Comments on: Klein spotlights shrinking city-state performance gaps http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/08/klein-spotlights-shrinking-city-state-gaps-and-need-to-raise-standards/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:33:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Marty Fern http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/08/klein-spotlights-shrinking-city-state-gaps-and-need-to-raise-standards/comment-page-1/#comment-249352 Marty Fern Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:14:26 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=28880#comment-249352 Know what this shows, folks? This shows that students in upstate New York, although the gap is "closing," pass their state exams as a result of actually knowing something, which is why they don't need to have 100 reviews on the same format, and how to answer questions the "right" way, etc., to do well on the NAEP. Our kids, on the other hand, are exposed, as a result of these stats, as being trained to pass New York state exams, because, when they're tested on the same things, using a different format: the NAEP, they do horribly. Then, Klein further exposes himself, by saying, "we do have to raise our standards, teach our kids the things they are going to be tested on." So, folks, now he wants some training on how to do well on national standardized tests. Joel, if you actually read what's being said about your performance, why not actually have kids learn what will help them be better people, students and, hopefully, professionals? Know what this shows, folks? This shows that students in upstate New York, although the gap is “closing,” pass their state exams as a result of actually knowing something, which is why they don’t need to have 100 reviews on the same format, and how to answer questions the “right” way, etc., to do well on the NAEP.

Our kids, on the other hand, are exposed, as a result of these stats, as being trained to pass New York state exams, because, when they’re tested on the same things, using a different format: the NAEP, they do horribly.

Then, Klein further exposes himself, by saying, “we do have to raise our standards, teach our kids the things they are going to be tested on.” So, folks, now he wants some training on how to do well on national standardized tests.

Joel, if you actually read what’s being said about your performance, why not actually have kids learn what will help them be better people, students and, hopefully, professionals?

]]> By: Michael M. http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/08/klein-spotlights-shrinking-city-state-gaps-and-need-to-raise-standards/comment-page-1/#comment-249102 Michael M. Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:54:48 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=28880#comment-249102 Got moving goalposts? Got moving goalposts?

]]> By: Dee Alpert http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/08/klein-spotlights-shrinking-city-state-gaps-and-need-to-raise-standards/comment-page-1/#comment-249033 Dee Alpert Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:35:26 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=28880#comment-249033 Appendices to the newest NAEP report show that the NYC DOE granted test accommodations to over double the percentage of ELL and disabled students who received such accommodations nationally. This information was also made public in the prior national NAEP report. I know of no reasons why over 25% of NYC DOE students should have received these accommodations. This staggeringly high number has raised the eyebrows of test and demographic scholars nationwide and casts serious doubt on the legitimacy and reliability of the NYC DOE’s scores. In fact, the scores of ELL and disabled NYC DOE students on NAEP are so low that one is simply astounded to learn that so many got these accommodations. One can only surmise that if only an appropriate percentage of ELL and disabled students received testing accommodations, i.e., for legitimate, documentable, reasons – verifiable by outside, independent scholars – their scores would have been far lower. The “progress” claimed by Messrs. Bloomberg and Klein would almost certainly disappear, to be replaced by significant deterioration. Nice try, but no cigar, fellas! Or maybe you should send another lobbyist to DC to push for stopping NAEP folks from publishing data re the number and percentage of NYC DOE ELL and disabled students granted testing accommodations? Appendices to the newest NAEP report show that the NYC DOE granted test accommodations to over double the percentage of ELL and disabled students who received such accommodations nationally. This information was also made public in the prior national NAEP report.

I know of no reasons why over 25% of NYC DOE students should have received these accommodations. This staggeringly high number has raised the eyebrows of test and demographic scholars nationwide and casts serious doubt on the legitimacy and reliability of the NYC DOE’s scores.

In fact, the scores of ELL and disabled NYC DOE students on NAEP are so low that one is simply astounded to learn that so many got these accommodations.

One can only surmise that if only an appropriate percentage of ELL and disabled students received testing accommodations, i.e., for legitimate, documentable, reasons – verifiable by outside, independent scholars – their scores would have been far lower. The “progress” claimed by Messrs. Bloomberg and Klein would almost certainly disappear, to be replaced by significant deterioration.

Nice try, but no cigar, fellas! Or maybe you should send another lobbyist to DC to push for stopping NAEP folks from publishing data re the number and percentage of NYC DOE ELL and disabled students granted testing accommodations?

]]> By: Invictus http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/08/klein-spotlights-shrinking-city-state-gaps-and-need-to-raise-standards/comment-page-1/#comment-249031 Invictus Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:56:03 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=28880#comment-249031 So, The Kleinberg duo has been caught in a compromised position when it came to their flaunting their numbers. What it simply says about the tactics at driving school closures and merit pay in NYC, all in the "Quest" of ever higher grades in flawed state tests and other outlying indicators, it has been a sham. Nothing has been gained for the great majority of disenfranchised children that constitutes the bulk of the student bodies in NYC, but the destruction of their educational outlets asides from the fact that the amount of teachers that is supposed to reflect their student body has simmered down to nothing. Bravo for a job well BOTCHED Mr. KLEIN, no matter in what way you try to paint what is essentially not statistically significant gains in progress in NYC students in comparative exams simply show that no amount of window dressing can really mask the true reality of things. Now, we clearly hope that what is PUTRID about this entire charade of fabricated success stories be shown in its true smelly reality. BRAVO. So, The Kleinberg duo has been caught in a compromised position when it came to their flaunting their numbers. What it simply says about the tactics at driving school closures and merit pay in NYC, all in the “Quest” of ever higher grades in flawed state tests and other outlying indicators, it has been a sham. Nothing has been gained for the great majority of disenfranchised children that constitutes the bulk of the student bodies in NYC, but the destruction of their educational outlets asides from the fact that the amount of teachers that is supposed to reflect their student body has simmered down to nothing. Bravo for a job well BOTCHED Mr. KLEIN, no matter in what way you try to paint what is essentially not statistically significant gains in progress in NYC students in comparative exams simply show that no amount of window dressing can really mask the true reality of things. Now, we clearly hope that what is PUTRID about this entire charade of fabricated success stories be shown in its true smelly reality. BRAVO.

]]> By: Leonie Haimson http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/08/klein-spotlights-shrinking-city-state-gaps-and-need-to-raise-standards/comment-page-1/#comment-249027 Leonie Haimson Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:40:33 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=28880#comment-249027 The comparison should be other large urban systems, not the nation as a whole. In fourth grade math, New York City scores rose 11 scale score points since 2003, compared to a gain of seven points among the large cities. New York City eighth-grade scores rose seven points since 2003, compared to an increase of of nine points among the large cities. NYC had by the highest accomodation rates in the nation. And most devastatingly for Klein and Bloomberg, there was no narrowing of the achievement gap in either 4th or 8th grade -- despite the fact that Bloomberg had testified before Congress last year that NYC had nearly eliminated the achievement gap! He didnt boast that NYC was merely making more progress than NY state. No one would have particularly been interested either way in that claim. The comparison should be other large urban systems, not the nation as a whole. In fourth grade math, New York City scores rose 11 scale score points since 2003, compared to a gain of seven points among the large cities.
New York City eighth-grade scores rose seven points since 2003, compared to an increase of of nine points among the large cities.

NYC had by the highest accomodation rates in the nation. And most devastatingly for Klein and Bloomberg, there was no narrowing of the achievement gap in either 4th or 8th grade — despite the fact that Bloomberg had testified before Congress last year that NYC had nearly eliminated the achievement gap! He didnt boast that NYC was merely making more progress than NY state. No one would have particularly been interested either way in that claim.

]]> By: I noticed that... http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/08/klein-spotlights-shrinking-city-state-gaps-and-need-to-raise-standards/comment-page-1/#comment-249018 I noticed that... Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:14:22 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=28880#comment-249018 “I do think for our reforms to be really robust…we do have to raise our standards, teach our kids the things they are going to be tested on,” Klein said. He has already risen the standards for the kids: they know how to bubble test exam answer sheet; they know how to guess on the multiple choice section of the exam and pass with a 65; they know that coming in for a week and do a couple of flimsy projects and fill out handouts will give earn them a credit; they know that attendance is not important because they will still get a credit for having a good pulse; they know that social promotion is robust in their schools; they know that they will repeat high school in a community college. Klein keep raising those standards until they reach Albany where those at the SED will finally wake up to the reality of the Tweed's Deeds of Fraud. “I do think for our reforms to be really robust…we do have to raise our standards, teach our kids the things they are going to be tested on,” Klein said.

He has already risen the standards for the kids: they know how to bubble test exam answer sheet; they know how to guess on the multiple choice section of the exam and pass with a 65; they know that coming in for a week and do a couple of flimsy projects and fill out handouts will give earn them a credit; they know that attendance is not important because they will still get a credit for having a good pulse; they know that social promotion is robust in their schools; they know that they will repeat high school in a community college.

Klein keep raising those standards until they reach Albany where those at the SED will finally wake up to the reality of the Tweed’s Deeds of Fraud.

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