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<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>As a
part of the implementation of "No Child Left Behind", Idaho designed the "ISAT"
tests. These are the tests that were given at various grade levels to
track "Adequate Yearly Progress" of all students.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>In
order to graduate, all students needed to pass the test given at the 10th grade
level. If the students did not receive a "proficient" score in the 10th
grade, they were given additional chances to take the test, and a plan was
written for these students in order that they could
graduate.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>The
vendor who originally wrote the tests beta-tested them on a select few 10th
graders the year the tests were implemented. Those scores were then
averaged, and the average became the "proficient" score.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial>Unfortunately, many years ago, some of our rural school districts
adopted a reading curriculum called "Barretta-Lorton". This system, also
dubbed "code if you can" used symbols other than letters to associate
sounds with words. Small children then had to learn letters as well as the
symbols, and no phonics were included.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>My
son's class was one of the beta-tested classes. They also had gone through
the Barrett-Lorton system as small children. Over 80% of the class was
reading well below grade level at 10th grade, and some still couldn't read at
all. THESE ARE THE KIDS WHO SET THE PROFICIENT LEVEL.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>Idaho
doesn't really expect much from their kids.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>Bev
Bafus</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093024203-07062010></SPAN> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px" dir=ltr>
<DIV dir=ltr class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=093024203-07062010><FONT color=#0000ff
face=Arial> " </FONT></SPAN>-----Original
Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> vision2020-bounces@moscow.com
[mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com]<B>On Behalf Of </B>deb<BR><B>Sent:</B>
Sunday, June 06, 2010 9:23 PM<BR><B>To:</B> Bill London;
vision2020<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] education and economic
development<BR><BR></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Exactly! Idaho is becoming one of "those" states
which has a high number of unemployed, a low number of adequately educated
prospective workers, and nothing to attract anyone from outside who might
bring dollars in. Look at the ratings on Idaho for education, opportunity,
growth, diversity, and as a desirable place to live......going down every
year. We look like Mississippi at its worst....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Debi R-S</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=london@moscow.com href="mailto:london@moscow.com">Bill London</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, June 06, 2010 3:39
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] education and
economic development</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>There's a great article in the Sunday (June 6)
Lewiston Tribune, page 1E (business section), entitled "Idaho labor pool a
matter of quantity over quality." The article was reprinted from the
Boise Statesman.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>In summary, the article explains that Idaho has
plenty of unemployed people, but very few of those have the skills needed by
the high-tech companies that are sought by every economic development plan
(including Moscow's).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>"The talent pool isn't there," explained one of
the high-tech entrepreneurs.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Idaho is falling behind because the public
education system (K-12 and college) has been slowly strangled by the
Legislature and the Republican Party.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>As is explained in the article, we are now
seeing two significant results to this anti-education policy. First,
there just are not enough students who graduate in the needed fields because
those college programs do not have the funds to grow. Second, when
talented workers consider moving to Idaho, they want to know that their own
kids will be getting a "world-class" education -- and when they discover the
problems with K-12 funding in Idaho, those workers chose to go
elsewhere.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>It's time to move Idaho ahead</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>BL</FONT></DIV>
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