Received some information from a parent of a Middle School parent about the MS's new PSSA prep program. For me the letter was a bit disconcerting in its message. So I don't take it out of context - here is the full copy:
Dear Parent/Guardian of Seventh Grade Students,
PSSA testing is fast approaching! It hardly seems possible that we are this far into the2007-2008 school year! As you know, the Nazareth School District takes our state test very seriously. Because of this, the seventh grade math teachers have requested the book, /How to Get Better Test Scores/, for all students in seventh grade. This book is aligned to the PA Assessment Anchors and is designed to give additional practice and confidence to students who so fear the PSSA test.
At this time, college/universities are using the PSSA scores as an indicator for future success in mathematics courses. Students that are scoring proficient or advanced on the PSSA are exempt from taking any placement testing for remedial courses. They are also perceived as meeting the prerequisite for the first level of mathematics courses. Scholarship programs, like SMaRT at NCC, use PSSA scores as one of the requirements for the scholarships.
Herein, is a brief summary of how we are planning to use this book to the best advantage of every student. There is a practice test that will be taken first. The results will be charted so that each student can see his/her strengths and weaknesses.
From now until the PSSA testing time, your child will receive homework in this book. We encourage you to help your child on any difficult problems. This homework will be reviewed during class and will be graded once a week. At the end of the lessons for each anchor, a quiz will be given. At the completion of the book, a final test will be given and charted so as to show your child his/her test-taking improvement.
Although we are excited about this new addition to our curriculum, we are also a bit fearful. These are disposable books. Each student is allotted one book If this book is lost, there is a $10 replacement fee. Please help us by making sure that this book comes to school each day. We feel so fortunate to have this addition and would hate for any student to miss out on an opportunity for greater success because a book is lost.
It is our belief that continued practice and reinforcement of the concepts covered within our current curriculum will promote increased success on the state test. As always, thank you for continuing to be an important part in your child's education.
To learn more information about PSSA scores, 4Sight testing, or using the remediation software, please visit the Nazareth Area Middle School webpage at http://ms.nazarethasd.k12.pa.usa/ and link to More Staff. Then link to the Specialist/IST webpage at http://teacherweb.com/PA/NazarethAreaMiddleSchool/Specialist/.
Working together, we can help your child be successful in their education.
Yours in education,
Mr. Robert Kern
Principal
Ms. Susanna Freed
Mathematics Specialist
Ms. Celia Lilly
Mathematics Teacher
Ms. Rachael Attieh
Mathematics Teacher
Mr. Edward Bernhard
Mathematics Teacher
Leveraging fear and anxiety to implement a program that abandons curriculum and simply teaches to the PSSA test seems to be a step-backward in the education of our students.
I can't speak to the fear level students have in taking these tests, but to this point in time one argument by districts against the test is that students score low because they don't care about the test - it doesn't impact their academic record - and as a result don't take it seriously.
The second paragraph also leverages fear - that if your student doesn't perform well their college opportunities will be hampered. Some may use it as screening tool, but admissions does not use the test and more and more colleges and universities are moving away from standardized tests in general. I'd also think placement tests would be valuable for the student to take as they will be placed in the right course to begin with. So the PSSA score is not going to prevent a child from getting into college, though I would say if your child is not at least proficient there may be a cause for concern.
I understand the school is trying to raise its test scores, but this is coming at the expense of a solid curriculum. In order to teach to the PSSA's teachers are required to assess the curriculum, cut out all elements not directly related to the test, and teach to the test. What happens when this is done? Test scores go up, but the student suffers because fundamental concepts not included on the test are not taught. Sometimes these fundamentals are needed at higher levels and without them the student then needs to catch-up.
Additionally, time has to be taken by the teacher to implement the test teaching that could otherwise be applied to classroom lessons and projects.
It seems to me this is yet another step in the wrong direction. I've said it time and again that a solid curriculum being taught in a supportive environment where the teachers have the necessary time and resources will render a solid education and the test scores will take care of themselves. What we have is a manipulation of the curriculum, reduction of time, and reallocation of resources away from core teaching to test teaching.
What do you think?
12 comments:
First, I cannot believe that the administration of this district quotes the data from a community college (please understand that I know NCC has its place, but it is not the choice of every student in this district).
I beg this district to use data from other universities and colleges. Please quote data that is not from a community college, which accepts anyone (verified on their webpage). Does no one in administration realize that Lehigh and Lafayette are right here in the valley and are outstanding schools? Verifying on their web pages (Lehigh and Lafayette), they a have ranges of SAT and ACT scores, nowhere are PSSA scores mentioned. Every day I am more convinced I will have to look into another avenue to have my kids educated to a level where they can be accepted into a college of their choice not the districts choice.
Finally, I am not going to allow this district to put fear in my children. These PSSA scores are used only for the purpose of seeing if the teachers and the district are performing. No Child Left Behind was established to make the schools more accountable. Yes, the students have to achieve proficient on the PSSA tests to graduate, but they have no bearing on any further education beyond high school. As my students take the PSSA test, I will not allow them to think that they will have any bearing on their college admissions. As some people have already mention in previous post, the scores on the PSSA tests for this district are declining!! This is not fault of the students, but the fault of the entire district that is failing our children:
Failing them to aspire at a higher level.
Failing in only teaching to the PSSA test.
Failing in “dumbing down” our children, so that we can have everyone achieve proficient levels.
Ross you state:
In order to teach to the PSSA's teachers are required to assess the curriculum, cut out all elements not directly related to the test, and teach to the test. What happens when this is done? Test scores go up, but the student suffers because fundamental concepts not included on the test are not taught.
seems to me the test needs to be reevaluated---why would it not include ALL fundamental concepts
and anonymous you forget biggest factor failing the students in this district:
parents
Justmyopinion,
You are right, the parents have failed the kids of this district. However, not for the reasons I think you have in mind.
For to long, parents have been screaming for higher test scores. After all, it is the only true measure of how our kids are doing (please note extreme sarcasm).
Parents screamed, and now this is what we get. Teach the test, forget the rest of what they need to know.
Yes, the parents have indeed failed because they cared more about test scores than teaching core skills.
It is time that the parents of this community rise up and shout enough already and get teachers back to teaching core material, the way they did when we were in school many years ago.
But, in the end, all anyone will care about is the scores and soon all grades will be teaching the test and the administration can pat themselves on the back and give themselves a raise for getting better scores.
I wouldn't agree that the biggest factor failing students is parents.
Many parents are engaged in their child's education - which is a big reason why they don't like the concept of teaching to this test.
I'd also disagree that people calling for better test scores requires teaching the test.
I've noted our scores should be higher. I've also said if we have a solid curriculum and teachers have the time and resources they need to teach it - the test scores will take care of themselves.
The easy answer is teach the test, not the right answer.
Regarding the test, it is the state's concept of what a child should know at a given grade level. I don't think there will ever be unanimous agreement on this - as a result, different districts will have different curriculum and it may or may not completely match the state's interpretation.
The point I was trying to make is that some things will get cut out because they aren't being tested.
You can't test everything. Also some items being cut might not be tested on this year, but maybe they are the foundation for material that will be taught the next year and tested on.
If this material gets cut out, now the students will struggle because they didn't learn it when they should have and they have to play catch-up.
Worse, each grade level that has to cut something out results in a compounding factor making the situation worse each ensuing year.
Ross,
You couldn't be more right.
My comments are around that we as parents are allowing this to happen to our kids.
Yes, we have state and federal mandates, and the route to meeting them are determined by each individual district.
This latest attempt to better test scores is exactly what you said, a short cut. And with many short cuts, you leave a lot of essentials behind, in this case, potentially some core skills that may not, but WILL be needed in the future.
We as parents need to voice our concerns to the teachers, school and district administration that we have had enough and need to focus the teacher's efforts on teaching the core skills, NOT THE TEST.
Lesky and the rest of his cabal are not supreme leaders, and being that they in fact work for us, it is time we stopped listening to their edicts from on high and started asking for THEIR accountability.
Bernie O'hare showed us all that you can take on city hall and win, so maybe we need to learn from his success and take on the district.
First of all, I must say this letter dumbfounded me.
The way the letter was worded, students must be sitting in their seats and shaking they are so afraid of the PSSA's. Come on, do you really believe this?
Now I know children have test anxiety and kids get nervous for big tests, I don't think the majority of Nazareth Area 7th graders fall into this category.
I do agree with Ross that most kids probably don't care as much about the PSSA as they do a math test that counts toward their GPA and that is one of many reasons our scores are they way they are.
And I have to say, as Anonymous 9:21 stated, that quoting data from NCC, blew me away. I have looked at quite a few college websites in the past few months, and never did I see anything about PSSA scores mentioned either.
Regarding curriculum being cut, I've been told by a teacher, that what they are teaching this year doesn't compare to what their lessons looked like last year and the reason for this is because they can only teach what is being assessed since we are moving to a Standards Based Report Card. So this leads me to believe that curriculum is already being cut and the foundation that might have been laid in the past, won't be there in the future when kids move up to the next level. Kind of scary if you ask me.
Lastly, I would like to comment on the failure of the parents in the district. Yes, there are many parents who are involved in their child's education, but there are many more that sit back and allow this district to "do what is best for students" without question.
As I've learned over the past few years, you need to watch out for you. If you are sick, you need to become the expert in the medical field to make sure you are getting the best treatment. If your insurance isn't paying for certain treatment, you need to become an insurance expert to make sure it gets covered. If you have a child in the school system, you need to become aware of what is happening in the district and make sure that when the school board and administration say they are doing something for the good of the students, that it really is for that reason. I encourage all parents in the district to read up on things that they don't understand. Ask questions and gain knowledge into what is happening to your kids.
Once this educational experience has happened, it's gone and it scares me what our kids might be left with.
My post may steer us a bit off topic, but it relates to the standardized testing environment faced by all of us.
I have had kids in the elementary, middle and high schools here in NASD, so I have a broad range of experience with the district. I also have a child with some learning difficulties. By far, the middle school made him/me feel more like a number than any of the other schools in our district ever did. I still struggle to understand why that is... In september, all was great. The teachers were involved in trying to help me improve my child's results, etc. etc. I would come home to a phone message that went like this: "xxx had a math test today, he got a 58. Seemed to have some trouble with xyz concept, here's what we can do, etc. etc." by about January, the messages went like this: "xxx got a 58 on his math test. I am supposed to call you to report it." I kid you not...that is a direct quote on a phone message I got. Basically, after so much "effort" with not enough "improvement" I feel they gave up on my child and moved on -figuring they can have so many "failures" and still meet their standardized averages. Had I not advocated for him, he would clearly have been a child left behind. Do I blame the teachers or the school? No. I blame the standardized test score results environment they are dealing with. Teachers are human beings trying to keep food on their own table and have to succumb to work pressures like the rest of us do, unfair as that is to us and our children. We can thank the current administration for the well intentioned, but misguided attempt at "no child left behind". It actually leaves many children who do not fit into the "box" behind.
Is the district using tactics here as seen in the letter? Yes. Is it right or fair? No. But this is what they are measured against, like it or not, and at the end of the day, they need to have the "right numbers".
It could be worse though, I've been told. A well respected local behavioral psychologist told me that in the valley, by far, Nazareth area school district is one of the absolute best she has worked with...others are less involved and less caring about individual student needs, she never gets the kind of teacher cooperation that Nazareth teachers and guidance counselors give.
Also, I have another child in the high school now, preparing for college. PSSA scores in and of themselves mean nothing for getting into college - the question never comes up. However, those scores are used in determining the level of class work the student is best suited for, and High School AP classes on a transcript do hold much weight, so in an indirect way, PSSA's do have some impact, whether we like it or not.
On another note, I have spoken to several students who went on to 4-year accredited universities such as Penn State and Kutztown who said Nazareth high school completely and totally prepared them for college. The students I spoke to felt that college was "easier" than high school. Overall, our district it seems, does do the best job they can with the issues they have to work with.
My biggest problem is that the "issues they have to work with" are created by the administration - not the government.
Nazareth's administration has determined that teaching to the test is better than teaching a solid curriculum. As I said earlier, it is the easy answer, not the right answer.
The teachers get stuck having to deal with the administration's mistake and the students wind up with the short end of the stick.
So I don't blame the teachers either. I'm sure most would appreciate being told to develop the best curriculum possible, and here are the resources of time and money you need to implement it, but they don't get that and in fact are getting further and further from it.
Students who have graduated aren't the measurement of the impact of teaching to the test - it is the current elementary students whose entire education is going to be based on the PSSA.
There may be an environment that wants to see the district perform well, but as anyone who has had success knows - there are no shortcuts and it takes lots of determined, hard work.
Teaching the test is a shortcut and will only result in bigger problems down the road.
newsovercoffe, I don't dispute what you are saying, and I do agree that it is the administration who decides on the path to results, and these shortcuts will absolutely cost our kids in the future. And you're right, it's not fair to use graduating students as a benchmark because that is the past and it's the current changes that are going to have a different impact most likely...point well taken there.
However, I stand behind my thoughts that this is still a product of government mandates when you look at the bigger picture and what logically ensues when you have this kind of measurement to perform to. In this case, it is PSSA scores. The district/teachers almost have no choice but to teach to this and drop other curriculum. It's extremely short sighted for sure, but what choice do they have? The district, and we, know that long range, consistent focus on learning the right curriculum will ultimately have the right impact on PSSA scores. And, our district has the responsibility to each of our students to give them the best learning environment possible in preparation for college/life. But, again, the district has to work with what it is measured against, plain and simple. The emerging problems with this remain to be seen down the road, and none of us knows for sure how that will pan out. As a side note, the issue is more far reaching than our student's lives (which is and must be the most important factor!) PSSA scores can ultimately impact many things, one of which is economic growth, development, real estate values - all of which our district is most likely pressured by in their decision to teach to the PSSA test. Families that use school district as a criteria for real estate purchases only have to log onto www.greatschools.net to form an impression of a school district. Had Nazareth not had the PSSA results they had in years past, would our values have outperformed most other districts in the lehigh valley? (I know, this is a whole other topic with its own inherent issues) How we are situated in relation to major cities is one factor used, but the perceived success of our school was certainly another factor here.
Again, I'm not trying to get off topic or take this in a new direction, rather, I am trying to speak to the sad reality of how government mandated standardized scoring mechanisms affect all who must perform to them/are measured by them. The result? Lots of kids are being left behind in the short run, and perhaps in the long run our entire education system is simply getting watered down. Who knows?
Newlife1 and NOC,
I think you are both in agreement with your comments.
The underlying issue is that this district has chosen to use the standards of the PSSA to guide their cirriculum. I know because my kids tell me that every lesson is school is equated back to a PSSA standard to which it applies.
Instead of teaching a solid course, they are teaching to the PSSA, and now in 7th grade, actually teaching the test and grading the results as part of the students overall grade.
Additionally, they are using the PSSA for placement in classes in the following year as opposed to using the students grades themselves as the pure criteria. A student could have an off day, do bad in the PSSA and end up in a lower level class than they really should be in. Is this fair, I think not.
These test are meant to measure the effectiveness of the teachers, cirriculum and administration. As I have said earlier, this is THEIR report card, not the students.
What they have done is transfer the pressure onto our kids in order to improve their report card.
My bigger question is how do these tests prepare kids for life outside of school. Doing a search on Monster or Career Builder, I cannot find a position that requires employees to take annual proficiency tests or asks for an applicants standardized test scores. Nor can I find a college or university that asks for them either.
When I went through school many years ago, we didn't take standardized tests to measure proficiency, not do I think many of you did either. We all managed to graduate and move on to (hopefully) bigger and better things.
So I ask, what has changed? Are kids today so different that they are unable to learn without being hammered by testing?
Too often we speak out of both sides of our mouths.
This very blog criticizes the district based upon test score alone. See the Pittsburgh Post Gazette school rankings post: http://nocnews.blogspot.com/2007/05/
pbt-school-rankings-released.html
We see statements like "Again, maybe these rankings will prompt some discussion at the Board meeting or in the election regarding what can be done to improve the quality of education and get Nazareth into the 'best in the area' group of schools and move us further away from the 'average' ones."
So this very blog ranks the "quality of education" on the PSSA test scores alone. In the very next breath when the district tries to improve test scores, you criticize that too!!
Why don't we come together to help the district become what we want it to be. Let's encourage the administration and staff to ignore test scores and do what's best for children. If they get that message from their constituents, then I think you'll see some real change.
It is my hope that we can stop speaking with the forked tongue.
I invite all parents and community members to come to the school board meetings with a consistent message.
Speaking out of both sides of your mouth is telling one group one thing because they want to hear it, and telling another group something to the contrary, because it appeals to that group.
I haven't done this, and I think I've been fairly consistent in what I have said.
I noted that our PSSA scores are low compared to where I think they should be and I stated that I didn't think the NASD has taken the right approach to correcting this problem.
The fact that the NASD has implemented teaching the test tells us they believe there is a problem with the test scores, too.
Unfortunately, the root of the problem isn't the PSSA test. It is something the PSSA test may have revealed - our students aren't performing at the level we thought they were.
The question then becomes why?
There are probably many factors that taken together have gotten us to this point - a single simple answer (like teaching to the test) is most likely the wrong one.
Throwing out test scores isn't the answer, but figuring out why our scores are lower than we'd like is worth investigating.
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