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Retest key to success

Exam scores climbed last year. Read about it here and here.

Scores went up over the previous year in no small part because the state and feds counted retesting scores. I’ve asked what was done in those few days that made such a difference.Beth Folger, the GCS chief academic officer, said the best teachers are pulled to tutor the low scoring students and that the students’ problem areas are identified and that’s the focus of the tutoring.

So what should we take away from that?

UPDATE: Active reader David Colin asked me last week if I knew what the retests looked like. I didn't so I got the folks at GCS to give us some info. Here are my questions and Chief Accountability and Research Officer Gongshu Zhang's answers.

Question: Are the retests for EOC and EOG the same tests, meaning same questions, same order, that the kids took the first time?

Answer: No. They are not the same. But from the measurement point of view they must be equated tests.

Q: Do the tests change year to year?

A: No. During the same version years (after this re-norming and before the next re-norming, e.g. EOG math 2001-06 (version 2)), they suppose equated well but not the same ones.

Yes. Under the different versions, e.g. EOG math 2001-06 (version 2) and 2006-2009 (version 3).

These might need a little more clairity but I'll work on it.

Thanks to David for the good questions.

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Posted by J. Brian Ewing on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 10:55 am

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oscardad44

July 25, 2009 - 6:36 pm EDT

How would the chief of academics know which teachers are the best teachers? GCS does not measure EFFECTIVENESS OF STAFF!!!! Since each school is separate how would she even know which staff is pulled for tutoring if that is the case lets see what they say next year when they can not use the retesting scores.

Natually if they do not score well they indicate we will continue to work hard or they say it is because of the states requirements and changes.

Using retest scores look at how low the percentage of AYP was last year and if the retesting scores where not included in the cover up for this year it would have clearly been as low if not lower as 2008/2009 score.

The point is they always look for excuses!
GCS should cut all the small talk and eliminate the