Even as CPS opens more new schools, children with special needs have a tougher time finding options. Placements in private therapeutic schools are scarce, and some charters are reluctant to enroll them.
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"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
By: Alexander Russo / July 08, 2009
So the Mayor chose Altgeld Elementary School, where test scores have apparently gone up 10 points since last year, to announce the preliminary 2009 test scores for Chicago today.
Roughly 60 percent of schools got higher scores (320 of 519), according to the city. But not by a whole lot. Districtwide, reading scores are up one percentage point, while math is up 3 points.
The City Hall press release here (PDF) reveals quite a bit of hedging and uncertainty -- taking credit for increases at the same time as it acknowledges the sorry state of affairs. It's a delicate line to walk. [The CPS version is here.]
Most jaw-dropping of all, however, the Mayor is quoted as if he thinks he's leading the way in asking questions about unrealistically high test scores rather than having been their prime beneficiary of (and head cheerleader for) the inflated scores.
To its credit, the Tribune notes that there are serious questions about previous increases and points out this pattern of hypocrisy in the past: "A national test last taken by district
students in 2007 showed that the district had only made modest
improvements over previous years. At the same time, the district was
highlighting impressive 2007 gains on the state test."
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
I would like to make a few comments on the preliminary ISAT scores for CPS. I am only going to discuss at this time the combined scores grades 3-8. All the data I discuss excludes English Language Learner (ELL) students. The CPS has the data with and without these students, because CPS must now use standard testing on these students whereas in earlier years they were given a different test. So to be fair I am using the data that excludes these students, but if you add them in scores do drop significantly.
In relation to the performance of CPS students who have disabilities. In 2008 19,945 students with IEPs in grades 3-8 were given the reading test for ISAT, of these students 4,687 (23.5%) were able to read at or above state standards. By 2009 19,921 students with IEPs in grades 3-8 were given the reading test for ISAT, of these students 4,820 (24.2%) were able to read at or above state standards.
For the subgroup of students with disabilities the critical NCLB standard is the gap between students with disabilities and without disabilities. In 2008 that gap for reading was 49.2 percentage points; in 2009 that gap was 49.9 percentage points. This means simply that students with disabilities attending CPS have fallen even further behind their non-disabled CPS peers and CPS is getting further away from the goal of NCLB which is to reduce this gap.
Back in 2005 the gap in reading between students with and without disabilities was 38.4 percentage points. My analysis of the data is simply that CPS is focusing its efforts on moving up the test scores of those students most likely to move from slightly below standards (ISAT reading level 2) to the meets/exceeds category. Those students far below standards (ISAT reading level 1), i.e. where most students with disabilities can be found, are effectively being given fewer resources than those more likely to pass the test.
Given this data I do not find it surprising that the Mayor's Office press release made no mention of subgroup scoress for students with disabilities.
Rod Estvan
Access Living of Chicago
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
The press release says:
"At the high school level, ACT scores are up, while attendance and graduation are as well. The dropout rate is down."
So it looks like they have the numbers. Where are they?
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
For goodness sakes people - the scores are publicly available from the REA website. Go to www.research.cps.k12.il.us and click on the tab that says 'School & Citywide Reports'. To see data for individual schools click on the link that says 'All schools'. You will find excel sheets with all the data for all schools from 2002-2009. To see the aggregate data click on the 'Citywide' link instead. Teachers can access their ISAT data through CIM.
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
Our principal cannot even get them like this! wow
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
The first summary report from Paul Vallas looked like it had been written before any audited scores were in. It was entitled "Trending Up", and the Happy Talk continued every year until the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) exhausted their possibilities for any "up" through manipulation. Immediately, the ITBS were dumped, never again to be mentioned, and the ISAT brought in.
As Jerry Bracey has written over and over, any administration can get some "up" from any new test for a few years. If, as happened in Illinois, the test is radically redesigned at some point, you get a little more "up" out of the scores. But all that eventually runs out, and the scores reflect a natural reality until they are replaced with a "new" test and the whole process of gaming tests and scores begins anew (and a while new series of the "Trending Up" narratives is launched, say Version 3.0 in the case of Chicago).
From the beginning of this brand of madness in Chicago in 1996 with the release of the first Probation List by Phil Hansen and Paul Vallas, the key fallacy has been in the worship of the number at the end of the spreadsheet. Whether the singularity of the "bottom line" is from the ITBS, ISAT I (Version1.0), ISAT II (ISAT Version 2.0, the 2006 election special), the madness lies in assigning magical powers to a single test score and then making those powers "real" through such insane "accountability" measures as "Turnaround" and other sanctions.
The key elementary fact in Chicago is that the "bottom" elementary schools have always been predictable since 1995 by a couple of simple factors: economic class of the families; intensity of racial segregation.
We are in the middle of an era like the era of Jim Crow, which grew in its madness over time from its origins in massive segregation, the long-term impact of Plessy v. Ferguson, and the gradual establishment of Lynch Law across much of the USA ("north" as well as "south", as the Illinois and Indiana lynching data showed from 1900 through 1950).
The Daley administrations (Richard J. and Richard M.) succeeded in their various mandates, which basically were to sustain the maximum feasible segregation behind any number of smokescreens, isolating the poor (who were usually colored coded), and dividing and conquering the rest.
The ugly history of Chicago's abuse of two generations of school children through mayoral control and test-based "accountability" is being written as we speak, and these latest data (along with Daley's usual babbling cowardice in the fact of the facts that prove the bankruptcy of his education policies) simply prove what the U.S. Supreme Court said in Brown v. Board of Education a half century ago:
Separate is, has always been, and always will be inherently unequal.
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
Thanks you are wonderful!
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
Earhart ISAT Scores
2007
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 49 94 25 0 168
Math 53 104 11 0 168
Science 6 45 3 5 59
2008
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 53 113 36 2 204
Math 48 121 33 1 203
Science 5 50 12 0 67
2009
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 52 114 27 0 193
Math 47 129 16 1 193
Science 11 45 6 0 62
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
Ronnie's looking a bit tired and sounding a bit overwhelmed. No big surprise there. Lying and ignoring whatever shred of his conscience might be left has to be mighty tiring. So many people you've screwed over are just waiting for you to fail. It's gotta suck. Pray for forgiveness, you little twerp.
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
Please look up Earhart. I would really be grateful.
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
Based on the dramatic increase in scores of Harvard, I can only conclude that they are getting different student population along with improved teachers.
Maybe Rich Daley should have done his press conference from Harvard with 16% improvement.
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
This result list number of students attaining each level of performance for Harvard from 2007 through 2009
2007
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 6 86 197 20 309
Math 5 99 164 36 304
Science 0 25 33 41 99
2008
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 10 109 184 25 328
Math 8 145 144 27 324
Science 2 35 45 36 118
2009
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 21 141 129 24 315
Math 23 179 95 17 314
Science 0 36 38 10 84
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
and their science scores may put themon probation--have not seen the nes policy passed recently. The drop fromone year to the nest is high--no cheating here? Can we find this difference with other schools? Do they have beeter students in 3 rd grade? There were 4 students who did NOT take the math test--why?
Happy for them, but these are 15% changes--again, need to look at other schools. Where can the other schools be found?
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
this puts them off of probation, since they did go up. 48% still do not meet in reading.
Where are you getting these scores? i would like to look up other schools'...
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
The famous turnaround school Harvard ISAT scores
2009 ISAT Scores
Standardized Test Analysis Report (Subject/Section by Test Performance Level)
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 6.7% 44.8% 41.0% 7.6% 315
Math 7.3% 57.0% 30.3% 5.4% 314
Science 0.0% 42.9% 45.2% 11.9% 84
2008 ISAT Scores
Standardized Test Analysis Report (Subject/Section by Test Performance Level)
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 3.0% 33.2% 56.1% 7.6% 328
Math 2.5% 44.8% 44.4% 8.3% 324
Science 1.7% 29.7% 38.1% 30.5% 118
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
we did much better than the charters BOTH years and they closed our aschool anyway. so sad!
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
I am posting Gunsaulus ISAT scores.
2009 ISAT Scores
Standardized Test Analysis Report (Subject/Section by Test Performance Level)
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 14.0% 57.4% 27.0% 1.5% 470
Math 17.3% 63.1% 16.9% 2.7% 474
Science 9.9% 62.3% 18.5% 9.3% 151
2008 ISAT Scores
Standardized Test Analysis Report (Subject/Section by Test Performance Level)
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 19.9% 57.9% 20.5% 1.6% 487
Math 17.5% 65.9% 15.4% 1.2% 487
Science 5.5% 66.7% 23.6% 4.2% 165
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
If you are a teacher of a school, you can view ISAT scores, including individual student scores.
This 2009 ISAT for all Chicago schools (public and charter)
Standardized Test Analysis Report (Subject/Section by Test Performance Level)
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 12.5% 51.8% 33.1% 2.6% 173,228
Math 15.4% 56.5% 25.1% 3.0% 174,282
Science 7.5% 53.8% 28.4% 10.3% 56,459
This 2008 ISAT for all Chicago schools (public and charter)
Standardized Test Analysis Report (Subject/Section by Test Performance Level)
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 11.8% 51.5% 33.2% 3.5% 176,781
Math 14.0% 54.9% 27.6% 3.5% 178,304
Science 7.3% 52.0% 30.2% 10.5% 57,351
This is 2009 ISAT for charter schools only.
Standardized Test Analysis Report (Subject/Section by Test Performance Level)
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 10.4% 55.7% 31.8% 2.1% 8,731
Math 11.6% 61.1% 25.3% 2.0% 8,730
Science 4.7% 57.5% 30.2% 7.6% 2,946
This is 2008 ISAT for charter schools only.
Standardized Test Analysis Report (Subject/Section by Test Performance Level)
Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Academic Warning Total Unique
Reading 10.1% 56.1% 31.3% 2.5% 6,879
Math 11.5% 59.4% 26.6% 2.5% 6,928
Science 4.6% 53.0% 33.9% 8.5% 2,342
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
So the ISAT results are "preliminary" and cannot be released to the schools until October, when I guess they become "official". But they were "official" enough for the Mayor and Ronnie to have a press release and do some spin about the "wonnerful" job the Mayor has done with the schools. By the way, if you watched Ronnie on WTTW, did you hear him speak to the need to establish a "culture of calm" in our general high schools? The Mayor is a perfect model for that, especially when he is questioned about TIF's, Olympics funding, or parking meters. Should we teach all of our high school students to raise their voices and shriek like the Mayor does when he feels pressured, as an alternative to violent behavior??
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
he put down the ISAT test as being inflated and not a proper measure of student progress. Yet, that is what his charters use to measure their success. Is he goofy or what?
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
Ronnie was just on WTTW chicago tonight--he called it the Iowa test, it's ISAT Ronnie, (6 months now in office), and he does defend and support and love Daley as a mini-me.
?--did these composit scores include the charter school ISAT scores? If so, CPS scores should have been MUCH higher. If NOT, CPS traditonal schools are doing even a better job, since charters take students from the top AWAY from the neighborhood schools.
Another ?: Scores are up, so WHY close schools that are achieveing? We look forward to your culture of calm--we hope you start this programin teh students' homes.
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
they have always released teachers in June--I do not understand your comment.
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
not releasing cuts until june 2. got to mange the damage first.
Tally Ho
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
principals are NOT allowed to release the scores per central office. That is why they are called preliminary.
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
Why do we all have to wait until Oct. 31st to view the test scores? Why can't we all see each schools preliminary scores? Some principals don't share the news and we have to read about it in the papers. I'd like to know right now how my child's school scores compare to the previous years. Even if the LSC demands that the principal share the scores many still won't tell. Ugh--too many secrets, smoke and mirrors!!!
"A Long Way To Go," Admits Daley
by any means necessary! We wipe our brow and live to teach another year unless they open that proposed charter near us...
Daley is smart to say what he stated and in the press release. He acknowledges what the Eden Martin's group showed in their 'study' and he ducked a little on ren10/charters, giving a drop of holy water to the neighborhood schools. Oh, he is a smooth operator.