Mike Raiford wrote:
> Jim Charter wrote:
> 
>> I lasted just four days tutoring in the "No child left behind" effort.
>>
>> Personally, I've never looked back.
> 
> Hmmm. 'No child left behind' My wife was going on about all of the 
> paperwork she was required to file due to this act. I jokingly called it 
> the 'No Piece of Paper Left Behind' act.
> 
> She was telling me yesterday, that by some year (I think 4 years from 
> now, 2012) all students must pass standardized testing, or teachers 
> could lose their jobs. I replied by stating that it was asinine to think 
> that the teacher's performance should be judged by the student's 
> performance on a test. There are MANY more factors that go into the 
> performance of a child in addition to the teacher. You can't help those 
> who are not willing to be helped. Parents who refuse to be involved in 
> their child's education and well being are far more detrimental to that 
> child's ability to learn than a teacher who gave her best effort in the 
> classroom.
Solutions:
- pass on poor (performing) students to other schools
- try to be more attractive to students from good neighbourhoods/wealthy 
parents.
- let the poor performing fail the year before the test
- proclaim the poor performing students ill during the test period
- take many disciplinary actions for futile offenses until they 
'voluntary' leave school before the test.
- ...

At least the first four options are actually used in some form in the 
Netherlands to increase the rating of the school.

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