Educational Leadership
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Report indicates possible cheating on PSSA tests
By KATHY MATHESON (Associated Press)Published: July 13, 2011
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PHILADELPHIA - The state Department of Education is looking into a report that has surfaced indicating possible cheating on state standardized tests in at least three dozen school districts, a spokesman said Tuesday.
The forensic analysis of the 2009 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment results does not assert cheating occurred, but says certain answer patterns and erasures make the results suspicious.
Among the school districts identified as having multiple testing irregularities are Hazleton, Philadelphia, Connellsville and Lancaster. Many other districts were cited for one or two inconsistencies, including North Schuylkill and Minersville Area.
North Schuylkill Superintendent Andrew Smarkanic learned of the report Tuesday and said he has not had the opportunity to read it. Although he wasn't superintendent at the time the tests were administered in 2009, Smarkanic said he assumes students did better on those tests due to preparatory testing that was instituted before the 2009 tests. The report states that one of the inconsistencies measured in all school districts is whether test scores changed "improbably" within one year.
Minersville Area Superintendent M. Joseph Brady did not return a call for comment Tuesday. Jim Yacobacci, the district's new elementary principal and former assistant high school principal, was unaware of the report and was on vacation Tuesday, referring all questions to Brady.
In the Hazleton Area School District, at least one school appears on the list for each of the seven grade levels - third to seventh, eighth and 11th - at which PSSA tests are administered.
Listed in the report are Freeland, Heights-Terrace, Hazleton, Valley and West Hazleton elementary/middle schools, as well as Hazleton Area High School. Each of the five elementary/middle schools is listed at multiple grade levels.
Hazleton Area Superintendent Sam Marolo said Deputy Superintendent Francis X. Antonelli and high school Principal Rocco Petrone are preparing a report on the state's findings and would be available to discuss the matter today. Neither Antonelli nor Petrone could be reached for comment Tuesday night.
The Department of Education was unaware of the report - issued in July 2009 under a previous administration - until it was published this week by The Notebook, an independent news service covering the Philadelphia school district, said Timothy Eller, a spokesman for Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis.
"It's very frustrating to the secretary that nothing was done in the past with it," Eller said.
Then-Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak, now superintendent of the Allentown schools, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The news comes days after officials in Georgia revealed a massive cheating scandal in Atlanta, with nearly half of the city's 100 schools involved. State investigators said 178 educators had fudged standardized tests used to meet federal benchmarks dating back to 2001.
That same week, the U.S. Department of Education began looking into cheating allegations in Washington, D.C. Over the past several years, such scandals have surfaced in school districts in Baltimore and Houston, as well as Texas, Michigan and Florida.
Experts say many districts can feel pressured to meet testing standards to avoid penalties under the federal No Child Left Behind legislation, or to ensure positive results for teachers who are rewarded based on student performance.
In Pennsylvania, the PSSA is given annually in various grades to assess math and reading skills. Based on statistical properties, results at dozens of traditional and charter schools in 2009 were flagged as being "highly improbable," according to the report by Minnesota-based Data Recognition Corp.
The report noted that any possible fraud could have been perpetrated by students, teachers or other officials. But the findings also stressed that the scores could have been obtained fairly.
"Their scores, response pattern, and number of erasures were aberrant, from a statistical probability perspective," the report states. "This does not imply that the school or student engaged in inappropriate testing activity."
The Philadelphia schools are willing to investigate the cheating allegations, but spokeswoman Jamilah Fraser said in a statement that such probes are difficult because of teacher turnover, student transience and the vagaries of memory.
The district has received about 10 to 15 accusations of breaches in test security in each of the past three years, and a few have been substantiated through internal investigations, Fraser said. Alleged violations could range from "low-level" offenses, such as failing to cover materials during a testing period, to more serious ones.
She also noted the district has a "very robust test monitoring protocol." Approximately 75 percent of schools, including charters, receive unannounced visits to random classrooms during PSSA testing, Fraser said.
It's not clear how often forensic audits were conducted under the previous administration, Eller said. The July 2009 report from Data Recognition Corp. refers to that being "the first year of data forensic analyses for the PSSA," but a company spokeswoman declined comment.
Eller noted the department's 2010 budget had no money for audits, but that Tomalis has ordered them reinstated for this year.
Article ToolsShare | Font size: [A] [A] [A] Our Social Networks FacebookSign Up newsletter
PHILADELPHIA - The state Department of Education is looking into a report that has surfaced indicating possible cheating on state standardized tests in at least three dozen school districts, a spokesman said Tuesday.
The forensic analysis of the 2009 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment results does not assert cheating occurred, but says certain answer patterns and erasures make the results suspicious.
Among the school districts identified as having multiple testing irregularities are Hazleton, Philadelphia, Connellsville and Lancaster. Many other districts were cited for one or two inconsistencies, including North Schuylkill and Minersville Area.
North Schuylkill Superintendent Andrew Smarkanic learned of the report Tuesday and said he has not had the opportunity to read it. Although he wasn't superintendent at the time the tests were administered in 2009, Smarkanic said he assumes students did better on those tests due to preparatory testing that was instituted before the 2009 tests. The report states that one of the inconsistencies measured in all school districts is whether test scores changed "improbably" within one year.
Minersville Area Superintendent M. Joseph Brady did not return a call for comment Tuesday. Jim Yacobacci, the district's new elementary principal and former assistant high school principal, was unaware of the report and was on vacation Tuesday, referring all questions to Brady.
In the Hazleton Area School District, at least one school appears on the list for each of the seven grade levels - third to seventh, eighth and 11th - at which PSSA tests are administered.
Listed in the report are Freeland, Heights-Terrace, Hazleton, Valley and West Hazleton elementary/middle schools, as well as Hazleton Area High School. Each of the five elementary/middle schools is listed at multiple grade levels.
Hazleton Area Superintendent Sam Marolo said Deputy Superintendent Francis X. Antonelli and high school Principal Rocco Petrone are preparing a report on the state's findings and would be available to discuss the matter today. Neither Antonelli nor Petrone could be reached for comment Tuesday night.
The Department of Education was unaware of the report - issued in July 2009 under a previous administration - until it was published this week by The Notebook, an independent news service covering the Philadelphia school district, said Timothy Eller, a spokesman for Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis.
"It's very frustrating to the secretary that nothing was done in the past with it," Eller said.
Then-Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak, now superintendent of the Allentown schools, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The news comes days after officials in Georgia revealed a massive cheating scandal in Atlanta, with nearly half of the city's 100 schools involved. State investigators said 178 educators had fudged standardized tests used to meet federal benchmarks dating back to 2001.
That same week, the U.S. Department of Education began looking into cheating allegations in Washington, D.C. Over the past several years, such scandals have surfaced in school districts in Baltimore and Houston, as well as Texas, Michigan and Florida.
Experts say many districts can feel pressured to meet testing standards to avoid penalties under the federal No Child Left Behind legislation, or to ensure positive results for teachers who are rewarded based on student performance.
In Pennsylvania, the PSSA is given annually in various grades to assess math and reading skills. Based on statistical properties, results at dozens of traditional and charter schools in 2009 were flagged as being "highly improbable," according to the report by Minnesota-based Data Recognition Corp.
The report noted that any possible fraud could have been perpetrated by students, teachers or other officials. But the findings also stressed that the scores could have been obtained fairly.
"Their scores, response pattern, and number of erasures were aberrant, from a statistical probability perspective," the report states. "This does not imply that the school or student engaged in inappropriate testing activity."
The Philadelphia schools are willing to investigate the cheating allegations, but spokeswoman Jamilah Fraser said in a statement that such probes are difficult because of teacher turnover, student transience and the vagaries of memory.
The district has received about 10 to 15 accusations of breaches in test security in each of the past three years, and a few have been substantiated through internal investigations, Fraser said. Alleged violations could range from "low-level" offenses, such as failing to cover materials during a testing period, to more serious ones.
She also noted the district has a "very robust test monitoring protocol." Approximately 75 percent of schools, including charters, receive unannounced visits to random classrooms during PSSA testing, Fraser said.
It's not clear how often forensic audits were conducted under the previous administration, Eller said. The July 2009 report from Data Recognition Corp. refers to that being "the first year of data forensic analyses for the PSSA," but a company spokeswoman declined comment.
Eller noted the department's 2010 budget had no money for audits, but that Tomalis has ordered them reinstated for this year.
Topics for 7-14-15
Defining a Profession. . .
One of the constant debates raging in conversations about education in America centers on the idea of whether or not teaching is a true profession.Many would argue that teaching is a true profession based on the commitment, dedication and training of educators which neatly parallels other professions. Others see teaching as something more akin to a skilled trade that can be easily mastered by anyone. Rancor tends to define this debate as advocates vehemently argue in favor of their unyielding position.
Before answering this question effectively, it is important to define the characteristics of a professional. Until we come to agreement about shared characteristics of professional fields, it will be impossible to come to consensus about where teaching stands on the continuum of work.
Defining a profession:
1. Professions have a codified body of knowledge that is defined by practitioners and applied in a systematic way. Think about medicine: Doctors work together to identify approaches for diagnosing and treating disease that is shared and generally followed by all in the field.
2. Professions provide differentiated pay for differentiated skill sets. Again, medicine provides a good example for comparison: Cardiologists performing open heart surgeries on a regular basis are paid more than podiatrists removing plantar warts.
3. Professions retain ownership over entry and evaluation standards. Law is probably the best example of this professional trait: Lawyers have to answer for their actions before review boards that are comprised of other lawyers and that have the power to revoke licenses.
4. Professionals retain responsibility for assessing and holding themselves accountable for the results of their work.
5. Professions are responsive to the times, taking an action orientation to their work and continually improving established practices. Return to medicine: Treatments are continually being perfected as new technologies and medicines are discovered and introduced by practitioners.
6. Professions offer practitioners opportunities for continued professional growth over the course of a career.
Would teaching qualify as a profession? Why or why not? What impact does this have on our ability to recruit and retain motivated young scholars to our field?
Is teaching a true profession?
Of the various professional fields -- Medicine, Law, Politics, Business, Military Defense and Entertainment -- teaching can be compared to any of them and is found mostly wanting. Education should stand with all of them, but except in rare and mostly individual cases, this is not so.
1. Teachers are not automatically paid commensurate with their skill, knowledge, talent or experience.
2. Teaching is still organized on an obsolete agricultural seasonal model in many parts of the country.
3. Teaching shares more in common with trade organizations than traditional professions. Particularly in hierarchy, wages, benefits, and prestige.
4. Teachers largely do not have support staff, as true professionals do.
5. True professions have never had governing bodies made up of people outside the profession to dictate policy and standards.
Of the various professional fields -- Medicine, Law, Politics, Business, Military Defense and Entertainment -- teaching can be compared to any of them and is found mostly wanting. Education should stand with all of them, but except in rare and mostly individual cases, this is not so.
1. Teachers are not automatically paid commensurate with their skill, knowledge, talent or experience.
2. Teaching is still organized on an obsolete agricultural seasonal model in many parts of the country.
3. Teaching shares more in common with trade organizations than traditional professions. Particularly in hierarchy, wages, benefits, and prestige.
4. Teachers largely do not have support staff, as true professionals do.
5. True professions have never had governing bodies made up of people outside the profession to dictate policy and standards.
While the attention of policy makers to the teaching profession is welcomed & needed, if teaching is to be a true profession, teachers must play a central role in making it so. Unfortunately, in most American communities teachers lack the most basic requirements of professionals -- respect, responsibility, & autonomy. By taking advantage of the national focus on the quality of our teaching force, teachers have an opportunity to change this situation. This will require, however, that teachers ask themselves what role they play in ensuring that there is a talented, dedicated, & well-prepared teacher in every classroom. For example: * What role do teachers play in recruiting high-quality individuals into the profession? In screening for quality "up front?" * How do we make sure that candidates get the best preparation program possible & that they have the knowledge & skills to teach before they enter our classrooms? * What role do veteran teachers play in supporting beginning teachers? How do we change a system that gives our newest teachers the most difficult classes & the extracurricular activities that no one else wants? * How do we help our colleagues improve their practice? * How do we open our own practice to examination? * How do we ensure that teachers are given opportunities to grow & to develop as professionals? * How do we encourage & reward excellence? * What do we do about the poorly performing teacher?What role must teachers play in ensuring quality -- in making teaching a true profession?Questions on "Making Teaching a True Profession"************************************************ 1. What role must teachers play in the support of beginning teachers? 2. What role must teachers play in helping all teachers improve their teaching? 3. What role must teachers play in encouraging & rewarding excellence in teaching? 4. What role must teachers play with poorly performing teachers? 5. What is one thing I can do, or one step I can take, to ensure that there is a talented, dedicated, & well-prepared teacher in every classroom? source: http://listserv.ed.gov/archives/edinfo/archived/msg00293.htmlDiscussion:
Mandates: Politics and Policy?
Icebreaker:
As a principal, many view the position as a position of power. Nevertheless, it is an influential position. How will you build respect and sustain relationships? What are a few key ideas to establish your position as principal?
Wrap-Up Questions:
In todays schools we often hear the comment "unfunded mandates" that have been placed on schools by way of legislation or policies. Please share whether you believe this is actually true and if it is, share one unfunded mandate that you feel should be funded. But even more important, tell me how you would suggest funding it responsibly.
Please share your thoughts on politics and education and why do we have policies? In addition, think about policy and what generates policy.
Power points for today are in your email...
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Sample Request (Special Ed)
Advocate’s Name
Address
State, City, ZIP
Telephone Number
Date
Principal
School
Address
State
Reference: Child’s Name
DOB: (fill in birthdate)
School: (fill in school)
Dear Principal,
I am writing on behalf of, (Child’s Name), requesting she be evaluated for consideration for special education services. (S/he) is currently in (number) grade at (school).
(Describe why you think your child needs special education services.)
(This request is based on the following state and federal laws)
(The educational benefit that the child would experience in the regular classroom includes…)
(Child) needs additional educational help. To help expedite the special education evaluation process, please know that by signing this letter I hereby consent to any and all testing that needs to be done to evaluate my child’s need for special education services.
If you would like me to sign an additional form, I will do so. However, since this letter already gives consent, the required timeline for the evaluation begins now. (We are aware the timeline for the evaluation will be _____________, based on ______________ ).
Please let me know as soon as possible if any records are needed from me to complete the special education evaluation process.
If you have questions about this request, please call me at work (555-5555) or at home (666-6666) after 4 p.m. I appreciate your help and rapid response.
Sincerely,
Special Education Advocate
Scenarios CH 4 – Students’ Rights
1. A student wears a T-shirt that has a picture of a marijuana leaf on the front.
a. Is this permissible?
b. What case law are you basing your decision on?
2. A student makes a speech in English class. The speech contains inappropriate language and sexual connotations.
a. Is this permissible?
b. What case law are you basing your decision on?
3. A group of students come to you and want to start a GSA.
a. Is this permissible?
b. What are you basing your decision on?
4. The student editor of the school newspaper wants to print an article that indicates a student is pregnant.
a. Is this permissible?
b. What case law are you basing your decision on?
5. A student wants to hand out a paper they created at home, during the after-school dance.
a. Is this permissible?
b. What case law are you basing your decision on?
6. Students come to you to get permission to post posters announcing the FCA meeting which will be held the first Monday of each month in the music room.
a. Is this permissible?
b. What case law are you basing your decision on?
Monday, July 11, 2011
Essay for class (July 12, 2011)
-Make this our current event discussion tomorrow:
-I read this and found it interesting....
In Financing Education in a Climate of Change (Chapter 9), as well as the Legal Issues and Finance Part 1 power point, it occurred to me that maybe we are not following the Equal Protection and Taxation Clause. In the opening sentence the book (p. 211) cites, “Without judicial action equal educational opportunity will never exist”. I remembered seeing a You Tube video during my school law class about Brown v BOE Topeka Kansas and included the link below.
-I read this and found it interesting....
In Financing Education in a Climate of Change (Chapter 9), as well as the Legal Issues and Finance Part 1 power point, it occurred to me that maybe we are not following the Equal Protection and Taxation Clause. In the opening sentence the book (p. 211) cites, “Without judicial action equal educational opportunity will never exist”. I remembered seeing a You Tube video during my school law class about Brown v BOE Topeka Kansas and included the link below.
It is such a fine line however, as local taxes in depressed areas, which usually include many African-Americans have a very limited tax base, or the rate of collection is very sparse. In addition, they suffer the most from tax cuts.
The Serrano decision in 1971 found the school finance system to be unconstitutional. This ruling occurred in California Supreme Court and a precedent was set and other states also complied. But two years later in the San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez in 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Texas school finance plan against an equal protection challenge. As cited on page 212, “Though education is one of the most important services performed by the State, it is not within the limited category of rights recognized by this Court as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution,” according to Justice Lewis Powell and the 5-4 vote in his court room.
The book explains three waves of school finance litigation. I see a “fourth wave” emerging from the first three, the voucher, and or school choice system. The first wave dealt with challenges of inequitable and unfair state funding schemes under the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. The second wave claimed inequitable finance systems were unconstitutional under both the Equal Protection Clause, as well as educational articles of the state constitution. The third wave came about due to claims of inadequate funding, hence being unconstitutional.
I see it as very interesting that it appears that these waves laid the foundation for the voucher and school choice programs. Needless to say, NEA and PSEA are against both! While I will continue to challenge the credibility of most charter schools, and allowing school choice, I am beginning to develop a better picture of the, “Everything happens for a reason”, statement.
Through the budget cuts, accountability of all schools and teachers has raised dramatically. If they pass the bill allowing furloughs of teachers despite their seniority that would be another step in the right direction. But, they would need to go a step further and give schools the right to replace certain teachers, instead of being forced to call them back if an opening exists.
The problem does still exist and I am still puzzled about “equal and equitable” funding. What if every district across the Commonwealth had the same per pupil dollar amount to educate children?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daHYY1d9W4s&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
10 Critical Legal Issues (PPT)
•Search & Seizure – TLO at Threat!
•Schools & Religion – Establishment of What?
•Superintendent/Private Counsel Relations
•Athletics and Athlete & Other Student Advisement – Liability
•Electronically Stored Information Retention
•Bullying – Recent Developments
•Plyler at Risk – Immigration Laws
•Student Discipline
•Employment
•Supreme Court - Certiorari
Also: Policy v Procedures for School leaders, Tort Liability, Freedom of Expression, Merit Pay, IDEA
VISIT- School Law/Code Websites
Also: Policy v Procedures for School leaders, Tort Liability, Freedom of Expression, Merit Pay, IDEA
VISIT- School Law/Code Websites
School Law (7-5 through 7-8)
Ed 575 School Law For Principals
-KWL Document
State Law, Federal Law & Function of the Judicial System in Education | |
School Attendance and Instructional Issues | |
Students’ Rights in Noninstructional Matters | |
NCLB, Proficiency Testing, RtII, FAPE | |
Rights of Students with Disabilities | |
Student Discipline | |
Terms and Conditions of Employment | |
Teachers’ Substantive Constitutional Rights | |
Termination of Employment | |
Tort Liability |
Friday, July 1, 2011
2009 Turner v. Clayton
Education Department Files Motion on Turner v. Clayton
Court ruling could have ripple effects throughout the state
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education filed an amicus brief this week in Turner v. School District of Clayton to address key issues relating to a ruling handed down last month by the Missouri Supreme Court.
The Court's original ruling overturned a lower court's summary judgment in Clayton's favor and remanded the case back to the lower court. It was not a final resolution of the matter.The families of six students who live in the Saint Louis Public School District brought the original lawsuit. The students were previously enrolled as tuition students in the Clayton schools prior to the St. Louis Public Schools losing its accreditation in 2007. The families sought billing and payment by the respective schools for their students’ tuition.
The July 16 Supreme Court ruling calls for unaccredited public schools to pay tuition payments for students who transfer to accredited school districts in the same or neighboring counties. The ruling also states that receiving school districts must accept all those students who wish to transfer.
The Department is not a party to the suit, yet the ruling raises many questions for public school districts, state officials said. The Department filed a motion to stay implementation of the order due to the short time before the start of school.
Commissioner of Education Chris L. Nicastro told school administrators at a meeting this week that the court decision raises important questions for many school districts in Missouri. She hopes the implementation of the court ruling can be delayed until the 2011-12 school year to allow the state legislature to intervene.
“The decision could have a major impact on student enrollment, so we are hoping for the opportunity for a review of the law in this area by the General Assembly,” Nicastro said. “In implementing the decision, it would be important to find some way for a receiving school to determine and balance capacity of taking on new students without jeopardizing instructional programs within a district.”
The state currently has two unaccredited school districts. The other district is Riverview Gardens in St. Louis County, which lost its accreditation in July 2009.
Quote by Marva Collins
"Don't try to fix the students, fix ourselves first. The good teacher makes the poor student good and the good student superior. When our students fail, we, as teachers, too, have failed."
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