The Contra Costa Times has an amusing round-up of info for parents whose eyes glaze over when confronted with stacks of percentile-ranking charts:
There's no nip in the air and the leaves are a steadfast green, but the shift of seasons is palpable.
Freshly scrubbed minivan windows no longer scream, "Swim fast, Sharks!" Dime store lines are filled with parents clutching three-ring binders and graph paper. The first day of school is coming. For some kids, it's here already, along with new teachers, new friends and fresh starts.
Teachers, on the other hand, are still smarting over last week's release of STAR test scores. "English language learners didn't do well on an English language test? Could it be because they don't speak English yet?" they holler down the phone lines.
August is not just back-to-school, it's STAR, CAHSEE, API and AYP month, too. Last week brought scores from the Standardized Testing and Reporting program and the high school exit exam. Aug. 30 brings new Academic Performance Index rankings and "adequate yearly progress" data.
Frankly, there's enough school assessment data flowing from Sacramento this month to make any parent's eyes glaze over. Cucamonga kids performed how well? Inyo County fifth-graders posted what percentages? School assessment data has been available online for some time, but in a format only an education policy wonk or closet statistician could love.
I never knew there were statisticians in the closet. Maybe that's because I'm surrounded by people like myself who are the statistics-geek equivalents of the drag queens parading down 5th Avenue during the Gay Pride parades. We love numbers, and aren't ashamed of it.