tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post1297975785764962943..comments2024-03-29T02:41:52.718-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Assessment TaskforceMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-19056703102961029262013-02-21T19:35:42.969-08:002013-02-21T19:35:42.969-08:00Like every other SPS Task Force this one looks to ...Like every other SPS Task Force this one looks to be the same smoke screen. Too bad. There are probably some pretty good ideas in that room.<br /><br />- tired of the dog and pony show.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-74756397084603587422013-02-21T12:45:26.186-08:002013-02-21T12:45:26.186-08:00Reminds me of when former Ex Dir of Sped Marni Cam...Reminds me of when former Ex Dir of Sped Marni Campbell simply ignored the recommendations of the ICS Taskforce....mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-24776935405245414882013-02-21T12:42:09.098-08:002013-02-21T12:42:09.098-08:00Thanks, Joan. (To note, I had a couple of people ...Thanks, Joan. (To note, I had a couple of people reach out to me on this issue and I was going to write a separate thread but I'm glad Joan brought it up now. The Board and the Superintendent really need to have a firm policy about how committees/taskforces do their work.)<br /><br />Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-25115219426193772362013-02-21T12:23:09.132-08:002013-02-21T12:23:09.132-08:00"In other words, this is as far as a member c..."In other words, this is as far as a member could go toward expressing disagreement with the final recs without violating the agreements in the draft charter."<br /><br />This is why I don't sign onto to these groups. You get to watch some dog and pony shows (although I would LOVE to meet Linda Darling-Hammond!), then you keep your thoughts to yourself.<br /><br />This is just another instance of window-dressing and I refuse to be associated with it.<br /><br />Thank you Joan for your report.<br />mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-75179372990174669132013-02-21T12:17:42.256-08:002013-02-21T12:17:42.256-08:00Here's hot link to the meeting handouts Joan&#...Here's hot link to the meeting handouts Joan's referencing:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/126619874/TaskForce-Assessments-Mtg-1-Handouts" rel="nofollow">Assessment Task Force handout</a>mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-68514962030669084352013-02-21T12:11:37.168-08:002013-02-21T12:11:37.168-08:00Having myself attended the first meeting of the As...Having myself attended the first meeting of the Assessments task force (TF), I would like to share a couple of the red flags that were raised for me at that first meeting. <br /><br />My concerns have specifically to do with certain expectations in the "draft charter." The draft charter likely be formally adopted at start of today's meeting, with little or no modification.<br /><br />The charter will spell out the TF's scope of work, final products, and the manner in which members of the TF will interact and conduct their work.<br /><br />The TF was told that it gets to write its own charter. This charter is of course of central importance to the TF.<br /><br />The TF members were presented with a four page "draft charter." Readers can find this draft charter here <br />http://www.scribd.com/doc/126619874<br /><br />Go to pages 3-6 of this scribd file to see the draft charter.<br /><br />The facilitator ("Lynda") informed the TF that idea of preparing this draft was to "jump start" the process of getting the charter written and finalized. <br /><br />Here are two elements of that draft charter which I would like to draw attention to:<br /><br />1. The draft charter requires each member to express support for and advocate for the final recommendations, even when a member does not personally agree with all the recommendations. <br /><br />Quotations from draft charter pertaining to this point:<br />"In addition, our commitment includes "owning" the final product (recommendations) in such a way that you can/will support, endorse, or advocate for the recommendations at the time they are presented and rolled out."<br /><br />and<br /><br />"Agreement to support the final decision of the group - even if it wasn't the one you personally like the best."<br /><br />Lynda (the facilitator) was asked whether these clauses would allow a member to share with their stakeholders any level of disagreement with the final recommendations. Lynda explained that it would be o.k. for a member to go only so far as saying something like "I would have preferred a different recommendation than what came out from the Task Force. These are reasons why the TF rejected the idea I favored....". <br /><br />In other words, this is as far as a member could go toward expressing disagreement with the final recs without violating the agreements in the draft charter.<br /><br /><br />2. My second concern is that the draft charter would have the TF choose to exclude from its scope any consideration of whether MAP should be used in teacher evaluation.<br /><br />If this limitation on scope is adopted, then it would be inappropriate to submit to the TF the position paper from NWEA that says that MAP data should not be used as a measure of teacher effectiveness in a performance evaluation system.<br /><br />Jonathan Knapp spoke up at the meeting, and said, in effect, that there no legal contractual reason why the TF should not include this issue in scope of work.<br /><br />According to the draft charter, scope of work will include "explor[ing] specific concerns about the MAP test." Is not the use of test data in teacher evaluation is genuine matter of concern in this community?<br /><br />It Eric's hope, I have little doubt, that TF members will formally adopt these guidelines at the beginning of today's meeting with little or no modification.<br /><br />Lynda told the TF members that there will be "no voting" on the final recommendations. She had the group do a silly exercise based on a fairy tale, to get across that for this group, the term "concensus" will not mean "100% agreement." <br /><br />I guess the point is that the recommendations will be presented to the public as representing "consensus" even if there is not 100% agreement.<br /><br />I will be very surprised if the Delph Technique is not employed to drive the TF away from recommendations that are unacceptable to Eric or the District.<br /><br />Joan SiasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com