Hays CISD student standardized test scores are in the cross-hairs of the federal No Child Left Behind mandate. The district’s reading and math test performances pulled four campuses below the federal benchmark, and one campus was cited for graduation rate totals. (Photo by Wes Ferguson)
by JONATHAN YORK
1. Why did Hays CISD fall short of federal standards for student achievement?
The simplest answer is because those expectations rose. Under No Child Left Behind, Hays CISD can be marked “acceptable” by the state but still be underperforming in the U.S. government’s eyes. The district has met the federal standards every year until the present.
A more complex answer would have to consider all the different ways the feds measure students. Every group of students has to meet the rising numbers, including the ones in special education and the ones who don’t know English yet. Because each group is measured separately, a successful majority doesn’t make a successful ranking.
2. What are the repercussions?
None for this year.
If the district misses again next year, it will have to establish a district improvement plan that changes some of the ways that the district trains teachers, establishes a curriculum and spends its money.
Also if the campuses miss again next year, they will have to give students the option to transfer to other schools in the district. Hays CISD already has a process for requesting a transfer, but right now the district gets to decide which of those requests to approve. Under sanctions it would be different. Parents who wanted their kids transferred would have a legal right to get what they wanted.
3. Has the district implemented any changes since learning it didn’t meet the standards?
Tim Savoy, Hays CISD spokesman, answered this question by e-mail:
“One key initiative we began this year is our Campus Excellence System. Each campus has compiled a detailed notebook of information ranging from student and staff attendance to mastery of specific [skills] by grade level and classroom.
“In addition to the compilation and analysis of data, each campus also made a presentation to a team of curriculum experts and other senior district personnel. These presentations allowed us to review areas that need improvement, celebrate successes and share best practices, and develop a common language and understanding of expectations.
“The Campus Excellence System was not designed and implemented specifically because of [the federal goals], but rather to focus attention on the educational product we deliver and to improve it across the board. Though it was in the works before [the federal rankings] were released, the CES will go a long way toward making the strong educational product at Hays CISD even better. Our hope is to achieve the equivalent of Exemplary Status in the new state accountability system, and to meet [federal goals] in future years.”
4. Are the district and campuses likely to fall short again next year?
The argument could go either way.
If you assume that a student population has the same character over two years, you can make an argument like this: They missed this year’s goals on an easier test, and next year they are up against higher goals on a harder test. So if next year is like this year, they are likely to fall short again.
If you assume that a student population has a different character over two years, you can make an argument like this: They missed this year’s goals, it’s true, but maybe next year’s students will act in a different way. Maybe they’ll enjoy standard exams more than this year’s students did. Maybe the drought will end, there will be less dust in the air, and everyone will get more sleep and consequently score better. Or maybe the new test will make more sense than the old one did. So it’s not reasonable to predict that they are likely to fall short again.
5. Is the newspaper blaming this year’s misses on students who are still learning English or students who are in special education?
Certainly not. The reason we mentioned these two groups is that both often have a harder time with a standard, English-language curriculum than the body of students in general. To make good grades (or test scores) these students often need extra help. They need to be allowed to learn at individual paces. Measuring them by the same test as everyone else, and demanding that they produce the same scores as everyone else, seems to be setting them up for failure. That’s not the district’s fault, either. That’s a problem with the law.
