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Schools

District 63 Finds Good News In ISAT Scores

Most students do well even if schools do not meet No Child Left Behind benchmarks.

Two schools in East Maine Elementary District 63 made “adequate yearly progress” under the federal No Child Left Behind law, but five did not, which means the district is counted as not having achieved adequate yearly progress, according to Charlene Cobb, the executive director of teaching and learning for the district.

But, she told school board members at their Sept. 7 meeting, that’s more a reflection on the law than on the schools. No Child Left Behind was passed in 2001 and required schools and school districts to be evaluated on adequate yearly progress starting in 2003. But at that time, to qualify as making adequate yearly progress, only 40 percent of a school’s students – and 40 percent of students in certain subgroups – had to meet or exceed state standards on statewide tests. That percentage has ratcheted up over the years until now, eight years later, 85 percent of all students in a school and in each sub-group must meet or exceed state standards to make “adequate yearly progress,” Cobb said.

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“We were doing well until about 2010, when it jumped from 70 percent to 77.5 percent,” she said.

Law jumps to unworkable standard

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What’s more, by 2014, the law would require 100 percent of students to meet or exceed state standards, Cobb said. That includes students who do not yet speak English – but are tested in English – and students in special education.

“When this came into effect, I remember thinking that by 2014, they are going to realize this can’t occur,” Cobb said. “That hasn’t happened yet.”

What has happened is that the federal government is allowing states to apply for waivers from the law, but any such waivers would not take effect until next year, Cobb said.

ISAT scores show progress

The district’s scores on the ISAT, the state test used to evaluate schools, show many successes, Cobb said. The subgroups of students who have limited English proficiency at each school made adequate yearly progress, and Gemini Junior High and Melzer School made all of their targets, Cobb said. Students in special education made adequate yearly progress at all schools in reading and at six of seven schools in math. Low income students made adequate yearly progress at six out of the seven schools in reading and math, and Hispanic and Asian students made adequate yearly progress in reading in six schools and in math in all seven schools, Cobb said.

There are concerns, Cobb said, including that the subgroups such as low-income or limited-English-proficient students are making adequate yearly progress under a “safe harbor” provision that allows them to meet lower standards. However, those lower standards are not used when a school’s entire student body – including the subgroups – is evaluated.

It’s also a matter of some concern that the district’s scores are relatively flat, with only slight improvements in some areas, she said.

Parents don't understand how law is structured

If a school fails to meet yearly goals for two years in a row, students at those schools must be given the option of transferring to higher-performing local schools if space is available, receiving free tutoring or attending after-school programs. Even worse might be the damage to school morale when schools are branded as “failing,” Cobb said.

“Our teachers work very hard and they are wonderful, and it’s disturbing when we get phone calls saying we don’t want our children in a failing school,” she said.

Much of the problem is due to a lack of understanding, school board member Walter Gluzkin said.

“Most parents have no idea how this is designed,” he said. “And they hear the word ‘fail.’”

'Growth model' may be better way to assess schools

Illinois seems to be moving towards a “growth model” of evaluating progress, comparing how each class does from one year to the next. Cobb said the tests show that as students spend more time in District 63 schools, they do better on the tests, which should bode well for the district.

The district also hopes to improve its scores by focusing on students who are “on the bubble,” poised to either move up or down, making sure teachers are being faithful to the literacy framework, making sure that special education students are included in regular education classes as much as possible and working with teachers in their classrooms to make sure they are using best practices, Cobb said.

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