People are saying that our current Superintendent has done a great job – with improved scores at front of their message. Others are picking up that message and running with it. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to have actually looked at the scores. I’m no mathematician, but this doesn’t look like “growth” or “success” or “improvement” to me:
| School | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
| Austin East Magnet | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Bearden | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Carter | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Central | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| CTE Magnet | N/A | N/A | 2 |
| Farragut | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Fulton | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Gibbs | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Halls | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Hardin Valley | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Karns | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Kelley Volunteer Academy | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| L&N STEM Academy | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Powell | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| South Doyle | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| West (IB Magnet) | 1 | 3 | 1 |
2014-15 Summary
Improved = 2
No Change = 6
LOWER = 7
1st Year of Scores = 1
Overall 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 Change:
Improved = 0
No Change = 7
LOWER= 9
Our students deserve better and our community deserves to know the truth.
If one believes the validity on “how” these scores were achieved, I have some beachfront property in Arizona to sell you.
I absolutely agree that there is nothing reliable or valid in using TVAAS scores to measure achievement. However, if one is insistent on reporting those scores and using them to “prove” achievement, they should also be willing to show the scores when they show exactly the opposite. We can’t both use these scores AND manipulate these scores, to make them say whatever we wish we had valid data to say.