Please follow us on Gab, Minds, Telegram, Rumble, Truth Social, Gettr, Twitter
I can't count how many changes have been made to the reporting of standardized test scores in the public schools. It seems any time there is a new administration in D.C. or in the State capitol, the education system in the country/state has to change how they report student academic progress (or lack of progress.) Maryland is no different from other states.
First there were individual test scores for each student on either the CTBS (California Test of Basic Skills) or CAT (California Achievement Test). The scores were given to teachers and parents. Schools used them to make placement decisions in different levels of classes. In the mid to late 90's there was the controversial and expensive Maryland State Assessment Program or MSPAP followed by the HIgh School Assessment. The High School Assessment was supposed to determine if students graduated or not.
These were followed by the MCAP or Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program. All three, MSPAP, HSA and MCAP gave different kinds of scoring reports, specifically those for individual schools and districts. Careers started and ended because of these scores.
The scores were an albatross around the neck of education officials across the state.
During the tenure of Maryland Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury, the state actually hid test scores for different schools.
Last year, due partially to that scandal the state changed how scores were calibrated. The State realized that miserable data from individual counties and the State was going to sink them and the incredibly expensive Blueprint for Maryland's future, previously called the Kirwan Plan. They went to a "star plan," giving each school and county a rating of 1 to 5 stars depending on a variety of factors. 1 was the bottom; 5 the top. The link below explains how the ratings were deceptive:
Maryland Creates Test Scores Narrative Using Deceptive Star Ratings For Schools - Easton Gazette
When a school rates 3 stars or higher but only 47% of the students can read on level and only 17% can do math on grade level, the only rating justified is "1."
New Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright agreed and moved to change the rating system to more accurately reflect the academic achievement of the schools based on their test scores.
It's a noble cause and we applaud her for that.
Problem is, she's allowing the wrong people help design the ratings. While she wants the ratings to be more "transparent" and easily understood by parents, she's allowing the very people whose jobs depend on these ratings to create them.
It's sort of like allowing students to determine their own grades in a class. Sure, one or two kids might be honest and accurate, but most of them will give themselves an "A" whether they deserve it or not. Imagine if the student could not only determine their grade but create the tests and work to support that grade.
Wright is creating a tax force made up of superintendents, teachers, principals, and professionals who design standardized tests to brainstorm a new way to hold school systems accountable for the achievement and learning of their students.
Yes, you heard that correctly. The superintendents, principals and teachers whose jobs and pay will depend on these ratings will design how they will be determined. Even better, the people who make millions off standardized tests will be working right alongside them to make sure the tests they create will achieve the rankings needed by the systems. It's a nice version of "you scratch my back I'll scratch yours."
Everyone in the room has a vested interest. Sadly, it doesn't include honesty or transparency for parents and the public.
Superintendent Wright, like each of her predecessors, doesn't want actual student achievement assessed and reported. She wants to give the illusion that student achievement is accurately assessed and reported. It's a shell game; a bait and switch. It's somewhat like what she did in Mississippi in order to drag the state out of the bottom of state school systems into mediocrity.
She used the shell game there by lowering graduation requirements and excluding certain students from testing groups as stated in the article below and accompanying links. Still Mississippi was below average.
State School Board Appoints Wright As Interim - Easton Gazette
The sad thing is who gets shut out of the process; the parents and the taxpayers, the very people who need to know that test data is accurate and true. How can the state do that? Well, one way is to remove all the clutter when reporting academic achievement. Parents and the public want to know if the kids are learning reading, math, science, social studies and history. Save all the social stuff for another place. It ends up distracting the real issue, and that is that our kids are not learning. Period.
It would be nice if they did that. They won't. Too risky and detrimental to their bottom line to report the truth.
Yes, it's more of the same score deception for the State of Maryland. As the Who once said, " Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."
Wouldn't want to scuttle a multi-billion-dollar Blueprint plan with accuracy, would we.
