Last fall, Marietta tested students on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills in grades two, four and seven. But board members said they didn't believe that was sufficient.
"What good is it getting nationally normed results just in three grades?" asked board member Jill Mutimer, who, along with other members such as Randy Weiner, convinced the board to fund the Iowa test for grades one through eight for an annual cost of $88,000.
"Parents need to see how their child performs on a national level and the ITBS is a nationally normed test that will provide that information," Weiner said.
Mutimer said Marietta used to administer the Iowa test in more grades, but pared back to save money. Dr. Donna Ryan, assistant superintendent for special services and assessment, said the state ended its funding of the ITBS in the 2009-10 school year due to funding.
Marietta students in grades three to eight are already tested on the state Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests. But that doesn't tell parents how their students compete against students in other states, board members say.
"I ... would like to know how my children are doing on a nationally normed test in addition to the state test," Mutimer said.
Former Gov. Roy Barnes has been a longtime proponent of national tests. He has pointed out that while students' scores on the state CRCT are high, when the National Assessment of Educational Progress samples those same students, they score quite low. That's because the state sets the bar so low on its tests for political reasons, Barnes has said.
Marietta board members believe the Iowa test will also help students get a leg up on the common standards Georgia and most other states are rolling out over the next few years.
"I think we can kind of get ahead of the curve in measuring on how we're doing on a nationally normed test as the common core is coming out," Mutimer said.
In other business, the board unanimously voted to move Marietta Center for Advanced Academics Principal Karen Smits to West Side Elementary School, keeping her salary the same at $109,037. Smits replaces Jennifer Lawson, who resigned to take a job elsewhere.
"She wanted a new challenge. She's an excellent principal, and I think will do a fantastic job there, and we will seek a wonderfully qualified candidate to continue the great path that MCAA has been on with all of its state awards," Board Chairwoman Irene Berens said of Smits.
The board renewed, 6-1, Marietta High School Assistant Principal Ron Brookins' contract, keeping his salary the same at $107,632. Stuart Fleming voted against the renewal, but declined to explain why.
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Magnet schools are built ONLY with poor performing students weeded out. Many high performing kids choose to stay in their neighboorhood school with all their friends.
Also, while I agree with you regarding MCAA and Dr. Smits. I would like to point out that if the system had interest in using Dr. Smits' talents and MCAA's success to benefit our other schools.. where have they been?? While school systems across the country visit MCAA weekly, no one from our own schools have been encouraged to visit MCAA. If MCS were truly interested in "spreading the success", one would assume that they would require all 2nd grade and up teachers to visit MCAA. The majority of them are not familiar with the requirements nor the STEM curriculum. Sadly the obvious reason is that our schools put too much emphasis on test scores and therefore do not want to lose high scoring students to MCAA regardless of whether it is a better fit for the student or not.
Since we are a system of choice, we should be more aware of the choices in the best interest of our students...not their test scores.
Dr. Smits is an asset to the school system as are many of our principals. She will be missed at MCAA but if she can expand some of the successes at MCAA to our other district schools starting with West Side, that is good for the entire system. Who knows where she will go next?
Please as adults remember to debate the issues and not discuss people's children. People on the school board donate much of there time including time that could be spent with their family and we voted them in to represent us and make the best decisions possible. Of course they have to consider their own kids experience, we want them to be in touch with the reality of school life. Let's stick to the issues.
Subsequently, the majority of student scores in the ITBS data pool are private and parochial school students. What purpose does it serve to compare our 50% minority, Title I designated district(economically disadvantaged)to a national pool of students that are statistically majority white middle and upper class children that enjoy a higher level of parental involvement?
Save money. Let me prognosticate:
MCAA and Westside will perform at or above average across all subject areas because those students most closely match the national pool. The majority of Marietta's other elementary schools will score dismally below the national average across virtually all subject areas. MMS may have 1 or 2 subject area scores squeak above average.
GA administers its own test. The CRCT. NCLB deals with CRCT scores. Teacher evaluations deal with CRCT scores. Student advancement and placement is determined by CRCT scores. Most importantly, FUNDING and school/system status hinge on CRCT scores.
This means that nothing will be done educationally or administratively based on ITBS scores.
It is a giant waste money and time.
Also, I feel that given Dr. Smits adeptness and track record, her skills would be best put to use at one of our struggling schools since you're going to tip the apple cart and move her. Moving her to Westside is a poor poor use of a valuable asset and a blatantly obvious political move.
The truth is that the Westside community is self-serving and the board is willing to sacrifice the most successful school in the system to accomodate a small group. I invite any and all parents in the MCS to look very ,very closely at the corupt abuse of power the operates within. Allowing these unfair and unjust practices to continue will only put our system in the same category of others in our area.
Waste of money... besides, be careful what you wish for, MCS won't fare well at all on the ITBS.
As far as renewing Brookins' contract, what a coincidence. Ms. Smits? She was happy as a clam at MCAA and probably resents being moved back to Randy and Jill land on Polk Street. I don't believe she was "looking for a challenge" for a second.
Last but not least, kudos to you Stuart, way to hang in there. At least there's ONE board member who gets it. Too bad you're the Lone Ranger.
Ultimately, unless the district utilizes remediation strategies that are implemented based on the ITBS (norm-referenced) scores rather than the GPS-based CRCT (criterion-referenced) scores, this test is a waste of instruction time and district resources.
Unless the district is prepared to make important decisions regarding student placement and advancement based on ITBS scores, rather than CRCT scores, this test is a waste of instruction time and district resources.
Unless the district is going to effectively use ITBS test results in a collaborative way and look for longitudinal patterns in student achievement which can then be used to focus professional development strategies...this test is a waste of teaching time and district resources.
Unless the district is going to effectively use ITBS test results to determine instructional areas that need additional resources rather than use CRCT scores...this test is a waste of teaching time and district resources.
What will we gain from utilizing the ITBS across all grade levels? Here's the answer:
The ITBS will tell us that Marietta City Schools and each K-8 student (rather than just the 2nd, 4th, and 7th graders) will be one of two things: Above average or below out of a 13 state sampling. That's it.
And that is all 88k a year of your money and a week less of instruction time for your child will get you.
Without a plan to effectively utilize the data, this is an utter waste and shows a lack of fiduciary oversight on the board's part.
I would have voted no.
Good luck with that, teachers!