Comments on: New testing schedule complicates NYC’s summer school plans

By: wendy quick

wendy quick — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:59:02 +0000

what you need to do is have an appeal for your chid, if you dont get the results youre looking for then contact the media.

By: Pat

Pat — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:14:42 +0000

Wendy, I have the same issue also. Did you find the answer out. I also saw that the scale score for a 675 is a level 3. I was told that it was a level 3. And when they found out what school my child went to they said, “oh no, that’s a level one”. If you find out anything please post it for me to check into it also.

By: Michael M.

Michael M. — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:59:46 +0000

Gideon,

Brace for more irony.

We don’t trust the grades teachers give, but under the direction test-apalooza is going, teachers are going to be doing more grading of future tests.

By: Michael M.

Michael M. — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:57:41 +0000

IR,

A “wonk” is a policy nerd. Our Chancellor is not one. You, however, should consider yourself proudly en route.

By: Michael M.

Michael M. — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:55:09 +0000

Wendy,

Not sure how to answer your question, even after looking this up:
http (colon) //www (dot) emsc (dot) nysed (dot) gov/irts/ela-math/

Scroll down to “Raw Score to Scale Score Conversion Charts” and “Raw Scores to Performance Level Conversion Charts.”

For 2010 (not summer specifically), it looks to me like 8th grade, 680 math, is ALREADY the scaled score of a raw score of 54 (out of a possible 69). Again for full 2009-2010, that would have been a Level 3 (673-701).

Given my limited understanding of this house of cards, and looking at both the linked spreadsheet and word document — and the instruction sheet — I can’t see how a 680 in 8th grade math for 2010 ends up a Level 1, rather than a Level THREE!

I’d request an explanation from your school’s principal or district superintendent. Best wishes, and congrats to your daughter in advance.

By: Wendy quick

Wendy quick — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:18:45 +0000

my daughter went to summer school and she took the test and scored a 680 on the math test she was given a level one now she must repeat the eighth grade, what is the scale score for the math exam given in summer school.

By: miss teacher

miss teacher — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:52:02 +0000

Gideon, I had almost a dozen kids in 2 different classes (middle school) who either did no work all year (despite pleas to them, to their parents, chats with admins, referrals to CSE, etc.) or who did try but were just too far behind (a kid who was out of the country every other year and not attending school, a kid from a private school reading on a second grade level). And somehow, they ALL passed the test. Thus they ALL got promoted, despite the fact that they should have repeated the grade. At least a few of them are finally getting resource room, etc. But now, the message to them is clear- the test is all that matters, and either it’s not too hard to pass or I teach so well that the kids can still soak up enough from me without actually doing any real work. (I’m on the side of the tests being a joke.)

By: Esteban Rodriguez

Esteban Rodriguez — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:53:31 +0000

Gideon,

Promotion is pretty much based mostly on test scores. The kids in summer school need to pass a test at the end to be promoted.

Though there is a student portfolio portion that could possibly save a student, throughout my years of teaching less emphasis has been put on these measures. The last year I taught, my district did not even look at the portfolios. If you failed the tests, you were held back.

By: Interested Reader

Interested Reader — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:38:11 +0000

This is typical problem of the ‘Dept of Unintended Consequences’.
As a New York City student, I have to say that our system is screwed up. I’ve seen incredibly stupid kids pass and yet other students of much higher intellectual abilities fail.

To answer your question, Gideon, yes. In grades lower then 9th grade but higher than 3rd grade, the state wide exam is nearly everything. This is naturally not exactly a good learning environment. Sure, scores are higher, but that’s just because the tests have become easier (so now it looks like NYC schools are improving and the teachers are getting better at teaching).
They also now curve grades much higher then they used to. A student who would have gotten a 3/4 7 years ago, would now get a 4/4 if they took the same test.

Anyway, I have just discovered this blog, and look forward to reading more articles.
And a question, what is a ‘wonk?’ I only ask because one of the Roles that are choices on this blog is a wonk….

By: anathema

anathema — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 19:40:31 +0000

We need them tests scores so we can effectively evaluate teachers.

By: Gideon

Gideon — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 21:03:36 +0000

Is promotion based entirely on state test results, which cover only a subset of the learning standards students are expected to master in only a subset of subjects they are supposed to pass. It would be interesting to know how teachers’ grading of students at the end of the year correlates with these cut scores, ie. whether teachers’ evaluation of their students’ readiness to move to the next grade is in any way aligned to state test scores.

By: Diane

Diane — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 14:18:39 +0000

Helpful but still confusing. My kid’s summer and next year seems to be in flux due to the ELA and Math scores!