SJR #2 – Assessment Inventory Committee Meeting Update

I attended the Assessment Inventory Meeting this week–I am not sure what direction the committee is heading. I appreciate the open discussion and the questions that were being asked by some committee members. The next meeting will be February 22, 2016 from 4:00 to 6:00 – Townsend Building.

Dr. Terri Hodges with the Delaware PTA and Natalie Avini Ganc, a Delaware teacher, both made public comments at the end. They commented about how there are no parents or classroom teachers serving on the committee. When I addressed the committee, I told the committee that I agreed with Dr. Hodges and Ms. Ganc’s comments. I also asked the following question and asked for the DOE to get back to me and the committee with an answer:

We are constantly comparing schools and their state assessment scores. I asked if there was data available showing which schools test in March, April, and May? With an elementary school that tests in May, the school’s scores are compared to another elementary school that tests their students in March. The elementary school that tests in May has two additional months of instruction time compared to the elementary school that tests in March.  One would assume that a school that tests in March probably has no choice because of the size of their school; the school needs to start testing early on in order to get all of their students tested.

Example: Washington T Booker Elementary School has 304 students and no 5th grade. Warner Elementary School has 529 students and 5th grade. Warner has 200+ more students than Washington T Booker and an additional grade level to test.

I am interested in seeing when schools are testing and if, certain schools are testing later, are their state assessment scores better compared to the ones who are testing earlier? Also, does size of a school matter when it comes to state assessment scores? It would be interesting to see data showing size of school and test dates and see if there is a correlation between the two.

View the entire bill, click here – SJR #2.

 

SJR #2 – Directing the DOE to Study Student Assessment Testing – Update

Appointments from the House and Senate were completed in August and September.

View the entire bill, click here – SJR #2.

The amount of testing required of our students and educators has grown significantly in recent years. While the General Assembly recognizes the need to administer assessments that provide valid and reliable data about how Delaware’s students are growing academically, it is also committed to maximizing time in the classroom for our educators to teach, and our students to learn.

The Department of Education is already coordinating an inventory of all assessments required at the state, district, and school level. This Joint Resolution requires the Department of Education to report the inventory results, and any assessments that districts or the state propose to eliminate, to the public and to the House and Senate Education Committees of the General Assembly. It also requires the Department to convene a group, consisting of members of the General Assembly and the public, to conduct an in-depth review of the inventory results and make recommendations for consolidation or elimination of assessments.

Membership Information 

Membership:	Appointing Authority:
Three House Members of the House Education Committee (two members of the majority party and one member of the minority party)	Speaker of the House
Three Senate Members of the Senate Education Committee (two members of the majority party and one member of the minority party)	President Pro Tempore
President of the Delaware State Education Assoc. or designee
President of the Chief School Officer’s Assoc. or designee
A rep. of the civil rights’ community	Governor
A parent	Governor

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Appointee Information 

Appointee:	Appointed by:	Appointment Date:
Rep. Earl Jaques	Speaker of House	08/21/2015
Rep. Sean Matthews	Speaker of House	08/21/2015
Rep. Timothy Dukes	Speaker of House	08/21/2015
Sen. David Sokola	President Pro Tempore	09/15/2015
Sen. Nicole Poore	President Pro Tempore	09/15/2015
Sen. Ernesto Lopez	President Pro Tempore	09/15/2015