All Schools Need Assistance - Viewpoint

Every Sacramento school should be a ‘priority’ school

Special to The Bee   PUBLISHED THURSDAY, SEP. 12, 2013

As a teacher in Sacramento City Schools for the past 18 years and a parent of two children in the district, I join Marcus Breton in celebrating Father Keith B. Kenny’s rise in test scores (“A school that cares triumphs,” Sept. 4). The teachers and students worked very hard and deserve to be lauded for their efforts. However, in trying to establish a cause for the rise in scores, Breton left out many important details and did not paint a complete picture.

To assert that the gains were made because of “a break in teacher seniority” as he states in his column, is an oversimplification at best and is not supported by the facts. The school that made the biggest API gains in the district was not, in fact, one of Superintendent Jonathan Raymond’s “priority” schools. It was Maple Elementary, whose students were also all eligible for free and reduced lunch. Maple was one of the seven non-priority schools closed by the district last June.

Are California schools failing?

Today’s press  reports  gives API scores for  the state and local schools.  Here is some important information. 

State averages mean little.   A report on how the state is doing is here http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr10/yr10rel104.asp This site also explains what the various test scores mean.

The cde is very generous in describing progress.  When you compare these scores to how California students score on nationwide test, such as the NAEP, California students do not do so well.

 I encourage you tolLook at the performance of your school.  Looking at district averages is almost meaningless.  The score of a school tells you how well the school as a whole is functioning.

Look for the report of your individual students’ scores.  They are to arrive in the mail. A school may be working well  or poorly. However, of first interest is how well is your student performing.  You can influence this.

Here is a list of ways you can assist your student. From CTA. The California Teachers Association.

http://www.cta.org/Parents-and-Community/Family-Involvement/53ways/53-Ways-to-Help-a-Child-Learn.aspx