The Trenton Times published the following article on April 11, 2013. To read the full article, click here.
Mercer County superintendents give new school grading system mixed reviews
By Jenna Pizzi/The Times of Trenton
on April 11, 2013 at 7:00 AM, updated April 11, 2013 at 7:03 AMA new system for measuring school performance in New Jersey got mixed reviews yesterday from some Mercer County superintendents, who said the system helps them to see what programs are working but makes it difficult to understand how well schools are doing compared with others.
The system, which compares schools with similar demographics and educational challenges, was used to help generate the latest round of school report cards, released by the state Department of Education yesterday.
“From a big picture standpoint I like the peer group ranking,” said Robbinsville Superintendent Steve Meyer.
He said the list of schools will help him determine which schools in the state are dealing with similar obstacles to improvement and make it easier to see what changes or programs are working for them.
Robbinsville high school got high marks in categories for academic success, college and career readiness, and graduation rates compared to all schools in the state, but within its peer group the school lags behind, the report said.
Meyer said new system will enable him to figure out which schools may have solved problems he’s still wrestling with.
“I think it is worth looking at communities that are getting good results in an efficient manner,” Meyer said.
To create the peer groups, the state compiled data on such factors as the number of students who get free and reduced lunch, the percentage of students enrolled in special education and those with limited English proficiency.
The problem, Meyer said, is that the comparisons within the peer group were done by percentiles — not scores, making it impossible for parents and the public to determine exactly how a school ranks within its “peer group.”
“I could be two points worse than the five schools ahead of me on the list,” Meyer said. “It is hard to know what that percentile really means.”
The School Performance Reports, which are available online, replace the old state School Report Cards.
The reports detail the percentage of middle school children who are chronically absent; the percentage who took algebra in middle school; and the percentage of high school graduates still in college or other secondary education 16 months after graduation. All of those are said to be factors in determining how well students will fare in college or careers.
The new reports were made with the intention to “fully and transparently categorize schools” and identify those that need support or deserve recognition, according to the DOE.
“Every school in New Jersey has some area that needs improvement,” read a document released by the state, along with the data on more than 2,000 New Jersey schools. “The performance reports …. will assist every school in taking the next step.”
The state yesterday also released school spending information, showing the average spending per-pupil rose from $17,322 in 2010-11, to $18,047 in 2011-12.
The reports showed that in Trenton, where per-pupil spending is upward of $20,000, schools continue to lag behind the state average and other schools in the same peer group. Trenton Superintendent Francisco Duran, who took over last year, said the reports are a way to start conversations about how to improve the city’s schools.
“I think the data has to be used as a reflection,” Duran said. “We can’t do the same things we have always done and expect different results.”
The peer group rankings replace the District Factor Group labels that have been used by the state since 1975. The District Factor Groups were determined using census data about income, education level and occupational status of adults.
Thomas Smith, Superintendent of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, said the peer grouping method the state took is in opposition to the district’s goals, because rather than comparing the district’s four elementary schools to each other, they are being measured against other, far-off schools.
“We have done a lot of work in terms of aligning our elementary schools to ensure that no matter what elementary school you go to in the district you are learning the same things,” Smith said.
He said he was also disappointed to learn that the high school did not meet the statewide goal of 35 percent of students enrolled in Advanced Placement classes. He said the report only looked at the number of students enrolled in AP courses for math, science, social science and English, but the school has more students enrolled in AP classes outside of those subjects.
“I would argue that this is not the best representation of our schools,” Smith said.
The Star Ledger contributed to this report.