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Community Forum on Job Shadowing in
St. Paul High Schools May 17 - 28
http://www.stpauljobshadow.org
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The table Tom Swift posted showing test scores for
math and reading of 3rd, 5th and 7th graders in a
single year is interesting (and disturbing). It
apparently shows that the percentage of students doing
poorly increases from the lower to higher grades.
However, since the figures are from testing done in a
single year, we really can't say, based on these
figures, that the competency of students declines from
year to year. What we need are testing figures
tracking the progress of the same students from year
to year. That is, how did the students tested in grade
3 do when they got to grades 5 and 7. I think that's
called a longitudinal study.
Put another way, we don't know how the students tested
in the 7th grade would have done had they been given
the 3rd grade test when they were 3rd graders.
There is also a problem in comparing the results of,
say, a 3rd grade test to a different 7th grade test.
Not to be misunderstood, let me say again, it's
disturbing enough to see such a high percentage of
students testing poorly in 2004. We just need to be
careful about concluding what those figures say about
whether students are progressing or regressing.
Charlie Swope
Ward 1
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