MCAP results are pretty bad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just received in the mail fall 2021's MCAP results.

MCAP = Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program

It has a section called "How Students in Maryland Performed."

For Grade 4 level:

Math

Approached Expectations: 79%
Met Expectations: 12%
Exceeded Expectations: 9%

ELA

Approached Expectations: 77%
Met Expectations: 21%
Exceeded Expectations: 2%


Basically nearly 80% of Maryland's current 5th graders do not demonstrate grade level understanding.

More evidence that MCPS is a paradise. compared to the rest of the state largely thanks to the strong leadership of our BOE.

Have you checked the resumes of the hires? The BOE is hiring administrators from school systems that are a mess. It’s not surprising that MCPS is circling the toilet because of who the BOE is hiring to key leadership roles.

Who are you referring to? Almost all of the central office leadership are former MCPS principals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just received in the mail fall 2021's MCAP results.

MCAP = Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program

It has a section called "How Students in Maryland Performed."

For Grade 4 level:

Math

Approached Expectations: 79%
Met Expectations: 12%
Exceeded Expectations: 9%

ELA

Approached Expectations: 77%
Met Expectations: 21%
Exceeded Expectations: 2%


Basically nearly 80% of Maryland's current 5th graders do not demonstrate grade level understanding.

More evidence that MCPS is a paradise. compared to the rest of the state largely thanks to the strong leadership of our BOE.

Have you checked the resumes of the hires? The BOE is hiring administrators from school systems that are a mess. It’s not surprising that MCPS is circling the toilet because of who the BOE is hiring to key leadership roles.

If I worked for a school system that was a mess, I'd want to get to a better one, too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t put too much stock in this assessment. Sometime we need to evaluate the validity of assessments.

And to the person trying to compare public schools to private, do private schools take the MCAP? I’m assuming they don’t. Furthermore, I wonder how public schools would do if they made students qualify for admission, and exclude any highly impacted students such as those with special needs or new to the English language, or those that can barely afford to feed their children, let alone pay for private tutors.

This. Have the state go ask all the surrounding private schools how many would be willing to test their 3rd and 5th grade students. They would freak. Privates barely share score information with parents when they do test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just received in the mail fall 2021's MCAP results.

MCAP = Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program

It has a section called "How Students in Maryland Performed."

For Grade 4 level:

Math

Approached Expectations: 79%
Met Expectations: 12%
Exceeded Expectations: 9%

ELA

Approached Expectations: 77%
Met Expectations: 21%
Exceeded Expectations: 2%


Basically nearly 80% of Maryland's current 5th graders do not demonstrate grade level understanding.

APPROACHED expectations? Really?

[Anonymous]

Not in MCPS but many students at my district in MD don't take these tests seriously at all. They click some buttons until they are done and then put their head down on their desk. They take a lot of time to administer and many people to administer them. They aren't worth it IMO. Kids are tested way too much and they just don't take it seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t put too much stock in this assessment. Sometime we need to evaluate the validity of assessments.

And to the person trying to compare public schools to private, do private schools take the MCAP? I’m assuming they don’t. Furthermore, I wonder how public schools would do if they made students qualify for admission, and exclude any highly impacted students such as those with special needs or new to the English language, or those that can barely afford to feed their children, let alone pay for private tutors.

This. Have the state go ask all the surrounding private schools how many would be willing to test their 3rd and 5th grade students. They would freak. Privates barely share score information with parents when they do test.

Not true. My kid took Iowa assessments and some other standardized test (can't think of the same right now) in his Catholic MS. He also took the HSPT and got the results from all of these tests rather quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t put too much stock in this assessment. Sometime we need to evaluate the validity of assessments.

And to the person trying to compare public schools to private, do private schools take the MCAP? I’m assuming they don’t. Furthermore, I wonder how public schools would do if they made students qualify for admission, and exclude any highly impacted students such as those with special needs or new to the English language, or those that can barely afford to feed their children, let alone pay for private tutors.

This. Have the state go ask all the surrounding private schools how many would be willing to test their 3rd and 5th grade students. They would freak. Privates barely share score information with parents when they do test.

Not true. My kid took Iowa assessments and some other standardized test (can't think of the same right now) in his Catholic MS. He also took the HSPT and got the results from all of these tests rather quickly.

Did they share the entire grade's combined results?

[Anonymous]

We haven’t gotten our mail today yet, but it does not appear in informed delivery. Is this from the state or from MCPS? If the latter, why not just upload to parent portal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly think if we all had to go back in time and take MCAP when we were in elementary school the scores would have been just as bad. The Common Core State Standards are ridiculously complicated and not developmentally appropriate. Too little time is spent on basic skills and instead, first graders are synthesizing information from texts in written responses. Can we at least foster a love of reading before cramming endless, boring informational text down their throats?
I agree with another poster that MAP is a better indicator. Though, the winter MAP scores at my school aren't too hot either. More proof that in-person instruction cannot be replaced by Zoom. Can't wait to hear how the virtual academy did on MAP in comparison to in-person schools.

MCPS already has a dumbed down curriculum.

Why do you need to attack Virtual Academy? What if students do better, not worse?

Well, except the kids seem to be doing much better on standardized tests than 10 or 20 years ago so he evidence says otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not in MCPS but many students at my district in MD don't take these tests seriously at all. They click some buttons until they are done and then put their head down on their desk. They take a lot of time to administer and many people to administer them. They aren't worth it IMO. Kids are tested way too much and they just don't take it seriously.

Whitman parents have said the same thing especially the year their average gave them a GS 4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly think if we all had to go back in time and take MCAP when we were in elementary school the scores would have been just as bad. The Common Core State Standards are ridiculously complicated and not developmentally appropriate. Too little time is spent on basic skills and instead, first graders are synthesizing information from texts in written responses. Can we at least foster a love of reading before cramming endless, boring informational text down their throats?
I agree with another poster that MAP is a better indicator. Though, the winter MAP scores at my school aren't too hot either. More proof that in-person instruction cannot be replaced by Zoom. Can't wait to hear how the virtual academy did on MAP in comparison to in-person schools.

MCPS already has a dumbed down curriculum.

Why do you need to attack Virtual Academy? What if students do better, not worse?

Well, except the kids seem to be doing much better on standardized tests than 10 or 20 years ago so he evidence says otherwise.

Probably because they have changed the tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly think if we all had to go back in time and take MCAP when we were in elementary school the scores would have been just as bad. The Common Core State Standards are ridiculously complicated and not developmentally appropriate. Too little time is spent on basic skills and instead, first graders are synthesizing information from texts in written responses. Can we at least foster a love of reading before cramming endless, boring informational text down their throats?
I agree with another poster that MAP is a better indicator. Though, the winter MAP scores at my school aren't too hot either. More proof that in-person instruction cannot be replaced by Zoom. Can't wait to hear how the virtual academy did on MAP in comparison to in-person schools.

MCPS already has a dumbed down curriculum.

Why do you need to attack Virtual Academy? What if students do better, not worse?

Well, except the kids seem to be doing much better on standardized tests than 10 or 20 years ago so he evidence says otherwise.

Probably because they have changed the tests.

Actually, not all standardized tests have been changed. The NAEP is designed for longitudinal comparisons. The scores for Maryland have been flat or down for the last decade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly think if we all had to go back in time and take MCAP when we were in elementary school the scores would have been just as bad. The Common Core State Standards are ridiculously complicated and not developmentally appropriate. Too little time is spent on basic skills and instead, first graders are synthesizing information from texts in written responses. Can we at least foster a love of reading before cramming endless, boring informational text down their throats?
I agree with another poster that MAP is a better indicator. Though, the winter MAP scores at my school aren't too hot either. More proof that in-person instruction cannot be replaced by Zoom. Can't wait to hear how the virtual academy did on MAP in comparison to in-person schools.

MCPS already has a dumbed down curriculum.

Why do you need to attack Virtual Academy? What if students do better, not worse?

Well, except the kids seem to be doing much better on standardized tests than 10 or 20 years ago so he evidence says otherwise.

Probably because they have changed the tests.

Actually, not all standardized tests have been changed. The NAEP is designed for longitudinal comparisons. The scores for Maryland have been flat or down for the last decade.

Do they give that test anywhere other than Baltimore City?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t put too much stock in this assessment. Sometime we need to evaluate the validity of assessments.

And to the person trying to compare public schools to private, do private schools take the MCAP? I’m assuming they don’t. Furthermore, I wonder how public schools would do if they made students qualify for admission, and exclude any highly impacted students such as those with special needs or new to the English language, or those that can barely afford to feed their children, let alone pay for private tutors.

This. Have the state go ask all the surrounding private schools how many would be willing to test their 3rd and 5th grade students. They would freak. Privates barely share score information with parents when they do test.

Not true. My kid took Iowa assessments and some other standardized test (can't think of the same right now) in his Catholic MS. He also took the HSPT and got the results from all of these tests rather quickly.

Did they share the entire grade's combined results?

Yes. They shared all of the school and the archdiocese results.

[Anonymous]

Curious question - will these results of MCAP be used to determine anything academically for the student ?