Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for November 17, 2006 STILL WAITING...

Spring 2005-06 test results expected in January 2007?

And based upon these results, schools not meeting AYP must offer parents the opportunity for transfer or tutoring?

Maybe if there is a younger brother or sister, they can "inherit" those opportunities...

Wonder if the company responsible for grading the tests "outsourced" the job to "Tutors R Us" in India? It would take extra time to translate the tests from English to Sanskrit (and back again) in order to hand-score the tests. And, there is the shipping by slow boat... And don't forget that snow in the Himalayan mountains often makes for treacherous footing for the pack mules. And, in their own way, they DID achieve AYP - Another Year Passes...

From the Belleville News-Democrat...

School testing results not likely until next year

BY RAMONA CURTIS
News-Democrat

A notice sent Monday to school superintendents from the Illinois State Board of Education indicates that School Report Card data for tests taken in March and April will not likely be released until next year.

"ISBE is currently in the verification process of 2005-2006 ISAT and IMAGE testing results ... the printing and delivery process will take four to five weeks," stated a Nov. 13 e-mail from the State Board's Student Assessment Division.

Results from the Prairie State Achievement Tests given to high school students went through the first-step correction process last week and may take six more weeks to verify, print and deliver.

Most school districts will be closed for the holiday break five to six weeks from now.

State Board spokeswoman Andrea Preston said School Report Cards will not be available until information from both tests is finalized. Preston continues to emphasize that "there is not yet a timeline for posting of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) or the School Report Cards."

School Report Cards determine schools' status under the No Child Left Behind Act and are required by state law to be distributed to the public by Oct. 31. In the past, the data has been distributed as late as November, but school leaders say they have never received testing results the following year.

"This is the biggest case of a foulup that I've seen for 30-some years," said Dupo District 196 Superintendent Michael Koebel.

Many school officials blame the state's testing company Harcourt Assessment for the problem. The vendor's five-year, $44.5 million contract was canceled in its first year last spring following delivery delays and problems with testing materials. The Texas-based company is still involved in the scoring of the test reports, however. The state board would not confirm or deny that test result delays are related to Harcourt.

The state also has expanded the number of tests required to be scored. Last year, the state graded about 850,000 tests for third-, fifth- and eighth-grades. This year, the state is scoring more than 1 million tests for students in all grades from third through eighth.

School leaders say the delay affects how the schools can adjust their curriculum for next year's test. Many districts are relying on individual itemized analysis of student test data to decide on lesson plans, professional development and tutoring and after-school programs.

"By the time we get these test results back, any adjustment in curriculum would not even be possible because basically, in two months the kids will be taking a new test," said Sue Hoffman, superintendent of High Mount District 116 in Swansea.

Belleville High School District 201 doesn't know about its preliminary adequate yearly progress status because it did not participate in the state's new computerized student identification system. Curriculum Director Tim Barth said the lack of information is troubling because the district may be required under No Child Left Behind to offer tutoring or school choice options to students. The district did not make adequate yearly progress last year because of its special education students.

Barth was one of many district leaders who expressed frustration over the state's failure to meet the state law deadline and also what he says appears to be the state school board's lack of accountability.

"It can't be as easy as saying we didn't hire the right contractor or they didn't get it done," he said. "I don't want to bash the Illinois State Board of Education, but I do want to raise questions as to the fact that there needs to be more checks and balances. We don't want issues like this in the future."