In Mt. Lebanon there also is a small increase in the number of parents opting out of the PSSAs. At Lincoln Elementary, one of the district's seven elementary schools, six students were opted out of the tests for religious reasons, said district spokeswoman Cissy Bowman.
Religious reasons are the only reasons for opting out under state law.
Ask your kids if they see posters like, "Rock the PSSAs" or "Be a Star Test taker!" Parents, did you get an email from your child's school like this one?
From: Mellon Middle School <noreply@mtlsd.net>
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2013 14:30:14 -0400
To: Mellon Middle School Parent
Subject: PSSA Testing next Week!
[Attachments to this email can be found by clicking on the links at the bottom]
Hello Mellon Parents/Guardians:
I'm just writing to remind everyone that next week is the Reading and Mathematics PSSA testing. This is one of the more important testing sessions for us in terms of our building showing what our students can do and ultimately achieving "Adequate Yearly Progress" as determined by the PA Dept. of Education.
As always, a good nights sleep and a good breakfast have always shown to help our students do better on these exams. A snack will be provided for students during the testing.
See the attached flyer on our Physical Education Department's program "Get Pumped for PSSA's!" This is a chance for students to participate in some physical activity the morning of the tests. Research has shown that physical activity and exercise helps to get the brain going.
As always, if you have any questions regarding PSSA testing, contact our guidance office or principal's office.
Attachment: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bw4HgUhOxt4KT2RSU3g0TDNieXM/edit?usp=sharing
Why do you suppose the kids are being given snacks and asked to join the games and activities in the AM? The poster says that these tests are important. For whom? The students? Nope. Check this out.
http://www.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/document/1215934/mt_lebanon_sd_pdf_(2)
There it is in black and white:
The performance on the PSSAs are the primary metrics used by theThe PSSA scores are important to the principals and my guess, our super Super because that is what puts food on their tables. High stakes testing are harming teachers, students, and schools.
Superintendent and Board to evaulate how the principals leadership has impacted student achievement.
According to the PG article, there will be an event in Washington, DC tomorrow
11 comments:
I want my child to be successful always. If we can find money to give them snacks and offer games and activities, allowing their brains to function at their best, then why aren't you doing this every day ?
9:25 I want my school district to be successful always. Perhaps we should give the board directors snacks, games and activities so as to allow their brains to function at their best before every meeting.
Or at least send out a leter like the following:
Hello MTLSD Directors/Guardians:
I'm just writing to remind everyone that tomorrow night's board meeting will determine the future of our school district, the community and our children's futures. This is one of the more important meetings for us in terms of our building, our students and ultimately achieving "Adequate Yearly Progress" as determined by the PA Dept. of Education.
As always, a good nights sleep and a good breakfast have always shown to help our directors do better in these meetings. A snack will be provided for students during the testing.
See the attached flyer on our Physical Education Department's program "Get Pumped for PSSA's!" This is a chance for directors and administrators to participate in some physical activity the morning of the meeting. Research has shown that physical activity and exercise helps to get the brain going.
As always, if you have any questions regarding the affairs of OUR school district contact your constituents for information.
Sincerely,
Concerned Citizens
Is it true that a major performance evaluation criterion for principals is test score results (e.g. PSSA, etc.), yet it is not a metric for performance evaluations of teachers ? And further that the primary metrics for Goal 1 - Student Achievement are test scores in the MTLSD Strategic Plan ?
If this is in fact the case, is this not a major disconnect between principals and the teachers they are supposed to oversee and evaluate ? Does it also reveal a reason why ALL 421 teachers evaluated in 2011 received "satisfactory...meeting expectations" ratings (29 were not evaluated for unspecified reasons) ?
Yes, that is correct, 11:04 AM. Here is a link to the strategic plan. http://www.mtlsd.org/bsc/stuff/mtlebanonstrategicplan2012.pdf
But PSSA scores are not part of teacher evaluations, according to the PDE document, http://www.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/document/1215934/mt_lebanon_sd_pdf_(2)
Elaine
How would a PSSA score be used to evaluate a health, music or phys ed teacher?
According to the Mellon email, phys ed plays a major part in the PSSAs.
"See the attached flyer on our Physical Education Department's program "Get Pumped for PSSA's!" This is a chance for students to participate in some physical activity the morning of the tests. Research has shown that physical activity and exercise helps to get the brain going."
Elaine
2:55 PM maybe they comprised the 29 teachers who were not evaluated. You can add librarians and school nurses who are on the teachers pay scale and ladder as well. Just what are the evaluation criteria for non-core subject teachers ?
Why don't we focus our energy into appealing to our state government to change the backwards PSSA's instead of railing against the people who are forced into enforcing it. Teachers are forced to teach to the test instead of encouraging actually growth and learning. Of course the principals and teachers are going to do everything they can to get the students to do well...but becoming trained monkeys that can take a test well isn't what education is about...and OUR teachers have no control over that. Lobby your state representatives to overhaul the public education system from the TOP down.
I think the entire school board and all of the administrators should have to take the test, too.....and their results should be made public!
Let's get real---this is no barometer of anything when the test is taught!
12:21 I believe the teachers and administrators are actually the hold up in getting rid of the PSSAs.
Without them there is no way to evaluate how well a district and it's staff are doing.
I'll bet if the union actually presented a real means of evaluating students, the teachers and the district the governor and legislature would love it.
This district is needs some serious evaluation. What's going to bring it on---a mass exodus? At what point will families realize the true cost of an education here?
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