Interversity Quotes"I think it's time to ask the Standardistos: Where's the test for compassion? For honesty? For curiosity? For moral commitment? Until they can answer, let's tell them to shut up." —Susan Ohanian (One Size Fits Few: The Folly of Educational Standards) Interversity ProjectsEchoes of Orwell:The purpose of this webforum is to promote a lively discussion among students and faculty alike about George Orwell's 1984 and the parallels or echoes found in today's society. |
[Author Prev][Author Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Author Index][Thread Index] Explain this Gobbly Gook
On Sept. 10th our 4th and 8th grade ELA and Math Scores were sent to all NY State Schools. The 4th grade ELA scores miraculously improved at the highest level by 35% and the highest 8th grade ELA scores decreased by around 11%. The scores are embargoed at this point. Superintendents vehemently complained that results such as these are highly improbable and suspect. We all believe that the scores were scaled to make 4th grade look good and 8th look bad. The commissioner has gone on record as saying the increase in dropouts is due to poor middle level educationn NOT the tests, ergo new low scores in 8th grade to prove his hypothesis. Well the scores are a bit too out of wack for anyone to believe that nonesense so they are scrambling to "check some discrepancies". In an urgent fax to all of us today we were told that the reporting of the scores are going to be changed. This proves to me that you can scale the results to get ANY results you wish. Now, here is the question for all of you on the list smarter than I. What does the following quote I am taking from the Deputy commissioner actually say in English. I AM SERIOUS. I know what is happening, they are changing scaling of the scores so we don't go storm their office, but someone put this crap in English for me.... PLEASE! "One procedure is to compare the scale scores we originally developed based on a large sample to those developed based on the total state data. This procedure, conducted with our contractor CTB, identified a discrepancy between the results for the intermediate ELA test based on the sample data and the actual results based on the total statewide performance. We have confirmed that the first reports sent to you for the intermediate ELA test were innacurate, and we will release new score reports to the schools" I see this as the ability to scale a score to yield the results one desires! Thoughts? Bill Cala "Scaling is for Fish"
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