Steamboat Today: Scott Stanford: I've got a test for you

Archive for Thursday, August 2, 2007

By Scott Stanford Thursday, August 2, 2007

Scott Stanford's From the Editor column appears Thursdays in Steamboat Today. He also maintains a Blog about the newspaper.

Contact Scott at 871-4221 or e-mail sstanford@steamboatpilot.com

Steamboat Springs — The release of Colorado Student Assessment Program test scores for the Steamboat Springs School District put us in a quandary ever year.

How should we frame the story - that Steamboat scored better than 95 percent of the school districts in the state, or that Steamboat's scores weren't much better than the year before. What do readers care most about? What do we highlight?

Take one approach and we are accentuating the negative. Take another and we're spinning data to make the school district look better than it is.

The school district's performance is kind of like that of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have won 14 division titles in the past 15 years, but only one World Series during that time. Is Atlanta a great franchise or a notorious underachiever? The answer, according to the media, is both.

So, too, is the Steamboat Springs School District.

Here is a brief analysis of Steamboat's CSAP scores this year, which were released Tuesday. There were 27 school grade-level tests in which Steamboat scores could be compared to the year before. In 13 of those categories, Steamboat schools showed improvement in the number of students who scored advanced or proficient. Thirteen showed a decrease, and one was the same. Steamboat got scores for four campuses involving 35 total categories. In every case, scores outpaced state averages by at least 5 percentage points. Our seventh-grade math scores were 36 points better than the state average.

CSAP test scores are the primary factor in determining School Accountability Report ratings, which will be released in the fall. Since the reports began in 2000, Steamboat schools have earned the highest or second-highest rating every time. No doubt, this year's scores will result in every school being rated high or excellent again.

In other words, Steamboat's going to win the division, but maybe not the World Series.

We debated internally about what the lead of Wednesday's front-page story should be - the lack of significant change in the scores, or the performance compared to the rest of the state. Ultimately, we settled on a combination of both in the first two sentences of the story: "The Steamboat Springs School District again outpaced state averages on the Colorado Student Assessment Program tests. However, district scores did not change significantly from previous years, and administrators said the district can still do better."

The headline was "CSAP scores strong." The subhead was "Steamboat students outpace state, but show little progress."

So far, I have received no feedback on the story or the headlines, and I haven't seen any comments on the Web site. I presume that means readers thought we presented the story fairly.

Remember the days before CSAP tests and School Accountability Reports, when what you knew about your public school was based largely upon subjective or anecdotal data?

Using standardized tests to measure and rate schools is a relatively new phenomenon - Colorado has been doing it only since 2000. School accountability has been a boon for education reporting for newspapers - we now have a wealth of test data to break down, analyze and, ultimately, use to judge our schools. Newspapers have even given such standardized tests to politicians and school board members to measure their performance.

But obviously, test scores alone don't tell the whole story. If they did, surely we would have more harmony in the Steamboat Springs School District.

If you've got feedback for me on test scores or the way we report them, call or e-mail me.

Scott Stanford's From the Editor column appears Thursdays in Steamboat Today. Visit his Blog at steamboatpilot.com/stanford, call him at 871-4221 or e-mail editor@steamboatpilot.com

id04sp ( anonymous ) says...

There are many possible statistical interpretations in a case like this. Lack of improvement could simply mean that they're already pretty good and little improvement is possible.

Maybe the problem is the test. Is it a valid absolute measure of performance? Even the SATs get tweaked when too many kids make 1600s on them. Happens the other way around too, as when SATs were made easier a few years back.

I once took a Physics class in college where my 26 average landed me a coveted "C" grade. That's 26 out of 100. The prof was a world-renowned expert in the field of acoustics, and he hammered us with test problems taken from his current interests. Tenure is a wonderful thing, no?

Lack of improvement in local scores is more likely a result of the characteristics of the general population than anything else. This is not a high-tech area, but lots of people talk pretty good.

9th graders are about 15 years old, right? 15 years ago (1992) Steamboat was in an era where real estate had taken a beating in the wake of the stock market crash in 1987. There was an inventory of "affordable" housing around at that time, including many places that had been foreclosed and resold, etc. Could it be that the children of people who were able to cash in on the low-cost local housing are simply from families that are not as sophisticated as the ones who came before? There's nothing wrong with coming from a family where Dad is a carpenter or a concrete truck driver, but blue collar parents are less likely to push algebra and geometry when addition and substraction seem to work fine, right?

The problem is not with the schools or the teachers. Look to the parents and the things they care about.

Or, is there a big bubble of immigrants in there pulling down the math scores?

In a student population as small the local school system, small changes in the characteristics of the student population can make a big difference.

If Dr. Howell is worth her paycheck, she'll be correlating demographic changes with performance and looking for trends that are happening outside the classroom.

Or, I could do that for you. $100,000 in consulting fees should be fine.

August 2, 2007 at 3:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mom ( anonymous ) says...

Sorry, but is this article a joke? I think it is ridiculous and the last sentence shows the negative side (most always shown by the pilot when speaking about the district or BOE) and personal feelings that have NOTHING to do with test scores. If the pilot really wants a response as to what to print...how about congratulating the students and staff on a job well done.

August 2, 2007 at 4:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mom ( anonymous ) says...

Yes, he doesn't care what "the people" want or feel about ...his focus is on revenge and will get a stab in any way he can. It's as if he cannot find anything to write about so tries to create chaos or negativity towards the district.

August 3, 2007 at 9:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

id04sp ( anonymous ) says...

Let's not forget the USNA (Annapolis) scandals in recent years. How about the car theft ring where several Midshipmen were arrested?

We preach ethnic diversity and personal freedom, and then let Muslims cover their faces, wash their feet, etc., in school. Would Christians be allowed to do the foot-washing thing? It's a part of Christian tradition in some places. As for the confederate flag, what's wrong with flying it if your ancestors fought proudly under it? How is that worse than rap videos and music that advocate violence and degrade women?

We cannot be a society of "one" people when so many splinter groups exist in the name of diversity. It just doesn't happen.

I agree that the Pilot is pretty much a swap sheet, but it's the only newspaper we're going to get. I rely far more on the Rocky Mountain News, Denver Post, and various other media online sites.

I have posted the truth regarding obstruction of justice and favors done for personal and political advantage in our community on a couple of occasions. They've never lasted long. I've offered proof to the Pilot, but it's never been covered. I can only assume it's because one or more people associated with the Pilot is on the hook and cannot allow the truth to come out.

Take the Pilot for what it is. Journalism is not the name of the game. It's all about advertising revenue and diplay ads, in particular, for real estate. Anything that offends the real estate agency dollar is not going to get much coverage. Ever notice how anything that can tie a crime or a scandal to a particular neighborhood never gets in the paper?

Even the New York Times cannot be trusted anymore. It's all about "us versus them" every time a story is reported.

The internet is eventually going to put all of the print media out of business. Will that help spread the truth? Probably not, but it will give everyone a voice without having to go through a set of editorial prejudices to say what you think.

August 5, 2007 at 9:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

dundalk ( anonymous ) says...

Oh Id:

The beginning of your post rang with such clarity as to the lopsided applications of special interests to certain groups. Initially, I thought how refreshing - only to scan down thru the middle and see that you are still obsessed with the conspiracy theory. When will you ever wane from your plight.

August 5, 2007 at 9:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

id04sp ( anonymous ) says...

Dundalk,

When the truth comes to light, girlie.

It just keeps getting better all the time. I'd share it with you, but it wouldn't make any difference.

Ever heard of RICO? It requires a pattern. The pattern just keeps repeating itself.

Google up the "Chicago Greylords" scandal. It happens all the time.

August 6, 2007 at 8:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

dundalk ( anonymous ) says...

"Girlie"? Geez Id, how flattering.

For all the times you have posted here over the year, you keep talking about the corruption line, and yet no one seems too keen on following up on your allegations. Could it be, just possibly, that your case holds no water and that is the reason nothing is done?

August 6, 2007 at 9:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )