e g h iin Ti er l THE
Oct. 13, 2009 Volume 50 Issue 5
1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
After third year of failing to reach all expectations,
State goals leave CF behind Kaylee Micu Staff Writer
A student with dyslexia struggles to read the book between her hands while her classmates speed through it with ease. Another fails his math test while all the others seem to pass. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program is targeted toward helping schools raise the test scores of all students such as these, yet for the third straight year, Cedar Falls High School has missed the required expectations in some of the overall categories required by the federal government in this education law. Each year through NCLB the federal government requires a state-wide standardized test to see the yearly improvement of schools by looking at the overall test scores. The federal government looks at the overall test scores in a number of categories of the school instead of individual test scores. This is one of the flukes of
of not meeting the required scores, NCLB. By looking at the overall test corrective action is taken. This scores, some argue that the federal can include replacing of staff, new government can’t really tell how curriculum and outside consultants. well the school is doing because The fifth year, the school may be for some students, there is just no restructured. The school may have motive to do well on the standardto reopen as a charter school, and ized tests because it doesn’t help private contractthese students in the ing managements future, though there may come in; are consequences for outside managetheir school if the required trajectory is —Dan Conrad ments could turn school over to not met. Director of Secondary the the state, and funIf a school fails Education damental reforms to meet the required could be offered. trajectory its first The sixth year, a restructuring plan year, there is no consequence. The will be developed for the prior year. second year, however, the school is “There have been some good put on the Schools in Need of Assisthings that have come out of this. tance (SINA) list, and it must offer It’s not all bad. It has forced school its students the chance to transfer districts to look at their data a lot to a school in the same district that more,” Director of Secondary Eduis not on the list. The third year, the cation Dan Conrad said. offer to transfer must still be offered NCLB was enacted effective on as well as providing tutors for those Jan. 8, 2002, by President George below the minimum competency W. Bush after he took office. NCLB in required areas. In the fourth year
was started so that children who struggled in school would not be left behind. NCLB has certain requirements for schools for each year the standardized test is given. In 2002, juniors in high school were required to have a trajectory of 69 percent above minimum levels in both math and reading. By 2005 the trajectory was expected to be 74.2 percent, 79.3 percent by 2008, 84.5 percent by 2011, 89.7 percent by 2012, 94.8 percent by 2013 and a 100 trajectory by 2014. Cedar Falls High School is in its third year of not meeting the criteria for reading and its first year of not meeting the required test scores for math. The subgroup of special education students has been below the NCLB requirements for minimum proficiency. “It’s a game we can’t win,” Conrad said. Even though special education students have special needs, they’re still expected to take the same test as everyone else. Almost all 4A schools
are on the SINA list, though most other school districts that are similar in size to Cedar Falls are in their seventh and eighth years on the SINA lists. Smaller schools don’t need to worry as much about the NCLB because it’s almost impossible to meet the minimum numbers required in the subgroups such as race to get a reliable sampling of students. The high school has programs that help students, whether they’re in special education or not. Dr. Tracy Johns helps students with homework, math and reading in a special class called RAMP so that some students can have good grades throughout the entire school year and skills for raising their standardized test scores. On a positive note, compared to other schools, the high school is doing well on requirements for graduation rates. Cedar Falls High School has around a 97-98 percent graduation rate, while the state-wide average is only 88 percent.
ent topics, like learning to compete and about advertising, finance and entrepreneurship,” Matt Flaherty, the DECA adviser, said. “My favorite part was hanging out with a bunch of different people and the hypnotist was awesome,” junior Kaitlyn Gillett said. “The conference was a lot of fun, and we did a lot of team building activities. It was a really good experience,” sophomore Makayla Abbas said. In addition to this conference, the group goes to a district competition in January at Hawkeye Community College. There is also a state competition in Des Moines at the end of February. “If students place first or second at State, they advance and compete
that the state DECA group decides to give to; this year, it’s the Heart Connection,” Entz said. Belonging to DECA benefits students interested in business. “I think that DECA has really helped me in a lot of ways,” Entz said. “In taking me to Atlanta and Anaheim, it has really taught me a ton. The experience is indescribable; I have experienced so many things there that I can’t here in Cedar Falls. I saw an NBA playoff game in Atlanta and a Dodgers game in Anaheim, and each time being around all of those other businesspeople really helps you to network and have a great time learning from the culture and the people around you. “And obviously, it teaches me
a lot about business and how such systems work.” “DECA is such an awesome experience, and I will definitely be in it through senior year. I’m meeting a lot of great people, and it’s an awesome way to have a good time and learn a lot,” sophomore Lauren Bannon said. There was a total of 48 students that participated in the recent conference, but DECA is still growing. “I have had a number of students ask to still be in DECA, and students can still come to meetings and join to be a part of the competitions and service projects and fundraising we will do,” Flaherty said. DECA meets every other Thursday morning in room 275 at 7:30 a.m.
“It’s a game we can’t win.”
DECA offers glimpse inside business world Jayne Durnin Staff Writer
DECA’s motto is Live Learn Lead, and that’s exactly what’s happening in the CFHS DECA chapter. DECA, or Distributive Education Clubs of America, is a business and marketing organization for students who are interested in marketing or business fields. Members of DECA write papers, take tests and present plans to judges at district and state competitions. The CFHS DECA group recently attended the fall conference in Des Moines. “Students listened to a couple of keynote speakers on leadership and making your way in the future. They also had breakout sessions on differ-
at the national competition in May. This year it is in Louisville, Ky.,” Flaherty said. In competitions, students can either write papers or manuals on research topics or create their own business or advertising plans. “If you write a paper, you get to present it in front of a judge. If you take a test, you also do a role-play, where you’re given a fake scenario and you have to find a business model or a set of ideas that you can apply to the situation, and then present it as best as possible,” senior Alex Entz said. As well as competing, CFHS DECA tries to organize a community service activity. “Most DECA chapters give some portion of what they earn to a charity