October 2, 200719 yr How do you know if they are interesting or not? http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20071002/NEWS0103/710020345 "I think it's a mess. The standards have changed so much that I'm not really sure what the scores mean," said John Williamson, superintendent of Fort Thomas Schools. That from a man who is leading a district where four of the five schools have reached their proficiency goals seven years early. The fifth school, Highlands Middle, is less than a point away. The data released today are different from past years because CATS is different. The test content was changed, new tests were added and more grades were tested when the assessments were given last spring. As a result, schools and districts today received a 2006-07 nonadjusted score (their straight score on the new 2006-07 test), and an adjusted score that counts toward a school or district goal of proficiency (a score of 100 by 2014). That adjusted score is the result of the education department's effort to bridge the CATS of the past to the CATS of the present. To do that, the department created a concordance table, or statistical link. The table ranks the 2006-07 nonadjusted scores and factors in growth trends at each grade level from 2000-2006, basically creating a bell curve, to determine the adjusted score. Somebody can take a shot at intepreted the bolded if they want. And even the KDE admits the data is not usable. No trend data were released because the Kentucky Department of Education says a comparison of the new test to the old would be comparing apples to oranges because of all the changes in the assessment.
October 2, 200719 yr Completely Awful Testing System I just wonder where they found the infinite number of monkeys.
October 2, 200719 yr Completely Awful Testing System I just wonder where they found the infinite number of monkeys. And imagine that the work that you do everyday is determined by this system. People are fired because of this system. Decisions on how to educate children are determined because of this system. What was it the article said? In the approximate 10 years of the testing, they have changed how it is scored 3 times. Once we learn what they want us to do, they change it.
October 2, 200719 yr Completely Awful Testing System I just wonder where they found the infinite number of monkeys. That about sums it up.
October 2, 200719 yr Gray Middle scored above 100 on their non-adjusted score, yet when the score was adjusted it fell to around 96...
October 2, 200719 yr And imagine that the work that you do everyday is determined by this system. People are fired because of this system. Decisions on how to educate children are determined because of this system. What was it the article said? In the approximate 10 years of the testing, they have changed how it is scored 3 times. Once we learn what they want us to do, they change it. It's what happens when you let a politician educate your child. It's like having a mechanic take out your gallbladder.
October 2, 200719 yr The problem with this type of testing and scoring is that if a kid is not interested in doing well, there's no incentive to do so and the school suffers. We expect a lot of our schools (and all schools have room to get better) but schools cannot MAKE a kid want to do well. So, with that, what is this test telling us?
October 2, 200719 yr So, with that, what is this test telling us? I'll go with the post right above yours as the answer.:thumb:
October 2, 200719 yr Author And imagine that the work that you do everyday is determined by this system. People are fired because of this system. Decisions on how to educate children are determined because of this system. What was it the article said? In the approximate 10 years of the testing, they have changed how it is scored 3 times. Once we learn what they want us to do, they change it. I thought that the main changes in the scoring was due to calculating in attendance and retention rates for the schools, which is not that big a change...........but maybe there is a lot more to it than I know.
October 2, 200719 yr I thought that the main changes in the scoring was due to calculating in attendance and retention rates for the schools, which is not that big a change...........but maybe there is a lot more to it than I know. When you have the superintendents who are in charge of looking at these tests results who say it is confusing and they DON'T know what it means, when you have the KDE not releasing certain things because it won't tell you anything, that has to say something about the results and the confusion on the tests.
October 2, 200719 yr I'm all for thowing out CATS, but if we do make sure SEEK is right behind it. Kids in NorKY, Lexington and Lousiville deserve the same amount of support as the rest of the state.
October 2, 200719 yr I'm all for thowing out CATS, but if we do make sure SEEK is right behind it. Kids in NorKY, Lexington and Lousiville deserve the same amount of support as the rest of the state. That's funny because SEEK guarantees that there is the same amount of support for kids all across the state. That those kids who do not live in areas where financially they can have more support, do not receive a lesser education than those that do.
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.