Grades Based on Test Scores Can't Measure a School's Success
Sacramento's Mayor Kevin Johnson has said that the city should have a greater role in Sacramento's schools. State law, as well as the city's Council Manager form of government, prevents him from wresting control of the schools from the elected school board so he has proposed another means to put his stamp on the city's schools. In keeping with the federal emphasis on test scores and accountability, the Mayor proposed a school grading system in his "Education White Paper" made public in 2009 and announced its development in his 2012 "State of the City" speech. The mayor's grading system would give schools a single letter grade based on test scores. Is this a good idea? Do test scores alone really tell parents if a school is successful?
Viewing parents as consumers, the mayor's organization, Stand Up Sacramento is attempting to create a "consumer report" for schools based on a Colorado model, which is independent of the state system. That model purports to turn the Colorado state school ranking system into a simple letter grade based on growth in performance on standardized tests. A "value added" measurement of academic growth in test scores is given greater weight than academic achievement alone. It also factors in the performance of traditionally disadvantaged students--English language learners, special education students and children in poverty. ColoradoSchoolGrades.com grades on the curve. Schools that might all be graded as "performing" by the state,
Viewing parents as consumers, the mayor's organization, Stand Up Sacramento is attempting to create a "consumer report" for schools based on a Colorado model, which is independent of the state system. That model purports to turn the Colorado state school ranking system into a simple letter grade based on growth in performance on standardized tests. A "value added" measurement of academic growth in test scores is given greater weight than academic achievement alone. It also factors in the performance of traditionally disadvantaged students--English language learners, special education students and children in poverty. ColoradoSchoolGrades.com grades on the curve. Schools that might all be graded as "performing" by the state,
