Comments on: Principals use progress reports as playbook to plan school year http://gothamschools.org/2009/09/02/principals-use-progress-reports-as-playbook-to-plan-school-year/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michael M. http://gothamschools.org/2009/09/02/principals-use-progress-reports-as-playbook-to-plan-school-year/comment-page-1/#comment-187384 Michael M. Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:55:10 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=22262#comment-187384 Re "Cynthia Diaz-Burgos, principal of J.H.S. 189 in Queens, said that the Department of Education provides principals with a tool they can use to see how improvements in test scores or survey results will influence their grade. For example, she said, she can see exactly how many parents need to report satisfaction with the school to raise their score." Rumors that principals feel incentivized to encourage numerous and positive survey results are now confirmed in print! Sheesh. Of all the things this principal COULD have said first... How about: "I realized that if I improved the median test score of kids scoring Level 1 or 2, my school would pick up more points than if I improved the median test score of kids already at Level 4?" How about: "I realized that I was not going to get much out of working with the Level 1's. Better I flip a Level 2 to a Level 3?" Pardon the cynicism, but that's what the algorithm incentivizes! See the 6th or 8th "bars" in one of the reports. That's half of a category worth 25%, with some correlation with the 7th or 9th bars (median scores). The survey-hyping is at most 10%. Better that schools look at the Level 2's, let alone the Level 1's, than the surveys, for 1.1 million reasons -- the kids. Re “Cynthia Diaz-Burgos, principal of J.H.S. 189 in Queens, said that the Department of Education provides principals with a tool they can use to see how improvements in test scores or survey results will influence their grade. For example, she said, she can see exactly how many parents need to report satisfaction with the school to raise their score.”

Rumors that principals feel incentivized to encourage numerous and positive survey results are now confirmed in print! Sheesh.

Of all the things this principal COULD have said first…

How about: “I realized that if I improved the median test score of kids scoring Level 1 or 2, my school would pick up more points than if I improved the median test score of kids already at Level 4?”

How about: “I realized that I was not going to get much out of working with the Level 1′s. Better I flip a Level 2 to a Level 3?”

Pardon the cynicism, but that’s what the algorithm incentivizes! See the 6th or 8th “bars” in one of the reports. That’s half of a category worth 25%, with some correlation with the 7th or 9th bars (median scores). The survey-hyping is at most 10%. Better that schools look at the Level 2′s, let alone the Level 1′s, than the surveys, for 1.1 million reasons — the kids.

]]> By: Michael M. http://gothamschools.org/2009/09/02/principals-use-progress-reports-as-playbook-to-plan-school-year/comment-page-1/#comment-187379 Michael M. Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:46:11 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=22262#comment-187379 Poguester, To split a fine hair, only 25% is based on test "performance." A whopping 60% is based on "progress" -- a wildly gyrating comparison of this year's test scores over last year's, especially given how little the average scores move year by year... were they not imbued with their OWN inflation. The other 15% is school "environment" of which 10% is a survey and 5% is attendance. Poguester,
To split a fine hair, only 25% is based on test “performance.”
A whopping 60% is based on “progress” — a wildly gyrating comparison of this year’s test scores over last year’s, especially given how little the average scores move year by year… were they not imbued with their OWN inflation.
The other 15% is school “environment” of which 10% is a survey and 5% is attendance.

]]> By: Pogue http://gothamschools.org/2009/09/02/principals-use-progress-reports-as-playbook-to-plan-school-year/comment-page-1/#comment-187325 Pogue Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:52:50 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=22262#comment-187325 You're right, I'm sorry. And, since grades can be contagious, I give you an "A" for your comment. You’re right, I’m sorry. And, since grades can be contagious, I give you an “A” for your comment.

]]> By: Interested Observer http://gothamschools.org/2009/09/02/principals-use-progress-reports-as-playbook-to-plan-school-year/comment-page-1/#comment-187310 Interested Observer Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:32:59 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=22262#comment-187310 Yo Pogue. Why you be hatin' so much? Yo Pogue. Why you be hatin’ so much?

]]> By: Pogue http://gothamschools.org/2009/09/02/principals-use-progress-reports-as-playbook-to-plan-school-year/comment-page-1/#comment-187276 Pogue Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:44:04 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=22262#comment-187276 85% of the grade is appointed to standardized tests? Test prep, test prep, test prep. 85% of the grade is appointed to standardized tests? Test prep, test prep, test prep.

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