new insights into what went wrong with Wilson's PARCC scores

[Anonymous]

For you recent commenters, you need to go back and read the thread. All these issues about scheduling, differences vis-a-vis other schools, etc., have been discussed.

In any event, the students didn't make Wilson look bad. Rather, they exposed the flaws of the whole PARCC paradigm and the incompetence of the Central Office in implementing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For you recent commenters, you need to go back and read the thread. All these issues about scheduling, differences vis-a-vis other schools, etc., have been discussed.

In any event, the students didn't make Wilson look bad. Rather, they exposed the flaws of the whole PARCC paradigm and the incompetence of the Central Office in implementing it.

It may have also exposed testing irregularities. You are not supposed to leave the testing room before the 90 minutes are over - it's likely disruptive to other students.

So if Wilson students were also allowed to rush, answer all multiple choice with A in hopes of finishing quickly the proctors were also misinformed or didn't follow the guidelines. If you're goig to be there for 90 minutes answer the questions to the best of your ability.

DCPS central office and Wilson admins look very bad, and the students don't get a free pass either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For you recent commenters, you need to go back and read the thread. All these issues about scheduling, differences vis-a-vis other schools, etc., have been discussed.

In any event, the students didn't make Wilson look bad. Rather, they exposed the flaws of the whole PARCC paradigm and the incompetence of the Central Office in implementing it.

It may have also exposed testing irregularities. You are not supposed to leave the testing room before the 90 minutes are over - it's likely disruptive to other students.

So if Wilson students were also allowed to rush, answer all multiple choice with A in hopes of finishing quickly the proctors were also misinformed or didn't follow the guidelines. If you're goig to be there for 90 minutes answer the questions to the best of your ability.

DCPS central office and Wilson admins look very bad, and the students don't get a free pass either.

yes, if the stories are true, this was a huge fiasco. doesn't dc have an IG that can investigate?

[Anonymous]

I recall that a big issue with administering PARCC is that every student taking it needs a computer, which for Wilson was a logistical nightmare. This is one of the reasons why it took 2 weeks or so for the test to be administered. There's blame all around on this one. It is not a satisfactory answer to say students didn't take the test or they took it but not seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Great point about Banneker! Those kids had just as many APs as Wilson and Walls, yet they excelled on the PARCC. Hmmm...

maybe banneker didn't set up a conflict between AP review and PARCC?

[Anonymous]

Not every kid at Wilson who bombed PARCC was in an AP class. What's the explanation for those scores?

[Anonymous]

If more parents pulled their kids out of tests in elementary school, it could cause a real discussion which could lead to deemphasizing this foolish testing regime. The Wilson experience raisesall sorts of questions about the valu of the tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not every kid at Wilson who bombed PARCC was in an AP class. What's the explanation for those scores?

without knowing breakdown of the testing cohort, this is hard to prove. Pretty much all 10th graders take 1 AP unless in ELL or special ed. It would make sense that kids in ELL and special ed may not have tippy top scores

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If more parents pulled their kids out of tests in elementary school, it could cause a real discussion which could lead to deemphasizing this foolish testing regime. The Wilson experience raisesall sorts of questions about the valu of the tests.

No - we'd just spend millions more designing a new test. Let's just make this one work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If more parents pulled their kids out of tests in elementary school, it could cause a real discussion which could lead to deemphasizing this foolish testing regime. The Wilson experience raisesall sorts of questions about the valu of the tests.

I agree.

[Anonymous]

The test is not working. The problem is too much emphasis on tests.

[Anonymous]

It is striking that the test was exposed because of practical, student-based decisions rather than an organized parent-led effort. Imagine what would happen if parents organized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is striking that the test was exposed because of practical, student-based decisions rather than an organized parent-led effort. Imagine what would happen if parents organized.

The test wasn't exposed as anything.

The DCPS, OSSE and Wilson grownups, to use Nikes' words, were exposed as people who can't organize their way out do a paper bag.

Sorting through lists of who is appropriately in the testing cohort and who isn't, then overlay it with other classes and exams, isn't that darn hard. It appears almost all other high schools managed it without all this drama.

[Anonymous]

PP made a good point about whether testing irregularities were reported if students supposedly left prior to the 90 minutes. Wouldn't this discount the tests and have them thrown out? Would it affect the scores of other students in the room trying to earnestly complete their exams?

I think a bunch of urban legend is getting started about "scores" of high-scoring AP students mailing it in when there is not objective data to support this.

[Anonymous]

How can you explain the drop in scores if it is not based on a non-random sample of students opting out? This incident likely shows that that aggregated reported test scores -- in the context of new students moving in -- are not worth much. It would be of more value if DCPS reported that a certain percentage of students improved year over year.