Despite Data Anomalies, Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ Performance Exceeds Statewide Averages

DESPITE DATA ANOMALIES, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ PERFORMANCE EXCEEDS STATEWIDE AVERAGES

MIAMI - Schools in Miami-Dade County outperformed statewide averages for the 2009-10 school year, according to data released by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) today. This progress was made despite anomalies in learning gains data, which may have negatively impacted school performance grades across the state. Additionally, the FLDOE’s data fail to take into account overwhelming evidence that Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) student achievement met high standards on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and that student growth on FCAT surpassed that of students’ statewide.

76 percent of all M-DCPS schools maintained or increased their School Performance Grade from 2008-09 to 2009-10, as compared to only 72 percent statewide.

The number of M-DCPS middle schools receiving an “A” increased from 36 in 2008-09 to 38 in 2009-10.
At the elementary level, cited for problems with student gains, 33 percent of schools across the state experienced a decline, compared to 25 percent in the District.

While the number of schools receiving an “F” doubled and tripled in other school districts, M-DCPS schools receiving an “F” decreased from eight to five. The number of Charter Schools in Miami-Dade receiving an “F” increased from two to five.
Differentiated Accountability (DA) schools that received School Performance Grades, four improved by at least one letter grade, and three remained stable from 2008-09 to 2009-10.
More than three-quarters of the District’s senior high schools received FCAT-component points in the highest point range used to determine DA status.

In a conference call this morning, Florida’s Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith recognized that poverty and a decline in funding played a part in this year’s school performance grades. This observation is significant, considering that Miami-Dade’s current funding levels from the State have decreased to 2004 levels, while poverty in Miami-Dade has increased from 73 percent to 82 percent.

Also in this morning’s conference call, district superintendents asked the FLDOE to diminish the importance of learning gains in figuring school performance grades.

Anomalies were previously noted in the State’s data, which makes it more compelling to observe that while students’ achievement on the FCAT grew, learning gains reportedly decreased.

Declines in student gains, which contribute half of the points to the calculation of School Performance Grades, were cited as a primary concern in the request for an independent audit of FCAT scores and the accountability system. The FLDOE acknowledged volatility in this measure from year-to-year; however student gains still remain in the calculation.

Preliminary analysis of the FCAT results generated statewide recognition of anomalies in the data, which could substantially impact School Performance Grades across the state. As a result, the Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS) asked the FLDOE for a full audit of the scores by an independent organization. Audits of the FCAT program were performed by Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO), an organization with a controversial liaison to the embattled testing company, Pearson Assessment, and the Center for Assessment. Unfortunately, the recently published reports (available at http://www.fldoe.org/schoolgrades.asp) failed to address many of the concerns identified by the Districts, and the FLDOE has proceeded with the release of the School Performance Grades at this time.