I have asked Melissa to please explain exactly what this means and how it will could effect Evansville.  She is so good at explaining these things.

“Overall, the waiver plan means we are at the point where Wisconsin gets serious about raising expectations for student achievement. Wisconsin is regarded as having one of the lowest bars in the U.S. for rating a student as proficient. No more, the proposal says.

A new generation of state standardized tests is due in 2014-’15. But the waiver proposal says that, even as we continue using the current tests, known as the Wisconsin Knowledge Concepts Examination (WKCE), kids statewide won’t be rated using the current measuring stick, beginning next year. They’ll be rated by the standards used by the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). And NAEP is a much tougher grader.

How much tougher? Here’s the comparison, based on results of the state tests from November 2010 (the most recent available results) and the results for NAEP testing of Wisconsin kids in early 2011:

Eighth-grade reading: Using the WKCE measuring stick, 86% of students were rated as “advanced” or “proficient.” Using the NAEP measuring stick, it was 35% – a 51-point difference. At least as vivid: Using the WKCE measure, 47% of eighth-graders were “advanced,” the top bracket. Using the NAEP measure, it was 3%. Three percent! In other words, only a handful of kids statewide would be labeled advanced under the new system, not the nearly half we’re used to.

Fourth-grade reading: On the WKCE scale, 82% were proficient or advanced. On the NAEP scale, it was 33%.

Eighth-grade math: WKCE, 78% proficient. NAEP: 41%.

Fourth-grade math: WKCE: 79% proficient. NAEP: 47%.

Clearly, either we’re going to drive down the picture of our children’s achievement by a huge amount or we’re going to drive up what a large number of them achieve. Or, perhaps, both will happen, in that order and over a few years. And all this at a time when the picture for school budgets is getting tighter and issues such as morale among teachers and principals and the future of those professions need to be taken very seriously.

(One thought: Think what these higher bars are going to mean to schools and districts where the percentages of kids rated as proficient are already small, which is to say, in most of Milwaukee.)

In a news release, Evers made a very interesting statement: “Increasing our expectations of what students need to know and be able to do, to match the reality of the 21st century, will not be easy.”

As a reader pointed out to me, increasing expectations shouldn’t be that hard. Why not have high expectations for every child and school? It’s increasing the actual results that ought to be hard.

I asked Evers about this. He said both expectations and results are hard to increase. Change isn’t easy.

The future job market, he said, will require today’s students to do more analysis, more “higher-level thinking,” as educators call it. In simple terms, they need to be better educated than kids of the past.

The nationwide education standards plan that Wisconsin is joining and the new testing regimen that is coming both are premised on the NAEP levels for rating student performance. Evers said Wisconsin needs to adopt the NAEP rating system if it is to get the federal waiver.

But in the bigger picture, he said, it’s not just about pleasing federal officials. Evers’ statement said the waiver request “is driven by the belief that increasing rigor across the standards, assessment and accountability system will result in improved instruction and improved student outcomes.”

On the phone, he said, “This is an opportunity for this state to move forward. . . . After this transition time, our system will be better.” He added, “The teachers and the students of the state are ready for this move. It’s a whole new world.”

Brace yourself. And order extra large servings of expectations, hope and willingness on everyone’s part to seek and support improvement.

Alan J. Borsuk is senior fellow in law and public policy at Marquette University Law School. Reach him at alan.borsuk@marquette.edu.”

Yikes…

http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/proposal-gets-serious-about-raising-the-bar-for-student-achievement-rv3vges-138276089.html

IF the story below does not break your heart , you have none.   When they catch who did this they need to duct tape them, hands, feet , mouth , nose, throw them in the road.   Let them be run over a few times,  then roll them into the ditch and let them lay there and die.    Maybe also poke them a few hundred times with a big sharp object.    Kick them..      That poor baby must have been so scared..   I am so sick of seeing people dump animals.    But at least if this poor baby had been dumped he would have had half a chance of survival.    EVEN though I may think this I would never encourage anyone to treat any living thing like this dog was treated.  NORMAL people do not kill animals or people.   When they find out who did this they need to be locked under the prison for life.

Just like when people dump house cat’s out at farm’s thinking they are a cat, it’s a farm with mice they will be fine.   WRONG the majority of them die.   After being indoor cats, and some even dewclaw they have a very hard time surviving on farms.   Most of the time it’s a death sentence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G15gcAAS3Yw

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I do not see this changing much of any thing.    As long as people are working out-of-town , people will shop out-of-town.    It’s cheaper and more to choose from.

It’s that simple.     I disagree with the comment that made ” People do not know we are here.”    ” People who live here do not know we are here.”   Baloney.

They know you are here but your prices are to high, and you do not offer enough variety.     I do the majority of my grocery shopping at Woodmans and will continue to do so because it has great variety and is cheaper than the Piggly Wiggly.    How ever I will shop at the pig for the specials .  But that is it.

Pharmacy,   I use Walgreens.   I can go most any where and find a walgreens.

Hardware store,     I shop here in town.. I love our hardware store.    If they do not have it they will get it if at all possible.

Radio Shack… Love it.  Great prices,   Great customer service.

Big ticket items  I will shop around.. We just bought a new washer and dryer .  They guy here in town did not want to meet the price I got Sears..  It was 150.00 cheaper at Sears and that is where we got it from.   Sears also waived the delivery charge, here the appliance store here in town was going to charge me for delivery and they are in town.

Unfortunately I do not see a lot changing because some of these people on these committee’s really are not interested in change.  They like it the way it is  or there would have been change by now.

They have tried to make change for years and it has never happened.

http://evansvilleobserver.blogspot.com/

A reader of one of the Madison news media wants the Wisconsin Assembly put on a terror watch list.   It does seem like some of them should be for all the terror and damage they have done to Wisconsin.

So when walker flies   do you think he gets a nice pat down?   He would probably enjoy it.    Maybe they should do a  cavity search on him as well.   One can not be to careful when it comes to him.

It will not be long before their reign of terror will be over.   All we need is one of the republicans to be recalled, even if  walker is not , which he will be.  But even if her were not to be  all we need is one of the republicans to lose in the recall and it’s game over for scottie boy.   Some have suggested he would then resign because the days of him pushing through his devastating agenda would be over.

Terror watch list..  loved that comment.

This mining deal as written is going to be a nightmare for Wisconsin and the environment.  Leave it to the republicans to try to push this through.  Bunch of crooks working for big business.

This will end up costing the state millions if it’s allowed to go ahead.

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This woman had an extra router that she used for this other email account.  Right there in the office.

No way he did not know.

Walls closing in  walker from all sides.

Even for as much of a idiot that walker is .  There is no way he did not know about this.  They keep arresting people closer and closer to him.

It’s really to bad Brett Davis is now dragged into this.

But Brett dance with the devil and you will get burned.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/138099588.html

http://www.channel3000.com/politics/30306010/detail.html

There are a lot of people assuming Gov.Walker is going to recalled.  I can not stand the guy,  I never voted for him to begin with and never would.

There is going to have to be a strong candidate running against him, and so far I see none.     We really need Russ Feingold to run.   That would almost guarantee a successful recall.

If walker is recalled and there is a new Governor.    What happens if this new Governor says ” No Way we are not going back to collective bargaining..”    I read a article on line this week stating  how much the State is saving by ending collective bargaining.    What if the new Governor points out we can not afford to go back.

There are a lot of people out there who are assuming get rid of walker and collective bargaining will come back.

There is no guarantee of that.   I will vote against him not just because of the collective bargaining issue  but also because the man is a crook, a liar , and has a devastating agenda for Wisconsin.

But Green County schools are lowering their tax levy?    How?   Could it be walker’s plan is working for them?   I am interested in knowing how they are doing this.

Evansville’s tax levy   has gone up the last couple of years and more than likely will next year.   There are no easy fixes for the mess they are in.

Scott Walker is bad for Wisconsin.

Please Russ Feingold run for Governor , give us 4 years.    It would so be a slam dunk.

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The big difference is Brodhead is losing money.  From what I have been told Evansville water and light is profitable.  They make money.

I found out this information when I quizzing someone about the pinwheel the city bought.

Damn right they make money because they are billing the crap out of their residents.

Our utility bills are going to match our tax bills pretty soon and we all know we pay way to much tax for what little we get.

So if Evansville water and light makes a profit, why are they raising our rates?

Brodhead has not raised it rates since 2005.  Evansville just raised their rates in 2007 now again?

Evansville is looking to raise their rates 9.5%   ridiculous.

http://www.themonroetimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=28159