Transition index details

Last month, I posted the press release announcing a transition index project that will be shared by the Council for Better Education, the Kentucky Association of School Councils, and the Prichard Committee. I'm pleased to be part of the hands-on work of that project, and we're now ready to share some detail on how we'll calculate and share the index numbers.

Student scores
For 2009, 2010, and 2011 students will continue to be tested in reading, mathematics, science, social studies and on-demand writing. Their work will be identified as novice, apprentice, proficient, or distinguished, and novice and apprentice will each have three different sublevels. That part will be like the 2007 and 2008 assessments.

However, the Department of Education will not combine those scores into index results that sum up a school's performance in each subject and then combine the subjects in a single number that summarizes the school's overall progress.

That's where the transition index work will come in, giving schools, parents, and the public those snapshots of our movement toward proficiency for all students.

School subject scores
To produce an index for each subject, we will use the formula KDE used in years past. That formula produces numbers on a 0-140 scale, based on giving full credit for proficient performance, extra credit for distinguished work, and partial credit for novice and apprentice work. For number lovers, I'll list the weights at the bottom of this post.

Transition index results
The old Academic Index formula will be adjusted so that results are still on a 0-140 scale even though three past tests are no longer used. The elementary school formula gives reading and math the most weight, while the high school version treats those two as equal to science and social studies. Again, the specifics are at the end.

Year-to-year comparisons and 2014 projections
We'll calculate the transition index results for 2007 and 2008 as well as 2009, to allow sound comparisons over time.

To give a sense of who is on track for overall proficiency, we'll look at how much each school's transition index has changed since 2007, and estimate the school's 2014 index if that rate of growth continued for five more years.

Disaggregated results
For separate groups of students, KDE does not publish results for the three different novice levels and the three apprentice levels. We'll do the subject index calculations treating all novices as medium novices and all apprentices as medium apprentices, and then do a transition index using the same formula as for all students.

District results
We'll use the same formulas and share the same projections for each school district, with separate numbers for the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

The reports
From KASC's website, you'll be able to download lists showing all schools, with their 2007 through 2009 results and their 2014 projections, plus separate files showing the disaggregated information. We'll handle district data the same way, and add a summary report describing statewide trends. Once KDE lifts the embargo, we'll complete our work as quickly as possible, and we expect to share everything within two weeks.

Questions?
Please feel free to use the comments section below if you want more details, or e-mail kasc@kasc.net or call KASC at (859) 238-2188.

Those details I promised above
To calculate an index for a single subject, we'll take the percent of students performing at each level, multiply it by the matching weight below, and add up the results:

To combine all the subjects in an overall index, we'll multiply the index for each subject by a weight and add up those results. Those weights, rounded to three decimal places, will be:

New transition index results show school improvement occurring too slowly

Here's today's press release on transition index results for 2010:

Kentucky schools are improving too slowly, according to an analysis of state test scores released today by three statewide groups.

The analysis, presented in a Transition Index Report, was developed by the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, the Kentucky Association of School Councils and Council for Better Education to monitor school performance during the three years that Kentucky is moving from the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System to a system based on new state standards and testing. The new system was mandated in legislation (Senate Bill 1) enacted by the 2009 General Assembly.

The Transition Index is based on a formula similar to the one used in past years by the Kentucky Department of Education to gauge school progress. The partner groups applied the formula to state test scores for 2010, which were released on September 23, along with those for 2007, 2008 and 2009. From the analysis, the groups conclude that:

• The strongest improvements over the last year came in elementary reading, mathematics and writing; middle school reading and writing; and high school writing.

• Disturbing declines were seen in elementary social studies, middle school science and high school reading.

Looking at combined results for all subjects, the analysis found:

• On a statewide basis, elementary schools are on track to get very close to the proficiency mark by 2014, but middle schools are moving too slowly and high schools much too slowly to deliver for all students on time.

• 60 percent of elementary schools have reached proficiency or are improving at a rate that would take them to that mark by 2014.

• 39 percent of middle schools have reached proficiency or would reach it by 2014 at the current pace of growth.

• Only 6 percent of high schools would reach proficiency by 2014 by continuing their current rate of improvement.

"An index provides the big picture on whether schools' strategies are working with kids," said Ronda Harmon, executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Councils. "We see this transition project as a way to help schools measure their progress until the new 2012 assessment begins." Harmon added that her organization views the Transition Index project as a voluntary way for educators, parents and others to "see the big picture" in results from the Kentucky Core Content Tests.

"Remember that, for the future, our state has made a commitment to higher standards," said Daviess County Superintendent Tom Shelton, president of the Council for Better Education. "If current improvement is too slow to reach existing standards, there is great concern about how we will do when the new college-ready standards come into play."

Cindy Heine, interim executive director of the Prichard Committee, said the point of the report is to let "everyone see the issues and work on moving achievement to higher levels." Heine echoed Shelton’s thought on Senate Bill 1, adding, "For all students to be ready for college and workplace success, school improvement cannot wait for 2012. We all need to be working on quicker progress in 2010 as well as in future years."

Results for each school and district, as well as the state as a whole, are available at www.kasc.net. An additional report on achievement gap trends will be released by the same groups in early October.

Schools improving too slowly (transition index results)

If Kentucky education were continue to improve at the pace shown above:

• Elementary schools would reach 100 in 2015.
• Middle schools would get there in 2017.
• High schools would not arrive until 2052.

Let me explain that a bit. The transition index results shown above use a 0-140 scale that combines results from reading, mathematics, science, social studies, and writing. On that scale, 100 that signals that student performance in all subjects averages out at the proficient level. The graph shown above is part of new analysis released today by the Council for Better Education, the Kentucky Association of School Councils, and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, and available here.

The thing is, our children are entitled to schools that allow them to meet state standards. Since 1990, we have accepted that the constitutional mandate would not be met overnight. At first, we planned to get the job done by 2012, and then in 1999, the Kentucky Board of Education put off the deadline until 2014.

The data above and the rest of the Transition Index Report show that statewide, we are not on track to meet that 2014 target.

Of course, Senate Bill 1 removed the official 2014 timeline. Until we have new standards, new tests, and a new deadline to deliver for all students, though, 100 by 2014 is the closest thing we have to a benchmark of adequate progress. By that benchmark, we need to move faster in 2010 and 2011 than we did in 2008 and 2009.

From the official press release on the Transition Index Report:

"Remember that our state is getting ready to set even higher standards," Said Daviess County superintendent Tom Shelton, president of the Council for Better Education. "If current improvement is too slow to reach existing standards, there is great concern about how we will do when the new college-ready standards come into play."

Cindy Heine, associate executive director of the Prichard Committee, said the point of the report is to let "every one see the issues and work on moving achievement to higher levels." Heine echoed Shelton's thought on Senate Bill 1, adding, "For all students to be ready for college and workplace success, school improvement cannot wait for 2012. We all need to be working on quicker progress in 2009 as well as in future years."

(I was the lead number-cruncher on the Transition Index Report, work that definitely slowed down my blogging over the last week.)

2009 high-performance, high-poverty schools

At every level, Kentucky has schools that serve mainly students whose families have very low incomes and deliver student results in the top 25 percent statewide.  Key state leaders (here and here) reminded me that I couldn't immediately name our 2009 high-performance, high-poverty schools, so I spent yesterday evening on a hero-hunt.

I started with state counts of students eligible for the federal free lunch program.  Then, I lined up the lunch numbers with the schools' 2009 transition index results.  For each school, the transition index is an unofficial number that sums up all a school's results on the Kentucky Core Content tests, providing a single number on a 0 to 140 scale with a 100 being equivalent to the average student having reached proficiency in all five.  That allowed me to find schools in the top 25 percent for both free lunch participation and academic results.

I'm delighted to call these results to your attention and spotlight these schools as examples of places that achieve excellence against intensive odds.

2009 Elementary Schools
Results based on scores for grades 3-5 or, for K-6 schools, grades 3-6

• 115 index at Union Chapel Elementary (a Russell County school with 70% free lunch participation)
• 115 index at Duff Elementary (Floyd County, 73% free lunch)
• 113 at Kimper Elementary (Pike County, 73%)
• 112 at Ezel Elementary (Morgan, 73%)
• 110 at Rightfork Center (Bell, 75%)
• 109 at McDowell Elementary (Floyd, 78%)
• 109 at Bethel Elementary (Bath, 70%)
• 109 at Jones Fork Elementary (Knott, 72%)
• 108 at Tompkinsville Elementary (Monroe, 67%)
• 108 at Cuba Elementary (Graves, 67%)
• 107 at Meade Memorial Elementary (Johnson, 67%)
• 107 at Burnside Elementary (Pulaski, 72%)
• 106 at J M Stumbo Elementary (Floyd, 82%)
• 105 at Eubank Elementary (Pulaski, 70%)
• 105 at Boston Elementary (Whitley, 71%)
• 104 at L B J Elementary (Breathitt, 68%)
• 103 at Belmont Elementary (Christian, 68%)
• 102 at Rogers Elementary (Wolfe, 70%)
• 102 at Western Elementary (Ohio, 75%)

2009 Middle Schools
Results based on scores for grades 6-8

• 107 transition index at Big Creek Elementary (Perry County, 66% free lunch)
• 102 at Kimper Elementary (Pike, 73%)
• 100 at Willard Elementary (Perry, 75%)
• 99 at Robert W Combs Elementary (Perry, 75%)
• 98 at West Carter Middle (Carter, 61%)
• 98 at South Floyd Middle (Floyd, 74%)
• 97 at Harlan High (Harlan Independent, 65%)
• 95 at Wallins Elementary (Harlan County, 66%)

2009 High Schools
Results based on scores for grades 10-12

• 89 transition index at Harlan High (Harlan Independent, 65% free lunch)
• 88 at Frederick Fraize High (Cloverport Independent, 57%)
• 86 at Mayfield High (Mayfield Independent, 66%)
• 84 at Whitley Co. High (Whitley, 61%)
• 83 at Barbourville City, Barbourville Independent, 57%)
• 82 at Buckhorn High (Perry, 82%)
• 82 at East Ridge High (Pike, 58%)

Six other schools stood out for high results in multiple subjects: Blackberry, Foust,  Latonia, Lost Creek, Page, and South Heights. A chart showing results for all these schools in all subjects is available here.

Two added data notes:

First, this analysis is based strictly on free lunch participation.  I've included reduced-price lunch students in many earlier analyses, but this time I left them out because their families have slightly higher incomes and I wanted to look at the most intensive version of poverty.

Second, the lunch participation numbers are for the entire school, rather than  for the students who actually participated in in testing, and from October 2008 rather than the April-May 2009 testing period.  The Department of Education's disaggregated test data no longer provides numbers or percentages of tested students who are eligible for free and reduced lunches.

Transition results for KBE priority districts

Next week's Kentucky Board of Education agenda features "Reports from the Christian County, Covington Independent, Jefferson County and Union County school districts on progress toward improved achievement in low-performing schools." KBE's regular public checkups are designed to get those districts focused on effective school change in some situations that have been acutely troubled.

Using the transition index district results as a quick overview, here's a summary of the 2007 to 2009 changes in each district, from strongest to weakest. (Rankings of district improvement are based on 175 districts at the elementary and middle level, and 171 districts at the high school level.)

Union County can report a 17 point increase in the elementary index, plus 7 points on the middle index and 2 points on the high school index. That puts them second in elementary improvement, 36th in middle school improvement, and 77th on high school improvement over the two years. Since Union has spent the last year in a much-publicized effort to raise performance without state assistance, it's worth noting that looking at just their 2008 to 2009 change shows their district improvement as fifth strongest at the elementary level, seventh strongest at the middle level, and fourth strongest overall.

Christian County has raised elementary results 10 points and middle and high school results 7 points each. Those growth rates are the 9th fastest among elementaries, 39th fastest among middle schools, and 25th fastest for high schools.

Covington has raised their elementary index 11 points, middle index 4 points, and high school index 1 point. That's the fifth best elementary growth in the state, 69th for middle and 85th for high schools.

Jefferson County did not improve results. There, the elementary index is down 2 points, the middle index down 1 point, and the high school index effectively flat. Among districts statewide, that puts the district's pace of change at 142nd for elementaries, 152nd for middle schools, and 108th for high schools.

To my eye, Union's great and Christian's good: the added KBE scrutiny may soon come to an end. Covington's made an important start, but has enough work ahead to warrant continuing attention. Jefferson, meanwhile, warrants not only continuing oversight but growing concern.

Subject results during the transition

From 2007 to 2009, most elementary and middle schools improved their mathematics results, and all high schools improved their writing results.*

More than half of elementary schools also improved in science and writing, and more than half of middle schools improved in science and social studies.

However, less than half of schools improved in reading at any level, and less than half of schools improved in elementary science, middle school writing, and high school science, social studies, and writing.

The graph above comes from the Transition Index Report available here. For 2007, the report used official subject index results calculated by the Kentucky Department of Education. For 2009, the report used unofficial numbers calculated using the same formula KDE used for the other years. To see the five subjects combined in a single statewide transition index number, check out the post here or check out the full reporting on individual schools and districts here.

* Those who follow state testing closely may ask how the 2008 change in high school writing performance levels contributed to the high number of improving schools. The answer is: very little. In 2007, high school writing used five performance levels: novice-nonperformance, novice, apprentice, proficient, and distinguished). For 2008 and 2009, eight levels were used: low novice, medium novice, high novice, low apprentice, medium apprentice, high apprentice, proficient, and distinguished. That definitely gave schools a boost: they now get added credit for high novices and high apprentices, and that definitely increases their index results. However, even using the old formula, treating all 2009 apprentices as worth the same weight and all 2009 high and medium novices as novices, an index calculation would still show that out of 234 high schools, 233 improved their writing results. In the graph above, 233 of 234 would still be displayed as 100 percent.

Index results to be calculated by CBE, KASC, Prichard

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Date: April 28, 2009

SCHOOL, STATE EDUCATION PROGRESS WILL BE TRACKED
BY EDUCATION GROUPS DURING TESTING TRANSITION

DANVILLE, Ky. - School progress on state tests will be tracked by a partnership of education advocacy organizations during the next three years, while the state is suspending its accountability reports and developing a new testing system. The Council for Better Education, the Kentucky Association of School Councils, and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence will issue a report each fall on school, district, and state progress on students’ academic performance.

Kentucky is scheduled to start a new test in 2012, as required by this year’s Senate Bill 1. During the 2009 to 2011 transition period, the state Department of Education will release student scores but will not provide an “accountability index” combining all results in a single snapshot of progress being made.

To fill the gap, the three organizations plan to use test results and other information to calculate a “transition index” that closely resembles the academic data published by the state in past years.

“Our transition version will leave out the writing portfolio, arts, and practical living, because they’ve been dropped from statewide testing. But otherwise it will be similar to scoring the state department has used for years,” said Bob Sexton, the Prichard Committee’s executive director. “We think we can provide a valuable annual snapshot each year.”

Speaking for the school councils’ group, executive director Ronda Harmon, points out that “An index provides the big picture on whether schools’ strategies are working with kids. We see this transition project as a way to help schools measure their progress until the new 2012 assessment begins.”

Statewide results will also be reported. “We need steady data on whether progress in our statewide school system is strong enough, and whether we’re moving quickly enough toward proficiency for all students,” said Daviess County Superintendent Tom Shelton, president of the Council for Better Education.

The Council for Better Education represents 168 of Kentucky’s 174 school districts in efforts to ensure an efficient system of public schools. The Kentucky Association of School Councils is a membership organization supporting school councils, which are responsible for key school decisions about how to improve student achievement. The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is an independent, non-profit, citizens' advocacy organization working to improve education for all Kentuckians.

Transition index updates

Yes, transition index numbers for the whole state  will be available again this year, no later than:

• October 4 for overall school results.
• October 18 for results for disaggregated groups.

We'll start work as soon as the Department releases the data on the 23rd, and then we'll calculate, calculate, check, check, and recheck our results.  Then we'll announce their availability by e-mail, press release, and blog post, and KASC will share the full files for download at www.kasc.net.

This project is a joint effort of the Prichard Committee, the Council for Better Education, and the Kentucky Association of School Councils,  Our goal is to allow schools, districts, and the state to see the big picture trend for all subjects during Kentucky's 2009 to 2011 transitional testing system.

To see your local results more quickly, you can also enter numbers from your own school or district into this Excel calculator.  To get a single index for a whole district, do the calculation for all three levels, add up the results, and divide by three.

Background basics on this project are available here, more posts on the process and results here, and the results for past years here.

SB1 in a nutshell

Here's a one-page summary of the main provisions of Senate Bill 1, Kentucky's new legislation calling for major changes in Kentucky standards, testing, accountability, teacher preparation, and professional development.

To go with it, here's a roundup of my posts about SB 1 since the bill was voted out of the legislature:

• SB 1 interim testing provisions (March 14)
• Arts, practical, writing programs under SB 1 (March 14)
• 38 months to new student tests (March 15)
• SB 1 accountability under the new test (March 16)
• SB 1 transition accountability (before 2012) (March 17)
• Great questions: SISI, NAPD, parents, low-performing schools (March 18)
• SB 1 in a nutshell (March 19)
• Viewpoint: the ten best things about Senate Bill 1 (March 20)
• Viewpoint: SB 1 is a step forward (April 7, 2009)
• The Chamber's take on SB 1 (April 13)
• Shared standards: SB 1 meets stimulus funding (April 17)
• Viewpoint: SB 1 and raising standards (April 26)
• Senate Bill 1 timetable reminder (April 27)
• Index results to be calculated by CBE, KASC, and Prichard (April 28)
• Transition testing (again) (May 4)
• Arts, practical, portfolio transition (May 4)
• Raising state standards (with other states) (May 6)
• Raising standards (state schedule) (May 6)
• Program reviews: the design schedule (May 7)
• Program reviews: the arts pilot version (May 7)
• Program review: pilot standards (May 7)
• SB 1 and CPE discussion (May 18)
• Transition index details (May 28)
• Raising standards (with 46 states) (June 2)
• Viewpoint: The genius of common standards (June 3)

SB 1 transition accountability (before 2012)

Senate Bill 1 calls for transition testing until the new assessment can begin in 2011-12, which invites questions about how schools will be accountable during the transition.

There will be no overall CATS accountability. The Accountability Index (summing up results for all students in all subjects) will not be calculated for 2009, 2010, or 2011, so there will be no way to apply consequences like those used under CATS. For readers still searching for portfolio information, not using the Index eliminates portfolio accountability, plus SB 1 says explicitly that it cannot count.

NCLB accountability will apply in reading and math, using the percent of students who score proficient. Graduation rates will still be the NCLB "other academic indicator" for high schools. For elementary and middle schools, the 2008 Accountability Index will be the other indicator for 2009, and then Kentucky will need federal approval to use other data for that role.

SB 168 accountability for achievement gaps in core content subjects may require some adjusting. Targets based on 2008 data may have to be tweaked to remove arts, practical, and writing portfolio results. Targets based on 2010 may have to be set carefully, because only 2011 scores will be similar enough compare. Those targets are set locally, not by the state, and until 2012, they will still be set for two years at a time.

A one-page PDF, with further details, is here.

Index results for students with disabilities: growth is happening

Students with disabilities are making more rapid progress than other student groups, though not at the pace needed to reach proficiency by 2014. That result is visible in the newest "transition index" analysis released by the Council for Better Education, the Kentucky Association of School Councils, and the Prichard Committee.

The graphs below show results for students with disabilities over the last three years, with a projection of results out to 2014 and comparison results for all students.  An index of 100 is equivalent to the average student being proficient in reading, mathematics, science, social studies, and writing.

The central, easy-to-spot, point is that these students are far behind their peers.  A second point, though, should not be missed: results for students with disabilities are improving faster than results for all students.  For all the justified frustration this data will provoke, do notice that the results are changing.  To me, that suggests that the efforts of educators and parents matter and that steady accountability from the state and federal level matter, too.

Results for other student groups were released last fall, but a data glitch delayed the analysis for the disability group until this week. The full statewide report and school and district results are here.

Achievement gaps remain severe:

From Monday's press release, with graphs to follow in upcoming posts:

Achievement gaps continue to impair Kentucky’s overall education progress, according to an analysis of state test scores released today by three statewide groups. Kentucky schools are falling especially short with students with disabilities, limited English proficiency, and African-American backgrounds. Low-income and Hispanic students also scored well below their peers.

The analysis, presented in a "Disaggregated Index Report," was developed by the Council for Better Education, the Kentucky Association of School Councils and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence to monitor school performance while Kentucky made a three-year shift from the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System to the Unbridled Learning system based on new state standards and assessments. 2011 is the last year of that transition, and the last year the three groups will issue this type of report.

The Disaggregated Index is based on a formula similar to the one used in past years by the Kentucky Department of Education to compare student results based on race, income, and other factors. The partner groups applied the formula to state test scores results, and found that:

• Of all groups studied, only Asian elementary and middle school students and gifted students at all levels have reached a score of 100, equivalent to the average student being proficient in all tested subjects under the state’s old standards
• No other student groups are on track to reach 100 by 2014
• Students of both sexes and all ethnic backgrounds are improving, but improving too slowly
• Students with limited English proficiency had flat or declining results at all levels
• On the 0-140 scale used in the analysis, gaps of 10 points or more separate African-American students, students with disabilities, migrant students, and students with limited English proficiency from their classmates at every level.

"The goal is to deliver proficiency for each and every child," said Ronda Harmon, executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Councils. "These disaggregated index results allow schools to evaluate strengths and tackle weaknesses now, before the new assessment scores arrive."

"The gaps remain painful and too many of those gaps are growing wider, reminding us that we still have major work ahead to provide an equal quality of education for all Kentucky’s children,” said Fayette County Superintendent Tom Shelton, president of the Council for Better Education. "Plus, to be competitive in the global economy, we need every single student to be learning at very high levels aiming to meet Kentucky’s new goals for college and career readiness."

Stu Silberman, executive director of the Prichard Committee, saw the report as “a call to action for all Kentucky adults on behalf of all our children.” Silberman added that the point of the report was to see the trends clearly and encourage all stakeholders to keep attention on raising performance during the testing transition.

The full report is available at www.kasc.net, along with results for each school and district in Kentucky and an earlier report on overall results and subject-level trends released by the same groups in September.  

What's this blog about, anyway? (May edition)

Here's a round-up of the main issues that got Prichard Blog attention this month.

Transition accountability
While Kentucky develops new standards and tests, students will continue to be assessed in reading, mathematics, science, social studies and on-demand writing, and a voluntary transition index partnership will report on school, district, and state progress toward proficiency.

New state standards
Senate Bill 1 commits Kentucky to higher, clearer academic content standards aligned with college readiness expectations. We'll do that in collaboration with other states on a tight schedule, with major postsecondary involvement. Meanwhile, postsecondary is preparing to consider even more changes to its ACT readiness requirements.

New accountability for arts, practical living and writingFor those subjects, SB 1 will replace tests with state standards, with districts checking each year and the state checking every other year that each school's programs measure up. The methods and standards used in a pilot version of the review were impressive, and should be the model for planned work on the statewide process for future use. All three subjects will continue to be required parts of P-12 education.

The educational attainment pipeline
Good news: High school diplomas are up, both in recent state data and in federal survey results, and so are college applications.

Not so good news: Students who repeat grade nine rarely graduate. Minority students are especially likely to drop out, and the drop out counts miss thousands of students who simply slip. Completion of associates's degrees declined from 2006 to 2007, and bachelor's completion showed only a tiny step up.

Some things I simply didn't know: nearly 4,000 young adults with disabilities, aged 18 to 21, are served by Kentucky P-12 programs with federal IDEA resources, and students who transfer from community colleges to universities graduate more often than those who start out in bachelor's programs.

Loans to math, science, and special education teachers
The Best in Class program promised to forgive their loans, but is not delivering, and the issue is getting Kentucky a grim kind of national attention. Check out the full sequence of posts on this issue, including the sad but important comments from many participating teachers.

Funding ups and downs, mostly downs
While some districts have been able to avoid major cuts, many are reducing staff in anticipation of declining local revenue and possible state funding cuts, with summaries here and here. Higher education has cut a number of expenses and is concerned about how enrollment will go this fall. State revenue is down, and federal stimulus funds may be limited help in offsetting that.

Instructional ins and outs
The Brown anniversary underlined the centrality of public education for all, allowing reflection on why good instruction is so important and how Fayette County has (and has not) moved forward on some key concerns.

On reading skills, a great video explained why content knowledge is essential, but a regional report offered problematic advice.

On professional learning communities, the Black Box study and Archimedes offered new leverage, and a running list will provide quick access to all the posts.

And on other issues, posts roamed through preschool strengths, math weaknesses, special education placements, higher education attitudes, and a great poster project linking arts and science.

Achievement gaps remain severe

Here's the full press release on the Disaggregated Index Report released this morning:

Achievement gaps continue to impair Kentucky’s overall education progress, according to an analysis of state test scores released today by three statewide groups. Kentucky schools are falling especially short with African-American students and students with limited English proficiency, with low-income and Hispanic students also scoring below their peers.

The analysis, presented in a "Disaggregated Index Report," was developed by the Council for Better Education, the Kentucky Association of School Councils and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence to monitor school performance during the three years that Kentucky is moving from the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System to a system based on new state standards and testing. The new system was mandated in legislation (Senate Bill 1) enacted by the 2009 General Assembly.

The Disaggregated Index is based on a formula similar to the one used in past years by the Kentucky Department of Education to compare student results based on race, income, gender, and other factors. The partner groups applied the formula to state test scores results, and found that:

• Of all groups studied, only gifted students have reached proficiency at all three levels: elementary, middle, and high school.
• Asian students have reached proficiency at the elementary and middle school levels.
• African-American, Hispanic, low-income, migrant and limited English students showed improvement at all levels, but the rate of improvement since 2007 has been too slow to put them on track for proficiency by 2014.
• White students at the elementary level are on track to reach proficiency by 2014. At the middle school level, white students scores are improving too slowly, and in high school, white scores have not increased over the 2007 level.
• On the 0-140 scale used in the analysis, gaps of 15 points or more separate African-American students and students with limited English proficiency from their classmates at every level.

"The goal is to deliver proficiency for each and every child," said Ronda Harmon, executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Councils. "These disaggregated index results allow schools to evaluate their strengths and tackle their weaknesses until the 2012 assessment begins."

"The gaps remain painful, reminding us that we still have major work ahead to provide an equal quality of education for all Kentucky’s children,” said Daviess County Superintendent Tom Shelton, president of the Council for Better Education. "Plus, to be competitive in the global economy, we need every single student to be learning at very high levels, preparing for when the new college-ready standards come into play."

Cindy Heine, associate executive director of the Prichard Committee, saw the report as “a call to action for all Kentucky adults on behalf of all our children.” Heine added that the point of the report was to see the trends clearly and encourage all stakeholders to keep attention on raising performance during the testing transition.

The full report is available at www.kasc.net, along with results for each school and district in Kentucky and an earlier report on overall results and subject-level trends released by the same groups in September. Results for students with disabilities will be released later this fall.

Disaggregated index results: mostly forward, nearly all too slow

Here's today's press release:

Achievement gaps continue to impair Kentucky’s overall education progress, according to an analysis of state test scores released today by three statewide groups. Kentucky schools are falling especially short with students with disabilities, limited English proficiency, and African-American backgrounds. Low-income and Hispanic students also scored well below their peers.

The analysis, presented in a "Disaggregated Index Report," was developed by the Council for Better Education, the Kentucky Association of School Councils and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence to monitor school performance during the three years that Kentucky is moving from the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System to a system based on new state standards and testing. The new system was mandated in legislation (Senate Bill 1) enacted by the 2009 General Assembly.

The Disaggregated Index is based on a formula similar to the one used in past years by the Kentucky Department of Education to compare student results based on race, income, and other factors. The partner groups applied the formula to state test scores results, and found that:

• Of all groups studied, only Asian elementary students and gifted students at all levels have reached proficiency.

• White elementary students are the only other group on track to reach proficiency by 2014. White results are improving too slowly in middle and high school.

• Hispanic students, low-income students, and students with disabilities showed improvement at all levels, but at rates too slow to reach proficiency by 2014.

• African-American student results are flat for middle and high school, with a small improvement at the elementary level.

• Asian student results, though high, declined at all three levels.

• Students with limited English proficiency had declining results in middle and high school levels, with slow elementary improvement.

• On the 0-140 scale used in the analysis, gaps of 17 points or more separate African-American students, students with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiency from their classmates at every level.

"The goal is to deliver proficiency for each and every child," said Ronda Harmon, executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Councils. "These disaggregated index results allow schools to evaluate strengths and tackle weaknesses until the 2012 assessment begins."

"The gaps remain painful and include some worrisome declines, reminding us that we still have major work ahead to provide an equal quality of education for all Kentucky’s children,” said Daviess County Superintendent Tom Shelton, president of the Council for Better Education. "Plus, to be competitive in the global economy, we need every single student to be learning at very high levels, preparing for when the new college-ready standards come into play."

Cindy Heine, interim executive director of the Prichard Committee, saw the report as “a call to action for all Kentucky adults on behalf of all our children.” Heine added that the point of the report was to see the trends clearly and encourage all stakeholders to keep attention on raising performance during the testing transition.

The full report on statewide data, and the file of district and school results are available for download from the KASC website.

What's this blog about, anyway? (April edition)

Here's a summary of the issues I've seen as most important in this month's blogging, with the top three stories first and the others clustered around instruction, results, and funding.

1. Senate Bill 1 gives us a chance to raise standards, with a helpful option of collaborating with other states and using stimulus funds to develop short, clear statements that will strengthen classroom work. I'm looking forward to learning about the planned process and timetable for that work (posts here, here, here, here, and here).

2. The SB 1 transition period will not have statewide accountability for all subjects, but three state education groups will offer a transition index, and press reports show multiple district discussions about continuing progress in all subjects (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).

3. The Best in Class loan program gave student teachers good reason to expect their loans would be repaid, and not keeping that promise is wrong (here,here, here, here, here, and here, with comments to break your heart).

4. Reading combines decoding, vocabulary and knowledge of background content: if we drop science, history, literature, and art from early elementary education we can expect students to struggle with middle school textbooks (here, here, here, here, here, here and here).

5. Professional learning communities focused on collaboration to move each student forward may require a major change in school culture, but they promise a major step up in student performance (here, here, and here).

6. NAEP results show that our science gaps are disturbing even though we're ahead of national average, and a new approach to writing is needed for Kentucky to catch up to the nation (here, here, here, and here).

7. The ninth grade bulge makes it harder to calculate graduation rates. If the original ESS summer school vision were still in place, I think that bulge would be much smaller. (here, here, here, here, and here).

8. Kentucky postsecondary degrees have increased and so has the share of degrees given in science, technology, engineering and math (here and here).

9. Postsecondary enrollment declined faster here than in any other state (here).

10. P-12 funding in Kentucky is more equitable than most states but still behind national average (here, here, here, and here).

11. Postsecondary funding in Kentucky is above national average, and it's puzzling that there is so little discussion of why costs keep rising so much faster than inflation (here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).

12. The recession means fiscal worries for many districts and program cuts at the School for the Blind. Federal stabilization money may go to fill holes rather than to add new strength to education (here, here, here, and here).

Local commitments on Core Content results

Here's a first round up of reported district plans for transition accountability work.

Fayette County will calculate an Accountability Index and let the public see how close schools get to the statewide goal of 100 by 2014. In his electronic newsletter, Superintendent Stu Silberman writes that:

For the next two years the state will not calculate an accountability index for schools, but will provide us with the tools we need as a district to do these calculations for ourselves. We feel it is important that we do this for two reasons – to maintain our accountability to our families and community and to be able to measure the progress we are making with our kids. The work and commitment to helping kids learn at high levels is incredible right now in our district and it is important that we celebrate the results when they come back.

Bullitt, McCracken, and Oldham will use this year’s optional Core Content Tests in arts & humanities and practical/vocational. The CJ quotes Paul Upchurch, Oldham County school superintendent as saying: "we're coming at this from the standpoint that we have to maintain accountability in every classroom and for every child."

Those four, plus Campbellsville, Elizabethtown, and Jefferson County will score writing portfolios this spring.

Most reports do not say whether districts will calculate an Index following the Fayette model, but Jefferson County will not do so, according to Deputy Superintendent Marty Bell.

Please do let us know what you're hearing from your local schools on this issue!

The beginning of stable standards?

Today's Messenger-Inquirer editorial expresses concern about Kentucky's repeated decisions to replace standards and assessment:

For years, educators repeated that 2014 date over and over again as the time when Kentucky would really be able to see the rewards of its education reform efforts. Only something happened along the way.

Whether it was political maneuvering, the fact it became clear too many schools would not reach that goal, or more likely a little of both, Kentucky decided to scrap the CATS test -- and essentially say the 2014 "finish line" was merely an oasis, and the state needed a fresh start on holding schools accountable.

The legislature voted to devise a new test and a new accountability system, and it's this system that Holliday now wants to use as a replacement for federal adequate yearly progress requirements.

But how long until these "new" standards are thrown out as well? What happens when the political winds shift again, or if the results don't paint the type of picture education officials are expecting?

Parents, educators, business leaders and anyone else who cares about the quality of education needs to have an accountability system that they can trust to actually have some meaning. That doesn't mean that tests and standards can't be tweaked to reflect changes in core content or student demographics.

But it's time to determine what the standards will be, set goals with firm deadlines, and then continue on that path long enough to determine which schools are succeeding, which are broken, and what needs to be done to fix them. Otherwise, we're just left with a bunch of test scores, but no real accountability.

The concern about moving the goal posts is well taken--and a key reason why the Prichard Committee, the Council for Better Education, and the Kentucky Association of School Councils continue to offer Transition Index data that comes as close as possible to sustaining our old accountability system until the new one kicks in.

Still, the future may be better than the past on this issue, because our next system will have two new built-in reasons to stay focused and avoid frequent changes in direction.  First, there is lots of public support for the fact that our new literacy and mathematics standards will be consistent with those used  more than forty other states, making it hard to explain going back to a one-state approach.  Second, by 2015, we expect to share a testing system with many of those other jurisdictions, giving us results we can compare nationwide and lots of cost-savings into the bargain, and that too will be hard to give up.

Both factors will promote a stable system of goals and consequences, allowing the main debate to be about the best ways to ensure that all schools move steadily toward delivering for all students.

Fall Perspectives

The Prichard Committee's newest Perspectives newsletter is available now, featuring these headlines:

• KY Moving Toward Top 20 in Many Areas
• 'ReadyKentucky' Promotes Standards
• Words & Influence: Robert F. Sexton, 1942-2010
• Groups Publish Transition Index Data
• Gates Foundation Hears Prichard Lessons
• CIPL Institutes Enlist 57 to Start 13th Year
• Institutes In Other States Building Traditions
• Districts Launch Gates-Backed Literacy Work
• Two Prichard Members Named to State Board
• Heine Named Prichard's Interim Director
• TEK Task Force Gathers Input at Forums
• Business Leaders Joining Council Focused on Pre-K
• How to Donate to the Robert F. Sexton Legacy Fund

Teaching quality: action in Jefferson County

He visits classrooms daily and provided immediate feedback to teachers to improve their instruction.

“We focus on each and every child,” he said. “We believe we have to be flexible enough to meet the needs of our kids, not that they have to be flexible to meet the requirements of our programs.”

Hensley and his staff members have also emphasized raising expectations — inspiring all students to think of college not as something they might do, but something they will do.

Ask any of Atkinson's 500 students which year they will be going to college, and they'll tell you instantly. It's as ingrained as learning to count or reciting their ABCs.

That's Principal Dewey Hensley, explaining the three-year push to move Atkinson Elementary up to NCLB expectations to the Courier-Journal. You can practically tick off the McKinsey report advice on raising teaching quality:

• Strengthen every teacher with classroom-focused professional development and support.
• Make teacher collaboration a constant.
  
• Intervene quickly with any child who is struggling academically.
  
• Provide leadership intense enough to change the school culture.

Measured by the transition index, Atkinson's 17-point improvement over the last two years is the 13th fastest in the state. The school's scores are still lower than most other elementaries, but the thing they're doing at Atkinson are the right things to change that, too.