I would like to note as well, that it’s not just high testing students moving out, but county schools and private continually move in their special ed students to DPS. Claiming they “can’t handle it”. We house life skills, essential skills, deaf and hard of hearing, social emotional, and behavioral. All those students also test. Students in the county and private that “don’t meet requirements” get tossed out thus, their testing looks better. We have students that will NEVER get to grade level, and that’s ok, but it is on our test scores and not their home schools.
Great point Cathy. That's another reason why our test scores continue to get worse that I had not considered. And what you mentioned definitely has statistical significance. We haven't always been this way but now Duane and I try not to get caught in the TEST SCORES discussion trap, but it's hard! It's so much of the focus in the board meetings and the media. The way I think now, I'm pretty sure we would be a better district if we simply tried to make the kids like school, learn how to think, and test scores be damned.
I would like to note as well, that it’s not just high testing students moving out, but county schools and private continually move in their special ed students to DPS. Claiming they “can’t handle it”. We house life skills, essential skills, deaf and hard of hearing, social emotional, and behavioral. All those students also test. Students in the county and private that “don’t meet requirements” get tossed out thus, their testing looks better. We have students that will NEVER get to grade level, and that’s ok, but it is on our test scores and not their home schools.
Great point Cathy. That's another reason why our test scores continue to get worse that I had not considered. And what you mentioned definitely has statistical significance. We haven't always been this way but now Duane and I try not to get caught in the TEST SCORES discussion trap, but it's hard! It's so much of the focus in the board meetings and the media. The way I think now, I'm pretty sure we would be a better district if we simply tried to make the kids like school, learn how to think, and test scores be damned.
Thanks for the comment!