Issues with Test Scores for a Seattle School?
A letter sent out from Superintendent Nyland:
Dear Seattle Public Schools community,
I’m writing today to let you know that on Wednesday we will receive our final state Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) test scores.
Earlier this month, while reviewing preliminary data, we discovered an anomaly with Beacon Hill’s test results. We requested that the scores at Beacon Hill International School be reviewed by the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). We hope to receive the results of that review in the next several weeks.
Seattle Public Schools is conducting its own review of the situation, and is in the final stages of a review of our policies, procedures and practices related to testing.
We will keep you informed as more information becomes available. Thank you for your patience as we review this matter.
Sincerely, Dr. Larry Nyland Superintendent Seattle Public Schools
I do not see this letter at the SPS website but a parent received it and sent it along. I'll have to ask about the "anomaly."
Dear Seattle Public Schools community,
I’m writing today to let you know that on Wednesday we will receive our final state Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) test scores.
Earlier this month, while reviewing preliminary data, we discovered an anomaly with Beacon Hill’s test results. We requested that the scores at Beacon Hill International School be reviewed by the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). We hope to receive the results of that review in the next several weeks.
Seattle Public Schools is conducting its own review of the situation, and is in the final stages of a review of our policies, procedures and practices related to testing.
We will keep you informed as more information becomes available. Thank you for your patience as we review this matter.
Sincerely, Dr. Larry Nyland Superintendent Seattle Public Schools
I do not see this letter at the SPS website but a parent received it and sent it along. I'll have to ask about the "anomaly."
Comments
If SPS continues to work with the city, we will be attached to MAP and other regular tests..until a generation of children graduate.
"Principals and some teacher leaders spent a week in mid-August attending the District’s School Leadership Institute at Garfield. They are gearing up for the start of school on Sept. 3.
For most of the week, the primary focus was assessments. Washington begins new state tests in reading, writing and math this spring, with Smarter Balanced tests replacing the Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) tests in grades 3-8. Eleventh-graders also will take the Smarter Balanced tests. The new tests reflect the new Common Core standards adopted by the state."
Great. The only training before school is on...testing. Not conformance with laws and policies. Not inclusive and supportive strategies for struggling students. Not how to most effectively engage families.
Testing.
I have no idea if this means there is an issue with our school, my child (did my student fail the test?). No letter has arrived.
(Roughly transcribed by our voicemail system:)
""Hello this is Dr. Larry Nilan Interim Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools. This is a brief message about Federal No Child Left Behind and testing. first(?).Thanks or dedicated teachers principals and staff our district continues to make progress in student success and graduation. Federal law however requires 100% of our students to pass our state test and to notify parents if we don't less than 3% by the way of all schools in Washington hit that Mark. So when you receive my letter in a few days. Please know that it does not mean your school has had a sudden change in performance more information in September. Will provide specific information on how well your school and your students are doing. We continue to work hard to make every school in and excellent school and prepare every student for success in school. Ready for college career and life. Enjoy the last few days of summer. Hello this is Seattle Public Schools are eager to welcome back each and everyone of our 52,000 students for the first day of school on September 3.Thank you and have a great day.""
- QAE Parent
No one would have asked about the test scores at Beacon Hill if they hadn't sent this out and no one knows anything more about the scores at Beacon Hill now that they have.
This sort of communication is only a negative. It serves no positive purpose and it makes trouble.
Ann
Since we've established that it's OK to fail some kids, who should that be? ???
Will we be getting that call too? " Gee. 100% passing is really tough for us. Your child failed because we can't do students. It doesn't mean your school had gotten worse, it just means we don't care about your kind of kid. Thanks and have a great day."
Reader
Students who enter the US who did not have access to school in their home countries will not often be working at grade level the following year. Some students will be sick the day they take the test. Some students don't care whether they pass the test. Passing or failing has no affect on them. 4% of the population has an IQ below 75. Are the grade level standards set so that these students can be proficient?
The 100% proficiency goal is not achievable - unless we drop the bar for proficiency.
Maybe it's beneficial that the bar cannot be met. We can set aside 20% of our Title I funding for tutoring services and stop wasting time on test prep.
- Homeschool Parent
Beacon Hill's scores aren't posted as they are under review. EOC data also seems incomplete. Testing statistics (cut scores, etc.) are not yet posted for 2014.
fyi
Here is the list of tests that have been used since 2000:
ITBS
WASL-reading, math, science, writing (briefly)
DRA - reading
MSP - reading math science
HSPE - reading and ?
EOC - math and Science
and now add Smarter Balanced
In SPS add MAPs to that list.
On the other hand, people want the tests to be rigorous enough to be meaningful.
So the proponents of rigor keep setting the bar higher while still demanding that the schools get every student to clear it.
These are contradictory goals. Find a balance and accept the compromise.
Seattle school under review for big jump in state test results
maureen
Jan
May 08 - 71.5
May 09 - 68.6
May 10 - 68
May 11 - 65
May 12 - 61
May 13 - 64
May 14 - 60
2012/13 test scores (reading/math)
3rd Grade - 67.5%; 77.9%
4th Grade - 76.9%; 71.7%
5th Grade - 65.4%; 74.5%
2008/09 Test scores
3rd Grade - 63.6%; 68.1%
4th Grade - 71.4%; 50.0%
5th Grade - 70.1%; 63.7
All things look fairly steady other than different tests were used in 2008/09 and math has improved, maybe due to a waiver or TERC V EDM?
So if the school reported 80-90% results this year, eyebrows would be would raised.
And yet Beacon Hill did great in reading and math. (Apparently the scores in writing were steady.)
That seems odd.
New schools?
Schools can meet AYP in three ways:
100% proficiency: All students in all subgroups perform at grade level on all state tests.
Margin of error: Schools are close to 100% proficiency. “Standard error” is added to the actual percent meeting standard. The size of the margin of error varies by the size of the school: Smaller schools have larger margins of error.
Safe harbor: Schools reduce the percent of students not meeting standard by 27% (for schools that administered MSP this year) or 19% (for schools that administered the Smarter Balanced field test this year) from the percent that didn’t meet standard in 2011. The threshold for Smarter Balanced schools is lower because those schools are using their 2013 MSP results.