AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2007 > November > 21 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USGOSA Who?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In the past, the public didn’t hear much from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. But that’s beginning to change.
With a new administrative team, including communications and research directors, the office is putting out more information — and, notably, more useful information — than ever.
GOSA has long produced annual report cards on the state’s public schools. Earlier this school year, staffers also began creating monthly “e-bulletins” to explain in more depth some of the state’s educational data.
The first installment focused on trends in Georgia’s SAT results; the latest covers NAEP scores.
Now, I know what cynics out there are thinking: More government-issued propaganda. But I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised at how forthright some of the information has been presented. (They even list Georgia’s national rankings on each NAEP exam — which aren’t pretty.)
That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of boosterism in these newsletters, but some of the talk is more frank than you typically see.
So, check out the updated Web site, redesigned report cards and new bulletins, and let me know what you think. Who knows? Maybe this is the start of a more honest conversation about education in Georgia.
Hey, an education reporter can dream, can’t she?
Comments
By erin
November 21, 2007 10:25 AM | Link to this
OK, so normally I lurk around here and sometimes post, but today I wanted to say that I agree this IS acutally a bit more frank than most reports you see.
I went to schools in DeKalb County from kindergarten through high school and so I looked up the report cards for the ones I went to … and saw, for the most part, a big sea of red, meaning the students did not meet the standards.
I want to look at the newsletters, too, but at least there IS something in there stating plainly what the facts are, that in many of the schools out there, entirely too many kids are NOT meeting the standards.
Whether there will be a lot of excuse-making or focusing entirely on the NOT so bad parts while skirting around the truly awful results, is another question.
As to whether it means more honesty about education? Well, a reporter can dream but you shouldn’t hold your breath.
I wouldn’t count on that, personally!
By Alan
November 21, 2007 10:52 AM | Link to this
Good work, Governor’s Office of Student Achievement! We can’t make much progress on improving education unless we’re frank about where we stand. — Alan Richard, SREB
By jim d
November 21, 2007 11:19 AM | Link to this
A couple of observations/ opinons.
1) it does infact provide more data in a more user friendly format.
2) the data still sucks.
ie. a) too much gray area on the report cards.
b) While making some progress on SAT scores it would appear we could double that improvement rate (narrowing the gap) by merely waiting for everyone else to continue to slip. Although I do love the explanation portions being provided.Overall I’d say it meets standards (falls within the gray area) but has failed to exceed them. :-)
I do commend the GOSA, however, for making an honest effort to communicate.
By jim d
November 21, 2007 11:23 AM | Link to this
Slow blog day!
Teachers must either be traveling or busting butts in the kitchen.
By Lee
November 21, 2007 1:25 PM | Link to this
I would echo Jim Ds comments and say that this is a good first step. The more information parents/teachers/public has access to, the better off we are.
Jim D, you ought to know that these teachers aren’t in the kitchen, they’re out at the mall spending some of that work-six-hours-per-day-off-every-summer-overpaid-paycheck. :)
By happy2teach
November 21, 2007 1:26 PM | Link to this
Kudos to OSA! As a teacher it is refreshing to see data that hasn’t gone through a spin cycle. There is a strong desire to improve and it is very helpful to see where progress has been made, and where work still needs to be done. Hats off to Ms. jennifer Rippner and her staff!
By JustMe
November 21, 2007 1:26 PM | Link to this
Transparency (without editing) in data is always a good thing. After all, most any data can be slanted to support what ever views - right jim d?
By catlady
November 21, 2007 3:14 PM | Link to this
It is great to see the federal work with NELS 88 data, a very rich data source that has been underused, in my opinion. I used this data for my dissertation, and it could assist in some real policy improvement, IF UNBIASED policy wonks can have an influence on those in power. Good luck on that. (Every legislator and government official knows all about education—they have all been to first grade.)
I will enjoy puttering through the work OSA puts out. However, if they are too frank, they will find themselves “redesigned” or “reassigned” in a heartbeat. Just the way the world seems to work, in my experience.
By luvs2teach
November 21, 2007 3:54 PM | Link to this
Maybe it’s me, but I don’t see what the big deal is - the info they have on my school is info I was already privy to - now, lest you think it’s because I’m a teacher, the info for my son’s high school is no surprise either…
Maybe I know where to look - maybe I’m less deterred in finding the info - maybe my county is better about putting it out there - I guess if those of you not in the education biz think it’s good, then it is.
I still think though, that not enough people will pay attention, no matter how easy it is to find and interpret.
Now Lee and jim d - I was not at the mall, since I do most of my shopping online. However, I am sad because, in my 8 hour day, I don’t have the two hours the average American office worker has to waste taking care of my online shopping needs! :-p
Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
By jim d
November 22, 2007 4:48 AM | Link to this
Actually JM,
I believe it was Mark Twain that said— “Figures don’t lie, but liars figure.”
Y’all have a great turkey day!
By WhatWillBridgetDo?
November 22, 2007 10:34 PM | Link to this
“Maybe this is the start of a more honest conversation about education in Georgia. Hey, an education reporter can dream, can’t she?”
Gee Bridget, maybe if the “education reporters” at the AJC were willing to ask TOUGH questions, maybe we would get some of that “honest conversation” you so desire.
Sounds like you need some honest conversation yourself…with a mirror.