The state Department of Education this week released the first ever school accountability report card, assigning letter grades to every public school in the state. The grades are determined by multiple measures of performance, including student test scores (the most important), student improvement, attendance and graduation rates and post-secondary readiness.
State School Superintendent Michael Martirano and school board president Mike Green say the letter grades should make it easier for parents and communities to know how their schools are doing. “Under this new system, schools will be held accountable for what is considered their core mission—increasing student achievement.”
The first round of grades reflects a traditional bell curve; there are a few As and Fs, but most of the schools earned a C, which is designated as “acceptable performance.”
Dale Lee, President of the West Virginia Education teachers union, questions the methodology used to determine the grades. “I really doubt the measurements,” he said. “I think it’s too strongly based on test scores. It’s based too much on a snapshot in time.”
Lee’s argument is bolstered by the fact that the most recent Smarter Balanced Assessment standardized test scores show that students in the upper grades spend less time the tests because they know it does not affect their grade. As a result, the test scores trend lower.
No doubt some will use the poor grades as an excuse for another ad hominem attack on teachers. That would be a mistake, as well as a disservice to professional educators who are underpaid and often underappreciated for their work.
Instead, the subpar grades should motivate parents and community leaders to partner with their schools to find ways to make improvements. Struggling schools can model what’s working in more successful schools.
County school leaders flooded the Department of Education with phone calls prior to the release of the grades. They wanted to know more about what grades their schools were going to receive and, if the grade was low, why? That’s a positive development because it forced administrators to focus on achievement.
Maybe the A through F rating system needs some tweaking, but the fundamental principle remains; West Virginia must have a way to measure school achievement, hold failing schools accountable and recognize schools with the most success.