Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Cream Puff Award goes to Tennessee

While we wait for those TCAP scores Education Next tells us we've won their "Cream Puff Award".

"For each state where both NAEP and state accountability measures were available, we computed a score based on the difference between the percentage of students said to be proficient by the state and the percentage identified as proficient on the NAEP in years 2003 and 2005."
and
"In addition, states with already low standards have done nothing to raise them. Oklahoma and Tennessee once again share the cream puff award, with both states earning Fs because their self-reported performance is much higher than can be justified by the NAEP results. "
On their chart, we're dead last. 48 out of 48. They show a drop of .2%.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

And we need a principal from this system on the board!

Anonymous said...

Keep in mind that isn't a rank of performance, but rather the goals we set for our students based on their performance. I.e., our state bar is too low based on what our students have already demonstrated they can achieve. Kind of like the lottery scholarship is based on a below-average ACT score.

I guarantee you the students of TN outperformed those of DC (and for far LESS money). DC has to be right on the standards because all of their funding is federal. They don't have the luxury of hiding.

Anonymous said...

When you get to see the TCAP results, look closely at what it means to be "proficent". It's getting around 30% right. Yep, you read right...30%. You could answer the first 5 right, guess straight answer C on the rest, and be "proficent". And you know the stanine these "proficent" kids have? Around 20. The community is being duped by these scores, in my opinion. I do hope you take up this cause.

Kay Brooks said...

You're welcome, Pamela. Providing this sort of information is what I've been doing for a decade or more for other communities.

I won't have time for the next week or so to query the state but it's something that should be done. I'm a bit busy for the next 7 days but don't let that stop you. You've a right to petition them and demand answers also.

Anonymous,

Yeah, that 'proficient' number is very unsettling. I know I don't want my doctor to be licensed based on that definition of proficient but I wouldn't want drivers or teachers to be qualified that way either. I don't think taxpayers, voters or parents know of understand that either. We've got to get that out there.