Ask an Expert: Jim Cox and Pat Puleo
Measuring Up: A Parent's Guide to Testing, Grades, and Assessments

My son's elementary school is one of those low scoring schools, according to the Academic Performance Index (API). Their score of 450 resulted in some extra resource teachers coming in to help some of the students. Why are only some of the low-scoring students getting this help, while others get no assistance.

The API ranking has become very high stakes for schools. The system, as it has been developed, shows an increase in the school's score only when the students move up from one "quintile band" to the next. (See last month's column for an explanation of the API bands and measures of progress.) Schools under the gun to improve may be focusing solely on moving students from one band to the next in order to maximize their API growth. The game as they're playing it targets only those students close enough to the next band to have a chance of crossing it. This is clearly NOT what should be done. All struggling students deserve to receive the help they need to succeed.

By the way, all students who have been identified as "at-risk" of being held back at year's end, are entitled to extra help. It's up to your district to figure out how best to help them catch up so they can advance to the next grade. But they're legally required to take this initiative. So if students in this "at risk" condition aren't getting help, the district's not meeting its obligations.

TOP OF PAGE | BACK TO ARCHIVE INDEX