I'm an avid reader of Bob Somerby's
Daily Howler which, as many people here probably know, has for years been spotlighting the antics of our mainstream media - specifically the "liberal" elite who report on America from the comfort zone of Nantucket.
For several weeks now, he has been howling about American public education - an issue that is discussed with too little frequency here. Some diaries (many from teacherken) have highlighted educational issues... I figured I would now do may part to put this topic back on the table for liberals and Democrats.
As someone who has two kids in public school, I have begun to pay increasing attention to public education. There is one specific phenomenon in my neighborhood (in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley) - our local elementary school (K-5) previously had a high percentage of ESL kids (those who speak English as a Second Language) who lived out of the district. Because of the booming housing market, my neighborhood's home values have increased three-fold since 2000. The new residents are spending at least $600,000 to buy in the neighborhood and want to send their kids to the neighborhood school. The demand is so high that our school can no longer accept children who live outside the district. Several factors have led to some upbeat news - our school now has the highest test scores in the district. One factor is that there are less ESL kids (though the school is still extremely diverse) and ESL kids have a more difficult time with testing. Nonetheless, with higher test scores, comes a higher demand to get into the school (thereby further driving up home prices). Many families (who already carry $4000/mo mortgages) opt to forego the $10,000 - $12,000 private school tuitions (yup - that's L.A. for you) and instead send their children to public schools. One of the comfort levels for these parents is... the school's high test scores.
And it's a two-way street, the schools know that there isn't enough state funding for certain staff and programs. Therefore it is beneficial to have wealthier families attending the public schools - that's how we fund music classes, art, PE, a librarian, and the school nurse. It's through family fund-raising.
But what if the schools are fudging those test results. Are they fudging them at my kids' school? I don't know. I hate to think so.
But what if your kids go to Maury Elementary in Alexandria, VA. You should be very excited to know that they've been hailed by Washington Post for the great strides they've made.
Until you read what Bob Somerby uncovered.
It seems that Christmas came early for Maury Elementary of Alexandria, Virginia last year. In the spring of 2005, only 5 of Maury's 19 third-graders passed the state's "Reading/Language Arts" test, a passing rate of 27 percent. (Statewide, 77 percent of third-graders passed. We'll call this test "reading" from this point on.) But yes, Virginia--there is a Santa Claus! Thanks to bizarre statistical manipulations, the state ended up reporting that 17 of Maury's 19 third-graders had passed--and Maury was soon at the top of the Washington Post's front page, hailed as "a study in pride, progress" (full links below). How did five out of 19 become seventeen? How did an abysmal passing rate become a source of community "pride?" Simple--according to Alexandria testing director Monte Dawson, an undisclosed number of Maury fourth-graders also were given the third-grade test. When 12 fourth-graders passed the third-grade test, they were added to the third-grade total. We know, we know, it sounds impossible--but no, we're really not making this up. Indeed, Dawson sent us a lengthy excerpt, apparently from a technical manual, which outlined the absurd procedure. What do you do when a school's passing rate exceeds 100? The excerpt even explained that! (Daily Howler, 3/13/2006)
That's right - you read it correctly. Maury Elementary's scores jumped because they let 4th graders take the 3rd grade reading tests. I don't know about you but I feel reassured knowing that those 4th graders can read at a 3rd grade level. And this is not an isolated case... though Maury Elementary is an extreme one. It's been happening throughout Virginia.
Last year, the system reported results for thirteen elementary schools--and in a good number, combined "Grade 3 and 5" passing rates were substantially inflated. Example: James K. Polk Elementary School. Deep down in its school report card, we see that 67 percent of third-graders passed the reading test, along with 65 percent of fifth-graders. But at the top of the card, we get the passing rate for the two grades combined--84 percent! Ditto Cora Kelly Magnet Elementary. Deep down in the data, we see that 60 percent of third-graders passed, along with 80 percent of fifth-graders. But what do we see at the top of the card? Happy days are here again! The passing rate for the two grades combined is presented as 90 percent! But then, Christmas came early at Jefferson-Houston Elementary too, where 44 percent of third-graders passed, along with 71 percent of fifth-graders. What does it say at the top of the school's report card? Combined passing rate, 75 percent! In these schools, as in schools all over the state, combined passing rates are substantially higher than the passing rates of the two grades at issue. No, nobody's passing rate was jacked up more than the passing rate at Maury. But if these passing rates derive from a bogus procedure, then bogus data have been peddled all across the state of Virginia--bogus data which persistently over-state school passing rates, of course. (Daily Howler, 3/14/2006)
Somerby has done an excellent job of spotlighting this. And, amazingly, although he notified the local press in Virginia, no one there seems to think it's a newsworthy story. Not yet. Maybe some of you Virginians can load up those keyboard muskets and fire away. And may, if you're like me in Los Angeles, you'll start looking a little closer at your own Board of Education and see if they're playing the same game.
http://www.dailyhowler.com/