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New topic please: If you attended the EFA meeting last night.....I'm
curious to know what you think of the District's plan to publicize
school level data.
On Wednesday at the SAS Institute in Harrisburg, the PA Department of Education presented a brand new format for roll out and public access to Pennsylvania Academic Achievement DATA ie.,Keystone, PSSA, COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS.
It is the PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PROFILE which will be available online in April, 2013.
The AIU staff will be trained on this new format and then the AIU will train people from districts here.
PPS top central office appear to be in attendance at the four days of PDE SAS Institute (Dec. 2-5, 2012) as did Superintendents, Principals and Lead Teachers from over 400 districts across the state.
A tremendous amount of information was shared regarding all of PDE's Standards Aligned Systems and RESOURCES, all of it invaluable to academic success in PA school districts!
Hopefully, this information will soon be shared with PPS staff, parents, and community.
Well Questioner, we were always told A+ gets their data straight from the district so there should be a match, right? Why is any publicizing needed anyway. Recently there was a comment taht contained severl links to data from the state sites. Will there be a team working on prepping the publication? Really the only time you see much attendance at meetings where such data would be needed for analysis is at PSCC meetings and after elementary grades and maybe K-8 the attendance becomes dismal. Many would think spending this way is ill-advised.
The new PA School Performance Profiles will provide an abundance of Academic Achievement DATA all in one place. It will no longer be necessary to go to several PDE websites to gather the "official" DATA. (ANYONE interested will be able to go to one source for all PA DATA.)
What A+ and PPS currently provide is extrapolated, adjusted, and re-formatted to suit multiple purposes.
In April, anyone will be able to go to the PDE site and get what the need in true original form.
Yes, 3:58 several others who attended all four days also claim NOT to have seen any PPS officials.
Does anyone know why PPS would not attend such an important Institute for all schools in PA who are interested in improving student achievement, AYP and status for schools below 475 out of 500?
Just what could the reason be for NOT attending such a critical conference?
The SAS Institute provided the following workshop/presentations: "LEADERSHIP IN TIMES OF REFORM" -The Psychology of Achievement, -SAS Overview -Educator Effectiveness, -Leading Principals to Higher Levels of Effectiveness, -PA Common Core: SAS Resources, -CC Curriculum Frameworks, -Effective Use of Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDTs), -Keystone Exams & Project-Based Assessments, -PVAAS Teacher Reporting -Introducing Student Interpersonal Skills and Standards, -SAS in Daily Practice, -Hidden Treasure: PA Common Core and the Library Program, -ELL and Common Core, -SAS -Logging On and Linking In for Early Childhood, -Best Practices and Town Hall Meeting Etc. Lots and lots to learn on behalf of our students!
Do you think PPS believes that they have mastered all of the above?
You know, the data from these assessments might help here and there. But frankly, those that live within and around schools don't need any data like this.
Why? Explain why it doesn't matter whether or not kids can read for meaning, think, do math, distinguish fact from opinion, evaluate cause and effect, identify problems and solutions, etc., etc. Why should they not know enough about the world they live in that they can contribute in positive and productive ways?
Schools are not there to babysit kids, nor to keep them under control; rather schools are places where kids can engage, create, produce, and be successful in encountering the "sweet spot" that Daniel Coyle writes about and that guides the way toward skills that are a lot more than "basic".
And if schools are not such a place for kids, WHY are they not?
In other communities not inflicted with the Broad/Gates virus, school districts are using the already available Pennsylvania Department of Education reports to convey their results to the public.
This has the advantage of comparability to others and over time.
10:58 nobody is claiming the data is not critical and those most affected should be familiar enough to offer suggestions and have an opinion. It is the publicizing of it that you gotta question. How much will publicizing it cost and who is the anticipated audience?
PPS has consistently NOT been involved in anything related to Allegheny Intermediate Unit. Many trainings, networking, dissemination of info that the AIU has done voer the years is totally ignored by PPS. Sometimes EVERY school district in the county was represente4d except PPS. This propagates the myth that somehow urban students learn differently. When PPS teachers did attend these events, workshops etc.-- using personal days and often as presenters, they contributed and learned from the events. Many of our teachers received state and even national recognition in their fields-- but are basically ignored by PPS--innovation and creativity are not prized here.
SAS Institute is something that PPS canNOT ignore as a public school district in Pennsylvania.
Under law, PA legislates for NCLB or any other USDOE mandate that may modify or replace it.
The PA assessment protocols are mandated for all 500 school districts.
Given that PPS is among the ten lowest districts in the state, they are penalizing our city students in serious ways by absenting themselves from the analyses, questions, strategies, and general interactions with PDE and the 400+ districts that are MORE successful than PPS.
Preparing our young people for successful futures is doable and entirely within our grasp; but,it will require the kind of learning environment where the "spirit" of the new Common Core State Standards can flourish. We know enough to do that given the freedom and autonomy that is currently absent, obfuscated or flatly denied in PPS.
Publicizing is part of the plan to increase transparency. You hear that these actions are in response to what "you" want. Who really is the "You"? Is it the people who go to EFA and have a lot to say? Probably. Is it the people who attend PTO and PSCC meetings? Maybe. At the schools where there is great particpation, definitely yes, but in buildings where the level of participation is low to moderate, sharing the results is of much lower priority. Most would rather hear about the approach to improve results the next time around. Most parents don't have degrees in education and the time it takes to fully inform is not always time well spent. Let's face it, years ago parents started talking to admin at public meetings about "bad" teachers and the PSSA provided a yardstick to give teachers grades is when the gigantic evaluation system plan was hatched. It seems possible that if the previous system was managed and applied better throughout the years we could have avoided all the strife we live with now. Were there inadequate teachers? Hell yes. Could they have been brought up to proficiency and beyond with tools in place before EET? In many cases yes.
PPS is allowed to govern and spend with zero accountability. Lellock is the most recent un-effing-believable example. That was as serious as Sandyusky..yet shhh. Sad thing is African American poor children are not newsworthy. News organizations don't care, PPS doesn't care, who does? It is ok for a security guard to "wrestle" a 11yr old boy stripped down to underwear in a closet in the middle of a school day. Then get a promotion a few years, (and children) later.
Pittsburgh's powerful people don't dare speak up either. Not their problem. I don't want to live here anymore.
PPS is being run into the ground and nobody with any real power cares. They just send their kids to private school if they can't move to a suburb due to residency requirements.
December 10, 2:21, I agree with almost all of what you wrote in theory, but you don't go far enough. Media has changed in the last 20 years and where you, as a news reporter, would never simply read a press release and call it news, this is the new thinking in the newsroom. News is more PR than anything else. You're right about the Lellock accusations and the hope lies within DA Zappala's investigation, one which has already touched upon "larger problems" and a cover up. Refer to the threads here that came out about the time of that story. Just how many incidents like Lellock's are there, anyway? How can anyone involved in such behavior be allowed to work for PPS, whether as a top administrator or as a teacher or security officer??? Roosevelt's corproate playbook is clear: everything fades away. News stories fade away. Parent dissent fades away. (Remember the Schenley closure?) Keep pumping positive news items as the bad news fades away...and people will forget. And the media simply doesn't care.
Sad as it is to say---Roosevelt has been proven right time and again in this city.
18 comments:
So how would the publicized data differ from what A Plus puts out?
On Wednesday at the SAS Institute in Harrisburg, the PA Department of Education presented a brand new format for roll out and public access to Pennsylvania Academic Achievement DATA ie.,Keystone, PSSA, COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS.
It is the PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PROFILE which will be available online in April, 2013.
The AIU staff will be trained on this new format and then the AIU will train people from districts here.
PPS top central office appear to be in attendance at the four days of PDE SAS Institute (Dec. 2-5, 2012) as did Superintendents, Principals and Lead Teachers from over 400 districts across the state.
A tremendous amount of information was shared regarding all of PDE's Standards Aligned Systems and RESOURCES, all of it invaluable to academic success in PA school districts!
Hopefully, this information will soon be shared with PPS staff, parents, and community.
Sorry, 12:51 should read "PPS top central office appeared NOT to be in attendance at the four days . . ."
Well Questioner, we were always told A+ gets their data straight from the district so there should be a match, right? Why is any publicizing needed anyway. Recently there was a comment taht contained severl links to data from the state sites. Will there be a team working on prepping the publication? Really the only time you see much attendance at meetings where such data would be needed for analysis is at PSCC meetings and after elementary grades and maybe K-8 the attendance becomes dismal. Many would think spending this way is ill-advised.
I was at the SAS Institute and did not see any officials from PPS.
The new PA School Performance Profiles will provide an abundance of Academic Achievement DATA all in one place. It will no longer be necessary to go to several PDE websites to gather the "official" DATA. (ANYONE interested will be able to go to one source for all PA DATA.)
What A+ and PPS currently provide is extrapolated, adjusted, and re-formatted to suit multiple purposes.
In April, anyone will be able to go to the PDE site and get what the need in true original form.
Yes, 3:58 several others who attended all four days also claim NOT to have seen any PPS officials.
Does anyone know why PPS would not attend such an important Institute for all schools in PA who are interested in improving student achievement, AYP and status for schools below 475 out of 500?
Just what could the reason be for NOT attending such a critical conference?
The SAS Institute provided the following workshop/presentations:
"LEADERSHIP IN TIMES OF REFORM"
-The Psychology of Achievement,
-SAS Overview
-Educator Effectiveness,
-Leading Principals to Higher Levels
of Effectiveness,
-PA Common Core: SAS Resources,
-CC Curriculum Frameworks,
-Effective Use of Classroom
Diagnostic Tools (CDTs),
-Keystone Exams & Project-Based
Assessments,
-PVAAS Teacher Reporting
-Introducing Student Interpersonal
Skills and Standards,
-SAS in Daily Practice,
-Hidden Treasure: PA Common Core
and the Library Program,
-ELL and Common Core,
-SAS -Logging On and Linking In for
Early Childhood,
-Best Practices and Town Hall
Meeting
Etc. Lots and lots to learn on behalf of our students!
Do you think PPS believes that they have mastered all of the above?
Why publicize the data? Is it awesomely good?
You know, the data from these assessments might help here and there. But frankly, those that live within and around schools don't need any data like this.
Navel gazing....
Why? Explain why it doesn't matter whether or not kids can read for meaning, think, do math, distinguish fact from opinion, evaluate cause and effect, identify problems and solutions, etc., etc.
Why should they not know enough about the world they live in that they can contribute in positive and productive ways?
Schools are not there to babysit kids, nor to keep them under control; rather schools are places where kids can engage, create, produce, and be successful in encountering the "sweet spot" that Daniel Coyle writes about and that guides the way toward skills that are a lot more than "basic".
And if schools are not such a place for kids, WHY are they not?
In other communities not inflicted with the Broad/Gates virus, school districts are using the already available Pennsylvania Department of Education reports to convey their results to the public.
This has the advantage of comparability to others and over time.
10:58 nobody is claiming the data is not critical and those most affected should be familiar enough to offer suggestions and have an opinion. It is the publicizing of it that you gotta question. How much will publicizing it cost and who is the anticipated audience?
PPS has consistently NOT been involved in anything related to Allegheny Intermediate Unit. Many trainings, networking, dissemination of info that the AIU has done voer the years is totally ignored by PPS. Sometimes EVERY school district in the county was represente4d except PPS. This propagates the myth that somehow urban students learn differently. When PPS teachers did attend these events, workshops etc.-- using personal days and often as presenters, they contributed and learned from the events. Many of our teachers received state and even national recognition in their fields-- but are basically ignored by PPS--innovation and creativity are not prized here.
SAS Institute is something that PPS canNOT ignore as a public school district in Pennsylvania.
Under law, PA legislates for NCLB or any other USDOE mandate that may modify or replace it.
The PA assessment protocols are mandated for all 500 school districts.
Given that PPS is among the ten lowest districts in the state, they are penalizing our city students in serious ways by absenting themselves from the analyses, questions, strategies, and general interactions with PDE and the 400+ districts that are MORE successful than PPS.
Preparing our young people for successful futures is doable and entirely within our grasp; but,it will require the kind of learning environment where the "spirit" of the new Common Core State Standards can flourish. We know enough to do that given the freedom and autonomy that is currently absent, obfuscated or flatly denied in PPS.
Publicizing is part of the plan to increase transparency. You hear that these actions are in response to what "you" want. Who really is the "You"? Is it the people who go to EFA and have a lot to say? Probably. Is it the people who attend PTO and PSCC meetings? Maybe. At the schools where there is great particpation, definitely yes, but in buildings where the level of participation is low to moderate, sharing the results is of much lower priority. Most would rather hear about the approach to improve results the next time around. Most parents don't have degrees in education and the time it takes to fully inform is not always time well spent.
Let's face it, years ago parents started talking to admin at public meetings about "bad" teachers and the PSSA provided a yardstick to give teachers grades is when the gigantic evaluation system plan was hatched. It seems possible that if the previous system was managed and applied better throughout the years we could have avoided all the strife we live with now. Were there inadequate teachers? Hell yes. Could they have been brought up to proficiency and beyond with tools in place before EET? In many cases yes.
PPS is allowed to govern and spend with zero accountability. Lellock is the most recent un-effing-believable example. That was as serious as Sandyusky..yet shhh. Sad thing is African American poor children are not newsworthy. News organizations don't care, PPS doesn't care, who does? It is ok for a security guard to "wrestle" a 11yr old boy stripped down to underwear in a closet in the middle of a school day. Then get a promotion a few years, (and children) later.
Pittsburgh's powerful people don't dare speak up either. Not their problem. I don't want to live here anymore.
PPS is being run into the ground and nobody with any real power cares. They just send their kids to private school if they can't move to a suburb due to residency requirements.
December 10, 2:21, I agree with almost all of what you wrote in theory, but you don't go far enough. Media has changed in the last 20 years and where you, as a news reporter, would never simply read a press release and call it news, this is the new thinking in the newsroom. News is more PR than anything else.
You're right about the Lellock accusations and the hope lies within DA Zappala's investigation, one which has already touched upon "larger problems" and a cover up. Refer to the threads here that came out about the time of that story. Just how many incidents like Lellock's are there, anyway?
How can anyone involved in such behavior be allowed to work for PPS, whether as a top administrator or as a teacher or security officer???
Roosevelt's corproate playbook is clear:
everything fades away.
News stories fade away.
Parent dissent fades away. (Remember the Schenley closure?)
Keep pumping positive news items as the bad news fades away...and people will forget.
And the media simply doesn't care.
Sad as it is to say---Roosevelt has been proven right time and again in this city.
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