Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

  • Shop
  • Subscribe to BMG
  • Contact
  • Log In
  • Front Page
  • All Posts
  • About
  • Rules
  • Events
  • Register on BMG

State’s Most Vulnerable Students Cheated by DESE’s Flawed Accountability Standards

September 17, 2017 By Dolores Wood

The Massachusetts Department of Education is using a flawed performance accountability formula that falsely places healthy schools into underperforming turnaround status, costing millions of taxpayer dollars and cruelly disrupting the lives of students, families, and school staff.

The formula uses Student Growth Percentile (SGP) figures that cheat the most vulnerable students out of credit for improving their academic skills. In fact, the accountability formula gives zero SGP to many high-risk students: students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and the homeless, even the ones who score Advanced on the MCAS tests!

The accountability formula is the state’s method for measuring school performance. It includes categories like the Composite Performance Index (CPI), Student Growth Percentile (SGP), Attendance Rate, and Graduation Rate. This formula often misleads observers about the high levels of progress that are being made in many schools. Their progress does not count in the following ways:

1. The Composite Performance Index (CPI) awards points to schools based on student performance on the MCAS. This category shortchanges ELL students because…
A. students in ESL 1 and ESL 2 must take the test even though the MCAS is far above the performance standards for their language acquisition levels. The MCAS is an ESL 5 test. We are expecting students whose performance standards dictate simple sentences with simple words and concrete ideas to pass a test with Shakespeare and Spencer, containing college vocabulary and complex abstract thinking.

2. The Student Growth Percentile (SGP) – a mysterious and elusive category said to compare students’ current performance to past performance. It is supposed to be based on prior test scores. However in the case of high risk students who frequently move or students who have just entered the country, there is no SGP to compare. In those cases, students have been awarded zero SGP, even when their scores are high. A low SGP can send a school into turnaround status.

3. Attendance Rate – a category that shortchanges schools with high levels of…
A. homeless students who may be temporarily housed 20 or 30 miles away. They may have trouble reaching school because of unreliable transportation.
B. Low-poverty-level students, who may have to miss school to work or take care of younger siblings.

4. Graduation Rate – a category that penalizes…
A. schools with many English Language Learner students who have interrupted educations (SIFE & HILT) in their previous homes;
B. schools with high homeless populations who can miss weeks and months of school moving around.
C. schools with high levels of students with disabilities (SWD), such as autistic students and mentally retarded students who are given until they are age 22 to graduate from high school. They are considered to have “failed to graduate on time” if they stay in school past the age of 18.

Hard-won progress with the most state’s most vulnerable students is ignored and discouraged by the state and the districts under this formula. Schools are labeled underperforming and turned over to private corporations who profit from the inaccurate formula. Have we not just seen that Massachusetts Curriculum Associates is giving away $50 million to The Boston Foundation, a proponent of privatizing education through charter schools? Much of that money comes from endangered public schools spending taxpayer dollars to use technology in the struggle to meet the requirements of performance standards that are a stacked deck against them. Private robo-teaching companies have so much money they can give it to foundations that basically lobby for educational privatization on their behalf.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2017/09/14/million-donation-boston-foundation-biggest-ever/ovSC2uZNobrGp02mdvg0SL/story.html

http://morethanenglish.edublogs.org/files/2011/08/Performance-Definitions-Listening-and-Reading-K-12-1ps663l.pdf

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
+7
0

Filed Under: User Tagged With: education, ESL, mcas

Comments

  1. Mark L. Bail says

    September 24, 2017 at 1:45 pm

    This is an excellent post.

    Thank you!

Recommended Posts

  • No posts liked yet.

Recent User Posts

Predictions Open Thread

December 22, 2022 By jconway

This is why I love Joe Biden

December 21, 2022 By fredrichlariccia

Garland’s Word

December 19, 2022 By terrymcginty

Some Parting Thoughts

December 19, 2022 By jconway

Beware the latest grift

December 16, 2022 By fredrichlariccia

Thank you, Blue Mass Group!

December 15, 2022 By methuenprogressive

Recent Comments

  • blueeyes on Beware the latest griftSo where to, then??
  • Christopher on Some Parting ThoughtsI've enjoyed our discussions as well (but we have yet to…
  • Christopher on Beware the latest griftI can't imagine anyone of our ilk not already on Twitter…
  • blueeyes on Beware the latest griftI will miss this site. Where are people going? Twitter?…
  • chrismatth on This site (will be disabled on) December 31, 2022I joined BMG late - 13 years ago next month and three da…
  • SomervilleTom on Geopolitics of FusionEVERY un-designed, un-built, and un-tested technology is…
  • Charley on the MTA on This site (will be disabled on) December 31, 2022That’s a great idea, and I’ll be there on Sunday. It’s a…

Archive

@bluemassgroup on Twitter

#mapoli

josefblumenfeld Josef Blumenfeld @josefblumenfeld ·
52m

Proud to see friends like @PamEddinger on this list - she brings vision & action to Bunker Hill Comm #College; a role model of innovation. Meet the most influential Asian American Pacific Islanders in #Boston https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/02/business/meet-most-influential-asian-american-pacific-islanders-boston/?event=event25 via @BostonGlobe #mapoli

Reply on Twitter 1621128532939378690 Retweet on Twitter 1621128532939378690 Like on Twitter 1621128532939378690 Twitter 1621128532939378690
javiermarin Javier Marin @javiermarin ·
54m

We need to support @maura_healey administration to tackle the systemic cliquishness that exist in Beacon Hill. #mapoli

The Common @WBURTheCommon

On today's episode @elplanetaboston's @JavierMarin
and @marcosemarinq
stopped by to chat about representation in Gov. Healey's new administration and the future of El Planeta as Marcos takes the reigns as CEO and Editor-in-Chief.

🎧: https://wbur.fm/3XGtDbw

Reply on Twitter 1621128168559222784 Retweet on Twitter 1621128168559222784 Like on Twitter 1621128168559222784 Twitter 1621128168559222784
globeopinion Boston Globe Opinion @globeopinion ·
58m

Editorial: As entertaining as the woes of the Republicans have been for Democrats, nobody should be happy with the state of affairs of the Massachusetts Republican Party. #mapoli
https://trib.al/zPf0Eil

Reply on Twitter 1621127219643879428 Retweet on Twitter 1621127219643879428 Like on Twitter 1621127219643879428 1 Twitter 1621127219643879428
therealjoelp Joel Pettigrew🥌 @therealjoelp ·
1h

Again, #mapoli media just doing the least in holding @massdems accountable for treating MA citizens like dogshit. They need to own how bad the #mbta is. @CharlieBakerMA has a huge role but Dems rubber stamped him with glee. This stunt from @maura_healey is insulting. Do better.

Jennifer Eagan @Jennifer_Eagan

Gov. Maura Healey will ride the Red Line today at 12:30 p.m.

Healey has said her transportation plan will focus on safety and reliability. Her administration is working to find a new general manager for the @MBTA and a transportation safety chief. #WCVB

Reply on Twitter 1621126220191780864 Retweet on Twitter 1621126220191780864 Like on Twitter 1621126220191780864 Twitter 1621126220191780864
lisakashinsky Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky ·
1h

Morning, Mass. ⛅️ Is Marty Walsh following Charlie Baker in leaving public service for a high-paying sports-exec gig? Maybe. Plus:
— Reps. Carlos Gonzalez, @GarciaJudithMA explain their controversial prison organ donor bill to me + @KellyGarrity3 #mapoli https://politi.co/3jotH0m

Reply on Twitter 1621123972241985543 Retweet on Twitter 1621123972241985543 2 Like on Twitter 1621123972241985543 1 Twitter 1621123972241985543
richardvetstein Richard Vetstein @richardvetstein ·
1h

Worcester Area Couple Evicted For 14th Time, Leaving Trail of Unpaid Judgments and Moving Bills For Local Property Owners. And state reps want Just Cause and Rent Control? #mapoli https://bit.ly/3DzCLpY

Reply on Twitter 1621119794916499458 Retweet on Twitter 1621119794916499458 Like on Twitter 1621119794916499458 Twitter 1621119794916499458
Load More

From our sponsors




Google Calendar







Search

Archives

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter




Copyright © 2023 Owned and operated by BMG Media Empire LLC. Read the terms of use. Some rights reserved.