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http://www.telegram.com/article/20120921/COULTER01/109219926/1189/COULTER
My daughters haven't taken the MCAS yet, so I have no direct experience with this process.
For those of you who have been through this, what are your experiences?
For those of you who haven't been through this, if you have any questions, maybe others on the blog can answer them.
And I'm sure many of you have seen this, but here are some links to the 2012 results.
http://boston.com/news/special/education/mcas/scores12/results/clinton.html
http://boston.com/news/special/education/mcas/scores12/results/clinton.html#school-by-school
MCAS results are very tricky to explain and sometimes do not really project what our schools are achieving or not achieving. Requirements are different for each grade. Special needs children and non English speaking children also are included in these exams, unless they have achieved an exempt status. So you have different results different years based on what your mix is in that specific class that year. You could have a class of 120 students, but in that class you could have 50 special needs or students that require addition help. The students all must take these exams independently without assistance so that also decreases our scores, if you have a child getting help daily and then they take this exam independently odds are you will not see good scores. In fairness if you look at the growth percentages of children you may be surprised in some circumstances you will see the child who did poorly for example last year(who was a special ed child) had a growth percentage increase the next year. Which we should be giving our teachers credit for. You need to look at the class mix,and not judge the school or the teacher without first observing those circumstances. If a teacher has 80% honor students -you would expect the majority to be advanced or proficient. But if a teacher has 80% special ed or resource students, then their scores for their classes,most likely would be 20% proficient and 60% needs help and maybe even a couple failures or lower. But what was their growth percentage? did they grow? if so then that teachers success was good. MCAS in my opinion are not honestly a good evaluation of a school. You need to take alot into consideration when you judge the scores. Could Clinton use updated textbooks, better technology, to produce better growth, Absolutely. Could we do some evaluation of our curriculum Absolutely. don't judge a school just based on MCAS scores.
ReplyDeleteWell said. The real problem I see (as a parent with a child on an IEP requiring daily help) is that MCAS is a requirement for graduation. With special ed kids who need help and can't get it while taking the exam, it is a barrier to getting their "unconditional" diploma. However, I have checked the rubric used to determine qualifications for the MCAS alt exam. Generally any kids needing daily help can be argued to qualify for it instead which relies on a portfolio of work instead of performance on a standardized test. Naturally the State and school districts want to discourage people from going this route. I believe more should demand it.
DeleteThe scores are broken down in detail on the DOE's website by whether the children are low income, special needs, ESL etc.. Clinton did not meet a single target in any of the different groups.
ReplyDeleteClinton has continued in the bottom third in the State in ALL categories. We need to DO SOMETHING about it!
ReplyDeletebut what? Pouring money into it,without having a plan is a waste of time. You need to know first of all why this is happenning.
DeleteYes, a PLAN...That would be nice. A few years back there was an MCAS committee set up (I was on it with a few other parents and some teachers, and administrators) We had some great ideas, and there WAS a PLAN. Then nothing happened...I think they need to reconvene that committee again.
ReplyDeleteevery child is required to take MCAS. You have all levels of learning taking a very subjective test. If you have a child who has a learning disability that is language based they will have a even more difficultly doing MCAS math because the majority are word problems. A child with a learning disability will have a difficult time with the wording and not do well. You will have children whose native language is not English, these students may have just arrived to the school have very limited English base and have to take this test in a language that they cannot read or write in. I agree testing needs to be done but MCAS is not the test, it is a very discriminatory test that costs schools a lot of money. If you have a school district that has a high english language learner population test scores will be lower compared to schools that have a low ell population. Clinton has a high special needs population compared to surrounding communities. Part of that is because other communities are sending their children with special needs to our schools because our sped department is very good. You need to read deeper into MCAS, the schools who are taking the tests and the demographics in each school system. I agree we need a higher level curriculum in our schools, there are also many students who do not test well under pressure. MCAS is spoke of on day one of school, these kids are doing nothing but pre-MCAS testing and learning. We teach more about MCAS in our schools and how to take it than the subjects being taught. The pressure put on our kids to take this test is outrageous. No one is going to agree over the MCAS issue but changes are needed and not only in our schools but at the state level. It costs each school district $55 per student per test, we are paying for the testing items, money that could going into our curriculum. The DESE then sends these tests OUT OF STATE to be scored. The costs are in the millions of our taxpayer dollars are going out of state instead of staying in Massachusetts to support our schools
ReplyDeleteI totally agree the pressure on the children is out of control in some circumstances. My child was told last year that if they did not pass the MCAS they would not be promoted to the next grade. Of course that was not true, but that is the kind of pressure put on the children, so they are taking these test anxious to start with, we called the school over this remark to our child and they told us oh you took that wrong.
Deletethey just want the kids to do their best. Teachers are too worried about MCAS but then again do they have a choice?
My personal reaction... None of my children are Special Ed or ELL.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest made huge gains from last year to this year in school and her MCAS results show this.
My middle child excels in Math. Yet was Needs Improvement in both Math and ELA, scoring lower in Math.
My youngest is very bright. She has always done well at school. It comes easy for her. Straight A's. She knows everything she has been taught. She is Proficient in both ELA and Math. Why not Advanced?
My question every year is why don't my students grades match their MCAS scores? In Clinton an "A" is the equivalent to what on the MCAS? Proficient?
Your child can be an A student and still have difficulty on the test. Its all in the wording and how it is interpreted by your child. My oldest was honors in high school took advanced placement classes and was basically a straight A student, but on the MCAS math scored proficient (lower end of proficient) and advanced in English. Mind you he had a 96 average in Advanced Placement Calculus. My oldest has a difficult time with standardized tests because of the wording. When an A student has problems I blame the test. This test has many flaws in it. When over all scores for a school are done they include everyone who takes the test, Spec. Ed and ELL. Clinton has an 18% spec ed population and an even high ELL population. The other thing to look at not everyone learns the same and has different learning styles. We are all different, what comes easy from one may not be as easy for another. I have 3 children, all 3 are very different types of students. My A student is a twin, his twin struggles in areas that the other excels in. MCAS is a test that expects everyone to be the same. That in itself is unfair.
ReplyDeleteSpecial Ed population and ELL very high percentage that is indeed one of Clintons reasons for scores, did see this AM CES Level 1. We have a great special ed dept, therefore many out of town children are sent to Clinton. Compare the # to adjacent towns for special ed.
ReplyDeleteAll children do test differently, some just naturally do not test well for whatever reason.
Our scores still are not up to what they should be 50% area in 3rd grade,need to find out why and what can be done to improve.
Change of topic YEH! the school committee finally acknowledged we need some repairs at CMS someone finally saw! New business manager introduced to School committee and will present monthly updates to them YEH! School committee Education comes first - OK so then lets ask for a complete inventory of all textbooks utilized in our schools NOW and develop a curriculum to meet todays requirements. And investigate how to get the money ok'd to buy these textbooks, and upgrade technology. LETS NOT SIT till next June to start fixing this matter, Lets do it NOW! Repairs to Tennis courts, track and fields - that is the TOWNS expense as far as I am concerned. Youth football teams use some of the fields adjacent to the tennis courts for practice as well as adjacent to the High School,soccer uses the soccer field, town and school, side fields adjacent to main football field used by youth football, public and school, baseball diamond is used also by other than school. track gets torn up by all public use in that area, No not for track but just because its right there. So the town should come up with the money to repair. Or we need to start charging fees to organizations that will support the necessary repairs. The only field I agree is Clinton Schools, problem to maintain is the Main High School Football field. Even the fields behind CES and CMS are used by the public. In fairness, the children, all children deserve these fields, but it is not the school that should have to get up the money. If we can ask for money at a special town meeting to repair tennis courts, Then why can't we ask for money at a special town meeting for needed TEXTBOOKS and TECHNOLOGY or is there some LEGAL CATCH to that that will prevent us from doing that? to this day I do not understand the way we lost money at the last town meeting. I am still confused over that one. School committee and Mr. Ingano are FINALLY admitting and seeing some things, omitted some things, but hey at least it is a start. Now lets act on these needs. Money is needed yes , so how do we get it? Mr. Ingano finally admitting things need change in CMS and that he knows it will take sometime to achieve it. YEH ! This is GREAT news -when you see, you can move forward and solve it. I realize alot of people will disagree and say there is no money, without raising taxes, and maybe they will be right, but I think its worth investigating. For the benefit of our children. Whether your child attends Clinton schools or you school choice them out, WE ALL live in this town, and it is ALL OF OUR responsibilities. I do not judge people who school choice out, that is their decision, but I do get upset when I do not see these same parents going to town meeting to approve needed money for our Clinton Schools, and be willing to pay the increase taxes to provide it.
ReplyDeleteSome scary results on MCAS results 8th grade 63% of class needs improvement or is warning in math. 7th grade 58% has same problem in math. 5th grade 56% and 4th grade 62%. Big problem! We need to prepare kids for jobs of the future.
ReplyDeleteAgree, but if we have these scores from 4th grade forward, we must look at what we are missing in grades 1 2 3 it looks like we are not preparing them early on. So they are already behind when they enter CMS.
DeleteMCAS scores will be the topic for the following weeks and will be the scarlet letter on our schools. On other blogs you have people comparing us to others schools, in some cases yes there are comparisons in others there are not. I am tired of people who are sterotyping students. I was angered when I saw a person state that spec. ed students are students who are low income, one parent families and a racial description. I have a child who falls under Spec Ed she is neither low income, comes from a one parent family is white and should I go on... all children do not learn the same. While I have the greatest respect for many of our teachers in our schools I feel some of them look at children who qualify for spec ed as children who cannot learn or are not worth the time. I found that with my daughter. I became involved with my child, her MCAS scores were not great but she was low end proficient. She worked hard in school and is currently in college where she is excelling in college. The lables some of you people put on kids is disgusting. Then on the other blog you have people who do nothing but put down our schools, our kids and our town. We even have comments from people who have never had a child never mind one in our schools. I agree we need to provide a better education for our children. We need smaller classroom sizes, updated books and technology. All we have in this town are small minded people who can do nothing but tell you who to blame and why to blame them. I have yet to see all those who complain do anything to change things. I would like to ask all who read this blog how many of you have failed in an area when you were younger, and then as you get older you find what you couldnt do once you excel at now. There will always be someone who will do better than someone else but I do not feel standardized tests should be determine who someone is or how successful they will be in the future. I really think people need to think and reread their comments and see how cruel many of you are. If anyone spoke to your children they way you all speak of others children whether they are honors or spec. ed you would be fighting mad. Time for the adults to start acting like adults and not like the over grown bullies you all are
ReplyDeletethe above comment "correct" people are trying to find excuses for low scores, special ed children are "children" all children are created equal. Learning abilities differ among all children. Because a child needs extra help in an area does not give anyone the right to just blame or write them off. Some become extremely successful adults. I have also witnessed some low income families with children that are also very successful. Teachers yes agree probably a few that don't put the effort into it , but I do know that Clinton has an extremely large number , because many other towns children school choice to our special ed dept. -maybe we should look into that so numbers can be decreased and more attention devoted to Clinton children. Upgrades to technology, books, and other educational tools need to be supported, evaluated, and curriculum design improved. As for doing something about it, the schools need to hold a public education night, open to all the public in Clinton, they need to present their PLAN for improvement, and the needs to successfully implement it. Seems like alot of time is being spent on the NEW teacher evaluation system, half days of school for professional development in that area teacher evaluations. How about professional days that actually help our teachers to improve their curriculum and teaching methods. Another example two days for getting ready for CES evaluation process for accreditation? CMS everything you read on their web page is magazine fundraiser, natures classroom, washington dc trip, also told fall craft fair coming up. I would like to see educational news! My child has a teacher that has already been out of school 3 times this year -should look into why such a high need for substitues already! Last year my child had a teacher out almost the entire year, and a sub taught. Nothing against full time subs, but WHY? this year new schedule 7th and 8th grade our students lost valuable education time, while administration fixed the many issues around it.
ReplyDeletePre planning would have been the solution to avoid that. If you evaluate -it is crystal clear alot of time is spent on FUN and not on education, alot of time is spent by some administrators on social needs instead of educational needs. PBIS is an example of a program that basically has turned into constant money, fundraisers, and so forth. Teaching and encouraging respect should not be a constant money money money program. I would like to see a LIST from the school of exactly what they need -what books, what technology, what other needs - NOT JUST WE HAVE NO MONEY.
I support clinton schools, but I do feel administration in CES and CMS and the superintendent also (NOT TEACHERS) are not being progressive. Only effort to improve education I have seen is CHS this year.