Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
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Hmmm. Will Dayton really move up?
Norris Brown
It’s good news for Jefferson Twp., but possibly bad news for Dayton. Like Dayton Superintendent Percy Mack, it looks like his Jefferson Twp. counterpart, Norris Brown (pictured above) will have a better day than last year when state report cards are released Tuesday.
Dayton’s been celebrating its impending move out of academic emergency for more than a week now.
But perhaps the district won’t be the only ones moving up. And at least locally, it might still end up ranked last despite test score gains.
A good source tells me Jefferson Twp, which last year was the only Ohio district ranked below Dayton by the state, has actually outgained the city schools this year and will rank higher for its “performance index,” a measure of student performance across all tests taken.
Hmmm. Does it diminish Dayton’s accomplishment if it moves up to “continuous improvement” but remains last in the Miami Valley?
Probably Dayton’s best chance to not be last is if it can catch Trotwood (ranked 58 out of 60 in the Miami Valley last year). Dayton and Jefferson Twp. were at the bottom among all Ohio districts last year, but its likely their dual gains will be enough to at least not be last in the state again.
I know Mack wishes Jefferson and Trotwood no ill will, but I’m also sure he doesn’t want Dayton at the bottom on any list again.
(Image credit: DDN)
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Dayton Public Schools, Testing
Comments
By null
August 13, 2006 3:32 PM | Link to this
If Dr. Mack think’s the teachers are so great, then why are we without a contract? Why do principals get a 13,000 raise since 2001, and teachers are currently being offered nothing? DPS has made great achievements, Teachers that are great enough to become top leaders,test scores are up, graduation rate is up, class sizes are up, but salary is unchanged. If Dr. Mack is so happy, put the district money where is mouth is!!!By Bryan
August 12, 2006 2:07 PM | Link to this
This is non-sense. It doesn’t matter if DPA moves ahead of Jefferson or not. Getting out of academic emergency is the important thing.By Oldprof
August 12, 2006 1:26 PM | Link to this
Has everyone appreciated the impact of high-stakes testing and rankings on the Camden, NJ schools? At last count, there were going to be two lawsuits based on whistleblower status, several administrators out of work, and scrutiny from state and other watchdogs after several administrators and teachers conspired to falsify transcripts and to cheat on standardized tests. Evidently one superintendent is under criminal investigation because the artificially high graduation rates and test scores earned thousands in performance incentive bonuses. It’s one of the inevitable consequences; attach money to something, and some unscrupulous people will forge that thing to get that money—it’s happened over and over again with higher education vouchers (grants) at trade schools which enrolled students but didn’t provide instruction, and also in some of the early charter schools. I’m sorry to say that I’ll expect some Ohio schools to get caught doing similar misdeeds (in fact, we already know that some charters have given proficiency exams without supervising students). At least our local superintendents are reputable enough to avoid that suspicion.By Rick
August 12, 2006 11:29 AM | Link to this
Let us not forget Cleveland and East Cleveland. Even if Dayton ends up dead last, I am very encouraged by its progress. We need to keep improving and if that happens better rankings will happen too. We are in a situation like the 1970s and 1980s when American cars were badly made and the Japanese and Germans had better cars. In a long a painful process, American automobile manufacturers woke up and smelled the coffee. They began to improve. However, so did the Japanese and Germans. As they say, “A rising tide floats all boats.”