At the 2012 Democratic national convention, the governor of
Massachusetts raved about the success of a school called Olive
Gardens, where the 80% of the staff was fired, and many
inexperienced TFA were brought in. EduShyster points out that
the Charlotte M. Murkland Elementary School is even more
successful, yet there were no shoutouts at the Convention, no trips
to the White House, no national press coverage. I wrote a post about
the Murkland school based on a story in the Lowell newspaper.
EduShyster has visited the school many times. In her post linked
here, she explains the ten ingredients that created a dramatic and
genuine success story. Here is ingredient number 10: “10. Speaking
of Time, this Miracle Didn’t Happen Overnight The Murkland’s
turnaround began in 2009 and the school has showed steady and
impressive growth each year since then. Which means that the
school’s success isn’t short term or illusory. And that may be the
very best part of this story.” Read her post to learn about the
other 9 crucial elements of sustained and sustainable
change.
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Those are important steps to improvement that sometimes work. They require, as Edu…(i don’t use the other word as some of us regard it as anti-Semitic) – a lot of hard work.
Here’s a question thought. Are test scores a valid way to measure the quality of a school, or its improvement? My understanding from many previous posts is that test scores are NOT a valid way to measure school improvement.
Here’s a post from earlier today: “Why the Obsession with Test Scores?” https://dianeravitch.net/2013/09/29/gordon-wilder-why-the-obsession-with-test-scores/#comments
The newspaper story says this school is being recognized because of improvement on standardized tests: “The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced that the Murkland was one of 14 schools statewide to have improved beyond Level 4 status, a designation given to schools that are are “low performing” on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System during a four-year period, without showing signs of substantial improvement.
The Murkland School jumped up to Level 1 based on its students’ 2013 assessment scores.”
Actually I think improving test scores are one, but not the only valid measure of a school. But it test scores are not a valid part of measuring school improvement, why the celebration of this school’s improving test scores?
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I really can’t understand this anymore. I agree with Diane on all her views. But how can a public intellectual who advocates for a moratorium on all standardized tests cite improved scores as indicative of a school turnaround? If the tests aren’t valid then how can the results be valid. I believe improved scores should be recognized for what they are…an unimportant ancillary effect that may come with the improvement of a school that has resulted because of other qualitative variables which have been introduced that were lacking or not present before. The real question is why are these students doing better on their standardized tests? Is it because valuable class time is being wasted drilling them on test prep material? Or is it just an ancillary effect of qualitative variables? If it’s the first then that signals a low quality of education. If it’s the second then the school may be improving but nonetheless improved standardized test scores shouldn’t be seen as the ultimate goal in that improvement or even an important goal. This is just my humble opinion, but the great people opposed to the educational faux reform movement need to stop citing improved test scores just as much as the faux reform movement.
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OG’s student body was ‘replaced’!
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