Review of Florida Formula for Student Achievement: Lessons for the Nation | National Education Policy Center

One killer finding that gets my attention. The fact that grade retention based on high stakes test results does not improve achievement. Why the black community has tolerated a policy that clearly hurts our children is beyond me.

Review of Florida Formula for Student Achievement: Lessons for the Nation | National Education Policy Center

Neither Fair Nor Accurate

Teachers fight High Stakes Test results from being a part of their performance evaluation system but, ok to impose High Stakes Tests on students (meaning students either passes or fails a grade based on the results of one test).

This site has opposed High Stakes Tests (as defined above) period. No student should be retained based on the results of one test.

I am ok with standardized testing as a diagnostic tool and I want our students to take such tests seriously and make every effort to do well on them.

Perhaps I missed it, but where was the teacher protest and outrage at retaining based on these High Stakes Tests? I welcome comments and further enlightenment on this question.

Click the link below to gain perspective on the teacher evaluation system issue.



Neither Fair Nor Accurate

How Testing Feeds the School-to-Prison Pipeline | FairTest

How Testing Feeds the School-to-Prison Pipeline | FairTest

Grade Retention and Accountability

I make no secret of the fact that I am not a fan of high stakes testing. The pass/fail nature of these tests is simply unfair and wrong in my view.

However, there seems to be another side of this question that bears closer examination. Is grade retention itself an effective strategy for improving student achievement.

Enter the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) with some interesting observations. In a position statement on this subject, the association states "...that as many as 15% of American students are held back each year, and 30% -50% of students in the US are retained at least once before ninth grade. Furthermore, the highest retention rates are found among poor, minority, inner-city youth."

Now I am no supporter of a simple policy of so called "social promotion" either. In fact, the association points out that "...neither grade retention nor social promotion is an effective strategy for improving educational success."

NASP argues in favor of what it calls "promotion plus" specific interventions that focus on student needs. I particularly like the very first thing on its list which is to "encourage parents' involvement in their children's schools and education through frequent contact with teachers, supervision of homework, etc..

Other suggestions include:

-offer extended year, extended day, and summer school programs that focus on facilitating the development of academic skills
-establish full-service schools to provide a community-based vehicle for the organization and delivery of educational, social and health services to meet the diverse needs of at-risk students
-Implement effective school-based mental health programs

NASP says "a recent systematic review of research exploring dropping out of high school indicates that grade retention is one of the most powerful predictors of high school dropout."

With local and national emphasis on understanding and reducing what is called a dropout crisis, it is clear to me that automatic grade retention policies are part of the problem and not the solution. They should be stopped immediately in favor of more innovative approaches. Start with a detailed study of NASP recommendations.

Jessie Jackson says parents need help (NAACP issues Call For Action In Education)

Jessie Jackson is calling for more parental involvement as we prepare to kick off another school term. As reported by Craig Dellimore, Jackson says some parents don't understand the consequences...or may not care. Jackson was specifically referring in part to the lost of some $150 million dollars in education funding in Cook County due of lower attendance.

Jackson further indicated that he and other ministers are working to see that parents get the extra help they need.

In addition, the NAACP has issued a Call For Action In Education. For a detailed review of this document, please visit http://www.naacp.org and click on EDUCATION.

With respect to high-stakes testing, the civil rights organization notes that "high-stakes testing used to retain in grade or to deny diplomas based on a single test(including retakes), exacerbates the disparate impact of resource inequality for children of color."

"Rigorous assessment, including the use of standardized tests, has a legimate place in the learning process and in school reform. The NAACP believes, however, that is is unaccepatable to implement the high-stakes components of tests until federal, state, and local educational agencies are held accountable for ensuring that teachers have the necessary resources to teach and students have the resources needed to learn."

The NAACP's plan also includes a section on dropout rate reduction. The organization indicates that "Obtaining a high school diploma remains among the most promient points of demarcation between the "haves" and "have -nots" in American society" Compared to diploma recipients, those who earn a GED have a much higher rate of unemployment and are much more likely to need welfare or other forms of government assistance."

This national activity clearly helps us locally to understand priorities and needs within the black community.

If you have received a copy of the Learn to Learn brochure, it appears that distribution of that document helps to lay a foundation for local action and provide specific recommentations for parents to follow. It is not enough to talk about "parental involvement" without having a model in hand that can serve as common currency.

Refer to earlier posts on Culture, and Parental Involvement for more information.

What do you think?

High-stakes Testing (LEAP)

The Louisiana NAACP has recently launched an initiative to call attention to the harmful effects of the LEAP test in this state. LEAP is administered in the 4Th and 8Th grades and students are retained if they do not pass the test.

The NAACP argues this test is not legal.

State NAACP president Ernest L. Johnson continues to press the issue with a letter to the editor that appeared in The Times on August 9, 2007. Mr. Johnson points out that "As a direct result of this unlawful use this year, more than 28,000 fourth and eighth-grade students in our public schools were recorded as failing the test. Please keep in mind that most of these students pass their regular courses. Some are honor students, and some even have a 4.0 grade-point average."

According to Louisiana information on accountability, "Schools containing grade levels kindergarten through eighth (K-8) entered into the accountability system in 1998-99. Schools with grades 9-12 entered the accountability system in 2000-01.

The 9-12 portions of schools with K-12 grade structures also entered the system in 2000-01."

It is interesting to note the trends in grade retentions since accountability.

Some studies suggest that being retained even once between the first and eighth grades makes a student four times more likely to drop out.

Retentions have probably contributed to a significant increase in the number of over-age students in the system.

It is past time for us to rethink high-stakes testing. Studies should be conducted to better understand the impact this is having on our children.

This appears to be one of those situations where the cure is worst than the disease.

What do you think?