Board Resolution 1: Commendation to the Convention Committee
Background
“To him at least the Door in the Wall was a real door, leading through a real wall to immortal realities.” Teachers lead students to their own “real doors.” As teachers, we must cross our own thresholds to new methodologies, curriculum, assessment tools, and other ideas to urge students to cross the thresholds of their “real doors.” “Crossing Thresholds” and CATE 2000 provide these opportunities because of the efforts of many dedicated volunteers.
Resolution
Resolved that the California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) congratulate and commend the following chairpersons, committee members, and assistants who have worked so hard on CATE 2000, “Crossing Thresholds”
Convention Chairs – Angus Dunstan and Cecil Morris
Convention Coordinator – Kermeen “Punky” Fristrom
Convention Program Chair – Suzanne Packard Laughrea
Local Arrangements Chair – Marla Sullivan
Pre-Convention Chair – Kathy Dixon
Treasurer – Anne Fristrom
Registrar – Linda Scott
Registration Chair – Susan Karpowicz
Decorations Chair – Lesley Fontanilla
Speakers’ Hospitality – Noie Koehler
T-shirts and Sweatshirts – Susan Snyder
Lesson Plan Exchange Chair – Gini Grossenbacher
Program Committee – Debi Pitta and Lisa Blake
Program and Registration Materials Design – Susan Tuimoloau of Get SET Graphics
CATE Membership – Linda Stockton
CYRM – Lorraine Tracey
Webmaster – Larry Jordan
Printer – Non-Stop Printing
Flyer Distribution – Precision Assembly
Exhibits – KAW Company
Resolution 1: Correlation of the California Language Arts Content Standards and the SAT9
Background
The Stanford 9 Achievement Test, a nationally norm-referenced test, was approved by the State Board of Education, the State Legislature, and the Governor for statewide administration beginning in 1997-98, in grades 2-11. During 1998-99, the Stanford 9 became the primary measure of California school performance serving as the basis for the placement of schools on the Academic Performance Index.
The match between instruction and assessment is an important factor in student achievement. The more closely standards-based instruction matches assessment, the better our students perform. California language arts teachers do not consider exclusive use of multiple-choice testing as an authentic assessment tool. Performance tests modeled on the Golden State Exams could reflect the ability of students to write coherent, critical analyses of textual material. Such tests assess basic requirements of the State Language Arts Content Standards as well as those skills most often used in language arts classrooms.
Resolution
Resolved that California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) urge the State Board of Education to develop various measures of student progress toward the Language Arts Content Standards, such as portfolio assessment and the direct assessment of writing. And be it further
Resolved that the CATE urge the State Board of Education to suspend the use of the SAT9 and develop an assessment that has a closer correlation to the Language Arts Content Standards.
To
Governor Gray Davis
The State Board of Education
Fair Test
All major print media
Resolution 2 – Consultation with Subject Matter Organizations
Background
In his proposed 2000 state budget, Governor Davis seeks to increase the K -12 State Fund by $1.6 billion, and also proposes measures to improve teacher recruitment and preparation such as the Teachers As a Priority Program (TAPP), the Teacher Housing Assistance Program, the Assumption Program of Loans for Education Grants (APLE), the increased allocation for the Subject Matter Projects and the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) program.
However, the emphasis on SAT 9 test scores, the prospect of the High School Exit Exam and the increase in the general workload of classroom teachers as a result of many recent reform initiatives make us uneasy.
When so much importance is attached to educational reform it is crucial that teachers are informed, consulted and respected. Instead, The California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) notes a widespread feeling of disillusionment, disenfranchisement and dismay among even the most dedicated and experienced teachers.
Resolution
Resolved that The California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) commend Governor Gray Davis for giving education such a high priority. And be it further
Resolved that CATE urge the Governor to include members from professional organizations representing language arts teachers in decisions regarding matters of curriculum and pedagogy, and to consult regularly with organizations such as CATE, CRA, CABE, CATESOL, CSLA and the California Subject Matter Projects, so that we can all cooperate in promoting improvement in student academic performance.
To
Governor Gray Davis
CRA
CABE
CATESOL
CSLA
CLA
Resolution 3 – The Use of the API
Background
In the past, The California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) has applauded authentic assessment (Resolutions in 1981, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995) but condemned the excessive use of standardized testing (Resolution 5, 1980; Resolution 3, 1996; and Resolution 2, 1999). The most recent resolution (1999) urged the State Board of Education to suspend the use of SAT 9 and develop an assessment that has a close correlation to the English/Language Arts Content Standards.
Nevertheless, the intervening years have seen increased reliance on standardized scores to make decisions about the education of children.
As one of his first attempts to institute educational reform, Governor Davis directed the State Board of Education to development a reliable, valid and fair set of assessments of school performance statewide, to be known as the Academic Performance Index (API). This index holds public schools accountable for the academic achievement of all California public school students. In a letter to the Los Angeles Times (January 25, 2000), Governor Davis stated:
In the first two years, the API will be based solely on test scores from the SAT 9 exam, the best gauge of educational quality available to us in California and the only statewide measure we have.
Most teachers disagree with the governor’s premise that the SAT 9 is the best gauge of educational quality.
The state is forcing schools into high stakes testing before educators have had a chance to either adjust to the new standards, some of which are still being finalized, or to use new textbooks and other materials. Schools are being judged by test results without really knowing what is being measured or how the results should be interpreted.
CATE joins NCTE, the American Research Association, and the American Psychological Association in their support of the National Council on Measurement in Education’s Standard for Educational and Psychological Measurement 8.12 which, in effect for more than 25 years now, states:
In elementary or secondary education, a decision or characterization that will have a major impact on a test taker should not automatically be made on the basis of a single test score. (1975, p. 54).
The state does not currently abide by this clear standard.
The same standard applies to a high stakes test that is used to judge school performance.
Although CATE has widely distributed its very strong positions on high-stakes testing and norm-referenced testing in general, it has, so far, not been able to derail the political engine of high-stakes testing. It is time to plan specific action.
Resolution
Resolved that The California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) appoint CATE’s Policy Chair to publicize and disseminate research findings regarding the political, educational, and social impact of high-stakes testing. And be it further
Resolved that CATE urge school districts to inform parents and guardians of their right to submit “a written request to school officials to excuse their children from any or all parts” of the Stanford 9, pursuant to Ed. Code 60615. And be it further
Resolved that CATE encourage professional teacher organizations to support and mobilize growing opposition and resistance to high-stakes testing conducted by the state. And be it further
Resolved that CATE appoint the Resolutions Chair to work constructively on the above resolutions with other organizations concerned with high-stakes testing.
To
Governor Gray Davis
State Board of Education
NCTE
ARA
APA
NCME
Fair Test
PTA
The California Curriculum Correlating Council (4C’s)
All major print media
Resolution #4 – Truth in Testing
Background
In the 1970’s, New York state passed Truth-in-Testing legislation which required makers of college admissions exams (ETS and ACT) to provide test takers with a copy of the exam with the desired answers and the student’s own responses. The process exposed many flawed items and made the entire testing enterprise more open to public scrutiny.
In California, the High School Exit Exam Committee has identified the Content Standards which the exam will address, although there has been no indication that the committee will adopt full disclosure of the actual, past test items. In November, the California State Board of Education approved emergency regulations for STAR 2000 test preparation which stated:
No administration or use of an alternate or parallel form of the designated test for any stated purpose shall be permitted.
This regulation, in effect, makes the form and content of the state test secret. This form of secrecy not only hides from students what they should learn, but it also prevents parents and taxpayers from knowing what the state really expects of their children.
While The California Association of Teachers of English (CATE), in principle, condemns the use of a single test score to make decisions about the educational future of a student, the least that can be done to offset the harmful effects of high-stakes testing is to disclose past items for review and scrutiny.
Resolution
Resolved that California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) request that the High School Exit Exam Advisory Committee make public all forms of the test, after they have been administered. And be it further
Resolved that CATE urge the California Department of Education to reverse the regulation that prohibits the use of an alternate or parallel form of the STAR test so that students can review past items, especially those that purport to assess standards. And be it further
Resolved that CATE urge the legislature to enact Truth in Testing legislation.
To
Governor Gray Davis
State Board of Education
Fair Test Organization
All major print media
CPTA
Resolution 5 – Support for Library Bond
Background
Proposition 14, California Reading and Literacy Improvement and Public Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act of 2000, would provide for a bond issue of $350 M to provide funds for the construction and renovation of public library facilities. Such funding would expand access to reading and literacy programs in California’s schools and expand public library services for all residents of California.
Resolution
Resolved that The California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) support the passage of Proposition 14 to provide funds for the construction and renovation of public library facilities.
To
Committee in Favor of Proposition 14
California Library Association
California School Library Association
California Reading Association
All major print media
Resolution 6 – English Language Learners, SAT 9, and the API
Background
As one of his first attempts to institute educational reform, Governor Gray Davis proposed that the State Board of Education direct the development of a reliable, valid and fair set of assessments of school performance statewide, to be known as the Academic Performance Index (API). This Index would nurture, promote and hold public schools accountable for the academic achievement of all California public school students.
Upon passage of SB1X, the State Board of Education established the Public School Accountability Advisory Committee. As its first task, the committee adopted a set of guidelines stating that it would not recommend any assessment or process that was not valid or fair.
In the fall, 1999, 28 committee members considered the issue of including the Stanford 9 academic achievement test scores of students with limited English proficiency in the state’s new Academic Performance Index. This index would be used to make decisions regarding rewards or sanctions for each school.
Because 25 percent (close to 1.5 million) of California’s students have limited English proficiency, the committee labored over whether or not to include the test scores of students with limited English.
According to Eugene Garcia, a former member of this advisory committee and the Dean of Graduate School of Education, UC Berkeley, an analysis of last year’s Stanford 9 test scores showed that students with limited English guessed at the answer five to six times more frequently than English-speaking students.
This data, combined with other concerns, led the committee to recommend to the State Board of Education (SBE) that the scores for these students be excluded from the Academic Performance Index until a reliable, valid and fair assessment could be put in place. Such an assessment is currently being developed.
However, the SBE ignored the committee’s recommendation and instead adopted a plan mandating that those limited-English-proficient students be assessed. These students scored poorly, and such scores went into their permanent records.
Moreover, the Academic Performance Index is in a “high-stakes” system. On the basis of this test alone, schools could either be rewarded or dissolved. Since schools are assessed for their academic performance through this index, those schools with large numbers of limited-English-proficient students — and there is a significant number in this state — will be measured with a ruler that is academically suspect and potentially disadvantageous.
Resolution
Resolved that The California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) urge Governor Gray Davis and the State Board of Education to expedite the development of an assessment of limited English proficient students (the English Language Development Assessment). And be it further
Resolved that CATE urge school districts to inform all parents and guardians of their right to submit “a written request to school officials to excuse their children from any or all parts” of the Stanford 9, pursuant to Education Code 60615.
To
State Board of Education
Governor Gray Davis
Fair Test Organization
All major print media
California PTA
Resolution 8 – NCTE Convention Sites
Background
In 1998 the Executive Committee of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) changed the procedure for selecting sites for the NCTE annual convention. Prior to this time, affiliates were invited to submit proposals for the convention and NCTE selected a convention site from the proposals. Under the change in procedure, NCTE selected the convention site and then told the local affiliate that they would host the convention at the site selected. The first site selected by this method was San Francisco. This new procedure is totally unacceptable to The California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) and to other affiliates across the country.
CATE President Robin Luby presented the following motion at the NCTE Annual Business Meeting for the Board of Directors and Other Members of the Council on Friday, November 20, 1998; Nashville, Tennessee. According to the minutes:
Robin Luby, California, moved that the NCTE Executive Committee reevaluate the new policy of selecting a convention site and then informing the local affiliate, and return to its former policy of advertising and soliciting proposals from affiliates within the designated area so that affiliates are integral, supportive PARTNERS in the convention process; seconded by [the Parliamentarian]. The motion carried.
While the NCTE Executive Committee did reevaluate its new policy of selecting a convention site, the result of the reevaluation still denied affiliates their rightful role within the process. The reevaluated process still called for NCTE to select possible sites for the convention without prior notification or invitation from the affiliates in those areas. Affiliates are informed of the site selection only after the locations to be considered have been chosen by NCTE. Notifying an affiliate that it will be responsible for hosting an NCTE convention causes unexpected hardships for an affiliate. For example, the selection of San Francisco as NCTE convention site using the changed selection procedure forced CATE to relocate its state conference planned for the same city, and to shift responsibility for the relocated state conference to CATE membership in a different part of the state to accommodate NCTE’s actions. This hardship sets a dangerous precedent for affiliates who may be adversely affected by NCTE’s new convention selection procedure, and creates a resentful rather than cooperative relationship between affiliates and NCTE.
The CATE Board of Directors made its concerns known to NCTE. In part the board said:
This convention selection process turns the world upside down. NCTE must realize that it is an honor for NCTE to be invited by an affiliate to hold its convention in the affiliate’s region. It is not an honor for the affiliate to have NCTE impose its convention on the affiliate’s region. Such an action imposes a great deal of work on hundreds of people who already work 60 hour weeks and volunteer to help put on the convention out of their professionalism and commitment to teaching. The thousands of hours of work and the high level of inconvenience are worthwhile if the affiliate takes the initiative to invite NCTE to come. It is onerous if NCTE invites itself.
In the original criteria for selection included in the reevaluated policy, the most important criterion was not mentioned. It is the existence of a strong affiliate in the area being considered. To the credit of the committee, they did (say they would) add, “Must be able to support the largest possible attendance, including the presence of an affiliate willing to host.” Unfortunately, this phrase, “including the presence of an affiliate willing to host,” is not part of the current procedure.
It is also unfortunate that some of the criteria are so specific that they \would eliminate all but one or two possible convention sites within each region.
In September, 1999, the CATE board once more directed President Robin Luby to present a motion at the NCTE Annual Business Meeting. She made the following motion at its meeting in Denver, Colorado in November, 1999.
On behalf of the Boards of Directors of the California Association of Teachers of English and the Greater San Diego Council of Teachers of English, I move that the NCTE Executive Committee revoke the new policy of selecting a convention site and then informing the local affiliate, and return to its former policy of advertising and soliciting proposals from affiliates within the designated area at the beginning of the selection process.
The motion had the unanimous support of the NCTE Committee on Affiliates and received a unanimous vote of approval at the business meeting.
On January 21, 2000, NCTE Director of Affiliates, Millie Davis, sent President Robin Luby a copy of the current procedures for the Selection of NCTE Convention Sites. The current procedures are identical to the procedures rejected by the CATE board, the NCTE Committee on Affiliates and the NCTE Annual Business Meeting.
Resolution
Resolved that CATE urge the NCTE Executive Committee to revise its convention selection procedures so that affiliates in the appropriate geographical area are provided the opportunity to bid to host the convention before the NCTE board or staff takes any other actions concerning the convention. And be it further
Resolved that CATE urge the NCTE board to change the word “criteria” to “guidelines” in its convention selection procedures. And be it further
Resolved that CATE urge the NCTE board to include in its guidelines for selecting a convention site “the existence of a strong local affiliate willing to host the convention.”
To
Faith Schullstrom, Executive Director NCTE
Jerome Harste, NCTE President
NCTE Executive committee
All NCTE affiliates
NCTE Affiliate Task Force
Print Media
Oakland Tribune
Orange County Register
Los Angeles Daily News
Riverside Press-Enterprise
Santa Barbara News-Press
Long Beach Press-Telegram
San Bernardino County Sun
Education Week
Los Angeles Times
Sacramento Bee
San Francisco Chronicle
San Diego Union Tribune
San Jose Mercury News
Fresno Bee
Modesto Bee
Bakersfield Californian
California Educator
California Teacher