Gotta Love It! So MVRCS -like!

We came across the following article on Boston.com regarding the current scandal over at MVRCS (http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/malden/2011/12/mystic_valley_teachers_contrac.html).

Had to love a few key points that we'll highlight here. We're sure most of you will know why these points stood out to us, but just in case:


Letter sheds some light on Mystic Valley teacher's contract

Posted by Matt Byrne  December 7, 2011 06:10 PM 

By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent

...The three-page agreement, obtained by the Globe from Mystic Valley's attorney, John Hanify, after a public records request, lists conditions that could be cited as grounds to terminate Hogan: Noncompliance with school rules and personnel policies; dishonesty or misconduct that affects nearly anyone connected to or doing business with the charter, and a final clause that indicates a reason the school could use: "In the event that, in its reasonable judgment, your performance or conduct is incompatible with the educational principles or policies established by the Board or the Director."


Wonder how long it the Globe to obtain a copy of that contract?? Oh, it was probably easier than trying to get a copy of meeting minutes or responses to complaints because Kinnon and his shoe-shiners probably think that releasing a copy of the contract will justify any and all of their actions. We especially love the line "in its reasonable judgment" - nothing reasonable about any of Kinnons judgment, just justification and bullying to do what he wants. Then, what about "your performance or conduct is incompatible with the educational principles or policies..." - translation, you can be as sleazy, unethical, and immoral as we you want as long as we are sleazier, less ethical and more immoral than you OR it doesn't offend us. Lets not forget how many sleazy dealings Sir Little Man Kinnon has had over the years, or the despicable actions of his, ummmm, 'PR Director' Gatley. Let us not forget that by conduct, they are also referring to ones sexual orientation because Sir Little Man Kinnon is homophobic, we've heard stories of teachers being told they weren't 'a good fit' for MVRC due to their sexual orientation. Oh, how Sir Little Man yearns to rule the world! Oh to be King!

The article continues as follows:

"The contract also contains passages that seem to codify the school's reluctance to discuss the matter publicly, including language that prevents Hogan, except with express permission, from writing about the school in any way for five years after he leaves.
Hogan also agreed to strict rules against affiliating himself with, doing work for, or consulting Malden Public Schools and five surrounding public districts in Everett, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, and Wakefield.
"If you choose to breach this agreement ... you may be liable for damages to the Board," the contract said."

We LOVE that the teachers contract now tries to restrict individuals from writing about the school for five years. We wonder if our lovely blog has anything to do with this restriction. In other words, unless you are going to write only good things about the school, you are not permitted to write anything. That usually (and as in their case) means that they have so much to be ashamed or fearful of being exposed that they feel the need to place this restriction on their employees. Funny, they do this frequently with parents who sue them also.

So scared their dirt will get out and they won't have control over it.

Isn't it also interesting that former employees are not permitted to work for the sending districts of the school. We're sure that is because they don't want the districts that  they pull their funding from to know exactly what is going on at good ol MVRCS. Scared all of their funding would dry up and they wouldn't be able to build athletic facilities, buy up real estate, and funnel money into hidden pockets instead of spending the money they receive on educating the kids. We have to even wonder if all of this is even legal and/or would hold up in a court of law...?

Oh, does anyone else find it humorous that with good ol sticky fingers Gately as their PR person that Eric Rubin has been acting as mouth piece for this and other issues lately? For those who think Eric is just 'another involved parent' - don't kid yourself, he is a long-time friend of Kinnon's and his wife 'works' at the school. Oh, and yes somehow, miracles of miracles, his son got in through the 'lottery'. Yet another staff member who had a child selected. So amazing!

Oh, good ol MVRCS, may you continue in your crooked, despicably, sleazy manner until Sir Kinnon Sleazy Pants manages to destroy his own empire!

Nothing Ever Changes.....For The Good Anyway!

It's official, MVRCS is back in session and summer vacation is over. Yes, back to good ol MVRCS where nothing ever changes. Chris Finn, during his Orientation speech last week, very proudly stated this to incoming Kindergarten parents. To be exact, what he said was that MVRCS is still doing today what they did when they first opened their doors (except of course teacher turnover, which has changed drastically over the years). While the Administration may think that this is a positive thing, we find it disappointing and a bit sad, especially considering that they think this is a good thing. It makes it overly apparent to us just how uneducated the Administration and Board are in regards to best practices in education. Constant research is being done on what our children require to learn, child development, and various educational theories and practices. The fact that MVRCS is totally out of the loop and unwilling to explore what experts in the education field have found, should not be an embarrassment NOT something they brag about. Yes, direct instruction (i.e. rote and repetition) are no longer seen as highly effective or a best practice as that methodology fails to meet the educational and learning needs of ALL students. Of course since none of the Administration has ever worked in any other educational setting and/or do not truly have the credentials that our district schools would require, it should come as no surprise that the school refuses to employ varying approaches in education. Unfortunately, we do not feel as though this is something Chris Finn should be eager to brag about to incoming parents but apparently the school feels that educating the students that can learn through this method is sufficient and, for those students that don't, adios.
This brings us to his next, totally inappropriate but typical, MVRCS standard comment "This is how we do it here and if you don't like it, you can leave" attitude. First off, imagine a Superintendent, Principal or School Committee member making such a statement? They would probably be ousted faster than you could say Winn Dixie yet Chris Finn states it as though it were scripture. Yes, many parents chose MVRCS because they value their childs education BUT if they have any varying views, opinions, or thoughts as to the actual education their child receives, they have mistakenly thought that Kinnon would value their input. No, parents at MVRCS get to decide if their child enters the lottery and subsequently enroll there but the buck stops there! Parents are not given any say or input into how things are done. A parent has a concern about the group level their child is placed in for Reading or Math instruction, good luck getting insight as to how the determination was made or trying to get it changed. Kinnon and his following Administration make all the decisions and parents do not have any input. Again, no room for improvements or possibility of improving things, as remember, NOTHING CHANGES at MVRCS (yes, that includes the Board of Trustees who have all outlived their usefulness - especially Kinnon). Note to new incoming families, be very careful what you say to the Administration as you should know that they do not welcome varying opinions, input, suggestions, or parents standing up for their children. You have enrolled your child in the school and you must check your parental involvement/concern at the door and entrust your child into the hands of an Administration and Board that have questionable (if any) credentials/experience within child centered, innovative, and professionally appropriate educational settings.
We also found Chris Finns orientation speech to be filled with an incredible amount of propaganda while lacking the focus on the emotional needs incoming Kindergarten students. No talk of how parents can best help their child adjust to their first exposure to school (never mind the very structured environment), what children may go through, how the school can and is willing to assist parents through this milestone, or any other discussion regarding their child's development and adjustment to Kindergarten. This should come as no surprise seeing as the school chose not only to move the Kindergarteners to the Athletic facility but to do so after the start of the school year as it isn't finished yet. Heaven forbid they put off plans of relocating students until the facility is complete and has been up and running long enough to work out any issues or problems. Not only did they not take the emotional implications of relocating Kindergarteners to yet ANOTHER new environment, but they increased the number of classrooms for both K and 1st graders. Of course, the school was already bursting at the seems trying to accomodate the students they had yet the Board added 2 additional classrooms before ensuring the Athletic facility was going to be complete. We have to wonder what the law requires a classroom size be for a group of 25 or 30 children. We know that one of the Kindergarten classrooms is obviously too small a space for such a group (the one near the 'kitchen' area of the fishbowl building) yet MVRCS is using it for one class. The parents of incoming children had better hope that the the school does not run in to any further issues that may postpone the completion of the Athletic facility as the current facility is clearly no adequate to accomodate the number of students currently being housed there.
The reoccurring theme we see time and time again with the management of MVRCS is the constant disorganization and poor planning of the Board and Administration. Too often it is overly apparent that they are not all on the same page and/or do not fully understand or choose to ignore the laws and regulations that govern them. The transportation fee fiasco of last year is a clear indicator that they lack a clear understanding of their obligations and effective, professional, well-verse, informed leadership. After charging families for transportation (we won't even get into the linear v driven mileage issue or the use of a hub), they were informed that per their initial charter, they were not permitted to charge for transportation. Of course the jury is still out on whether they knew they couldn't charge and chose to ignore yet another inconvenient law or if they were just clueless as to the implications of their charter contract. In either case, just another example of poor leadership, ignorance, and mismanagement of our children's education. But hey, they require you to leave your child's education in their hands and trust them.

School Boards - What Is Wrong With MVRCS's

We came across this article and thought that it addressed a few of the issues that the Board of Trustees face at MVRCS. It is interesting that the most visible, vocal, and volatile member of the Board, Neil Kinnon, is also the individual who feels most entitled and continues to abuse his position - at the expense of MVRCS's reputation and name. While school boards at our district schools have a system of checks and balance as members are elected, the board members at MVRCS have not only been appointed but (according to our sources) have been given an unlimited term and can not be removed (of course this most benefits Neil Kinnon who truly SHOULD be removed). To make matters worse, the one individual in the Administration who does have the educational qualifications to make decisions regarding academics, has been stripped of any say in such matters. If the author of this article is accurate the Board at MVRCS is not only deficient but are truly lacking within the four major areas of concern and are in need of reform. We are complete agreement! Our comments are in red.

From: Students First - How to Reform School Boards

How to Reform School Boards

May 25, 2011

Gene I. Maeroff's new book is "School Boards in America: A Flawed Exercise in Democracy." He is a senior fellow at Teachers College, Columbia University, and president of the school board in Edison, New Jersey.

School boards are the Rodney Dangerfields of education—garnering little respect and serving as objects of derision.
Granted, while some of those who serve on school boards have their deficiencies, in general they tend to be civic-minded do-gooders who, unlike their neighbors, are willing to give up their free time and privacy for an often unpaid position that likely involves more hassle than acclaim. And some school boards are highly functional.
Certainly, there are ways to make school boards more efficient and more effective. Those who promote reforms in elementary and secondary education are remiss if they don't take note of the role of school boards, however insignificant those entities may seem. The states that empower local school boards with governance responsibilities and educational change may not succeed unless members of boards see the need for change and are willing to take bold steps to institute reforms.
But many obstacles stand in the way of improving school boards. After serving as president of a school board, analyzing educational trends for decades, and spending two and a half years researching and writing a newly-published book on the subject I conclude that these are at least four major areas to address when it comes to school board reform:

1. Qualifications of members
School board members in America range from those with doctorates to those that have not even completed high school. Almost all come onto school boards (more than 90 percent of them through elections; the rest are appointed) with little or no preparation for the specific tasks that await them. Some outstanding people serve on school boards and some have no business on these boards, given their temperament and ignorance. (yes Neil, this is directed towards you)
If more school boards were appointed, and consideration were given only to candidates who have been interviewed and vetted by panels of leading citizens who do not represent special interest groups, this could make for better boards. Moreover, the criteria for consideration might go beyond the basics—citizenship and residence. (not to mention self-serving interests and political gains)

2. The elective process
Elections are certain to predominate even if more school districts shifted to appointed boards. The democratic process, though, sometimes contains the seeds of its own undoing. It is too easy for special interest groups to thrive in school board elections. Groups like teachers' unions that believe they can gain from the election of particular candidates or individuals who want to promote a single agenda—say, sharply reducing expenditures—sometimes figure prominently in board elections.
It would be undemocratic and illegal to bar such involvement. But more could be done to publicize which groups and individuals spend money and donate time for particular candidates. Furthermore, debates aired on local TV channels could enable more people to become familiar with candidates and their stance on particular issues. (or which individuals may have conflicting interests and motives)

3. The preparation and training of members
Governance is the main job of school boards. Most people, however well informed, do not know the ins and outs of the governance process and are unfamiliar with the legal responsibilities of board members. And because they are governing school systems, members of these boards should also be more conversant than the average citizen about issues involving teaching and learning.
Some states and some organizations such as the Center for Reform of School Systems run programs to deepen the knowledge of board members about educational issues and to facilitate their governance skills. These efforts should be expanded and reach beyond the once-a-year seminar. ('legal responsibilities would mean knowing that you CAN NOT TELL YOUR STAFF THEY CAN NOT UNIONIZE, MATTERS PERTAINING TO ILLEGAL EMPLOYER PRACTICES, CONFLICTS OF ISSUES, ETC. We won't even get into the number of accreditation's and funding (Title 1 at the very least) that have been lost due to Kinnon's short sightedness.  'Once-a-year seminar' - how about no seminars, training, or education in matters pertaining to best practices in education and education administration. Only at MVRCS).

4. Conduct by school members
Finally, nepotism should be a concern when it comes to school boards. All too often a member may intercede to gain special treatment for a relative. Ethics regulations have been promulgated in many locales, and this has crimped but hardly eliminated the practice.
Concern about the conduct of school board members and their role in personnel decisions should go well beyond nepotism, though. Cronyism, favoritism, and patronage may not involve relatives, but they do lead to appointments and promotions that undermine the meritocracy and saddle school systems with employees who may not be the best qualified for their jobs—from security guards to principals. (We don't believe commentary is required on this one - the actions of Kinnon speak for themselves. Yet this doesn't even TOUCH upon his conflict in serving the needs of both the school and the City of Malden. Shame, shame, shame Neil).

We're Back, The Fire Fighters Are Gone But The Students...

Yes, the students are still being schooled within a building that has recently been deemed unhealthy for the firefighters. The schools library is attached to the firehouse and while separated to some degree, they do share the HVAC system and structure. A report from 2006 done by the state found issues within the building (Mass Department of Health Report) and little has been done to address these issues. A group of 3rd graders are in that building for approximately 3 hours each day for their reading and math lessons (but the lower school doesn't need a new building, an athletic facility is of much more importance!). How the building can be deemed unhealthy for adults yet adequate for young students is beyond comprehension.

Over the past week or so as the Malden City Council, the Board of Health, and Inspectional Services toured the fire house and found sufficient cause to close it. The article from the Boston Globe can be found here Malden Closes Rotting Maplewood Fire Station but begins "Citing uninhabitable conditions after years of mold, rot, and neglect, Malden Fire Chief Michael J. Murphy  announced today the Maplewood Fire Station was closing after years of discussion over the decaying structure’s future." The decision to close the station came as a result of the tour and the fact the lease expires at the end of May. While MVRCS was willing (and hoping) to extend the lease, the City and school have been in discussions over the upkeep of the building. In another classic Kinnon underhanded, ethically questionable manner, it seems that the officials at MVRCS had hoped to use the City's use of this building as a way of extracting field time from the City of Malden (from Fire Commanders Make Plea for Decrepit Maplewood Station):

"Are you staying or not? And if you are, what can we do to help each other out," Veilleux told the councilors and fire commanders. "We're looking for field space."

But that conversation seemed to be plan B for the charter school, which in a March 14 letter from Veilleux to Howard, attempted to acquire exclusive use of playing fields at three city parks.

The offer would have the city pay the school $800,000 to buy back the station, which the school said represents the value of the structure separate from the adjacent school  that was a part of the sale in 2003.

According to the Mystic Valley offer, the city would then enter into a 20-year agreement for the field time at three locations with the charter school, which MV officials valued at about $800,000.

In what would appear to most to be a clear conflict of interest, not only is Neil Kinnon involved in this as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for MVRCS, he also happens to be the City Councilor for the residents that now face increases in home owner insurance and the possibility of longer emergency response times. Neil Kinnon (who at the time was not a City Councilor but did act as Mayor Howard's campaign manager) was also involved in the negotiations back in 2003 between MVRCS and the City of Malden to not only purchase the building but in renting the building back to the city. In hearing the details of this lease agreement, one must question who Neil Kinnon's loyalties were with, with the City of Malden or MVRCS. Apparently the lease agreement allowed for below market rate rent (we have heard 3.00 per square foot) if not free rent for several years and forgiveness of a penalty for not vacating the building as agreed upon. It would seem that Neil Kinnon used his position as Chairman of the Board of Trustees to benefit the City of Malden.

As a charter school MVRCS is permitted to determine the per student expenditure (what it costs per student to run the school) which they then collect from each sending district and/or the government. While district schools are limited in their per student expenditures by their city or town budget, charter schools do not have such restrictions placed upon them. If MVRCS had been charging market rate rent and/or held the City of Malden to the lease agreement, it is very possible that their per student expenditure would have been less. It could therefore be argued that MVRCS padded their books in order to provide the City of Malden with the 'sweetheart deal' that they have been bragging about, at the expense of the sending districts. More about the terms of the deal and history can be found here Fire Commanders Make Plea for Decrepit Maplewood Station (be sure to read all of the comments for additional insight).

In true Kinnon fashion, Neil Kinnon has deemed himself to be of a higher authority and more knowledgeable than the other City Councilors, the Fire Chief, the Board of Health, and State Inspectional Services as he publicly disagrees with the decision (Malden Councilor Questions Conditions at Maplewood Fire Station). Of course this is after he has had his brother, Greg Kinnon, working around the clock to remove all of the schools belongings (see pictures Another Proud Kinnon Decision) and do some fixing up/repairs. Unfortunately, the effort was not put towards the mold, structural, or air issues that the building faces. And in what we find to be the most upsetting aspect of this fiasco is that at the very least, a group of 3rd grade students are still taught in that building for 3 hours a day without any regard to the air quality and/or their well-being.Yes, another proud Kinnon moment. So glad we have him running MVRCS!

The Much Awaited (Practically Demanded) 10th Grade Analysis

A reader has been posting repeatedly their insistence that our failure to include the 2010 MCAS scores for the 10^th grade is unfair and because it isn’t in alignment with our needs or ‘thesis’.  We didn’t initially provide the data as we felt that since the results were included in the Annual Report and we gave them credit for the student’s performance in English Language Arts and Math that it wasn’t alarming nor did they constitute as a parent concern.  Alternatively, the Science/Technology MCAS scores were less than impressive both independently and in comparison to the other sending districts. In response to their posting, we did do the analysis which we initially provided within the blog posting and in direct response to their posted comment.  Unfortunately the reader continues to feel as though we have slighted the accomplishments of the students and school. As a result of their ranting we have decided to do as they suggest and are providing an analysis not only of the 10^th grade 2010 MCAS results in comparison to the sending districts but to also provide the data for this same classes MCAS scores since 2003.

As you will see, the majority of the students did do well in the English Language Arts (84 of the 88 students) and Math (79 out of 88 students) 2010 MCAS’s. Unfortunately, 4 students did not do so well in English Language Arts (i.e. their scores indicate that their ELA levels ‘Need Improvement’ or that these students are performing below grade level) and 9 students did not do so well in Math (i.e. 8 of the students are performing below grade level and 1 student failed). Yes, lower numbers and percentages than the sending districts but we must make mention that by this time these students have attended school for nearly an entire year more than their counter-parts of sending districts.

The truly unfortunate part of this classes MCAS scores would be the Science and Technology portion. While the ELA and Math scores for MVRCS have fluctuated over the years, MVRCS has pretty consistently scored poorly within this subject matter.  Only 69 % (or 61 out of 88 students) achieved a score of Advanced or Proficient with Melrose (70%), Stoneham (78%), and Wakefield (86%) out-performing MVRCS. These other districts were able to do this with less school time and with more students. The question must then be asked if MVRCS students are excelling within some subject matters at the expense of others.

We then began an analysis of the MCAS scores for the 2010 grade 10 class since 3^rd grade (as our reader had suggested). We are including the data that we accumulated and used for our analysis as we found a number of interesting aspects. We must begin by saying that we obtained all of our information from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website at (DESE MCAS Results). We must state that although the reader who prompted us to begin this analysis insists that the 2010 10^th grade class has a combined Advance Proficient and Proficient score of 97% (versus the 96% that we found), we were unable to locate the “new link to the State for the 10^th grade they just put up”. What we did find was that for the 2010 year, the 10^th grade class did increase the number of students who scored Advance Proficient and Proficient from 69% to 96% between the time this class took their 3^rd grade MCAS scores (in 2003 when they were in 3^rd grade) and their 10^th grade MCAS scores. What we also found interesting for this group was the total number of students who participated each year. Specifically the fact that in 2003, when the class that was in 10^th grade during the 2009-2010 school year was in 3^rd grade, they had 120 students. Of those students, 83 students (or 69%) scored Proficient in Reading (the DESE did not indicate an Advanced Proficient rating for MVRCS during that year). Interestingly enough the total number of students in that class group declined gradually over the years with only 88 of the original 120 students remaining. It would be our guess that the remaining 32 students of the original 120 were the students that were systematically eliminated or nudged towards the door as they were not performing. The question then remains if MVRCS truly improved their score or simply continued educating those 83 students and allowing the others to fall through the cracks.

Another interesting aspect of this analysis that we feel is worth sharing is that if one looks at the Science scores for this same group of students (the students that made up the 10^th grade class during the 2009-2010 school year), they are consistently deplorable. Yes, a rise in scores and students can be seen but we should expect more students to have better scores after having almost an entire extra year of schooling than their counterparts of sending districts. We're not sure we would consider all of these results as 'staying the course' as one has suggested.

The figures in Red represent the English Language Arts and are the % of students who scored Advanced/Advanced Proficient, the High % for the sending district, and the actual number of students. The format remains the same with math displayed in blue and science in green. The last column is the total number of students within that class during that school year.

 

An Old Mission Statement from the 2003-2004 Annual Report

Recently we published current MCAS scores and MVRCS approach at addressing prior years MCAS scores in comparison to current year scores. We find ourselves drawn back time and time again to the very unnecessarily complex manner in which they have adopted when discussing their scores in Annual Reports.
The term 'weighted composite average' seems like convoluted double speak. In an effort to unravel or make sense of their smoke screen, we began looking for a definition. We found the following definition for 'weighted average' at http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_weighted_average

A weighted average multiplies each data point by an arbitrary 'weight' and divides by the sum of the weights. Your everyday garden variety average, or arithmetic mean, is actually a special case of a weighted average, except all the weights are equal to 1.

Selection of weights are largely arbitrary but generally based on sound reasoning (e.g. relative population sizes). As another example, let's say you have 5 reviewers of a product giving their overall satisfaction rating. The scores are 9, 7, 6, 7, 3. However you have a very high regard for Reviewer 1 so you assign her a weight of 15 (and the others remain at weight=1).
The average score is (9+7+6+7+3)/5=6.4
The weighted average score is (15*9+7+6+7+3)/(15+4)=8.3
The weighted average is much closer to Review 1's opinion due to your weighting decision.

And we found the definition for composite at http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/composite
and thought the the 'combining the typical or essential characteristics of individuals making up a group' definition was the most fitting. 

Ok, so now that we have a better understanding of a 'weighted composite average', the question must be asked why it should matter which sending district a student is from when considering test scores. Even more interesting is that while poking through the 2003-2004 Annual Report we came across their Mission Statement. It was then that we realized how conflicting their Mission Statement from 2003-2004 and their current method for analyzing and presenting MCAS scores within their Annual Report. If, as their Mission Statement claims they provide a "world-class education" where "a first-rate education is the birthright of every child, that all children can learn, and that every child should be challenged to reach his or her full potential then why does it matter which sending district a child is from? AND, we must ask, was this before Kathy Kinnon took over as the Special Education Director (or Coordinator) and the schools diverse learners started failing miserably? Further, given the numbers that we presented in earlier posts, we found most interesting the comment "demonstrate the heights of academic achievement that public schools can routinely attain when the advantages of charter school governance are coupled with new academic standard." Hmmm, given their current standing on unweighted,  uncomposited, and unaveraged scores it is no wonder that this is no longer part of their Mission Statement. Too bad they couldn't find a way to revert back to their founding principles.

From the MVRCS 2003-2004 Annual Report

MISSION STATEMENT
To establish a school which provides the opportunity of a world-class education. The prime characteristics being a well mannered disciplined and structured academic environment. One which promotes and incorporates certain core virtues, as well as, our common American culture, both which are embodied in our Declaration of Independence and our United States Constitution.
The Mystic Valley Regional Charter School was founded on the following principal:

•  That a first-rate education is the birthright of every child,

•  That all children can learn,

• That every child should be challenged to reach his or her full potential.

The overachieving goals of the school are to:
•
Demonstrate the heights of academic achievement that public schools can routinely attain when the advantages of charter school governance are coupled with new academic standard,
•
Offer area families new choices in public education,
•
Create new professional opportunities for teachers that permit them to succeed,
•
Graduate well educated, civic minded, principal adults capable of thoughtful, logical reasoning.

The Mission Statement from the 2008-2009 Annual Report found at www.doe.mass.edu/charter/reports/2009/annual/0470.doc. What happened to the Mission Statement from 2003-2004?

Mission Statement

            The mission of the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School is to provide the opportunity of a world class education characterized by a well mannered, disciplined and structured academic climate. Central to Mystic Valley’s academic environment is the incorporation of selected core virtues and the fundamental ideals of our American Culture, which are embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution

MVRCS MCAS Summary 2003-2004 - VERY Different Than 2009-2010

After discovering the manner in which MVRCS does its analysis of MCAS scores within its current Annual Reports and how they rate in comparison to the sending districts, we thought we'd see if that is how they have always done it (as it didn't seem familiar). If you go to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website at Mass DESE Main Page, in the upper left hand corner is a 'Search' tool to search the entire site. We conducted a search for 'Mystic Valley Regional Charter School' and were able to see all of the past Annual Reports that MVRCS has filed with the DESE (some pretty interesting reading we must say). We didn't go through all of them but for the 2003-2004 Annual Report MVRCS must have just done better as a whole when compared to sending districts as they didn't do any complex weighted analysis. We found the following information within the report (the report actually included MCAS results but didn't transfer clearly) and it is very different than the manner in which MVRCS now presents MCAS scores. We're guessing that it's because they are no longer superior to all of the sending districts. It would as though many of the sending districts have made some strides in MCAS testing whereas it seems MVRCS is having difficulty maintaining their prior results and/or is showing signs of bigger issues within their MCAS scores. In either case, we found the change in methodology and approach interesting and worth sharing.

From: MVRCS 2004 Annual Report Filed w/ DESE (MCAS Analysis and Discussion begins on page 17)

Method of Assessment
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)
Summary of Results
Results from the MCAS indicate that 92 % of fourth graders scored in the categories of Advanced, Proficient and Needs Improvement on the English Language Arts Component while 87% of fourth graders met the same criteria for Mathematics. Third grade reading scores reflected a rate of 96% of students falling into the categories outlined above. For sixth grade Math, 70% of the students achieved scores that fell into the categories of Advanced, Proficient and Needs Improvement. Ninety eight percent of 7th graders reached the target categories for Language Arts. For eighth grade Math, 65% of the students reached the target areas.

Grade 3 – READING
PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN COMPARISON WITH STATE AND MAJOR SENDING-DISTRICTS

Grade 5- Science and
The MVRCS seventh grade class put an exceptional effort forth. Statewide results revealed that the MVRCS class of 2008 achieved a ranking of 21st in the state in a field of 444 school districts. A top 5% state ranking is quite unique for the local region of cities that MVRCS is located in. The percentage of 7th grade students that successfully passed the Language Arts assessment was 98%. MVRCS students that reached the advanced level nearly doubled the state average. Fifteen percent of MVRCS students reached the advanced level as compared to 8% for the state average. The students that reached the proficient range numbered 76%. Fifty seven percent of students reached this level of achievement statewide.
MVRCS students achieved in a competitive fashion when compared to students from around the state and major sending-districts. The most significant outcomes are the positive movements MVRCS students made out of warning categories when compared to their counterparts from around the state and from the major sending-districts. MVRCS students are advancing toward higher scores at a faster rate than the other students analyzed. The same can be said when comparing positive increases in the amount of students reaching the proficient or advanced categories. MVRCS students made a larger increase over the previous year than the state as a whole and the sending-districts. For example, fourth grade students receiving warning categories in Math fell from 24% to 13%. None of the major sending-districts’ results or the statewide results reflected this dramatic of a movement.
When considering students that received a passing score by reaching either the needs improvement, proficient or advanced categories, MVRCS students also competed strongly when compared to students from the major sending-districts and to students from around the state. Third grade results for Reading showed that MVRCS had the lowest percentage of students in the warning category. Fourth grade results for Math showed that MVRCS had the second lowest percentage of students in the warning category. In fourth grade Language Arts, MVRCS students recorded the fourth lowest percentage. In sixth grade Math, the students recorded the second lowest percentage in the warning category. For seventh grade Language Arts, scores reflected a tie with Melrose for the lowest percentage. In eighth grade Math, the students recorded the third lowest percentage of scores in the warning category. In eighth grade Language Arts, student scores reflected the second lowest percentage of scores in the warning category when compared to the major sending-districts.
2003 MCAS Highlights
•
Seventh grade students ranked 21st in a field of 444 districts in English/Language Arts
•
98% of seventh grade students received a passing score
•
96% of third grade students received passing scores in Reading
•
Fourth grade Math scores reflected all-time highs in advanced and proficient categories
•
Fourth grade Math scores that fell into the warning category showed a decrease of 9% from the previous year
•
92% of fourth grade students received passing scores in Language Arts

A higher percentage of MVRCS eighth grade students received passing scores in Math and History than their counterparts around the state

3rd Grade Comparison

We've changed the format of the tables we created using MCAS data from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. We've deleted some columns and instead showed the combined percentages for 'Advanced' and 'Proficient' and then after the black column, we did the same for 'Needs Improvement' and 'Warning'. The data was then sorted and MVRCS scores highlighted. For the Advanced and Proficient scores, the highest percentages are preferred but in the Needs Improvement and Warning totals, lower percentages are better. Additionally we have changed the font color to red for the school that has the highest combined percentage of Proficient and Advance Proficient students. They are have all shown to be an interesting analysis to say the least. They have all shown to be an interesting analysis to say the least.
FROM: http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/mcas.aspx

4th Grade Comparison
5th Grade Comparison

6th Grade Comparison

7th Grade Compassion

8th Grade Comparison

Sending District Data

3rd Grade English 2010

3rd Grade Math 2010

4th Grade Comparison

We've changed the format of the tables we created using MCAS data from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. We've deleted some columns and instead showed the combined percentages for 'Advanced' and 'Proficient' and then after the black column, we did the same for 'Needs Improvement' and 'Warning'. The data was then sorted and MVRCS scores highlighted. For the Advanced and Proficient scores, the highest percentages are preferred but in the Needs Improvement and Warning totals, lower percentages are better. Additionally we have changed the font color to red for the school that has the highest combined percentage of Proficient and Advance Proficient students. They are have all shown to be an interesting analysis to say the least.

FROM: http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/mcas.aspx

3rd Grade Comparison

4th Grade Comparison
5th Grade Comparison

6th Grade Comparison

7th Grade Compassion

8th Grade Comparison

Sending District Data

4th Grade English 2010

4th Grade Math 2010

5th Grade Comparison

We've changed the format of the tables we created using MCAS data from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. We've deleted some columns and instead showed the combined percentages for 'Advanced' and 'Proficient' and then after the black column, we did the same for 'Needs Improvement' and 'Warning'. The data was then sorted and MVRCS scores highlighted. For the Advanced and Proficient scores, the highest percentages are preferred but in the Needs Improvement and Warning totals, lower percentages are better. Additionally we have changed the font color to red for the school that has the highest combined percentage of Proficient and Advance Proficient students. They are have all shown to be an interesting analysis to say the least. They have all shown to be an interesting analysis to say the least.
FROM: http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/mcas.aspx

3rd Grade Comparison
4th Grade Comparison

6th Grade Comparison

7th Grade Comparison

8th Grade Comparison

Sending District Data

5th Grade Science MCAS 2010

5th Grade English MCAS Scores 2010

5th Grade Math MCAS Scores 2010

6th Grade MCAS Comparison

We've changed the format of the tables we created using MCAS data from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. We've deleted some columns and instead showed the combined percentages for 'Advanced' and 'Proficient' and then after the black column, we did the same for 'Needs Improvement' and 'Warning'. The data was then sorted and MVRCS scores highlighted. For the Advanced and Proficient scores, the highest percentages are preferred but in the Needs Improvement and Warning totals, lower percentages are better. Additionally we have changed the font color to red for the school that has the highest combined percentage of Proficient and Advance Proficient students. They are have all shown to be an interesting analysis to say the least. They have all shown to be an interesting analysis to say the least.
NOTE: We had made an error in determining the school that scored the best in math for the 6th grade. It wasn't who we had initially noted but rather it was Everett. Sorry for the misinformation.
FROM: http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/mcas.aspx

3rd Grade Comparison

4th Grade Comparison
5th Grade Comparison

6th Grade Comparison

7th Grade Compassion

8th Grade Comparison

Sending District Data

7th Grade MCAS Comparisons

As we continue going through the MCAS scores, we are finding that more and more MVRCS does not fair so well when comparing them to individual schools rather than to entire districts. Rarely are they superior when we combine their Advanced and Proficient scores to individual schools. Granted, in most cases it is Wakefield, Melrose, or Stoneham that presents with the higher scores but the other schools hold their own at times. The trend is not just in the higher grades, it is even more apparent in the lower grades.

We've changed the format of the tables we created using MCAS data from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. We've deleted some columns and instead showed the combined percentages for 'Advanced' and 'Proficient' and then after the black column, we did the same for 'Needs Improvement' and 'Warning'. The data was then sorted and MVRCS scores highlighted. For the Advanced and Proficient scores, the highest percentages are preferred but in the Needs Improvement and Warning totals, lower percentages are better. Additionally we have changed the font color to red for the school that has the highest combined percentage of Proficient and Advance Proficient students. They are have all shown to be an interesting analysis to say the least. They have all shown to be an interesting analysis to say the least.
FROM: http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/mcas.aspx

3rd Grade Comparison

4th Grade Comparison
5th Grade Comparison

6th Grade Comparison

7th Grade Compassion

8th Grade Comparison

Sending District Data

7th Grade Math MCAS 2010

7th Grade English MCAS 2010

Sending District Data

This data was requested as a result of a prior post and shows the number of students at MVRCS from the different sending districts (home towns). We came across it and thought it was interesting. This is as of April 2010 and per the DESE (http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/enrollment/FY11_dist.xls). We are double checking the total number of students against other reports filed. More on that later.

5th Grade Comparisions

                                                                6th Grade Comparisions

                                                                7th Grade Comparisions

                                                                8th Grade Comparisions

                                                                Sending District Data