I ran into the same problem and conclude as the writer did- “After six months of this, I discovered that the test can be gamed. Not by using a beat-the-test strategy, but by a shockingly low-tech strategy: reading the textbook that contains the answers.”  It all started in 2001 when my youngest was in grade 1, and the lack of textbooks for the primary grade. It began with the math workbooks which were poor photocopies and the absence of math textbooks. Of course, I questioned the school staff and by 2003 I finally had a long heart to heart chat with the publishers of the math textbook. I don’t know why I never contacted them back in 2001 but I did not. The publisher revealed to me all the relevant info what school staff does not want parents to know, let alone the public to know - for students to do well they must have the textbook along with the other components that are brought separately such as manipulatives and workbooks. I can’t tell you how difficult it is to help a struggling child in the 3 Rs, who is not getting the support at the school and expect them to do well on unit tests in math, language arts or science or social studies without the textbooks.

It is even more difficult when students don’t have access to the textbooks, because it handicaps all students and not just the students who are struggling in learning. As it was pointed out in the article, students not allowed to bring textbooks home is a typical rule of schools with shortages on resources in the Canadian schools. In Canada, the K to 12 school boards takes it one step further by narrowly defining the criteria to access digital textbooks online. Ergo, many students do not meet the criteria including dyslexics and if the student does managed to get access to digital textbooks, the features of e-textbooks are according to what the school district is willing to pay for. For a dyslexic student a PDF version of a hard copy textbook does nothing for the student, unless the student has the features such as audio to be able to manipulative features that best suits the learner. Nor removing the feature that prevents students from using the links to go to other websites for added learning and understanding. I fought a long battle with the school official and when I won the battle, I only then learned that the digital version was devoid of the features that would aid my child in her learning. The only way to overcome it was to personally buy a digital copy from the big textbook publishers but first I must have permission from the school officials.

This is really ridiculous system where school officials restrict access to educational materials. I had experienced it personally when my child was in grade one. Not only there is no text books for the grade but also school doesn’t provide any outline of teaching which would at least aid searching for materials.  Learning schedule is also a mystery and parents are send to curriculum outline provided by Ministry of Education on their web page. The curriculum states requirements and goals but it is not a guide how to get there.  Knowledge within this system is guarded jealously, kept privately-own by officials.  I am angered for I just find out reading Nancy’s post that in later grades available text books are obligatorily left at school. Ridiculous doesn’t even describe what I think of it. Schools banning learning! Teachers’ children (and their family and friends)  have all the necessary materials since they have access to them all. Their children game all the tests because they were thought according to Long Range and other plans and know questions and answers.  Other children’s parents have to guess what was thought yesterday and scramble for some online miserable worksheets prepared by who knows whom.  Could that be that the restriction on materials and information about them is a way of isolating those not desirable to succeed - recent immigrants, children of poor and overworked parents, minorities of any kind?  I came from a system where textbooks were available for any grade and we took them home. Teachers thought according to texts and if anybody wanted to know more could just read through the next lesson and knowing more wasn’t bad.  Restriction only applied to tests. We never knew when test will be applied nor the questions and answers to them. We all didn’t - including teachers’ kids and pets.

From being involved in the early years on the American websites, parents blogs and LD chat forums, it is all about the locks to the access gates to curriculum and resources of the school. It is all about what a school is willing to pay and what can be delivered in a classroom. It is all about the equity policies, serving up identical portions for each student in the classroom, and the school down the road, the students will received double the portions because the school serves the wealthier students. It is all about the administration, the deliver mechanisms and the regulation regime that states in one form or another -  resources beyond the common curriculum are to be kept behind locked doors. Special access is needed. Suffice to say, students who do not fit the norm are stuck in the inclusive classroom and they have to make do.

Evana, speaks of the blocking of knowledge. The blocking of knowledge are the natural results of the discovery learning pedagogy, I too had to teach my youngest the how-tos in writing tests and the author is correct when he states, “I knew my son would start taking standardized tests in third grade. If the first-grade homework was this confusing, I was really worried about how he—or any kid—was supposed to figure out the tests.” 

That said, in Education Week - 2013 - http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2013/02/06/02textbooks.h06.html

The comments must be read, and note that major shifts in delivering the curriculum and resources are occurring in the states with lots of choices.

Evana,

No one can block knowledge in the age of the internet.

The iron curtain was taken down by the internet,  If the evil of the communist system was challenged and dismantled by the internet -what exactly is stopping you?

saddle up, stop your whining—get on with it.

All the resources you need are on line.

Textbooks -

there is no grand conspiracy to keep knowledge away from parents and students.  It is Principals and Superintendents choosing to spend the $$$$$ elsewhere.

That is it!  The current academic leaders (that this group ignores)  think that textbooks do not need to be purchased.  Which forces the front line workers to generate their cheesy handouts.

Follow the money!

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