Archives for the month of: July, 2014
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Blogger: Close Reading Wrongly Ignores Students’ Thoughts and Feelings

By dianeravitch
July 16, 2014 //
60

David Coleman, the architect of the Common Core standards, believes that students should analyze difficult text as written, without reference to context or their personal reactions. This blogger disagrees. His blog is vigornotrigor, though you might be tempted to call it Wag the Dog. However, if you google Wag the Dog, you will never find it.

He includes a video of David Coleman, New York State Commissioner John King, and a member of the State Education Department staff named Kate Gerson discussing how to teach Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail.

Coleman, who has never been a teacher, says:

“The first question is for kids as readers, how much can they draw from the text itself, you always want to ask yourself, how can they make do…I think we as readers often decide what can I skip. In other words, I don’t fully get this, but I get it enough to keep moving. I think it’s Ok to say that because you can’t read complicated things without choosing, there are some references that you don’t quite get, that you are not going to follow up on.”

And further:

“These speakers clearly do not realize that many of our slow learning, at-risk, and learning disabled middle school students are not developmentally ready and experienced enough independent readers to make such critical judgment calls when it comes to complex informational text.

“Coleman and crew also fail to grasp that students’ thoughts and feelings matter a great deal. Successful teachers at any grade level are genuinely interested in their students’ lives and the classroom is a safe and welcoming environment where each person’s thoughts and feelings are highly valued and respected.

“Trust is an essential ingredient of good teaching and it will flourish in the classroom when the teacher takes time to learn about the individual needs and interests of each student…..

“Learning unfolds in a safe environment that rewards and values curiosity, innovation, imagination, and risk-taking. A properly designed and implemented education program will nurture student confidence rather than fear, and cultivate hope rather than despair.

“The CCSS close reading strategy demands that all students independently “dive into” and master complex informational text and teachers are discouraged from answering student questions or introducing and reviewing prior knowledge with them.

“This unproven approach directly contradicts Bloom’s Taxonomy which has clearly demonstrated that students will first acquire knowledge before they can progress to comprehension and understanding.

He concludes:

“From an educator’s perspective, the importance of text is not simply how well students can comprehend a reading passage, but how the ideas, ideals, and values expressed in the text are internalized and then implemented by students in real life situations.

“Another way of looking at this issue is to simply ask, what would Martin Luther King, Jr. want our students to do?

“Spend two weeks deconstructing and dissecting the nuance and subtlety of his words and how well he supported his claims, or two weeks applying and teaching his principles in our schools and local communities?”

Categories Coleman, David, Common Core

Breaking News: 19 Gulen Charter Schools in Ohio Under Investigation by State Board

By dianeravitch
July 15, 2014 //
41

Sometimes it is hard to believe that anyone cares anymore about old-fashioned things like integrity, honesty, accountability, and transparency, especially in the red red states where the charter chains have bought the legislature and the governor.

 

But look at this story.  All of these schools are associated with the Gulen movement, a Turkish chain of charters, the largest in the U.S. They get high test scores. but apparently they crossed the line, wherever that is.

 

 

The Ohio Board of Education ordered an immediate investigation of a chain of 19 charter schools in the state today after hearing allegations of test cheating, attendance tampering, sexual misconduct and other misdeeds.

Former teachers from the Horizon Science Academy Dayton High School in Dayton testified at the board’s monthly meeting in Columbus about years of misconduct. Some said they had been afraid to come forward before finding new jobs.

One teacher said he’d made a previous complaint to the Department of Education but never heard back from agency officials.

“Your concerns have not fallen on deaf ears,” promised Board President Debe Terhar. “We hear you and we will move forward with making sure this is investigated.”

Other board members said they were outraged and disgusted. Some said they were taken aback because they’d visited the schools and observed nothing questionable.

“Inside my blood is boiling,” said Deborah Cain, a board member from Uniontown. “It is almost incomprehensible.”

Kellie Kochensparger, a teacher at the school until last year, told board members of an incident in which school officials failed to tell parents that their children were suspended for having oral sex while other students watched at a school festival. The activity was caught on surveillance cameras.

“The school told parents the suspensions were handed out because the kids were outside of their assigned areas,” she said. “As a teacher and parent, when I questioned further, I was told that I ask too many questions and the situation was being handled.”

On another occasion Kochensparger said she was asked to make sure students completed all questions on a standardized state exam before allowing them to turn it in. When she told an administrator that it was not permitted and she would inquire of the Department of Education, she was forbidden from contacting the state.

“I know of one student who failed the 7th grade and then had to repeat the year with the agreement with (an administrator) that she would be promoted to the 9th grade if she passed 7th grade during the second attempt. She indeed completely skipped 8th grade and all associated curriculum,” Kochensparger said.

“I don’t think parents had any idea what was going on at the school. There was great emphasis on keeping parents happy and there was a culture of intimidation intended to discourage teachers from doing anything that could adversely affect the school’s relationship with parents,” she said. “Any teacher who asked too many questions was at risk of getting fired.”

The Chicago-based Concept Schools operate 30 schools throughout the Midwest, including the 19 Horizon Science academies in Ohio. Four are in Columbus. Like all charter schools, they are publicly funded and privately operated.

Some of the schools, including some in Columbus, are part of a broader probe by the FBI.

Categories Charter Schools, Ohio

Chris Christie Reduces Impact of Test Scores on Teacher Evaluations

By dianeravitch
July 15, 2014 //
24

The word is getting out. Basing teacher evaluations on test scores is a sham. Or unpopular. Or junk science. Or Gates said not to do it.

 

Whatever the reason, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has announced that his state will cut back on the importance of test scores in evaluating teachers.

 

“Governor Christie announced the rollback Monday while ordering the creation of a commission to study the effectiveness and impact of all standardized tests given in the state.

The two actions came amid growing criticism of the new academic standards known as Common Core and the tests linked to them. Many parents have contended that too much testing is harmful to students. The teachers union has argued that the new exams have been rushed, that districts aren’t ready, and that it’s too soon to judge teachers on the results. Political conservatives — a key constituency for potential GOP presidential hopefuls like Christie — believe the standards are a federal intrusion in the classroom, and they have put pressure on governors to roll them back.

“This is an issue that is a national issue,” state Education Commissioner David Hespe said in an interview Monday. “We want to understand all the assessments that our children are taking. We want to know: Are they all necessary and can we do it better? I think the answer is yes.”

The rollback would minimize the impact of tests on teacher evaluations, making them worth 10 percent in the next school year instead of 30 percent. Their portion of teacher evaluations might increase to as much as 20 percent in the next two school years….

The New Jersey Education Association, which represents teachers, welcomed the compromise with the Christie administration.

“The NJEA believes this agreement is the best possible outcome, and it should lead to common-sense, research-based recommendations from the Study Commission,” said Wendell Steinhauer, president of the union.

He pointed to bills in the Senate and the Assembly that would delay the use of tests as teacher performance measures and to create a task force to examine the Common Core standards. Steinhauer said he believes the key reason for Christie’s concession was that the measure had wide public support, was overwhelmingly passed in the Assembly, and was poised to pass in the Senate — which could have forced a gubernatorial veto.

Steve Wollmer, communications director for the union, said the governor saw that the implementation would be a “train wreck” and could have led to greater problems.

In the practice rounds of testing this year, districts reported problems with technology. Parents feared that preparation for tests had dominated classroom instruction.

The commission created by Christie’s executive order will review the effectiveness of all K-12 tests used to assess student knowledge. The commission will look at volume, frequency and impact of student testing throughout New Jersey school districts.

Christie will appoint all nine commission members, who should have expertise or experience in education policy or administration, according to his order. The commission will issue an initial report with recommendations by Dec. 31, and a final report seven months later.

Hespe said the commission will check on whether tests can be used for multiple purposes and whether any are redundant.

Jean McTavish, a Ridgewood parent who had her children opt out of new standardized tests, said she remains skeptical of real change. She worried the tests led teachers to narrow the curriculum and teach to the test, and that liberal arts education was suffering as a result.

“Ultimately, I don’t think this is going to change much, but it’s a good thing people are going to learn more,” she said. “I anticipate this is going to be a long conversation about how best to educate our children.”

The task force will not review the effectiveness of the Common Core State Standards in general, as some critics had wanted. New Jersey adopted the standards in 2010 and was one of 44 states to do so.

The standards, developed with support from governors and business, created a uniform list of what students should learn in English and math by grade level. It was intended to raise standards and better prepare students for college. But controversy and complaints have prompted many states to pass laws in recent months to review or revoke standards.

Political conservatives have been among the harshest critics and have assailed Republicans who support the standards. Christie could face questions about his support for Common Core if he seeks the Republican Party nod for president.

In a press release, Christie touted his commitment to school spending, rigorous education and teacher effectiveness.

“Establishing this commission is just another step in ensuring we’re providing the best quality education possible to our students.”

 

Categories New Jersey, Teacher Evaluations

LAUSD Closes Two Gulen-Related Charter Schools for Fiscal Insolvency, Other Issues

By dianeravitch
July 15, 2014 //
19

The Charter Schools Division of the Los Angeles Unified School District informed two charter schools that they would be closed for reasons of fiscal insolvency, despite the fact that the schools have high scores.

 

The schools, Magnolia Science Academy 6 and Magnolia Science Academy, are part of the extensive Turkish Gulen charter network.

 

This letter from the district explains why the charters were not renewed. They are appealing the district’s decision.

 

In addition to insolvency, the district found numerous other reasons to close down the charters.

 

 

Categories Charter Schools, Los Angeles

Jeanne Kaplan: Why Teachers Are Sick of Duncan

By dianeravitch
July 15, 2014 //
17

Jeanne Kaplan served on the Denver school board for years and watched with a heavy heart as fake “reformers” took over Denver and Colorado. Now Colorado has the most punitive teacher evaluation law in the nation, thanks to Arne Duncan and Colorado’s State Senator Michael Johnston. When the NEA voted a resolution calling on Duncan to resign, the reporter didn’t speak to a teacher. No, the call went to Joe Williams of Democrats for Education Reform, the organization of hedge fund managers. When did DFER become the spokesman for Democrats or teachers or regular voters?

Categories Colorado, Corporate Reformers, Democrats for Education Reform

KrazyTA: LIFO and Michael Jordan

By dianeravitch
July 15, 2014 //
78

A wonderful find by loyal reader KrazyTA, who has read the Vergara transcripts. The esteemed economist Raj Chetty of Harvard, a cheerleader for VAM, says he prefers large data sets (no humans) to anecdotes, then tells a theoretical anecdote about a coach who lays off rookie Michael Jordan. The fact that this never happened is of no consequence to the professor from Harvard.

KrazyTA writes:

A good intro to my last posting on the Vergara Decision.

What role do reason, consistency, logic, and facts play in the self-styled “education reform” movement?

From a posting on this blog of 3-23-2014, “Common Core for Commoners—Not My School!”—

“This is an unintentionally hilarious story about Common Core in Tennessee. Dr. Candace McQueen has been dean of Lipscomb College’s school of education and also the state’s’s chief cheerleader for Common Core. However, she was named headmistress of private Lipscomb Academy, and guess what? She will not have the school adopt the Common Core! Go figure.”

Link: https://dianeravitch.net/2014/03/23/common-core-for-commoners-not-my-school/

Link: http://nashvillepublicradio.org/blog/2014/02/10/lipscomb-academy-chief-advocates-for-common-core-but-not-at-her-school/

When you’re a supernova of the “new civil rights movement of our time” like Michelle Rhee you don’t have to get your numbers right—or even read the source you cite for your assertion!—when you make a claim.

“So the report Rhee herself cites contradicts her main point: standardized testing does, in fact, gobble up lots of classroom time. Her statement above, according to the source she herself cites, is just dead wrong.”

Link: http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2014/04/why-is-michelle-rhee-wrong-about.html

If you’re Bill Gates you can assert to Lyndsey Layton re the potential $tudent $ucce$$ synergy between Common Core, Pearson and Microsoft that:

“Yeah, we had the old Pearson stuff. I, it, it, there’s no connection, there’s no connection to Common Core and any Microsoft thing.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-bill-gates-pulled-off-the-swift-common-core-revolution/2014/06/07/a830e32e-ec34-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html

But then there’s the joint statement by Pearson and Microsoft of 2/20/2014—

Link: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1748922

But surely during the Vergara trial Dr. Raj Chetty was able to demonstrate the hard-nosed, data-based logic, consistency, reasons and facts behind VAMania and high-stakes standardized testing and the like, right?

Please refer to the following link for the references re Dr. Chetty’s testimony:

Link: http://www.vergaratrial.com/storage/documents/2014.01.30_Rough_am_session.txt

*Note that I will refer to the latest more refined version of the rough draft, which goes from pp. 508-595.*

Pp. 553-554, Dr. Raj Chetty:

“In my opinion there are two different approaches to analysis. You can look for anecdotes or you can look at large data sets. I prefer to look at large data sets because I think there is a psychological bias that any human being has to focus on outliers.”

Sounds reassuring until you realize that this is his way of “reasoning” away myriad accounts that VAM estimates fluctuate wildly or that Campbell’s Law is a real concern, not just a “conjecture.”

But here’s where the rubber meets the road.

When discussing LIFO (i.e., seniority) policies, he goes all in to make sure we of little understanding grasp why the least effective senior teachers should be laid off before the more effective novice teachers:

P. 576: “…[L]et me give an analogy which hopefully will resonate and be familiar with many people here.

Let’s say you are a manager of a basketball team and you have a new player, Michael Jordan in his rookie year who looks very promising, but in his rookie year he is not doing so well relative to the other players on the team. So you could take a short term perspective and say, well, this guy doesn’t seem to be doing so well this year, so I’m going to let him go and stick with the other players so that we do well in the next season, or could you take a longer term perspective and say Michael Jordan seems to have a lot of potential, he is going to be great in two years, he’s going to be one of the superstars, I’m going to keep him because I really care about my team in the longer run.

The LIFO policy is effectively saying let’s let Michael Jordan go, I wouldn’t want to have Michael Jordan on my team.”

There are so many things wrong with this brief example of “high-disorder” thinking that I hardly know where to start. But just some brief comments, and I won’t even bring up the whole mismangled approach to teamwork, cooperation and collaboration he brings up. *Michael Jordan could give Dr. Chetty some good advice: “There is no ‘i’ in team but there is in win.”*

So we lesser beings must zealously avoid the “psychological bias” we have in focusing on “outliers” and ground ourselves instead in “large data sets”? Is it too much to remind a numbers/stats person that the NBA has, maximum, less than 500 players [and not all can dress for any one game? And that these are exceptionally fine athletes, world class no less—literally, if you saw one of them playing in your local gym or playground, they would blow everyone else away. The bench warmers are outliers! They are ALL outliers!

And Michael Jordan is an outlier among outliers! Picking him as an example of what approach to use in assessing the effectiveness of millions of teachers via numerical rankings is betraying a hopelessly confused surrender to the “psychological bias” to focus on “outliers”!

Capiche?!?!?!?

And as for those millions of teachers: VAM already has moved the “highly effective” and “highly ineffective” and the “most effective” and “most ineffective” all over the rankings from year to year—how long could Dr. Chetty’s “Michael Jordans” survive such VAMboolzement before being kicked out of the classroom? [With all apologies to Dr. Audrey Amrein-Beardsley.]

I stop here. End of my Vergara Decision series.

Let’s pay heed to Joe Flood, author of THE FIRES:

“Initially, we use data as a way to think hard about difficult things, but then we over rely on data as a way to avoid thinking hard about difficult problems. We surrender our better judgment and leave it to the algorithm.”

[Jim Horn and Denise Wilburn, THE MISMEASURE OF EDUCATION, 2013, p. ]

😎

P.S. Even a very dead, very old and very Greek guy knew better:

“A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers.” [Plato]

Categories Teacher Tenure

FAIRTEST: The Movement to Stop Test Mania Continues

By dianeravitch
July 15, 2014 //
14

An update on the spread of the movement against over-testing and the misuse of those fallible instruments:

The rapid pace of strong news stories and commentaries about assessment reform campaigns continued uninterrupted through the long Independence Day weekend. More and more media outlets are reporting the widespread grassroots response to testing overkill: “Enough is Enough!” And, some politicians are starting to listen.

Remember that back issues of these weekly news summaries are available at: http://fairtest.org/news

Common Core Testing Rebellion Sweeps Nation
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/common-core-test-anxiety-108527.html

Task Force Appointed to Review Colorado Testing System
http://co.chalkbeat.org/2014/07/02/long-summer-and-fall-ahead-for-testing-task-force/#.U7RdCGOTHZc

New Florida Test May Be Worse Than Discredited Old Exam
http://mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2014/7/2/school_board_member_.html

Is Florida “Nuts” to Pay Utah $5 Million for Test Questions
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/todaysbuzz/sfl-is-florida-nuts-to-pay-utah-5-million-for-test-questions-20140707,0,1483645.story

Florida Requires Creation of 700 New Tests to Assess Teachers — Misses Deadline to Help Districts
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2014/jul/07/collier-officials-state-missing-deadline-8212-in/

Racial Disparities Continue to Georgia Gifted-and-Talented Programs
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-education/racial-gaps-remain-in-gifted-programs-ajc-analysis/ngSBq/#237d8f5e.2767361.735417

Battery of Exams Leaves Indiana Students Little Time for Learning
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140703/EDIT07/307039997/1021/edit

Common Core Testing Fight Pits Louisiana Governor Against State’s School Chief and Board of Ed
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/07/02/36louisiana.h33.html

Debate Over New Jersey Standardized Testing Puts Gov. Christie in No-Win Situation
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/speak-easy/item/69971-the-debate-over-standardized-tests-has-put-gov-christie-in-a-no-win-situation

New Mexico Teacher Turns Down $5,000 Test-Based Bonus
http://cnjonline.com/2014/07/02/education-officials-should-follow-lead-of-teacher/

Some Ohio School Districts May Be Able to Opt-Out of State Standardized Test Mandates

Yellow Springs schools aim to opt out of tests

Testing Company Fired in Oklahoma Had Similar Problems in Indiana
http://in.chalkbeat.org/2014/07/01/oklahoma-fires-ctbmcgraw-hill-as-testing-vendor/#.U7Q00mOTHZc

Most Oklahomans Oppose Basing Third-Grade Promotion on Test Score
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/education/poll-most-oppose-basing-third-grade-promotion-on-single-test/article_75c4f16e-400d-5671-a44e-bdc4bbdbe26f.html

Pennsylvania State Rep. — Stop Use of Exams for Graduation
http://www.dailylocal.com/opinion/20140701/the-high-school-keystone-exams-not-ready-for-graduation

Rhode Island Multi-Year Grad Test Moratorium Becomes Law
http://www.wral.com/necap-moratorium-becomes-law-in-rhode-island/13781084/

Controversy Swirls Around Value of Tennessee Test Results
http://nashvillepublicradio.org/blog/2014/07/01/muted-fanfare-tcap-results-debate-swirls-tests-reliability/

Texas Governor Proposes Another Delay in Including Standardized Test Scores in Final Grades
http://www.ksat.com/content/pns/ksat/news/politics/2012/11/29/perry-give-students-another-staar-grade-deferral.html

Virginia Legislature Establishes Committee to Overhaul State Testing System
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/va-committee-formed-to-reform-sol-tests/2014/07/03/bd33d344-02d7-11e4-b8ff-89afd3fad6bd_story.html

Washington State Study: Tests Stressed Too Much
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20140702/NEWS01/140709824/Study-Tests-are-stressed-too-much-
Federal Testing Mandate Hurts Washington State Students
http://union-bulletin.com/news/2014/jul/07/feds-education-mandates-hurt-state-students/

Wyoming Test Changes Delay Score Release
http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/test-changes-mean-release-delay-for-paws/article_e15925d8-e622-5ace-b65e-49cc3096e783.html

NEA Launches Campaign Against “Toxic Testing”
http://www.nea.org/grants/33354.htm

Teacher Union President: Current Testing System “Will Crumble”
http://co.chalkbeat.org/2014/07/02/nea-president-current-testing-system-will-crumble/#.U7R342OTHZc

Teachers Fear Common Core Testing Will Be Worse Than “No Child Left Behind”
https://www.edsurge.com/n/2014-07-02-do-teachers-really-hate-common-core-from-the-floor-of-iste-20

Why a Common Core Testing Moratorium is Needed
http://www.fairtest.org/common-core-assessments-factsheet

Arne Duncan: The Emperor is Naked
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_26068463/school-reform-is-just-another-advertising-campaign

Replace Arne Duncan With Bill Gates — Satire Warning!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-thompson/replace-arne-duncan-with_b_5560187.html

“Accountability” vs What We Want For Our Children
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/top_performers/2014/07/accountability_vs_what_we_want_for_our_children.html

Restore GED Fairness: Campaign to Replace Pearson’s New Common Core Linked Exam
http://restoregedfairness.org/

Standardized Tests Not Required: More Schools Join Test-Optional Admissions Movement
http://college.usatoday.com/2014/07/07/no-the-sat-is-not-required-more-colleges-join-test-optional-train/

New Film Offers Student Perspective on America’s Testing Culture
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/07/04/test-j04.html

Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing
office- (239) 395-6773 fax- (239) 395-6779
mobile- (239) 696-0468
web- http://www.fairtest.org

Categories Resistance, Standardized Testing

BATS Blast Common Core Standards and Arne Duncan

By dianeravitch
July 15, 2014 //
20

The Badass Teachers Association issued the following press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2014

More Information Contact:

Marla Kilfoyle, General Manager, BATs

Melissa Tomlinson, Asst. General Manager, BATs

contact.batmanager@gmail.com

“The Badass Teachers Association, an organization that is nearing 50,000 members, is releasing this statement to express our outrage over Resolution #2 (AFT Common Core) that passed on the floor of the AFT Convention this past Sunday. The decision to support the Common Core will further erode the confidence of parents, students, and teachers who have watched the chaos that has unfolded in our schools as a result of standards that were never researched , tested, or piloted.

“The AFT stated that the promise of the Common Core has been corrupted by political manipulation, administrative bungling, corporate profiteering and an invalid scoring system designed to ensure huge numbers of kids fail the new math and language arts exams that will be rolled out next spring.” “Why in the world would they support keeping them?” asks Marla Kilfoyle, General Manager of BATs.

“BAT Asst. General Manager Melissa Tomlinson states, “BATs do not dispute the need for high level standards that will encourage our students to develop and apply higher-order thinking skills. BATs does dispute the standards as the panacea for what is actually wrong with our educational system. The Common Core has become a distractor to veil the real issues of fair funding and access to equal resources that will not be solved as school districts struggle to align curriculum to the standards through purchasing of Common Core materials, mainly from the Pearson monopoly.”

“BATs are dismally disappointed with the results of the convention and will fight to have CCSS disbanded and Arne Duncan removed as Secretary of Education. We will not give up the fight for ALL children”, said BAT Jo Lieb.

“Co-founder Mark Naison states, “The new AFT position on Common Core is going to disappoint many parents and teachers who were looking for relief from uncontrolled testing and intrusive federal mandates.”

“This CCSS “baby” was created by people with NO classroom experience (ELA) and very little classroom experience (Math). They are developmentally inappropriate for the younger grades, for kids with disabilities- they defy every best practice and research we know about how children learn. The CCSS are copyrighted and cemented in place to high stakes testing, VAM, and rigid annual benchmarks. Throw out this toxic baby and the bathwater now!” exclaimed BAT and Special Education advocate, Terry Kalb.

“BATs look forward to continuing our work with parents, students, and education policy makers to take back public education and end the FEDERALLY MANDATED Common Core State Standards! Further, we fully support NEA’s resolution to ask for Secretary Duncan’s resignation. Unions MUST return to the important role of educating the rank and file about specific and significant changes implemented in order to qualify for RttT funding; and most importantly, stand up for a complete and thorough analysis of implementation, specifically as they relate to individual states, localities, and communities manpower decisions.”

###

Categories Common Core, Duncan, Arne

Maryland Test Scores Tumble as Common Core Tests Are Adopted

By dianeravitch
July 15, 2014 //
63

Every state that has adopted Common Core tests has seen a sharp decline in test scores.

Maryland is the latest to discover that its scores fell thanks to Common Core tests.

“Reading and math scores on state tests for Maryland elementary and middle school students have dropped to their lowest levels in seven years, according to a Washington Post analysis of 2014 test data released Friday. Some Maryland officials expected the drop because schools are transitioning to new national academic standards that do not align with the tests.

“State and county educators said the across-the-board decline on the final Maryland School Assessment (MSA) was largely a result of the state’s move to a curriculum aligned with the Common Core State Standards. The new curriculum shifts some academic topics to different grade levels, especially in math, making the MSA obsolete.

“Students’ scores had been steadily inching up until 2013, when there were sharp declines in reading and math scores, a slide that continued this year. In 2014, overall proficiency scores in reading and math among elementary students fell 5.2 percentage points to 80 percent proficiency. Middle-schoolers fared worse — 71.4 percent proficiency, a drop of 6.5 percentage points. Drops in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties roughly mirrored the state averages.

“During the past two years, the state has shifted its instruction to prepare for the tests by the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, which are aligned with the Common Core and were recently field-tested in Maryland.”

The two federally-funded tests used NAEP “proficient” as their passing mark, a standard that is equivalent to high performance, not grade-level performance.

One reason–perhaps the main reason–that so many conservatives and entrepreneurs like the Common Core testing is that they hope it will convince suburban parents that their schools are no good and create new markets for charters, vouchers, and expensive new software. In other words, the Common Core tests are designed for failure.

Categories Common Core, Testing

Missouri Governor Signs Bill to Review Common Core

By dianeravitch
July 14, 2014 //
4

Jay Nixon, Governor of Missouri, signed a bill to review and revise Common Core. It will remain in place for next two years,

Categories Common Core, Missouri
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