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Here is how the scoring works. School districts are sent a scoring guide after the tests are done. Each multiple choice question is worth one point, essay questions (or "show your work" questions in math) are worth 2-3 points, and a few more points are given for writing mechanics (e.g. grammar). As an example, the 5th grade math test this year was worth 61 points. Then the district sends these point totals to Albany, where they are converted to "scaled scores." The scale goes up to 780 points. Next, Albany determines which range of scaled scores equals a 1, 2, 3, or 4 overall score.
To pass the 5th grade math this year, a student had to have a scaled score of 676 points, which was 36 raw points. This means that to pass this year, a student had to have an 87%. On the raw points side, it looks like a student only had to get 59% correct, but this does not tell the whole story. This year, the state decided to throw in "field test" questions which would not count towards the score, but were used to determine the appropriateness of questions for future years. We have no idea which questions were the field test ones, nor do we know how many were field test questions. So out of the 70 raw points, some of those did not count.
If anyone is curious as to what the cut scores are this year for a particular grade, go to NYSED:IRS: Press Release of Data - August 8, 2011, then click on "slide presentation" and go to slide #5.
It is a convoluted process, and leaves everyone in the dark until the scores are released. Unfortuntately, many students just miss reaching the cut score, and are then required to receive academic intervention services for the following school year. In the above example, if a 5th grader got 673 points, he would get an overall score of "2" and fail the test.
LIR, thank you for this information about the grading of these tests and I've been telling people in the Syracuse area a similar story about how it is no wonder the Syracuse City SD has been having issues with test scores due to having many ESL students and along with quite few students from poorer economic situations. These same students have to take these tests as the kids from my old suburban district, in which having graduation rates of 90% and above are common and the same percentage of those that graduate go on to college.
LIR, thank you for this information about the grading of these tests and I've been telling people in the Syracuse area a similar story about how it is no wonder the Syracuse City SD has been having issues with test scores due to having many ESL students and along with quite few students from poorer economic situations. These same students have to take these tests as the kids from my old suburban district, in which having graduation rates of 90% and above are common and the same percentage of those that graduate go on to college.
If I remember correctly, somewhere in the article it mentioned the scores as an indicator of college preparedness? Should that be the case, it is understandable (but not acceptable) that populations which generally do not value the benefits of an education would have a higher percentage of low scoring children requiring intervention. Likewise for children whose parents are immigrants and know little or no English.
My questions:
How much more does it cost the taxpayer to fulfill the NCLB mandates?
What process was used pre NCLB to target students in need of intervention?
Has anything really changed?
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I used to correct the written portion of the 4th grade test for the state. Many times there would be a little note from a child in the middle of the test : Please don't let me fail ; a few would have crosses drawn on them which would ask Jesus or Mary to make sure that they passed the test so that they would not get left back. ("My mom would be so upset"...) . It was just heartbreaking .
Needless to say, I was one of the easiest markers that the state probably had.
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People may not recall what you said to them, but they will always remember how you made them feel .
My questions:
How much more does it cost the taxpayer to fulfill the NCLB mandates?
What process was used pre NCLB to target students in need of intervention?
Has anything really changed?
Districts are required to purchase the test booklets. On the local scoring day, since classroom teachers (usually one for every three classes) are pulled for at least one day, it requires paying a sub for the day. Any child scoring a 1 or 2 overall must then receive remediation services for the following school year; with the numbers of students falling into this category, each school usually has one full time teacher that does this, so there is that salary. Since the state keeps changing the format of the test, districts end up purchasing practice/review workbooks since we can't just use the old tests to practice. So all of these "little" expenses add up very quickly.
Prior to NCLB, if a student was performing below grade level expectations on routine tests given by the classroom teacher, he could be given targeted services, such as remedial reading. Students with more serious learning disabilities were taught a simplified curriculum, usually in a different classroom. Now, they must be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment, and end up being overwhelmed when exposed to the content that their grade level peers are doing since there are very few of these "self-contained" classes left for special education students. As as result, districts had to hire even more special ed teachers and aides, since these kids are now spread out into the majority of classrooms, rather than being grouped in one room. A tremendous amount of resources now goes towards providing services to disabled students, because if they don't pass the state tests, the state can punish the district. As the previous poster mentioned, these kids are so stressed when they take the test because the difficulty level is so far above them.
We can't mark our own school's tests, but since most districts have more than one school, the piles get passed to a teacher from another school. Then another person serves as a "read behind" who randomly grades tests already graded by someone else; if the two scores are different, they have to conference to see if they are interpreting the rubric the same way. The state also audits certain batches of tests, in which everything gets sent up to them to be regraded.
When I worked for a different district, the Supt. asked neighboring districts if they wanted to trade tests to grade, so that we would not be marking our own district's students. Not a single other district agreed to do this. Interestingly, those other districts are the ones that had almost perfect passing rates. Something was rotten in Denmark there!
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