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The Latest Performance Report

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    Posted: Aug 18 2011 at 6:59am
Today's Journal...

Middletown schools show progress; fail to meet math targets

By the numbers

Middletown

2010-11 rating: Continuous improvement

2009-10 rating: Continuous improvement

Number of standards met (out of 26): 10

Performance Index score (2010-11): 85.9

State ranking (out of 609): 587

2010-11 overall AYP: Not met

Middletown schools doubled the number of indicators it met, 10 compared to five out of 26 the past several years (OR IS IT OVER A DECADE(S)). The district’s continuous improvement rating remained the same partly because of falling short on AYP targets, said Middletown schools Superintendent Greg Rasmussen.

“I’m pleased with the progress that we’re making,” he said. “We have a lot to celebrate ... When you have seven buildings out of 10 that improved their designation, I’d say that’s a heck of a lot of progress.”

A STRANGE REACTION FROM THE SUPER WITH THESE RESULTS, ISN'T IT? GUESS IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY WHEN IT REALLY ISN'T. BOTTOM LINE... IS 587TH PLACE OUT OF 609 A "LOT TO CELEBRATE" ABOUT? LOOK WHERE THE OTHER SCHOOLS LISTED ARE RANKED OUT OF 609. THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY HAVE "ALOT TO CELEBRATE"
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bumper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2011 at 8:15am
That’s according to a Journal analysis of raw data from the state assessment,  they need to do one of those on why their paper stinks so bad,and if they did one of those on the city, and the stink that would come from that..
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Marcia Andrew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2011 at 1:43pm
Yes, there is a lot of progress to celebrate!
 
MCSD as a whole made more than one year's expected growth on the Value Added measure, which measures how much academic growth each individual student made from one year to the next.  8 of the 11 school buildings achieved more than one year's growth, while the other 3 made the expected level of growth.
 
7 of the 11 buildings moved to a higher designation
--Amanda moved up from Academic Warning to Continuous Improvement
--Creekview moved up from Academic Warning to Continous Improvement
--Highview moved up from Continuous Improvement to Efffective
--Miller Ridge moved up from Effective to EXCELLENT !!
--Wildwood moved up from Continuos Improvement to Effective
--Vail moved up from Continuous Improvement to Effective
--Verity moved up 2 levels from Academic Warning to Effective !!
 
6 of the 11 buildings earned designations of Effective or better (Miller Ridge Excellent; Central Academy, Highview, Wildwood, Vail and Verity Effective)
 
The District-wide Performance Index rose 3.6 points to 85.9.  This may not sound like much, but as this index reflects the achievement of every student in every tested subject and grade, and is a weighted average, it takes a lot to move it.  Note that in the article, the Franklin superintendent is proud that his district's performance index rose "a whole point."  10 of the 11 buildings improved their Performance Index scores, with Wildwood and Verity increasing by more than 5 points.
 
As I discussed at length in another thread several weeks ago, the district doubled the number of indicators it met, from 5 to 10.
 
The graduation rate rose 3 points.
 
This is solid, across-the-board improvement. Are we there yet? Of course not, no one is resting on their laurels.  But it IS cause for celebration.  All teachers, principals, administrators and support staff, and students, deserve some congratulations for their hard work and dedication that is beginning to show results. If you know someone who works for or attends the MCSD, please let them know you recognize and appreciate the progress they are making.
 
Marcia Andrew
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ohiostorm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2011 at 3:30pm
Celebration?? "Yes We Can" celebrate winning the "We suck less then last year" award. We still suck but not as much. Hooray!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote middletownscouter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2011 at 3:58pm
Wow, could you guys be bigger Negative Nancies? It took a long time for our schools to get so bad. It is going to take probably just as long a time to get them back to being among the best in the state; even longer when you factor in the changed demographics of our city's population.

So yes, the students and faculty should be able to celebrate making improvement. It's this whole thing called a process of empowering and motivating them to continue to improve and achieve. No one said, "Good job guys, close the books we're done now." But being upbeat about making improvements is not uncalled for.

When the kids have worked hard and improved, to hear, "Well, you still suck," it doesn't really motivate them to do better, now does it?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ohiostorm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2011 at 4:30pm
I wasn't referring to the children. I was referring to the administration and their approach to education. I am not a fan of the "Participation Trophy" Is it a small step in the right direction, yes. Is it something to celebrate that 96 % of all the schools in the state perform better then our school system, No.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Smartman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2011 at 4:30pm
Clap Nice post scouter! Good points Mrs Andrew! We have made progress and yes it is going to take more time. But being positive is the best way to continue the trend. Unless of course you are Vet, then you would shoot and dismember all those that are not performing and point as many fingers as you can. In his world why be positive? Until we dance to his rules we are all failures!! Hers's a challenge Vet, you take a vacation day and I will too and together we will walk the halls at MHS and sit in on classes. Maybe Mrs Andrew could accompany us and you could see 1st hand how things are going. Thats if you have the guts to maybe admit you were wrong! Clap
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2011 at 6:09pm
Congratulations Ms. Andrew.  Thanks for your efforts on the board.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote spiderjohn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2011 at 7:10pm
same here
a wonderful move in the right direction
 
this town is tough for everyone, and becoming more challenging every day
 
any REAL good news is a treat
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2011 at 9:24pm

While I am glad that there has been improvement, and was among the first to say so and express encouragement (please see my post of 21 Jul 2011 at 8:50pm, under the topic “Repeated Message”), there is something that gives me pause.  Consider these three of the seven buildings that have just shown the greatest improvement, according to Ms. Andrew’s list above:

--Highview moved up from Continuous Improvement to Efffective

--Vail moved up from Continuous Improvement to Effective

--Verity moved up 2 levels from Academic Warning to Effective !!

The first two, Highview and Vail, have been completely repurposed for this year.  (This brings to mind the old saw “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”)

The third, Verity, which showed the greatest improvement (moved up TWO levels), has been closed!  (“No good deed goes unpunished”?)

Celebrate good news?  Yes!

Wait and see about the strategy?  Also, yes.

“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2011 at 9:34pm

As long as I am posting in the “education” area, and there are still rumors in town of a need for a building with classrooms and a commercial kitchen for Cincinnati State:

HEY!!!  City, Hall!!!  Are you aware that the former Verity Middle School building is now sitting vacant???

PS:  It is easily accessible from I-75, too.  Everyone will be able to use your fancy, expensive, new “enhanced gateway” (highway interchange)!!!

“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2011 at 9:55pm
While driving off the 75 Middletown exit I took great pause to note the row of what many consider cancerous rows of the power grid lines running the peripheral of the Middletown exit. That does not equate to the attractive "gateway" to Middletown, and the 15-20 degree curvature in northbound exit is extremely dangerous in bad weather, rain and snow.
 
As for improvement, 99.9% of the inhabitants of Middletown and 100% of a business and potential resident looking to move to Middletown would not view anything positive about a CI ranking being CI, regardless of "leading indicators" moving up from 20% to approximately 45%. They view CI as CI, and status quo, and not interested in moving to Middletown....sadly.
 
Congrats go to the teachers, Ms. Andrew, Mr. Fiora, others, from making the best of a very bad situation associated with the city's decisions leading to a downward socio-economic scenario.    
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 19 2011 at 3:16am

Well, contrary to what Mr. Price kept feeding us, apparently more money is not always the key to learning.  Consider these two excerpts from a recent Cincinnati Enquirer article:

Greater Cincinnati’s second-largest district – the 18,400-student Lakota Schools in Butler County – was able to maintain its top ranking of “Excellent With Distinction” despite cutting millions in 2010-11.

In Warren County, the embattled Little Miami Schools earned a third straight ranking of “Excellent” despite being insolvent and under state control since last year.

You can read the entire article here:  http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110817/NEWS0102/308180008/CPS-again-highest-rated-Ohio-s-urban-districts

And it looks being an “urban” district does not rule out learning.  Consider this from a Fox 19 story:

CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) - The Ohio Report Card has rated Cincinnati Public Schools as 'effective' for the second straight year, district officials announced Wednesday.

 

You can read more of this story here: http://www.fox19.com/story/15283545/cps-rated-as-effective-by-state

So, let’s go, MCSD!  Persevere!  You can do it, too!!!

“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 19 2011 at 6:48am
scouter says...

   When the kids have worked hard and improved, to hear, "Well, you still suck," it doesn't really motivate them to do better, now does it

"Negative Nancies".....good one.

No one has directed their comments toward any kid in this system. Even us detractors, negative people and critics know better than that scouter. No one has said the kids "suck". We have heard the district performance "sucks", the effort "sucks", the superintendent's game plan "sucks" (Price), some parents efforts toward their kids education "sucks" or the school board decisions sometime "suck". When did we start pointing the finger at the kids as to blame?

The anger, frustration and disappointment is directed where it should be......the school board (past and present), the supers (past and present) and the length of time by this school district to admit that they even had a problem, much less start making changes to their failed ways toward improvement and now the city gets a major portion of the blame by dumping all the Section 8 and the havoc it can play on a school district in performance. The kid's parents are an issue but the kids have never been a major player in the blame game. They are a product of what is pumped into their heads both at home and at school. The bottom line here is that improvement is all relative. You can say, as all of you are, that we are starting to hit home runs now with our baby step improvements after, what, several decades. You can also look at the data in the article and say that regardless of the changes we have made, and the improvements we have effected toward the positive, we are still in continuous improvement and we are still 587th out of 609 school districts, while the other school districts around us have made changes/improvements by leaps and bounds while we are still locked in baby step mode and this was all done in the same time frame. It would indicate that this school district took longer to react to their issues (this includes educating a poorer social economic community) than the others did in the same time frame.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 19 2011 at 6:54am
Originally posted by Smartman Smartman wrote:



Clap Nice post scouter! Good points Mrs Andrew! We have made progress and yes it is going to take more time. But being positive is the best way to continue the trend. Unless of course you are Vet, then you would shoot and dismember all those that are not performing and point as many fingers as you can. In his world why be positive? Until we dance to his rules we are all failures!! Hers's a challenge Vet, you take a vacation day and I will too and together we will walk the halls at MHS and sit in on classes. Maybe Mrs Andrew could accompany us and you could see 1st hand how things are going. Thats if you have the guts to maybe admit you were wrong! Clap
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 19 2011 at 7:27am
Ok Smartman, you're on. I'll take a vacation day and we'll go see your schools you keep bragging about. I'll bring the test data comparisons, the levy money support from the community they said was needed for good schools, and the indicators history. I would be interested in asking the school officials to explain why we are at this level of performance and what the new schools have accomplished in academic achievement as compared to the old schools. Gotta be a Tuesday, Weds or Thursday though as my son, who has those days off will have to watch my wife while I go to your schools. You name a Tues, Wed, or Thurs. and let me know enough in advance (a couple of days) and I'll make arrangements to be off work. Will it be MHS or one of the elementaries or a combination?

"We have made progress and yes it is going to take more time"

It's taken decades....how much more time do you need? It's always "give us more time", isn't it? The mantra of the school officials.

Shoot and dismember? A little harsh wouldn't you say? I was thinking more in lines with some accountability and some downsizing for those who can't produce results. After all, that's the way it works in the real world, right Smartman? Nice exaggeration though bud.

Never have produced some rules to live by. Have you ever seen any written? Just espoused, as many on this site have done, what I believe to be, some reasonable, logical criticism about what is really happening and then asking why it has taken so long to change the failed ways. Your observation comes from the fact that I refuse to see this effort through rose-colored glasses like the school supporters do.

If Ms. Andrew wants to come along that's fine, but do you really think it would be a good idea to have two people walking together that see things so differently? Wouldn't that promote a potential conflict. I just don't see the rainbow that is being eluded to in the performance factor as yet. My bar is set a little higher as to what impresses me in this school district and I don't get all "giddy with delight" when "baby step accomplishments" are announced.

"Thats if you have the guts to maybe admit you were wrong!"

Your challenge is a little juvenile as presented, but a challenge nevertheless.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Smartman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 19 2011 at 5:19pm
You dont get it do you Vet? I'm not talking about you bringing your years of data and your breifcase. Im talking about you being an observer to see what the teachers and administrators deal with! Im not talking about going to AP classes where most of the sucessful students are. Im talking about going to ordinary classes where the teachers have an uphill battle from the first bell.
 
You keep spewing all your data and comparing education to 30 years ago, but you do not know what goes on today or what it is really like on an  everyday basis. Your son is no longer in school and times have changed.
 
Yes sir I will go with you on 1 condition. You leave you so called data breifcase at home, keep you mouth shut and observe. At the end of the day we can discuss what you have see with Mrs Andrew and Mrs Cotter. If you cant do that then the deal is off! 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 19 2011 at 11:22pm
Oh, NOW you want to put stipulations on your original suggestion that I go with you to school. The data I am referring to is similar to the data that appears at the top of this thread, bud. I'm not comparing data from thirty years ago. I don't have to Smartman. It is the same pathetic data that is presented today, painting a picture of little to no improvement. Look at the data from when this school district first participated in these state mandated programs and you will see the performance is similar today. Yes, the indicators have risen from 5 to 10 (after a decade or so), but the proficiency test scores in all grades, in all categories- especially math and reading, are essentially in the same range. Levies have been passed, money has been spent, new schools have been built with all the latest bells and whistles and yet, nothing has made a significant difference toward bringing this district back to the prominence it once had. That's a fact and the numbers say so. Sugar coat it if you must, just like some members of the school board and the educational community do, but it is still what it is.... the weakest district in SW Ohio and a reason for parents to vacate the premises for greener pastures in another district.


"Yes sir I will go with you on 1 condition. You leave you so called data breifcase at home, keep you mouth shut and observe. At the end of the day we can discuss what you have see with Mrs Andrew and Mrs Cotter. If you cant do that then the deal is off!"

Gonna "gang up" on me with your educational world buddies are ya? Great tactic. May be a discussion, but doubt if there will be any agreements. I would imagine neither I, nor your little group will yield. We may not accomplish a thing here, but let's do it anyway.

Nice attempt to control the situation, but the last time I looked, I was not one of the students who take orders from you nor the people in the school district. Are you actually suggesting that I comply with your demands? How naive to think that will happen. Are you a teacher or school administrator as you certainly demonstrate that "bossy/ controlling" attitude. Problem is, I'm not one of your students who have to take direction from you and I can get away with telling you where you can put it. You and your educational buddies need to know you don't run the show, the taxpaying citizens do and they can change the game anytime they wish with a no vote at levy time, financially strangling the district into state control. (See Little Miami schools situation to verify this can happen) All we have to do is fail 6 or 7 levies in a row and it goes to the state for control, eliminating all of this bickering. Your school district is fragile in that way and can be taken down with successive levy defeats.

Wow.....more stipulations not mentioned on the first go-around in your proposal. My "so-called data" is actually real and documented. It is public record. As to the comment of keeping my mouth shut.....hell, you sound like me as to bluntness and in being crude, but you know I can't keep my mouth shut. That is for weak subservient fools who appear to believe and defend all this school system seems to shovel. You know, the quiet, mousy types that get steamrollered by the powers that be and are as gullible as they come. Now,do you want to continue this verbal battle or do you want to go to school so that I can see your vision of this "much improved district" that you are so enamored with. It will be under my terms as to my participation, not yours. I have not made any demands on you for your visit and you will not make demands regarding my compliance.

Now that we have cleared the air on that........back to the original request for a time.

Again, what Tues, Weds or Thursday do you wish to do this and I'll make arrangements to take a vacation day at work. Balls in your court again.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sassygirl Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 19 2011 at 11:36pm
You forgot to include the latest graduation rate, hot off of of the  ODE website.

District

IRN

2009-2010 School Year OLD Graduation Rate

2009-2010 School Year NEW Graduation Rate

Difference

Middletown City

044404

82.0%

72.6%

9.4%


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pacman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 20 2011 at 5:48pm
Ms Sassy,
 
Can you please provide a link to the declining graduation rate as stated above?  Mrs Andrew stated in her post above that the graduation rate went up 3 points, which would make it 82.1% over 2009-2010's 79.1% graduation rate as recorded in the state indicators section of the report card (see link below).  Thank you in advance.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Marcia Andrew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 21 2011 at 4:30pm
Pacman,

Ohio has been required by the US Dept of Education to change the way high school graduation rates are computed. Every state does it differently, and US DOE wants more consistency.

So, comparing apples to apples, MCSD's graduation rate went up from 79.1 to 82%, from last year to this year using the same formula. However, using the new formula, MCSD's graduation rate was only 72.6%. This does not mean that all of a sudden 9% fewer Middletown students graduated than was previously reported. It's just that a different equation was used. I wish I could explain the two formulas and how they differ, but I can't.

What Sassy left out is that, under the new calculation, almost every district shows a lower graduation rate than under the old calculation. For example, Hamilton dropped from 92.2 to 81.7 (10.4% difference), City of Cincinnati dropped from 81.9% to 60.2% (21.7%), Dayton dropped from 84,4% to 59.3% (25.2%) and Springfield dropped from 75.9% to 66.2% (9.7%). Of the 20 urban school districts which ODE believes to be "Like Districts" to Middletown in terms of demographics, only 6 had a higher graduation rate than Middletown under this new calculation.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pacman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 21 2011 at 4:45pm
Mrs Andrew,
 
As Bill O'Reilly would say, "I am a simple man". If i have 100 students in my high school and 82 of them receive a diploma that is an 82% graduation rate.  Now I know we are talking about the US Government and they could screw up making a PB & J sandwich, but I fail to understand how you can go from an 82% graduation rate to 72.6 when the graduation went up.  Either 82% of the students got a diploma or they didn't.  I know the Government must have some wild formula that they use that they normal person (such as myself) would look at them as say "What the hell are you talking about?".
 
By the way, Congrats on the increase in indicators from 5 to 10.
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Neil Barille Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 21 2011 at 5:03pm
Pac, I can easily see how calculations can be performed differently.  Are you using a four year number -- comparing the freshmen class to the senior/graduating class four years later?  Are you looking at just what happens in that fourth year?  How do you factor in transfer students -- in and out of the district?  How do you factor in kids that graduate in a non-traditional way, like with home-based computer courses.  Etc etc etc.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pacman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 21 2011 at 9:46pm
Neil;
 
I am talking about the Senior graduating Class only. I am not talking about the 9th, 10th, 11th graders who may or maynot make the 12th grade at Middletown High School.  I am also not talking about the 9th, 10th, 11th, & 12th at Middletown Christian, I am also not talking about HomeSchool Kids or K-12 online programs.  I am also not talking about the students that transfer out of the school district to Franklin, Madison, Monroe etc. etc. (such as my son, who is going to Monroe).  I am also not talking about student that transfer out of Middletown High school in their Senior to another district as that would be counting them twice. 
 
As far as I'm concerned on the last day of school, the number of Seniors that finsh their Senior year minus the ones that do not receive a diploma is the graduation rate at Middletown High School.  I know we are talking about the Federal Government who can overthink any simple problem and that is half the problem with our education system now.  There is a saying in business called K.I.S.S. and maybe the Federal Goverment should use it.  It that stands for "Keep It Simple Stupid". 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote middletownscouter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 23 2011 at 9:32am
It seems simple but it really isn't - statistics rarely are. Looking only at who is enrolled as a senior on the last day of school and what percentage graduated vs. those not getting a diploma only gives you a snapshot of that day and that day only.

To get a true picture of an actual graduation rate you need to look at the status of every student who has been enrolled at the high school who should be a graduating senior on the last day of the school year. This would include:
  • Students who are graduating from MHS on time;
  • Students who are enrolled at MHS but are not getting their diploma;
  • Students who dropped out of MHS during their senior year or before;
  • Students who moved out of town while enrolled at MHS;
  • Students who transferred from MHS to another area high school;
  • Students who should be graduating but were held back a year or more;
  • Students who graduated from MHS a year or more early;
  • Students who have been expelled from MHS;
  • Students who died before graduation;
  • Students who receive their diploma and/or GED after the end of their senior year at MHS via summer school or another program;
  • Students who are enrolled at MHS but are incarcarted at the time of graduation;
If you don't take all those factors into account, it's kind of a meaningless number in the end. The overall number of students to base your rate on would be every student who was ever enrolled at MHS who SHOULD have been part of the graduating class of that year. Some of those items (and I'm sure there are more that I didn't list) will be positives that improve the graduation rate (those actually getting diplomas for instance), some will lower the graduation rate (those who dropped out prior to their senior year for example), and some (such as transfers out of MHS to another school) would be neutral in that they don't actively help or hurt the graduation rate but overall have an affect one way or the other by reducing the base number of students which makes every remaining student in that adjust base # a higher portion of your overall rate.

If you don't account for all of the students, you don't get a valid picture of actual performance. It would also be easier to game the system by removing students not making it from the rolls prior to the end of their senior year, which gives you an inflated graduation rate. It look like an effective job is being done, but it isn't accurate as it doesn't take into account all those other kids who should have been seniors and should have been graduating, but aren't there as students anymore and don't get factored into the equation.
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