VERMILION LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT Pip M. Pepin, Spinto Anion Otes Stanne M, Wise, Tesco FO 1250 Saf Stet Contact ‘Vermilion Local Schools FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Page 1 of 2 September 30,2016 [Numerous eters andanticles have been released by school superintendent statewide disputing the results ofthe recently released State Report Cards. The Vermilion Sehools wold like to take this opportunity to inform out ‘omni about the way these scores are generated and reported (One ofthe most challenging mandates handed tous in recent years by State and Federal authorities isthe increased focus on testing. Our Board of Education administrative team and staf believe that we must be held accountable forthe success of our students, but we Fel strongly that he tests mandated bythe State of Ohio do not portray an accurate pictte of student achievement in Vermilion, In August we rcsived out fist report ofthe AIR test scores from tests that were administered in February and March 2016 to stents in grades 3 through 11, The AIR test replaced the toubled PARC test that was required in2015, As weevaluated the AIK scores, many seemed to have paring inconsistencies. Fo example, the English I seores for high schoo students were reported ats 60% passage eate onthe AIR test. The PARCC scores fom the previous year showed a 75.3% passage rate fr the same group of studets. How are we, a a community, to believe that scores could vary by sh lage margin especially When we were assured the AIR est was a much less rigorous test? The same question came up a8 We looked at scores fr social studies and math at all grade levels. ‘Other examples of results that raised questions and concerns about the storing methods ae: ‘+ Themsjrityof our special needs stidnts those with an IEP) did not pass the math exam. Socal studies scores for special needs students were much higher onthe AIR test than onthe previous year PARC. tess ‘+The Report Card score includes a penalty for any stdent who did not take the test because the parent chose 19 “opt out The State permits parents to “opt out, but the school distiet is penalized onthe Reyurt Can! pas Ror stent who did ot ‘= Thenew "Prepared for Suosess” measure looks at stents over a two year period, In ae June, the state rade a ehange in how the second year data was to be reported, but districts were not permitted to update data derived from the fist year. Asa esl, improvements made by distri, such as adding additonal college-level courses, are not cosidered or included in ‘+The Achievement metic messures how well students performed on stat tests. Federal guidlines have expanded testing, adding nine additonal tts in all content area, and Ohio has changed test types three times in as many years, This passage rate will change for the 4 tine in the spring of 2017. This i analogous to an arcitect changing the building plans for a high rise every time the builders start a new Foot. Imagine how confusing and diffieult this would be for the building inspectors. There is no consistent measure of excellence, In other words, while teaching and leaning standards have remained‘constant in local dstiets, assessment requiements have repeatedly changed, making it very difficult ot impossible, to evaluate and improve instucion methods. 1+ The KS Literacy Rate compares the results of a student's preliminary reading assessment to their proficiency on the Grade 3 test However, the new AIR tes incorporates reauing ane writing. "This Report Card measure is flawed in that it compares arate based on a reading score to one based on a reading AND writing score. Asa result, the calculated store does not reflect atl literacy attainment “The target for achievement will change again next yer to an even higher passage ate, Teste ae given only one day ofthe year and are aot a ue measure ofa student's ability, yet the scores are used asthe isis forthe overall Report Card grade of public schools. Since all public school districts ae provide with ‘only final test sores, which ae retuncl (ous months ae fstng, ou teachers and administrators anne use the Fesults to accursely evaluate student petformance ott improve ristricton, Ihe presen method required By the State is. violation of everything we know about effective teaching and evaluation techniques {In Vermilion we have used the MAP test in Kindergarten to rade 810 inform instruction. ‘The MAP fest measures scademie progress ofeach siden, The rests are returned to us very quickly, allowing ou team of teachers and ‘aiministators to identify areas of strength and weakness and make istuctonal adjustments ata grade level Seif subjet area or for individual students, The MAP ests give us tre picture of whether or not students hve achieved one year of growth for one year onstruction, ‘State requited AIR and PARC tests are given only atthe end ofthe school year. ‘The results are nt returned to tas uti months later, and therefore, are not useful inform istuction for subject levels or iniviual students ‘We ae given no information about the way the tess are scored, or how each student performed. In order to evaluate and lean from testing, itis important to sce every student's test (0 evaluate hisherstengths and tveaknesses, Fr exanple, we find it difficult to improve third grade writing cores when we have no information bout how the sate test was evaluated o sored. The data used io create the State Report Card is therefore layed tnd unelisble. The State of Ohio's approach o assessing student achiovement isin direct eonflit with al of the ‘cational research on evalating and improving insiiction. This method of testing one subject, ona single dy, ‘efies ll best practice teaching methods. The Plain Dealer recently sed the statewide Report Card scores to rank schools fom 4.0 10 0.0 grade point average. Vermilion was 176 ou o 608 schools ranked in this study. We are not citing these statisti to say that ‘ve are better than ther dsr, but merely to demonstrate that thee is something wrong witha reposting system that grades only 205 schools at 2.0 GPA co biter (the equivalent of a"C" average). When this many grades are average or below, educators know that they hae to evaluate the test self, ot the test takes, “Thisisthe firs time Veriton educators have spoken out abot this ese, We do not wish to appear to be making excises by sharing this information with the community. We know very well that we must be accountable to our patents and taxpayers. We continue to work hard, on a daly basis, o provide the very best education we can to Ail of our students, However, we also believe that we have reached a tipping point with State and Federal authorities trough their unreasonable demands, AL this tine we willbe joining fores with public school ‘lucas statewide to make out thoughts known (othe Ohio Department of Ealucation and the Governors oie. {Wer keep you informed boat ths npn ise Vermilion Local Schoo! District Press Release September 30,2016 Page 20f2