Williams considers changing state’s math curriculum and ending CATS
FRANKFORT –Kentucky should consider changing how math is taught in its public schools and ending its student testing system, Senate President David Williams said Monday.
Williams, R-Burkesville, also said Kentucky should look at whether its Medicaid program is in line with surrounding states and if cost-cutting measures could be enacted in the state’s corrections program.
Williams’ comments to reporters during an availability in his Capitol Annex office came a day before the start of Kentucky’s 2009 General Assembly, which is to tackle a nearly half-billion budget shortfall in this fiscal year that ends June 30.
Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear has proposed a hike in the state cigarette tax and other cost-cutting measures to address the shortfall.
Before raising taxes, Williams said, Kentucky should “look at every effort that we can make to save money, and we will be addressing some of those in the next few days.”
Williams noted that 80 percent of the state budget goes to Medicaid, education and corrections.
Possible cost-saving measures, Williams said, is changing the state’s math curriculum and replacing the Commonwealth Accountability Testing system with norm-reference tests such as multiple-choice tests.
Williams claimed that the move would save “millions of dollars” in remediation.
Advocates for ending CATS claim it does not adequately track individual student progress and the current testing system hasn’t prepared Kentucky students for higher studies or to compete with peers from other states.
The 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act, or KERA, established much of the current testing system.
Bob Sexton, executive director of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, said elimination of CATS “isn’t a prudent step.”
He said millions of federal dollars could be at risk if Kentucky abolished the testing system.
–Jack Brammer
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Pat Retired KY Teacher | Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
I am heartened to hear Senate President David Williams is studying the effectiveness of CATS and the math expectations of KY students.
anne | Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
Legislators have ne business meddling in curriculum. That applies most especially to David Williams.
IMHO | Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
But CATs is working (sarcasm intended).
anne | Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
corrected!!!!
Legislators have no business meddling in curriculum. That applies most especially to David Williams.
Clay | Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
Maybe Sir David should check with Corrections and find out if Corrections Mental Health staff even come to the office or if they get paid while working private interest at the same time.
Inept and corrupt
Joe | Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
Corrections should not be exempt from anything. We need to let more inmates have home incarceration, let them eat their own food, use their own electricity and have them check in every now and then. Then we can cut the Corrections staff, save on health care and finally get it under control. Look at the health care cost for inmates. They get better care than working people and that aint right. Corrections or any other 24/7 facilities should not be exempt from furloughs either.
The problem with the CATS testing is after it is administered in April, the teachers don’t do anything the rest of the year. Heck, might as well let the kids out early, cut the teachers’ salaries and save money there too.
Medicaid needs to be reformed too. We have too many people sitting at home just waiting for the check. We need to get them off their butt, turn off Jerry Springer and put them to work somewhere.
IMHO | Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
test
Bill Adkins | Jan 6, 2009 | Reply
Department of Corrections has become an extravagance, because of its failure, that Kentucky can no longer afford. The proposal to cut education and leave corrections funding alone is backwards thinking. More education equals less corrections – I say increase education by at least 8 percent, look hard at higher education for increased funding so as to make it more available to PERFORMING students, and come up with alternatives to incarceration to those who\’ve committed non-violent and/or victimless offenses. The failure of corrections is an extension of the failure of the judiciary and the legislature. We\’re in a hole, people – time to stop digging.
agreement needed | Jan 6, 2009 | Reply
Did Bill Adkins just agree with David Williams? The sky must be falling.
CATS is a joke and the way we implement testing is a joke. If eliminating CATS will jeopardize funding why other states get funds without CATS.
Why do we put so many people in jail and have to pay to keep them. I say put on a bracelet and let them pay their own way.
Why have we not heard anything about the cost of construction? Quit building monuments to mayors, judges and school administrators and start building functional buildings. Let the market decide wage rates not some union official with deep pockets from another state.
Come on Kentucky get a grip!
Bill Adkins | Jan 6, 2009 | Reply
Obviously David Williams has been reading my mail.
IMHO | Jan 6, 2009 | Reply
Careful Mr. Adkins, David Williams was outlining much of the same thing last night on Kentucky Tonight.
Bill Adkins | Jan 6, 2009 | Reply
A thousand David Williams and a thousand typewriters/keyboards —- he gets one almost right. And I don’t like that email method they’ve gone to, I prefer the phone in lines.
James | Jan 6, 2009 | Reply
As a teacher in the state I can tell you that while the NCLB legislation and CATS as well as portfolio requirements brought about some great things, their implementation and effectiveness are a completely different issue. At the high school level, most teachers have been reduced to “teaching to the test” out of fear of losing their jobs as a result of not doing so. In addition, the ACT is a required test as well so not only must you teach strategies for one test but you have to turn around a month later and teach a completely different strategy. Portfolios are supposed to be representative of students’ abilities. For the most part they are teacher engineered out of the self same fear. Let us get back to the business of teaching our students analytical thinking skills instead of teaching to an exam.
CATSisNOTthespice | Jan 8, 2009 | Reply
The comments of James are dead-on. I would venture to say that he has also produced incredibly bright children. Humble, even!
Pam | Jan 8, 2009 | Reply
I am a parent of 2 daughters who have now
graduated from high school and I must say that I agree with David Williams (I’m a democrat too!) CATS testing as far as I’m concerned has been pretty much useless. So has modern day teaching. We need to get back to basics and teach real math, reading
(starting out with Dick and Jane) and spelling. Most kids today have awful spelling habits because they were taught the “KERA” way. I respect education and teachers but we need to teach the way it was taught back in the 50s, 60s and 70s. We would have smarter children and teenagers I beleive. Lets take math back to the basics.