Questionable PSSA Practices

Remember to call your school today to schedule a time to review the PSSA test before your child's scheduled testing time!

Today, I wanted to touch on a different ways that the school districts interrupt important education to prep students for the PSSA. Some schools have labeled a group of children "Bubble Students". These are the students that have a score of "Basic" on their PSSA, but are close to the "Proficient" score. These kids are pulled out of class and given special small group instruction in hopes of pushing them into the "Proficient" category. At first glance, it seems okay. Let's give a little extra help to those that can benefit. Well, there can be no benefit without a cost. Let me tell you how our school is able to make this accomplishment. The "Bubble Students" are given instruction by the already overworked Learning Support teacher. As a result, the Learning Support teacher has less time to spend with the Learning Disabled children who legally and ethically are actually supposed to be the recipients of her services. With the LS teacher busy with the "Bubble Students", the truly disabled students, who so desperately need help, are put on the back burner until the PSSA is complete. The interruption of services is frustrating for the parents and the students. This is one of the many examples of how schools feel is necessary to participate in morally questionable decisions in order to manipulate the numbers into showing progress. (In my opinion, saturating a kid with PSSA problems and calling it "progress" is a questionable practice. )