Comments on: D is for Demographics Part II: Closing Schools are Owed an Apology and a Reprieve http://www.edwize.org/d-is-for-demographics-part-ii-closing-schools-are-owed-an-apology-and-a-reprieve Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:46:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Christine Rowland http://www.edwize.org/d-is-for-demographics-part-ii-closing-schools-are-owed-an-apology-and-a-reprieve/comment-page-1#comment-66845 Christine Rowland Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:10:59 +0000 http://www.edwize.org/?p=6094#comment-66845 The only students excluded from PR analysis in any way are those very few who are considered 'alternative assessment' or non-diploma bound (meeting NYSAA criteria). This is a very small percentage of a school's IEP population. The majority of students with IEPs - both low and high need are most certainly included in all measures of the high school progress reports. Until now, only alternative assessment students have been excluded and then only from graduation rate. There is now a proposal on the table to remove them from credit accumulation measures also. But this is still a proposal - not yet a regulation. The vast majority of students with IEPs are included in all aspects of the high school progress reports - maybe someone else could speak to the earlier grades. The only students excluded from PR analysis in any way are those very few who are considered ‘alternative assessment’ or non-diploma bound (meeting NYSAA criteria). This is a very small percentage of a school’s IEP population. The majority of students with IEPs – both low and high need are most certainly included in all measures of the high school progress reports.

Until now, only alternative assessment students have been excluded and then only from graduation rate. There is now a proposal on the table to remove them from credit accumulation measures also. But this is still a proposal – not yet a regulation.

The vast majority of students with IEPs are included in all aspects of the high school progress reports – maybe someone else could speak to the earlier grades.

]]> By: Martin Krongold http://www.edwize.org/d-is-for-demographics-part-ii-closing-schools-are-owed-an-apology-and-a-reprieve/comment-page-1#comment-66841 Martin Krongold Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:58:45 +0000 http://www.edwize.org/?p=6094#comment-66841 These are reasonable facts with a foregone conclusion. It is not rigorous analysis. It's not unreasonable to assume that schools with the most difficult populations will have less progress. The question is whether DOE is selecting only schools with high SC or are there other schools with similar levels that are not being closed. Second, DOE now excludes students with IEP's from PR analysis and has lowered weighted HS peer indexes to incorporate schools with more SE and overage kids. This will reduce PR report failure rates by comparing them to more schools in their accurate peer. This work is a valuable step, but it states the obvious not the big picture. Many of these kids are excluded from PR calculations, and the DOE corrects for their impact by adjusting Peer Index, but let’s say the DOE is still wrong. We’re talking about 55% of what percentage of the school? 8% to 17% or so? OK, so your analysis (which has value) is about 4% to 9% of the school! It’s not a reason to fully condemn the PR’s. Sorry, it’s only convincing to those who toil under the PR’s parameters. These are reasonable facts with a foregone conclusion. It is not rigorous analysis. It’s not unreasonable to assume that schools with the most difficult populations will have less progress. The question is whether DOE is selecting only schools with high SC or are there other schools with similar levels that are not being closed. Second, DOE now excludes students with IEP’s from PR analysis and has lowered weighted HS peer indexes to incorporate schools with more SE and overage kids. This will reduce PR report failure rates by comparing them to more schools in their accurate peer. This work is a valuable step, but it states the obvious not the big picture.

Many of these kids are excluded from PR calculations, and the DOE corrects for their impact by adjusting Peer Index, but let’s say the DOE is still wrong. We’re talking about 55% of what percentage of the school? 8% to 17% or so? OK, so your analysis (which has value) is about 4% to 9% of the school! It’s not a reason to fully condemn the PR’s. Sorry, it’s only convincing to those who toil under the PR’s parameters.

]]> By: Bronxactivist http://www.edwize.org/d-is-for-demographics-part-ii-closing-schools-are-owed-an-apology-and-a-reprieve/comment-page-1#comment-66802 Bronxactivist Sat, 30 Jan 2010 04:10:39 +0000 http://www.edwize.org/?p=6094#comment-66802 As a teacher of a self contained classroom I understand that not all students are created equally. Some students have multiple disabilities and the Department of Education classifies them under the dominant disability. Many students with learning disabilities also have behavioral issues or vice verse. Many times the mandates change yearly yet the teachers are not updated to the changes made to students IEP procedures. Unfortunately, there is no centralized PD or any incentive for teachers or administrators to take on the extra workload of dealing with students with multiple disabilities. On top of the problems they face being at a low socio-economic level students face a stigma as not being "normal". Before the special ed supervisors gave out information and made sure that teachers had up to date information along with administrators being kept abreast of any changes in policy. Now principals are in charge of an area that most do not have practical experience in and is complicated. There are tons are regulations and procedures. The DOE came up with a complex, more then 300 page manual, to deal with explaining the pieces of the puzzle the Standard Operations Manual along with a plethora of documents to make the situation more clear is that each region/district has their own way of handling situations. Fix the mess of special education the way its run in the DOE before blaming teachers or schools for the lack of student performance. As a teacher of a self contained classroom I understand that not all students are created equally. Some students have multiple disabilities and the Department of Education classifies them under the dominant disability. Many students with learning disabilities also have behavioral issues or vice verse. Many times the mandates change yearly yet the teachers are not updated to the changes made to students IEP procedures. Unfortunately, there is no centralized PD or any incentive for teachers or administrators to take on the extra workload of dealing with students with multiple disabilities. On top of the problems they face being at a low socio-economic level students face a stigma as not being “normal”. Before the special ed supervisors gave out information and made sure that teachers had up to date information along with administrators being kept abreast of any changes in policy. Now principals are in charge of an area that most do not have practical experience in and is complicated. There are tons are regulations and procedures. The DOE came up with a complex, more then 300 page manual, to deal with explaining the pieces of the puzzle the Standard Operations Manual along with a plethora of documents to make the situation more clear is that each region/district has their own way of handling situations. Fix the mess of special education the way its run in the DOE before blaming teachers or schools for the lack of student performance.

]]> By: Christine Rowland http://www.edwize.org/d-is-for-demographics-part-ii-closing-schools-are-owed-an-apology-and-a-reprieve/comment-page-1#comment-66799 Christine Rowland Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:59:25 +0000 http://www.edwize.org/?p=6094#comment-66799 Thanks for all of your work on disparate impact Jackie. It seems that several respected sources including Advocates for Children and the Independent Budget Office are coming up with similar findings. Do you know if there are plans by any organizations representing the impacted communities to file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights? Thanks for all of your work on disparate impact Jackie. It seems that several respected sources including Advocates for Children and the Independent Budget Office are coming up with similar findings.

Do you know if there are plans by any organizations representing the impacted communities to file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights?

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