Draft Common Core standards released

Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by Heather.

The National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers released the draft K-12 Common Core standards this morning. NGA and CCSSO are asking for feedback, so those interested should have at it.

Education Week coverage here. Press release below:

DRAFT K-12 COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT

NGA Center, CCSSO Release First Official Public Draft

WASHINGTON-The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) today released the first official public draft of the K-12 standards as part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a process being led by governors and chief state school officers in 51 states, territories, and the District of Columbia.  These draft standards, developed together with teachers, school administrators and experts, seek to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce. 

The NGA Center and CCSSO have received feedback from national organizations representing, but not limited to teachers, postsecondary education (including community colleges), civil rights groups, English language learners, and students with disabilities  The NGA Center and CCSSO encourage those interested in the standards to provide further feedback by Friday, April 2, 2010, at www.corestandards.org.

“We are pleased to release the K-12 standards today and to begin reviewing comments from the public,” said Dane Linn, director of the NGA Center’s Education Division. “These standards build upon the goals articulated in the college- and career-readiness standards released last year and will ensure our students are prepared to compete and succeed in a global economy. We look forward to working with educators, leaders and state board members in the states as they consider adopting these standards that will guide their educational programs.”

“The feedback and comments states and our additional stakeholders have provided us are solidifying these standards into the better standards our students need,” stated Gene Wilhoit, executive director of CCSSO. “We will continue to work diligently and tirelessly to ensure these standards are where they need to be, and today we are asking the public to help us do just that.”

These standards define the knowledge and skills students should have within their K-12 education careers so that they will graduate high school able to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and in workforce training programs. The standards are:

• Aligned with college and work expectations;
• Clear, understandable and consistent;
• Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills;
• Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards;
• Informed by other top performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society; and
• Evidence- and research-based.

The standards are expected to be finalized in early Spring. For more information, visit www.corestandards.org.

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Tonight: Two events, one tough decision

Posted on 28. Oct, 2009 by Kelly.

You’ve got two choices tonight in Seattle to help shape the future of education in our state.

Option 1: K-12 Education Listening Tour

Wednesday, October 28, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Van Asselt Elementary Library
(at African American Academy)
8311 Beacon Ave. South, Seattle 98118 (MAP)

State Senators Rosemary McAuliffe and Eric Oemig would like to hear your personal stories about your child’s experience in Seattle Public Schools. They’d like to hear what’s working and what’s not.

Here are some questions to think about:

• What does your school need to improve academic achievement for kids?
• Is your child receiving the support he or she needs from teachers and school staff?
• Do you feel your child is receiving the education he or she needs to attend college or a job training program?

Option 2: Early Learning Town Hall Meeting

Wednesday, October 28th, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
The New School at South Shore in the library
4800 S. Henderson Street, Seattle (MAP)
Download the Event Flyer (PDF)

Bette Hyde, the Director of the Department of Early Learning, Nina Auerbach, CEO of Thrive by Five Washington and key staff from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction want to hear your personal stories about preschool, childcare and early learning in Washington State.

Here are some questions to think about:

• Is the cost of childcare going through the roof?
• Do you believe it’s time for preschool to be part of basic education?
• Do you think full-day kindergarten is key?

Let us know which event you plan to attend.   RSVP to info@educationvoters.org.

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You’re invited to an education town hall with Senate education leaders in Seattle

Posted on 26. Oct, 2009 by Kelly.

What’s your child’s experience with the quality of education at his or her school? What’s happened as a result of state budget cuts? What are your thoughts about the education reforms passed this year?

Parents and community members are invited to give feedback on these questions and much more at an Education Reform Town Hall with two key education policymakers, State Senators Rosemary McAuliffe and Eric Oemig. Your ideas and personal stories will help shape policy and legislation during the 2010 legislative session.

Education Reform Town Hall Meeting

Wednesday, October 28th from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Van Asselt Elementary Library
8311 Beacon Ave. South, Seattle 98118 (MAP)

If you can attend, please RSVP to Kelly at  info@educationvoters.org.

Why should you attend?

Senators McAuliffe and Oemig are members of the Quality Education Council, the workgroup that will build an education system that gets every child Ready for Life.

They want to hear your feedback on the vision to implement education reforms that will strengthen Washington’s public schools. These changes will better prepare our students for college, job training and the workforce.

Who should come?

Parents and community members who have a stake in the future of Washington’s public schools should attend this forum.

This is a great opportunity to talk to two of our state’s education leaders before they begin crafting education policy during the 2010 legislative session.

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WA & Math NAEP: 4th grade steady, 8th grade up

Posted on 14. Oct, 2009 by Heather.

The results of the 2009 Mathematics National Assessment of Educational Progress (fondly referred to as NAEP, or the nation’s report card) for grades 4 and 8 were released this morning. As a nation, 4th grade math scores are unchanged from 2007, and 8th grade scores are up slightly. Results in Washington follow that trend, and continue to be above the national average, although Washington is not the leader among the Global Challenge States.

What is less encouraging about our results is the difference in scores between Washington’s low-income and non-low-income students. While we may have smaller gaps than most of the other GCS, we fall into the middle or bottom of the national pack. Negative signs in the tables below indicate low-income students scored lower than their non-low-income peers.

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SBE to meet Sept. 17-18

Posted on 16. Sep, 2009 by Heather.

The State Board of Education is set to meet tomorrow and Friday at the Puget Sound ESD in Renton. Thursday the Board will be looking big picture education reform, CORE 24 implementation, and the Accountability Index. Friday looks to be largely about WASL scores and assessment system updates. The full agenda is available here.

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Growing Excellence

Posted on 02. Sep, 2009 by Maggie.

Saturday September 19^th the Seattle Alliance of Black School Educators (SABSE) will be hosting a conference at the John Stanford Center for Excellence. Topics will address how to close the achievement gap, with special focus on knowing your child’s performance, your child’s changing graduation requirements, how to prepare your student for college, and how to help measure your school and student’s results.

It will feature keynote speaker Erin Jones, as well as a discussion panel with LEV staff Chris Korsmo, Kelly Munn, Maggie Wilkens and others.

To register, visit the SABSE website or email Ina Howell at ighowell@seattleschools.org.

Hope you can attend!

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WASL update for Class of 2010 and 2011

Posted on 18. Aug, 2009 by Heather.

With last week’s WASL scores release came an update on the Class of 2010, most of whom took and passed the 10th Grade Reading and Writing WASLs in 2007-08. Those students who did not pass one or both tests retook the exams this year. And what a difference a year makes for some. What’s most encouraging is the large jump in passing percentages among certain subgroups — a 16-point gain for African-American, Latino and Native American students, and almost 28 points for Special Education students. Certainly many of the pass rates are nowhere near where we would like them to be, but at least progress is being made.

Let’s also take a look at the progress of the Class of 2011. So far, almost three-fourths of this class have passed both Reading and Writing WASLs, putting them on track to graduate next year (barring any credit deficencies). But how have they done over time? (I did a similar analysis on the Class of 2010 at this same time last year) To create the below chart, I used this year’s data along with WASL pass rates from 2002-03 (4th grade), 2003-04 (5th grade Science), 2005-06 (7th grade) and 2006-07 (8th grade Science). Admittedly, not all members of the Class of 2011 were in Washington and/or these grades at those times, but it’s the closest we can get to tracking the class as a whole.

The results are a bit troubling. Steady gains were made on the Reading and Writing WASLs, but pass rates from the Math and Science WASLs are not encouraging.

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Wonky words: International assessments & U.S.

Posted on 18. Aug, 2009 by Heather.

The National Center for Education Statistics issued a special analysis report today comparing the United States’ performance on three international assessments. The analysis, U.S. Performance Across International Assessments of Student Achievement: Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2009, compares U.S. scores on the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). This data isn’t new per se, but it is the first report that puts all the findings in one place, which can be helpful to data nerds like me.

Rather than rewrite what NCES summarized so well, here are the major findings from the executive summary:

Reading

• In PIRLS 2006, the average U.S. 4th-graders’ reading literacy score (540) was above the PIRLS scale average of 500, but below that of 4th-graders in 10 of the 45 participating countries, including 3 Canadian provinces (Russian Federation, Hong Kong, Alberta, British Columbia, Singapore, Luxembourg, Ontario, Hungary, Italy, and Sweden).
• Among the 28 countries that participated in both the 2001 and 2006 PIRLS assessments, the average reading literacy score increased in 8 countries and decreased in 6 countries. In the rest of these countries, including the United States, there was no measurable change in the average reading literacy score between 2001 and 2006. The number of these countries that outperformed the United States increased from 3 in 2001 to 7 in 2006.

Mathematics

• The 2007 TIMSS results showed that U.S. students’ average mathematics score was 529 for 4th-graders and 508 for 8th-graders. Both scores were above the TIMSS scale average, which is set at 500 for every administration of TIMSS at both grades, and both were higher than the respective U.S. score in 1995.
  • Fourth-graders in 8 of the 35 other countries that participated in 2007 (Hong Kong, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, England, and Latvia) scored above their U.S. peers, on average; and 8th-graders in 5 of the 47 other countries that participated in 2007 (Chinese Taipei, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan) scored above their U.S. peers, on average.
  • Among the 16 countries that participated in both the first TIMSS in 1995 and the most recent TIMSS in 2007, at grade 4, the average mathematics score increased in 8 countries, including in the United States, and decreased in 4 countries. Among the 20 countries that participated in both the 1995 and 2007 TIMSS at grade 8, the average mathematics score increased in 6 countries, including in the United States, and decreased in 10 countries.
• In PISA 2006, U.S. 15-year-old students’ average mathematics literacy score of 474 was lower than the OECD average of 498, and placed U.S. 15-year-olds in the bottom quarter of participating OECD nations, a relative position unchanged from 2003.
  • Fifteen-year-old students in 23 of the 29 other participating OECD-member countries outperformed their U.S. peers.
  • There was no measurable change in U.S. 15-year-olds’ average mathematics literacy score between 2003 and 2006, in its relationship to the OECD average, or in its relative position to the countries whose scores increased or decreased.

Science

• The 2007 TIMSS results showed that U.S. students’ average science score was 539 for 4th-graders and 520 for 8th-graders. Both scores were above the TIMSS scale average, which is set at 500 for every administration of TIMSS at both grades, but neither was measurably different than the respective U.S. score in 1995.
  • Fourth-graders in 4 of the 35 other countries that participated in 2007 (Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, and Japan) scored above their U.S. peers, on average; and 8th-graders in 9 of the 47 other countries that participated in 2007 (Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea, England, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and the Russian Federation) scored above their U.S. peers, on average.
  • While there was no measurable change in the average score of U.S. 4th-graders or 8th-graders in science between 1995 and 2007, among the other 15 countries that participated in the 1995 and 2007 TIMSS at grade 4, the average science score increased in 7 countries and decreased in 5 countries; and among the other 18 countries that participated in both the 1995 and 2007 TIMSS at grade 8, the average science score increased in 5 countries and decreased in 3 countries.
• In PISA 2006, U.S. 15-year-old students’ average science literacy score of 489 was lower than the OECD average of 500, and placed U.S. 15-year-olds in the bottom third of participating OECD nations. Fifteen-year-old students in 16 of the 29 other participating OECD-member countries outperformed their U.S. peers in terms of average scores.

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Class of 2009: 93% met WASL standards

Posted on 17. Aug, 2009 by Heather.

As we noted, the latest WASL results were released last Friday. Included in the release were the latest tallies for the Class of 2009 (previous update here), as well as status updates for the classes of 2010 and 2011 (more on those later). The good news is, over 93 percent of the Class of 2009 met the Reading and Writing WASL standards. (As a reminder, we’re looking at Reading and Writing WASL results because they are graduation requirements.) And while gaps remain between ethnic groups (up to 10 percentage points), met standard rates are up for almost every subgroup. Here are two charts showing Class of 2009 results, with Class of 2008 data thrown in for perspective. The largest gains were made by our English Language Learners and Special Education students, which is encouraging.

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WASL scores released

Posted on 14. Aug, 2009 by Heather.

The 2008-09 WASL results were made available today. We’ll have some continued analyses of the results next week, but below are a few charts to whet your whistle. Over the past six years we’ve seen some significant improvements in student proficiency on the Reading and Writing WASLs. What we have seen less of is closing of the achievement gap.

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