Re: [Phys-l] Friendship trumps competance Was: Re: WHY VALUEADDEDTESTING IS A BUST.

["M. Horton" <scitch@verizon.net>]

Crawford elementary has demographics that are FAR below state average and 
have results far above state average and yet "The affluent areas are doing 
even much better"?  That's not how averages work.  Of course you can find 
affluent schools that are doing well too.  But the point was that Ravitch 
said that poverty is the cause of low performance.  Crawford Elementary is 
one piece of evidence that she is wrong.  There is something else about 
schools with a high population of poor students that causes the poor 
performance, not the poverty itself.  I'd recommend reading the 90/90/90 
research and two books entitled, "It's Being Done" and "How It's Being 
Done."

Here's the link to the 99%: 
http://www.greatschools.org/cgi-bin/tx/other/3378#students

I've been watching this school for years and it has been around 99% for 
several years now.  I've verified the data with the state of Texas website 
and I have spoken with the elementary science coordinator for the Houston 
Independent School District who also verified it.  After 1998, another 
school in the district was closed and many of the students transferred to 
Crawford.  Their data dipped as a result because it will take several years 
to catch those students up.

Being from California, I can speak confidently about our schools.  You will 
NOT find an affluent school in the entire Riverside or San Bernardino county 
that has similar results to Sixth Street Prep.  Temecula is the most 
affluent city in Riverside California.  Here are the results from Temecula 
Elementary School:

Hispanic and African American: 50%  State: 56%  6th Street: 90%
English Learners: 26%  State: 24%  6th Street: 36%
Reduced-Price Lunch: 46%  State: 51%  6th Street: 84%

5th grade:
Language Arts: 72%  State: 58%  6th Street: 96%
Math: 64%  State: 60%  6th Street: 100%
Science: 61%  State: 56% 6th Street: 96%

6th street has a more challenging demographic in every category and 
out-performs Temecula Elementary in every category.  Poverty is NOT the 
cause of poor performance in school.  There might be a correlation between 
the two, but not a causal relationship.

I wouldn't give too much credence to the greatschools.org rankings.  The 
Crawford Elementary described here is given a "5" rating whereas the highly 
affluent Crawford Elementary in Crawford, Texas with slightly better test 
scores received a "10."

Thanks for keeping the conversation civil.  This topic can get very 
emotional.

Mike


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>
To: "'Forum for Physics Educators'" <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Sent: Friday, September 03, 2010 10:51 PM
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Friendship trumps competance Was: Re: WHY 
VALUEADDEDTESTING IS A BUST.


> > Crawford Elementary School in Houston, Texas
> >
> > CES is 99% Free and Reduced-Price Lunch
> > CES is 98% Hispanic and African American
> > CES is 51% English Learners
> >
> > In 2008, CES achieved 100% proficiency on the state science test where 
> > the
> > state average was 85% (and the state had much less challenging
> > demographics).  This includes poor, English Learners, special education,
> > boys, girls . . . everyone.
> According to the sites I have seen it only has 75% free and reduced-price
> lunch, so the 99% free & reduced statistic may be overstated.
>
> City-data.com school rating (weighted overall 2006 test average as 
> compared
> to other schools in Texas) from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) is 37.
>
>
> Read more:
> http://www.city-data.com/school/crawford-elementary-tx.html#ixzz0yXILhrpS
>
> It certainly doesn't look too bad.  But compare it with West U in a
> reasonably affluent middle class area:
>
> http://www.har.com/school/campus-West-University-Elementary-School-101912255
> .html
>
> And please read the paper that I re-referenced.  While state test scores
> have gone up the scores on international assessments have gone down, so 
> that
> teaching to the narrow state tests can raise scores, but on a more
> comprehensive test scores will go down.
>
> Crawford may be doing a very good job, but I would have to see more
> evidence.  The affluent areas are doing even much better, so the disparity
> may still be there.
>
> Where did the 99% for Crawford statistics come from?
>
> John M. Clement
> Houston, TX
>
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