Test Results by District Poverty Third Grade Excel
Test Results by District Poverty Third Grade Ranked by Score on ELA Excel
Test Results by District Poverty Third Grade Ranked by Score on Math Excel
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Test Results by District Poverty Fifth Grade Excel
Test Results by District Poverty Fifth Grade Ranked by Score ELA Excel
Test Results by District Poverty Fifth Grade Ranked by Score Math Excel
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Test Results by District Poverty Eighth Grade Excel
Test Results by District Poverty Eighth Grade Ranked by Score ELA Excel
Test Results by District Poverty Eighth Grade Ranked by Score Math Excel
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Test Results by District Poverty Tenth Grade Excel
Test Results by District Poverty Tenth Grade Ranked by Score ELA Excel
Test Results by District Poverty Tenth Grade Ranked by Score Math Excel
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These charts were compiled from the News Journal’s printing of the data. The pictures show the rankings of both charter schools and public school districts by their poverty levels. Some may say it is unfair to rate a district of many schools side by side with charters consisting of one. They may be right, but I was highly curious as to how charters stood when comparing scores to poverty levels, that for my benefit I included them.
It is rather apparent with a casual glance that poverty plays a big part in these scores. Remarkably the highest scoring units tend to have very low levels of those considered poor. There are some exceptions both ways, and praise or accountability needs to be extended to those parties who fall in either camp.
The most shocking take from all this for me at least, are the sheer numbers of kids listed in poverty. Particularly downstate, the shockingly high percentages are unbelievable. One hears that numbers of the poor are increasing but that news seems so far away. I guess those who don’t have children are the ones who are bringing up the average?
Are our children really growing up in schools where 3 out of 4, or 4 out of 5, live in poverty? We used to call that a ghetto. We now call it western Sussex County. Seeing these figures, it is outrageous that any rational human being would dare submit or vote to approve of any type of tax break for the wealthy.
To do so is immoral. outrageous, and a sin against God.
kavips 
15 comments
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July 25, 2013 at 9:15 am
John Young
Interesting, but it’s a trap. Using test scores to suggest that any of these kids are headed for success is the game.
My advice, let’s stop playing this game. Just look at Atlanta and D.C. When we use accountability measures like these, the game becomes playing the game and invariably, the kids lose.
We owe our children so much more than becoming slaves to test scores like our Governor and Sec. Ed.
Shame on them.
Don’t. Play. This. Game.
July 26, 2013 at 8:30 am
Around the Horn for July 19-25, 2013 : Delaware Liberal
[…] Kavips looks at poverty’s influence on student’s test scores. […]
July 26, 2013 at 11:13 am
kavips
I hear you John, and understand your concern. However I feel there is a place between placing zero emphasis on scores, and all emphasis on scores. Some place in the middle that does recognize patterns do occur and analyzes patterns which can create appropriate responses by taking all myth out of the equation.
That said, one must be always aware of a pool size, where a deviation beyond standard, can skew the whole results one way or another.
With both said, the larger the data base, the less significance those deviations impact upon the total. So this data base is a gold mine in which to find nuggets of truth.
One of the biggest truths being that the gains trumpeted by RODEL (remember the NJ Editorial) are because of selection, not talent.
If one wants to find talent I would tend to first look to Indian River. They jumped out as being an anomaly… For that reason, they would also be the first I would audit, again since they are an anomaly. I mean them no bad will. But before I were to praise them, i would like to know one was praising something legitimate, and not get stuck praising the likes of Atlanta and DC…
July 26, 2013 at 5:23 pm
John Young
The problem is that no one can find the “place” you refer to without screwing the kids. I’m not the guy yelling get off my porch, but my teachers talked about us kids in ways that helped move my education along just fine, even excellent.
There is no evidence these tests, these standards, these curricula or these PLCs are doing anything of the sort.
July 26, 2013 at 6:10 pm
Rob
John & Kavips,
Tests are a tool to and not show the whole student picture of a child’s progress or lack there of. Obviously analyzing patterns in trends does demonstrate that there is a direct relationship between tests scores and poverty. Choicing and Voucher advocates of Charter schools (i.e.Rodel) are probably using this data to choice out the better students and marginalize poor student populations. Swallow Up all children in poverty and poor test taking public schools who perform below average on these tests. I can attest to living in a low-income and being a poor test taker (average SAT scores-couldn’t afford Kaplan) who attended Public School and graduated from a prestigious university. That being said, Public School education with fair and adequate resources can provide quality education superior to a Charter School-only if the playing field is level. Plain and simple, provide quality education to all students which is a Basic Constitutional Right- keep Private Enterprises out of Education!! We have too many Charter Schools in Delaware!!! I agree with Kavips, audit and also check that there is no cheating taking place for any outlier school score. Although, Indian River is an excellent Public School. Ha Ha, my favorite classes were gym and music-not English and Math.
July 26, 2013 at 7:06 pm
kavips
I understand we got along rather fine for generations without testing. But I don’t think that same level of adequacy applies to everyone. Just that we didn’t know the effects because we had nothing except a teacher’s mark to prove we’d learned enough to advance. Finland seems to do very fine without testing as well.
Use of scores is evidence. For example some charters above seem to be doing poorly, operating far lower than one would expect from the few members of low income they teach. That can only be seen with a gauntlet of testing. Those students in those charter schools are getting second rate educations. I’m sure the teachers don’t know how bad they are doing. I’m sure the parents don’t know how bad they are doing. I doubt that even the students know how badly they are doing.
In their eyes, all is fine; they are learning. Without reference points that might be good enough, until one finds later they are learning at a far lower rate than anyone else.
July 26, 2013 at 8:00 pm
John Young
Use of scores is evidence of one thing: misuse.
I know it sounds like a broken record, but when we accept test scores as evidence, when there is no evidence to suggest they are worthy of being used as evidence, we become complicit with the corporate machine that has infested us.
Remember the battle cry of Chainsaw Al Dunlap and his ilk: “You move what you measure!” A whole lotta cheating in life, business and schools starts right there,
Again, we’re smarter than this, aren’t we? Except Jack and Mark and Paul that is.
July 26, 2013 at 8:23 pm
kavips
True, they can be misused. I’m not sure they all are. One usually has no need to lie to oneself. One lies to change the opinion of oneself in others. Cheating on test scores is a form of lying. The cheating is done to portray a different representation than that shown by reality.
That’s why removing the accountability piece is so important. If there is no reason to create a fake portrait, then it remains true. So if a teacher teaches her heart out, and the tests are given primarily so she can see what works and what doesn’t, the real drive that moves a classroom forward, now has more horsepower. We often comment on the negative because that is what we get hit over the head with. But the tests of those teachers who are very good, can be broken down in ways so their methods can be given to other teachers allowing them to steal the insights those teachers had to give. That is a win-win.
Of course, it comes from removing the accountability piece from the testing.
Because if the scores are true, even I’d be highly curious to see what factors gave Indian River its push to excellence.
July 27, 2013 at 11:58 am
John Young
But then you get trapped in catch-22 land. If you remove accountability and THEN suggest that better scores are the result of better teaching and not less hunger, more sleep, more stable homes, less poverty and more educated parents you have then fallen into the trap they have set and you find yourself in full agreement with SB51.
It is a vicious logic pathway the deformers and corporatists have cut for our teachers and kids.
It is not only unfair at its core, it is morally wrong.
The solution is to hand our schools to the educators and let them make decisions. Accountability comes from parents, not tests. Let that plan marinate for a couple of decades instead of foisting flavor of the day after flavor of the day for 30+ which is what we are in the middle of now.
July 27, 2013 at 3:33 pm
kavips
i hear you, but the flip side will always be there. Without accountability, how do you know whether a dead-end teacher, placed in the inner city, and because everyone is blaming poverty for the poor results, is doing anything but collecting a pay check? Again, it comes down to the children. How many students must be processed through such mediocrity simply because no testing is being done to determine if anything the teacher is doing is deemed effective?
It seems that testing is here to stay. Perhaps the tests need modified; need to be made by educators instead of having educators shunned from the process. In any regard, the testing as a piece of the puzzle is a good one to keep. For analytical purposes if nothing else.
It makes better sense to test children each year during their process, so we can determine what was missed and what needs patched in a timely fashion, instead of going through twelve solid years before we find out we have a serious problem.
And I think from your text, I see the difference in our two viewpoints. Directly above you stated…. “If you remove accountability and THEN suggest that better scores are the result of better teaching and not less hunger, more sleep, more stable homes, less poverty and more educated parents you have then fallen into the trap”….
My point is not to agree with the sadists who say that better teaching is determined by the up or downward slide of the test scores. My point is to say that better “learning” is determined by the test scores. Did the child learn, or did he not! Ah-ha. We have evidence!
The reasons for that learning can be debated up and down for all I care. Obviously giving parents a job that pays a good living wage, does far more to increase a child’s ability to learn, than does a good teacher. That is a no brainer. But while that debate is going on off to the sidelines, a child is learning who wouldn’t otherwise.
We can count our blessing one at a time.
July 27, 2013 at 8:58 pm
John Young
it sure is one sticky wicket.
July 27, 2013 at 9:14 pm
John Young
Did the child learn, or did he not! Ah-ha. We have evidence!
Actually, while we now know the child learned, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHERE FROM.
“Let’s rate the TEACHER PREP PROGRAM!” – Jack Markell (D-Rodel)
“Got any proof it would help kids?” – No One with access to power
“Yee Haw! It’s part of the ed reform agenda, let’s do it!” – Rodel
“Sounds like a great idea! I’ll sponsor the bill right away without checking with anyone or giving a shit about parents or taxpayers! Also, I’ll give Earl a jingle, he’ll help!” – State Senator Dave Sokola (D-Rodel)
And bad policy is born. Looks nothing like it should:
July 27, 2013 at 11:28 pm
kavips
Your accurate portrayal of the the “big three” generated a chuckle or two…
December 14, 2013 at 2:02 pm
First Delaware; Now Indiana: Charter Schools Scores Lag Far Behind Public School’s Scores | kavips
[…] That was done in Delaware… And it has now been done in Indiana!. One was anti-charter; one is pro-charter! Both have exactly the same results… Further research in other states will be required to prove the principle and to find the percentage anomalies can be expected to occur… But in two analyses approaching in two opposite direction, both point that public schools are better than charter in those two states. […]
July 6, 2014 at 5:43 pm
All About Common Core, Charters, and Public Education | kavips
[…] Poverty’s Influence on Delaware’s Education And Those Schools and Districts That Overcome It […]