% >>
FROM
HEALTH NEWS
TO
A
CLOSER
% LOOK
AT
EDUCATION
AND
A
% STUBBORN ACHIEVEMENT GAP
% PROBLEM
IN
WISCONSIN.
% IT'S A
PROBLEM
STATE
% SUPERINTENDENT
OF
SCHOOLS
% CAROLYN
STANFORD
TAYLOR
SPOKE
% TO
IN
HER
STATE OF
EDUCATION
% ADDRESS THURSDAY.
% >>
TOGETHER
WE
CAN
HAVE
THE
% DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT
% RACE
AND
EQUITY
IN OUR
SCHOOLS
% AND
OUR
COMMUNITIES
AND
TACKLE
% OUR
ACHIEVEMENT
ACCESS
AND
% OPPORTUNITY
GAP
AS THE
CRISIS % IT IS.
% TOO
MANY
OF
OUR
STUDENTS
OF
% COLOR,
STUDENTS
WITH
% DISABILITIES,
ENGLISH
LEARNERS,
% AND
STUDENTS
FROM LOW
INCOME
% FAMILIES STRUGGLE
TO
ACHIEVE
% THEIR
DREAMS
AND REACH
THEIR % FULL POTENTIAL.
% WE
HAVE TO
GET
LEARNING
RIGHT
% ON
THE FRONT
END
OR
WISCONSIN
% AS
A
STATE
WILL NEVER
ACHIEVE % TRUE SUCCESS.
% >>
SUPERINTENDENT STANFORD
% TAYLOR WILL
BE
A GUEST ON
NEXT
% WEEK'S PROGRAM.
% THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
IS
% REFLECTED IN A
BIG
WAY
IN
THE
% 2018-2019 TEST SCORE
RESULTS
% THAT
SHOW
A
DECLINE IN
STUDENT
% PERFORMANCE OVERALL.
% ACCORDING TO
THE
STATE
% DEPARTMENT
OF
PUBLIC
% INSTRUCTION,
STUDENT
TEST
% SCORES
SHOW
40.1% OF
STUDENTS
% WERE PROFICIENT OR
ADVANCED
IN
% MATH.
% DOWN
A
PERCENTAGE POINT
FROM
% LAST YEAR.
% LIKEWISE, OVERALL
SCORES
IN
% ENGLISH SLIPPED
TO 39.3% OF
% STUDENTS TESTING
PROFICIENT
OR
% ADVANCED, DOWN
FROM 40.6
THE
% YEAR
BEFORE.
% AGAIN
THE
ACHIEVEMENT
GAP
% BETWEEN WHITE
AND BLACK
% STUDENTS ALSO PERSISTS.
% FOR
EXAMPLE,
IN
THE
THIRD
GRADE
% 12%
OF BLACK
STUDENTS
WERE
% PROFICIENT
IN
READING
COMPARED
% TO 46.1%
OF
WHITE
STUDENTS.
% IN
MATH
15.7%
OF BLACK
STUDENTS
% TESTED
PROFICIENT
COMPARED
TO % 58.5%
OF
WHITE
STUDENTS.
% THE
RESULTS
CAUGHT THE
% ATTENTION
OF
MEMBERS
OF
THE
% STATE LEGISLATURE,
INCLUDING
% THE
CHAIR
OF
THE
ASSEMBLY
% EDUCATION
COMMITTEE,
REPUBLICAN
% REPRESENTATIVE JEREMY %THIE
SFELDT
WHO JOINS
US
FROM
% HIS DISTRICT IN
POND
--
FOND
% DU
LAC.
% WHAT
WAS
YOUR
REACTION
WHEN YOU
% SAW
THESE SCORES?
% >>
WELL,
THIS
IS
THE
FOURTH
% YEAR THAT
MOST
OF
OUR
STUDENTS
% HAVE
BEEN DOING
WHAT'S CALLED
% THE
FORWARD
EXAM.
% SO
WE
HAVE
A PRETTY
GOOD
% DATASET
AVAILABLE TO US
NOW
% THAT
YOU
DON'T
FEEL
LIKE
YOU
% ARE
MAKING
FLIPPANT JUDGMENTS % BASED
ON ONE
YEAR
OF
DATA.
% SO
WHEN
I
SAW
THESE
RESULTS
AND % I
NOTED
THAT
THERE
HAS
BEEN
A
% PRETTY CONSISTENT
DOWNWARD % TREND THROUGH
ALL
FOUR
YEARS
OF
% THEM, IT
RAISED
SOME
CONCERNS % ON MY
PART
BECAUSE
I
HAVE
A
% SIGNIFICANT ROLE
AND
I
% APPRECIATE HAVING THAT ROLE,
% BUT
WE
CAN
STILL
TAKE
SOME
% COMFORT THAT
WISCONSIN
IS
STILL
% AHEAD OF
MOST
OTHER
STATES.
% BUT
IT
IS
CONCERNING
TO
ME
THAT
% WE
MOST CERTAINLY ARE
NOT
% HEADED IN
THE
RIGHT
DIRECTION.
% OUR
SCORES ARE
TRENDING % DOWNWARD QUICKLY.%
AND IF
YOU
WERE
TO
GO
INTO
THE % SUBGROUPS
IN
PARTICULAR % DISTRICTS YOU'LL
FIND
THAT
% THERE
WERE DROPS
IN
THE
SCORES
% AS
MUCH
AS
BETWEEN
10
AND 15%
% BETWEEN YEAR
ONE
OF
THE
FORWARD % EXAM
AND
YEAR
FOUR OF
THE
% FORWARD EXAM.
% IT
IS
TIME
FOR
US TO
STOP
% TALKING ABOUT IT
AND DO
% SOMETHING
ABOUT
IT.
% >>
I
WANT
TO
ASK
YOU
WHAT
YOU
% THINK
WE
SHOULD DO
BUT
YOU
SAY
% THAT
THE LEGISLATURE HAS
% DEDICATED
INCREASING
AMOUNTS
OF
% FUNDING
TOWARD
K-12 EVERY
YEAR
% SINCE
2011.
% IN
THE 2011
BUDGET
WAS
CUT.
% HOW
DO
YOU FIGURE
INCREASES
% SINCE
2011?
% >>
THAT
MAY
HAVE
BEEN AN ERROR
% ON
MY
PART.
% I SHOULD
HAVE SAID
2012.
% I
KNOW
THERE
WERE
SOME
CUTS IN
% THAT
FIRST
BUDGET.
% THERE
WERE CUTS
ACROSS
THE % BOARD
IN
THE
BUDGET.
% BUT
SINCE
THAT
TIME THERE
HAVE
% BEEN
INCREASING
AMOUNTS
OF
% DOLLARS
INVESTED
IN
EDUCATION
% AND
PARTICULARLY THE
LAST
TWO % BUDGETS
VERY
HEALTHY
AMOUNTS.
% AND
WE'RE
SIMPLY NOT SEEING
% RESULTS
FROM
THAT.
% NOW,
THE
STANDARDIZED TEST % SCORES
ARE
CERTAINLY
NOT
THE
% ONLY
MEASURE YOU WOULD LOOK IT
% BUT
IT IS
A CONCRETE
MEASURE
% AND
IT
IS
A VALUABLE
TOOL
AND
% THESE RESULTS
ARE
HEADED
% DOWNWARD.%AND
I
DO NOT
BELIEVE
THAT
THIS % IS
A
MONEY
PROBLEM.% I
BELIEVE
THAT
THIS IS
A
% METHODOLOGY
PROBLEM.
% PARTICULARLY IN OUR
READING % SCORES.
% >>
SO
YOU
WERE
SUGGESTING
THAT
% WE
NEED TO
DO
SOMETHING
ELSE.
% WHAT
DO
YOU
THINK WE
NEED
TO
DO?
% >>
WELL,
SOME
OF THAT IS
BEING
% FORMULATED YET.
% I
WON'T PRODUCE A
PLAN
UNTIL
I
% HAVE
A
PRETTY
GOOD
IDEA
OF % WHICH
DIRECTION
I
WANT TO
GO
% AND
UNTIL
I'VE
COLLABORATED
% WITH
SOME OTHER
STAKEHOLDERS
ON
% THE ISSUE.%BUT
FOCUSING
IN
PARTICULAR
ON
% READING BECAUSE
I
STRONGLY % BELIEVE THAT READING IS
AT
THE
% CORE OF
ALL
ACADEMIC
STUDIES.% IF YOU
CANNOT
--
IF YOU
CANNOT
% EFFECTIVELY READ YOU
CANNOT
% EFFECTIVELY LEARN.
% I
DON'T
CARE WHAT
SUBJECT IT
% IS,
YOU
HAVE
TO
BE
ABLE
TO
READ
% IN
TODAY'S
WORLD
AND
READ
% EFFECTIVELY AT OR
ABOVE
GRADE
% LEVEL
IN
ORDER
TO
HAVE
--
% REALLY HAVE
SUCCESS IN
OUR % WORLD TODAY.
% AND
SO
WE
HAVE
HAD
AND
THIS % GOES BACK
TO
EVEN
WHEN
I WAS
IN
% COLLEGE BACK
IN
THE
1980s
AND
% THERE
WAS
THIS
WHOLE
LANGUAGE
% APPROACH TO
READING
THAT % STARTED
TO
TAKE
HOLD.
% AND
THAT
HAS
PERMEATED
SCHOOLS
% NOT
JUST
IN WISCONSIN
BUT % ACROSS
THE
UNITED
STATES.
% AND
THE
RESULTS
HAVE
BEEN
% DECREASINGLY -- HAVE
BEEN % INCREASINGLY POOR
AS
THE YEARS
% HAVE
GONE
BY.
% WE
NEED
TO
RETURN TO
A
% PHONICS-BASED APPROACH, TO
% READING
INSTRUCTION.
% AND
THIS
NEEDS
TO
START
AT
OUR
% COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES WHO
% TRAIN
OUR
TEACHERS.% AND WE
HAVE
TO
FIND
A
WAY
TO
% GET
THE
PROFESSORS
OF
THESE
% SCHOOLS TO
STOP
HIDING
BEHIND
% ACADEMIC
FREEDOM
AND
SEEMINGLY
% GOING WITH WHATEVER THE
FLAVOR
% OF
THE
MONTH
IS
IN
ACADEMIA,
% AND
GO
WITH
WHAT
WE
KNOW
% SCIENCE TELLS
US
HISTORICALLY % BASED
IS
HOW
CHILDREN LEARN TO
% READ
EFFECTIVELY.
% >>
WE NEED TO
LEAVE
IT
THERE.% I
UNDERSTAND
THIS IS
QUITE
A
% CONTROVERSY IN
THE
ACADEMIC % WORLD.
% SO
REPRESENTATIVE THIESFELDT.% THANKS
VERY MUCH.
% >> THANK YOU.
% >>
WE
MOVE
NOW TO
THE
OTHER % SIDE
OF
THE
AISLE.
% DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE %
LAKESHIA MYERS IS
ALSO
ON THE
% ASSEMBLY EDUCATION
COMMITTEE.
% SHE
IS
A
FORMER
TRAINER
OF % TEACHERS AT
MILWAUKEE PUBLIC % SCHOOLS
AND SHE JOINS
US FROM
% MILWAUKEE.%THANK YOU VERY MUC
H FOR
BEING
% HERE.
% >> THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME.
% >>
AS
WE ASKED
OUR
LAST
GUEST,
% WHAT
WAS YOUR
REACTION
WHEN
YOU
% SAW
THE
MOST RECENT
STUDENT
% TEST
SCORES?
% >>
MY
INITIAL
REACTION WAS
TO
% DIVE
DEEPER.
% I TAKE
SCORES
WITH
A
GRAIN
OF
% SALT BECAUSE I
KNOW
HOW THEY
% CAN
BE
SKEWED.
% I
KNOW
HOW
IT
IS
FOR
STUDENTS
% TO
TAKE
A NAPE
EXAM,
THE
% WISCONSIN FORWARD
EXAM
AND
WHAT
% IT'S
LIKE
TO
GUIDE STUDENTS
% THROUGH
THAT
PROCESS.% AND
YOU
GET
MIXED
BAG OF
% REACTIONS FROM
STUDENTS
WHO
ARE
% TIRED OF
TEST
TAKING
AND
THOSE
% WHO, YOU
KNOW, MAY
JUST
WANT
TO % GET IT
OVER
WITH
AND
YOU
MAY
% ALSO
GET
STUDENTS
WHO
ARE
% GENUINELY
NERVOUS ABOUT TAKING % ASSESSMENTS
AND THERE
ARE SO % MANY OF
THEM
YOU
HAVE TO
LOOK
% DEEPER
INTO
WHAT THE
% ASSESSMENTS ACTUALLY CURRY.
% WHEN YOU
THINK
ABOUT
LOOKING
AT
% THE
NAPE ASSESSMENT, THE
NAPE
% ASSESSMENT IS
ONE
THAT
IS
QUITE
% FRANKLY
GRADED HARDER
THAN
% OTHER
ASSESSMENTS.
% WHAT
IT TAKES
FOR
A
STUDENT
TO % BE
LABELED
AS
PROFICIENT
IS % MUCH
MORE
THAN
IT
WOULD
BE
IN
% -- ON
MOST
OTHER
ASSESSMENTS.
% SO
WHEN
YOU
LOOK AT
--
GO
AHEAD.
% >>
I WAS
JUST
GOING
TO
SAY
I
% GET
ALL
THAT
BUT
WHY
IS
STUDENT
% ACHIEVEMENT
AS
MEASURED
BY
% THESE TESTS
DECLINING
IN % WISCONSIN
IN
YOUR
MIND?
% >>
I
THINK IT
CAN
BE
A
BIT
OF
% TEST
BURN-OUT FOR
STUDENTS
% QUITE FRANKLY.
% WHEN
YOU
DO
THE
ACT,
WHICH
IS
% LOOKED
AT AS
THE
GOLD
STANDARD % IN OUR
STATE,
HOWEVER WE
HAVE
% TO
LOOK
AT
THE
FACT
THAT
NOT
% ALL
STUDENTS
WILL
BE
GOING
TO
A
% FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE
OR
UNIVERSITY
% WHERE
THEY
MAY
NOT NEED
THE
ACT
% ASSESSMENT.%I
THINK
WHEN
YOU
LOOK
AT
% ALTERNATIVES
OF
ACT LIKE
OTHER % ASSESSMENTS WHERE THEY
GO
TO
A % TRADE
OR
TECHNICAL
COLLEGE.
% IT
WILL
GRADE
THEM
ON
SKILL
% BASE AND KNOWLEDGE
BASE FOR
THE
% FIELD THAT THEY'RE
PLANNING
TO % ENTER.%SO I THINK
WE
HAVE
TO
LOOK
AT
% EVERYTHING AND
NOT
JUST
GO DOWN
% ONE
PARTICULAR PATH IN
GRADING
% STUDENTS.
% >>
DO
YOU
FEEL
AS
THOUGH
WE % SHOULD --
YOU
ALMOST
SOUND
LIKE
% YOU
FEEL
LIKE
WE
SHOULD
DO
AWAY % WITH
THE
STANDARDIZED
TESTS.
% >>
SOME
OF THEM.
% I
THINK
WE
SHOULD GO
BACK
TO
% PROFICIENCY BASED
ASSESSMENTS.
% THEY
WORKED WELL
ESPECIALLY
% WHEN I WAS
IN SCHOOL.
% THEY WERE USED
TO
MEASURE
WHAT
% YOU
WERE
ACTUALLY
LEARNING,
NOT
% SOME FOREIGN ENTITY FROM
% OUTSIDE OF
THE
STATE
CREATING
% AN
ASSESSMENT
TO
SAY
YOU
SHOULD % KNOW X,
Y
AND
Z.
% TESTING AND
ASSESSMENTS IN
% GENERALS THE NUMBERS
CAN BE
% SKEWED.%THE
ASSESSMENTS
CAN BE
% INEQUITABLE.
% I
THINK
THERE
ARE
DIFFERENT
% FACTORS THAT
GO
INTO LOOKING AT
% ASSESSMENT DATA.
% >>
DO
YOU
FEEL
AS
THOUGH
% WISCONSIN
K-12
STUDENTS
ARE
% THEN ACTUALLY
BETTER
PREPARED
% FOR
WHATEVER
THEY
ARE
GOING
TO
% DO
OUT
OF
SCHOOL
THAN THESE
% RESULTS WOULD SHOW?
% >>
ABSOLUTELY MORE
THAN
LIKELY % YES.
% WHEN
I
WAS
IN
THE
CLASSROOM
AND
% TRAINING TEACHERS
FOR
MILWAUKEE % PUBLIC SCHOOL THAT
HAPPENED
TO
% BE
ON
THE
SCHEDULE
THAT
% STUDENTS WERE
TAKING
THE ACT
% ONE
DAY
AND
THE
NEXT
DAY
THEY
% TOOK
THE ACT
WORK
KEYS
% ASSESSMENT.
% MY
ATTENDANCE DROPPED
THE NEXT
% DAY.
% STUDENTS DIDN'T WANT
TO TAKE
A % BACK-TO-BACK TEST.
% THAT
HAS
CHANGED
IN
RECENT
% YEARS
WHERE
WE
DON'T
CONTINUE % TO
TEST OUR STUDENTS
% BACK-TO-BACK TO
BACK.
% I
LOOK
AT
QUARTERLY
ASSESSMENTS
% WOULD
BE
BETTER AND
JUDGING
% STUDENTS ON A
GENERALIZED
% PROFICIENCY-BASED ASSESSMENT.
% >>
WHAT
ABOUT
THE
ACHIEVEMENT
% GAP
AS
SHOWN IN
THESE TEST
% RESULTS?%HOW
REAL IS THAT?
% >>
I
THINK
WE'VE
ALWAYS
SEEN
% ACHIEVEMENT GAPS
ESPECIALLY
% BETWEEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND
% WHITE
STUDENTS BUT I
THINK
ONE
% OF
THE
INTERESTING TAKEAWAYS % FROM THIS
RECENT
BATCH
OF
TESTS
% IS
THAT
YOU
SEE
THAT
WHITE
% STUDENTS ARE
SCORING
LOWER
THAN
% THESE
ASSESSMENTS
SO
WE
CAN'T
% REALLY
USE
IT
AS A
GOOD
GAUGE
% ANYMORE.%BECAUSE WE
NEVER
UTILIZE
THE
% SCORES OF ASIAN
STUDENTS
WHICH
% TYPICALLY TEST HIGHER
ABOVE % WHITE STUDENTS.
% I
THINK
WHEN
YOU
LOOK AT
% SOMETHING AS A
BAROMETER
WE
% HAVE
TO
GO
DEEPER
INTO
NUMBERS % AND
FIND
OUT WHAT
IS
BEHIND
% THEM.
% >> YOU DEFINITELY
WOULD HAVE
TO
% GO
DEEPER
WITHIN
THE
NUMBERS
I
% IMAGINE BECAUSE
I CAN'T
IMAGINE
% THAT
ANYONE
IS GOING
TO
DO
AWAY % WITH THESE
STANDARDIZED TESTS.
% >> ABSOLUTELY.
% I'M NOT SAYING
THEY'RE GOING
TO
% GO
AWAY.
% WE NEED
TO
RE-EVALUATE WHAT % WE'RE
ASSESSING
AND
HOW WE'RE
% LOOKING
AT
THEM.
% >>
REPRESENTATIVE