Reply to PARCC... is this test still relevant at all???

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]"The mainstream media are filled with warnings about “learning loss” and how we must measure it and why students should go to summer school to make up for what they have “lost.” If we can’t quantify it, they say, how can we know which students are behind? This is silly. There was no “pre-test,” so there can’t be a “post-test.” A test that students take this spring can’t possibly demonstrate “learning loss,” since they can’t be compared to anything else. If you want to know where students are in their learning, ask their teacher."

-Diane Ravitch

I don't even know what this mean.  She really has drunk the Kool-Aid.

Take DC, for example.  DC used the PARCC pre-pandemic and now is using the PARCC post-pandemic.  So, yes, they can use that to help quantify learning loss.

[/quote]

My old DCPS school school that has been rapidly gentrifying used to sell their “growth” by showing the improvement YoY of a certain grade level, for example the 2017 5th grade scores v the 2015 5th grade scores. These aren’t a real comparison and considering student bodies change, and school demos differ, I’m not really sure what you are hoping to glean from this [/quote]

You can also track individual YoY growth, which DC already does. It’s part of the OSSE’s star ratings growth measure. It will not be perfect, because kids previously took iReady in 1st/2nd and will now take PARCC for 3rd/4th, but you can compare National percentile ratings and the schools grade-to-grade picture and you can absolutely get a sense of learning loss. A much better sense than no testing. My school was horrified by BoY results and now by MOY results on iReady and were surprised that the latter weren’t better and are reevaluating how they teach some things as a result; testing isn’t everything, but it absolutely provides useful information. I also think if the scores are as low as my school’s seems to predict (non-T1 DCPS for context), the Mayor will have a hard time not providing still more top up funding for the year after next too. Forcing education to be a priority for the Mayor is useful too.[/quote]

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