What Does the School Grade Mean?

Utah recently released School Grades for every public school in the state.  The School Grade Report is based on data for the 2012-13 school year.  Each elementary and middle school was graded on assessment results in proficiency and growth, while high school grades also included graduation rates.  How meaningful is this grade?  How was it determined?  What does it tell us about schools in Utah?  How did Good Foundations Academy score?

The School Grade is a single grade, based on the test scores for all students in the school that participated in state-wide testing.  Each student who achieved a predetermined score at “proficient” or above counted for a point.  These scores account for half of the total points possible (up to 300).  The other half of the possible points come from the “SGP” or student growth percentile.  Schools are awarded credit for each student who meets their growth target (up to 150 points), and they are given credit again for students who were below proficient and now have reached their growth targets (another 150) – that means the below proficient students are counted twice.  

Good Foundations Academy received a “B” grade, with 471 points out of 600.  42% of the schools in Utah earned a B, while only 10% received an A.  GFA is in good company.  Many well-established and successful charter schools also show B grades, including John Hancock Academy, an outstanding Core Knowledge school. 

Why did GFA receive a B instead of an A?  Students at our school are demonstrating proficiency.  94% passed Language Arts, 82% passed in Math, and 73% passed the Science test.  The problem seems to be that our growth data was not high enough to merit an A, and yet this question needs further analysis.  When one looks at the Spring 2013 CRT scores in more detail, a problem with the system becomes apparent.  Student proficiency scores are divided into four achievement categories:  substantial, sufficient, partial, and minimal.  In Language Arts and Math, GFA students were more likely than Utah students to score in the “substantial” or highest proficiency category.  On the Language Arts test, 71% of GFA students received the highest possible score while 56% of Utah students did the same.  In Math, 57% of our students scored “substantial” while 52% of Utah students earned this score.  This difference indicates that our students are performing at a very high level of proficiency.  If these students did not meet the established goals for growth, they were already performing well above their grade level expectations.  A student may have dropped slightly in scores compared to his peers, but this is not an indication that the school has failed to teach him.  And yet, a student who was ranked in the 97^th percentile the year prior and is now in the 95^th percentile will not receive a point for the school in the growth calculation. 

Another area that affects the School Grade at Good Foundations Academy is the way the report counts growth for “below proficient” students twice.  At GFA, the number of students who scored below proficient is tiny!  In some grade levels, they count for only 2% or 3% of the total number who tested.  In fact, at all the grade levels that tested in Science, GFA did not have enough students below proficient (minimum of 10) to count their score.  Therefore, the score for “all students” is the same as the score for “below proficient”. 

Does GFA have room to improve?  Absolutely.  While Language Arts stayed high, our Math and Science scores dropped this year.  In 2012, our Math score was 86%, compared to 82% this year.  Our analysis indicates that our program remains strong and effective.  As we grow, we have an influx of new students in the upper grades and it takes some time to bring them up to the level of achievement in math that our established students can demonstrate.  We remain committed to working with these students to master this important subject.

Our scores in science have been inconsistent.  We scored 66% in 2011, 86% in 2012, and 75% in 2013.  Science is a content-specific subject.  While language arts and math are general subjects with the same topics repeated year after year, science is handled differently.  The Utah Core Standards require certain topics to be taught at each grade level.  At GFA we follow the Core Knowledge Sequence, which lists similar topics but not always at the same grade.  Second grade learns about the water cycle but it is tested in fourth grade because that is where Utah Common Core places it.  So, our teachers in fourth grade review the subject in addition to the Core Knowledge topics they teach at that level.  It is a difficult compromise but we are working through the details to meet both standards.  GFA has committed resources and training to improve our instructional program in science.  We believe Core Knowledge provides an effective curriculum in science and we remain committed to faithful implementation.  We are confident that as these students mature in our program, science scores will improve.

Good Foundations Academy supports the state’s efforts to provide transparency and accountability to the public school system.  We will use this data in addition to our curriculum-based assessments and NWEA tests to continue improving our instructional program.  We believe the School Grade Report is a step in the right direction, but it does need further development.  We encourage the leaders of our state to continue reviewing the data to ensure schools like GFA are not penalized for providing a rigorous academic program.

What is "Academic Excellence"?

What is “Academic Excellence”?

At Good Foundations Academy, our mission is to “provide excellence and fairness in education through a common educational foundation.”   We often use the term “academic excellence” when we describe our school program, but what does that mean?

• Does it mean we are obsessed with test scores?  
• Do we define “excellence” by grades? 
• Do we confine learning to the classroom only? 
• Do we cover material in a prescribed curriculum, memorizing facts and names that mean little to the students?  

At GFA, we take the “long view” of education.  We are educating our students with the goal that each one will be ready and able to succeed at the high school and college of his or her choice.  Our curriculum, based on the Core Knowledge Sequence, is like a rich and generous banquet.  Each child is invited to partake.  Each child is exposed to the concepts, ideas, and skills that we teach.  We work hard to ensure that each child will walk away nourished and satisfied, trying something new, enjoying a few old favorites,  and sharing a valuable experience with friends.

At Good Foundations Academy, we define success through multiple measures, including growth, effort, character, and mastery.  Yes, students who earn high grades are celebrated on the Honor Roll.  We also celebrate a classroom which meets its target for growth on NWEA tests.  We honor a student who works hard and contributes to her community with U Rock! cards and Stepping Stone Awards.  We offer science fairs, geography bees, and forensics so that students can strive for excellence in a variety of disciplines and activities.

To answer the questions above:

• No we are not obsessed with test scores.  We use assessment data to improve our program, identify areas of strengths and weaknesses, and to seek ways to support our students.
• No, grades are not the only, or even best measure of excellence.  We recognize that academic excellence can be demonstrated in many forms, and that each child has unique talents and interests.  Grades are an important measure of achievement and our teachers work together to make sure classroom grades are valid, consistent and meaningful.
• No, learning is not confined to the classroom.  We understand that learning takes place wherever the opportunity presents itself.  We actively seek to help students make connections between what they learn in at school and their life outside the classroom.  Field trips, projects, guest speakers, and special events such as the Renaissance Festival, Roman Marketplace, and annual Science Fair are just a few important examples.  
• Although the Core Knowledge Sequence defines the baseline content and skills that are taught at each grade level, our teachers enrich, expand, and connect lessons to make learning at GFA a participatory sport.  We also believe that in order for our students to be able to learn critical thinking skills, they need to have something to think ABOUT.  Therefore, we teach basic facts, map skills, and names and dates to support our students’ growing ability to think critically and creatively.  Our students learn domain-specific vocabulary that will enrich discussions, build understanding, and foster written and verbal communication skills at all levels.

At GFA, academic excellence means that we value education, making it a priority in our lives, and doing our best every day.  We teach our students to achieve mastery in content and skills and to demonstrate achievement through a variety of expressions.  We guide our students to growth in character through a deep connection to great ideas, lessons in heroes and history,  and service to our community.