Unrealistic expectations

As a teacher, I understand that I have to set the bar high to get students to give the most (and grow) - but you cannot set it impossibly high. I encourage my students - but I cannot have the same expectations for each of them as they are not clones.

So why do administrators that we can give them the same results for each class, regardless of who is in the class?

Mr. Hulk called a math meeting yesterday to talk about the results of the state test scores. He singled out Basketweaving, the course I will be teaching this year. Basketweaving has been replaced with a standards based class (Gourd Water Carrier) last year, so there were no new Basketweaving students last year - and the class I have this year have already failed it twice.

Two years ago, the last time this was a new course, the pass rate was 32% (not good at all). Last year, with repeaters, the pass rate was 23%. Mr. Hulk announced that the scores need to improve this year. The people who pass the test are passing the course. I have the ones who cannot do either.

I am not going into this with a defeatist attitude. But I do not think it is unrealistic to realize I will fail more this year than I ever have. I hate that and am looking for ways to make them successful. How does it help me to have him tell my whole department that I have to increase the pass rate on a state test?

OK: the plan. I will be integrating activities from a hands on Basketweaving text. I am going to encourage them to take notes daily (the notes will be graded for a test grade which can replace their lowest test grade). I will model the note taking (using Cornell notes) daily and keep a copy in the room. I plan to do pretests for each unit (which will be similar to the unit test) and teach the portions they don't know. I am also going to put more focus on the main concepts and less on the minor ones. I also teach a lot of test taking strategies.

I was talking to a teacher in another area. He suggested looking for grants and running Saturday school to supplement their knowledge. (any ideas?)

Did I mention that it is a state requirement that they pass Basketweaving (or Gourd Water Carrier - which is harder) in order to graduate?

Any other ideas? Teaching strategies I should look into.