I am at the school this week doing my Program Assessment Work. It is a 21 part documented assessment of my classwork and lab work. It is all part of the state's effort to make teachers accountable for teaching. Kentucky has consistently ranked low in the United States in education. A GED (based on a national test) is considered better than a high school diploma from Kentucky. That is just sad.
Recently, in the 'smartest state award for 2004', we ranked 37th.
METHODOLOGY--This second Smartest State designation is awarded based on 21 factors chosen from Morgan Quitno’s annual reference book, Education State Rankings, 2004-2005. To calculate the Smartest State rankings, the 21 factors were divided into two groups: those that are “negative” for which a high ranking would be considered bad for a state, and those that are “positive” for which a high ranking would be considered good. Rates for each of the 21 factors were processed through a formula that measures how a state compares to the national average for a given category. The positive and negative nature of each factor was taken into account as part of the formula. Once these computations were made, the factors then were assigned equal weights. These weighted scores then were added together to determine a state’s final score (“Smart Rating” ) This way, states are assessed based on how they stack up against the national average. The end result is that the farther below the national average a state’s education ranking is, the lower (and less smart) it ranks. The farther above the national average, the higher (and smarter) a state ranks.
The 21 factors:
POSITIVES
Public Elementary and Secondary School Revenue per $1,000 Personal Income
Per Pupil Public Elementary and Secondary School Current Expenditures
Percent of Public Elementary and Secondary School Current Expenditures used for Instruction
Percent of Population Graduated from High School
Public High School Graduation Rate
Percent of Public School Fourth Graders Proficient or Better in Reading
Recently, in the 'smartest state award for 2004', we ranked 37th.
METHODOLOGY--This second Smartest State designation is awarded based on 21 factors chosen from Morgan Quitno’s annual reference book, Education State Rankings, 2004-2005. To calculate the Smartest State rankings, the 21 factors were divided into two groups: those that are “negative” for which a high ranking would be considered bad for a state, and those that are “positive” for which a high ranking would be considered good. Rates for each of the 21 factors were processed through a formula that measures how a state compares to the national average for a given category. The positive and negative nature of each factor was taken into account as part of the formula. Once these computations were made, the factors then were assigned equal weights. These weighted scores then were added together to determine a state’s final score (“Smart Rating” ) This way, states are assessed based on how they stack up against the national average. The end result is that the farther below the national average a state’s education ranking is, the lower (and less smart) it ranks. The farther above the national average, the higher (and smarter) a state ranks.
The 21 factors:
POSITIVES
Public Elementary and Secondary School Revenue per $1,000 Personal Income
Per Pupil Public Elementary and Secondary School Current Expenditures
Percent of Public Elementary and Secondary School Current Expenditures used for Instruction
Percent of Population Graduated from High School
Public High School Graduation Rate
Percent of Public School Fourth Graders Proficient or Better in Reading
Percent of Public School Eighth Graders Proficient or Better in Reading
Percent of Public School Fourth Graders Proficient or Better in Writing
Percent of Public School Eighth Graders Proficient or Better in Writing
Percent of Public School Fourth Graders Proficient or Better in Mathematics
Percent of Public School Eighth Graders Proficient or Better in Mathematics
Percent of Public School Fourth Graders Proficient or Better in Writing
Percent of Public School Eighth Graders Proficient or Better in Writing
Percent of Public School Fourth Graders Proficient or Better in Mathematics
Percent of Public School Eighth Graders Proficient or Better in Mathematics
Percent of 4th Graders Whose Parents Have Strict Rules about Getting Homework Done
Average Teacher Salary as a Percent of Average Annual Pay of All Workers
Percent of School-Age Population in Public Schools
NEGATIVES
High School Drop Out Rate
Percent of Public School Teachers Who Reported Being Physically Attacked in the Past 12 Months
Special Education Pupil-Teacher Ratio
Percent of Public Elementary and Secondary School Staff Who are School District Administrators
Estimated Pupil-Teacher Ratio in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
Average Class Size in Public Elementary Schools
Average Class Size in Public Secondary Schools
Some teacher see this 'accountability' as an insult, but, I see it as it is. We are a lackluster state in education because of lackluster teaching or lackluster effort among teachers. If this works, more power to it. If it weeds out some bad apples, great !
Average Teacher Salary as a Percent of Average Annual Pay of All Workers
Percent of School-Age Population in Public Schools
NEGATIVES
High School Drop Out Rate
Percent of Public School Teachers Who Reported Being Physically Attacked in the Past 12 Months
Special Education Pupil-Teacher Ratio
Percent of Public Elementary and Secondary School Staff Who are School District Administrators
Estimated Pupil-Teacher Ratio in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
Average Class Size in Public Elementary Schools
Average Class Size in Public Secondary Schools
Some teacher see this 'accountability' as an insult, but, I see it as it is. We are a lackluster state in education because of lackluster teaching or lackluster effort among teachers. If this works, more power to it. If it weeds out some bad apples, great !
Anyway, it is great to be back in MY classroom.
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