In June 2016, the Common Core Algebra Regents cut scores were dropped to allow for a higher passing percentage as well as an increased "college readiness" percentage. You can find it Here. However, despite the significant drop in the Math cut scores, the citywide "college and career readiness" scores only slightly increased by 2% to 37%. Therefore, it was not surprising that many of the Renewal high schools met this metric, the very low bar of a 1% increase in the "college and career readiness" scores.
This post is about those unscreened Queens high schools who, despite the lower Math cut scores and a far too easy English Regents, actually had a lower "college and career readiness" scores then the previous year.
School...................................2015........2016.......Reduction
Queens Collegiate..................46%.........33%.........-13%
Cambria Heights Academy......22%..........9%..........-13%
Academy of Medical Tech........20%..........8%..........-12%
Hillcrest.................................32%........27%..........-5%
Queens Preparatory Acad........28%........24%..........-4%
Hillside Arts & Letters.............28%.........24%.........-4%
Flushing.................................21%........18%.........-3%
John Bowne............................37%........34%.........-3%
Rockaway Collegiate...............14%...,....13%..........-1%
William Cullen Bryant..............35%........34%..........-1%
Pathways to College................21%........20%.........-1%
Metropolitan...........................47%........46%.........-1%
The biggest and most disturbing drops occurred at Queens Collegiate (-13%) at the Jamaica campus, Cambria Heights Academy (-13%), and The Academy of Medical Technology (-12%) at the Far Rockaway campus. If I was the DOE I would be thoroughly investigating what's going on in these three failing schools.
The schools on the list above has a lot of explaining to do on why their college ready scores declined despite the State gaming the system to show improvement in their college ready scores. Of course, I take these numbers to mean only one thing, the students of the schools are not getting a quality education at these schools. Furthermore, many of the schools listed suffer from high teacher turnover, poor school administration, and a student body that includes many academically struggling cohorts. If I was a parent of a Queens middle school child, I would keep my child far, far, away from these schools.
6 comments:
Chaz- love your blog as always.
4 things I point out
#1-college readiness on math is not just getting 70+ on cc regents. Kid also has to pass coursework at least up to trig. many schools don't offer that so there kids don't get college ready in math
#2-more important than the cuny standards on ela (75+) and math (70+ with trig coursework), i look at how many of any school's grads leave with college credits- also on the quality guide spreadsheets. that means the school is offering a tougher curriculumn to more students
#3- i always look at what % of special ed kids a school graduates. schools with no special ed should have 100% grad and 100% college ready or college credits!
#4- i look at schools % of FSF. schools getting lowball compared to schools get more than 100%. a well funded school should be held to more high standards
keep up the good work- you bring it home every day
Not surprised about Queens Collegiate. Crummy kids, crummy admin. No discipline there. Mostly infant teachers who are irresponsible and immature from what I saw.
To 10:09
Sadly, these "infant teachers" are the wave of the future. Stupid but cheap..
I can't believe my eyes looking at these college ready scores. Then again, what the hell is a college ready score and who came up with it? All I know is that my neighbors are Chinese and the dad told me back in China, if younscored a low 90's on anything, you were viewed as a failure. These kids are rewarded with diplomas for scoring a 65, some cases a 55. A total joke. These kids are finished in the real world. What type of job are they getting. I pray they someone is guiding them on taking city tests such as MTA, Sanitation, etc. These are great jobs but I don't think these kids are being guided. We are living in a failed system, push em along type style. I read a previous post where a school named Bronxdale High School x508 has a 4% grad rate. I looked it up and it's true. I then looked at their rigorous instruction which was said to be perfect at 4 out of 4 and that was true. Did a little research and see that their Quality Review was held this past April and was conducted by a woman named Daisy Concepcion. What's the consequence for Ms. Concepcion's bogus analysis. Why is she fooling the parents & public? Why is she allowed to give a perfect score on a serious category while Thor single digit CR rate is the reality? How can this be? Anyone?
Not surprised! I have been to all these schools and they are mostly horrible. Fake grades fake graduation. I use to love my profession now I just tolerate my job.
My school is an absolute joke. We 'graduate' kids every year with less than 4th grade English skills and even lower in math. We pass everyone except for long term absences. We only take two regents (English and Math) and I have seen proctors on many occasions literally giving answers. We report no discipline infractions. We pass everyone on their portfolios (though a few hard nosed teachers try to hold standards, but get drummed out periodically).
Why do we do these things? Are we bad teachers or dishonest? Not at all. Our kids come to us in high school with 1st to 2nd grade skill levels (in their own native languages no less). That we get them up to 4th grade is a miracle considering most don't even know how to be students and are hopelessly addicted to their smartphones.
Our bosses want numbers up at all times, and anyone who holds to standards is low rated, told they are 'failing' the students and is either fired, excessed or low rated and harassed until they transfer out.
So teachers, being rational beings, do what we need to do to survive. There is zero accountability from the students or parent. Zero. Any failure is the fault only of the hapless teacher. We are swamped with paperwork and unrealistic goals, drowned in useless PDs, told we are the problem and disrespected even in front of our students. This state of affairs does not exist 'out in the real' world of work, or such a business would close.
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