How Plainfield Public Schools 3rd Graders Did on the 2011 State Mandated Test

On Tuesday I asked if you knew how 3rd graders are doing when it comes to grade-level reading.  Yesterday, Wednesday, the NJDOE released the long awaited public NJASK results of last year.  NJASK, for those who might not now, is the state mandated annual assessment test that students must take (and a parent's worst nightmare as we often think that our children are being taught to the test).  NJASK is given to students from 3rd to 8th and 11th grade students so the state can comply with No Child Left Behind, one of George Bush's legacies. 

Back to our Plainfield 3rd graders of last year.  If we are to be plain honest, or as it is said in Mexico -sin pelos en la lengua- then the results I have seen don't look good.  I have yet to find the state's own numbers and the numbers offered by the StarLedger and the Courier News are both slightly different, so I will wait until the state updates its School Card Report which is where test data can be found.

But let's look at our last year's 3rd graders challenges over their academic life at PPSD.

Last year's 3rd graders are the first set of students whose test scores will reflect the 4 years of changing leadership at the district's administrative levels.

2010-11  Belin-Pyles Administration - 3rd Grade
2009-10  Gallon/Belin-Pyles Administration -2nd Grade
2008-09  Gallon Administration - 1st Grade
2007-08  Carter/Bailey Administration - K Grade

With all these administrative changes, which were brought under turmoil, secrecy and scandals, can anyone say the academic life of today's 4th graders was sabotaged by irresponsible adults?  Bet you won't so I won't either.

Then you have some of the things the Plainfield school district did to sabotage students' learning (I know, I was there for those 4 school years):

--Lack of proper teaching material (from a proper and challenging curriculum to providing each and every student with textbooks for all subjects and meaningful homework )
--Overuse of substitute teachers due to either teacher absenteeism or professional development
--Inexperienced and out-of-their field teachers
--Inexperience administrators
--Lack of proper Science and Computer Labs
--Overcrowded classrooms (with no assistants as at the K level)
--Low expectations
--(Add your own)

And yes, poverty does matter and poverty does affect student learning, but the above list are matters that a school board and a well-selected administrator pretty much have control on.   They didn't.

When you look at our Plainfield public schools students' state tests results think about the above list and think about how we can best advocate for a school district that gives students the proper tools to learn and while poverty will still be a challenge for many of our PPSD students at least we, as a community, can start making sure to set higher expectations for both the school board and the school district administration.

Your comments, the good and the naughty, as always, are welcome.