A Superintendent Writes... Red Shirt Your Freshmen - Part 1

In response to the 4/29/16 post, “HS Accountability - Red Shirt Your Freshmen” a LYS Superintendent writes:

SC,

Something to consider and a possible warning. When restructuring the order of high school tested subjects, you must keep in mind that rearrangement will mean some tests will not be given for a year or two. 

That's fine, but you also have to keep in mind that district wide the hardest tests are in Grades 3, 4, 6, and 7.  STAAR is a reversal from the days of TAAS and TAKS where the hardest tests were at the high school level. 

The point is, your Grade 3-8 scores have to be strong enough to carry the district.  If you have weak Grade 3-8 performance you may need the relatively easy to pass high school tests to bring up your district average so the district meets state standards. 

I am not being theoretical.  I know of a district that did the high school rearrangement and the district went Improvement Required that year simply because Grade 3-8 scores were too weak to carry the district.  

SC Response

I don’t disagree with you. This can be an issue, but you are describing system failure(s). The question that you have to ask is, “Do you knowingly place High School students at greater risk to potentially protect adults and mask system failures?”

You know that I have and will do what is best for my students and deal with the adult repercussions.  As I have also seen you do, over and over again.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations); Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Conference (Multiple Presentations); LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook