Posts tagged Naep
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Morning bell: Festivities for DC test gains, but not for graduation rates
DCPS celebrates test gains compared to other cities: Officials exulted in recent results showing DCPS as the only large city school district to make major gains across the board on tests given nationwide to 4th and 8th graders. But DC’s ranking is still below the urban average, and its achievement gap is the largest of any big city. (Post) But graduation rates only inched… Keep reading…
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DCPS students are getting better at taking tests, but are they getting better at thinking?
DC’s 4th- and 8th-graders outperformed every other large urban district in gains on recent standardized tests. That’s great, but does it tell us anything about how they’ll do in high school? DCPS is justifiably celebrating its students’ gains on recent standardized tests that are administered nationwide. The increases in scores here were larger… Keep reading…
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Morning bell: Schools keep an eye on the budget
Middle schools are among DCPS budget priorities: At the annual budget hearing, Chancellor Kaya Henderson also said she wants to improve the district’s 40 lowest-performing schools and ensure student satisfaction. The school system is starting the budget process earlier than usual, and offering an online survey, to get more community input. (Post) More classes… Keep reading…
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Morning Bell: Scores go up, but why and where?
DC test scores rise: DC leads the nation in test score growth for both reading and math. All racial groups made gains, although a large achievement gap still exists between white students and those who are black or Hispanic. DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and others attributed the higher scores to school reforms and higher expectations for teachers… Keep reading…
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Are demographic changes behind test score improvements?
DC Mayor Vincent Gray announced record increases in test scores last month, attributing the gains to his education reform policies. But could demographic changes in DC be responsible for the increases? The answer is: we don’t know. Mayor Gray and DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson have claimed that the increases validate their education reform policies and show… Keep reading…
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Test score data has appropriate uses and limitations
Steve Glazerman recently criticized a report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), saying EPI’s report misused NAEP data in a practice he dubbed “misnaepery.” Elaine Weiss of EPI sent us this response. Steve Glazerman is right that, for specific purposes, longitudinal data would be an ideal tool to assess student growth in response to policy changes. Keep reading…
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Bad advocacy research abounds on school reform
DC school reform was a failure, claims a new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). It’s a proven success, others insist. All sides of school reform debates are guilty of misinterpreting federal test data in ways that serve advocacy goals rather than finding truth. The EPI report blasts recent DC’s sweeping 2007 school reforms and similar efforts in Chicago… Keep reading…
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Morning bell: Sharing is caring
DC school facilities plan considers charters; DC truancy bill passes committee; New Jersey takes over Camden schools; Indiana vouchers upheld; New NAEP will test technology literacy; Innumeracy is like dyslexia?; TFA is actually valuable; Autism warning signs infographic. Keep reading…