Educational whiplash: We’re ahead. We’re behind.
This is why parents get confused.
The release of NAEP math results yesterday prompted some applause here in Georgia over the state’s new performance standards. Georgia eighth-graders scored an average of 278, out of a possible 500 on NAEP’s test of math skills. That’s four points off the national average of 282, but higher than the 2007 average state score of 275.
“This is the first evidence we have that the GPS is helping our students be more competitive at the national level,” said Superintendent Kathy Cox.
But then a national education advocacy group sends out a statement saying that NAEP scores should be seen as an alarm bell.
Here is one such lament from the Center for Education Reform:
WASHINGTON, DC – American students are not being properly prepared to succeed in the global workforce and demonstrate slower progress than ever before in math proficiency, according to an evaluation of test scores under the Nation’s Report Card released Wednesday.
“It is a national disgrace that America’s children are flat-lining when it comes to math performance,” said Jeanne Allen, president of The Center for Education Reform. “Year after year, the entrenched bureaucracies that control our nation’s public education system fail to address the math learning crisis in America. It is time for real reform. After all, how can we hope to compete in an increasingly globalized society when a grasp of basic education keystones is literally slipping through our students’ fingers?”
For the first time in the assessment’s history, fourth grade students showed no growth in math proficiency while eighth graders have shown only a slight uptick since 2003. Results also illuminate a continued achievement gap amongst ethnic groups, further showcasing a need for dramatic reform of America’s schools.
“We remain a nation gravely at risk of failure when it comes to educating every child – especially those in need,” says Jeanne Allen. “When nearly 60 percent of our kids are not proficient in math, we must not blink before embracing meaningful reforms like teacher merit pay, stronger charter laws, and higher standards. This is no longer a choice – it is a necessity.”
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35 comments Add your comment
Maureen's accountability metric
October 15th, 2009
12:09 pm
I notice Jeanne Allen is willing to talk about every “meaningful reform” except supporting teachers when it comes to chronically disruptive students who fatally compromise the learning and teaching environment. If you’re going to embrace “higher standards” with any integrity, wouldn’t that include a higher expectation of the students themselves and how they apply themselves to learning? Wouldn’t that include supporting teachers in enforcing those standards as well?
If discipline is widely considered the 5,000 lb elephant in the living room, how can we respect the intellectual honesty of “reformers” who refuse to address it?
At least Brian Cosby, who Maureen featured earlier, had the fundamental honesty to address this in his proposals. You might not have noticed, for of all the ideas Maureen highlighted when it came to Crosby, that idea was conspicuously absent.
Tony
October 15th, 2009
1:26 pm
Maureen, the quotes you provided are nothing more than one person’s spin on the test results. This group exists solely to promote school choice and they take every opportunity to twist truthful information their way. Look at the board of directors list.
Let’s put a few of their points in context – they pick out the word “proficient”. This word was chosen because it implies that a student is able to demonstrate a certain level of mastery. However, the wording used in the NAEP guidelines to define “proficient” is much more than what most people consider. “One of the three NAEP achievement levels, representing solid academic performance for each grade assessed. Students reaching this level have demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter, including subject-matter knowledge, application of such knowledge to real-world situations, and analytical skills appropriate to the subject matter.” The definition for basic is “One of the three NAEP achievement levels, denoting partial mastery of prerequisite knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at each grade assessed.”
The gap between “basic” and “proficient” is huge and this gap is what the nay sayers turn into the “stick” to beat schools over the head.
Looking at the reports by state, I would say that Georgia has done an excellent job of raising the overall achievement of students in mathematics. There is still much work to be done. Look at the huge gaps between black and white students. Also, the difference between the students impacted by poverty versus those that are not. Both groups, white students and those not impacted by poverty, score well above the other two groups. Since Georgia has a higher porportion of both populations, the mean scores will be pulled down as a result.
But back to the Center for Education Reform – they are nothing more than a mouthpiece for school choice bullies. They have an agenda to push and they will distort and twist facts to suit their purposes – Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics.
Maureen Downey
October 15th, 2009
1:29 pm
Tony, I understand the choice leanings of the Center for Education Reform. My point remains that parents have a hard time sifting through what test results really mean.
Maureen
Maureen's accountability metric
October 15th, 2009
1:48 pm
The real point is honesty in the education “reform” debate, and when a person wails that it’s time for “real reform” and then discusses everything under the sun except how we as a society aren’t addressing discipline, the honesty is lacking.
If it isn’t an issue, and we aren’t honestly discussing it, then why is it acknowledged as the 5,000 lb elephant in the living room?
It’s the intellectual equivalent of an organization calling for “reform” in the way we combat terrorism, but refusing at all costs to mention, in order to be politically correct, anything about the role of radical Islamic fundamentalism.
They would simply have no credibility, and neither should these “reformers” until they are willing to be honest about all aspects of the education debate.
Jennifer
October 15th, 2009
1:51 pm
I didn’t even need to read any further – “this is why parents are confused” – you are on target. There is too much spin in allowing state and local agencies to report on their own findings. It has made parents in Georgia waaaaayyyyy toooooo complacent about how their child is progressing.
TW
October 15th, 2009
2:40 pm
When Dubose Porter proposed they help education by collecting the $1B in uncollected taxes from last year, the GOP leadership scoffed at the idea. The next week they gave Sonny $27 mil for his fish pond.
Blaming tests, teachers, and student behavior for the problems of public school is like hanging the debacle of Iraq on the enlisted soldier.
Thank God my kids go to school in East Cobb and are insulated against the horrid messes I read about on this blog.
Go Raiders!
d
October 15th, 2009
3:10 pm
Maureen, every time you post something about test scores, I ask myself why oh why do we continue to compare ourselves and the American educational system to those around the world? How many of these students would be in an academic high school if we were in Japan or Germany? Those countrys’ systems have those students who’s strengths lie in fields other than academia go into vocational training as early as 8th grade. They are not included in the numbers for comparing math and science scores with our students who are basically forced into 13+ years of academic instruction and although vocational training opportunities are available, the options are limited. I hate to say it, but quite a few master electricians, plumbers, mechanics, masons and so on can and do make a lot more money than I do holding a master’s degree.
what's right for kids???
October 15th, 2009
3:11 pm
TW, wasn’t there a shooting right outside of Walton High this week or last? I believe that the schools were on lock down. The apocolypse might be nearer than some thought, what with a shooting in East Cobb, where there are no problems. No one is insulated from school problems.
TW
October 15th, 2009
3:33 pm
what’s right for kids??? – yes, there was a reported shooting in the neighborhood and I thought the school responded appropriately.
And their test scores are great
Go Raiders!
BTW – how does a shooting off school grounds, not involving students, indicate a ‘problem’ with the school?
what's right for kids???
October 15th, 2009
3:35 pm
TW-No, it does not, really. But look at all the schools that are “unsafe”. The shootings don’t take place at school; the shootings take place off campus, usually with people who are not students. Just sayin.
TW
October 15th, 2009
3:50 pm
what’s right for kids??? – agree, a bad part of town does nothing to foster the success of its schools. They say one of the main factors that interferes with child learning is fear. One’s personal safety rumps the quest for education – that’s for sure. Not to mention the fact that teachers usually bail for another school as soon as they qualify for transfer.
I’m afraid the only real answer for said situation is far too upstream for the tax-payer.
Perhaps
October 15th, 2009
4:47 pm
Perhaps the issue just isn’t as simple as “we’re ahead, we’re behind,” but that’s what the media likes to write.
DeKalb Conservative
October 15th, 2009
5:10 pm
Let me get this straight.
- test on based on 500 points
- National Average is 282
- GA got a 278
- test is up from 275 in 2007
Why would there be excitement? I can make a case that there are enough 8th graders that took that test v. 2007 that came to GA from other states (i.e., non-tax-friendly states with high education scores) where the state average was 282+ and that those kids are part of the reason the scores were brought up.
DeKalb Conservative
October 15th, 2009
5:13 pm
@ what’s right for kids???
you hypothesis about shootings and test scores seems to be independent variables. Sorta like the old saying, “do hats make you bald, or do bald men wear hats?”
ex. “Do shootings cause low test scores, or do people with low test scores engage in shootings?”
Dr. Craig Spinks /Augusta
October 15th, 2009
5:26 pm
What percentages of our high school graduates will be academically prepared to compete with young folks in China, India, Brazil, etc.? What percentages of our youth will need to be so prepared if we are to retain a leadership position in the first-world?
catlady
October 15th, 2009
6:07 pm
Until we require students to be proficient in basic arithmetic before being promoted, we will have what I see every day: fifth graders who have to count on their fingers to tell you what 7+4 is. And sometimes they get it wrong.
catlady
October 15th, 2009
6:09 pm
I DO put credence in NAEP results. But getting little more than half right to be considered a “victory” is pretty sad, don’t you think?
ScienceTeacher671
October 15th, 2009
7:09 pm
Catlady, one year I had a regular-ed 9th grader who couldn’t do 100-0 without a calculator. I almost laughed at her but fortunately figured out she was serious just in time.
SPED
October 15th, 2009
8:00 pm
Last time I checked 275 out of 500 was NOT PASSING. neither was 282. The comment re academic schools vs voc and tech schools are right on. Our state has the misconception that all students and i mean all should be on a college prep track. No wonder the drop out rate is so high. Students are not required to learn the skills to move on grade wise and are “placed” in the next grade level. They learn at an early age that they have to do very little and how to work the system. It’s a shame that some of the hardest working students in some classrooms are those with learning disabilities.
Ole Guy
October 15th, 2009
8:18 pm
Maybe my arithmetic prowess is not up to date, but those numbers 278,282, etc look suspiciously like roughly half of the 500 max…expressed in another less-flattering way, these numbers are nowhere near the 3/4 point, much less the top. Has the educational system been dumbed-down to the point where we have the gall, the nerve to sound anywhere near self-congratulatory, in any way whatsoever, over the fact that 2007 scores were surpassed. GIVEN THE PUBLIC RESOURCES, OVER THE YEARS, DUMPED INTO THE SYSTEM, THIS IS ALL WE CAN EXPECT? WHOOPI-DAMN-WOO! Education leaders (a term I, for one, am loath to ascribe) at all levels are to be ashamed. When there are deep-seated problems within the military, senior leaders often call for an operational standown, during which “all cards” are shown at the table, subordinate leadership is “adjusted”, problems both identified, and definite plans for their rectification developed and implemented…one simply does not continue driving the truck with flat tires and no brakes, much as the education system has been operating for so long. When are we going to stop wringing our hands and take the necessary, though unpleasant, steps in ensuring that the U.S.A. is not destined to become a third-rate power?
Northview (Ex) Teacher
October 15th, 2009
9:20 pm
The truth is, Georgia education remains rotten from the head-down. There are many dedicated, excellent teachers who do the best they can. However, they face an unending series of roadblocks and obstacles put in place by the powers-that-be. I mean, does anyone not know that Kathy Cox is a joke by now? If you don’t, I feel sorry for you. The woman cannot even manage a household budget, and she’s in charge of education.
In our beloved Fulton, the school system is run by a woman who looks (and acts) exactly like Delores Umbridge: look for a photo of the superintendent to verify how she looks, and ask anyone unlucky enough to work in Fulton how she behaves. Then, there is the ineffective and destructive school board, personified by the loathsome, despicable, and bellicose Ashley Windener. To see what kind of person she is, just take a look at http://www.widener-associates.net. Kind of makes you sick at your stomach, doesn’t it? Then there is Katie Reeves, who considers teachers an expense, not an asset, who simply refuses to pay for a good school system for ALL students.
Education in Georgia is a lost cause, and it pains me to write that. We will never rise above the bottom with these losers calling the shots. They don’t care about your children, parents. They honestly, truly, really don’t care.
Competitive
October 15th, 2009
9:46 pm
Catlady- Right on re: basic arithmetic.
Tony- I agree that the group chose Proficient as their standard as opposed to Basic, which is considered passing. I also agree that there is a big difference between the 2. Where I disagree is that “partial mastery of prerequisite knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at each grade assessed” is sufficient to be considered passing. Partial mastery by definition means gaps in fundamental knowledge.
On the other hand, “competency over challenging subject matter, including subject-matter knowledge, application of such knowledge to real-world situations, and analytical skills appropriate to the subject matter” is exactly what everyone claims they want all students to be able to do, especially to be competitive in a global economy. I think the argument that 60% of our students not meeting this higher standard is unacceptable is extremely valid. Their solutions may or may not be correct and/or complete, but the argument that too many of our students are not proficient in math is undeniable by anyone who works with math students on a daily basis.
My solution starts with setting truly high standards, not tinkering around the edges of past expectations. Then, we should actually hold ALL students to those standards, no excuses. Teachers (and I am one) also deserve blame because we too often bow to external (parents, admins, etc.) and internal (our own bleeding hearts) pressures and allow students who do not have the skills they need to receive passing grades. I admit my own guilt in this area, though I believe I am less guilty than many. There are many other reforms that are necessary. Our first step, though, must be to raise the bar for all students at all levels in all settings and hold all students accountable on all measures of achievement. Too many of our students are more than capable, but are allowed to slide by doing the minimum (or less).
high school teacher
October 15th, 2009
10:06 pm
catlady, I couldn’t agree more with you about socially promoting kids. While we were discussing tone in my 9th grade class today, not a single student could tell me what the word “majestic” meant. How sad is that? It’s hard to determine the tone of a passage if you don’t know what the words mean.
BTW cat, my third grade son is very annoyed with me because I am making him memorize his multiplication tables:)
Blackberry Curve, J. D.
October 16th, 2009
3:05 am
MAM: The educational so-called wonks who refuse to understand that without discipline first in order, nothing will change, are like those uninformed folk who still think that low-fat diets will cure the ills of obesity, heart failure, hypertension, and Type II diabetes by drinking 2% milk and “low fat diets.” Don’t tell them that carbs are the culprits. Excessvie insulin is the real problem, but don’t tell them this. They are still in la la land, thinking that if they lower their fat in-take, then they will lose weight and bring down their cholesteral (sp?) and hypertension…while they keep stuffing themselves with loads and loads of carbs. Yeah, oh yeah, you can have academic achievement without discipline. Yeah, keep on buying this. You are not in reality. MAM, keep on hitting on this, despite the fact that Maureen keeps observing the Passover…keeps on passing over this! You guys will never see. MAM, you see it, but sometimes you are casting the pearls before the swine. This is a metaphorical statement, and I don’t give a rat’s behind if you publish this or not. You guys just don’t get it.
Anna day
October 16th, 2009
6:34 am
I am a teacher and I feel that testing could be a good thing, but a few things need to be changed first. America is known was the melting because anyone was allowed to come here. Now we still have problems with racism. With labeling like African-American, Chinese-American, and Italian-American we are telling peoe that they are not just American! We need to start first by saying that if you are born here or decide to become a U.S. Citizen you are American, period. If I movedto another country and became a citizen I wouldn’t be American-Icelandic, I would be Icelandic. After we stop asking peoe what race they are (because we are all American’s) we can stop having sub groups on the test. If the point is to better the education of all students why do we single out different groups and point fingers?? I also feel the government has no businesstelling me how to run my classroom with 23 students when it doesn’t tell Joe plummer how to run his!
Soo
October 16th, 2009
7:28 am
If some of the posters in this blog who claim to be teachers really are, then that may be part of the problem. I’m a teacher and I’m horrified by the bad writing, grammar and spelling by some of them. Ever heard of proofreading? How did you ever graduate from college?
Soo, you should take a look at your grammar
October 16th, 2009
8:02 am
“I’m a teacher and I’m horrified by the bad writing…”. You need a comma in between the two independent clauses. Be careful throwing stones, please.
EducationCEO
October 16th, 2009
11:41 pm
@Dekalb Conservative: Thank you! The test has a possible 500 point so why are we breaking out the sparkling cider for 278???
I actually spent several hours looking at the numbers for all AYP subgroups:
http://www.examiner.com/x-18090-Atlanta-Educational-Reform-Examiner~y2009m10d16-Is-your-states-Department-of-Education-misleading-parents-and-constituents
72% of SWD performed Below Basic (8th Grade)
50% of Black students performed Below Basic
47% of Free and Reduced Lunch eligible students performed Below Basic
41% of Hispanic students performed Below Basic
This is only for 8th grade…4th grade is not much better.
ScienceTeacher671
October 17th, 2009
9:41 am
@EducationCEO – that is an interesting – and sobering! – analysis. Overlap between subgroups would also be interesting – for instance, in my part of the state ELL are predominantly Hispanic, but near Atlanta I understand that some might also fall into the Black and Asian subgroups?
Remembering that the premise of No Child Left Behind is that on the whole, “dominant” subgroups are doing well, but many of the students who are poor, minorities, or have disabilities are not, two things strike me about this analysis:
(1) Even if our “targeted” groups have improved, 80-90% of those children are still not proficient.
(2) By 8th grade, half of even our white and Asian subgroups fail to meet the proficient standard.
I concur that it’s not quite time to break out the bubbly – but it might be time for a good honest look at education in Georgia.
Mary
October 18th, 2009
1:57 am
“…By 8th grade, half of even our white and Asian subgroups fail to meet the proficient standard. ”
The spots and stripes are starting to show. Sad.
ScienceTeacher671
October 18th, 2009
8:59 am
By 8th grade, only 49% of Asian students, 43% of white students, 18% of hispanic students, 11% of black students, 13% of children eligible for free-and-reduced lunches, and 6% of students with disabilities are proficient in math according to the NAEP results.
I find that extremely sad. Extremely sad.
math 88
October 18th, 2009
9:21 am
Our students do not study. Our students do not give one single thought to school after the school bell rings in the afternoon. Our students hardly give ANY thought to school DURING the school day. Our students routinely FALL ASLEEP during testing. Our students do not do homework. Our students think that if you want to go to college, you snap your fingers and it happens. Our students think it is acceptable to live off the system just like their parents because they know nothing else. Our students have broken homes. Our students live in extreme poverty. But the root of the problem is the teacher. I understand now.
ScienceTeacher671
October 18th, 2009
9:23 am
Of course, it’s not just a Georgia thing — here is a New York Times article stating that “New York State’s fourth and eighth graders made no notable progress on federal math exams this year, according to test scores released on Wednesday, sharply contradicting the results of state-administered tests that showed record gains.”
Cobb County Parent
October 19th, 2009
4:00 pm
To Math 88: I agree with they majority of your statement, but I’m not willing to say the root of the problem is the teacher (even though I’ve met some really bad ones). That said, I think the crux of the issue is that the incentive is placed on a “grading” result and that number (to determine mastery) is then massaged and twisted to whatever the propaganda machine wants to say.
Parents (and teachers) need to wake up. The dumbing down of the curriculum (especially the new math track) and the implementation of Standards Based Grading (which we commonly refer to as Stupids Based Grading here in Cobb County) are just the first steps. Why do kids need to work hard when the educrats can make it all appear better than it is with push of a button.
Were you aware that when using SBG completed homework is not even a requirement for calculation of a grade? What message, pray tell, do you think we’re sending the adolescents? Look a little at that and you might have trouble sleeping at night. I do. Which is why my kids not only do the busy work that is sent home, but they also do Mommy assigned homework and my eldest does traditional math online with Johns Hopkins University. He’s not even in HS yet and I’m making sure he learns Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra II from beginning to end. This ping-pong curriculum is nowhere near “rigorous.” Anyone that believes the new math is the panacea has drank too much of Kathy Cox’s kool-aid.
Do the math yourself and see that Cox is breaking her elbow to pat her back in congratulations over a passing score that is in reality an “F”. Also… pay more attention to the CRCT cut scores. Heck yeah, more kids are passing, but in certain topical areas, 41% of correct answers gets you a “pass.” Cox can’t screw with NAEP’s cut scores, so she just spins the up-tick of points, which we all know was not statistically significant to begin with.
Fulton County Parent
October 20th, 2009
7:38 am
Couldn’t agree with CCP more. If your child is even remotely interested in pursuing a technical degree in college that demands math competence, you should check out traditional math classes offered by K-12, Georgia Virtual Academy, of the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth and Duke University’s Talented Program (if your child scores high enough for admission). The math offered in GA’s public schools will not provide the proper foundation.