Dedicated to Empowering and Informing the Burlingame Community
If you missed the paper edition of the results, you can view them the California Department of Education site at http://star.cde.ca.gov/star2005/ (Note link updated – editor)
You can search for Burlingame Elementary, SMUHSD, or the county of your choice to compare/contrast.
If there is blogger out there that can add some sense to the numbers: good/bad/otherwise, please check it out and report in.
– Written by jean
Odd, but we have never received these this year.
Please see article in Daily Journal today –http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=47544
you can try http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/static/star, or wait for the Thursday SF Chronicle report for grades 4,8, and 11, as well as High School Exit exam results.
As a Washington parent, these results are disappointing. While there are many things I like a lot at Washington which are not measured by these tests, I really do feel that an important goal of our schools is to see that kids end up with a good grasp of the curriculum. When I see the overall performance of the school in this area declining from last year to this year, it leads me to conclude that this is a problem.
There are 10 test results summarized at greatschools (2 CST tests in 4 grades, plus 2 CAT/6 tests in 3rd grade). Washington’s results are worse than last year in 6 of 10 tests, worse than the past 2 years in 4 of 10, and worse than the state average in 2 of 8 (state ave is not published for CAT/6). These poor results are mostly in 2nd and 3rd grade – in both grades, both math and english results declined, and both grades were below the state average in math. Below the state average!
Of course, these results are a high-level summary only. The state website posts a much more detailed set of results. What these data show is that in 2 of the 4 CST categories where the number of kids who were “proficient” fell, the number who were “below basic” also fell. In general, if you look at performance by asking how many kids are failing to reach a “basic” level, rather than how many are exceeding it (which is all that greatschools reports), only 2 of the 8 CST results are worse than last year (3rd grade english and math).
The most distressing aspect of this is that Sonny DaMarto was quoted in the Examiner this morning as saying that “educators have been investing time and money to map lessons to tests”. So our performance is declining even as the district focuses resources on teaching to the test.
I heard a few years back, from another Superintendent, that these standardized tests are recalibrated about every five years, to compensate for the “teaching to the test” that inevitably takes place.
A more serious issue, is how much classroom time is dedicated to prep work for these tests. I think it is one or two weeks, sometimes they take test booklets home for drills, depending on the school. That means they aren’t really progressing with the regular curicullum during that time.
I realize that educators need indicators of learning, but it is questionable what is really accomplished using this method. It seems to me that it is a vicious cycle. Parents get disappointed with the scores, and that often results in even more emphasis being placed on them.
There’s a good Op Ed piece in today’s SF Chronicle that speaks to what Jen and Ian are talking about. It’s even more scary to look a the numbers that score Basic or below. Basic is below class level, Proficient is at grade level.
At BIS, it’s true that there is a lot of time and emphasis put on teacing to the test, how to prepare, how to test. It is emphasized in every Principles newsletter for weeks on end.
The more interesting and telling story behind the numbers is in the detailed results by CST exam disaggregated by gender, ethnicity, … This information is particularly informative when compared to other schools. For instance, BHS’ Algebra I performance is lacking as an aggregate as well as granularly when compared to Sequoia High School. Obviously, Sequoia has a much different student population as well as feeder district(s) and one would expect BHS students to out perform Sequoia in all subjects including Algebra I. That is not the case. I hope that the teachers and administrators look to neighboring schools and districts when areas of growth are identified.
It is interesting to see the difference in the Hillsborough schools and the Burlingame schools. We are in the same zip code but their results are very impressive. Plus the change from 2004 is impressive too. It can’t be just about money. What could be the reason – are their classes smaller, do they pay their teachers more, fewer ESL students, vigilant parents, more tutors, do they have special fundraising powers, what is the answer?
Could the Burlingame School District learn something from them?
Fiona, it’s not about just money. They are very careful how they spend it. It’s about very strong leadership. Marilyn Miller is absolutely amazing. She is always, always looking a decade into the future about what the future generations will need as tools to succeed. Then she impliments whatever changes are necessary to meet these. I wish she’d go to the other districts and offer some suggestions, but I’m sure she has her plate full.
Fiona,
All of your reasons for their higher test scores are also true. It takes more than a superintendent to get good test scores.
If the standardized test is well-designed, there’s nothing wrong with “teaching to the test”.
I beg to differ. Teaching to the test will get you only limited information. When the tests become as prioritized as they are right now, all other knowledge gets sacrificed. Kids don’t dare explore areas outside of the bubble, nor do their teachers. There is simply not enough time. And, if the test is recalibrated that year, watch the scores tumble and then everyone gets upset.
I think it is fine to teach kids methods to do well in standardized tests: basically, learning to take tests. That is just part of the game these days, and that information is probably quite useful in life. However, if we want these kids to think in a broader sense, using their brains to link various areas of study to things around them, we’ve been heading off in the wrong direction, at least I think so.
Yes, Fiona the test scores are remarkably different for Hillsborough and Burlingame. But, like Ian mentioned, look at the differences within Burlingame, say between Washington and Franklin. Maybe different demographics within small pockets of Burlingame? Maybe the onsite direction of the Principals? I’m sure the administration will look at all those things.
When teachers are forced to “teach to the test” there is no passion in the instruction. We do need to measure student progress and take action to fix our failures. The Advanced Placement exams at the high school level are about the only tests created where teaching to the test is valid. The AP curriculum is broad based and directly related to the objective of meeting the standards of a college class. The CST’s are boring. The students see no value in taking these exams as their performance is not linked to any external reward. A high CST score will not get you into college like a high SAT, GPA or AP score.
Take a look at schools that don’t use CST exams (private) and examine their success. The teachers at these schools may teach their passions and establish a love of learning amongst their students.
Since the schools have abolished ability grouping, teachers must instruct students of multiple levels of ability in the same classroom. The current educational philosophy is that all students are the same. If 30% of the class is below grade level that means that a teacher must slow down instruction by at least 30% to ensure that these students keep up. What happens to the other 70% of the class and more specifically, what happens to the top 20%? Where do high achieving students get academic stimulation?
We have come to believe that our most gifted students don’t matter because they will “make it on their own” and will score well on the tests. We need to move beyond a one size fits all philosophy and begin to instruct all students at their ability level and improve their skills.
Could you please tell me what “CST” means? I’ve never heard that term before. Also, I read a Newsweek article this week about the new SAT and confusion with how the results are interpreted. It almost sounded as if the SAT publishers had to come up with a revamped test to justify their existance(?) UC had debated getting rid of the test all together. UC is a huge “client” of SAT tests, so the publishers had to re-invent themselves in a new “SAT”. It is all very disturbing to me.
Jen, it’s the California Standards Test, prompted by the 2002 No Child Left Behind Education Act. If you’re reading the number results for CST, each number is the percentage of students who scored at their grade level or above in English (all grades); elementary Math (grade 4), Algebra 1 (grades 8 and 11); Algebra 11 (grade 11).
Evaluating a students SAT scores was confusing to some as the test went from two scoring sections of 800 for a top score of 1600, to three parts for a top score of 2400. So, some found it difficult to compare/contrast. I thinks some universities had issues with the writing section. There may be more to it, but that’s all I know.
The way I look at it, we should be teaching to the curriculum content standards, and testing to them as well. This is different than “teaching to the test”. The content standards are a very detailed set of items that are supposed to be covered in each grade – good teachers can design interesting and engaging activities/lessons that cover this content in ways other than constant drilling and memorization.
In my view, “teaching to the test” means identifying a subset of the standard content that has tended to come up on the tests in previous years and focusing on this content. That’s why, when the test is recalibrated, the scores fall. If the teaching is done to the full curriculum, without regard to what pieces tend to show up on the tests, our kids get a more complete education, and the test results are independent of test changes.
I resigned from teaching, because I could not handle all of the passionate educators, who could not explain how to find an emergency exit. The teachers lacked the ability to convey a point, but they were passionate about other issues that seemed to get in the way of the subject at hand.
At the beginning of each school year I sent home, to every parent, an outline of how I would be conducting the class. I stressed the need for parental involvement as well as the importance of passing tests. I taught to a test and held my students accountable for their performance. There was a weekly test, a mid term test, and a final test. I offered after school assistance, which was seldom accepted. The tests covered the previous material and the students were held accountable for their performance. If the student received a grade of either a D or F there was the opportunity for the student to raise the grade to a C with extra credit work and another test. This, too, was seldom chosen as an option. I used the test as a tool to measure the progress of the class or the student. Progress reports were sent home twice a class. If there was a student having difficulty and the grades reflected a D or lower, a special progress report was sent home requesting the parents and the student meet with me to discuss the problems exhibited.
I got tired of the parents blaming everyone for their child’s bad grades. When shown how the class was structured, the material covered, and the test given, the parent did not want to accept the fact that they might be part of the problem. The parent would make such a fuss that the principal would come to me an instruct me to change the grade to something other than a failing grade, so the student could move on. The principal did not want any attention drawn to the school. That is when I, finally, realized education had nothing to do with providing the student with something they could use going into adulthood, education had turned into a political game and the student was being left behind.
Teaching to a test is a good thing. A test measures progress or it shows a problem. In either case it is something the parents, educators, and students can use to measure the effectiveness of their particular program.
I am not a teacher but I am a parent and I am always amazed how many parents blame the schools, the teachers, the secretaries, etc. Some parents don’t get involved in their kid’s education even missing parent/teacher conferences where they can find out how well (or otherwise) their kids are doing.
I know we are all busy. BUT for an insight in your kids education, take the time to visit a classroom or even spend 10 minutes in the school office. It will be worth 10 minutes of your time!
Sorry to hear about “Resigned.” It sounds like some school district lost a good one. It seems like there are fewer and fewer excellent teachers left in the public school system. I can tell that my son, like I, will remember those few teachers that have challenged him the most, not the “easy” ones.
I think also that is correct to say that too few parents are involved. However, 30 years ago when I went to school, my mother was not involved at all, nor was my father. It wasn’t because they didn’t care, it was simply because at the time, the involvement just wasn’t as critical. I think the problem these days is that the PTA arms really have become fund-raising bodies, and they seldom involve themselves with the nuts and bolts of education. There is a disconnect therefore, between teacher territory and parent territory. At the high school level, when the kids are supposed to be taking more responsibility for their work, there isn’t much room left for input from the parents, except for occassional proof-reading, etc. If a kid is really not participating, or being disruptive, it is tough for a teacher to do much without a parent intervening somehow.
If the kids haven’t been encouraged already at the elementary level, to have a good attitude and work ethic at school, it is already too late by the time they are in High School. It’s really the early years where the parents can be a big help, I think, to just start them out with good habits.
Resigned,
Please don’t confuse passionate teachers with “touchy feely” ones. We have embraced a new form of teacher who doesn’t actually teach, but instead coddles students through school. We buy “watered down” textbooks and bring our lessons down to the level of the lowest learner in the room. We are afraid to ability group students and teach them at their level of intelligence. Yes, there are some BAD teachers left in the classroom, but we need creative principals to remediate or remove them. We also need parents who care about what their children are doing in school. It seems that parents are quick to blame the schools for everything that is wrong with their child.
We are in a trend of political correctness and enabling failure in our students by not challenging them or holding them accountable. I would also comment that giving students extra credit and allowing them to retake an exam is adding to their problems, not helping them learn. Students quickly learn that the first assignment doesn’t count and that the extra credit or make up exam will be much easier to pass and will require less effort. We are changing the education system to adapt to our student’s failures rather than forcing them to meet society’s standards.
I will agree that today’s principals don’t want to hear about student failure or complaints. Lets face it, principals will be promoted based upon test scores and nothing else. Getting students to achieve high test scores is a product of daily attendance, academic motivation and parental oversight.
There are a few older hardline teachers who continually get in trouble with the administration because they instruct a rigorous course and give D’s and F’s to students who earned them. Many of these teachers have an academic mastery of their subject matter and instruct with knowledge and passion. Most of these teachers are highly respected by their students because the students realize that these teachers will get them to college and achieve success thereafter. These teachers are also quickly singled out by principals as “problems” because they will not easily pass students which will then draw attention to the school.
A little known fact, at one local high school teachers’ grades are reviewed and the administration inquires why Latino students recieve D’ s or F’s, and what type of remediation will take place for these students. The same question is not asked for other ethnicities recieving D’s or F’s, only Latino students. Why the racial disparity? Because the school’s API score will only go up if Latino scores improve, but will not move up for a similar increase in Caucasian scores. A focus on test scores is also a focus on race. These test score focus on more than learning. You can’t learn enough about your school simply by looking at its test scores, you have to dig deeper. Ask your students for an honest answer the best teachers are in the school, not the teachers that the students like the best, but the teachers who really instruct anf motivate the students to learn.
I’m sorry that Resigned left the profession. You most likely needed to be with some older teachers who understand the value of a good lesson.
For a perspective by Chronicle writer, Ruben Navarrette: ( please read full text )
Public school teachers and administrators claim that they want parents to be partners in their children’s educations. That sounds nice. But it’s easier said than done. For instance, what happens when these parental partners advocate a course of action that is totally counterproductive and that possibly even undermines the educational process?
The latest example of that tension is the heated debate that is currently erupting over, of all things, summer vacation. According to an article in the New York Times, a number of school districts are trimming back on the ritual by starting classes in August or even late July, rather than the month of September. School officials contend that starting classes earlier in the year gives educators and students more time to prepare for the standardized testing required under No Child Left Behind. They also say that an earlier start makes it possible for students to take end-of-semester exams before Christmas break instead of after it, something that some educators claim makes it easier for students to retain what they’ve learned.
Parents aren’t buying it. They say they would prefer that school start in late August or, better yet, early September. Groups with names like “Save Our Summers” and which claim to represent thousands of members are organizing petitions and e-mail campaigns and pressuring state legislatures to require schools to adhere to a more traditional school year — or suffer the wrath of voters.
It’s working. According to the article, North Carolina recently passed a law prohibiting public schools from starting school before Aug. 25. Wisconsin decreed that schools couldn’t start before Sept. 1. In Minnesota, lawmakers drew the line at Labor Day.
Not to diminish the importance of the family getaway to Yellowstone, or the positive effects that come from parents having time to bond with their children, but we are, after all, talking about the education of children and the empowering of future generations.
Whenever there is a survey of how well students in the United States are doing in math, science or reading compared to those in other countries, we learn that our kids are trailing the pack. It’s no wonder that companies in the high-tech industry are increasingly looking abroad for job applicants, turning to countries such as China or India to fill jobs that once went to Americans. Their pride won’t let them confront the possibility that the real reason may have to do with differences in competence and qualifications.
And where does that come from? It starts with education. In China, the school year is 270 days. In India, it’s 220 days. And in the United States, it’s only 180 days.
Interesting to see what other states and countries are doing …
Do the STAR results cover home schooled and private education? I am always amazed that parents will take on the difficult job of home schooling and I would love to ask the teachers out there if this is considered advantageous to some children?
The test doesn’t cover home schooled or private, but includes charter schools.
The editorial piece is interesting because it pits the early school start against raising test scores yet NEVER establishes how the scores will be raised. In fact, the author ends the story talking about how the US lacks behind the rest of the world in the number of days in school. The number of days in school is never mentioned in the story! The early start of school is just another sham. If we really wanted clean breaks in school we would run on a tri-mester system where students took finals before christmans break and again at spring break and the end of school. The early start is just another wild goose chase, it wont raise scores, but it will ruin family time.
There are some great points made by Resigned, In the Trenches and Test Scores, but here at the Burlingame Voice, we pride ourselves on making our points while including the names. Could you 3 return and name names…schools, principals, teachers, heck name the janitor if you think he merits mention.
I’m particularly interested in whether principals have some discretion when it comes to “ability grouping”. Can’t wait to here the real skinny.
Al, some teachers have already stuck their necks out with various controversial issues over the past several months, particularly in the High School arena. I can understand if they’d rather remain anomynous.
Sorry, I have been a blog voyeur for many months. I heard about the blog after I moved out of the Bay Area. As it turned out we moved close to another former Burlingame resident, who suggested, if I wanted to monitor what was going on in Burlingame, this blog was a good place to visit. This is an electric town square where voices can be heard and ideas exchanged.
Over the months I noticed there is a small group of people, who wanted bloggers to use their true name and email address, but they were shouted down by those bloggers wanting to hide behind a fictitious name. With fictitious names accepted by the vast majority of the bloggers, I feel it is appropriate for me to use a fictious name. My piece was designed to get the caring parents out of their easy chairs and get involved in their children’s education.
Sorry Resigned, I must not have been clear enough. I’m not suggesting you use your real name, but rather the real names of the schools and/or administration officials that are being discussed. I’m all for getting out of the easy chair, but the question is do all Burlingame parents at all levels need to get up? Are some schools or districts (elementary vs high school) working well? No need to out yourself, just give us an informed lead.
Test scores are directly related to income levels and therefore, zip codes. Hillsborough will score higher than Burlingame because Hillsborough has no low income students in its district. In inner city L.A. 53% of high school freshman will not graduate high school. We cannot compare Burlingame and Los Angelos. When we try to compare one region against another, we lose focus of what we are measuring. A better measurment would be a student’s progress over the years.
To add to this frustration, the SMUHSD and its feeder schools have no coordination at all, including school schedule. Students who are failing in elementary and middle school may also be failing in high school because there is no coordination between the two systems.
Starting school in August will not raise test scores, coordinating district’s schedules and instruction will.
The 7 period “experiment” at BHS has begun very poorly. Counselors, teachers and students are struggling with hundreds of scheduling errors. It’s disturbing that Mr. Johnson thought the high schools in the district could do without counselors. Many students are out at 2pm, with nowhere to go (and they aren’t going to the library to study.)
Thank you for clearing up the time when the kids are out of school. I have noticed alot of high schoolers hanging out in the parking lots and streets (and not by the library!) during the afternoon and I wondered if they were playing hookey from class!
This has to be one of the better threads! Some very interesting issues have been pointed out. Based upon what has been said, this issue would make a fantastic topic for an investigative reporter. Granted the CTA and the NEA will do their best to impede or cloud the issue.
Seeking the truth may not be politically correct, but it is so important we correct the wrong that is being bestowed upon our children, who will be our future leaders.
Under the 7 perod day, students are only required to be in school for six periods, either 1-6 or 2-7, t/f students may not start school until 9:00 or end school at 2:00. Yes, there will be more students in the streets without supervision and this may add to BHS’s cutting problem.
There is not enough money in the districts’s budget to have all students in class 7 periods a day, and there will not be enough money without another parcel tax. Sam Johnson sold the public on a 7 period day and his academic core without calculating the cost or the impact. Remember that Johnson also stated that BHS and the other schools in the district didn’t need counselors. At BHS, student schedules have been a mess and it is the counselors who are attempting to fix the problem. The start of school has also been clouded by the death of a BHS student on campus in front of his peers and the murder of a local teen who was close to BHS students. It is the counselors who are dealing with these issues and putting our students interests first. It seems that the SMUHSD needs to take a closer look at the people on the front lines rather than cutting budgets to fuel untested pet programs.
I am sorry, the advantage of having 7 periods is what? The students only attend 6 periods so why do they have the extra period.
I am sure there is something I am missing, could someone fill me in on this new experiment?
The SMUHSD has mandated a new academic core for 9th and 10th grade students. (later to include 11 and 12) All students must pass these core courses in order to graduate. Students who do not pass these classes must retake the class and often also take a “support” class as well. Example. You fail freshman math. As a sophomore you will not take sophomore math, and repeat freshman math, and take a math support class as well. The space that you now take in repeating the class and in the support class come at the cost of another student taking a course. It is argued that the academic core requirement would not work in a normal 6 period day because of the number of students who are going to fail and need remediation. It seems that if 97% of BHS students are attending 2 and 4 years colleges out of a 6 period day then there really isn’t a need to change, but Sam Johnson knows better.
The seven period day is also supposed to allow student the opportunity to take more classes because there are more periods in the day.
As stated above, there is not enough money (or classrooms) to pay for teachers for every student to take seven periods a day. Therefore, most students attend only six periods taking either first or seventh period off. If in the future, more students want to take seven periods, we will have to put another parcel tax on the ballot because there is not enough money in the budget to pay for a seven period day. The SMUHSD knew this when they proposed the schedule, but advanced it anyways.
As it stands right now, students are in class fewer minutes in a period and less than 7 periods in a day. Athletics is also longer part of the school day. Your students are in school on August 16 rather than August 30 and will not get out of school until December 21 rather than December 16 like Burlingame Elementary. All of these changes have occured and Burlingame parents have not had the opportunity to give one ounce of input.
It seems like they are catering to the smaller percentage of lower performers in order to improve the general test score postings of the school (STAR, Exit Exam), as the high performers will continue their success regardless. As you said, we may see more unsupervised students on the streets. If they are the higher performers (since they’re not taking a “support” class), do they stay out of trouble (like go to the library), or do they get seduced into trouble because they’re bored?
I suppose this experiment year will provide the answers.
I’m delighted I found this discussion group.
My daughter has just started BHS and was not assigned her seventh period class. As we are from another school district, I was unaware of all the issues surrounding seven periods. When my daughter approached her counselor, the counselor lamented the long hours. I was angered that the counselor was looking to my daughter for comfort. I still feel that the counselor’s response was inappropriate.
I was shocked to see the question about seven periods. When California schools were the best in the nation – in the ’70s – the schools had seven periods. This allowed students to broaden their minds through electives, instead of focusing on just the basics. I’m pleased to see them bringing back seven periods. Now can they get it to work? And can our schools be the best again?
This is the question, how can the high performers continue doing as well, when their instructional time has been slashed across the board. Everyone played down this fact, saying that kids waste so much time anyway, getting settled and ready to learn.
Well, guess what? They need that transition time. Look at their ages. They will use it regardless of whether they have 7 minutes less per class, or not. A one minute transition isn’t ever going to happen.
My child, who is in the latter group, has zero benefit from this experiment, zero. As a matter of fact, he has lost quality time with his best teachers.
Today we received the usual Welcome Back letter from the SMUHS District. In it, Superintendent Johnson states, “The goals and challenges the District has undertaken can only be met when everyone commits to work together in a cooperative and dedicated manner.” How true this is.
The interesting part is that such basic interaction and discussion between all those involved, never happened last year when it was most critically needed. Why would anyone think that this year will be any different?
Jean, most people do not dispute that a 7-period day can be a rich educational experience for many kids. But to do so, the successful schools have had sufficient funds to do so, otherwise, counselors, librarians and some teachers need to be cut. (This, by the way, was the original plan of this district.)
Without making these cuts, our district can only afford to run 3 pilot 7-period schedules, period. Next year, I fear the same issues will return to the forefront.
If the District is so bent on implimenting 7-periods at each school, then it needs to make its case before the public and have an open discours. We may well need a Bond measure to do this properly. If this is so, the public needs to know this sooner, rather than later.
Excuse me, I misspoke. We would probably need a parcel tax to take care of the extra funding necessary. A bond is only for construction.
Some kids’ open period is other than 1st or 7th period. It seems a little random.
The comment above “When California schools were the best in the nation – in the ’70s – the schools had seven periods…’ in the 1970’s, there was no Prop 13 and CA schools had enough money to properly educate ALL of its students. Today we are strapped for cash and a budget increase for one group is a decrease for another. An increase in fudns for a lower performing group comes at the cost of another group. Advanced students ARE losing their level of education at BHS. Honors and AP classes are now open enrollment and are filled with students who are less than prepared for an advanced course. Advanced course teachers are now burdened with many students who can not keep pace with the class and are thus forced to slow down instruction. BHS lost its freshman honors history program because it would impair a new program based upon equity. Advanced students are losing out in this season of change, you just have to know how to look for the damage.
The Burlingame Voice is dedicated to informing and empowering the Burlingame community. Our blog is a public forum for the discussion of issues that relate to Burlingame, California. Opinions posted on the Burlingame Voice are those of the poster and commenter and not necessarily the opinion of the Editorial Board. Comments are subject to the Terms of Use.
All content subject to Copyright 2003-2026
Leave a Reply