Release of Test Data Delayed

District officials have pushed back by a week the release of school-level data from the DC-CAS standardized tests. The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) was due to post the numbers today. But, kind of like a teacher nudged by students or parents bump a C+ up to a B- or a B+ to an A-, OSSE says it will spend the extra week reviewing appeals and petitions from public and public charter schools.

Perhaps as a way to discourage challenges, OSSE also said it would make all appeals and petitions -- as well as the agency's determination -- public.

By Bill Turque |  July 28, 2009; 11:44 AM ET  | Category:  Bill Turque , Education
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I can't wait to see those appeals. How does one appeal an already tabulated test score?

With the overall scores on the rise, why the need to appeal. Was this done in previous years?

Perhaps the chancellor just can't abide certain schools not improving, so she has decided those scores are "inaccurate" and has to find a way of making them higher.

I hear she made a statement on WAMU that schools led by principals she hired did better on the DC-CAS. Of course none of them were named and this was with data only available to insiders at the time

Posted by: efavorite | July 28, 2009 12:07 PM

Well that was certainly not true with Garnett-Patterson/Shaw and those kids were paid to go to school. Additionally the school and the principal were always being highlighted as the exemplar.

Posted by: candycane1 | July 28, 2009 12:21 PM

Oops! DOn't know how long it's been there, but here's the notice on the DCPS job openings webpage:

Available Positions

"We have removed the vacancy list for 2009-2010 positions from the website. We will post an updated vacancy list in mid-August if there are new teacher vacancies."
http://www.teachdc.org/who-we-seek;jsessionid=5DF5940721688D02D5D1628D529AC531#positions

Perhaps this is a way of saying, "no one need apply through the regular channels"

Posted by: efavorite | July 28, 2009 12:29 PM

Yes, candycane - but until the bad news about Shaw is official, there is time to spin the story ("Sousa make AYP for the first time!" - as she did at the senate hearing, without mentioning anything about Shaw, of course). and it gives her time to manipulate the data (as the delay from OSSE suggests).

Posted by: efavorite | July 28, 2009 1:58 PM

efavorite,

The reason that the job listings are now closed is because after July 15 all job openings must be filled by excessed teachers from schools that has teachers excessed (sorry that's an awful sentence).

I'm VERY curious about the delays here, it certainly is interesting, especially with some of the rumors floating around. However, I suspect that the petitions are for things such as whether a student should be counted in the AYP determination etc...
For example, at the high school level a student is not considered a 10th grader for testing purposes unless they have passed Algebra I and English I. I suspect that there are some kids who took them during "credit recovery" and the petitions are about whether or not they should be counted

Posted by: Wyrm1 | July 28, 2009 3:41 PM

I hope my school appeals any less than proficient scores that were late transfers. We had a load of late year transfers from local charters. I hate to say this about schools or kids, but they were dumping their trash. The rules need to be changed so that kids scores stay with the school that had them for most of the year. It is not fair for any DCPS school to get a dozen late year transfers of failing kids from a charter and have to have their scores on their books.

Posted by: qaz2 | July 28, 2009 4:51 PM

I worked with the testing chair for my school and remember this about students transfering in after the freeze date. We also had some immigrant children, ELLs who just arrived, who we had to test, despite the fact that they spoke nor understood little if any English. These students were tested, but their scores were not to be used for AYP purposes. According to the attendance or participation part of AYP compliance, all students must be tested. But the scores of some ELLs and transfered students were not figured in for AYP, and were coded as such on the testing form.

Posted by: chelita | July 28, 2009 5:26 PM

Well, well, well ... the plot thickens. Why delay data? Does it have to be cooked further? As an aside, both of Rhee's "rock stars" at Garnett/Patterson-Shaw and at Webb Wheatley fell on their butts. The scores dropped even further and they were already at rock bottom.

Why do the rules NEVER apply to Rhee? Who is she connected to that she has more power than the mayor of DC?

So, when all else fails, delay the release of data which is public information to the people who pay the bills and are yet held hostage to your tactics. Amazing she can continue getting away with it. Is there no man or woman on the Council who will stand up to her or the mayor?

Posted by: southyrndiva | July 28, 2009 6:11 PM

Hmm Chelita - what is the freeze date. Seems to me it should be when they get the money.

Posted by: qazqaz | July 28, 2009 8:59 PM

The freeze date is around the time of the offical count in October.

Posted by: candycane1 | July 29, 2009 2:59 PM

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