High school graduation rates across the state and at FWCS improved by about 2% last year, the IDE reported. What's not clear is why that happened. FWCS, of course, attributes its increase to "high school reinvent" so maybe the whole state did that as well. A more likely explanation is that job prospects for teenagers, especially black males are pretty grim in this recession so they are opting to stay in school, which improves their chances and postpones the job search. Record college enrollments are driven by the same motive.
We'll see if the trend continues when the economy picks up.
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I suspect the graduation rates are up due to the decreased standards across the district.
High school reinvent started with freshmen in 2007 and that class will graduate in 2011, so the "reinvent" programs should have the most effect on this year's grad rates. Of course, this year's seniors are also feeling the effects of a closed school, earlier start time, seven period day, new administrators, new teachers...not a good mix.
I suspect that the graduation rate increases are due to the increased efforts in getting students to comply with waiver requirements. In 2011 high schools must report their non-waiver graduation rates...now THAT will be interesting!
We need to work harderto explain away all the good news that keeps coming out of FWCS or the public will begin to think it's due to the hard work of the district. WE MUST NOT LET THAT HAPPEN - EVER!
Right, there's nothing but good news. Never any press releases on the bad news like the miserable high school ECA results that don't jive with the ""record" ISTEP results or the principal at Wayne being replaced. And all good news is the result of "hard" work. How do they define "hard"? Is that on some kind of scale? Does that mean they weren't working "hard" ten years ago.
The district should work a little "harder" on their honesty and tramsparency instead of their spin.
Just because more kids graduate doesn't mean they are better educated or prepared for college or work. I remember being very puzzled by some classmates in my writing classes at college who couldn't write a simple essay or solve basic math problems. I always wondered how they graduated high school. Look at the stats that have been coming out from local colleges about the amount of remedial classes they have to offer.
Anon - I have to disagree about all good news. Whether you think that ISTEP was easier or not, FWCS did make AYP on the strength of their 3-8 results and that is quite an accomplishment. FWCS has a lot of good teachers who are working very hard for students and that is a good thing.
On the other hand, I had a high school teacher show me their attendance in an Eng 10 class last week - you know, they take the ECA. At least 8 students with double digit absences and the year is not half over. Teachers are being told this is their problem to solve.
And high school reinvent was supposed to be about building relationships with students...then they tore those apart by moving teachers and administrators around.
The "amazing" statewide improvement in graduation rates is another IDoE falsehood. Take a minute to read Matt Tully in today's Indy Star newspaper: IPS needs help with grad-rate math problems http://www.indystar.com/article/20101222/NEWS08/12220325/Tully-IPS-needs-help-grad-rate-math-problems?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CIndyStar.com
Most students have learned in the past that it is not necessary to pass the required tests. The graduation waiver is almost automatically granted if a student meets attendance requirements, takes the test every time, does remediation (a joke) and earns the credits. There are many ways to retake a failed class in math or English and most do not involve sitting in a hs classroom.
Siesta Girl and others- much better! That's what I am talking about. Don't let fwcs get credit. Keep hamnering away at them. You should run for school board.
Why is Indiana Tech not recruiting students from FWCS? My contact has stated that the college has seen enough of the 'pathetic students' in their classrooms, who can't keep up in a college classroom, that they are going hard after homeschoolers and Chinese students.
The Indy Star article is a real treat. First the graduation numbers can still be manipulated even after the state "fixed" the calculation. Then we have a "60%" graduation rate while only 25% can pass a standardized test. but that doesn't stop Karen Frisco from editorializing that these numbers should make the legislature put a hold on reforms.
The pricipal at Manual couldn't explain all the inconsistencies. It's easy, just ask Wendy. Everybody's working very hard to skew the numbers.
I have it on good authority that not a single graduate from FWCS graduated from a major college last two years.
This information was discussed at a high level meeting last month. FWCS is trying hard to keep it a secret! It will devastate the entire system if it gets out.
Anon - I find that impossible to believe.
Code Blue you are so right. Bennett and Wendy met last year to discuss the ISTEP questions. They pressured the testing company into creating a special test for Indiana using special waivers permitted under DOE regs governing agricultural states with isolated urban centers. Only Nebraska, North Dakota and Indiana qualify. Then under regulation 576 (c) ( i) of the DOE administrative code, FWCS was allowed to invoke the "response options reduction" clause, which reduced the answer options from five to three on the multiple choice part of ISTEP. Then consider the graduation rate manipulation and the entire picture comes into focus. This house of cards will soon collapse.
Well, I never believed statewide or FWCS ISTEP score could increase by 6% in one year. Especially after switching to spring testing the previous year lowered the scores by 2-4%. There had to be some adjustments (manipulation) going on that nobody mentioned when the district anpounced the "record" improvement. In effect they were lying to us.
They also "adjusted" the difficuoty of the ECA (which were 20 points lower statewide the prior year but weren't counted) but undershot the mark. That led to an impossible inconsistency between ISTEP score improvements and ECA drop, which of course has never been discussed or explained.
Wonder why Karen Frisco isn't writing about this? Must still be digging into malfeasance at Imagine.
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