Concerns/Complaints? Let the Board Know
I noticed that the Tuesday Open Thread is chock-full of concerns and complaints. Most are around the pending SBAC testing but others are more basic.
So, as a public service, I'm going to open this thread up for more of those. And, in a couple of days, I will forward it to the Board. It would be helpful if you at least identify your region (possibly school?) so that Directors get an idea who's writing in.
I'll start.
1) How come committee agendas don't get posted 48 hours before the meeting? I have been waiting and waiting to see the Thursday Audit&Finance Committee meeting agenda and it's still not there.
2) Reader A wrote to me about concerns over the Middle School Social Studies Materials Survey that was sent to parents. She found several flaws including the fact that only those with internet access will answer the survey. Another was that she saw no way to take the survey in any other language.
She also said that question 5 had three technology answers - mobile apps, online texts and online resources - out of six possible answers for "future curriculum." There was no space for "other" or for any parent feedback on what to look for in curriculum.
What is really weird is the survey asked parents to rank "font size" and "include graphs" in the curriculum but not things like "accuracy" or "reliability of information" or "citations to source material."
3) Why is information around SBAC testing so hard to find? Testing schedules are not at all school websites and parents are getting varying degrees of information include what type of device their child will be using for the test. There appears to be no SBAC testing listed on the district calendar.
4) Reader Southie says this:
6) Reader Ticked asks:
7) Reader Exasperated asks:
So, as a public service, I'm going to open this thread up for more of those. And, in a couple of days, I will forward it to the Board. It would be helpful if you at least identify your region (possibly school?) so that Directors get an idea who's writing in.
I'll start.
1) How come committee agendas don't get posted 48 hours before the meeting? I have been waiting and waiting to see the Thursday Audit&Finance Committee meeting agenda and it's still not there.
2) Reader A wrote to me about concerns over the Middle School Social Studies Materials Survey that was sent to parents. She found several flaws including the fact that only those with internet access will answer the survey. Another was that she saw no way to take the survey in any other language.
She also said that question 5 had three technology answers - mobile apps, online texts and online resources - out of six possible answers for "future curriculum." There was no space for "other" or for any parent feedback on what to look for in curriculum.
What is really weird is the survey asked parents to rank "font size" and "include graphs" in the curriculum but not things like "accuracy" or "reliability of information" or "citations to source material."
3) Why is information around SBAC testing so hard to find? Testing schedules are not at all school websites and parents are getting varying degrees of information include what type of device their child will be using for the test. There appears to be no SBAC testing listed on the district calendar.
4) Reader Southie says this:
Non-English-speaking families do not have translations of the testing regimen plans.5) Why does BTA IV seem so technology directed when so many schools have building issues?
Non-English speaking families do not know their students do not have to take this test.
Further, the use of the word 'refuse' instead of 'not take' in official district English material is culturally loaded. For many of our South End communities, refusal of the government equates to dire personal safety ramifications.
6) Reader Ticked asks:
Has anyone noticed how correspondence from SPS switched from "to the parent/guardian of Name, Last Name" to the name of the father?That seems odd as it is entirely possible for a student to have a guardian who is not their parent.
7) Reader Exasperated asks:
Can someone give a single good reason why we can't have a consistent school calendar from year to year and why it can't be confirmed until almost the end of the school year each year.
Why does it have to be renegotiated every freaking year (can't they figure out a few years at a time and lock it in)?
Why can't they at least start the process earlier so we can have a calendar out at a reasonable time?
Comments
For Grade 3 for reading:
March 10-Aril 23, 2015.
For Grade 3 for math:
anytime in the last 12 weeks of the school year - March 10-June 15th
For Grades 4-8, reading/math:
anytime in the last 12 weeks of the school year - March 10-June 15th
For Grade 11, LA/math:
Must be administered within the last 7 weeks of the school year: April 6 ‒ June 15, 2015
And no, there is no notice at the district calendar of these dates.
I wonder, will the opted-out 11th graders need to be on campus those four mornings, or can they show up at 9:50am with the other three grades?
Many people plan their summers in February/March when they can still reserve campsites and/or cheaper hotel rooms/flights. When Labor Day falls late (like this year), it feels a bit like a crap shoot.
-parent
At the very least - get it sorted at the start of the school year so it can be confirmed by Jan/Feb when folks are needing to apply for leave, set schedules, make bookings etc.
Blank space
- Spacey
So frustrating!!!! I really don't get why they can't figure this out earlier.
NE Seattle Mom of 3
Blank Space
I also share the concern about the calendar. UW sets their calendar three years ahead. It shouldn't be that difficult and would benefit everyone -- teachers, staff, students, families.
Instead, when asked they will neither
confirm nor deny
Nah, they overlook their core constituency, their main/perhaps only raison d'être and run around spending money on their dog and pony shows and schmoozing with the power players in this city, fiddling around with whatever the latest educational fads are while rome (i.e. our actual schools) burns. Forgive all the idioms.
Banana republican
- CT (professional SPS CaringTeacher)
J
I think the above sentence describes exactly what is wrong with SPS - they don't know who they work for or what their jobs are anymore. The SPS employees' jobs are not to support the "work" of the Gates Foundation and it's not to help their co-workers cover up the next scandal. Their jobs are, or should be, to work with families to educate children.
My comment would be: where is the superintendent, and why isn't he fixing this problem?
-Ira
-Lincoln mom
I also agree we don't need more technology. We need teachers, books, classrooms. My children are in SPS elementary. Each of my 3 have taught themselves how to use the computer. But they cannot teach themselves how to read. My 2nd grader is learning typing in class. This is irrelevant. I can teach him typing for free over the summer. He needs more READING, MATH, WRITING, and SCIENCE. At least give the teachers more time on these subjects so they have freedom to depart from the curriculum, try new things, engage in creative ideas. Utilize teachers for critical topics. SPS, please focus on the important things in your leadership.
Us parents have endless support to give and volunteer IF there was a way for it to make a difference. At the moment, PTA money is the only way to improve a school. This, naturally, leads to increased inequality. Give schools more autonomy so they can actually utilize the diverse resources available in their local communities.
WestSeattle
HIMSmom
Can the district provide information on how much the technology component will be weighted in the selection of the social studies curriculum?
-Fedmomof2
Gene Glass on the arbitrary nature of cut scores and validity. http://ed2worlds.blogspot.com/2014/12/mirabile-dictu-state-departments-of.html
The load of gibberish from SBAC http://www.smarterbalanced.org/news/smarter-balanced-states-approve-achievement-level-recommendations/
And one more.
https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/cut-scores-for-smarter-balanced-and-parcc-trying-to-be-like-naep/
CT
(The usual CT, not the one up above)
They have lost their perspective and its not all about protecting and expanding their collective fiefdom.
Banana Republic
banana republic
http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID=2015030095
Discussion regarding high school cut scores in relation to msp, proficiency and college ready begins at minute 26.
SBAC is intended to align state and federal systems.
State Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos counters and calls federal system "dysfunctional". She chooses her words carefully and discusses federal system of "rewards", but fails short of calling out system of federal "punishments".
Very good article regarding SBAC and concerns regarding SBAC. Great quote:
" It is not about the content of the standards, which would be objectionable even if written by Aristotle and refined by Shakespeare. Rather, the point is that, unless stopped now, the federal government will not stop short of finding in Common Core a pretext for becoming a national school board"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-will-immigration-and-common-core-stand-in-jeb-bushs-way/2014/12/26/622035a8-8ba6-11e4-8ff4-fb93129c9c8b_story.html
For the above reasons, I remain deeply concerned about the agenda behind SBAC and Common Core.
How long did they "pilot" this? Is this really what they came up with after all of this time? Was it really that impossible to make calculators that function like actual calculators? Just calling something a "tool" doesn't make it helpful. Nothing could be done about the ELA Performance Task instructions that are so poorly written that they require a separate half hour lecture by the teacher before the test just to make sense of it? Really?
Take the test. See how long it takes before you, an educated adult, get frustrated by the interface, confused by their calculators that don't make sense, and manipulating windows that get in your way as much as they "help". How long would you put up with the task of switching back and forth between four screens to write a simple paragraph? How long would it take to make you scream when you realize that the ability to cut/paste is random, that they are asking you to use 3 different input systems for simple numbers, that for a lot of the answers to the ELA questions, the "best" answer isn't even an option?
Seriously, I feel like this is some secret psychological experiment that has nothing to do with CCSS but is really measuring our children's ability to slog through a load of crap. Sorry, this is not why I send my child to school.
I am all for rigor. I am all for accountability. I am not even really all that concerned about tests.
This is not a test. It is an atrociously expensive piece of software that does nothing but confuse, obfuscate, and frustrate.
Take the test.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/76111404/Common%20Core%20Tests%20Fatally%20Flawed.pdf
BTW, I am from the SW region. Marty, are you listening?
In my opinion, you should absolutely opt out your child.
Sorry for any confusion!
tilting
I second your plea for moving forward on Middle School and High School math adoption.
Now that math concepts are getting harder in Middle School the present curriculum requires extreme home supplementation in the form of alternate texts and online resources. Students would have more chance to learn math at school if the curriculum was less fuzzy.
My whole problem with SPS is that it spends way too much time on legal challenges, capacity issues, and testing. Instead, they should figure out the best educational practices for students to learn effectively. They never get around to this.
S parent
How is this equitable? Someone seems to have forgotten that the reason we operate schools is to educate children - and that happens when students are in the classroom with their teachers.
The problem is not the new, more rigorous curriculum or standardized tests, it is THIS particular test, the SBAC. I am fine with my children being tested to determine whether they have mastered the curriculum CONTENT they have been taught. I want to know - after all, their future educational trajectory, and therefore career opportunities, standard of living etc depends on this to a large extent. However, it seems that the SBAC is not so much (or not only) testing whether students have mastered the content but whether they can master the test interface.
Surely the goal of a standardized test in education is to test for mastery of the curriculum content. In any kind of testing you want to isolate the factor being tested, control for other variables that may affect the results. In educational testing this would mean reducing the impact of variables such as familiarity and expertise using various technological tools, typing ability, language comprehension in a math test etc ( unless those are the specific things you want to test). It is clear that the SBAC results will suffer from significant confounding due to the impact of the poor user interface, novel 'tools' that don't make sense in the context, poorly written instructions etc.
The test should be simple - even if the content being tested is difficult.
The questions can be challenging but the inputting of answers should not be.
The SBAC seems to conflate rigor in a test with complexity of the test interface. It makes use of technology for sake of it - not because it makes it easier or faster for students to 'show what they know'. This (what they know) is what they want to test and the test/interface should be designed with this in mind. It should be simple, intuitive, fast and easy for students to demonstrate their mastery of the content being tested - not an exercise in frustration and resourcefulness. How this fact has escaped all the "great minds" in education who are behind this is beyond me.
When the predicted pass rates are so low, and so much class time is required to prep students to take the test (deciphering the questions, using the technology, keyboarding skills) - isn't it clear that the problem lies not with the students or the teachers, but the test itself.
It is up to us as parents to challenge this experiment. It will end in failure and it will unfairly make so many of our students failures. In some ways it is a civil rights issue because it will disproportionally impact disadvantaged students including minorities, those with learning disabilities. So yeah- it's time for the white soccer mom in Laurelhurst to stand with the single mom on foodstamps in Rainier valley. For HCC and SpEd parents to unite.
If the powers that be won't acknowledge the test is flawed, accept the results will not be fair or accurate, and call it off for now, then we will have do all we can to obstruct and invalidate it until they finally do (I guess you could call it civil disobedience)
Folks like me, we've always gone along with whatever the state/district has required because we believed ultimately it was in best interests of students but NOT THIS TIME, NOT THIS TEST.
Not this test
You have stated brilliantly just about every point that I have tried to make to anyone who will listen.
This West Seattle mom stands with you.
I hope you don't mind if I quote some of your post in emails I send to friends...
-Fedmomof2
HIMSmom
It doesn't make the students failures, but it will call them failures. Families will receive these results and kids will see a score showing they have not passed. If you are in 3rd grade, a "failing" score in ELA will automatically force you to attend a parent/teacher conference before the end of the school year. This is why the 3rd grade ELA is happening first in most schools.
HIMSmom
I'm all for rigor, I'm all for early identification and remediation for lagging skills but the roll out of this test is what troubles me. The test is 'not ready for primetime' and our kids aren't ready for it.
Think about the time that's being spent in class trying to make our kids ready for it. This is wasted instructional time that could have been spent on the curriculum, on actually educating our kids.
It's the test that needs to be made ready for students. Instead of trying to train our kids to overcome the poorly designed and poorly executed test - just fix the freaking test! Make it simple, intuitive, fair, fast, and easy for students to demonstrate their mastery of the content being tested. It's not that hard - it just needs political will.
Until then, parents of all kinds of students, from all kinds of backgrounds and schools need to stand together on this and say ...
Not this test
For the record, I agree wholeheartedly re: opting out. It's a bad test, and the implementation takes too much away from regular instruction. The rollout has sucked. We're opting out.
But to be clear, the test will not label kids failures either. It says the four levels of achievement may also be described qualitatively in terms such as “novice, developing, proficient, advanced” or others. A kid scoring in level 2, or "developing", is not a failure, and the test will not label them so. In fact, isn't that how our current SPS report cards work? I seem to recall seeing a lot of "developing" on past report cards--and really, it didn't bother me a bit. Being labeled "novice" is not the same as "failure" either. Or do you think it is?
What about the 25% or so of kids who have been getting MSP reports indicating they are not proficient? Have they also been labeled failures? And is the current concern because as the percentage not attaining proficiency grows, it starts to impact "our" kids instead of just others?
As to what it would mean to me or my kid if the test report actually said he was a "failure," I'd be outraged! But it won't say that. If/when my kids does take the test--probably in 10th grade, to meet the HS grad reqt, assuming that's still around--if the score report comes back showing "developing" we'll just know we need to work on some stuff to hopefully pass it in 11th. Or maybe my kid will decide to roll the dice and bank on obtaining future SAT or AP scores or something that can be used instead (allowing time for the approval process, too). What I will NOT do, however, is think of my kid as a failure in that case. I'll instead think the same thing I think whenever I see a low score on a test or report card now--either my kid didn't pay attention, or the teacher/test did a bad job at assessment, or some other explanation. I'll also be sure to convey to my kid that these BS "college readiness" levels were made up by an organization that wanted to make its test seem more important than it is, and that the state only requires a score in the x zone (possibly high level 1) to be considered proficient and "pass" the requirement, so not to worry.
HIMSmom
10th graders cannot opt out as they have to take the test to meet their reading and writing requirements to earn a diploma.
Those students who will not pass - and there will many of them - will be students who have failed to met the standard to graduate.
-Concerned 10th grade parent
Yes, now would would any department try to avoid the Board's knowledge of spending in such an obvious way? Clearly, they don't want the Board to know and, oh say, ask for some accountability?
Lynn, interestingly, I saw a bill in the Legislature that would limit late starts but I have no idea what happened to it.
"The test should be simple - even if the content being tested is difficult.
The questions can be challenging but the inputting of answers should not be. "
Bravo (I may tweet some of that).
If 10th grader students opt out (sorry, refuse!!!) or fail the SBAC this year, can't they redo it next year, in 11th grade?
- Another 10th grade parent
Maybe part of this concern about failure is a media/political construct to get us all worried about our education system and we parents are falling for it.
However, my concern is the rates of kids who fail or don't achieve proficiency (or what ever you want to call it) will be inflated, at least in part, due to the test itself. The test sets kids up to perform poorly - especially those who are not tech savvy, younger grades, SpED, slow typists etc. The results can't be relied on to truly show what the kids know. It's not fair. It's not an accurate assessment. it's wrong to use it as a measure of performance for schools/districts.
Why should our kids have to slog through it and why should our teachers have to spend time in the classroom compensating for the poorly worded questions, bad user interface, unintuitive use of tools etc. Our teachers time and our kids actual education are the collateral costs of a bad corporate product.
I don't understand how it has got this far - the tests should have been sent back to the developers to iron out the kinks, reword the questions etc long ago. It's not like standardized tests are anything new.
Not this test
There is some information, however, that I would like to bring to light.
(1) The practice test released by Smarter Balanced and made available by OSPI and its vendor is a poor product. Smarter Balanced should not have released such a tool. It was developed under a different contract than those awarded to develop the real or "operational" test questions that will appear on the test this spring and those in the future. All of the test questions used this spring were field tested last year and approved as "appropriate" for use on the test. None of the sample test questions on the practice test were field tested and were developed under a too-short timeline. Smarter Balanced should have known better but...
(2) Test questions/items on the real or "operational" tests go through a rigorous vetting process and those that don't perform as expected are tossed. Again, none of the sample practice test questions/items went through any such process. Normally, practice tests are created from test questions/items that were field tested and used on an operational test. Once these items are used, they can be released as sample tests since they won't be used on an operational test again. The practice test released by Smarter Balanced could not have been developed from released items since there hasn't been an operational administration prior to this spring.
(3) OSPI chose not to use the Smarter Balanced test platform, which is what the practice test is based upon. OSPI has chosen to use a different test platform to administer the Smarter Balanced tests and will not be using the open-source test system made available through Smarter Balanced. OSPI chose to use a test platform from AIR, it's new test vendor.
This is a long way of saying that what you're seeing in the practice test may likely be quite different than what students may see this spring, both in form of the quality of test questions/items and the user interface.
--- swk
Unless the district intends to issue edicts on the question of free will, parents really do have options in their choice of actions. Thus, "opt out" is a perfect serviceable term. I find the district's attempt to control people's use of language to be Orwellian.
David Edelman
I didn't intend my statement to be definitive. That's why I said "may likely."
I'm certainly not trying to ramp down opt-outs. As I've said previously, parents have that right and they should use it if it fits their family needs.
--- swk
I appreciate the information you provide on these assessments. I don't always agree with it - and honestly some of it goes over my head - but I'm glad to learn more about it. Thank you.
I'm puzzled though by your recent comment (3/11 at 4:47). SPS is telling parents to go to smarterbalanced.org to show practice tests to our kids. Why do that if they are flawed in the way you describe. Or so very different. Wouldn't that be setting our kids up for potentially MORE frustration, failure etc.?
I took the practice tests - couldn't get through the LA one. I thought the questions were poorly written, the interface wasn't particularly intuitive and I feel there were instances where the questions intentionally were written in a way to make it confusing. I am college educated and work all day on a computer, in various databases and platforms and am in my 40's. If I got tired, bored and frustrated by the practice test I can only imagine how kids would feel.
Also, I did get through the math one and it didn't give me any score so I have no idea how I did. That was frustrating too.
I'm not impressed w the SBAC. I'm not wild about assessments in general but this seems very rushed and contrived to me and I'm leaning to opting out.
I really want to discuss it with my childrens teachers (ie can you really learn something from this assessment about my child that you can't/ don't already know from being in class with him/her every day?) but evidently it is verboten to do so. If I can't determine this will actually help guide instruction and get my kid to where he/she needs to be, why have them take it.
All SPS schools are failing per NCLB anyway so that isn't a disincentive.
-SPS momof2
I love my kids teachers. I hate this district.
My kids aren't taking the test specifically to spit at a district that can't have an honest conversation with its families.
Opting out
--- swk
No, they are not. The state requires the DISTRICT to give the test. Students do not have to take the test (unless you are in 10th grade and you want to graduate.)
"If 10th grader students opt out (sorry, refuse!!!) or fail the SBAC this year, can't they redo it next year, in 11th grade?"
There are always retests for 11th graders if they fail any tests needing for their graduation. Is SBAC the exception?
Also, I have to agree with David Edelman on the Orwellian scene/language...
- Another 10th grade parent
http://wa.portal.airast.org/training-tests/
https://login2.cloud2.tds.airast.org/student/V100/Pages/LoginShell.aspx?c=Washington_PT
This IS the horrendous practice test to which we have all been referring.
The WCAP website is leads to the same practice test that is accessed via smarterbalanced.org. They are one in the same.
--- swk
So, for those teachers who don't teach in a tested area, will they be evaluated based on students they don't teach, like in Florida? Or will it be an unfair evaluation model where only some teachers are punished by test scores? How fair is it to put even more stress on a kid (your teacher's job depends on your score), or more stress on a teacher (do you really think middle school kids give a rip about this test)? How fair is it to reduce teaching and learning to teaching to the test for the whole year rather than the couple of months it is now? How fair is it to low-income schools/districts to have your staff members jobs depend on the test scores of a test where the cut scores are deliberately set too high, and where the majority of your students are coming to school hungry?
So much for critical thinking and research in the Washington State Senate. It's all about the money and privatization, not the kids.
CT
Since the SBAC 11th grade test, offered to 10th graders for graduation purposes, is now the high school assessment, all of this state law applies.
--- swk
I just posted on another thread. The Seattle Democrats that voted in- favor of linking test scores to teacher evaluations are:
Kohl-Welles
Pederson
Frocket
Can’t wait to hear why some of these Seattle “Dems” voted for test-based teacher evals and narrowing the curriculum even more. How do you justify that? Here was their opportunity to show backbone and demand that the Federal Gov’t fix/replace NCLB with educational policy that has a sound basis in research rather than 5 pillars of market-based ideology. Instead they just gave Arne Duncan credibility and the perception of more power. Now we wait to see what the House does.
CT
There was no reason - none whatsoever - to pass this bill. Unless you think schools should be about test prep rather than about real education.
I'm really disappointed in Senator Frockt.
-46th Mom
Well, she should know given that she has been threatened with recall on a number of occasions. And didn't she vote to push through the flawed Creative Schools initiative (another flop) that broke the law? Short term memory loss.
RCW 28A.655.070 is explicit.
--- swk
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/technology/learning-apps-outstrip-school-oversight-and-student-privacy-is-among-the-risks.html
I'd like to know….
What sort of software programs are used in SPS classrooms for teaching and for testing?
Is there any central oversight or policy regarding individual school or teachers use of educational software apps in the classroom?
What specific kinds of information each collected from students?
What kind of security protocols were being used to secure students’ personal information?
Protective parent
• Sen. Mark Mullet, Issaquah
• Sen. Jamie Pedersen, Seattle
• Sen. David Frockt, Seattle
• Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Seattle
• Sen. Steve Hobbs, Lake Stevens
• Sen. Cyrus Habib, Bellev
All voted for the bill. Completely absurd- all research supports tying these kind of tests to teacher evaluations has no positive effect on student outcomes. You will get fewer teachers teaching in schools with low scores (don't forget the extreme bias of racial, economic, etc factors). Look at WEAs website for more info.
-CT
HIMSmom
-Hale NO!
Get the law changed, no one is denying your due process, right to petition your government or vote.
hippie
When students come home worried about failing the state test, is that coming from teachers and schools? How do they know that 60% or some number are expected to fail? If this is coming from school, it needs to stop.
Yes, standardized test scores are available on the Source, but students would need to click through a few links to see their scores. They are not front and center every time you log on to the Source. I don't think my children check anything but grades, because that's what matters to them.
I don't have an issue with standardized tests in general. Our children have always taken the state tests. But somehow this year seems different. The focus of the classroom feels off. My child is doing generic assignments that focus on "cite your evidence," and there is less focus on the intrinsic value of a piece of literature. It's as if one assignment is no different than another. Bleck.
When someone suggests "change the law," I'm not sure the law is the problem.
SBAC bleck
I've been signing off as CT for quite awhile on here. Please use something else.
CT
I'd vote for an entire slate of Reagan Republicans right now, compared to the spineless Democratic sellouts in Olympia. At least the RR's were clear about what they stood for.
You bet they'd be tying teacher evaluations to test scores. Absolutely. But they'd do it because they believe in it, as wrong-headed as it may be. The Dem traitors who voted for it? They know better, but sold the teachers, our kids, and us out anyways.
A pox on their houses.
WSDWG
http://learningmatters.tv/blog/on-pbs-newshour/watch-opt-out-movement/12789/
-parent
Change NCLB (which is the nexus of the problem). That's being done as we speak but the average person has a snowball's chance in hell to influence it. I always urge people to try, though.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-test-scores-suspended-20150311-story.html
- hope?
I understand that the SBAC is a state requirement, but I would like to hear from our teachers if they think that the SBAC is a useful test. Are teachers free to discuss SBAC test with parents? Various posters have indicated that teachers are not free to discuss SBAC with parents.
Have all teachers taken the practice test on the exact configuration that their students will take the test on? Another poster indicated that taking the test on laptop with no mouse was difficult for middle school students. I think that our 3rd grader is also scheduled to take the test on a laptop with no mouse. Would it be possible to get a mouse if the students have a hard time with all the drag-and-drops, drawing lines and moving around between screens?
Why not schedule conferences for all students in all grades that score level 1 and 2 in both Math and ELA?
Why didn't all the Amplify test scores get back to parents? Could you please send all the Amplify test scores to parents? It would be helpful for parents to know what their child is being tested on.
Nisha.
Will the SBAC will be used for 6th grade math placement into Algebra 1 class?
Nisha.
Sorry, I meant to use "or" instead of "and". Here is the corrected question.
Why not schedule conferences for all students that score level 1 or 2 in Math or ELA?
Thanks,
Nisha.
They can't do this with the SBAC, since there is no historical data. Students won't be taking the EOCs either. They don't even have MAP scores for many students. There will be limited data, and SBAC results could be all over the place. So what will happen for next year? Will they continue to allow that level of acceleration (it took years to get it in place). How are those students doing in Algebra 2 this year as 8th graders?
I doubt the district has worked out the details, but it's an excellent question for the head of the district math department.
-no answers
FWIW I did email Anna Box regarding 6th grade math placement - which will be an issue for current 4th graders and below (current 5th graders will have placement on basis of 4th grade MSP and 5th grade MAP).
Her response was "I am planning to work with both our internal assessment partners, teachers, principals, and parents over the next 6 - 8 months to be prepared for this transition." and she asked if I would like to be included in the conversations. I am not a math person and don't think I have anything to contribute in this regard but perhaps those of you who are interested in participating in this decision-making process should contact her.
kitty
NE Seattle Mom of 3
-SPS Tired
I teach. I can't even get answers from anybody. Do you know that when we look at an inside directory, there are many departments including math that even teachers can't reach anymore. One of my co-teachers got locked out of Math In Focus and he called the tech people who said he had to search the website for information. Then he tried to call the math dept. but there was no number or contact info listed in the directory. Then he emailed a name he found on the outside District website - don't remember who - and got no response. So he did finally go to the website of the publisher and got an email address and it took another day but he finally got his password unlocked and back into the math site.
This district is too big. It is corrupt, complacent, too big to fail, and totally non-responsive to anyone.
Smaller admin, smaller paychecks, fewer people closer to their clients. That's what Seattle needs. I haven't seen one reason on this blog that reflects why you want to keep the district as is. Lots of people seem to want to keep it as is but no one puts forth a reasonable argument why it should stay the same. I'm open. Tell me your evidence that keeping what we have is best.
Also, the calendar is negotiated by the District and the union. It is set with each new SEA contract for the term of the contract. If there's a three year contract, the calendars are available three years ahead. I think we are going into new negotiations for 2015-16 . . . I may be incorrect on all this but that is my understanding right now.
And it really isn't all that different from year to year. Honestly, it has always started the Wednesday after Labor Day. Some years are early Sept. starts and some years a later start. It has been the same for as long as I've lived in this city.
just sayin'(again)
Smaller admin, smaller paychecks, fewer people closer to their clients"
SPS is definitely corrupt, complacent, non-responsive, but I don't think splitting the district would fix the problem. I don't believe that SPS is so dysfunctional because of the way that the organization is structured -- but rather because of the organization culture.
Splitting the district probably wouldn't decrease the number of admin. Rather, it would increase it. With certain positions, you'd have to double the number of positions (such as two district heads of SPED, two Ron English's, two superintendents). Even if you get rid of their assistants and half their underlings, it wouldn't even out salary-wise, because a department head costs more than an assistance department head.
Most of the people from SPS would transition into a similar role in either of the two new districts because replacing all of your staff in a short time is impossible. And these people wouldn't be willing to see their large paychecks cut in half just because their student population was cut in half. What's more, most of the JSCEE admin would probably be in charge of transitioning from one district to two and doing all the reorganization and hiring. They wouldn't give themselves smaller salaries.
I'd like to see compensation for district admin tied to results. For example, the Board voted against tying Nyland's salary to his performance because they were so afraid that he might not take the position. That strikes me as a horrible management process.
I'd also like to see more decentralization for schools that are doing well -- give good principals more power over their schools -- with a clearer path for parents to appeal to the district. Good principals would have more freedom to choose curriculum and manage their staff, but it would be easier for parents to appeal to HQ (and HQ would be more responsive) if the principal were ignoring the child's 504. Ideally.
Students should have guaranteed access at every attendance area school to the same:
amount of recess and lunch time
curriculum
PE waiver policy
dress code
set of courses
graduation requirements and
acceleration policies.
If you like what you've got, keep at big and unaccountable. Think about banks: Which serves the customer better and cheaper? Small banks and credit unions - which, btw, I've been a member of for thirty years - or Citi-bank, Chase, etc.? My little credit serves me just fine.
Think quality instead of finance. And good luck trying to change the culture of a monolithic organization. Sometimes you have to start over.
just sayin'
Until Americans learn to think of ourselves as a whole and believe in the rising tide lifting all boats, instead of acting like homesteaders demanding our piece and defending our own only, SPS will continue to be haphazard, inequitable and inconsistent. They'll please no one while trying to please everyone. The staff at SPS are not orcs. They're just doing what everyone is doing, looking out for their own, exclusively.
Should they be better? Yes. Will they be better? Doubtful. Unless we all change, be thankful that it's not worse (yet). They could be the House of Representatives!
Staff appreciation week coming, thank your teachers for the incredible job they're doing for our children with so little money and no respect from anyone, not even the kids.
CCA
CCA
just sayin'
A bit of a contradiction, don't you think? And I haven't seen any evidence that SPS is trying to please everyone. Rather, it seems the folks downtown wish we'd all shut up and go away, no?
I asked about it. The communications team would like to follow up.
Tina