 ing several bills on teacher competen- roughly 5 percent of the teachers hired cy. one of which would require exami- with this method do not work out. In the Kansas City district, teachers nation of all new public school teachare probationary employees under ers for certification. In addition. many of the state's eva luation for the first 10 weeks before school districts have approved or are being offered a contract. said James Feldstein. personnel irector. The foplanning similar projects. , 9fficials at Pittsburg State recently cus of the evaluation has shifted. how announced they planned to implement ever. from whether the teacher has a a competency testing program in the plan book to whether the.teacher's stu fall of 1982 for students seeking admit- dents are interested and learning. he said. tance to the School of Education.

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. REGINA HlNES . A math teacher at St. wtth the superintendent .Jak8n County Bureaul . I Martin High School, and school board as in'. . ' ChIef ' . Holloway also contendS dividuals, he will not ' Ha r v ey Hollo way, ' ore, had no input into the fmaI president oUhe Jackson he is being harrassed by speak to them as union "theref . By Thad Marr m , ,. develo men, 0f the philosophy or County American Fed-the school district by representatives. t The president of the Baltimore for ms. "He is not allowed to ferred to the eration--or-'f"eachers, being trans . s," t Teacher..ti1JWID has refused to agree to . h Iue IS overstated, Mrs.. Dan- who was not permitted Junior high school next represen teacher I said Smithie. Holloway chnges1iiieii<!tler evaluation forms de- dri g . year. ,to address the Jackson SI. . plte charges that the rating scale used . Administrators. should "stop worry-. County School Board'. T wo other St. Martin is not considered the eacher\Y.l).oJu∑e active teach ers' repre sentthe forms would give mediocre teach-' m t mg. about bow .teachers will-come out; Monday night on two the AFT are also ative, because the unioJl ers superior ratings. . policy changes, said' he In ,durmg . evaluat!on and stop trying is not recognized, he ex:being harrassed, he . ' . may go to court to determine that 18 advance," she said. Claimed, since their con- plalned. Irene Dandridge, the union president "They 're putting the cart before th e' pursue at least one of tracts have not been ,reSmithie said as far as said the union "would resist an ' the policl, change are ' horse. They hve got t sit down without': the issus. newed. change;;, because the forll}S were part of he union, through . a predetermined nobon in mind anol T HoUoway said he is in c o n c erned, t e achers Ule umon's nego,tiations with the [city Holloway, is pUshing for . evaluate each teacher on an individual e process of obtaiirlng m a y m.ke appointschool) board." adoption of a measure th for these ments once a mQnth basis." le a which presents a griev- g l counsel . On the issue of "skewness" DaVld C'ance procedure .for teachers, . whQse hear- with Administrative As The forms are expected to used for .' Danek bo d e ' ent, l" !n a wnt teachers, students and lings on the non-renewal sistant Max Walters to "the first time later this month. : ri e a mtrators p a r e n t s before theiare set for April 20 and discuss any changes and "We've done all the negotiating we're ten r Holloway is not follow .21. group that the cunnt valuatlon forms school ,board. J! going to do on them," Mrs. Dandridge . . of ing ing this procedure are an II' Improvement' over previous Another policy' pro- On the matter go said. the grievHe also said that 'he is forms.Any changes in the forms, he cedure the AFT is hop- to court on this de- not personally respon to have revised, ance policy, " Changes to. the forms were first added, would have to be agreM to by ing Holloway said, is the cision will be bas!ld on sible for Holloway's resought at a recent School Board meeting the teachers union. n get assignment to the junior used the School Emplo yme nt the clarificatio I "Principals have not by Maurice Dorsey, the president of the said high. He said Atten Procedure'Law of 1977. from Mr. Smlthie," , Public School Administrators and Su fos" Mrs. Dandridge said. "They dance Center Principal H lo ay, T his policy outlines pro- ?! W pervisors Association, the bargaining don t know whether it works or not But since Mr. Smith-Joe Barlow handled the . We would cedures for any teacher ie refuses to talk to me m tter. . We negotiated an iIistrument agent for school administrators. I . ' whose contract not resuggest they use it before they start board members The superintendent newed for the coming and all . have been advise by makes the recommenMr. Dorsey claimed tha.t' the rating making any changes,'" .' year. and it is up to a scale of the new forms was "skewed too EVEUIUG ;,UN Holloway wanted to their board ttorney to dations n t m , he attendance center heavily to the right," and would give su': discuss these pOints Qttk !) e th enlwtll t BALTIMOR, ::'iJ. have . to communicate principal to see that the perior ratings to teachers whose per with the board Monday D 2 00 , 000 . the, board and the;; needs of the children are formances were only mediocre night, he said, but wlUiwith commUJiity through the b e s t se rved," said APR 2.81 not allowed to speak by .. media a n d d a i l y Smithie The decision to use the new forms Superintendent Jimmie mewspapers," he said. , '.Jimy .Smithie is. was "illegally arrived upon," Mr. Dor Sm.tliie. . Smithie says the Jack-not responsible for the sey said, because a committee jointly The school board did son County AFT is no t reassignment ,; he said appointed by the teachers' union and the not discuss either of recognized 'by the school' School Board in 1979 to make recom these policies at the pub" board and while teachlic meeting. mendations for evaluating teachers did BlloXI∑Gulfport, Mississippi era are welcome to talk not come ,to an agreement. DAILY
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inted members of the commit-" "" o"" - ere not consulted after the April meet! "_he said, and

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