What Happens to Subjects Not Tested?

Debora, my biggest concern is that your PTA is paying for programs that should be considered part of the regular curriculum and paid for by the school district. If you go to your state PTA website or the national website you should be able to see what is appropriate for PTAs to pay for and what isn't. PTA is under no circumstances supposed to supplement the school's budget where the district is lacking, but rather is to provide support for parents, teachers and students with programs that enhance education, well-being and family enrichment.

While there is complaint of teaching to the test, our elemetary school does a great job of teaching the materials to the students that are grade level appropriate. What they do which is perceived as "teaching to the test" is expect every student to write all answers and essays in the format that is expected by the graders of the MAP test. This is great for the graders but the kids end up with a certain lack in their creative writing element. We do have a 3-day rotation of specials (art, music, PE).

Our school has a program called Living History to provide consistent Social Studies Education:
First Grade: Asian / Pacific Islander, including but not limited to China, Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Hawaii, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc. Languages, culture, ceremonies, food, games, clothing and geography.
Second Grade: The first Thanksgiving is reenacted at a Redwood Park. Kids cook native food, fish stew, rabbit stew, vegetables, venison, pop corn, etc. They learn to write with a quill pen, make Native American crafts and end the day with a play in which they are a Native American or Pilgrim. Kids and adults are dressed in traditional clothing. They learn what it was like to be a Pilgrim or a Native American and what the groups contributed to one-another.
Third Grade: Mexican American Rancho Days - the influence of the missions, the contribution of Mexican Americans, the land and states of Mexico. What land was originally Mexican land that Americans purchased. Mexican music, dances, food, clothing, culture, etc.
Fourth Grade: African American contributions. Children learn about the Civil Rights Movement. We have speakers whose Grandparents were slaves come in to talk to the students, they make quilts that have the "freedom path." African American artists, musicians, inventors, athletes, scholars, leaders, poets, etc.
Fifth Grade is the American Revolution. This is about America becoming a country. It is a comparison of how American made choices about the country it would become. Ethnic children (including European) are to compare their "root" country with that of America - similarities and differences. What fights are worth fighting. Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc.

So that's our Social Studies.

Every third grader learns to read music and takes the recorder lessons (we called it song flute).

Science program is FOSS - a hands on science program through UC Berkeley. We also are growing a native plant garden in the front of the schools which was designed to attract butterflies - there are orb web weavers (spider web frames) throughout the garden.

We have a PE teacher come in twice per week. The PE is progressive, as the kids get older more sophisticated games with more skill are required.

This is a public school and the programs you see are paid for by the PTA. We work very hard to raise the money we need - and of course, we are very fortunate to do so.

We still have a significant curriculum for each of those areas. However there are many complaints about teaching to the test, hours spent on practice tests, etc.