Test Score Rhetoric

There is a rhetoric going around town that is misinterpreting some numbers regarding standardized scoring. The numbers are being skewed and pulled from organizations with an agenda to promote privatized schools.

These numbers are also being taken out of context and without regard for the different dynamics of the various communities across our state.

Each community has different challenges when preparing our children: Income levels, Percentage of ESL, mill levy funds, ect. Each of these provide a unique challenge to each community that make a straight comparison of scores unusable.

These scores should be used to compare communities of similar make up and also to compare a district with itself to see if it is improving year to year.

I'm hearing many people wanting to blame teachers for these scores which in all honesty isn't fair. These scores have been like this across the state since their inception around 2015. Attacking teachers will just make talented and caring people leave our district.

Are these numbers important? Yes, but they need to be looked at through the correct lens.

References: https://ksreportcard.ksde.org/ https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.3983 Discussions with educators throughout our state.