e-news: October 17, 2023
In This Edition:
1. Concerning SOL Data for Economically Disadvantaged Students
2. Where Is the Data on New Assessment + Grading System?
3. What Happened to Intensified 8th Grade Social Studies?
4. Advocacy in Action - Grading For Equity
5. What We're Reading
6. October 12th School Board Recap
7. Happening Soon
Concerning SOL Data For Economically Disadvantaged Students
In our last eNews, we explained that recent SOL results reflect substantial continued learning loss, and that recovery from that loss is slowing or even reversing.
Continuing our analysis of the SOL results, this week we focus on the performance of economically disadvantaged students. On this measure, APS’ performance in all subjects has deteriorated significantly since 2020, and in most subjects its overall performance is—at best—middle of the pack in Virginia:
While 72% of economically disadvantaged students passed the Math SOLs in 2016-17, this last year only 57% passed, even with the state reducing the cut-off scores needed to pass those SOLs in 2018-19. This performance has moved Arlington from a rank of 55th (among 132 districts in the State) to a rank of 65th, which is the median state performance.
In Reading, SOL pass rates for economically disadvantaged students dropped from 69% in 2016-17 to 58% this past year (again, despite the reduction in cut-off scores made in 2020), moving Arlington from a rank of 65th to a rank of 87th in the state. And the SOL results for Science have been even worse.
Source: VDOE
Why It Matters: It is well-recognized that parents of means may supplement instruction with additional tutoring and support. A truer measure of how APS, on its own, educates its students may be reflected in the SOL results of economically disadvantaged students for whom such tutoring and support is harder to obtain. Most importantly, in each of these categories thousands of economically disadvantaged students are not meeting minimum grade-level expectations, and this number is increasing significantly across all subjects.
Our Take: APS has significant, urgent work to do to close the achievement gap of our economically disadvantaged students. APS leadership has devoted much time and airspace to discussing issues of equity but worrying achievement gaps remain. In its recent academic update, APS staff suggested additional investment in professional development and assessments as a potential way of reducing achievement gaps. But APS has failed to demonstrate that our teachers lack the necessary development, nor that current professional development programs actually help teachers. Neither has APS demonstrated that its prior assessment tools are a source of its performance issues. As we have advocated before, another potential root cause to consider is whether APS’ culture and focus is insufficiently dedicated to academic excellence for students across all socio-economic strata. We continue to advocate for an increased focus on academic excellence using high-quality, evidence-based instruction at APS.
Evaluation of New Assessment andGrading System Missing
In 2022, APS hired the Crescendo Education Group to analyze the district’s “Grading for Equity” assessment policy changes, which includes both changes to homework and testing policies across the whole school system as well as a new type of report card at elementary schools that uses "Standards-Based Grading." APS first piloted these assessment changes in 2015, and then expanded the program across the entire system before conducting a public analysis of its effectiveness.
Additionally, APS is not implementing Grading for Equity with fidelity because APS has fewer grading standards than Grading for Equity recommends (three instead of four) and lacks a numerically equivalent scale. This summer, APS approved new Policy Implementation Plans for this grading system, before receiving any data on the pilot program’s effectiveness from the consultant group it hired, and without aligning its design with Grading for Equity recommendations.
Why It Matters: Per the contract, Crescendo, along with Elite Research LLC, was required to “collect and review grading data of teacher participants to identify trends, patterns, and comparisons to earlier year(s).”
Effective communication of student progress to parents is critical to a successful education. APS paid for an analysis of its standards-based grading system and has implemented the program district-wide. Yet, APS has yet to share the consultant’s analysis of the effectiveness or impacts of the trial program. We urge this data to be reported publicly as soon as possible.
Read more about assessment changes here.
What Happened to Intensified 8th Grade Social Studies?
Despite Dr. Durán and the School Board’s direction to offer intensified English, Science and Social Studies middle school courses, in November 2022, APS announced there would be no 6th grade intensified classes for the 2023-24 school year because of planning issues. Additionally, APS announced the 8th grade intensified Social Studies class was also being removed as a potential option. Various reasons have been given for not offering the 8th grade intensified Social Studies class, but, in our view, none are conclusive.
Why It Matters: Providing the opportunity to take advanced classes will help keep kids who need more of a challenge engaged in middle school and makes APS competitive with other neighboring districts that also offer these classes. The direction from the School Board and Dr. Durán was clear, and is consistent with the stated goal of meeting all students’ needs, including the needs of students looking for more of a challenge. To achieve that goal, intensified 8th grade Social Students should be offered for the 2024-25 school year.
Read more plus APS' response to our questions in our APE Report.
Advocacy in Action
Arlington parent Todd Truitt appeared on Fox Business to discuss Grading for Equity (GFE) to ask for data to back up the new policy changes and discuss the need to focus more on learning loss. Watch the clip here and learn more about GFE at APS here and here.
Additionally, our X account (formerly known as Twitter) was involved in a discussion with Crescendo Group about its announcement of "Grading for Equity 2.0" with "amendments & clarifications" after discovering "potential weaknesses in these practices & possible misinterpretations & incomplete applications of the ideas."
The discussion led Crescendo CEO/Author Joe Feldman to offer to host a forum for Arlington parents to hear their thoughts and concerns about the grading changes, which APS decided to adopt universally without publicly discussing any pilot program data.
But after Crescendo received our suggested topics and discussion points, it backed out and directed us back to APS.
Here’s what we asked Crescendo about:
The qualitative and quantitative data underlying the approach, elementary scale and levels, the elementary homework and testing policies;
Secondary test retake policy and homework policy, as well as the effectiveness of Grading for Equity; how does it correlate with standardized test results, and how well does it support student/parents' understanding of student progress and students’ strengths and weaknesses?
Is Grading for Equity succeeding at reducing the achievement gap?
What about APS? We’ve asked them the same questions. When we get substantive answers, you’ll hear it here first.
October 12th School Board Meeting Recap
Dr. Durán began by giving support to Jewish students and all those affected by the recent terrorist attacks. He emphasized that APS will not tolerate any antisemitism or acts of violence. Dr. Durán then addressed how many employees, present and otherwise, continue to feel very frustrated, unheard and unsupported regarding the health care transition and vowed to support them and avoid similar missteps in the future.
Top Takeaways:
APS progress dashboard has been updated to show 3-year trends and results of SOLs and other assessments broken down by demographic groups and schools.
He also announced that Virginia's "ALL In" high-intensity tutoring program will be rolled out at APS in November, for 3rd through 8th graders who need this support.
A team of mathematics supervisors, special education directors and a director of English-Learners presented an update on APS Mathematics as part of the process to approve an additional full-time interventionist. The presentation touted gains that teachers and students have made with the help of interventionists and requested an additional 15 math interventionists at the elementary level. This would more than double the current number of interventionists (currently there are 10), but only 9 of the 15 would be considered new hires, as the rest are current staff funded by ESSER grants. (Read our letter on the presentation)
The APS' Internal Audit Annual Plan was amended and adopted to include and prioritize an audit of the 2022-2023 APS Health Insurance procurement process and related communication to APS staff.
The School Board voted to adopt revisions to School Board Policy I-11.1 Family and Community Engagement and revisions to J-2.1 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Read the full recap here.
Happening Soon
Monday, October 23, 6-8 PM: Open Office Hours with Mary Kadera and Bethany Zecher Sutton. Central Library, 1015 N Quincy Street.
Tuesday, October 24, 5:30 PM: Committee of the Whole Meeting - Topic: Facilities Study. Syphax, 4th floor, Room 401.
Wednesday, October 25, 8 AM: Policy Subcommittee Meeting. Syphax, Suite 260.
Thursday, October 26, 7 PM: School Board Meeting. Sign up to speak. Syphax. Watch live.
Friday, November 3, 8 AM: Audit Committee Meeting. Syphax, Suite 260.
Don't forget! You can subscribe to APS School Calendars here.
