Re: Explain this Gobbly Gook

[Carol Holst <kceh@AIRMAIL.NET>]

Same piper, same tune, only this time it's New York instead of Texas.
Yee-haw!

Carol

William Cala wrote:
>
> 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"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the ARN-L list, send command SIGNOFF ARN-L
to LISTSERV@LISTS.CUA.EDU.