Test Scores Worse After ADE Takeover

Dr. Charity Smith gave a glowing, power-point, graph presentation to the State Board on Monday, October 13, about how scores had improved steadily statewide and how ADE’s intervention had improved scores in all academic distressed schools.  On a closer examination of her presentation on paper, her graphs of scores were extremely deceptive.  For example while the state increased from 31% to 67% on the number of students scoring Proficient on the  math benchmark exam since 1998, Altheimer School District’s scores decreased from 19% Proficient to 13% Proficient.  The ADE intervened at Altheimer in 1997.

First, Dr. Smith used  4^th grade benchmark scores only on her graphs.  That is the grade in which there was great improvement - 12% statewide  on the benchmark tests this last year. Altheimer improved,  but  only 5%.

Second,  for the state scores and for several of the schools Smith  included all years from 1998 through 2003.  However, on the graphs of scores for Altheimer School District and Elaine School District  which have been under the  control of the ADE since 1997 and under their total control this last year,  she included only the scores for the last three years.  In a quick power point presentation no one would notice this. 

In 1998 and in 2000 (two  of the years left off  Smith’s graphs) Altheimer School District  had 19% scoring Proficient in Math compared to 16% Proficient in Math in 2003 The state increased  from 31% to 67% on the number of students scoring Proficient on the  4^th grade math benchmark exam since 1998, but Altheimer’s scores decreased from 19% Proficient to 13% Proficient.   No wonder Dr. Smith left these years off her graphs. On the 6^th grade and 8^th grade math scores, not included on the graphs, there were ZERO students who scored Proficient at Altheimer in 8^th grade math or literacy and only 3% in 6^th Grade Math and in Literacy.

 In 1998 (one of the years  left off Smith’s graphs) Elaine School District had 33% of students scoring Proficient or above in 4^th grade math compared to 24% proficient in math in 2003.  While the state increased from 31% to 67% on the number of students scoring Proficient on the  4^th grade math benchmark exam from  1998 to 2003, Elaine’s scores decreased from 33% to 24%.   Again, no wonder Dr. Smith left these years off her graphs.  Further, in 2002, there were still ZERO students scoring proficient in math in 8^th grade at Elaine and 3% scoring Proficient in 6^th grade  (6^th & 8^th grades were not included on Smith’s graphs)  On the SAT-9 tests 10^th graders were scoring at 34% percentile and in 1997 & 32^nd percentile in 1996 at Elaine, but there has been a consistent decline to the 23^rd percentile in 2003.  None of the SAT-9 scores were included on the graphs on the power point presentation.

For some of  us teachers,  these results are  no surprise. It is typical of  government control.  How many examples like this will it take for the legislature to realize how devastating it will be when the  ADE  takes over half our  schools under the Omnibus bill? 

Debbie Pelley and Iris Stevens.