Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 27, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba A4 Winnipeg free june 1997 parents left scratching Heads Over math tests by Nick Martin staff reporter across Winnipeg Are trying to figure out what their childrens Marks on province wide tests really education minister Linda Mclntosh released results of several tests including a Grade 3 math test written by the provincial average was per cent 52 per if a portion of the exam advanced beyond Grade 3 lev Els was included which Mclntosh said shows the need for a greater emphasis on children in Winnipeg one Are bring ing Home form letters listing the Childs Mark in the Grade 3 math with no reference to the Divi or provincial in fort letters simply state the child scored or below Grade a lot of parents Are going to what does this mean said Lori vice principal at Mulvey Wilcosh said the test purported to measure whether eight and nine year old children have solved a without analysing How they did Mulvey Parent Tracy fiddler is proud her son got a 72 on the Grade 3 math but said she already knew he was Good at it tells me Hes Good in but anything it Doest its quite Lorraine Oleary had no problem with her son writing the test at Victory school in seven i took it quite in my its a Good Way of measuring but she said no results or other information have been sent Elmwood Parent Dee co chair of the coalition against standardized said its unconscionable to put Grade 3 children through the stress of two 45minute there has been no breakdown of Phil free press Willard holds some of the turtles that she has been keeping in the basement of her last Batch of unwanted turtles shipped from basement to by Melanie Verhaeghe for the free press its been slow but Willard shipped out her last Batch of unwanted turtles to the the 133 turtles from newfound the Yukon and Are Des tined for North Carolina where they will be introduced to their Nat ural live in a Pri vate Lake on acres of land owned by a or a rep tile Over the past four Willards basement has been the Foster Home to More than Canadian pet turtles All of them shipped Back to the to live in a natural but the repatriation was put to a Stop earlier this on june the Day before a shipment of turtles was scheduled to the person receiving the animals in Texas said he get a permit for they were concerned about genetic the turtles in the Eastern part of the Range look Dif Ferent from the Western Range tur Willard turtles for Sale in Canadian pet stores came from eggs raised in Willard has been lobbying to get the importation of Turtle eggs to Canada banned because of cruel living she just found out the Canadian food inspection Agency has banned the commercial importation of Turtle eggs except for use in research and As House pets because the eggs carry there have been cases where people handling you can get said Lynn a veterinarian with the ban has been in effect since late Willard said she Hopes the ban on egg importation will Stop the influx of unwanted the importation of live turtles has been in effect for several but pet stores were getting around the ban by importing she turtles Arent a big seller in Winnipeg and eggs Haven been Avail Able for at least a said Ray Carriere of Carrieres the heightened interest in turtles began after Willard took in the first Turtle in the Winnipeg humane society was lamenting the fact that the zoo House unwanted turtles and pet stores take them Back because they were too but Willard wont be taking in any More turtles because she has nowhere to Send if i kept every Turtle that was turned in to id have turtles in my its impossible to keep How Many children finished the test in the allotted the detail from the province will be in the its desperately said Dennis principal of Whyte Ridge Reading clinician Annette Schewe said the test one of her kids wrote in Transcona Springfield required More verbal abstract reasoning than i How unfair to Call this a math several parents argued that the emphasis on understanding the word ing of the questions weighed against students in French children with English As a second or those with Reading Schewe said Shes encountered teachers who have said they prepared their kids extensively for the test so they appear deficient to the department of some children in the alternative pro Gram at Laura Secord school in worse Ley were kept Home or turned in a Blank test As a said Parent Council president Joanne test seems More a political will than looking at the education of my Goldstone it really stifles the creativity of the teach the standardized test is just not compatible with the pupils paying Price of reports say declining schools tied to poor Marks by Alice Krueger legislature reporter Manitoba teachers say theres been a serious deterioration in learning conditions in the provinces Public and its taking its toll on releasing results of a province wide Survey of its membership the Manitoba teachers society said its no Accident students scored so poorly in provincial exams last larger less time for individual less help with Spe Cia needs children and fewer resources such As textbooks were among the problems coinciding with its release was an equally damning report tabled in the legislature which said Man Tobas Rural Economy is also suffering because of continued reductions in education funding by the Filmon gov the done by Brandon univer Sites Rural development estimated education funding cuts in recent years have taken about Mil lion out of the Rural it weakens the infrastructure of Rural in that Rural schools Are hampered by economic constraints that May adversely affect the Quality of and their capability to serve the report this will repel rather than attract potential investors to set up businesses in Rural it also warned there could be Politi Cal consequences for the Filmon gov which draws much of its support from Rural nip Leader Gary doer said the same argument could be made about the economies of Winnipeg and North Ern which also have experienced education funding its president designate Ian Mac Intyre said theres no question the recent provincial exam Marks were affected by what teachers disclosed in their the increase in class size and the reduction of time that teachers have available to spend with those students certainly has an Impact on their stud ies and the results they show on Many he who came to the Legisla Ture yesterday to distribute individual report cards on schools in each of Man Tobas 57 said the Survey results Are proof the Filmon govern ments direction in education and Lack of adequate funding Are having a negative Impact on in education minister Linda Mclntosh for 66 per cent of teachers who responded to the its Survey said their average class size had increased since per cent have less time to spend with and 67 per cent said Assis Tance for special needs children has Mclntyre said class sizes now Range from about 20 to 35 and one school had a class of were not going to assign any grades Here or give any letter grades what were saying is that the govern ment has some work to he Mclntosh promised to study the sur vey while acknowledging class sizes May have increased the minister maintained Manitoba still has one of the lowest pupils teacher ratios in with an average of about 19 students per classroom teacher and about 15 students for each person holding a teaching certificate in the she admitted she also knew of some classes of 25 and 30 Stu adding shed prefer to see them Mclntosh rejected the teachers con Tention that theres a connection Between current classroom conditions and the recent poor showing on Provin Cial Chevrolet Oldsmobile Ltd 1996 Riffy 1996 Geo me available As Low As 1996 Olds a As Low As v6 air Power windows balance of Only at new automatic balance of or 1996 Olds Ciera Only 4pi i As Low As 450 v6 air Power windows of balance of Vickar Chevy out m Chevrolet Oldsmobile 964 Regent 6618391 s18003611368 month lease applicable 1st month out Security Deposit correction re cantors advertisement in june 24 free press the Price for t Bone or Wing Steak should have read we apologize for any inconvenience to our valued with Coli 2 weeks Only until july 5 10 jumbo Salmon 2 jumbo Pickerel we pack for travel fish Market Dufferin 5893474 j conference cd Riding Moum nation for by or a 1 4 bedroom to urge healed poof q room Pii Vata dining room maniloda6 finest Goll Louisa great fishing nature Trail biking boating Lay 204 8482533 Clear Manitoba Clear Manitoba scheduled for surgery the Angus Reid group is conducting interviews with people who Are scheduled for inpatient surgery heart hip prostate surgery or other surgeries which require admittance to the participants will be paid for their Call 204 9493170 collect for More information and ask for Chris Clear Manitoba kids night at Rainbow stage enter to win tickets for an evening at july Check saturdays color comics for details and entry form heart mattress top flow Quaty Price too Start i j cuts out i the i 895 Century 7865400 622 Dakota 2572337 correction Advance advertisement of june 26 for Zenith Vars vr2107 and vr4207 should not have read Var we apologize for any factory outlet furniture 289 King 9460729 laser Eye surgery a laser vision Davinder Vehsla m suite 235 444 St May Manitoba we 311 9435353 fax 9438558 from Ansi n v ;