[regional_school] Fw: What Would Replace "Grade Level"?

  • From: Dan Drmacich <dandrmacich@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: Denise Bartalo <denisebartalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Bill Bendschneider <bamboo789@xxxxxxx>, Carolyn Bennett <cwriter85@xxxxxxx>, Mary Berger <mpresber@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Wasa Bouphavong <daboupha@xxxxxxxxx>, G Brown <gjb0145@xxxxxxxxx>, Amy Brown <scottvbrown@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Pat Cavanaugh <cavanaughpat22@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Jason Charno <jasoncharno42@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Sandra Climaenhaga <dclimenh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, A Colon <aacolon@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, Rochelle Corey <archer14611@xxxxxxx>, Deana Darling <jddarling@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Deana Darling <darlin3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Brian Erway <brian_erway@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Karen Fisher <fishekh@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Dennis Francione <d.francione@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Shalanda Garfield <Shalonda_Garfield1@xxxxxxxxx>, Lynn Gatto <lynn.gatto@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Nancy Gersh <nancygersh@xxxxxxx>, RJ Glomboski <parallax@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Synthia Green <sng4979@xxxxxxxx>, Richard Greene <richard_greene@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Gretchen Haag <gretchenhaag@xxxxxxxxx>, Shawn Haarer <drhaarer@xxxxxxxxx>, Kate Hathaway <kaytea@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Kyra Hawn <khawn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Joseph Henderson <jhenderson11@xxxxxxxxx>, Sara Hughes <sara@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, Julia Kantor <julia.kantor@xxxxxxxxx>, Roger Klimek <rklimek001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Jack Langerack <jlanger0@xxxxxxx>, Barb Lemcke <b_lemcke@xxxxxxxxx>, Joan LoCurto <locurto135@xxxxxxxxx>, Tom Mackey <tmackey@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Jennifer Malinchak <jenjenfuller@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Katheryn McCullough <katmccullough@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Gena Merliss <merliss@xxxxxxxxx>, Jessica Metras <jessicametras@xxxxxxxxx>, Nancy Monachino <nmonachino@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Gwynne Mosch <Gwynne.mosch@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Barbara Moynihan <barbara.moynihan@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Kevin Murray <kmurray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Jessie Nimeh <jgnimeh@xxxxxxxxx>, Maureen Nupp <Maureennupp@xxxxxxxxx>, Anne-Pat Nuzback <Anne-Pat_Nuzback@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Rich Ognibene <richard_ognibene@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Tom Pappas <tjp18@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Sheila Pearlman <yspearlman@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Norreen Pelusio <njpelusio@xxxxxxx>, Liz Porta <lizbecker@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Pamela Pruitt <pamela.pruitt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Todd Pschierer <psch811@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Kari Ritter <kritter84@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Rosemary Rivera <rrivera@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Emily Roberts <emilymarkelle@xxxxxxx>, Peter Rosenthal <prosenthal@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Scott Schaefer <mister_schaefer@xxxxxxxxx>, Chojy Schroeder <chojy.schroeder@xxxxxxxxx>, Sharon Silvio <ssilvio@xxxxxxx>, Pete Smith <petersmith71@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Ralph Spezio <rspezio@xxxxxxxxx>, Mathew Taber <sundevil108@xxxxxxxx>, Leslie Vermeulen <ldvermeulen@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Jennifer Wheeler <jennifer_wheeler@xxxxxxxx>, Mary Wilkins <mtkwilkins@xxxxxxxxx>, Thomas Witmer <tbwitmer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Ruth Young-Card <cardjrb@xxxxxxx>, Lee Zelazny <lee.zelazny@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:46:01 -0700 (PDT)










--- On Sat, 4/18/09, Lynn Ellingwood <lellingw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Lynn Ellingwood <lellingw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: What Would Replace "Grade Level"?
To: 
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2009, 1:47 PM



What Would Replace "Grade Level"?I think common sense says that any single 
measure that claims to assess something is always enhanced by a different kind 
of measure that attempts to corroborate its claims.

So if I want to know if my kid knows something about the Revolutionary War, I 
might give her a multiple-choice test. But I'd also want her write a 3-page 
paper on the cause of the war, give a presentation on the Battle of Bunker 
Hill, and write and act in a skit about George Washington. At the end of the 
unit, I'd want her to select items she worked on and place them in her 
portfolio and then write a meta-cognitive summary of what she learned, the 
challenges she faced in learning them, and how she overcame them.

Duh, right? Most good teachers do these sorts of things all the time. All of 
these assessments/measures focus on the question of what my kid knows. But each 
produces different information in different ways. And each involves different 
skills.

So go tell that to your state DOE. What will they say? Something like, "These 
classroom-based assessments are very nice, but they're certainly not reliable. 
We can't possibly accept your judgement about what students in your classroom 
know and can do."

THAT'S the problem.

Of course you can't accept the teacher's judgment if punitive high stakes are 
associated with the assessment, e.g., the teacher getting fired (thanks NCLB!) 
or the school getting shut down (thanks again, NCLB!) So there's an incentive 
(thanks Campbell's Law!) to cook the books and make things seem what they 
aren't.

It doesn't have to be this way. Ultimately, what we're really concerned about 
is (1) what do kids know? and (2) what can kids do? A single measure (usually a 
norm-referenced, multiple-choice test) that tells me if my kid is "at grade 
level" does not tell me what my kid knows and what my kid can do. It tells me 
if my kid's score is the same as her peers, below her peers, or above her 
peers. In short, it tells me zippety-doo-dah.

Multiple measures (such as the ones I mentioned above) are the evidence we need 
to answer the questions (1) what do kids know? and (2) what can kids do? These 
measures reveal nothing about "grade level," i.e., where these kids are 
"supposed" to be in relation to each other. Rather, these measures give a very 
real sense of where these kids ARE. Once we know where they are, we can help 
them get to the next place. How they get there and when they get there is an 
open question. But in the best circumstances, getting there is kind of fun. 
Anyone remember teaching and learning is supposed to be fun? It's different for 
each kid and for each teacher. It's what learning is all about, and what makes 
teaching a thrill. 




      

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