For those who are interested, here is the excel file with all the grades of schools released today. Update: here is an html version that should work in your browser. But whether your child's school received an "A" or a "F", remember -- these grades are based 85% on one year's test scores alone . As such, experts say that the results are so unreliable as to be nothing more than a winning the lottery or a roll of the dice.
These grades are merely another simplistic, misleading attempt by this administration to look tough – and evade their own responsibility for the inadequacies of our schools.
More soon.
Update: here is the revised version, released Nov. 12, with one grade changed and some additional grades for schools that were "under review"
Couldn't agree more. You ought to write an op-ed to that effect.
ReplyDeleteIt's not true that the scores are based 85% on 1 year's test scores. It is nominally 30% on one year's test scores, and 55% on the difference between 2006 scores and 2007 scores of individual students at the school. And those percentages are a tad misleading, because it is actually possible to achieve a negative score or a score over 100% in an area, such that "30%" isn't really 30%. Also, those percentages don't take into account the potential to earn "extra credit" for achieving exemplary gains amongst targeted high-risk students.
ReplyDeleteDear Friends,
ReplyDeleteI looked through the scores and wanted to remind everybody that the last few years under Mayoral control has been a roller coaster ride. I do not believe that anyone should take these scores seriously. Remember, how the school educates your child is a thousand times better than a score that someone gives your school in a ranking. I learned that lesson a very long time ago. My child attended PS 113 and at the time the school reflected that 95 or 96 percent of all students were reading above grade level. Guess what! My child wasn't one of those students and the school was not willing to work on getting him educated. However, They were willing to ship him to another school. Why am I telling you this? The school, PS/IS 87, that my son was sent to was deemed the dumping ground for Special Education and had low scores, they were also a school in need of improvement. They were also a school who was willing to get on my son's team and help him with his needs. There scores were in the bucket but they were doing their job. Maybe all of the schools score would even out if perhaps all schools in districts kept our Special Education kids in their home-zoned schools. Then perhaps the playing field would be leveled out and our kids would benefit from what the continuum was created to provide. I guess that is asking too much. If I understood correctly from one of the newspaper articles, they are going to consider closing the schools that have an F grade. I have one question, Where are they going to put these kids? At the rate the DOE build's schools these kids will be learning on the bus that brought them to school! Perhaps the DOE needs to hire the company that are contracted to build Commerce Bank. These banks are ahead of schedule and are popping up in about 3-6 month's building time... Just a thought.. Keep in mind, The ride with the mayor and chancellor is almost over. 2009 is not that far away. Hopefully, all involved in changing things will agree and take back Mayoral control and get the school back to doing what they were created to do.... TEACH and stop creating a different puppet show every year and a half to present the illusion that they are doing something for those executive salaries that they are making!
Just my opinion!
JoAnne Scichilone
Special Education Advocacy Consultant
okay... so this is kinda scary for me, I am looking to be a NYC teaching fellow... and I am the older sibling of a set of twins... they go to separtae middle schools and only one of them is listed here... am I to assume that that schol was not listed because it did so poorly or what???
ReplyDeleteaside from that... this should serve as a wake-up call to both parents and educators alike. we should be focusing on why certain schools obtained an "A" and try to implicate those good traits in schools all over the city.