Does the public know this? Do parents and students know? Why the disconnect?
… in the
wake of Covid-19 the country is facing an unprecedented education crisis that
has produced the most precipitous decline in academic achievement we’ve ever
seen, which is likely to reverberate through the economy for years to come.[i]
|
“The Startling Evidence on
Learning Loss Is In,” by the Editorial Board, The New York Times, Nov.
18, 2023 |
Hyperbole? Too bleak? (Worth noting: this assessment comes from a state leader where public schools are often considered the best in the country.[ii])
Most Coloradans
would reject Peyser’s statement as too extreme. It’s not that bad – not here!
How does the Colorado Department of Education tell our story? Its press release last August announcing spring 2023 test results was even-handed.
“News Release - State assessment results show some
improvements, challenges remain due to lost learning opportunities during the
pandemic.” [iii]
Comments from Commissioner Susana Cordova were also balanced.
She began: “At the state
level, we are beginning to see small increases in performance, which gives me
optimism.” On a less sanguine note, she spoke of our persistent “disparities.”
“Unfortunately, large gaps remain between
student groups, which reaffirms my commitment to continue the hard work of
eradicating the long-standing disparities in opportunity and achievement. I see
these scores as a continued call to action to ensure our students and educators
have the support they need to meet our state standards.”
Still, the achievement results in that press release—see Addendum A—showed
a decline in 17 out of 18 categories, from 2019 to 2023. I repeat, a decline
in 17 out of 18 categories. (It is enormously helpful when the state’s
leading institutions are willing to highlight this trend. As one example, see
the 2023 Annual Report from the Gates Family Foundation.[iv])
When 2024 results for our
students become available late this summer, I imagine some will cheer if we
return to our 2019 level. Lest we forget: that would mean the majority of
students in grades 3-8 still not meeting our expectations in literacy
and math. Keep this in mind, too: in our high schools, in 2023, over 40%
of juniors (22,998 students) did not meet expectations on our
reading/writing assessment, and over 60% (36,307 students) did not meet expectations
in math. My guess is most of them, as seniors, received their high school
diploma in late May. This hints at a point I return to (see page 3): the
disconnect between achievement and graduation rates.
Harsh facts of this kind were critical to my
reading report (February 2024) focused on student performance in Colorado AFTER
third grade.[v]
The data revealed the large percentage of students
in grades 4-11 who score well below Meeting Expectations on
our state assessments in literacy. A similar report on math achievement in
Colorado would only be more alarming. I cannot be even-handed about
this.
That reading report was part of Another View’s challenge to what
I call the “glass-half full argument” on student performance. I believe many in
Colorado understate the depth of the problem facing our schools. I hear a tired
shrug: Here we are again. Little change. So it goes.
AV #272 presents concerns about public education, post-COVID,
across the country. I see their relevance to Colorado. Do you? I hope they
deepen our anxiety. I hope they lead us to speak and act with greater urgency. Results
are not satisfactory. Even if we try to tell ourselves otherwise.
“Not seeing the full academic picture” – Self-deception; graduation AND grade inflation
· What do parents and the public know about our students’
achievement?
· What do K-8 students understand about their skills and
their progress?
· How well do high school students assess their college
readiness? What should they know?
· What stands in the way of a greater reckoning with how our students actually perform?
“New Data
Find Nearly Nine in 10 Parents Say Their Child Is at or Above Grade Level
in Reading and
Math, Despite Historic Declines”
“Awareness gap sidelines parents in
supporting their child’s learning.”[vi]
(Nov. 15, 2023)
“A new report from Gallup and Learning Heroes, ‘B-flation: How Good Grades Can Sideline Parents,’ finds that while nearly eight in 10 U.S. parents (79%) say their child is receiving mostly B’s or better and almost nine in 10 believe their child is at or above grade level in reading (88%) and math (89%), they may not be seeing the full academic picture. Parents' perceptions of their child’s performance deviate sharply from other measures, including standardized test scores, that suggest less than half of children are performing at grade level….”
“… some parents don’t have the information needed to understand the full picture … parents most often use in-classroom measures like report cards, feedback from the teacher and in-class tests to get information about their child’s academic performance. Yet, fewer than one in three parents use year-end state standardized test results (21%) or benchmark tests (26%).
“‘Knowing whether a child is ‘at grade level’ is critically important to supporting them, as parents and teachers who recognize the child is not performing at grade level can take different actions to best advocate for their child’s learning and support them at home,’ said Andrea Malek Ash, research consultant at Gallup. ‘Despite a variety of measures of academic achievement, it can be difficult for parents to answer this question accurately.’”
High schools – Graduation rates do
not reveal academic achievement
For years Another View has shown how
graduation rates in Colorado often do not align with test results.[vii]
(2023 data in Addendum B: schools with graduation rates above but
SAT scores well below the state average. See note to superintendents.)
In March Education Week looked at the other college admissions
assessment, the ACT, and made a similar point; here the contrast is between
test scores and how well students feel about their college readiness.
“High School Students Think They Are Ready For College. But They Aren’t” - “Four in 5 students say they’re academically ready for college. Their test scores say otherwise.”[viii] (March 13, 2024)
“… students’ college readiness
has reached historic lows, according to several metrics—including the lowest
scores in 30 years on the ACT and declining scores on the SAT, the two primary standardized tests
used for college admissions. And yet, more than 4 in 5 high school seniors
report feeling ‘very’ or ‘mostly’ academically prepared for college, according
to a 2023 ACT nationwide survey.”
“They’re not, say experts….”
“‘Fewer students leaving high
school are meeting all four college readiness benchmarks [on ACT tests]…,’ said Janet
Godwin, CEO of the ACT, referring to English composition, social sciences,
algebra, and biology. ‘Our research suggests that students meeting so few of
these benchmarks are not going to perform as well in their credit-bearing
freshman classes.’”
|
Up Up and Away - A beautiful balloon – or
hot air? CDE News Releases:
“State's four-year graduation rate increases to 81.1%”[ix]
Jan. 14, 2020 |
“The trend of high school
students’ declining college readiness, in tandem with their widespread
perceived preparedness, may lead to a perfect storm of sorts for countless
incoming college freshmen—possibly resulting in immediate bewilderment,
followed by frustration or even dropping out of college altogether.”
If we cannot trust graduation rates, what about grades?
High
School – Grades do not reveal academic achievement
Adding to concerns, the same article’s
next section, “Reports of rising grades and loosening academic rigor in high
school,” included the ACT’s discovery of higher GPA’s during the pandemic: “the
overwhelming majority of high school students - more than 80% - received either
an A or B in math, English, social studies and science.”
The ACT’s Janet Godwin’s commented
on “the spike in grade inflation” from 2020-2022: “We think people were trying
to be more kind, perhaps.” Godwin herself might be too generous.
In an Education Next essay subtitled, “Student achievement and merit are losing prospects in the era of ‘everybody wins,’”[xiii] Doug Lemov highlighted the discrepancy. “… national data from the ACT,” he wrote, “shows high school students’ grades rising even as their achievement scores have stagnated or declined.” Four graphs, “Course Grades Rise as ACT Test Scores Fall,” show the gap, from 2016 to 2022, for English, Math, Science, and Social Studies.
In late March Education
Week examined efforts to rethink how we grade.
“As They Revamp Grading, Districts Try To Improve
Consistency, Prevent Inflation” –
“Districts have embraced bold changes to make grading
system more consistent, but some say they’ve inflated grades and sent mixed signals.”
(March 20, 2024)
|
This spring a
veteran teacher in Colorado told me: "The 50% is nuts. It's not about showing proficiency." She said students can fail three tests,
but if they perform well on the 4th test, they can pass the class.
"They say they're trying to make this about equity; I don't see how
it is equitable." |
This article presented different perspectives. What is best? We read of
schools grading missing work as “earning” 50% rather than a zero” (echoing a recent
policy change in Aurora Public Schools). I am sure Colorado reporters can find schools wrestling with this issue. This passage captures some of the concerns about several proposals.
“… Some teachers and school board members in
districts that have considered or adopted changes contend that they have fueled
a lack of motivation among students, leaving them unprepared for the realities
of college and work, where deadlines come with real consequences.
“Prohibiting penalties for late work and non-zero grading policies ‘tend to reduce expectations and accountability for students, hamstring teachers’ ability to manage their classrooms and motivate students, and confuse parents and other stakeholders who do not understand what grades have come to signify,’ researchers Meredith Coffey and Adam Tyner of the conservative-leaning Thomas B. Fordham Institute wrote in a Feb. 28 brief.”
Are tests, then, the most reliable way of assessing achievement?
|
“Colorado survey shows huge lack
of support for standardized testing,” The Gazette (May 4, 2023)[xiv] |
Mistrust of our tests can go too far. Given
what we see about grades and graduation rates, test scores may be the most reliable
measure we have of what our students know and are able to do. To dismiss what the
scores reveal plays into the illusion that we're doing fine.
Addendum A
From News Release – Colorado Department of Education, Aug. 17, 2023:
"State assessment results show some improvements, challenges remain due to lost learning opportunities during the pandemic."
https://www.cde.state.co.us/communications/news-release-state-assessment-results-2023
Includes:
2023 CMAS Compared to 2022 and 2019
2023 PSAT/SAT Compared to 2022 and 201
**
My addition to that report from the
state
Regarding
that “College Readiness Benchmark,” note CDE’s explanation:
“The independently
determined cut scores for Colorado’s performance level 3 [Met Expectations]
matches the College Board’s College and Career Readiness benchmark cut score.”
At CDE’s “2023
PSAT/SAT District and School Summary Achievement Results.” https://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/sat-psat-data
Based on the College Board’s Career and
Readiness Benchmark, the 2023 scores above show that:
· 59.9% of
Colorado’s high school juniors Met Expectations in Reading and Writing.
· 35.2% of
Colorado’s high school juniors Met Expectations in Math.
To put it more simply:
·
Roughly 3/5 of our high school juniors Met Expectations in
Reading and Writing, and
· Less than 2/5
of our juniors Met Expectations in Math.
Addendum B
A disconnect - High Graduation Rates
versus Low SAT Scores
For these ten schools (among others), we can
see a remarkable contrast on the PostSecondary and Workforce Readiness
page of the School Performance Framework. For most of them, their SAT math
score earns a rating of Does Not Meet, while their graduation rate earns
Meets or Exceeds. A clear disconnect between achievement scores
and “impressive” graduation rates.
2023 – 10 high schools – High Graduation Rates (12th
grade) versus Low SAT Scores (11th grade)
|
|
|
4-year GRADUATION RATE* |
|
SAT- R&W |
SAT-MATH |
SAT –MATH Rating**** |
|
College
Board – College & Career Readiness Benchmarks[xv] |
|
480 |
530 |
|
||
|
Colorado’s
Graduation Guideline - “Minimum scores [xvi] |
|
470 |
500 |
|
||
|
STATE |
|
83.1 |
|
506 |
484 |
|
|
|
ABOVE STATE AVERAGE |
|
BELOW STATE’S “MINIMUM SCORES” |
|||
|
School |
District |
|
|
|
||
|
Las Animas H.S. |
Las Animas |
95.0*** |
|
467 |
413 |
Does Not Meet |
|
Sheridan H.S. |
Sheridan |
94.6*** |
|
460 |
426 |
Does Not Meet |
|
Central H.S. |
Pueblo 60 |
91.5 |
|
458 |
427 |
Does Not Meet |
|
Brighton High |
27J Schools |
92.2 |
|
463 |
435 |
Does Not Meet |
|
Aurora West
College Preparatory |
APS |
91.7 |
|
414 |
383 |
Does Not Meet |
|
Greeley West
H.S. |
Greeley 6 |
89.9 |
|
449 |
441 |
Approaching |
|
Prairie View H.S. |
27J Schools |
89.8 |
|
461 |
432 |
Does Not Meet |
|
Dolores Huerta Preparatory H.S. |
Pueblo 60 |
89.1 |
|
442 |
426 |
Does Not Meet |
|
South H.S. |
Pueblo 60 |
87.0 |
|
464 |
438 |
Does Not Meet |
|
Westminster H.S. |
Westminster |
85.7 |
|
451 |
414 |
Does Not Meet |
*From
Graduation Statistics, Interactive Graduation Data, CDE, https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/gradratecurrent
**From Colorado SAT and PSAT Data and
Results, CDE, https://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/sat-psat-data
*** Earns
a rating of EXCEEDS on Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness on the School
Performance Framework.
****From “Official Performance Ratings,” CDE, https://www.cde.state.co.us/schoolview/frameworks/welcome
Most
egregious difference: Aurora West College Preparatory (in APS)
Graduation
rate - 8.6 % points ABOVE state average
SAT
score – Reading/Writing – 92 points BELOW state average
Math – 101 points BELOW state average
Second
most egregious difference: Dolores Huerta K-12 Preparatory High School (in
Pueblo 60)
Graduation
rate – 6 % points ABOVE state average
SAT
score – Reading/Writing – 67 points BELOW state average
Math – 63 points BELOW state average
Note to superintendents
If academics mean anything, what is
the message you are sending?
(A repeat/update of AV #239:
“Superintendents should stop pretending higher
graduation rates matter,” November 2021)
27J Schools and Pueblo 60 are Colorado’s largest districts on a four-day week. How these two districts report their progress matters a great deal. Why? Many are eager to see the impact of the shorter week on academic achievement, which is NOT TO BE EQUATED with graduation rates.
“27J tops Adams County grad rates,
still has work to do,” 27J Schools (3/14/2024)[xvii]
|
See District 27J’s Brighton High and Prairie View High,
previous page. |
"An 88.1
percent graduation rate is absolutely something we celebrate – that’s a lot of
students who’ve shown they’re ready for success in college, careers, or the
armed services. But our mission is to equip every child for success, and that
means we still have work to be done."
27J also continued
to outperform the Colorado state average rate of 81.7 percent.
“Pueblo school districts see highest graduation rates since
2020,” Pueblo Chieftain (1/14/2024)[xviii]
With a four-year
graduation rate of 79.8% in 2023, Pueblo School District 60 improved its four-year
graduation rate by 3.2%. Like Pueblo D70, Pueblo D60 recorded its highest
graduation rate since 2020. Pueblo D60's graduation rate for the 2019-20 school
year was 82.6%.
|
Note the two schools with the highest graduation rates in
Pueblo 60: Central High and Dolores Huerta Preparatory High School. See previous
page. |
“With the understanding that our efforts must continue, we are very pleased that more of our scholars are remaining in the classroom and graduating,” said Charlotte Macaluso, Pueblo D60 superintendent. “This is a tribute to the entire District team, from the Leadership Team to support personnel, who every day put the needs of our scholars at the forefront.”
Central High
School had a 2023 graduation rate of 91.5% — the highest rate of any high
school in Pueblo D60. Dolores Huerta Preparatory High School, a Pueblo
D60 charter high school, graduated 89.1% of its seniors in 2023.
Endnotes
[i]
“Bringing Business Leaders Back to School,” James A. Peyser, Education Next (Spring
2024 edition).
[ii] https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/massachusetts-public-school-rankings-education-wallethub/#:~:text=Wallethub's%20list%20of%20states%20with,with%20New%20Hampshire%20in%20sixth
[iii] News Release – Colorado Department of Education, Aug. 17,
2023, https://www.cde.state.co.us/communications/news-release-state-assessment-results-2023
[iv] 2023
Annual Report, Gates Family Foundation. Under “Education”: “There is much work to be done to raise outcomes for all students
in Colorado. In 2023, students in nearly every grade
and subject had lower rates of grade-level proficiency than before the pandemic
on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) standardized tests.
Across the state, only 44 percent of students met or exceed expectations in
English Language Arts, and only 33 percent did so in mathematics. Large
proficiency gaps between student groups persist; a more than 30
percentage-point gap in proficiency exists between students who qualify for
free- or reduced-price lunch and those who do not.”https://gatesfamilyfoundation.org/about/2023-annual-report/?utm_medium
[v] Another
View – “After the
READ Act – Beyond third
grade, how well do our students read?” Executive Summary (Feb. 2024), https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/preview/1829681342965014641/174962519355680218
[vi] “New
Data Find Nearly Nine in 10 Parents Say Their Child Is at or Above Grade Level
in Reading and Math, Despite Historic Declines,” Gallup and Learning
Heroes, Nov. 15, 2023, https://blog.greatschools.org/2023/11/15/1701/.
The Gallup and Learning Heroes report – “B-flation:
How Good Grades Can Sideline Parents.” https://www.gallup.com/analytics/513881/parents-perspectives-on-grades.aspx
[vii] Another
View #131, 162, 183, 191, 222, 239, 263, & 264. https://anotherviewphj.blogspot.com/
[viii] Education Week, March 13, 2024, https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/high-school-students-think-they-are-ready-for-college-but-they-arent/2024/02
[xiii]
“Your Neighborhood School is a National Security Risk,” by Doug Lemov, Education
Next (Winter 2024) https://www.educationnext.org/your-neighborhood-school-national-security-risk-student-achievement-merit-losing-prospects-era-everybody-wins/
[xiv] “Colorado survey shows huge lack of support for
standardized testing,” by Nick Sullivan, The Gazette (May 4, 2023), https://gazette.com/news/education/colorado-survey-shows-huge-lack-of-support-for-standardized-testing/article_4ca60db2-e9fb-11ed-a3c1-93e8b20d4465.html#:~:text=
[xv] “SAT Suite of Assessments,” College
Board, SAT College and Career Readiness
Benchmarks:
- Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 480
- Math: 530
- https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/k12-educators/about/understand-scores-benchmarks/benchmarks.
[xvi]
Graduation Guidelines, “Menu of College and Career-Ready Demonstrations,
Colorado Department of Education, https://www.cde.state.co.us/postsecondary/graduationguidelinesmenuofoptions09-21-22pdf
Includes
this: “In order to
place in college-level courses in Colorado, students must earn a 470 in
English and a 500 in math. Learn about remediation rates from the Colorado
Department of Higher Education (CDHE). CDE, https://www.cde.state.co.us/postsecondary/grad-sat.”
