District 299 Chicago Schools Blog :: SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario

Tuesday, June 2, 2009
SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario
Two little mysteries for your consideration (while we wait to find out just how many central office and AIO types are going to get fired and what the new world order is going to look like on Clark Street):

First, I'm hearing contradictory things about the 2009 SAT 10 scores (which are part of the ISATs) -- first that they are generally good (eight years of increasing scores!) and then that they aren't (summer school for everyone!). I hear from one school about kids -- nearly all of them -- with SAT 10 scores way down. Yikes. What's the word at your school?

Second, there's apparently some fine print in a recently-revised Board promotion policy that I can't find that allows CPS to use either 2009 or 2008 scores to make promotion decisions, depending on which is higher. Using last year's scores means that fewer kids have to go to summer school, which saves summer school money.

Can anyone confirm? Does this make any sense? Got any documentation to share? Post what you know here or send it to me at district299@gmail.com.

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Tue Jun 2, 2009 at 11:06 PMBy: Scores down, yet few going to summer school SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario Many of our students' scores dropped this year (in many cases fairly dramatically). Yet, since they used the 7th grade scores, very few are going to summer school. It came to a shock to all at my school, including the principal, that they were using last year's score. Nobody I know was aware of this change to the promotion policy.

Tue Jun 2, 2009 at 11:12 PMBy: Mandatory Release of SAT10 SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario I think that ALL parents should have their child's SAT10 scores before the school year lets out. Responsible parents could use this information to guide their children's summer educational activities. It is NOT FAIR that only children in benchmark grades have access to this information. I know if I ask the principal at my son's school she would just say I could not have his SAT10 scores!

Tue Jun 2, 2009 at 11:25 PMBy: Last year SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario The higher score (7th v. 8th) policy was used last year as well.

Tue Jun 2, 2009 at 11:43 PMBy: George N Schmidt SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario The promotion policy (PO1) on the agenda for the May 27 Board meeting was withdrawn and not voted on.

The proposed uses of the ACT and Advanced Placement data, for one, are probably in violation of the explicit guidance of both ACT and The College Board. Of course, someone would probably have to sue to make this clear, but the test-based bottom lines in the proposal were as ridiculous as anything that has been around Chicago over the past 15 years.

The difference is that this year, more people are organized (GEM and CORE) to actually challenge every piece of these thingies long before they are carted out to destroy another Hit List of schools to be "turnarounded" etc.

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 4:59 AMBy: we don't have SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario schools only have SAT 10 scores for the benchmark grades so thay cannot give out anything else.
If this is not in the promotion policy,(?) using 7th grade scores, for 8th grade promotion, but CPS brass is saying it is.
Alexander cannot find it in the policy--so how can they do this? These students should be ging to summe school for 8th grade BEFORE they become freshman. Do you really know how unprepared you are for HS with a score of 25 in math?

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 5:09 AMBy: It does not say they will use 7th grade SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario scores in the 1 page document given to parents in ALL languages, at report card pick up in November. Someone please explain how they are getting away with this--I mean the Board. Where does it state in the current policy that they can use 7th grade SAT 10 scores for 8th grade promotion?

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 7:40 AMBy: 8th Grade Teacher SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario They used 7th grade scores last year...but only after we had done the task of telling kids they could not graduate. It looks better for the board to have these kids graduate. Only having to get a 24 is a joke to begin with...they even have to pass the Constitution test with 80%!!! We called the board immediately yesterday to see if they were going to use 7th scores again and nobody would give us a straight answer. Of course they will. They change that promotion policy EVERY year after scores come back...EVERY year!

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 7:44 AMBy: To teacher... SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario I like how they had the parents sign that promotion policy several times this year. We had a bet at my school that they would throw it out or amend it the second scores came out...I love winning! I hope they save all that paper next year or send it to my school...we ran out back in March.

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 7:47 AMBy: Sorry SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario Which are the SAT scores? New to this system and obviously uninformed. I mean which part of the ISATs? I thought it was based on the Reading and Math

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 8:29 AMBy: SAT explained SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario The SAT scores are the scores from the Stanford 10 norm-referenced questions, a subset of the ISAT. These questions (30 of them I believe?) are nationally normed - they are given in subjects FIRST when kids take the ISATs

It is also only these questions THAT COUNT FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT APPLICATION!

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 8:32 AMBy: Gale SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario When we look at the ISAT report, how do we identify which scores are for the SAT? I the stanine based on thes questions? This is all new information for me! Thanks from a parent for taking the time to explain this.
Gale

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 11:04 AMBy: media? SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario I haven't seen this switcheroo covered in mainstream media yet. They usually LOVE test score stories. Seen any coverage?

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 11:57 AMBy: SAT explained - Part Deux SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario The SAT 10 scores on your ISAT's are the percentages you get....91 Reading, 86 Math, 82 Science, etc....those are the scores for the norm-referenced (SAT 10) questions.

I'm not sure what teh Stanine is absed on.....

the rest of the ISAT report...that's all the other questions.

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 12:22 PMBy: Julie Woestehoff SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario The use of either of the "last two annual assessment" scores has been in the promotion policy since 2007. It's on the first page of the policy, second paragraph under section 1.

The CPS promotion policy continues to hold back thousands of students every year despite proof that it is harmful and doesn't work. Flunking students is just a smokescreen to hide CPS's own failure to give children the help they need and to give teachers and schools the resources they need to help children.

PURE is mounting a legal attack on this policy with the help of a major local university. Parents who would like more information about this effort should call our office (312-491-9101) or e-mail us at pure@pruepaernts.org.

Read more about it on PURE Thoughts.

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 12:25 PMBy: Julie Woestehoff- correction on e-mail SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario Sorry- can't write our own e-mail correctly- it's pure@pureparents.org.

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 12:25 PMBy: Julie Woestehoff SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario The use of either of the "last two annual assessment" scores has been in the promotion policy since 2007. It's on the first page of the policy, second paragraph under section 1.

The CPS promotion policy continues to hold back thousands of students every year despite proof that it is harmful and doesn't work. Flunking students is just a smokescreen to hide CPS's own failure to give children the help they need and to give teachers and schools the resources they need to help children.

PURE is mounting a legal attack on this policy with the help of a major local university. Parents who would like more information about this effort should call our office (312-491-9101) or e-mail us at pure@pruepaernts.org.

Read more about it on PURE Thoughts.

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 1:47 PMBy: Attendance issues=BRIDGE SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario Most of our BRIDGE students have attendance/tardy issues. 37 absences and 55 tardies in elementary school is unacceptable. This is the parents' fault and yes we have talked to t h parents to no avail.

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 5:15 PMBy: Julie Woestehoff SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario PURE has posted some ideas for parents about what to do if your child is being sent to summer school.

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 5:41 PMBy: close observer SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario I believe scores are percentiles, not percentages...if a student's "score" is 60, it means he/she has done better than 60% of the students who have taken the test, nationally...50 or above is the goal

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 7:19 PMBy: pure trash! are you kidding? SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario "The CPS promotion policy continues to hold back thousands of students every year despite proof that it is harmful and doesn't work..." What an incredible inaccurate staement. By using the 7th grade scores that are higher than 8th grade scores, CPS just stopped thousands of students from being held back and sent thousands of students to the next grade, not ready for high school or 7th grade or 4th grade.

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 7:47 PMBy: where does it say SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario that CPS will use the higher of the 2 scores, IN the PARENT notification that parents MUST sign?

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 9:05 PMBy: iteach2 SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario Yes, the scores at my school dropped for many of the students. The counsellor was told that the 7th and 8th grade scores were averaged. In any event, many students have to go to summer school b/c of poor grades in reading and math, not ISAT. This promotion policy is causing lots of problems since the list of summer school students has changed several times this week.

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 9:08 PMBy: so true--our list is still changing SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario first they can graduate, then they can't graduate, then they CAN graduate, but wait wait, maybe not. It is 6/3!
Then principals are left holding the bag and embarrassed as they profusely apologize for something they did not do.
Enough already. The emotional pain brought to our student with all this is a sin.

Wed Jun 3, 2009 at 9:10 PMBy: whoever told your counselor that SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario the scores were averaged is wrong. this is terrible--everyone has different answers to the same questions. Who is running this? They took the higher score of the two scores from this year and last year. No average.

Thu Jun 4, 2009 at 6:19 AMBy: data manipulation SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario I don't work in the department that does this stuff... but doesn't ALL test data get "massaged" by statisticians... adjusting for all sorts of variables and anomolies? (like when they figure out that some question is statistically invalid) I believe some years tests were even "rescored" or adjusted when challenges are made to the validity of results.

So, I don't freak out that SAT scores aren't released.. the data isn't "firmed up" yet.

Thu Jun 4, 2009 at 8:50 PMBy: manipulated or not SAT 10 Summer Scare Scenario they still screwed with this years scores right now!