Comments on: Dr. Hall must address APS test score disparities

By: JustmyThought

JustmyThought — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:59:30 +0000

I know this is a late entry, but I have to comment. It sounds as if the majority of the people on this blog just took a look at what the AJC reported and they have formed an opinion and convicted all. Don’t you find it interesting that this reporter did not discuss any of the qualifications of these principals and or teachers. Don’t you find it interesting that they also did not mention the number of students(specifically) we are talking about for West Manor and Peyton Forest elementary.Majority of you on this blog, don’t even know where these schools exist. You don’t know whether they are in upper middle class areas or underprivileged areas. How many students are we talking about? I know for a fact that one piece of information mentioned is incorrect(school historically performing poorly). One of the schools had performed well over the last 5+ years. They just won a Goergia School of Excellence. You can’t get that with consistent poor performance. We also must recognize that the administrators have changed as well. New blood means new approaches and new life. What I find interesting is that teacher/student ratio is not mentioned, programs that may have been implemented to help these kids improve is not mentioned, nor whether there is strong parental involvement.

I personally think this article has accomplished it’s goal. That goal is to have everyone convict these individuals without all of the information. I am sure these administrators would love to defend their stance, but just like with some of your jobs just as mine, there is a company protocol on response, and if you break that protocol you may not have a job. So wait until we have the opportunity to hear the entire story. Ask the reporter to print everything that they learned in their interview. I bet if you got the whole story, your attitude would change.

Remember, the purpose of the media is to get the attention of the listener/reader. They can’t always do that without sensationalizing the story. This involves not telling the whole story and alot of embellishing. Before you convict, remember that it could be you the next time that the AJC throws under the bus without providing the entire story. I bet alot of you would have a different outlook then. Oh yeah, the story said one in a billion chance, the last time I checked, that meant that there was actually a chance.

By: Voice

Voice — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:35:57 +0000

Beverly Hall runs a gangster system and uses bully supervisors/principals to oversee the teachers. Employees that dare to speak out are labeled as disgruntled. The questionable CRCT scores are just the icing on the cake. The Special Education Department is being audited on a federal level in November. There are numerous lawsuits because of the neglect of special needs students in this system. Student Support Team (SST) files are now being hidden from the teachers, giving only administrators access because students are not being serviced at all. Classrooms are in non-compliance with teacher-student ratios. Administrators are abusing Title 1 money and the list goes on and on. Who is powerful enough to take Atlanta Public Schools on? They have already snubbed the Governor and his office, who’s next?

By: Fran

Fran — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:16:29 +0000

Enter your comments here

By: Sad

Sad — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:52:19 +0000

THIS IS SO DISTURBING! TEACHERS ARE NUMBER ONE AND THAT IS ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID!

By: Ed Johnson

Ed Johnson — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:39:28 +0000

Tony, thank you. The link works and is the place from which I downloaded the data.

By: Thank you.

Thank you. — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:22:23 +0000

I am very interested in seeing where this story goes from here. Since, as an APS teacher, I was told to examine a certain subject of the test once it arrived, and to cover it quickly the next morning before administration, I really wish you well with this story. Please don’t drop it. I was so scared, and had to act like I complied, although I didn’t. It was very scary, and still bothers me today, obviously. Good luck to you.

By: Tony

Tony — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:06:31 +0000

Ed Johnson – The data are at the DOE website at http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_testing.aspx?folderID=221&m=links&ft=CRCT%20Statewide%20Scores

If the link does not work, go to http://www.doe.k12.ga.us and use the drop down menu to find “Criterion Reference Competency Test”. On that page look for a box on the right side labeled CRCT STATEWIDE SCORES.

By: Ed Johnson

Ed Johnson — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:32:11 +0000

Maureen, with kudos to you and John Perry, the AJC analysis process has openly and responsibly explained when asked. However, whan asked to share the data used in its analysis process, the response has been, in effect, get the data from the GA DOE, to wit your post at Oct 19 12:04 pm: “The data used in our analysis is available from the state Department of Education to anyone who would like to replicate our analysis.”

By: Tony

Tony — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:08:19 +0000

If you wish to get more notice from this study, let me encourage you to strengthen your linear model by including more years of standard score data, and formalize the error analysis and conduct the proper statistical tests to accompany the model you use for predicting the scores.

By: Maureen Downey

Maureen Downey — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:58:43 +0000

Atl Parent, This story is not going to end here. I am sure that the AJC will continue its investigations, but the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement is also looking at the score gaps.
I think it is likely that this will be an ongoing issue with the state Board of Education as well.
Without integrity of its results, the state CRCT doesn’t stand for much otherwise.
I also hold out hope that Dr. Hall will address these reports in a meaningful way. I can’t put too much credence in the anonymous postings here, but I wish these ex-teachers who maintain that they saw cheating in APS and in other systems would come forward and talk to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement or the state board.
Maureen