The scores are in and MCPS knows exactly how your child did on the MSAs (Maryland Statewide Assessment) last spring. As a matter of fact, they have most likely been spending most of the summer using MSA data as a means of placing your student into his or her classes this fall. If that is the case, then how come you are receiving the home report this week? Why is MCPS MSA data for individual students being withheld from you as parents and not being sent out until the middle of September?
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Web site states that the testing vendor sends the scores for individual students to the local school systems and then the local school systems distribute individual scores to parents. MCPS distributes individual scores, or home reports as they are called, in September, after the new school year has already begun and your child’s classes and groupings have already been determined based on scores you have not seen. In some cases, you may even have received one of your child’s scores days before another child’s scores, simply because they go to different schools. So what exactly is the MCPS MSA Schedule for distribution to parents?
What about other Maryland counties? At least five other Maryland counties – Howard, Frederick, Anne Arundel, Prince Georges, and Baltimore, all provided their home reports to parents over the summer. Parents in these counties got to see their children’s scores before they went back to school; they knew why their children were placed in that advanced math or English class or were able to make the case if they weren’t. If this information is available in the summer, why is MCPS holding on to these reports and not providing them to its parents? Why aren’t they providing you with your own child’s test scores as soon as the scores are available? Where is the transparency MCPS likes to talk so much about? These results should be provided not only for the sake of the parents, but for the children who felt the pressure to perform on this test through those constant reminders of “get a good night’s sleep”, “eat a good breakfast”, and “don’t miss school”. Don’t the children deserve to see the results of their hard work?
With all of the stringent requirements and guidelines in place for MSA, why hasn’t MSDE instituted deadlines for the counties to return the home reports to parents, so that all Maryland parents can be informed of their child’s progress in a timely manner and be better advocates for their children’s education? Why is MCPS allowed to hold individual MSA data indefinitely? Nancy Grasmick, are you listening?
The Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland thanks this MCPS parent for submitting these comments to this blog. The author, while known to us, wishes to remain anonymous.
Our middle schooler's MSA scores arrived yesterday, under two months after they were released from schools. Hardly indefinite.
ReplyDelete2009 MSA tests were administered:
ReplyDeleteMSA Testing Schedule
The testing schedule is as follows:
• MSA Reading Test – March 16-17, Grade 6 and March 18-19, Grades 7 and 8 (7:35 – 10:00 a.m.)
• MSA Math Test – March 20&23, Grade 6 and March 24-25, Grades 7 and 8 (7:35 – 10:00 a.m.)
• Mod-MSA Reading – March 16-17 (all grades)
• Mod-MSA Math – March 18-19 (all grades)
Scores are being received by MCPS parents 6 months after the administration of the tests.
SAT Scores are available to students within 20 days and in the mail within a month:
May 2, 2009 test = May 21, 2009 score on web and June 1, 2009 mailing
AP Exams:
Testing dates are in May and scores are available to students by July 1st, about 6 weeks after the tests are taken.
Terra Nova:
Tests are administered in April and MCPS sends home score reports in June.
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/testing/PDFs/TN2/May09/Parent%20Score%20Interpretation%20FAQ%202009.pdf
Under NCLB, there are specifics about how the scores are supposed to be reported to parents--and the detail that is supposed to be in the test score reports. The state of Maryland as a whole is completely ignoring this part of the law, as I have complained about in detail on other forums (MCNeeds). There is supposed to be enough detail in the reports to enable parents to understand what specifically there child is having difficulty with in the tested subjects.
ReplyDelete@anonymous - How do you know it was under 2 months after they were released from schools? As parents, I don't remember ever being provided this time frame information, however if you work for MCPS you would possibly know when the schools received it so as to make groupings for the coming school year? It would also coincide with when other districts released it to their parents. Again, the issue is about releasing the information in a more timely manner so we as parents can understand how our children are placed BEFORE school starts, not after. We are just asking for the same time frame that other county parents are receiving in this state.
ReplyDelete@Susan - interesting, I was not aware of these requirements and I am sure most parents are not either. Does the Dept. of Ed audit the states for this? I am assuming not.
A friend in Calvert County got her child's scores in mid-summer. The date on the score report - 6/5! Another county gets their scores earlier than MCPS, go figure!
ReplyDelete