Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 17:34     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
FYI: Shining Stars is still showing 5 job posts on their website. Either their unfilled or they haven't taken the job posts down. Either way, it's a problem:

http://shiningstarspcs.org/careers-at-ssma.html
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 17:27     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
Why is everyone so negative on Shining Stars?

Look at the numbers from 2016, the first time the PMFs scored SSMA on the PARCC tests:

https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/Shining%20Stars%20Montessori%20Academy%20PCS_EC_PK3-8_2016.pdf

They were horrible: I count 9.5 out of 25 or 38.4%. That's Tier 3 stuff.

Under the last director, the scores went up both years. And now they are 14.5 out of 5 or 58%.

https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/2018-10-29%20Shining%20Stars%20Montessori%20Academy%20PCS%20PK3-8%20PMF.pdf

It's not Tier 1 but it's a measurable jump up in test scores. SSMA has been moving in the right direction. Let's hope it continues. If SSMA could get those math scores up, it would really be great
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 17:02     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
They haven't released the new PMF from what I can tell but they have adjusted their language about it. See here:

https://www.dcpcsb.org/blog/2018-elementary-middle-and-high-school-quality-report-highlights

"Most Improved Schools

Up 18.9 points, Shining Stars Montessori Academy PCS (located in Ward 5) went from scoring 44.4% last year to 63.3% this year."

It used to read:

"Most Improved Schools

Up 31 points, Shining Stars Montessori Academy PCS (located in Ward 5) went from Tier 2 to Tier 1 this year."

This would knock SSMA back to Tier 2
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 17:01     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
They updated the press release and put SSMA at 63.3... didn't we calculate 60.7?
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 16:57     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
Anonymous wrote:If I saw a school had a 31 point jump (any school), the first thing I would do is check the math


Especially if you were putting out a press release about it...
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 14:07     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
How's this one going over on the SSMACA facebook group?
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 13:02     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
If I saw a school had a 31 point jump (any school), the first thing I would do is check the math
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 12:51     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Shining Stars is a Tier 1 school now!

https://www.dcpcsb.org/more-students-ever-attend-top-ranked-public-charter-school

"Ten schools made the jump from Tier 2 to Tier 1 this year, with Shining Stars Montessori Academy PCS improving by 31 points"

This is great news for the future of SSMA.

The only sour note for me -- and the reason I am posting it on this thread - is that the "Shake Up at SSMA" last year was clearly totally unjustified. I don't know why the last director of education left the school. But hats off to her. She did a remarkable job for SSMA. If you're reading this - Ms. W - Thank you!


I remember the low score being a lot because of attendance. What's the jump attributable to? Better attendance is less impressive than perhaps other markers.


Compare the last two year's reports for yourself. You can see what improved - not just attendance (although that was up).

http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/2017-11-8%20PMF%20Score%20Card%20SY16-17_Shining%20Stars%20Montessori%20Academy%20PCS_2017.pdf
https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/2018-10-29%20Shining%20Stars%20Montessori%20Academy%20PCS%20PK3-8%20PMF.pdf


I'm not clear on the exact weighting, but, the main difference really is the re-enrollment and attendance. Should those really matter THAT much?!

They also had no growth score last year. But their growth scores this year are uneven.
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 12:46     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Ok. One of you told the Board. The link to the PMF is off their landing page: https://www.dcpcsb.org/school/shining-stars-montessori-academy-pcs


I did.


They've got some press releases to fix too
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 12:27     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
Anonymous wrote:Ok. One of you told the Board. The link to the PMF is off their landing page: https://www.dcpcsb.org/school/shining-stars-montessori-academy-pcs


I did.
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 12:22     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
Ok. One of you told the Board. The link to the PMF is off their landing page: https://www.dcpcsb.org/school/shining-stars-montessori-academy-pcs
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 12:08     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
If Shining Stars had the same re-enrollment and attendance numbers they had last year, they would have scored 42.0 on the PMF instead of 54.7. Out of 90 points, that's only 46.7%.

So, while the academic scores were better, they weren't legions better. Basically, all of the improvement was due to re-enrollment and attendance numbers.
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 12:05     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
Ha.

The school admin should have checked their math first.
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 12:04     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I just looked at Roots, which is scored on the same 90 point scale:

https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/2018-10-29%20Roots%20PCS%20PK3-8%20PMF.pdf

And they got 33.7 out of 90 which is 37.4%, just as it says on their PMF. The math for SSMA should be the same and it's not.

SSMA got 60.7% and that's Tier 2.


I think you are right- at first I thought maybe the "additional measures" on page 2 of the PMF scoring sheet factored into the score at Shining Stars, but Roots has a similar page 2 with "additional measures" and it doesn't include those scores in the overall score.


So does the SSMA administration ethically flag this to the DCPCSB. I notice they haven't pushed out the Tiering on their social media. I wonder if that's why. And DCPCSB used SSMA growth as a talking point. Hard to put this one back in the bag


Parents were emailed about the ranking this am.


Did they say Tier One? Or were they emailed that the ranking was incorrect


That it was a Tier 1 school and how it was a result of all the hard work.
Anonymous
Post 11/01/2018 11:48     Subject: Shake Up at SSMA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I just looked at Roots, which is scored on the same 90 point scale:

https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/2018-10-29%20Roots%20PCS%20PK3-8%20PMF.pdf

And they got 33.7 out of 90 which is 37.4%, just as it says on their PMF. The math for SSMA should be the same and it's not.

SSMA got 60.7% and that's Tier 2.


I think you are right- at first I thought maybe the "additional measures" on page 2 of the PMF scoring sheet factored into the score at Shining Stars, but Roots has a similar page 2 with "additional measures" and it doesn't include those scores in the overall score.


So does the SSMA administration ethically flag this to the DCPCSB. I notice they haven't pushed out the Tiering on their social media. I wonder if that's why. And DCPCSB used SSMA growth as a talking point. Hard to put this one back in the bag


Parents were emailed about the ranking this am.


Did they say Tier One? Or were they emailed that the ranking was incorrect