AN ACTION PLAN TO ADDRESS THE EDUCATIONAL HARM CAUSED BY THE MEAP
Rouge Forum
AN ACTION PLAN TO ADDRESS THE EDUCATIONAL HARM CAUSED BY THE MEAP
The following draft plan was developed by the following four individuals pulling from multiple inputs of others: Michael Peterson, Georgie Peterson, Greg Queen, Katy Landless
Saturday, October 27, 2001. FREEDOM TO LEARN: Action Planning to Address Educational Problems of the MEAP. 10:00 3:00. Undergraduate Library, 3rd Floor, Community Room, Wayne State University. This meeting will bring together teachers, parents, administrators, state legislators, and others who are concerned with the damage that the MEAP is doing to the learning and mental health of children and the quality of schooling in Michigan. We will plan in greater detail the following events for this school year.
Events during MEAP administration time. We will engage in key activities during the early part of MEAP administration times: 01/28-02/15 Elementary and Middle School and 04/22-05/03 High School.
THEME: Push Back the MEAP, Bring Forward Real Learning.
January 30 - February 1. Lansing, Michigan. TAKING THE MEAP. We will collaboratively work with state legislators who are concerned with the MEAP to request all Senators and state Representatives to take a portion of the MEAP (past versions). We will dialogue with legislators regarding quality schooling and the impact of the MEAP.
February
2, 2002. PERSPECTIVES ON THE MEAP AND GOOD SCHOOLING.
Location: Undergraduate
Library, WSU. 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
This one-day conference will
provide an opportunity for those critical of the MEAP and those
who operate and support it to engage in dialogue, debate, and
learning. Anticipated invited speakers include: Tom Watkins, State
Superintent of Education; Paula Wood, Dean, College of Education,
Wayne State University;
Michael Peterson, Wayne State University. Mark Leyda, Department
of Treasury; Bruce Brousseau; David Woodward, State Representative;
Rich Gibson, San Diego State University; Wayne Ross, University
of Louisville; Nelson Maylone, Eastern Michigan University, and
more.
The conference will address key issues to include: content of the MEAP; impact on schooling and teaching in Michigan; impact on student learning and mental health; politics and economics of the MEAP; relationship o f
April
27, 2001. Format and event to be determined.
OTHER STRATEGIES.
NATIONAL SUPPORT NETWORK.
Mobilize members of the Rouge Forum, Whole Schooling Consortium, and other groups concerned with standardized testing to focus on helping in the fight against the MEAP in Michigan. Roles may include: (a) helping develop information pieces, scholarly critique, and participate in study of the MEAP; (b) aide in developing the anti-MEAP website.
INFORMATION
MEAP Web Page. Establish a comprehensive web page that provides information and links organized specifically for Michigan.
Alternative to the MEAP. Build on the present paper presented to Tom Watkins in September of 2001, Improving Learning through Student Assessment, to describe effective assessment practices that are linked to quality teaching that should be used to replace the MEAP.
Press contacts. Develop contacts with local and Detroit press people. Ask them to cover our events each time. Possibly a series of press releases and letters to the editor, systematically engaged. Make 1/2 page statements and send them to the web page for the research data. People need to see our perspective on a regular basis.
Parent information. Get ready a flyer front and back that can be widely distributed prior to MEAP season and during. Post this on the web. Revise the piece that has been developed.
Scholarly critique needs to be a part of our anti-MEAP literature and on the website. When we come up with our scholarly critique. Link works of Rich, Wayne, Fairtest and more directly to the website.
Study: Work with the state legislature to obtain funding for a comprehensive, third party, critical analysis of the MEAP to include: (a) content analysis of questions (issues of cultural discrimination, fact versus indoctrination and interpretatin, etc.); (b) process of exam development (who put together questions, what is the relationship between those who developed the exam and those profiting from it via test preparation guides, etc.?); (c) What is the impact on learning, teaching, and curriculum in Michigan schools? (d) What is the relationship between the MEAP and effective learning? (e) What is the impact on learning and mental health of children in Michigan related to the MEAP?
SHARING INFORMATION AND MOBILIZING PEOPLE
Professional development credit. Develop flyer and advertise our meetings as professional development. Get CEU's for meetings and the conferences through WSU.
Conferences. Strategically plan presence over the coming year at conferences to pass out flyers and invite people to events.
Michigan Guerilla Theatre Appeal to Bill Boyer to help people organize fun, irreverent activities involving guerilla theatre. Develop large MEAP off the MDE website that we an burn, pictures of schools chained by the meap.
LEGAL ACTION.
Loss of wage earning capacity and other suits. Might we interest George Washington and a disability attorney to combine their expertise and file class action suit on the basis of loss of wage earning capacity?
State legislature. Work in collaboration with Dave Woodward and other key legislators concerned about the MEAP to identify legislative strategies.
