Comments on: School report cards stabilize after years of unpredictability

By: EdintheApple

EdintheApple — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 18:20:00 +0000

Absolutely agree – the rush to 8th grade Regents (or earlier) is foolish … State regs say the student needs an 85 on the Regents to get course credit. Schools ignore the reg, move the student ahead and they stumble badly especially in Math … schools want to create a pool for AP classes … principals want to collect positive data … regardless of the impact on kids.

Forget about the Regents, a firm foundation is far more important.

By: guest

guest — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 06:03:00 +0000

They aren’t ready. Math and Science are a mess (English and Social Studies have problems, too). The teachers (I blame the school’s administration) in middle school don’t teach the course, they teach to pass the Regents. Most kids who are pushed ahead in 8th grade pass the Regents but don’t know or learn the subject. Some don’t notice it in 9th grade, but it really hits them in the 10th grade when the classes expect them to have prior knowledge (they don’t have any).

Many students tell me they were pushed to get a 65 on a regents, but they knew they knew nothing. They are pissed because they can’t go backwards (they got credit for the course, too) and relearn what they lost out on. Kids (and then their parents) are having meltdowns about this. Also, these scores stay on their HS transcripts and usually pull down the kid’s average.

Some parents are smartening up and don’t allow their kids to take the Regents in the 8th grade and have them do it again in HS.

By: ms. v.

ms. v. — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 18:26:00 +0000

I am worried about the inclusion of rates of students passing core courses, which I think is new this year. Seems like a weird incentive to pass students who might be right at the border.

I am also interested in the inclusion of rate of middle school students passing high school exams. I think it’s great for students who are ready to move ahead, and it makes some sense in subjects like Math. But for other subjects, like Science, do we need to rush the kids into tested Regents courses if we could provide a high-quality, more exploratory course appropriate to middle school instead? I don’t think faster is always better.

By: Smith

Smith — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 16:53:00 +0000

Speaking as a parent: Who cares? It’s been years since I’ve checked the grades, or even heard about them from others, at either of my kids’ schools.

By: GGGuest

GGGuest — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Does everyone really feel like they have stabilized? My school has taken dramatic dips both this year and the previous year, despite a general feeling that things are getting *better* in terms of instruction and everything else on testing grades

By: Pjg320

Pjg320 — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 03:22:00 +0000

The “D” and “F” schools continue to be clustered in the lowest SES neighborhoods. District 26 (Bayside), the highest SES neighborhood receives the highest Progress scores. Progress scores are arbitrary, the DoE determines cut scores.

What are the inteventions? What special guidance and supports did the schools receive? Low Progress score schools also had less experienced teachers.

Monitoring school progress and guiding struggling schools is the prime function of the central office, currently the central office stands on the sidelines and simply closes and opens new schools.

By: jimteach

jimteach — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 02:59:00 +0000

I’m really concerned about 2 new segments in the middle school report: the section that rates the percentage of students that pass core subjects and the section on middle school students who take H.S. classes. Despite the fact that these 2 do not yet factor into the score the new segment is disturbing because it rates the amount of students passed by core subject teachers. These teachers are already pressured into passing students and often have theri grades changed by Principals without notification. This will add to the pressure to passs students who are not meeting standards. The second segment is concerning because it will lead to principals placing students in advanced classes who do not belong there and have no chance of passing. This will lead to a decrease in the teachers test scores that as of next year will be used in the teacher’s evaluation. I can feel the pressure already when students who should be repeating 8th grade due to poor attendence, and non effort, however their grades are changed by principals without consultation with the teacher.

By: Pogue

Pogue — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 01:17:00 +0000

I call BS on school report cards stabilizing anything. In the other GS article on ‘DOE priorities…” I see the word “tinkering” often. DOE “tinkering” means moving the goalposts, changing the rules, and doing other underhanded actions to close schools, disrupt children, parent, and teacher lives, and destroying public education.

The DOE, a stabilizinginstitution? BS.

By: proteach

proteach — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:01:00 +0000

Divisive and destructive. These grades are nothing more than front page fodder for the NY Post. It’s harmful policy for the DOE to release grades that are based on unsound data. Coupled that nearly everyone looking at the grades barely has a concept of what criteria is used to rate a school. So the end result is knee jerk reaction that a school is an “A” or a “F” without any real idea of what this means or what its implications are. Close failing schools??? Replace schools with Charters?? NO NO NO. Charters are separate and unequal in numerous ways that previous posters have explained. Unfortunately, that will be the takeway for most people.

Sigh, so goes the spin cycle.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:46:00 +0000

After five years, they are the “most accurate” according to DOE? So what were they all the other years? And how do they know?

I find Suransky’s claim that “we’re hearing from principals that it makes a lot of sense this year,” especially dubious. Remember they are still based primarily on one year’s test score gains and losses, which experts say are 60-80% random. Good luck to those poor students & teachers whose futures will be determined by the DOE’s careless throwing of the dice.

By: Gdecker

Gdecker — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:12:00 +0000

Hey Ed, the district with the highest average percentile of schools with A’s or B’s in Brooklyn was District 20. It’s south Brooklyn – I think Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights

By: Ed

Ed — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:04:00 +0000

Curious which was the highest performing district in Brooklyn.
Is this stated explicitly in the report?

By: Fourth Year Teacher

Fourth Year Teacher — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:52:00 +0000

When do High School report cards get posted?