How CASD Failed Me as a Student

As CAP leaders, we often receive outreach from community members, parents, teachers, principals, and students. A recent Instagram post asked students how well CASD prepared them for college and prompted a number of responses. One student's initial response then led to her submission of her personal testimony, which we feel presents a call to action among the most powerful we've read. Her career in the school district began under former leadership and presented her with several challenges to overcome. As you read her story, you'll see that while various efforts were made to help her, these supports were not sufficient or appropriate to her needs. But as the district changed to new leadership, instead of things getting better, even those supports were removed. She was repeatedly placed into classes that were not a good fit or using curriculum that did not help her learn. And despite her failure to make meaningful progress over the past five years, she graduated with her class and now is not prepared for the college education she is seeking. We must fix this for future students, and we must appreciate the bravery it took for this student to share her experience, and honor her by not letting this continue.

I would like to tell you all about my experience in the Coatesville Area School district. I am a class of 2019 graduate and I can honestly say I feel as though the district has failed me as student. Let’s starts with elementary school. I attended Caln Elementary. My struggles for math started when I was in 2nd grade. My mind did not comprehend what was being taught the way everyone else’s did. Third through fifth grade I was offered two different support groups. Two or three times a week myself and a few others were pulled from class and taken for extra help. I was also placed in a before school program twice a week where I was given even more help. One thing I noticed about these groups was that majority of the other kids were pulled out of class from time to time to work with a different teacher who could provide them a smaller classroom with even more help. Looking back now, I know it was the special education classroom or something of the sorts. Why not me? Why was I never recommended for that service when the school was well aware of my constant struggling? They passed me onto middle school where things got even worse for me. 

 My first year at Scott Middle school  I started seeing a therapist/behavioral specialist that was provided by child guidance who happened to help a lot of kids throughout the district. I met with my specialist twice a week at the school . She was aware of my battle with math. She suggested to my guidance counselor multiple times that I could possibly have a learning disability and could possibly benefit from an evaluation leading to an IEP. Her concerns were ignored and blamed on my behavior. My mom also reached out more than once trying to find help for me. She was also ignored. Year after year I was pushed along. I can honestly say that I have not solved a single math problem outside of basic math since 8th grade. Third grade is the year most kids are taught long division. Not me. I was never taught. As I got older teachers just assumed I've learned it when everyone did so they never took the time to teach me how to solve long division problems. This never affected me until I got to middle school. Still to this day I do not have any idea how to solve a long division problem. Middle school was the last time I ever sat in a traditionally TAUGHT math class and even then I struggled but I managed to get by. 

Starting my freshman year CPM was the new thing. With my already basic math skills this pushed me even further behind. We were forced into groups of 4 or more and told to “teach each other”. There was no direct instruction and no help offered outside of the group you were placed in. I became so far behind in math that I had given up on it entirely. I eventually stopped going to class. I asked administration to switch me to a different class to see if that was any better. They ignored my requests all year then finally decided 2 weeks before the year ended to switch me?? What good was that? The year was over. My 10th grade year I attended the cyber academy and was placed in 2 math classes at once. That year out of both math classes I did not solve one single problem on my own. Every correct answer I had was given to me by the Cyber staff. As much as they tried to teach me they really just didn’t have the resources nor the time. Why should they be expected to teach what my previous teachers failed to do?? My 11th grade year like everyone else I did what I had to do, I cheated my way through. My 12th grade year I was placed in Math for life which was NOT CPM. Although math for life is basic math for the first time in years I thrived. I understood everything. I 110% believe the reason I had such success was because it was a traditional taught class. I also had Mr. Dougherty who is an outstanding teacher. My question is would he still be so outstanding at what he does if he was teaching CPM? A curriculum that he is uncomfortable teaching? CPM is uncomfortable for the staff and students. Why should our teachers have to teach in a way they aren’t comfortable with?   Or have to deal with all of the frustrated students? They should have a say. WE should have a say. 

I would also like to you tell you about another challenge I faced during my 12th grade year. English has never been an issue for me, in fact it was always one of my better subjects. I was placed in 12th grade Honors English. This was my first year ever taking honors English. I was very nervous going into this class because all I've ever known was academic level where you are LITERALLY babied by the teachers. Babied was what I was familiar with. I went to guidance the very first week of school trying to switch back to academic but was denied the chance. Now I will say I had a very close relationship with my guidance counselor and she used lots of tough love on me and pushed me to my full potential always. So in no way do I hold her responsible for this terrible experience. 

I decided to try the class out for a few weeks because who knows maybe I would be okay in there. I was not. I Failed marking period after marking period .. I begged ALL of the administrators to switch me out of there. I went to the office multiple times a week every week for months pleading with them. Nobody helped me. They sat and watched me fail over and over again. My teacher agreed that the class was a bit too challenging for me. My mom also reached out to see why nothing was being done. Someone should have stepped in. I was told repeatedly that the reason for not switching me was “you aren’t gonna like every teacher you get”. This angered me the most because I actually loved the teacher, I thought she was great at what she does and genuinely cared about each and every one of us. In fact when I would ask to switch I asked to be in HER academic class. Coming from academic level you don’t get the chance to properly learn how to write a paper, or an outline on your own. In my overcrowded honors class of 30+ kids I was too ashamed to tell my teacher I had no idea how to do what everyone else was doing. The class was very fast paced and I truly felt like my mind didn’t operate the same as everyone else’s. The work became too much at once for me. I couldn’t keep up and no late work was accepted. Coming from academic I was no way prepared for this type of environment. It was a terrible experience for me and I wish that someone would of stepped in to help me out. I spent my entire senior year worrying that I wasn’t gonna graduate because of English. I received help here and there from my guidance counselor as well as a few other teachers and for that I’m thankful. However, it just wasn’t enough. How can you force a student into an honors class when you know they don’t belong? They will switch an elective in a heartbeat but not the classes that matter. In all honesty, I should have not graduated with my class. I did not earn my passing grade fairly. I was lucky enough to have a teacher that was willing to work with me and allowed me to make up 2 big projects from earlier on in the year that I did poorly on. What if I wasn’t so lucky? I would have failed my senior year. 

Being a Red Raider for the past 13 years has been an experience like no other, I loved every second of it but wish a lot of things were done differently. It wasn’t until after graduation that I realized just how bad Coatesville really does fail some of us. Passing us from grade to grade and class to class when we aren’t ready only fails us in real life. I am now struggling with finding a college that will accept me.  I have also had to limit myself on what I can major in because I never learned a lot of the basic skills needed, especially in math. My search for a college major doesn’t come down to what I’m passionate about anymore... it comes down to what major can I choose that has just enough basic math that I can make it through. And I can tell you... the answer is not many. It is unfair to me that I was not properly prepared for college. It is unfair to me that I am almost positive I have a learning disability in math but everyone from elementary to high school ignored the signs. They don’t seem to care about our futures, they care more about making sure it looks good on paper when we all pass and graduate. The higher-ups standing before the graduating class and saying that we’ve all completed the requirements is far from the truth when I know the truth is that they pushed many of us along just to get us out the door. And because they’ve done that... my next door is limited. And it’s the most important one. 

Written By a 2019 Coateville Graduate

2015 Grad Speaks - stop the downhill decline!

At the school board meeting on Tuesday, May 28, there were several CASD graduates in attendance. One such alumnus, Layne Taylor, took the opportunity to address the board with a prepared statement highlighting some of the changes she has observed since graduating. She shared her belief that those changes are detrimental to those seeking the successful experience she had while attending CASD. Layne has just graduated from East Stroudsburg University and we are grateful she provided her statement for us to publish.

My name is Layne Taylor. I am a 2015 graduate of Coatesville High School. Since graduating from high school at the beginning of the new administration, I have only witnessed a downhill decline in the success of students. For my concerns tonight, I will focus on the curriculum and restrictions placed upon teachers and the impediments of their ability to ensure all students are given equal opportunity to succeed.

Beginning with the CPM math curriculum, it is my understanding that the purpose of CPM (College Preparatory Math) is to have the students teach one another because that is what occurs in college. However, as someone who has recently received a degree from an accredited four-year university and has had to take college math classes, I know firsthand that that is an outright lie. My sister, who once excelled in math and is now struggling only has CPM as her math basis, which has consequently hindered her SAT scores. CPM hinders students from being prepared for college because students teaching one another what they themselves do not know does not guarantee that they are learning the material appropriately in order to compete with their college peers.

Next, I want to speak about the ‘Equity Training’ that the superintendent received accolades for. I find it deplorable that such training would occur in a school district where much of the student body is considered “minority race”. Using a training that asks questions such as, “In what ways does your racial background privilege you (or not) in society?" And "How does my racial and socioeconomic background influence decisions I make about what to emphasize in course content, how to teach it, and classroom management practices?”, I feel are racist and incite discrimination between students and teachers, where in the past, have been healthy and blended relationships. You have argued that you brought in this training because teachers do not understand the students in terms of how to manage them instead of addressing the real issue, which is discipline.

Because you have not allowed for true discipline to be present in schools anymore, it impeded the learning of the other students. One of my friends, a good student who eventually attended the same university as myself but graduated from Coatesville after me, would come to me for help because she had been unable to learn the material, she needed to have known for college due to disruptive students. She struggled through her freshman year but ultimately chose to take time away from school to recollect herself. If this is the trend the administration and board wish to perpetuate, then we need to clean house. I suggest you let the teachers do their jobs. This includes being allowed to discipline students that are disruptive in conjunction with teaching students the material they need to become successful post-graduation.

Ultimately, I am saddened by the programs either implemented or disbanded by our incumbent superintendent. Coatesville used to be a school district where you came to become a well-rounded individual and where color and socioeconomic status were not seen because we all wanted each other to succeed regardless of that criteria. Now, it is an embarrassment because students are left entering a world where they are unprepared because of the curriculum choices and restrictions on faculty and staff made by this administration. Thank you.

Is CPM Adding up to Failure for Coatesville?

Good afternoon, my name is Lenny Bucio. I’m currently studying in the 10th year of high school in this institution, but it wasn’t always so. I’ve been here at Coatesville since the beginning of December, and I have to confess I’ve been quite impressed with it.

For the past two years, I’ve been in three different schools, but I’ve never experienced math the way CASD does it. Math, without a doubt, is my favorite subject. Well, it was my favorite subject.  I’ve always had good grades in any math-related subject, and I still do, but not as good as they used to be. I used to enjoy math, but I don’t anymore.

The College Preparatory Math (CPM) program hasn’t been useful to me or any of the classmates I’ve spoken to with respect to the progress the program has made in our understanding of mathematics. According to some students, the fact that the program is designed to work with other people does not help them to succeed in completing the assignments. They have to go home and try to teach themselves. They also specified that the teachers aren’t the ones with the problem, but the program is.

The teachers have said that the program has a better impact on the students who have higher levels of understanding the language of English. Because of the complex wording that the problems use, some of the students get behind and instead of trying, they just give up and try to move on. 

According to the philosophy of CPM: “Mathematics should not frustrate anyone to the point of giving up.” Students ARE giving up. They are experiencing frustration from the execution of the program.   

Sadly, I know I’m not the first student to talk about this. Last year, a group of students decided to raise their voices to try and make a change in the math program but no change was made. The numbers that my classmates discovered express that since 2015, when the CPM program was incorporated to the school, the number of students scoring below basic in the Keystone exams have almost tripled and with respect to the PSSA results 2014 through 2017 the results were shocking. (See our recent post "Is CASD Misrepresenting its Test Scores" for updated information on these statistics.) 

Last year 351 students were surveyed regarding CPM  

• 144 students hated CPM while only 8 loved it

• 203 students believed CPM is confusing & makes concepts more difficult

• 178 students believe they aren't prepared for the next level of math

• 214 students believe CPM should be replaced; 97 said maybe; only 40 students said it should not be replaced

• More than half of the students believe that CPM is hurting them

We are supposed to be the leaders of tomorrow, but without the right tools, we are being set up for failure. As I mentioned earlier I’m not the first one to highlight this problem and certainly not the first one on raising my voice. Someone help us to solve this problem so hopefully, I’ll be the last one raising the concern.

Written By Lenny Bucio

Editor's Note: CPM relies on students discovering how to do the problems through discovery with peers.  CCAP wanted to let the community know that the last year when students spoke about their concerns at the school board meeting, the math teachers were observed for that week. It was in the last week of school, during final examination time. Teachers were told to continue instruction in classes that had finished their examinations. What was relayed to the administrators who were not in attendance at the meeting, was that the students said the teachers weren't teaching. The students' message was loud and clear: 

CPM isn't working for them and the program should be discontinued.