Should test scores save Ackerman's job?
The blog of The Philadelphia Inquirer's Editorial Board.
Should test scores save Ackerman's job?
Philadelphians are discussing whether schools Superintendent Arlene C. Ackerman should hit the road before her contract expires in 2014.
There appears to be little likelihood that the School Reform Commission, which is as glued as a tube of Elmer’s to Ackerman, would willingly go that route.
But in any discussion it should be noted that beyond Ackerman’s inability to do any better than her predecessor in balancing a budget, political illiteracy seems to be her biggest shortcoming.
If she were better at politics, Ackerman would be better at public relations and probably getting as much credit as other superintendents around the country for continually rising test scores.
In fact, Philadelphia schoolchildren’s test scores have risen for nine straight years, the last three while Ackerman was in charge.
The latest results from the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exams show 59 percent of the city’s students met state standards in math, up 3 points over last year. Reading scores increased 2 points, with 52 percent meeting the benchmark.
The PSSA results also indicate that the Promise Academies started this year by Ackerman are making a significant difference. There was a 6 percent increase in the reading scores of Promise students and an 11 percent increase in their math scores.
Don’t shout too loudly, because that still means only 29 percent of Promise students scored well in reading and only 37 percent in math. But their progress is nonetheless commendable, and a sign that Ackerman is on to something.
Under her Imagine 2014 initiative, the Promise schools were given additional resources and a longer school day. The district wants to open an additional 11 Promise Academies in September.
Maybe it is time for Ackerman to go. Her poor reputation certainly didn’t serve the district well politically as it tried to squeeze more money out of the legislature to overcome its deficit. And her name, for some, has become synonymous with egotism.
But if she stays, there’s work to be done. More than 40 percent of city students still can’t read or do basic math at grade level. Black and Hispanic students lag behind their white and Asian peers. Too many schools are too violent.
“The task at hand is far from complete,” says Ackerman. Agreed. But the question now is whether her missteps up to this point have so damaged her ability to provide what the district needs that she should step aside.
Give the hard working teachers the credit and not the Queen. Do not let the door hit her on the way out !!
— bull****meter- Didn't the Inky report that there has been cheating found? So why should we all of the sudden believe this is all legit? Ackerman has been caught in so many lies, that it's hard to IMAGINE she does anything morally correct.— legend1
- @Legend-the cheating scandal was never mentioned again. The impact it has on children's lives wasn't mentioned either. Also, didn't hear anything about what if anything happened to the administrators. There was enough in the article to show that at the very least testing procedures were compromised. This paper is soft on Ackerman and the district. They chase the headline and leave no follow up.— northeastnaysayer
- test scores success can't apply to the Queen because, apparently, it can't apply to teacher evaluations. She's toast by the way she has handled many things.— palmyra21
- Affordable suburbs have competent superintendents.— J.T. Delaware
- If Ackerman is here in September, i'm moving out. Her flower broach is growing and it scares me.— Don Cornelius
- Don't blame ya Don Q. ... it's crazy for what passes for acceptable in this city. From Queen Arlene to Mayor "Temporary Tax" ... This city is being run into the ground. & whats worse is we're cool with it! Nutter is gonna waltz back into a 2nd term & Ackerman still has a lot of supporters. It's absolutely INSANE! — kennedy2
- Let's put her test score results in a real world analysis. 59% of the work I did last year was considered acceptable. So 40% was a failure. Do I get a big raise or bonus? Or shown the front door, you take a guess. Never mind she is being paid more than the mayor for cripes sakes. Man where do I sign up for one of these jobs?
— puddydawg - It does not mean that Ackerman is onto anything with the Promise Academies. It means that the School District has developed a culture of fear in which there is an emphasis on standardized testing - like there is in the rest of the nation.— omseeker
- 59% of the students met state standards for math, 52% in reading, when I was in school, that was called failing.— cdobsox
- they are one of the yardsticks.....but righting the ship in the budget department is the best yardstick.....and maybe getting parents to realize that education is the key to getting ahead would be the best yardstick...— nuggett
- Is the Inquirer stating a position here? If so, I missed it.— brinsley
The fact that there are widespread cheating allegations renders Ackerman's claim to have seen increased test scores during her tenure completely moot, in my humble opinion. Look what happened in Atlanta--the superintendent there left under a cloud of disgrace when the magnitude of the cheating became publicized, even though she was widely praised at first when test scores rose so dramatically. There are a lot of parallels to the situation in Philly, and the fact that the Inquirer continues to tout these test score increases despite the cheating allegations is irresponsible journalism (not to mention a sign of poor reasoning skills).— JChris- The Key fact is that scores have been rising for 9 yeas, six of which Ackerman was not her to disrupt the district.The scores would have risen the last three years with or without her. She is not a major factor (HTML deleted)— poogie
- Inquirer writers keep bringing up the test scores. They are not valid measurements period. The rampant cheating, the teaching the test and the teaching invalidate the scores as measures of any academic gains. Even without those invalidators, the PSSA tests lack basic indicators of validity and reliability.
The responsibility for the cheating scandal and the district's lame response is the responsibility of Ackerman. She knew very well that many of the test scores were bogus and she supported the cheating. She is resposible for the managment by threat and intimidation which infects the school district and hurts children.
There is no reason to keep her. When a leader is self serving and not a servant of the community she is supposed to lead, it is ineffective and destructive.
We need to go back to a system that has some honesty and integrity in it.— readingspecialist
