Proponents of parent trigger laws are trumpeting science test score results from two California schools that fought parent takeover as far as the courts would allow but were converted into charter schools in 2012.
According to Parent Revolution, the organization that first convinced parents and guardians of a majority of students at the two schools to sign a petition and trigger their reorganization as public charter schools, scores on the fifth-grade science tests increased dramatically from 2013 to 2014 at Desert Trails Elementary and at 24th Street Elementary. Meanwhile, science test scores at three other turnaround elementary schools in the Adelanto Elementary District in San Bernardino County, where the turnaround is being handled by the district rather than a charter company, experienced flat science scores or a slight decrease compared to 2013.
Based on last year’s data release, the California Department of Education website may not have data from 2014 until early December, but schools usually receive their data in advance of public postings. It appears leaders at Desert Trails have indeed received their results on the state science test from CDE.
CDE will not report scores in reading and math for 2014, as the tests were not given to students. But here’s what Parent Revoution says happened on the fifth-grade science test at Desert Trails:
| Performance Level | 2013 | 2014 |
| % Advanced | 2 | 12 |
| % Proficient | 10 | 35 |
| % Basic | 30 | 38 |
| % Below Basic | 30 | 9 |
| % Far Below Basic | 27 | 6 |
Source: California Department of Education, Parent Revolution.
The number of students tested was 82 in 2013 and 68 in 2014, but the increase in the percentage of fifth-grade students at the school achieving proficient or advanced on the science test was reported as if it was statistically significant.
“We of course cannot draw conclusions based on one subject test during one year, but the emerging evidence at these schools gives us an abundance of hope that we are on the right track, and can’t wait to share all data we gather with parents as they organize to do what’s best for their kids,” the Parent Revolution’s chief strategy officer, Gabe Rose, said on the organization’s blog. “We know from research that at best, only 25 to 30 percent of school turnaround efforts generally succeed, but we are confident that the consistent presence of organized and engaged parents will make our efforts substantially more successful.”
The percentage of fifth-grade students at Desert Trail scoring advanced or proficient on the state’s science test over the last 11 years is shown here.
Brief analysis
If I wanted to show improvement, the first thing I would do is limit data to a single test score. Then I would train students on that one single test, omitting other important areas of instruction, since those other areas don’t advance my goal of showing dramatic improvement. Nothing is said in Parent Revolution’s release about the quality of the science curriculum, not to mention reading, math, music, art, social studies, or any other subject, tested or not.
Note that California releases sample test questions, and students and teachers who want to devote the time can study for the test with actual test questions, rather than learning the material. This is known as “teaching to the test.” When we rely too heavily on test scores, it weakens the argument that these schools are producing successful students. Tests measure a narrow scope of the curriculum, and even doing much better on that focused band in the state’s curriculum says nothing of any child’s overall progress in school or the quality of the school.
Given the number of students tested, how statistically significant is the increase from 2013 to 2014 (11 to 47 percent)? See Common Core math standard HSS.IC.B.5 for more information.
