Tameka’s parents have been acclimated to thinking of her as a top-performing student. Is she?
Tameka finished seventh grade with all A’s and B’s. Math was a bit of a challenge, initially. Tameka earned a C in the first quarter of the school year before buckling down, which led to two A’s and a B in the final three quarters. She finished with a B in math for the year.
Looking at her report card, Tameka’s parents, Arthur and Gerri, were proud of her progress and eager for her to move forward to eighth grade. They wanted to discuss how she could qualify for entry into Ben Franklin, the selective enrollment high school in New Orleans that is typically ranked as the top high school in the State of Louisiana.
Arthur and Gerri could never afford private school tuition on their wages, but Ben Franklin gave them the hope of an elite public education for Tameka. To gain admission, she would need a combination of very strong grades and high scores on an entrance exam given by the school.
But were the grades on Tameka’s report card an accurate indication of her mastery of the core subject areas?
Probably not. One reason to be skeptical of her grades is the way they differed from her performance on assessments. For instance, Tameka’s school gave the MAP benchmark test three times each year — the same test taken by Michael at his school. The test compared Tameka against a national sample. She had been taking the test in reading and math since third grade.
For the past two years, Tameka had been scoring between the 20th and 25th percentile in math. Put another way, 75 to 80 percent of students Tameka’s age were outperforming her on this math assessment. She was far below the national average. And yet her report card suggested she was a B student — “above average.”
Tameka’s parents were unaware of her MAP scores because even though Tameka took the test 11 times over the course of five school years, the results were never sent home for them to review. They saw them for the first time when their Navigator submitted a request to the school.
What about state tests? Tameka had taken those, too. As discussed above, in Louisiana, the annual tests are called LEAP. For two consecutive years, Tameka earned scores of “Basic” on the math component. Basic is described as “approaching expectations,” which is a gentle way of saying the student is not fully capable of doing the work of her current grade level — a surprising outcome for a B student.
However, most students at Tameka’s school scored at her same level — or lower — on the state math test. Fewer than 1 in 4 students performed at grade level. In a context where so many students are behind academically, perhaps it was accurate to say that Tameka was “above average”… for her school. But Tameka’s school was not typical of schools nationally. More than 90 percent of students at her school qualify as “economically disadvantaged” under the State of Louisiana’s definition.
“Basic” is described as “approaching expectations,” which is a gentle way of saying the student is not fully capable of doing the work of her current grade level.
Tameka’s performance in English Language Arts was also confusing. Her grade for the year was 95 percent, a clear A. In one quarter, Tameka earned 100 percent. This made sense to her Arthur and Gerri, who had always observed her to be an avid reader, gifted in her verbal development.
Tameka’s benchmark tests, however, were not as positive. To be sure, she scored reasonably well, generally at the 55th percentile for reading (which is to say, near the national average). Her reading ability was typical for a student of her age. She had earned scores of “Mastery” on her state English Language Arts tests for recent years, indicating she was able to do all the work for her grade level. But Tameka’s reading grades did not suggest she was merely on track. They suggested she was superlative.
In the long term, Tameka will take the ACT for college admission. To be considered ready for social sciences coursework at the college level, she will need to earn a 22 or better on the reading section of the test. Based on published analyses, her current MAP scores give her odds of about 13 percent to meet that threshold as a high school senior. Her report card does not include that information. Instead, it suggests she could hardly be in better shape for reading.
What problems are apparent with the communication Tameka’s parents have received about her progress?
- Tameka’s grades appear to be relative — meaning, relative to the other students in her school, she is one of the stronger performers. But her parents do not want to know if she is one of the better students in that group. They want her to be one of the top students in the city and the state. And by that measure, she has a long way to go.
- Important information about student progress is not being shared with families. While Tameka’s school discusses MAP directly with students, especially as they grow older, few of them understand it or its implications. Nothing about the test is sent home to parents.
- Years of grade inflation have a high cost. Tameka’s parents have been acclimated to thinking of her as a top-performing student, and it is true that she is exceeding her school’s expectations in many ways. But they expect her to be admitted to a selective high school when, in reality, the odds of this happening are relatively remote.
Next: Case Study 4| Gregory’s Family Struggles to Get the Full Picture >
This case study is one of a series in Muddled: How Confusing Information from Schools Is Failing American Families. Click on an image below to read more.
