Sue is now covering grade inflation/grade fraud.
At the
Science School for Exploration and Discovery, MS 244 in the Bronx, an
impressive 94 percent of students in grades 6-8 passed their math classes in
the 2017-18 school year.
But how much
math they actually mastered is questionable.
Only 2
percent of those same Mott Haven students — nearly all Hispanic and black from
poor or low-income families — passed the state math exams, which measure skills
that kids should have at each grade level, according to city data reviewed by
The Post.
At Harbor
Heights middle school in Washington Heights, an awesome 100 percent of kids —
all Hispanic — passed their state English Language Arts classes.
But only 7
percent of those kids passed the ELA exams, the data show.
Some
education advocates politely call it “grade inflation.”
Further down:
Now, the Queens City Councilman who recently penned
a damning letter, signed by eight fellow lawmakers, calling Chancellor
Richard Carranza’s racially-charged rhetoric “divisive” is urging the
chancellor to take action.
“Dozens of
schools have a high percentage of students passing their course work in Math
and English, but a very low percentage of students meeting standards on the
state Math and English exams,” Robert Holden wrote to Carranza on Friday,
citing MS 244 as an egregious example.
“While I
understand that these issues were present before you arrived in New York City,
they need to be prioritized and taken seriously by your department,” the email
reads.
Holden met
with Carranza May 7 to discuss several issues, including “widespread grade
inflation,” he told The Post.
More from Councilmember Holden on the consequences of grade inflation:
Holden, a
CUNY professor for nearly 40 years, continues: “I saw firsthand the effect this
grade inflation has on our students. I had countless students from public
schools who were required to take remedial classes in Math and English while in
college.”
While I think this article is more evidence that the state exams and Common Core are flawed, there is obviously something here with the widespread grade inflation.
The school system is so in need of some integrity. Grade inflation is the inevitable result of Mayoral Control. Mayors need to show that the school system is succeeding so browbeating principals to direct teachers to pass just about everyone is going to be what happens. However, learning conditions that many of the kids are subjected to with high class sizes and very unsafe schools where misbehaving students rule with impunity make learning virtually impossible as is documented in the comments here on an almost daily basis.I will save the last word here to a DOE person that not surprisingly is an anonymous DOE administrator:
“They’re
inflating the grades and passing all the kids. It’s fake,” a DOE administrator
said.
29 comments:
Classroom grades and state exam grades cannot be compared. Teachers are required to differentiate process, product, content, and provide SDI in the classroom. The state exams do not differentiate. So what do citizens, and the government expect exactly? What's with the surprise? Of course there is a discrepancy.
I doubt there is this great a discrepancy in the middle class areas.
"Differentiated Instruction" and "Testing Accommodations" are two of the biggest frauds going.
The state tests are bullshit as are the student grades.
Discrepancy? HS who can't write a sentence?
You cowards pass them to save your own asses. You are part of the fraud.
2:32 - So if we're brave and fail them, then what? Do they get an IEP? You're told to differentiate more. Your SDI is not special enough. The principal changes the grades. The parents come in and demand they pass. Where does that bravery get a teacher? Anyway, the curriculum is bullshit and archaic.
We need to fight it collectively school by school as a union from the ground up.
I agree. The UFT is complicit in this and has been for years. Individual teachers that throw down the gauntlet and say NO have found themselves in the ATR pool or worse - terminated. I know of several of these cases and the UFT knows of all of them. Saying NO has to be done in unison as an entire school - until teachers are willing to do that, things will get progressively worse.
This heartfelt article from a teacher gives a real, on-the-ground sense of why things are impossible in our Black and Hispanic schools. And it's not any one teacher's fault. Teachers are put into a no-win situation where they are hand-cuffed, told to shut up, and do nothing. It's politics and ideology. And it's tragic. https://quillette.com/2019/02/10/public-educations-dirty-secret/
I read the piece you linked to. I did not concur with all of her opinions but the conclusion makes perfect sense but won't happen until the teachers rebel en masse:
"The first step is to change the 'anti-discrimination' laws that breed anti-social behavior. Disruptive students must be removed from the classroom, not to punish them but to protect the majority of students who want to learn."
Classroom grades and state exam grades cannot be compared. Teachers are required to differentiate process, product, content, and provide SDI in the classroom. The state exams do not differentiate. So what do citizens, and the government expect exactly? What's with the surprise? Of course there is a discrepancy.
Monday, July 01, 2019 11:48:00 AM
11:48
Citizens of NY state expect the schools to provide instruction which leads to the students mastering the material and skills which will be tested on the state exams. This was NEVER as much of a problem as it is today because of the instructional requirements you eluded to... The requirements of the teacher have been imposed as a result of the Danielson Observation Framework. DANIELSON IS DESTROYING PUBLIC EDUCATION IN NYC....AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO! It requires teachers in NYC to perform all sorts of procedures and activities in their classrooms ("look-fors") which have nothing to do with preparing the students for the state exams. After 6 years of Damielson, it is no surprise many NYC students aren't passing the state exams.
I believe most schools commit fraud. No one school should be singled out. I know James you like to believe only admin promotes fraud. Teachers do it as well.
I learned from other teachers in my school how to "fix" MOSL growth based exams by encouraging students to fail or not take the exam seriously. But when the final MOSL exam comes, students were encouraged to take it seriously to indicate growth and salvage our MOSL rating. Why? Our evaluations are linked to this. You, myself and other teachers dont say anything about this.
But you call out or villify admin who do the same thing as I learned from Chaz and a blogger in a previous post that principals evaluations are linked to graduation rates and passing of classes. They are simply trying to keep their jobs like we are.
The problem is obviously systemic. We should not be looking for a bad guy or a single school. We should aim to influence the powers that be who created this flawed system.
The evaluation system has to go for both teachers and principals.
It won't happen until we all rebel en masse.
That's why James is not a leader and why others teachers in my school and I don't trust his opinions. He really doesn't know whats going on.
His anti admin rhetoric is all he cares about. His blog history is full of calling out admin including my own principal, unjustly, without all of the facts.
What's really helpful is to provide all sides of an issue and letting us decide. Not just the UFT or teacher side. You can't properly solve an issue by just looking at one side.
My whole perception and understanding of admin has changed as I am reading comments of others why most admin do what they do in reference to grades and so forth. The problem is bigger then them.
Step your game up James. UFT and CSA would need to work together to change things. Not point fingers.
James
THis story has been going around since Bloomberg took over - you used to joke about Jamaica HS having drive by diplomas.
The UFT has a stake in grade inflation and phony grad rates -- they and you know that with massive failure the attack gets focused on teacher quality even if not true and the enemies use it to attack tenure which happened a decade ago.
Politically the UFT has to say how well the schools are doing or else that opens us up to breaking the charter cap.
We live in a different world from the pre-ed deform days. Did ICE in its election runs call for grade inflation to stop?
As to your call for teachers to rebel en masse - one of the funniest things you have to say. By what mechanism would they rebel? And rebel against whom?
The story "The Emperor has no Clothes" was written over 150 years ago. The difference between then and now is that, in current times, the emperor doesn't care that he has no clothes.
The Regents exam scores are a blatant example of grade inflation. On the Algebra Regents, a 31% converts to 65%. This grade inflation fish is rotting from the head, down.
The corruption is education has been exposed over and over again, yet nothing changes. Why? because education has become a multi-billion dollar business. The teacher's unions have jumped on this band wagon. Book and test publishers have jumped on the bandwagon. So many experts, authors, conferences, consultants, etc. Why? Education is a multi-billion dollar business.
I cannot think of any other legal business, other than perhaps politics, in which such incompetent, immoral and simpleminded people can hold positions of power, authority and take, make, and spend so much money!
I agree with your conclusion 5:29. We are in this evaluation boat together with the principals who are stuck with the same evaluation system as us.
I do not make blanket statements against all principals, just those who unfairly target staff, especially when they go after union activists. That should not be tolerated by UFT but it is sadly in multiple cases.
School by school rebellion Norm. Compared to what I am hearing now, we had rigorous standards at Jamaica. Kids had to show up and could write basic stuff. Many didn't make it. We were closed.
We wrote a piece on how to use the contract to stop grade inflation on June 19th Norm. We have power we choose not to use.
https://iceuftblog.blogspot.com/2019/06/use-contract-to-stop-grade-fraud.html?m=1
I do not favor ridiculous standards but not having any standards at all does these kids no favor.
Ed Notes is now an apologist for the UFT condoning grade fraud as a way to combat charter schools. Are you now buying into the entire market based premise of school reform that schools succeed or fail based on the quality of the teaching? Anyone who has been in a school knows this is bullshit. The culture of poverty is the main problem.
Many parents want charter schools because there is discipline. We need some order in public schools too.
Inflated grades, academic curriculums water down in high schools....it disgusting how politics first ...and children and are LAST!!!
5:29 is just now realizing that James is a joke. I too dont like James for going after my principal as well and for other reasons.
James, what's your definition of going after a teacher anyway. We all see the pattern. A teacher or two calls you about their principal and they're automatically on your blog. When I read these blogs, they are so one sided. Is the admin the only person at fault, did the teacher do anything at all? Tell us the whole story not part.
I work with 2-3 teachers that should not be in front of students. The admin SHOULD go after them. But not by your logic.
This is the first time I've ever seen you agree that Principals and teachers should unify because people are starting to call you out and exposing you.
I recommend spending your retirement free time to discuss how to unify both unions than the hate another admin or DOE crap.
We should work with administration whenever possible, particularly when there is common ground like on the evaluation system.
That said, everyone knows that the disciplinary process is often used for personal and/or political reasons against teachers. I stand by my colleagues.
Hard to respond on specific administrators when I don't know the school you are talking about.
Relax buddy the CSA guy is back. Ben Sherman has lots of free time in his new job so he is attacking you again anonymously or some other CSA troll has taken the job on.
This blog is very mild. It calls for some principals to be removed from buildings, not fired. If this blog was aggressively anti-administrator, it would call for terminations of sad excuses for educational leaders like Ben Sherman or Howard Kwait and not placing them in cushy administrative positions after they destroy schools.
5:29 and 7:18 sound like individuals that work in a bubble called LA LA LAND OR are sleeping with administration. Stop Trolling. The RESPECT UFT members have for Mr.Eterno makes your comments sound petty. WHAH WHAH WHAH go cry yourselves a river. I am sure your principal will change your diapers cause right about now you both are full of CACA just like your comments.
I don't condone grade inflation but explained the way the UFT thinks -- politically, not educationally. we must always consider context. Instead of really fighting charters and ed deformers from day 1 the UFT played a neutral or supportive game. When the axe came down blaming teachers for everything the UFT was left holding the bag and forced to defend the schools no matter how bad as a way in their distorted view to protect teachers - and tenure from further attacks. You don't expect the deformers to blame Bloomberg or Klein but are happy to attack Di Blasio because he is viewed as anti-deformer -- but to me he is not much different.
James - I would have hope for more rebellion if I saw more people in the comments section showing willingness to stand up publicly like you and others always did. Constantly griping anonymously about where the UFT has been gets nothing - also blaming the UFT for everything gets so old when people don't take individual responsibility for acting.
The anonymous commenters here are venting. We are providing a road map that they can take using the contract. Some, maybe not the commenters here, will use it.
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