WASL AND BEYOND
 
Other comments, suggestions, proposals?

Student Motivation

Identify and Meet Student Needs (1 Comment)

This is a complex problem; although we are accruing a growing body of data I am not sure we have looked closely enough at the individual needs of the students who are failing. We see these students as "in poverty" or as ethnic minorities -- but do not carefully consider individual needs.

Create a Culture of Confidence (1 Comment)

Stop fighting about the standards and the test and spend that same amount of energy learning what it measures and how. When educators have experienced this, the response is overwhelmingly positive that students CAN achieve the expectations. It's rather simple pedagogy: student learning is affected positively or negatively by adult behavior.

Incentives (1 Comment)

There has to be an incentive to get out and get into something they want to do. Provide some other form of incentive for meeting all areas of the WASL like the first $1000 of tuition at a post secondary program.

Quality Teaching

Instructional Practice (5 Comments)

More time should be spent on teaching and learning and less time on data carousels, writing plans, setting goals, and reading OSPI memos that make little or no sense. If I'm able to understand the memo, I rarely have the capacity to act on it. Capacity = classroom space, Teaching FTE, funding, etc.

When will we ever see a K-20 video conference used to actually share a "best practice" rather than used exclusively as a compliance tool/information generator? This is one of the most glaring shortcomings of the state agency; while much is made of "best practice" at every OSPI conference, and the ESD's do as much as they can, it seems like we could be missing a chance to compress the cycle time for staff looking to make a move on pro-d. Vendors to online demos like a hot knife through butter because there is money on the line for them. If we invested at the state level in quality teacher tools, ready "on demand" for teachers interested in learning about various techniques, and applied across the state....now that would be something.

Probably didn't help much with my comments or insights. I would like to see the trend of looking at RTI and Differentiated Instruction result in some powerful tools educators across the K-12 system.
Require elementary teachers to take math courses and math method courses aligned to best practices. Get our No Limits and Math

Coaches to teach these courses. Make them required instead of the current offering of a wide variety of clock hours teachers can currently earn. The state needs to align its practices with student learning just like the districts do. We need high quality math teachers and must do what we can to help both our teachers and students be highly successful!

Realize that it will take longer than we anticipate because teachers need to adjust the way they instruct.

Instructional Leadership (7 Comments)

It's not just about teachers--we need building managers so that instructional leaders can be freed to get into classrooms, freed to lead professional development and data evaluation for decision making, and be freed to work with parents and community so that high schools are THE center of a community and her efforts of taking care of her young people. We need to be given the permission to say, "no" and honor the professionals that we have in our buildings who are doggedly pursuing those struggling students.

Strong leaders at the district level are crucial. By this, I mean leaders that listen well understand and respect differences in populations and school environments, and that have a good understanding of best practices. It also means involving their building leaders in development of the direction of the district. It involves respecting and utilizing the strengths of your teams and using these to make decisions that are best for all.

Many times we overlook the key issue of instruction. We all know the biggest influence on student performance is the teacher. How do we as leaders help to train and support the very best teachers and principals. Instruction is more than having the best curriculum or program it is about how purposefully engages students in the work. Some key questions to answer would include: What is the standard of practice for high quality instruction in each district? How do train our building level administrators to develop those teachers who can provide that high quality instruction? How do district administrators support the work of principals in improving instruction?

Create a viable mentorship program for the 1st 3 years of a principal’s life at the secondary level

There is so much money spent from Title funds, I-728, and TRI pay that are not accounted for. Perhaps we need to revisit our funding sources and allocation model.

Continue the dialog. As administrators, we continue to let things 'happen to us' rather than help chart the direction.

But may be most of all, begin, facilitate and maintain ongoing conversations about what needs to be done and continue to refine our practices based on the factors that we know make the difference because we do know them.

Change Laws to Make It Easier to Assign/Replace Teachers (4 Comments)

Get rid of TRI, change the 7 criteria for teacher evaluation to the new pro-cert criteria, mandate professional development.

Give administration the ability to "counsel-out" teachers that are in the profession to get a 3-month vacation...this would require lessening the strangle hold the WEA has on public schools.

Our secondary system needs to be looked at seriously. We have teachers that are not buying into the standards and the impact teachers can have on their students' success.

We need assistance in helping rid our buildings of those that are resting in education--let them rest somewhere else! How much paperwork is going to show that a teacher is a disaster?

Better Pre-Service Preparation For Teachers (3 Comments)

In 1950, I had to have a BS degree (major in math, minor physics/chem) before I could begin a one yr program for a teaching certificate. Five yrs of college before teaching. Not a bad idea.

Improve teacher training programs

How can we work more closely with local university teaching programs so that we are growing our own success and they are having a richer experience and so that both the university and the building win?

Incentives, Salary to Boost Morale (1 Comment)

Double teacher salaries, be more selective.

Align Instructional Practices

Align Instructional Practices (3 Comments)

Align effective instructional practices; data based instructional decision making, professional development, parent partnerships, community volunteers and the factors that are associated with outstanding learning organizations. But may be most of all, begin, facilitate and maintain ongoing conversations about what needs to be done and continue to refine our practices based on the factors that we know make the difference because we do know them.

If we want to teach a student to build a toaster, don't teach him how to build a blender. Focus on teaching the student about building toasters.

District (staff and Board) working cooperatively with Students, Parents – I call it total collaboration.

Assessment

Diagnostic / Formative Assessment (6 Comments)

Diagnostic / Formative Assessment (6 Comments)Move to a growth model. Provide systematic assessments for mathematics as we have for reading.

Look into how Idaho and Nebraska were able to have MAPS tests meet NCLB guidelines state-wide

Please, please, stop the money pouring down the WASL hole. We can use the test but let's scale back and use something like MAP for the off year testing.

Use assessments that really help us help students. We don't need WASL autopsy results.

We need to look at on-line assessments so we can get reliable reports back in a timely manner. This assessment must be available throughout the year or once a month/quarter so students have the ability to test out of remediation and into other classes or programs when they are ready.

Consider using the MAPs test as the math standard for each grade level. Consider using the MAPs test for the reading standard for all grade levels. Why not use the MAPs test for all subjects. It is cost effective as a state in comparison to the current vendor and gives reliable, diagnostic, timely results. Why does our state think they have to develop everything on their own? It isn't necessarily better.

Interventions

More time (1 Comment)

Students who are unsuccessful need more instruction which equates to more time. More opportunities for students before and after school and during spring, winter and summer breaks need to be provided. As salaries are increased, increase the 180 day school year to provide additional instructional time for students.

Early Grade Interventions (2 Comments)

A statewide emphasis on Early Childhood is going to help address the achievement gap. The achievement gap starts as the "readiness gap" and only magnifies across time.

Preschool classes for students likely to be at risk.

Student Learning Plans (2 Comments)

Mandatory summer school classes for all students not meeting standard.

Review the funding requirements of PAS Good idea but tracking and getting students to attend is difficult We pay the staff whether 3 students or 15 attend, then have to send dollars back--isn't working out as they thought.

More Funding / Control for Interventions (5 Comments)

Point blank--we need more staff within buildings for interventions.

Fund mandatory summer school classes for all students not meeting standard as well as preschool classes for students likely to be at risk.

Often students who struggle academically also have other issues that compound effective learning: i.e. high mobility, poverty, English not their first language, drug/alcohol issues.

The reason that low WASL and other test scores seem to follow a categorical listing of SES factors is a reality of life. Unless these factors are treated also, most of what we will do will be short-term band aids for a much larger societal shortcoming.

While schools can do better -- and are improving, there are some students whose needs simply cannot be met in the current system. In these cases, intervention by multiple agencies is needed. Until we take care of the lower level needs of some of these students (Maslow's hierarchy) it is unrealistic to expect them to reach current standards. At the same time, we cannot "write these students off" either. The state should implement a growth model that rewards success. There should also be optional-and reasonable - avenues available to students.

WASL / Graduation Requirements

Revise NCLB (5 Comments)

As districts continue to try to make improvements for their students, we need a system that recognizes this. We do not need a system that tells us that we "Do Not Meet Standard." Change the AYP process to reflect the hard work that educators are trying!!!!!!

Give districts the option of awarding a high school diploma that gives students the opportunity to graduate if they have met all district requirements

Less local control if they can't show it is effective.

Change to a growth-based assessment process-- follow the same group of students to see the actual improvement.

Our district has continued to make progress in most areas except for math and we are still in district improvement.

Stay the Course (6 Comments)

Stop fighting about the standards - they are set. Stop fighting about the test and spend that same amount of energy learning what it measures and how. When educators have experienced this, the response is overwhelmingly positive that students CAN achieve the expectations. It's rather simple pedagogy: student learning is affected positively or negatively by adult behavior.

AS with all surveys, gray area answers are needed because of the different "belief-pieces" each school administrators see to fit his/her own situation. But, more importantly is that we stay focused on being single minded in that we can beat this WASL ugliness...mainly it is too late to spend millions of dollars in changing our overall efforts. Stick with the WASL format...concentrate on reducing the cost of the WASL...localize it...allow teachers to have access to results so they can better prepare their students to pass the thing. Take the mystic and secrecy out of the damn thing. IT is suppose to be a tool, gauge for learning not a hammer or prison fence....it is suppose to stand for progress and success...the legislature has missed the boat on that one concept.

We are getting there! Don't stop just because the work is getting harder. The future of our society depends on our future citizens' quality in the work force.

We knew long ago that once we started down this road of standards-based education we would be increasingly stretching our system and ourselves to stay the course. Other than a few NCLB regulations that are unreasonable, this has been the most important and most successful work in public education in the last century. We currently are at that point we always knew would come, high stakes for our students who might not get their property right of a high school diploma while at the same time we are exposed as we ask ourselves, did we provide them what they needed in order to be successful or did we do what we always have done and expected a different outcome? We need to stay the course, stretch ourselves, create a system there failure is not an option.

Do not lower the bar for our students of color or students from disadvantaged households. This would not be fair and would demonstrate our lack of faith in our students who come from these populations. They are as capable and sometimes more so than those who have it all. Who are we to decide for them whether they can do it or not?

We have spent, as a state, so much money on EALR's and testing that abandoning it would be a terrible disservice.

Make modifications for ELL and SpEd (2 Comments)

AYP is totally unrealistic for ELL and Sp Ed. students.

Work with the WAAS prompts for non-verbal students and students with autism. They are totally inappropriate.

Create a Two-tiered Diploma (9 Comments)

How many of the students who have not passed the reading and/or writing WASL and are on IEP's and will qualify for a CIA?

Not all students will be able to learn at the SAME high level academically. There are too many factors affecting student achievement.
Almost all high schools in the State of Washington are on a collision course as the demands of NCLB will intersect the reality of student learning.

While schools can do better -- and are improving, there are some students whose needs simply cannot be met in the current system.In these cases, intervention by multiple agencies is needed. Until we take care of the lower level needs of some of these students (Maslow's hierarchy) it is unrealistic to expect them to reach current standards. At the same time, we cannot "write these students off" either. The state should implement a growth model that rewards success. There should also be optional-and reasonable - avenues available to students.

We have approximately 15-20% of our students who have not passed the Reading or Writing standards on the WASL and are not on target to graduate. O Specifically, our district has students who fall between the gaps. These students have lower functioning IQ's, but do not qualify for Special Education Services because they are working at or beyond their ability as based on their IQ. These are hard working students who are struggling passing the WASL even with the many interventions we have put in place. What about these students and their parents? One could describe these students as the students "who can't" not the students "who won't".

Not all students are going to college and society does not need all students to attend 2 or 4 year colleges. Many students are interested and would succeed in various trades that are dying out.

I think having a two tier system would be a good thing. We need to start identifying students earlier and directing them toward college or toward the trades.

Setting high standards that are the same for everyone has done more to improve education than anything else in my career. That said, none of the problems spoken to should come as a surprise. High standards mean some will have a struggle reaching the assessments. Some alternative path would be appropriate for some students, but it will not be the same measure of achievement. The two areas short changed in our curriculum due to not enough money are vocational and fine arts. That is not fair to a well rounded education.

Not all students will be able to learn at the SAME high level academically. There are too many factors affecting student achievement. Almost all high schools in the State of Washington are on a collision course as the demands of NCLB will intersect the reality of student learning.

A significantly special diploma should be awarded for passing the WASL rather than be a requirement to receive a diploma?

Remove WASL (13 Comments)

Remove the WASL as a graduation requirement.

Dump the WASL. We've wasted enough time and energy; it's time to say "uncle". Move to a nationally standardized test such as the NAEP. If we are going to be compared to other states, let's use the same yardstick.

Evidence for the futility of state level control of curriculum and assessment: According to the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), passing the high school math WASL in 1999 required a student to score at the 73rd percentile. A 10th grader in 2004 required a score only at the 25th percentile (Cronin, J. 2004. p. 8, http://www.nwea.org/assets/research/state/Washington2004Summary.pdf).

We are testing our kids to death. How can they learn when all they do is take tests? The colleges don't care about the WASL.

Get rid of this too-expensive, not very helpful WASL. Use assessments that really help us help students. We don't need WASL autopsy results.

The WASL and the associated alternative assessments are out of control - just the logistics of trying to navigate students and staff through the various options is way to onerous. Our capacity to truly improve student learning will only be increased relative to our ability to focus on that task. We are constantly distracted and absorbed chasing an ever-growing array of bureaucratic requirements.

We don't need to perpetuate a two-tiered society. ALL kids need to have equal access to high quality and standard skills. To do otherwise is a travesty. We don't fulfill our obligation to society when we allow ourselves to shrink in the face of the work we need to do.

The WASL is not an effective tool to demonstrate success in post-secondary school settings. We have once again focused on the students who are college bound and developed standards to prepare them to succeed in college. Which is positive? Unfortunately, the majority of students will not go on to post-secondary settings. This assessment system (WASL) does not meet the intent of the law which is to prepare students for successful productive adult life.

Our students are not replaceable parts for corporate America. Why should we care where international businesses hire their workers? If our students want those jobs, then we should have a pathway ready, but we shouldn't destroy our schools in the process. After all, being educated is very different from being employed.

Graduation has now become so complicated that most parents and students can't tell when they can or cannot graduate. This is undermining good planning on the part of all of these people.

There are three levels of IQ. Low, medium and high. We need to identify and push the medium and high IQ students and have intervention on the low. High IQ students with limited English are penalized the most. International college students are tested in their own language and accepted in our universities, but we don't test migrant students in their own language. Washington state is an international state, Seattle schools deal with over 100 languages. We need to test ability not English acquisition. I agree all students need to know English but look who we a rehiring and who are teaching or colleges.

I believe that the tools and assumptions we are using to measure student achievement ire flawed. Not just the WASL, but the concept that all students will go to college and need college level skills. The reality is that there are students who will do well in life by attending trade schools, apprenticeships, etc. I realize that these programs require high levels of skills, also, but the way many of these skills are learned are through hands-on activities and real life experiences. I believe that the use of one high stakes test to determine whether a student graduates from high school is discrimitory. Many students have good solid skills, but are not able to show them through testing. Collection of evidence is also not a good way to show skills. Again, it requires students to use writing as a way to show that they understand concepts. I think that the CAA should still be awarded to students that show high levels of academic achievement, but should not be required for graduation.

Work to get rid of all this high stakes testing "garbage", NCLB, and WASL. Let local schools and districts run their districts and not States and Federal governments.

Use the WASL as originally intended.

Consider Other Alternatives (5 Comments)

Consider allowing students to use either 9th or 10th grade WASL scores or a history of WASL scores 4-10 rather than base it all on one high stakes test. What about a student who continues to miss the 10th grade mark by 5 points or less but he/she passed all the tests from grades 3-9? Consider allow lower achieving students who fail the WASL to earn a diploma by taking additional courses such as math. Is the WASL format the appropriate way to measure math?

Rather than lowering the expected "cut" score from 400, utilize the Standard Error of Measure to "qualify" students as passing. We indicate that students who score a 397 don't meet proficiency, but a 403 does. Yet, statistically, those two students could "flip" their scores on any given day. Let's accept the same standards we do for AYP qualification for individual students. I recognize this only helps a smaller number of students, but is "statistically honest."

Please, please, stop the money pouring down the WASL hole. We can use the test but let's scale back and use something like MAP for the off year testing.

If we have to have a high stakes test, make it a reading and computation test that is reliable and valid to show minimal skill level (8th grade?). A HS diploma is too big of a gateway to shut kids out of without a darn good reason.

Other states making AYP have less rigorous tests.

Use a National Standard (4 Comments)

Lastly, if we are required to have a graduation assessment, why not something like the NAEP? Where all students across the country are measured by the same indicator as opposed to 50 different ones?

CUT SCORES SHOULD BE NORMED ACROSS COUNTRY, MORE IN LINE W/ NAEP SCORES/NORMS.

Norm based assessment should again be considered, while WASL has illuminated some solid teaching practices, the time consumption and energy drainer seemed misguided.

Why doesn't our state look at keeping the WASL as a measure of school reform and student achievement, but also recommend that for NCLB and AYP there be a national dipstick; such as NAEP or MAP? It is when we submitted the WASL as our NCLB measure that the power of our dissecting sub populations began to decline. We set ourselves up for failure.

Parent Involvement

Parent Involvement (3 Comments)

By design, the WASL is a criterion-referenced test. It is not a normed test with all of the statistical reliability that comes with such tests. Unfortunately, this is often misunderstood and thus WASL data is often misused-- by educators. WASA can and should play a role in educating people about this.

Maintaining high expectations for all students needs to be a priority. If parents and students with means (resources) feel that our system is further taking from middle and high performing students to help low students...They will go elsewhere (private schools, more affluent school districts) which will eventually undermine our public school system.

PARENTS KNOW ZIP ABOUT THE WASL, HOW SCORES ARE ARRIVED AT. THEY STILL BELIEVE THE TEACHER WHO TEACHES THEIR CHILD ACTUALLY KNOWS MORE THAN A SPECIALIST IN D.C. OR OLYMPIA - IMAGINE THAT!

Curriculum

State Curriculum (1 Comment)

We need to have a state wide curriculum in math.

Relevance (2 Comments)

Academic preparation together with remedial efforts (many of which include taking more of the same or taking the same class over again) has not enthused students to learn or excel. I believe that for many of these underachieving students CTE programs can bring the academics needed to pass the WASL without destroying the students self esteem and actual connect them to advanced learning. Need to stop the erosion of student's ability to take CTE classes. Also those CTE classes need to step up and be accountable for academic learning.

Between academic preparation and then remedial efforts (many of which include taking more of the same or taking the same class over again has not enthused students to learn or excel. I believe that for many of these underachieving students CTE programs can bring the academics needed to pass the WASL without destroying the students self esteem and actual connect them to advanced learning. Need to stop the erosion of student's ability to take CTE classes. Also those CTE classes need to step up and be accountable for academic learning.

What Works

What Works (4 Comments)

Since we might be the number I improving district in the state, I would be willing to serve on a task force. We have two elementary schools that have had 94 and 89% of their student pass the reading at 4th grade. The WASL changes at 7th with some higher level thinking skill required. Scores drop tremendously!! Second Language Learners struggle with this for many reasons. Oral and Written language skills are much different than problem-solving skills.

All of our seniors and all but one of our juniors have passed all areas of the WASL including math. We have poor kids, ELL kids and SPED kids in these classes. Our English teacher does not have a major or minor in English and our math teacher does not have a major or minor in math. Our teacher has found ways to provide relevance and develop relationships with students that matter.

Sometimes the rigor is not there but apparently there is enough to prepare the students to pass the WASL.
Start a longitudinal student study using HLM or another methodology (not Sanders) that can inform instruction, measure growth, allows for multiple measures, defines AYP, is open sourced, and can be replicated for starters. Redefine Basic Education and get reduce the amount of targeted funds and their uses. We need to get congress to understand the issues in the schools and impact that we are having on our high achieving students by requiring funds to be used for catch up before they are used for keep up and move up. They also need to know the problem they are creating by mandating changes without proving the funds for professional development, assessment development and training, data systems, real time information management systems for teachers and schools and the cost of special education and ELL programs...

When will we ever see a K-20 video conference used to actually share a "best practice" rather than used exclusively as a compliance tool/information generator? This is one of the most glaring shortcomings of the state agency; while much is made of "best practice" at every OSPI conference, and the ESD's do as much as they can, it seems like we could be missing a chance to compress the cycle time for staff looking to make a move on pro-d. Vendors to online demos like a hot knife through butter because there is money on the line for them. If we invested at the state level in quality teacher tools, ready "on demand" for teachers interested in learning about various techniques, and applied across the state....now that would be something.

Standards

Standards (2 Comments)

The recent independent study of Washington's math standards blasts them. Still, the planned remedy involves revamping them using the same process as before. We do not need state level standards to improve achievement. The best plan for reform is to leave decisions regarding curriculum and instruction to the local school districts who best know their students and families. Laissez faire is the best policy.

NCLB/AYP has played a great part in this and by 2014 most districts will be in improvement. We must decide what every student must know in every subject before they move on. Essential/critical skills must be identified and mastered. Mastery may take time for many, but if it is necessary for the next step, then we must promote it as necessary. Every learner is different and is wired in a different manner. One size does not fit all, although many people feel it does.

Lower Class Sizes

Lower Class Sizes  (3 Comments)

Small class sizes and 1/12 student teacher ratio plays a significant role.

Small class size.

Small class size.

Other

System is Overwhelming and Unwieldy

More Time (4 Comments)

Realize that it will take longer than we anticipate because teachers need to adjust the way they instruct.

Did anyone say science? Our next crisis is in the area of science education. We can no longer attempt to integrate all three areas of science without a failure of depth. Getting clear about science content is an urgent need if we learned anything from our math situation.

Furthermore, I am concerned because we are going to be in the same predicament with Science. Science is coming up right around the corner. With the tremendous emphasis on Math, we are also forgetting about Science.
As we grapple with these issues, it would be very helpful if the CBA's in the arts; health & fitness and social studies were delayed.

We have too many different things going on at once.

More Support (11 Comments)

Elementary teachers are required to be "experts "in all fields. Impossible to develop plans to meet all the needs of staff. They can't do it all, something has to give. SPI is out of control, feel like me the whole system is ready to implode! If SPI can't keep up with what they are requiring, how do they think we can??

Get more educators (less legislators/non-educators) involved with solving WASL concerns.

It's time for a paradigm shift concerning public education. I believe that we are in for a difficult, contentious and painful transition to either a more centralized (national) educational system with more rigor and less adaptability or a more de-centralized system with more creativity but less consistent results in student learning. I doubt seriously that we can maintain our present course of "patchwork" solutions.

Continue the ongoing communication with our legislators regarding: 1) the need for ample funding 2) the current flaws in NCLB 3) the need to recognize the growth and success we have enjoyed since the state reform movement began (like Uri Treisman said at WASA, if we keep beating ourselves up over the current state of education in the WA, levels of resolve and motivation will reach all-time lows)...

If I seem to be negative about ospi I think it is for good reason. I do not enjoy seeing the power struggles that currently exist and many of us see us as wandering and reacting too late at the state level. I really believe the esd's have the potential to work more directly with districts. Thanks for asking. It is nice to see us talking about what we are talking about. Lets get basic ed defined. bests

I hate the idea of another required written plan for districts in need of improvement. Why can't the required SIPlans suffice?

As all schools and districts eventually fall into "improvement" status, it is important to stay encouraged and motivated--it will be increasingly difficult to ignore or disbelieve the status, i.e., "improvement/failing", media and letters required to send to parents. The AYP system, as it is currently, is absurd. Redirecting Title I dollars and requiring more and more paperwork/accountability is taking away from time working with students and on improving skills of teachers.

We MUST stop moving the target. Every legislative session changes the requirements and adds new burdens and unfunded mandates to our already overburdened systems. Not every good idea or proposal should be implemented. We are drowning trying to keep up. The WASL and the associated alternative assessments are out of control - just the logistics of trying to navigate students and staff through the various options is way to onerous. Our capacity to truly improve student learning will only be increased relative to our ability to focus on that task. We are constantly distracted and absorbed chasing an ever-growing array of bureaucratic requirements.

OSPI needs to provide authentic leadership and not join the NCLB blame game. We are not training young people for jobs, we are training them to think and be productive world citizens. What is the real evidence that we are not succeeding?

Sue them, the state will not increase funding unless forced to do so.

Quit targeting dollars with strings attached. Let schools work to improve instead of working only to comply with rules that often make no sense at the local level.

And on the Survey Itself (9 Comments)

Too much detailed work is being caused with all the legislation, mandates, and accountability.

As with all surveys, gray area answers are needed because of the different "belief-pieces" each school administrators see to fit his/her own situation.

Too many of these descriptions are "loaded" political statements on one side or the other. Skipping them is the only way to answer the ones with some sense of balance in the opposing positions.

In order to provide more meaningful input we need a set of assumptions that will help answer the questions in a more meaningful way. As an example, assuming Title I-like resources were available by the state, you could more easily conclude that we should not accept Federal dollars.

Some of these items were very difficult to assess and answer, as so many ideas were packed into each item. Number seven, for example, I half agreed with and half disagreed with. I believe that having teachers score tests locally or regionally so that they can better inform their instruction is an excellent idea. Posting results by district, school, and teacher for public consumption, rather than using that data for internal analysis, I don't care for. So how do I answer one question that encompasses both?

While I appreciate the questions in the survey, I wish there was a place for comments for each question as depending on certain situations or how a suggestion were implemented, I may have rated my answer differently.

Good work.

Thank you.

Cheers and gracias for asking!