To Progress is a Tough Test

Superintendent Lynne Celli reported Wednesday that the , andfailed to make Annual Yearly Progress towards MCAS testing targets in 2011.
They have a lot of company.
Eighty-two percent of Massachusetts schools failed to make AYP, the superintendent said.
This is largely because of the way the test is set up, she said.
Even a tiny decline in a different subgroup can land a school in a failed-to-make-progress category. The Middle School failed to make AYP for the third year in a row but it was in a different subgroup in 2011 and it fell short of progress by only .6 of a point, Celli said.
Hadley failed to make AYP by .7, she said.
Assistant Superintendent Maureen Bingham will present a full report on the testing results at the board’s next meeting.
The superintendent said debate is raging at the federal level over federal testing standards.
“Something has got to give,” she said. “Something has got to give.”
Nationwide, and over numerous years, many teachers and school administrators have said measurements for annual progress are ill conceived and place undue pressure on districts, sapping time and money.
The Swampscott schools that did not make AYP will not have to make drastic changes.
Changes will likely involve resource reallocation and a plan.
More information will be available Oct. 5, at the next School Committee meeting.

Here is a link to Swampscott testing results, showing the percent of Swampscott students at each performance level for the Spring 2011 MCAS testing.