MCPS Leadership: Mississippi, yes Mississippi is better than you

[Anonymous]

MCPS is in bottomless fall

[Anonymous]

Didn't our current MD State Superintendent come from MS, specifically because of the reading improvements that happened while she was there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Thanks for sharing this interesting article. Although it's kinda too long, I get the point that they were somewhat gaming the ranking criteria. I'm recalling not long ago seeing a post here about some ES in Ocean City ranked #1 in test metrics, and it turned out that ES prep students for that standard test for a couple of months.

[Anonymous]

There's a lot of debate on the extent to which the "Mississippi miracle" is real or an artifact of either 3rd grade retention or something else. But I've been following Kelsey Piper's writing on it, and only 5% of students were retained in 3rd grade, not enough to account for all of the 4th grade reading gains. But the threat of retention perhaps really puts a fire under the butt of student, teacher, and parent and it's something I wish Maryland would consider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a lot of debate on the extent to which the "Mississippi miracle" is real or an artifact of either 3rd grade retention or something else. But I've been following Kelsey Piper's writing on it, and only 5% of students were retained in 3rd grade, not enough to account for all of the 4th grade reading gains. But the threat of retention perhaps really puts a fire under the butt of student, teacher, and parent and it's something I wish Maryland would consider.

... I mean, Maryland does have a 3rd grade retention requirement and it goes into effect in two years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a lot of debate on the extent to which the "Mississippi miracle" is real or an artifact of either 3rd grade retention or something else. But I've been following Kelsey Piper's writing on it, and only 5% of students were retained in 3rd grade, not enough to account for all of the 4th grade reading gains. But the threat of retention perhaps really puts a fire under the butt of student, teacher, and parent and it's something I wish Maryland would consider.

... I mean, Maryland does have a 3rd grade retention requirement and it goes into effect in two years?

Oh, that's good! I did hear that mentioned at some point but I didn't know if it was a done deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't our current MD State Superintendent come from MS, specifically because of the reading improvements that happened while she was there?

Yes, Carey Wright. This is the main reason she was brought to Maryland last year. The new state reading policies are similar (though not exactly the same) as what she implemented in Mississippi. The 3rd grade hold back in Maryland allows for a parental waiver, for example, where in Mississippi there was no opt out. That goes into effect starting in 2027.

Also, the federally-funded lab that she tapped to oversee the program in Mississippi (primarily with literacy coaches who were experts in their field) was recently cut by the Trump administration, so I wonder how that will impact her effectiveness. She still looks promising, all things considered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. No there is little or no direct instruction in MCPS -- and certainly not phonics based instruction. This is why nearly half of our kids are underperforming in reading in MCPS. Not to mention the kids who have dyslexia are suffering in our schools: phonics is essential for them but good for all. The Friedman's lawsuit plus Decoding Dyslexia's great work at the state level to force change in the county will hopefully change this in the next thirty years. (yeah, it will probably be that slow)

https://wamu.org/story/19/05/20/many-school-districts-hesitate-to-say-students-have-dyslexia-that-can-lead-to-problems/

https://www.decodingdyslexiamd.org/

There absolutely is phonics based reading instruction in MCPS elementary schools.

-MCPS reading specialist

That instruction is a recent development, yes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So MCPS isn’t teaching decoding and language comprehension in the early grades?

I don’t know....my kid was new here in middle school.

They just changed to it last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK I knew something was up with this. MS will not promote you beyond 3rd grade, if you don't meet a minimum standard: https://hechingerreport.org/mississippi-made-the-biggest-leap-in-national-test-scores-this-year-is-this-controversial-law-the-reason-why/

That would never work in MCPS.

Didn't MD change state law to require 3rd graders to be held back if they didn't reach reading benchmarks? I think it goes into effect in a year or two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a lot of debate on the extent to which the "Mississippi miracle" is real or an artifact of either 3rd grade retention or something else. But I've been following Kelsey Piper's writing on it, and only 5% of students were retained in 3rd grade, not enough to account for all of the 4th grade reading gains. But the threat of retention perhaps really puts a fire under the butt of student, teacher, and parent and it's something I wish Maryland would consider.

... I mean, Maryland does have a 3rd grade retention requirement and it goes into effect in two years?

Oh, that's good! I did hear that mentioned at some point but I didn't know if it was a done deal.

Sounds like parents can opt out, but by default they are retained. https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/education/3rd-graders-dont-meet-reading-standards-wont-move-4th-grade-new-maryland-board-education-policy/65-bd13ee34-d498-4996-85a5-3d6582a8c830

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. No there is little or no direct instruction in MCPS -- and certainly not phonics based instruction. This is why nearly half of our kids are underperforming in reading in MCPS. Not to mention the kids who have dyslexia are suffering in our schools: phonics is essential for them but good for all. The Friedman's lawsuit plus Decoding Dyslexia's great work at the state level to force change in the county will hopefully change this in the next thirty years. (yeah, it will probably be that slow)

https://wamu.org/story/19/05/20/many-school-districts-hesitate-to-say-students-have-dyslexia-that-can-lead-to-problems/

https://www.decodingdyslexiamd.org/

wait, isn't that why we moved away from Benchmark? To have phonics instruction and follow the science of reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. No there is little or no direct instruction in MCPS -- and certainly not phonics based instruction. This is why nearly half of our kids are underperforming in reading in MCPS. Not to mention the kids who have dyslexia are suffering in our schools: phonics is essential for them but good for all. The Friedman's lawsuit plus Decoding Dyslexia's great work at the state level to force change in the county will hopefully change this in the next thirty years. (yeah, it will probably be that slow)

https://wamu.org/story/19/05/20/many-school-districts-hesitate-to-say-students-have-dyslexia-that-can-lead-to-problems/

https://www.decodingdyslexiamd.org/

wait, isn't that why we moved away from Benchmark? To have phonics instruction and follow the science of reading?

FYI thus thread was started in 2019 😄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. No there is little or no direct instruction in MCPS -- and certainly not phonics based instruction. This is why nearly half of our kids are underperforming in reading in MCPS. Not to mention the kids who have dyslexia are suffering in our schools: phonics is essential for them but good for all. The Friedman's lawsuit plus Decoding Dyslexia's great work at the state level to force change in the county will hopefully change this in the next thirty years. (yeah, it will probably be that slow)

https://wamu.org/story/19/05/20/many-school-districts-hesitate-to-say-students-have-dyslexia-that-can-lead-to-problems/

https://www.decodingdyslexiamd.org/

wait, isn't that why we moved away from Benchmark? To have phonics instruction and follow the science of reading?

FYI thus thread was started in 2019 😄

Oh wow missed that one. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. No there is little or no direct instruction in MCPS -- and certainly not phonics based instruction. This is why nearly half of our kids are underperforming in reading in MCPS. Not to mention the kids who have dyslexia are suffering in our schools: phonics is essential for them but good for all. The Friedman's lawsuit plus Decoding Dyslexia's great work at the state level to force change in the county will hopefully change this in the next thirty years. (yeah, it will probably be that slow)

https://wamu.org/story/19/05/20/many-school-districts-hesitate-to-say-students-have-dyslexia-that-can-lead-to-problems/

https://www.decodingdyslexiamd.org/

wait, isn't that why we moved away from Benchmark? To have phonics instruction and follow the science of reading?

FYI thus thread was started in 2019 😄

oh wow. I wonder how MS is doing now.