AYP Analysis
Rochester School District
The Rochester School District has made significant progress in the recent years on NECAP assessments and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) designations.
The Rochester Middle School has made AYP for the second straight year. This is a remarkable turn-around in two years. For a large school of 1100 students to make AYP in all categories, is remarkable. This shows the effort from students, parents, faculty and administration to increase academic focus in the Middle School.
The Rochester School District just missed making AYP for the third year in a row. Two years ago, we missed AYP because of the sub-group of Educational Disability in Math, last year it was the sub-group of African American students in Math. This year we improved in that sub-group, but missed again in Educational Disability. We have made great increases in both areas, but just not enough. It should be emphasized that we exceed the State in many of the categories.
As an entire District we meet AYP in reading. The overall score for grade 3 to 8 is 89.3 in Reading, with a required score of 86, and 85.1 in math, with a required score of 82. The overall score is based upon the following calculation: n0 x 0 + n1a x 20 + n1b x 40 + n2a x 60 + n2b x 80 + n3 x 100 + n4 x 100 = Sum Rounded to Tenth. If a student scores a 1a, they get 20 points, 1b, 40 points, etc. The performance index is calculated using this formula.
Below is a short summary about all schools in the District. Here is a link to the State website: http://reporting.measuredprogress.org/NHProfile/default.aspx This site includes all past AYP reports and current reports starting at 3 p.m today.
School | AYP Status | Area missed AYP | Comments |
District | Missed AYP | One sub-group, math for Educationally Disabled | District makes AYP for RMS/Elementary in every area but one, the last three years, two different sub-groups in math |
Gonic School | Missed AYP | Missed AYP in Reading for sub-group Education Disability | |
McClelland School | Made AYP | Made AYP in all areas | |
Nancy Loud | Made AYP | Made AYP in all areas | |
East Rochester | Missed AYP | Missed AYP in Reading and Math for Educational Disability | |
Chamberlain | Missed AYP | Missed AYP in Reading and Math for Educational Disability | Made AYP in all areas |
School Street | Made AYP | Made AYP in all areas | |
Maple | Made AYP | ||
William Allen | Missed AYP | Missed AYP in Reading, due to Economic Disadvantaged category, Math, Economic and Educational Disadvantage Educational Disability | Made AYP for Whole School |
Rochester Middle School | Made AYP, two years in a row | Middle School is removed from the SINI list | |
Bud Carlson Academy | Cell sizes too small to measure | With the small number of students, AYP does not apply | |
Spaulding High School | Missed AYP due to various factors | Missed AYP in Math, due to Economic and Educational Disadvantage sub-group | The High School also needs to increase participation. 95% of students need to take the test in each sub-group and the whole School. |
Lynch does sleight-of-hand with math scores
http://www.cnht.org/news/2009/11/16/lynch-does-sleight-of-hand-with-math-scores/
By CNHT | November 16, 2009
October 22, 2009
Math Wizards
The NAEP math scores were released this week, and the news was good for New Hampshire. New Hampshire finished near the top when compared to the rest of the country. But was it really good news?
The New Hampshire papers were quick to offer accolades for this accomplishment, but there were some glaring facts that went unreported.
According to NAEP (the National assessment):
• 56 percent of the fourth-graders scored proficient;
• 43 percent of the eighth-graders scored proficient.
While scores did improve slightly, I’m guess I’m missing the cause for celebration when roughly half of the New Hampshire students are testing below proficiency level.
This is also quite different than what the Gov. John Lynch’s New Hampshire Department of Education reported to parents after students took the (NECAP), the state standardized test:
• 73 percent of the fourth-grade students tested proficient;
• 65 percent of the eighth-grade students tested proficient;
• 32 percent of the 11th-grade students tested proficient.
One can see a large discrepancy between the Lynch Department of Education’s findings and the National Assessment. Is this fuzzy math? Or is it a case of the Lynch Department of Education misleading parents?
New York had a similar situation where state scores showed large percentages of proficient students compared to national scores. This is why Diane Ravitch, research professor of education at New York University, wrote a scathing article in the New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/ny_testing_mess_xlGmMitC04B4VHD2YDi5CM).
Because New York has such a large discrepancy between the state test and the national test, “The fabulous “gains” reported last spring, we now know, were based on dumbed-down tests and dubious scoring of the tests”
She goes on to say:
“Heads should roll. Someone must be held accountable for this travesty against children, teachers, parents and taxpayers. … What this amounts to is a fraud” (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/education/15scores.html)
The sad part is, no one in New Hampshire noticed a similar situation occurred in New Hampshire. No one is questioning the Lynch Department of Education on the significant difference in what they reported as “proficient” and what the independent national test reported as “proficient.”
Ravitch has been a crtical voice in the state of New York, yet Gov. Lynch rides a wave of silence. That’s unfortunate for the students in New Hampshire.