Some Texas Public School Superintendents Want to Use the CSCOPE Lessons.

Following are comments from different Texas School Superintendents. These comments, reported by Casey Stinnett in the Eastex Advocate Online News are not true. Instead of removing CSCOPE lessons from Texas schools, Senator Patrick’s bargain with the CSCOPE vendor resulted in allowing schools to download and store the lesson—FREE.

To make sure that schools have enough time to download and save these infamous lessons, schools have until Aug. 31, 2013. After this date the CSCOPE lessons will no longer be available for sale. The CSCOPE vendor agreed to remove the CSCOPE lessons from its files as well as all copies.

You can see the content of the letter from the directors of the illegal TESCCC organization to Senator Patrick Here.

Note that the date shown on the copy of the CSCOPE webpage below is prior to deal from the CSCOPE vendor, which was dated May 17, 2013.

 Clueless Administrators

By CASEY STINNETT

The following comment attacks parents as well as me. I’ll list the two attacks separately.

Attack on Parent

The problem with Texas schools is the involvement of uneducated, ignorant parents – not any curriculum guide.

Response from Janice VanCleave

The curriculum guide in the previous comment is CSCOPE. I totally disagree and the scores on the state tests, STAAR/EOCs confirms that something is wrong with the curriculum being used by Texas schools. Teachers have had to give the CSCOPE assessments again and again and again so that students finally have all the correct answers memorized. The problem is that not all of the CSCOPE assessments have the correct answers.

As to parents being uneducated and ignorant!!! Only someone who supports the CSCOPE ideology of parents not being involved in their children’s education would say this.

The problem with our education system is that parents have allowed pompous educators to bully them into thinking that parents don’t understand the 21st century education method. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

What is needed is a real Texas Parent Organization that encourages every parent to be involved in the education of their children. Texas has many children who do not speak English. English speaking parents, especially those who are bilingual could help children learn to read in English. I’ve thought about volunteering so that I could learn Spanish. A kinder child whose English is lacking could learn to identify the English names of animals. It would be fun for the parent helper to hear the Spanish names. The child could feel important by teaching the parent the Spanish names. There is no way that a teacher can give individual attention to every child. With parent volunteers, the school functions better.

More parents are needed as volunteer helpers.

Fewer educators are needed who consider any parent, no matter their education, ignorant.

Lacking an education does not make parents ignorant of what is best for their children.

But, lacking concern for children makes educated people ignorant of what is needed to educate children. This is why CSCOPE is being defended by school administrators.

Attack on Janice VanCleave

Janice, would you be the same woman who seeks to sell a competing product to the schools of Texas? If so, you should identify yourself as such.

This comment is straight from the mouths of CSCOPE directors. Becca Bell at ESC Region 12 was the first CSCOPE director to indicate that I wanted to view the CSCOPE lessons so that I could copy the writing style and create a competitive product. This was her defense for not showing me the content of the CSCOPE science lessons that I had requested. I was trying to tutor elementary kids in science in Marlin ISD. Kids didn’t have science books–and the CSCOPE lessons were not to be viewed by anyone who had not signed a gag-order.

When the content of lessons being taught in public schools are not available for public viewing, including parents, something is wrong. Senator Patrick’s original content about CSCOPE was that it was a mess. The senator later in a public hearing revealed that the group working at the Texas Education Service Centers had illegally created what was called “a shell” company called TESCCC. Now public school administrators are placing their educational careers on the line to back CSCOPE. I think these administrators are examples of educated people who are not smart enough to be involved in the education of our children. They have motives other than education driving them.

The answer to your question is that I do not have a k-12 education curriculum in every subject.

Yes, I have science trade books that have been on the market since 1989–years before the ESCs banned together to produce CSCOPE. Yes, Texas educators gave purchased my books for science investigation idea and for information to add enrichment to their lessons.

What do I know about writing curriculum? During my 27 years of teaching science I developed the curriculum for every class that I taught. I determine the timeline for every class. This was done by using a textbook as my guide.

When I retired from teaching and started my professional writing career, I volunteered to assist science educators around the world. This is still being done via my science website where kids, parents, educators or anyone can obtain free science materials. I have been very transparent.

FYI: This comment is really getting old. Superintendents use it now trying to discredit the grassroots movement of removing CSCOPE and any other progressive education ideology from Texas schools.

“Would you be the same woman who seeks to sell a competing product to the schools of Texas?” 

This sounds lame. I am surprised that the CSCOPE directors consider me to have such influence that they would personally attack me.

Janice VanCleave

Attacking Comment

The following comments were sent as if from a teacher, but I think it comes from a CSCOPE director or school administrator. I base my hypothesis on my trust that teachers are smarter than  CSCOPE directors or school administrators who purchase CSCOPE.

The comments are in response to an article I wrote about CSCOPE lessons dumbing down students and not preparing them for the STAAR. I’ve indented the comments and put them in italics. My comments are in plain type and are not indented.

FYI: The photo is of me when I stood at the geographic South Pole. This was an honor. I’ve tweaked the photo by adding a badge of honor from the CSCOPE directors at ESC Region 8. As part of an ESC 8 administration workshop, a power-point contained a listing of CSCOPE critics placed me at the top of the list.

Janice VanCleave

———

You are wrong!! I am an elementary school teacher. I am a science lab teacher and I teach 1st through 5th grade students. CSCOPE has been instrumental in our schools success!!

You have no idea! You should really be questioning Pearson Publishing and the people who write the STAAR exams! They are affecting our student population by making them feel they are not worthy. They have no idea the kind of pressure teachers go through on a daily basis and they certainly do not know how much it affects our students.

 Dear Commenter,

The STAAR test itself is not what is putting pressure on teachers and kids. This is coming from your superintendent and passed on by principals.  As to the STAAR making kids feel unworthy, this is not due to the STAAR, but is due to students not being prepared to take this tests.

You did not give any information about how long you have been teaching. Some new teachers view the scripted CSCOPE lessons as being helpful, but are not aware that the script has incorrect science facts. I have read every CSCOPE science lesson K-5, thus I am very familiar with the CSCOPE lessons that you are praising.

Teacher 

CSCOPE has helped in interpreting our State’s TEKS. These TEKS are vague and can be interpreted in many ways. CSCOPE’s scope and sequence clarifies the student expectations and helps with the depth and complexity of these expectations!

Dear Commenter,

I agree that some of the TEKS are vague and could be interpreted in different ways. The 81st Texas Legislature provide the Rider 42 grant of more than $150 MILLION DOLLARS to take care of this problem and others. TEA paid the 20 Texas Education Service Centers (ESC) over $100 million dollars to provide to you FREE! Science TEKS Professional Development Programs during the summer of 2010 and every summer including 2013. Did your local ESC notify you of these FREE Science TEKS programs? These programs were also to be on the TEXAS Project Share website. Has your local ESC notified you about this? 

The $100 million dollars was to develop materials that compared the TAKS state science standards with the new TEKS science standards. Thus you ane all science teachers could continue to use the available textbooks aligned with the TAKS. The TEKS science programs were to point out the TAKS and TEKS  that are alike, any TEKS that introduced new standards, as well as any TAKS that was no longer represented by the new TEKS.

Your local ESC was paid millions of dollars to provide you and every Texas Science Teachers with information so the transition from TAKS standards to TEKS standards was no big deal.  With a few tweeks in your TAKS lessons and TAKS timeline for the year, voila’ you were ready to start school in the fall of 2010. 

This is what should have happened. But the 20 ESCs took the $100 MILLION dollars and except for two programs, science K-4 and all of the social studies, the other science, and math TEKS programs did not meet the objectives clearly described in the Rider 42 grant. Instead, the ESCs were too busy transforming CSCOPE from TAKS to TEKS so that this product could be sold to your school. Plagarized lessons have been identifies. One was directly copied from a chemistry book, the same book that was stored because the CSCOPE directors promote the idea that using textbooks is not 21st century teaching methods. I will stand up for Master Teachers and say that they would not plagarize a lesson. In fact, because of my respect for teachers, I would never blame them for the CSCOPE lessons, especially the CSCOPE science lessons.

Now about the CSCOPE Scope and Sequence—Following is an example of one TEKS from three grade levels. This is an one TEKS from the CSCOPE SCOPE, or vertical alignment document (VAD) that you tell me has made such a difference in the success of your students.

According to CSCOPE directors, identifying the Action Verbs (Describe, Plan) and the objective of these verbs (type of experiment/investigation) clarifies the student expectations. I have confidence that teachers can figure this out for themselves.  

According to CSCOPE directors,  the depth and complexity of student expectations is the list following “Including, but not limited to..” I also have confidence that teachers can figure this out for themselves.  

Thus, the scope that some school administrators are paying $7/student/year and more is something teachers leaned when they attended middle school. It is an insult for administrators to say that teachers need the CSCOPE scope and sequence.

About CSCOPE Sequencing, which is also called Year At a Glance (YAG). Following is an example. This is the yearly schedule that is what superintendents are claiming teachers absolutely must have. Notice that the person who organized the science TEKS for the 5th grade placed Experimental Design as the last lessons for the school year, when it should have been first. This alone disqualifies the author of this schedule as knowing anything about science.

I respect teachers more than to blame them for this pitiful excuse for a schedule for science.

CSCOPE Lessons

No, you are barking at the wrong tree. The lessons they have provided offer rigor and relevance and can be flexible to meet our student’s needs. I do not know how teachers can bash this system. Shame on them!

This lady is way off. You might want to check this ladies credentials! These lessons are written by teachers with masters degrees in the prescriptive contents.
Who does she work for and why is she involved?
What is her take? Very upsetting to me!
I loved the lesson and as a professional, certified teacher, I make sure these lesson are relevant to our students. Shame on her!!

Since I wrote the article that this comment addresses, I am the lady whose credentials are in question. Well, while science wisdom will not die with me, I do give myself credit for understanding more about the scientific process skills as well as the elementary science content than most educators.  My science teaching experience of 27 years covered grades 6-high school sciences.—-My preferences were chemistry and physics.

My science research experience in elementary, middle school as well as high school science is shown by the 50+ published science experiment books –John Wiley & Sons Publishing.

My present science explorations are with color changing  thermochromic dyes, photochromic dyes, and Liquid Crystals. I am working with Hallcrest/ThermoSmart, the company who designed Mood Rings. My objective is to develop science investigations as well as science/craft  for the chromic products I design. The first product that is on the market contain a series of investigations that students K-12 could use to discover why fall leaves turn from green to yellow to red. I designed labels coated with different thermochromic dyes to model the color changes in fall leaves. Explanations are provided as well as additional experiments to extend the understanding of the science processes.

Thus, the answer to whom I work for is—Myself.

Why am I involved in seeing that the unapproved, never vetted, instruction material called CSCOPE is removed from Texas schools? Because is have a passion for education. Because I want Texas children to be provided the very best education Texas can offer. Because teachers were forced to sign a gag-order if they wanted to keep their jobs. Because the content of CSCOPE lessons was kept secret from the public until I started asking questions about the content of these lessons. The answers alarmed me of how dangerous the 20 Texas Education Service Centers are. Dangerous in that they with much stealth introduced biased political lessons into the Texas schools under their cloak of being part of the Texas Education Agency.

What is my take? Not sure I understand this question. But if you are asking about the reason for my tenacity for removing CSCOPE, the answer is to stop its cancerous destruction of Texas Education.

The comment ends with. “Shame on her!!”

 This last statement confirms that someone who is benefiting from the sale of CSCOPE wrote the comment. Would a teacher whose primary goal is to educate children defend CSCOPE? No.

Why are CSCOPE directors trying to discredit me? Of all the people who have testified against CSCOPE this past year, I am listed as the #1 CSCOPE critic. I am wearing this as a badge of honor.

What To Do Without CSCOPE?

Some superintendents are at a loss without CSCOPE. They are scurrying around like chickens without their heads.

Without the lessons, the CSCOPE Vendors are lowering their price for their Gutted CSCOPE Product.

Have the CSCOPE Vendors brought out their Survival Plan yet? I am guessing that they will.

I’ll be very surprised if the CSCOPE Vendors are not planning to offer help to schools —for a modest fee of course. The help will be described as ways to continue to align to the TEKS without the CSCOPE lessons. Remember the CSCOPE Vendors have contracts with companies who have supply kits  developed for the CSCOPE lessons.

Let’s Assume the CSCOPE Survival Plan is ready.

How much do you think the CSCOPE Survival Plan will cost?
Will it be a yearly rental fee or a special one-time fee?

My guess is a one-time fee of $10,000 —what do you think the fee will be?

Assuming the CSCOPE Vendors do sell a survival plan to school districts, how many districts will buy it?

Think about this: The CSCOPE Vendors have only had a few days to develop a survival plan, so what educational value will it provide for your children? I suggest parents contact their schools and find out. 

You can also contract your local CSCOPE Vendor  HERE.

Yes, the CSCOPE Vendors are the 20 Texas Education Service Centers. These are multitasking workers who work for the state as well as run a private business.  Are they keeping the millions of dollars of grant money separate from the millions of dollars taken in from CSCOPE Sales. I think I’d prefer to have the vendor separated from these state agencies.

Some honor roll students are being required to attend summer school to take make-up classes in a subject they made an A or B on in class, but failed on the STAAR. Since teachers do not know what a student missed on the STAAR test, they will be re-mediating  students using the same materials used during the school year. Thus, honor roll students are being asked to learn material they already know.

Students that might pass a subject with a C in a subject also attend summer school if the fail that subject on the  STAAR test. As with honor roll students, teachers do not know what the student missed on the STAAR. It doesn’t matter, summer school is not designed to individual students. Instead, a set of prepared materials are taught in a short period of time.

If a student fails a subject in class as well as on the STAAR, the student goes to summer school and then passes to the next grade. Think about this. If a student doesn’t understand math and fails, how could this same student within the few days of summer school be taught all the math concepts presented during the school year and understand them?  

After attending summer school, are students given the STAAR again?

I’ll be researching unanswered questions in this blog.

If your child failed because of the STAAR,  I suggest that you challenge the administration. After all, it is your child that is being labeled as a failure. Questions that you might want to ask are:

• Of what value are the class grades if only STAAR grades are used for promotion?
  
• If a student fails in his classes, but passes the STAAR tests, is that student promoted?
• Do you think that with 100% accuracy, the STAAR tests access the abilities of every student?
• Is it possible that some students understand the material, as shown by class work, but do not test well?
• Since my child has passed his class work, do you think his teacher(s) have inflated his grades?
  If not, then his class grades reflect his understanding of the material presented. Why is he being failed if he his teacher has assessed his understanding during the entire school year and has given him a passing grade?

If CSCOPE was used, point out that the vendor selling CSCOPE lessons has chosen to delete these lessons and never sell them again. In exchange the CSCOPE lessons will not be reviewed by the State Board of Education and the results publicized. Since there is evidence that some of the CSCOPE lessons were plagarized, some have incorrect information, some have biased political content, etc…… Ask:

• What evidence is there that using CSCOPE lessons has prepared my child for the STAAR?
• Is it possible that my child has learned the incorrect content of the CSCOPE lessons, thus failed the STAAR?

While you are asking questions, find out what material is being used in summer school. Also, ask if the school plans to return to using textbooks. Ask if CSCOPE has been removed.

Parents, please don’t let school administrators try to bully you. Any administrator worth his salt will sit on the same side of the desk with you instead of behind the desk where he/she is in charge. This is a meeting to discuss your child and what is best for him/her. It is not a court case or shouldn’t be.

Some administrators make an effort to confuse parents with education terms not familiar to most parents, nor do they have to be. Terms such as, vertical alignment, instructional information documents, year at a glance schedules, alignment with the TEKS, etc…………………… If you do not understand what is being said, stop the speaker as ask for explanation. Know that just because you do not understand what I call “Educaneze,” which is educational buzz words, don’t think you would be considered stupid if you admit this. It is unprofessional for school administrators to do this, but too many want to be in control. Keep reminding yourself that it is your child that will be punished if you do not stand up to this person. Also, you could very well be the one who gives other parents the courage to do the same.

Do not go alone. Make sure you have someone with you. Before you leave, restate what you understand and ask for confirmation that it is correct. Either record the meeting, which is best, or take notes and ask the administrator to sign them. Do not think about this making the administrator angry. It shouldn’t if they are providing accurate information. Just keep reminding your self that you are standing in the gap for your child.

The hardest part or at least it is for me, is to not get angry. Take deep breaths to keep your self calm. Don’t let the administrator rush you. After all, your child is being failed and you want evidence to support this decision.

Please share your experience so other can benefit from it. One parent questioned his child being failed and the decision was reversed. The honor roll student does not have to repeat an entire year of social studies.

Why has going to school caused little children to cry and become so stressed they vomit?

What pressure is causing teachers to fear losing their jobs?

What would parents like stopped?

Why would principals cheat?

The answer to all of the question is the STAAR.

When Should State Testing Be STOP?

When the test is no longer assessing student progress, instead it is a “money cow.”

When test results determine whether a student passes or fails an entire year of school or a specific course.

When administrators force teachers to improperly administer the test so the school receives higher marks.

When administrators force teachers to drill instead of teach.

When textbooks are discarded for a product like CSCOPE that guarantees success on the test.

When a private organizations like the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) works to stop the test.

When the test is suppose to be the purpose of every lesson taught.

When the reputation of the company controlling the test is questionable.

When the standards the test is based on limit curriculum content.

When the state education agency becomes dictatorial instead of part of a working team to educate children.

From my point of view, the driving force of Texas Education is one thing, STATE TESTING.

I am suggesting that state testing be put on hold in 2013-2014 so that Texas schools can get back to educating students instead of preparing them for the yearly STAAR Tests. Since the legislature is allowing some Texas Public Schools to opt out of the State Testing, its time for parents to opt their children out of the state test in 2013-2014. 

Administrators who cannot do their job unless they have a curriculum guide like CSCOPE need to be replaced with someone who can. No contract buy outs. Some Superintendents make big $ by not doing their job and then accept a buy out of their contract. A record of superintendent transfers is needed. Will someone volunteer to collect this?

Following is an article about a principal accused of improperly administering a state test. Is the principal guilty? Does this happen often? TEA allows the superintendent of the school district to be in charge of an internal investigation to determine if the accused principal is guilty or not. Let’s imagine another parallel situation where the superintendent encouraged principals to do what ever it took to improve student grades on the state tests. A principal is reported for improper administration of the tests. In the past when this happened, TEA was notified but not the local news. It was all swept neatly under a rug and school proceeded as before. Are the grades of select student groups being inflated? The test results have not been valid for this school in years, yet some students have been retained, some forced to attend summer school, and some have repeated subjects.

School Board Discusses Principal Suspension

The TEKS and STAAR/EOC tests are suppose to raise the level of education in Texas. Well, how is it working?
As far as I can determine, the only thing being raised is the amount of money being spent on the tests and my blood pressure.

What Value is the Results of the STAAR/EOCs  Tests?

Since the tests are never viewed by educators, what guarantees parents that their children are being accurately accessed?

The value of the grades is determined by ???? Who puts a value on these test grades? I think it is Pearson Publishing, the
company who is paid $100 million each year to produce the STAAR/EOC Tests. Since no one views these tests, Pearson is the one who totally controls how Texas students are accessed. How does Pearson determine who passes and who fails?

No TEST Should Trump Grades Earned During the Entire School Year

One child was given an award for being on the A/B honor roll the whole school year. Two days later the same
child was informed that she had failed the STAAR social studies test and would have to repeat this course. When parents requested to view the STAAR test as well as their child’s grades for the school year, The 2 failing points on the STAAR test was no longer considered.

Another parent has reported the same thing. Her son has passing grades, but is being required to attend summer school because of failing part of the STAAR test. What is the point of students attending school when the STAAR tests determine whether they pass or fail. Kids that fail the STAAR wasted their time attending classes all year. What educational benefit does it provide for kids to attend a face-paced summer school class? If kids really do not understand a subject, would they pass the STAAR after attending summer school? I say no. What about honor roll students who fail the STAAR. Who is at fault here? Most likely no one. The pressure placed on students to pass the STAAR is contributing to failing grades. Some students do not function at their best under pressure.

Parents —I suggest that you do not allow your child to fail because of the STAAR. No one has said that it works in the opposite direction. If a student fails all year long and passes the STAAR Tests, are they promoted to the next grade?   

The STAAR/EOC Tests are fact based while CSCOPE and other constructivist/progressive instructional materials are not not based on facts. Thus, students in schools using progressive, project based learning, such as CSCOPE, are not prepared to take a fact based tests, such as STAAR/EOC. Do administrators purchasing CSCOPE know this? YES! Why would administrators purposely force teachers to use instruction materials that are based on the opinions of students, authors of the curriculum instead of facts? I have pondered on this for months. What do you think?

1. Schools with failing students receive more grant money from the state and Federal Government.
Millions of dollars are poured into schools with failing students.

Millions of dollars is spent re-mediating students who are achieving to the best of their abilities. No matter,  placing students in certain categories can result in more grant money.

2. The Education Service Centers who sell CSCOPE receive more grant money if they have failing schools in their regions. I am talking about Multi-Millions of dollars.

Educating failing students is one of if not the biggest money making business in the United States. I chal

lenge parents to research the amount of money received by Texas Schools for students tagged as At Risk (possible drop-outs),  non-readers, low math grades. Compare that to grant money for gifted and talented students.

I taught at Waco H.S. for a few years when students who were considered to be “At Risk” were paid to attend school. Paid money just to have their bodies in the building. No, they did not have to behave or participate in class or make passing grades. As a teachers, I considered paying these kids more money to not attend so other students could learn.

The truth was that local businesses provided the money and by being at school, at least in the morning, the school’s average daily attendance increased, thus more money from the state.

If you don’t understand things about education, generally there is a money trail. Sad but so very true. The STAAR/EOC Tests are one of the biggest money making racket in our state. Pearson Publishing prints and grades these tests. Pearson Publishing gives money to Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) who are fighting to get rid of the STAAR/EOC TESTs. Pearson Publishing is now being recommended by Senator Patrick as having curriculum to replace CSCOPE lessons. Pearson Publishing owns Texas’ Virtual Education. Pearson Publishing sells materials for students and teachers to help them pass the STAAR/EOC Tests. As far as I know, other publishing companies are not allowed to view the STAAR/EOC tests. Doesn’t Pearson Publishing have unfair market advantage? Isn’t this called a monopoly? The same is true for the CSCOPE vendor.

What Effect is the STAAR/EOCs Having On Students?

The following is from a parent of elementary children.

I really need some one to listen ! My two daughters have loved school every since they stepped through the door.

When they started taking the STAAR tests, in the beginning they didn’t know the meaning.

Things really changed this school year. School was no longer fun. With one child in the 4th and the other in the 5th, the pressure of preparing for the STAAR changed my girls. Before  my girls were subjected to da

y in and day out prepping and drilling for the infamous STAAR tests, my girls were happy. I picked up smiling, bubbling children excited to show me what they had done that day. Now, my girls don’t like school. Younger students still bounce out to the cars of parents, but not older kids who are always under the threat of failing the STAAR.

SOMEONE PLEASE HELP OUR CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!

Senator Patrick has shown us that we cannot trust our legislatures to help. If anything, the 83rd legislature lowered the Texas education standards and gave the CSCOPE vendor a pat on wrist. I do thank Freshman Steve Toth for standing his ground and standing up for education. His bill will place some control on the rogue Education Service Centers in Texas.

It is obvious that the STAAR/EOCs must be stopped. State tests can be useful if given to access progress. But the STAAR/EOC Tests are not achieving this. Will teachers go wild and only teach about their favorite topics, such as butterflies or dinosaurs? This is what the CSCOPE directors promote. If such a ludicrous thing was happening, it would be the principal’s responsibility to get the teacher back on track. The idea that a rigorous state tests results in good educators is stupid at best.

Let’s shelf the state tests for now. They are doing more damage than good.

http://www.publiceddread.com/2009/05/hello-where-did-knowledge-go.html

 

Kara Sands is a concerned mother who has paid her own travel expenses to Austin with hopes of persuading Texas legislatures to straighten up Education Messes they have created. For example, Senate bill 6 allows school superintendents to use textbook money to purchase unapproved instructional material, such as CSCOPE. 

Please listen to Alice Linahan Communication Team Conference Call – audio clip (easy listening on iPhone, iPad, computers) – 5.30.13

SEN. “Let’s Make a Deal” DAN PATRICK Bargins with CSCOPE Vendor—
KARA SANDS TELLS IT ALL

 If you want to hear the inside scoop about what goes on in the Texas Capitol, please listen to this audio clip.  Kara Sands, a concerned mother, and various other guests such as Ginger Russell and Rebecca Forrest were on this conference call.

 LINK TO AUDIO CLIP — https://soundcloud.com/alice-linahan