Say goodbye to the year-end exams and the N.C. school labels we've gotten to know over the past 15 years, where schools are rated from "low performing" to "school of excellence" based on the percent of students who pass exams. The state will issue its last "ABCs of Public Education" report this summer. Next school year will bring a new set of tests and a new "READY" accountability system.
It's part of the state's Race to the Top push to make testing more meaningful and comparable to other states, while holding schools accountable for a wider array of results and using student results to rate teacher effectiveness.
A lot of this will sound familiar to those who followed Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' efforts to forge ahead on these fronts in 2011. Remember the 52 new tests that drew so much outcry? The state Department of Public Instruction is working on 90 new tests (officials prefer "measures of student learning") to ensure that there's data for teachers in all topics. New versions of high school End of Course exams and year-end language arts, math and science tests for grades 3-8 are also in the works.
State officials who updated me recently say this isn't just about newer and more tests, but better ones. The "bubble in the right answer" format that has drawn so much criticism will be replaced with online tests that include some open-ended questions. Teachers should get results faster than they do with paper tests, and testing software can offer a more refined gauge of student knowledge by adjusting the level up or down as students get answers right or wrong. (Next year is a transition year, so it's unlikely all of this will be in place right away.)
The new exams are also designed to reflect the move to national "common core" academic standards, which are supposed to push students across the country to higher-level learning.
The school labels that have graced banners on high-scoring schools since the 1990s will be gone after this year. So will the promise of "ABC bonuses" for principals and teachers based on growth ratings. Those rewards, which provided up to $1,500 for high growth, disappeared from the state budget when the recession kicked in.
There's no money budgeted for a new statewide bonus program, said N.C. Race to the Top Director Adam Levinson, "and none in the foreseeable future." The state is using Race to the Top money to provide bonuses for teachers with high effectiveness scores at 118 of the state's lowest performing schools, including some in CMS.
After 2012, high schools will be rated on graduation rates and performance on the national ACT college-readiness test, as well as pass rates on the new state exams.
The state is also working on "value-added" ratings of individual teachers, based on three years of test data. Those individual ratings aren't designed for public release, officials say, but two consecutive years of low scores could lead to dismissal.
"We're certainly not intending for that to be anything but part of the personnel file," Levinson said. "This is about helping teachers and principals grow and get better."
The change in testing also means that CMS and other N.C. districts will essentially push "reset" on gauging academic success and failure. Scores almost always fall when new tests are introduced, and North Carolina is likely to follow that pattern in 2013, says Angela Quick, the state's deputy chief academic officer. The good news for incoming Superintendent Heath Morrison and the school board: A climb in subsequent years is almost as predictable.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
New era of testing, ratings in NC
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43 comments:
CMS grading system - today if the student doesn't answer any questions on the test, they get a zero.
Coming to CMS - if the student doesn't answer any questions on the test, they get a 50 so they can feel better about trying next time.
What a slap in the face to students that try.
The fact that high schools will now be graded primarily on their graduation rate explains the ridiculous proposal for a new grading policy that is being proposed for next year. You basically have to be a rock to fail a class. Not fair to hard-working students and not the way the real world works. #Dumbingdown
Anonymous 6:24,
CMS already does that. As teachers we are told that we cannot give zeros. If a student makes an attempt (for example, writes their name on the paper) We have to give them a 50.
Quick, more lipstick for the pig. It doesn't look like a lady yet!
7:21 that is NOT currently a cms policy. It may be your school's policy, but not for the entire system.
The middle school grading policy states that if a student shows effort on an assignment, effort as defined by the teacher, then you can give a 50.
Anon @ 7:21am and Anon @ 8:16am,
What's the difference between your answers? Seems like a 50 is given subjectively in both cases where an assignment has not been completed or done properly. Either way, it sounds like a 50 was not "earned."
Can you both elaborate? Thanks!
"...testing software can offer a more refined gauge of student knowledge by adjusting the level up or down as students get answers right or wrong.
Raise of hands for who thinks News Corp. has been contacted about this kind of testing software...
Instead of continually rewriting tests that have proven to not provide desired answers and which only serve to show how our local students fare with this local test, why don't we use a nationally standardized test which is proven to be comprehensive and which will show us where our schools need to improve from a national standpoint?
Might it be embarrassing? I'm sure.
Motivating and useful? Absolutely.
Regardless, the school system needs to choose a test and stick with it - for our students' sake. Knowing how a student scores on a test one year is somewhat helpful. Seeing how that student has grown and improved by comparing a student's scores from one year to the next is much more helpful.
Ann -
How does this play in with the Smarter Balanced Assessment consortium that NC is a part of? They are supposed to have assessments in place for grades 3-8 and 11 to be used by 2013-2014 school year (I think). Will NC be piloting those tests next year or are we spending a bunch of money for one year of tests and then moving away from those to use the Smarter Balanced tests that align to the Common Core and look to be used by over half the U.S. states?
Sadly with NC going to the new common core and if grades react like when revised ABC tests come out, white students' scores will recover by the next year but black students will take 3 to 4 years to recover. You have to remember that common core is 1 to 1 1/2 grade levels above NC curriculum standards.
Of course NAEP tests still give a good national standard of performance comparison.
8:55, it's my understanding that next year is building toward the Smarter Balanced Assessment plan, but exactly how that works I couldn't say. Partly it's a lot for me to digest, partly there are still a lot of questions to be answered. Good question, though. This is somethng I'll be following in coming months.
Ann, It wont matter as the state of NC is going to make their way the only way starting in the fall. The SBAP weighted grade will be the new way. Its been around for 2.5 years now and its free to us via the state. Why CMS wasted millions of dollars on the current over testing phase (thanks Pete) they are in makes no sense this August. Then again whats a few million dollars amongst friends Ericka? Its what you crave today that is in the budget.
Unfunded mandates... always a winner.
Do I get a 50 for just responding?
No Wiley , but I am sure I can get you a iPAD from CMS. Then in th efuture you can google the answer everytime. Like in the real world thats what CMS wants to teach.
Didn't all CMS 11th graders take the ACT this year? How did they do?
High school graduation rates matter so drop-out prevention programs that work need to continue.
However, the lack of guidance and support CMS college-bound students receive makes me angry. For the most part, families are on their own. Kids who have little to no support at home are really out of luck. It's not that CMS doesn't care, it's that some critical areas are understaffed. I have a McKinny-Vento (homeless) student living with me who does not fully comprehend that they cannot afford to attend the $42,000 a year college of their dreams even with a Pell Grant, FAFSA loans, student work-study aid, and some scholarship money. CMS provided some scholarship award information upon request but many of the applications were past their due dates. CMS should have been actively counseling and guiding this student to in-state universities starting last year but, to my knowledge, little was done to promote this course of direction. I tried to encourage this student to apply to in-state schools but was unsuccessful and now question if I may have done more harm than good inviting this student to live with me. The student who lives with me is resourceful but I'm not sure the folks who predicted CMS's 95% high school graduation rate would place bets on this kid successfully finishing one year of college. I have to wonder if putting this kid in a homeless shelter might have prompted more help and been in their better interest. I have to wonder about the intense pressure that's placed on guidance departments to have every student graduate with a high school diploma. In an effort to avoid killing this kid's dream, I may have contributed to a harsher future reality.
Missing Link:
Where's the long-term data for at-risk kids who actually make it out of CMS? I'm all for Project LIFT but what about other CMS high schools that don't fit an urban blight profile? Is all the focus on testing really making a difference?
5:24,
Where's the exit data for magnets? After twenty years of a successful language immersion program, there is no tracking of students past the CMS exit door. College prep, if desired, should start at home as well as career or technical education. But we know that already, right ?
3:42, yes they took them. Tahira Stalberte says she doesn't know a release date for results but probably summer.
5:24, Washoe County Schools under Heath Morrison have launched a lot of tracking of how/what kids do after graduation. It'll be interesting to see if that happens here.
goody- so for the kid who kept falling asleep during the eog test last week and failed, and the one who didn't come to school for 45 days and failed - yeah, i still get fired for the scores. great.
Many of the posts are entertaining, many are funny, many are serious. You people do realize that not one single thing is going to change in the public schools until you enable the teachers to control the students, right? What a complete and utter waste of time, money and effort to continue down this road of blissful ignorance. Parents and the general ppublic are easily fooled by the latest reports and "data" that is offered, which in the end you are only capable of reading the high numbers, grunt and then motion to each other in sign language "this good!" Enable the public schools to control disresctful, lazy, stupid, and apathetic students then, only then, will you see a return on your tax dollars and successful students graduating from school.
North Carolina simply has to be the most backward state in the nation in regards to public education. I truly regret moving my family to this place. I have never witnessed so many people hate teachers and pass that hatred on to their children. Now wonder this state is nothing but a dump of haves' and have nots'.
How easy is that? Set experienced (and expensive) teachers up to fail with large classes filled with behaviorally challenged students. Two years of not making the numbers and the teacher's out the door.
Similarly, it's an easy way to make sure new teachers can't stick around long enough to become expensive.
How will accountability be measured for those in administrative positions? After all, if a student fails an end-of-grade test for whatever reason, it is gauged to be solely the fault of the teacher - no one asks the question "What have you, as an administrator, done to support your teachers and assure they have the tools they need to do their job?"
Project Lift continues to set the stage for failure. Ms. Watts supported principals who forced out 25 to 27 highly effective dedicated teachers from one of our most challenging schools. She then reports she is replacing them with TFAs. She belittles the community she is suppose to be in support of by making reference to her new office on La Salle having bulletproof windows. While in the same breathe, telling teachers they are expected to get out there and go door to door in the neighborhoods.
Ms. Watts all of our children in all of our communities deserves respect from all of our Educators. You should know better!
6:48
Yes. Ideally, college prep should start at home but I also believe our educational system has a responsibility to provide comprehensive guidance services to students who want to attend college. Private schools focus a lot of time and energy preparing and guiding students through the college admissions process which can be overwhelming. Parents pay for this service but shouldn't public school students have adequate guidance in this area too? I think KIPP charter schools focus a lot of energy helping their students get into college and then keep track of how they do past the high school graduation door. It just seems to me that CMS's primary goal is to get as many kids as possible out the door with a diploma with minimal emphasis on making sure academically successful students are prepared as they can be to tackle the challenges of young adulthood which, for many, includes attending and successfully completing college. I think CMS can and should do a better job guiding students through the college admissions process. Keeping track of how students do after graduation should also be part of the agenda. What's the point of having students pass a standardized Algebra test if they spend most of the rest of their life unemployed? What's the point of standardized testing Chemistry if most kids who pass the test drop out of college? I believe the UNC system has a fairly high drop-out rate which costs NC taxpayers a lot of money. The college admissions process needs to start at least half way through high school. If helping kids get into the best fit colleges isn't part of what public education should encompass than I'm really missing something.
I know this isn't politically correct, but I think it's nearly impossible to save academically failing students past 8th grade. Kids are either prepared or not prepared to graduate from high school starting the first day of 9th grade. I wish our educational system devoted more time getting 9th graders with a history of academic problems into career tech./vo-tech. programs and less time on standardized testing. Students with chronic behavioral problems have also been allowed to hijack entire classrooms because, by golly, every 17-year-old thug deserves a 50 on every test and has a right to a high school diploma.
“When we record 50% for student zeros in our grade books, we are not giving students something for nothing.
We are adjusting the grade intervals so that any averaging we do is mathematically justified and more importantly, that any grade we determine from the pattern of grades is a valid indicator of mastery.
A zero has an undeserved and devastating influence, so much so that no matter what the student does, the grade distorts the final grade as a true indicator of mastery.
Mathematically and ethically this is unacceptable.”
-Rick Wormeli, 2006
We are faced with the irony that a policy that may be grounded in the belief of holding students accountable (giving zeroes) actually allows some students to escape accountability for learning.” -- O’Connor, p. 86 http://bit.ly/JpeaVe
The four point scale is a rational system, as the increment between each letter grade is proportionate to the increment between each numerical grade – one point.
The common use of the zero today is based not on a four-point scale but on a 100-point scale. This defies logic and mathematical accuracy.
http://bit.ly/JpenHX
“. . .the appropriate consequence for failing to complete an assignment is to require the student to complete the assignment.
That is, students lose privileges—free time and unstructured class or study-hall time—and are required to complete the assignment.”
-“The Case Against Zero”, Doug Reeves, 2004
A = 100 – 40
B = 39 – 30
C = 29 – 20
D = 19 – 10
F = 9 – 0
What if we reversed the proportional influences of the grades? That “A” would have a huge, yet undue, inflationary effect on the overall grade. Just as we wouldn’t want an “A” to have an inaccurate effect, we don’t want an “F” grade to have such an undue, deflationary, and inaccurate effect. Keeping zeroes on a 100-pt. scale is just as absurd as the scale seen here. Rick Wormeli
rwormeli@cox.net
703-620-2447
Herndon, Virginia, USA
No Averaging . . . No Curves . . . and No Grading of Non-Academic Behavior. The school my children attend has a seven point grading scale so a Zero is even a more of a statistical death penalty. The lowest grade there should be a 62!
A = 93 - 100
B = 85 - 92
C = 77 - 84
D = 70 - 76
F = 62 - 69
11:00 PM
I never thought about getting a "0" this way but I sure as heck know getting a "0" put the fear of God in my kids when they didn't complete an assignment or handed it in late. In the real world, there are deadlines and consequences to incomplete work. Most teachers I know allow students to hand in late assignments to receive some credit which supports your argument. However, I don't think teachers should allow a students with a history of incomplete or missing assignments to regularly make-up work. Do you? What's the motivation to DO the work and avoid handing it in late if you know you're going to get a 50 no matter what? What's the motivation to do a good and thorough job on an assignment? Did I miss something? If I don't show up to work, do I get half my paycheck?
11:25
OK, I'm 16-years-old and it's my first job as a summer lifeguard at the neighborhood swim and racquet club.
So, if I don't show up to work or decide to smoke pot with a cute boy instead of cleaning the poop out of the pool that some 2-year-old left behind I should receive 62% of my hourly pay?
Help me here.
I'll go out on a limb and take a wild guess you think every kid deserves a participation trophy too.
11:25
In the real world, most people DO get graded on non-academic behavior.
Did I miss something?
I now return to the John Edwards trial...
Regarding group assignments (which also happen in the real world):
OK, I'm on a team with 2 other people responsible for closing a big executive bank deal which factors into my annual bonus. One person decides to skip out of town to attend a "professional development" conference in London because it's important to network. They arrive home the day before the presentation having contributed nothing to the project. The annual bonus for the successful completion of the deal is $100,00. Your kid just received an acceptance letter from Brown University based on a 62- 100 point grading scale (because Brown only considers a student's GPA in the admissions process). Your wife is looking forward to a Hawaiian cruise for your 20th wedding anniversary after almost catching you in a tryst on the beanbag chair with your illegal Argentinian nanny. Should the bonus money be equally divided 3 ways?
Here's a thought...
Let's go back to a "smiley face" grading system. Happy, neutral, and sad. Worked for my 1st grade teacher.
What's the grading system in Finland?
Oops. The bonus is $100,000 (missing a "0").
Oh, and your first wife is demanding you pay tuition and the costs associated with a new car for your second daughter to attend Charlotte Latin School (which has not come up with a compelling case for refusing to hand out "0"'s for incomplete and missing assignments). Her prom dress, manicure, up-do, clutch, jewelry, make-up and shoes only came to $1,000 (that's 3 "0"'s). Your son from your second marriage wants to go on a mission trip to South Africa this summer to enhance his leadership and volunteer skills which are important on his college resume.
I wonder who stands to make money with all of this? This isn't about better tests; it's about the amount of money to be made by test makers, textbook producers, software developers, etc. Here's a thought -- less testing, better libraries and access to books for all.
11:15, and if the student still does not complete the assignment by the end of the school year?
Let's just do a lottery for the grade. You get 10 extra ping pong balls for each "hardship": single parent, welfare, black/hispanic, ADHD, length of busride, food stamps, free cell phone, sports, crappy teacher(s) in previous years, etc., etc
.
So, will CMS be administering the READY exams in the 2012-2013 school year? I've read online that samples for grades 3-8 won't be available until late Winter--which does not seem like a fair amount of time to prepare students for the new format.
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