tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post7240116913342476804..comments2024-03-27T09:08:50.883-07:00Comments on Bad Mom, Good Mom: What the STAR tests really tell usbadmomgoodmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-87270539543796016502013-10-20T10:37:07.665-07:002013-10-20T10:37:07.665-07:00I just wanted to say thank you, your blog has been...I just wanted to say thank you, your blog has been extremely helpful. I wish I had Your insight five years ago when we first moved to LA and were debating between Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach school districts. I often wonder if I chose wrong. (O _ o)<br /><br />I would be very interested to read your thoughts on a few school related topics.<br />Truancy - Have you ever read the letter sent to parents? If not, take a look, it is quite shocking!<br />Bullying - What to do when a school fails a child and the "anti-snitch" backlash when a child speaks up. <br /><br />Thanks again and keep writing....Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16574986682963257129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-77756956098244791172011-12-13T04:18:38.004-08:002011-12-13T04:18:38.004-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.real estate degreeshttp://www.homburgacademy.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-72901434417497908072011-04-28T00:49:31.965-07:002011-04-28T00:49:31.965-07:00@Eric
There are flaws in the VAT model, as ably po...@Eric<br />There are flaws in the VAT model, as ably pointed out by U of CO researchers Briggs and Domingue.<br />http://greatlakescenter.org/docs/Policy_Briefs/Briggs_LATimes.pdf<br /><br />Most notably, assignment to certain teachers can predict how much a student learned in prior years. How can teachers today impact learning in the past? Simple. Favoritism. Some classrooms are dumping grounds for difficult pupils, for whatever reason. VAT without accounting for differences in class roster assignment is inherently unfair.badmomgoodmomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-66432490711528022942011-04-27T16:27:01.818-07:002011-04-27T16:27:01.818-07:00If one _must_ look at test scores to judge a teach...If one _must_ look at test scores to judge a teacher or a school, one should at a minimum look at how students' scores tend to _change_ while under the tutelage of a given teacher. Take as an example teacher "A", teaching 7th grade at a rich school, and imagine that students come into his class having scored on average in the 85th percentile at the end of sixth grade. Then, at the end of a year in his seventh-grade classroom, the students test on average at the 75th percentile. Or take teacher B, at an unrich school, whose students came to him having averaged at the 30th percentile after 6th grade, and then leave his class testing at the 50th percentile. Which teacher do you want for your kid? All those people trolling the test scores would choose a school full of teachers like A in favor of a school full of teachers like B. And think of themselves as being educated consumers for doing so.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16618601657441653057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-35827736638320927772011-04-27T09:16:59.284-07:002011-04-27T09:16:59.284-07:00Very timely! I just finally downloaded the info ab...Very timely! I just finally downloaded the info about the various magnet/choice/whatever schools in our district last night. I was relieved to discover that for a 2012 kindergarten entry, I have until Nov. 2011 before I can even make a choice, and until Feb 2012 before I must apply.<br /><br />We're drawn towards the foreign language programs because that is the one area of elementary education that we feel we can't supplement on our own. There are three language magnets in our area- i.e., close enough not to be a commute-killer.<br /><br />So we've decided to make visits in October, and check out the data over the summer. I haven't looked at the school data yet... I think your posts on the subject will be a big help when I do!Cloudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09317847285050447789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15350975.post-15571701325836211992011-04-27T08:15:13.830-07:002011-04-27T08:15:13.830-07:00Great post and analysis. Instead of relying only o...Great post and analysis. Instead of relying only on test score data and rumors, I strongly believe people really need to visit the actual schools, see some actual classes, and meet some actual teachers before making any decisions.<br /><br />I confess to being one of those trollers of test scores on the internets - but I'd like to think I keep it in perspective. For example, in our area in WA, the 4th grade science scores are in the toilet (41st%ile) in the higher-SES school that every local realtor is steering their clients towards, while in our local lower-SES school which has won a ton of accolades but that white people are irrationally afraid to send their kids to, the science test scores are in the 90th%ile. So I'm going to happily repeat that stat to everyone I know. The good news is, the word is getting out about what a great place the lower-SES school truly is, and that is due in no small part to their excellent test scores.<br /><br />It seems to me the reports you've heard about realtors' comments regarding the schools in your area strongly suggest these realtors are engaged in a pattern of violating fair housing laws; where steering clients toward one district could be seen as expressing a preference for a specific race. Sadly, these kinds of practices happen all the time in our de facto segregated society.hushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05532820460835325762noreply@blogger.com