Wolverines?

4 Replies to “Wolverines?”

1. Yet, notice.
   They don’t say what is the consequence to the student for failing.

   In Maryland, the Proficient cut score on MSA is 50%
   The Advanced cut score is 70%.

2. Teachers I have spoken to in the state say that the change in cut scores is a good thing, that they may have been too low. As for consequences, the state is involved in creating a process to help schools improve teaching and thus improve achievement.

   And of course some of the teacher training in the state is quite good and will be an asset.

3. Why is this failing?

   The entire education industrial complex is based upon the assumption that ANY child can learn ANYTHING to high levels of academic competence at ANY TIME.

   The growing body of scientific evidence about the adolescent brain suggests otherwise. This research is done by SCIENTISTS, and not policy experts.

   Policy expert is code for “I have a lame degree and I do not want to be a barrista, and I certainly cannot teach HS math or science.”

   But the army of edu-policy experts, entirely unscientific in their training and approach to education, will not have any of it.

   Their linear, production line method of measuring education performance is nitwitted. But it is all they can do.

4. I know in my first year teaching, we had a heck of a time trying to prepare for the Ohio Gradudation Test because we had no idea of what the cutoff scores would be. As people do with virtually all standardized tests, they determined the curve after they had the results back. The cutoff scores ended up being only around 42%! I wish I would have known that at the beginning of the year!