🚀 go-pugleaf

Here is a press release from the American Federation of Teachers.
I downloaded the press release from the PR On-Line BBS in Maryland
at 410-363-0834. I do not work for or belong to the AFT.


 Student Test Scores in Baltimore EAI Schools Show Continuing 
Decline, Says Teachers Union
 To: National Desk, Education Writer
 Contact: Donna Fowler of the American Federation of Teachers,
          202-879-4482

   WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Student test scores
released yesterday by the Baltimore City Public Schools conflict
with scores released last June for schools run by private
contractor Education Alternatives Inc. (EAI).  Figures released
yesterday showed that the small increase in math scores reported in
June for the EAI schools turns out to be even smaller and a
reported increase in reading scores is actually a decline.  In
June, school officials released only partial test scores and only
for the EAI schools, making it impossible to compare the EAI
schools with other Baltimore schools.  School officials used the
data to claim that the EAI program was "on track."
   "Baltimore school officials seem to be playing a game of now-
you-see-them, now-you-don't with student test results.  They seem
to be doing their best to confuse the public about what's really
happening in the EAI schools.  Scores released yesterday show
different results from the scores released in June for the same
tests, and they show that, after two years, students in EAI schools
are well behind students in other city schools," said AFT's Gregory
A. Humphrey, executive assistant to the president and the
secretary-treasurer.  "Can you imagine what will happen in
Hartford, where the contract basically allows EAI to monitor
itself?"

   A Growing Achievement Gap
   Two-year test results show a widening achievement gap between
students in EAI schools and those in other city schools:

   -- For reading, test scores in city schools went up
4 percentiles (or two NCEs -- normal curve equivalents, another
common test measure); in EAI schools, scores went down
4 percentiles (2.8 NCEs), a gap of 8 percentiles or 5.3 NCEs.

   -- For math, city schools went up 6 percentiles (3.3 NCEs),
while EAI schools went down 3 percentiles (1.7 NCEs), a gap of
9 percentiles or five NCEs.

   -- Reading scores in the control group schools (eight schools
comparable to the EAI scores, chosen by the district for evaluation
purposes) went up 8 percentiles (4.2 NCEs); in EAI schools, scores
went down 4 percentiles (2.8 NCEs), a gap of 12 percentiles or
seven NCEs.

   -- Math scores in the control group schools went up by
9 percentiles (4.6 NCEs); in EAI schools, scores went down
3 percentiles (1.7 NCEs), a gap of 12 percentiles or 6.3 NCEs.

   "Student achievement is the bottom line in this EAI experiment,
and EAI students are clearly in trouble," said Humphrey.

   Discrepancies in Test Results
   The newly-released test scores for 1993-94 conflict with scores
released last June in several ways.  School officials also changed
the schools being compared with EAI schools.

   -- In June, school officials released only subscale scores
(subscales measure one component of a larger skill, for example,
vocabulary or comprehension as part of reading) for math and
reading and only for the eight elementary schools run by EAI.  The
accepted practice is to release complete test scores and include
all schools, so that comparisons can be made.

   -- In June, results in EAI schools for reading comprehension
showed slight improvement, but the figures released yesterday
showed a decline of 4 percentiles (two NCEs); school officials have
not explained the discrepancy.

   -- In June, subscale scores for EAI schools showed a slight
increase in reading and an increase in math of 4 percentiles (two
NCEs).

   -- In October, complete test scores show an average increase for
all city schools of 5 percentiles (2.4 NCEs) in math.  Reading
scores for all city schools showed an average increase of
2 percentiles (1.2 NCEs).  In contrast, EAI schools showed an
increase of only 3 percentiles (1.4 NCEs) in math and a decrease of
1 percentile (0.5 NCE) in reading.  Half of the EAI elementary
schools rank in the bottom 10 of Baltimore schools in reading
scores.

   -- Control group schools outperformed the EAI schools, with
increases of 3 percentiles (1.4 NCEs) in reading and 4 percentiles
(2.2 NCEs) in math.

   -- School officials eliminated three higher-scoring schools
(Cecil, Madison Square, Brent) and replaced them with lower-scoring
schools (Alexander Hamilton, Rosemont, Templeton) in the control
group.  Control schools are usually as similar as possible to the
schools being evaluated, and commonly accepted evaluation practice
requires that control groups remain the same over the course of the
evaluation.

   -- No attendance figures were released yesterday for the EAI
schools, although general attendance figures for the district were
provided.  For the 1992-93 school year, EAI claimed that attendance
improved in its schools, but figures showed that attendance went
down, not up.

   -- No test scores have ever been reported for Harlem Park Middle
School, run by EAI, where problems with special education prompted
an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education.  The
investigation found EAI to be in violation of federal special
education laws.

   EAI came under fire for its reporting of Baltimore test results
in August 1993, when the company reported dramatic increases in
student scores.  The improved scores turned out to be for a small
and unrepresentative group of Baltimore students.  EAI later
claimed the report was an error.  In August 1994, three-year test
results from an EAI school in Miami Beach showed no improvement,
but EAI officials continue to claim that scores improved there.
   "The unusual way these test scores are being reported and the
changes in the control group schools raise a lot of questions about
accountability in Baltimore.  Replacing high-scoring control group
schools with low-scoring schools can only make EAI look better and
makes honest comparisons impossible," said Humphrey.  "EAI's track
record continues to get worse."

   The American Federation of Teachers represents more than 852,000
teachers, school support staff, higher education faculty and staff,
healthcare professionals, and state and municipal employees.

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