Comments on: Christopher Columbus High School: A Context for Accountability

By: Christine Rowland

Christine Rowland — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:12:33 +0000

And yet the City says it is the school’s problem. If students come to us unable to read and write, pregnant, homeless, having missed years of eduation, unable communicate in English or formerly incarcerated, in the foster care system, or facing any challenge whatsoever in life – we are held responsible if we do not graduate those students “on time” (meaning 4 years from the time they should have entered 9th grade). This means that even if they arrive at 18 having never done high school work, and with no credits and no exams, the City and State will consider our school as having failed these children if they do not graduate high school in that same year.

Throwing them out is not an option. Even if they never came in the first place, if the regional office ever assigned them to our school and input their information in the the DoE system with an assignment for the school – we are responsible. We will be held ‘accountable’ for their failure to succeed in school.

By: ceasar

ceasar — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:17:48 +0000

The parents are the problem. Why are they pregnant? Why can’t high school kids read? It is not the City or the School’s problem. If they don’t attend or do the work fail them and throw them out.

By: Leonie Haimson: Parents, students and civil rights advocates protest the mass closings of public schools | Twitmerlin - News, Celebs Gossip, Social Media

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:01:13 +0000

[...] of Education and Chancellor Joel Klein had unfairly targeted their schools, putting forward misleading statistics and incomplete or false [...]

By: Learning Solution – Online Education » Blog Archive » Closing Schools Solves Nothing

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:00:06 +0000

[...] Rowland, a teacher at Columbus High School, described how the school received disproportionate numbers of poorly prepared students and how it st…. Last year, only about 5 percent of the students who entered Columbus in 9th grade were on grade [...]

By: Are Closing School Teachers Better Than the Teachers At Stuyvesant? or Visa Versa? and, How Do We Know It? Who Is Responsible for Failing Schools, Teachers, or, the “Higher Ups”? What Role Do Demographics Play in Failing Schools? « Ed In

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 02:01:17 +0000

[...] and dedicated” teachers at the Canarsies find themselves in the ATR pool. A careful, detailed analysis from a teacher at Columbus High School challenges the narrow Department metrics. The [...]

By: Alan C.

Alan C. — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:08:20 +0000

What is happening to Columbus is coming to a school near you. As a teacher at Jamaica High School the writing was on the wall year’s ago. It’s because school’s like Columbue, and Jamaica were channeled all the student’s that would not be allowed into the new up and coming charter school’s in Kleins(Bloomberg’s) vision. The BOE needs building’s to house these charter/specialized school’s, so look out.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:08:05 +0000

I feel the same way P.T. We teachers laugh all day at these self proclaimed writers and how they know everything about being in the classroom. Don’t forget to mention to teach these kids with third grade levels in high school FIVE TIMES a day. I think I want to quit and write dumb articles too rather than being cursed at by the students I have to adapt to. The system is just about over. Actually, in 2015 the prediction is 50% of the city school system will be charter. Do you really think Bloomberg wants to spend billions on “these kids” when private companies can blow their own $$$ and get million dollar writeoffs? I feel bad for the new teachers coming in. They have no idea what they are getting into.

By: P.T.

P.T. — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 02:12:44 +0000

The previos article was the worst piece of garbage I read so far. The teachers have to adapt to the kids? Pathetic! This is what’s wrong with society and people who believe this crap that is written. Society has changed and that’s it. There are NO consequences and NO actions in our city schools. The teachers have to learn how to deal with “bad kids” when they say “F___ You!”? I don’t think so! Again, the schools receiving A’s and B’s are the ones with “good kids” for the most part which are level 3′s and 4′s. The idea that it’s not the kids fault is absurd!
It’s no surprise that the individuals who write bogus articles about how “We need to change the way we deal with the kids” are mostly never even in the classroom. What a bunch of ignorant morons with the audacity to write statements of how a teacher should feel or deal with students. Hey, WAKE UP! Get off your ass and get in a classroom of 34 students with no respect and no ambition with 3rd grade reading levels and 2nd grade writing levels. Then you can write an article!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: School Closings: It’s Never the Kid’s Fault, Punishment Leads to Recidivism, If Some Of Us Have Figured It Out, We Can All Figure It Out, Let’s Learn From Each Other « Ed In The Apple

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:13:39 +0000

[...] the UFT Teacher Center Specialist at Christopher Columbus, a school proposed for closing, has carefully documented the misuse of data by the Department, and in a data-rich response shows how her school has dealt [...]

By: Tenured

Tenured — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:46:23 +0000

Unfortunately you seem to be right Ronaldo. I’ve been around a long time and have never seen it this bad. You mine as well tell the freshman teachers to pass everyone also so we meet the criteria for first year students getting enough credits. You left that one out.

By: Ronaldo

Ronaldo — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:00:54 +0000

I actually overlooked the year in which Lehman received the B. You are correct. I am looking forward to seeing their 08-09 grade. It still does not change the fact of what other schools do (including Lehman). It is so clear that this whole grading system has become a game and the winners of the game are the ones who know how to manipulate the grade. Which kids equal the most points? How many parents fill out the survey correctly? How many teachers check the “Strongly Agree” box so it equals points and looks good for the school? Which students are allowed to sit for the regents exams? How many lunch forms were collected?There are so many ways to manipulate the grade and these are just a few. It’s not about educating the students anymore. It’s about a point system. The schools should just hire a person to make sure all these components are being filled properly. Then you will see a rise in grades. If the DOE wants a criteria met to equal points then it’s very, very easy to give it to them. It is a SIMPLE process to go from a D grade to a B. It can be done by directing the teachers which boxes to check and which kids to pass and get out from the bottom third percentile. Then take the parent coordinator and set a fire under his/her ass to get a positive survey from every parent. Do not let any student “at risk” sit for the regents. Any leadership starting with these three steps is a leadership that will score points. Give them what they want, give them the points.

By: Christine Rowland

Christine Rowland — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:00:05 +0000

Yes, I also noticed that the Progress Report for Lehman was still missing. I thought that maybe Ronaldo had some inside knowledge. I have not heard about either their grade or their grad rate. Their State 4 year graduation rate for the 2008 cohort was 55% – so if the 44% is for real, then its a serious drop. But then there’s always the context to consider, and I’m unaware of the details of any changes they may have experienced, so wouldn’t want to draw conclusions.

By: I noticed that...

I noticed that... — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:16:10 +0000

Lehman received a B on their progress report for the school year 2007-08. I think Ronaldo did not realize the school year in which Lehman received a B. That progress report has not been released pending the investigation.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:44:02 +0000

Lehman got a B? I can’t find their Progress Report on the DoE website. It looks like it is still embargoed while the cheating by administration is being investigated.

Please correct me (and provide a link) if I am wrong.

By: Christine Rowland

Christine Rowland — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:11:41 +0000

This raises some current issues. Firstly, the incredible pressure on schools to try to manipulate the results of the Progress Report. The possibility and temptation must lie most obviously with the Learning Environment Survey, where the message would now seem to be that if you don’t say that all is rosey then you may lose your school. There are also challenges when deciding on whether or not to encourage a given student to sit for an examination. The State and Federal accountability criteria look at participation rate and highest grade achieved across a four year period. This means that students have many opportunities to take an exam. In order to obtain a local diploma they are also allowed to have some exams (the precise number depending on their cohort) count between 55 and 64. What happens with the Progress Report is that any score obtained by a student below a grade of 65 counts as a 0 on the progress report. If a school with a very vulnerable population tries to game the system by having students with poorer chances of passing not sit at their first opportunity they will, in the case of ELA and math, increase their risk of failing to make participation rate on the other accountability systems and also remove that possibility that a student may actually have passed that examination and removed a hurdle to graduation, allowing them to take a different course.

Also, it is not really a fair comparison to look at Columbus against Lehman. Lehman takes a far smaller percentage of ELLs and recent immigrants, and significantly fewer special education students, particularly those in more restrictive environments. These are the populations that struggle most with the 4-year graduation benchmark for obvious reasons. They also increase achievement challenges in terms of examinations.

On a personal note I’d like to question whether, as a nation, we are doing the right thing by putting such intense pressure on all students for a four year graduation. Many of my ELLs (particularly recent immigrants) could really use more time to develop their skills further before moving into a college environment. Additionally, I have noticed that students who don’t make the 4-year mark often experience a real sense of failure and discouragement that takes a lot of support and effort to counter.

By: Ronaldo

Ronaldo — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:00:04 +0000

Why can’t the teachers at Columbus figure out what all the other schools are doing to get A’s and B’s? It’s pretty obvious that any grade can be manipulated. If they want an A or a B they will do what Lehman does. Lehman has a 44% 4 year graduation rate and still got a B. They are not the only school who is manipulating grade data. If there was an independent company who was hired by the state to grade regents exams most high schools would receive a D. Good thing the state has not figured this out yet and allows its own teachers of whatever school to mark their own tests. Get on board Columbus!

By: B.S.

B.S. — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:22:13 +0000

How about New Visions? Snakes in the grass huhh? One hand pushing us out and frowning while the other hand shakes and welcomes the new school which they are linked to or would love to be linked to. They are a joke! Who the hell picked them? Sincerely, One of many

By: Christine Rowland

Christine Rowland — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:29:44 +0000

Well Smith, I think I’ve probably provided a compelling case that Columbus has gone through a profound change in its population. This change can be attributable to 4 factors. First, the closing of other large high schools and the reduction in the Bronx of places for students who need special ed services in more restrictive environments. Second, the increase in the number of small schools that were initially screened or partially screened programs – giving a sense that they were the better schools even though they provided fewer opportunities for able students. Third, the DOE created conditions of severe over-crowding in the large high school – including the need to create 2 separate school sessions in 2003-4 and the teaching of multiple classes simultaneously in the library. This definitely affected our reputation in the community for a period. While we have worked phenomenally hard to rebuild this and have been seeing the fruits of our labor in a dramatically improved climate in the school and a rise in public image, OSEPO has sent increasingly weak and vulnerable students in large numbers through the year (a problem only in that we are penalized for their progress on the Progress Report). All in in all I’d say that yes – this adds up to a combination (that could be fatal) of negligence (the OSEPO/accountability factors) and mismanagement (overcrowding).

As to instruction – the Columbus faculty has scrambled to respond to the changing needs of our population and have done an admirable job. As 8th graders only 5.9% of our 2009 graduating class met standards in ELA – over 50% met standards 4 years later (an increase of about 850%!!). In math the same group rose from 14% to 56% meeting standards (over 80% of students not receiving special education services met standards in math by graduation). Our teachers are still amazing.

By: Smith

Smith — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:46:19 +0000

I seem to remember not too long ago reading a Times article about Columbus’ being a well-regarded school with sought after gifted programs (of course, being the Times, they had to refer to it as a “South Bronx” school). I’m pretty sure it was during the Klein years when I read this. Are we to believe the quality of instruction dropped dramatically during this period or is this a case of mismanagement?

By: insiderknowledge

insiderknowledge — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:00:59 +0000

all I can say is that i lived through this last year at Brandeis.. We served mostly ells AND ESL our four year arte was lower but out 5 yr rate was above 70%.. It just takes longer for those students.. thats not bad teaching or a bad school its just reality.. The DOE doesn’t care.. they want their charter schools and to get out of public education.. Soon the DOE will be boutique schools for whats left of the middle class and the specialized high schools if you are a poor minority you will go to a charter school and languish once there is no public schools left for them to compete with.