CAPSO Midweek E-Mailer California Association of Private School Organizations Volume 9, No. 2

September 30, 2015

In This Issue -- Can Public School and Private School Test Scores be Compared? -- It's That Time! -- Quick Takes -- Meet CAPSO Vice-President Berit von Pohle -- Say as I Say -- Publication Note

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Can Public School and Private School Test Scores be Compared? Earlier this month the California Department of Education released the results of tests administered to some 3.1 million public school students enrolled in grades 3 through 8, and grade 11, statewide. The results were particularly newsworthy because they were generated by the first 'official' administration of new tests designed to measure students' progress in meeting the Common Core State Standards. A practice administration of the new tests, developed by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, had been implemented in the 201314 school year. The state refers to its new assessment regimen as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) system. The new tests, which are more challenging, place students into one of four categories: Standard Not Met, Standard Nearly Met, Standard Met, and Standard Exceeded. Statewide, only 44 percent of all test-takers either met, or exceeded the standard in English Language Arts and Literacy, and a mere 33 percent met, or exceeded the standard in Mathematics. Moreover, the scores showed that English language learners, members of minority groups, and students from low-income

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households continue to lag far behind others. E-Mailer Archive General Resources CAPSO Website CAPE Website Legislative Action Center Find a School

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In advance of the test scores' publication, state officials attempted to prepare the public for results that might be regarded as disappointing if compared to outcomes obtained in previous years. The key to avoiding such disappointment, it was suggested, was to avoid drawing comparisons. Indeed, it was argued that no meaningful comparisons could be made. As if to underscore such a view, the CDE removed all prior test score data from its website shortly before the release of the new test results. A number of other states now use the Smarter Balanced tests. Eight of those states had released test scores for 2014-15 prior to California's publication of its results. Could California's scores be compared to those obtained in other states? "It's not just a straight across comparison," said California Department of Education Deputy Superintendent Kerick Ashley, who directs the branch that oversees the CAASPP. As Dr. Ashley explains, California's size, high concentration of English language learners, and substantial incidence of poverty combine to make the Golden State's profile different than that of other states. What about comparisons between public school and private school test scores? Unfortunately, California restricts the administration of the state assessment to public school students, only. Though significant numbers of private schools have voluntarily adapted California's version of the Common Core State Standards, they are, nonetheless, barred from using the accompanying tests. The state's principal reason for denying private schools the opportunity to administer the same tests used to evaluate the academic achievement of public school students is the fear that test security might be compromised. Two years ago, CAPSO supported legislation (AB 928 - Olsen) proposing to permit those private schools wishing to do so, to administer the state assessments on condition that the schools would assume all associated costs, including test administration, training, and security. Such assurances were deemed insufficient by the California Department of Education, which insisted that private schools wishing to administer the tests be required to secure a surety bond with a face value of up to $1 million. Rather than accept such a requirement, the bill was subsequently amended to delete the test-taking provisions. To be fair, not all private schools would choose to administer the tests, and few would wish to see the tests imposed as a state mandate. Absent a blanket mandate and over the course of time, those private schools whose students fared better on the tests would most likely continue to administer them, while those whose pupils did less well would likely choose to opt out. Were that to happen, a comparison of scores would invite misleading conclusions. What of comparisons made between public school and private school

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Tanks Alliance for School Choice American Educational Research Association American Federation of Teachers The Brookings Institution Cato Institute Center for Education Reform Computer-Using Educators The Education Trust Thomas B. Fordham Institute National Council on Teacher Quality National Education Association Pacific Research Institute Progressive Policy Institute WestEd

California Association of Private School Organizations 15500 Erwin St., #303 Van Nuys, CA 91411 818.781.4680 [email protected] www.capso.org

test scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the so-called Nation's Report Card? In this instance, students actually take the same tests, and private school students consistently outperform their public school counterparts. But here, too, there's a caveat: private school participation in the NAEP is voluntary, which introduces the same sort of self-selection problem as that mentioned above. From a parent's perspective, attempting to draw categorical comparisons between the performance of public and private school students on standardized achievement tests is likely to possess limited utility. For example, a parent might ask what difference it would make that private schools generally outperform public schools, if the public school around the corner produced higher test results than the private school in which his/her child was enrolled...or vice-versa. What's important to a parent is knowing how the students in his/her child's school are performing relative to a comparable group of students. Happily, this is a question that the majority of private schools are able to answer. That's because most private schools administer one of several norm-referenced achievement tests as one indicator of student growth and achievement. The very meaning of a 'norm-referenced' test is that an individual's (or group's) score is reported in a manner that compares it to some identifiable reference group. Some private schools administer tests that compare their students' scores to those achieved by a combined 'norm group' composed of both public and private school students. Others prefer a test whose 'norm group' includes other private school students, only. So, if you're a parent looking for a private school, leave the categorical comparisons to the policy wonks. Visit schools. Ask how a student's academic growth is evaluated. If the school utilizes a standardized test, find out if it's norm-referenced and, if so, which norm group is used as a source of comparison. School administrators should be happy to answer these, and other inquiries concerning pupil assessment. And remember: the best school is the one that's best for your child.

It's That Time! The legal "window" for the annual filing of the California private school affidavit opened October 1 and extends through October 15. Section 33190 of the California Education Code requires every private school in the state to file this important document. Below, you will find step-by-step instructions for online filing. To enter the required information administrators will need to know the unique eight-digit password assigned to their school. On September 23, the California Department of Education emailed a

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message containing the password and filing instructions to all private schools in the Department's current database - meaning all schools that filed an affidavit last year. If, after checking, you believe your school did not receive this communication, or if you should require assistance, please send an email to Anie Wilson at the CDE: [email protected] Here, courtesy of the CDE, is a list of step-by-step instructions to be followed when filing this year's private school affidavit online: 1. Access the private school affidavit web page at the link appearing below: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ps/rq/affidavit.asp

2. Scroll down to the link for "Existing school with six or more students." 3. Using the A-Z index, click on the first letter of your school's name. 4. Scroll down the list until you locate your school by name and address. 5. Verify that you have the correct school by checking the address of the school. 6. Click on "Fill out Affidavit for this school." 7. Enter your school's unique eight-digit password. (If your school filed the affidavit last year, the password appears in the letter sent to you school via email by the CDE, on September 23, 2015.) 8. Complete the affidavit. If you wish to receive an email confirmation of your school's filing, please include an email address in field 9 "School E-mail Address." 9. Click the "Submit Form" button to send the form electronically. 10. The screen should display "Form Submitted," the date, and a 'Confirmation' number. If this information does not display, please call the CDE for assistance (at the number appearing below). 11. Print a copy of the completed affidavit showing the confirmation number, and retain it for your records. Please note that it is a common error for schools to complete all the online information without clicking the 'Submit' button that generates a confirmation page. If a confirmation page has not been created, the PSA has not been officially filed. A confirmation page should always be printed and maintained as evidence of filing. It is crucial for every California private school to file the affidavit in a

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timely manner. Beyond upholding the law, failure to file exposes schools and students to potentially serious consequences. Filing the affidavit is necessary if private school students are to fulfill the state's compulsory school attendance laws. Without a current affidavit on record a private school does not exist in the eyes of the state. This means that a School Attendance Review Board can declare students attending a non-filing school truant. Additionally, failure to file the affidavit renders a school's students, faculty and parents ineligible for receipt of various benefits provided by federally funded programs provided under terms of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. For example, Title II, Part A funds enable teachers and administrators to participate in a broad range of professional development programs and activities. These benefits are unavailable to educators whose schools fail to file the affidavit. Affidavit data provide the single most important source of information about private school enrollment, both statewide and locally. Comparing data on a year-to-year basis enables the identification of tendencies and trends, and facilitates forecasting, needs-assessment and planning. The data also serve an important political purpose by letting elected officials know how many private schools exist, both statewide and within individual districts, how many children they educate, and the number of teachers and administrators they employ. Failure to file the affidavit produces an artificial reduction in 'official' private school enrollment. This, in turn, weakens the private school community's standing in Sacramento. As you complete your affidavit, please devote special attention to the questions asking whether your school is established on a for-profit, or nonprofit basis. If your school enjoyed a particularly strong fundraising campaign and happened to finish its most recent fiscal year "in the black," it does not necessarily make your school a for-profit entity! A school that has been granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service is a nonprofit entity, regardless of the size of its endowment, or the 'bottom line' on its end-of-year balance sheet. The CDE has done its best to facilitate the affidavit filing process. CAPSO urges all private schools to complete the submission process in a timely manner.

Quick Takes Read the CAPE Outlook! How do you think most people would answer the following question: "If it were your decision and you could select any type of school, what type of school would you select in order to obtain the best education for your child?" To learn the answer, read the great lead article in the September edition of

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the CAPE Outlook newsletter. In the same article, you'll learn how respondents to a national poll graded traditional public schools, charter schools, and private schools in their local communities. In another article, you'll find a link to a recent National Center for Education Statistics report titled, "Indicators of School Crime and Safety." Check out the article (or view the report) to see how private schools stack up when it comes to a variety of indicators designed to gauge safety on campus. And there's much more. The CAPE Outlook newsletter is published monthly throughout the course of the school year by the Council for American Private Education. CAPSO is CAPE's California state affiliate.

California Out-of-State College Fairs California Out-of-State and International College Fairs is coordinating 6 FREE regional fairs in Southern California in October. Private schools are invited to join the public and charter schools that will be attending. Busing costs may be fully reimbursed. Please click on the fair that you would like to attend for details and a list of colleges that will be present. To register and/or obtain more information, please contact Bob Tyra at [email protected] or 562-774-5890.

Green California Summit & Exposition This year's Green California Schools & Community Colleges Summit and Exposition is slated to take place October 29-30, at the Pasadena Convention Center. California's first, and largest, statewide green school event provides a unique opportunity for school leaders to discover new ways to create healthy, efficient learning environments. Information about the Summit's education program can be found, here. A pricing schedule is available, here, and online registration can be accessed, here. (Check the registration page to learn how to receive a free Keynote and Expo badge.

A Shout-Out for Mike Antonucci If you're interested in education policy and Mike Antonucci's name is unfamiliar, you'd do well to remedy the oversight by bookmarking his 'Education Intelligence Agency' blogsite, Intercepts, and reading it, faithfully. As any aspiring wonk knows, teachers unions pack a colossal amount of clout in the ed-policy arena. And nobody covers, analyzes and reports the teachers unions beat quite like, or nearly as well as Mike Antonucci. Not only does this journalistic dynamo provide gobs of union-related information - read him regularly and he will make you

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knowledgeable...maybe even wise in the ways of the unions. Just read a recent article titled, "The Coming Teacher Union Crack-Up," and you should be convinced. A self-described writer, consultant, Air Force veteran, marathoner, specialist in military history, intelligence, cryptanalysis and the Byzantine Empire, Mr. Antonucci has been delivering his singular brand of union-focused journalism for years. Here's hoping he'll be doing so for many more to come.

Meet CAPSO Vice-President Berit von Pohle Dr. Berit von Pohle is Director of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists' K-12 Office of Education, a position in which she, together with her staff, oversees the administrative supervision of SDA schools across a geographic region that includes California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. All told, Dr. von Pohle provides leadership, training, and consultative services to an administrative unit encompassing some 145 schools. In addition to her leadership role within California's broadly inclusive private school community as a CAPSO board member and officer, she is also serving her second term as Chairperson of the California Private School Advisory Committee, K-12. CPSAC is the official state-level consultative body for certain federally funded education programs. Over the course of her 35-year career as an educator, Dr. von Pohle has served as a teacher, guidance counselor, and principal. Prior to assuming her current position, she worked as Superintendent of Schools for Northern California Conference. She holds Bachelor's, Master's and Doctor of Education degrees from La Sierra University, as well as a Specialist degree in Educational Administration. Because she looks much too young to fit the role, Berit is unabashed when it comes to announcing that she is a grandmother to two.

Say as I Say

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A couple of years ago I decided that every third or fourth book I read would be a classic that I'd either never encountered, or that I read, haphazardly, while in high school or college. Without publishing the full list, I'll volunteer only that I've very much enjoyed the undertaking, though Dickens' Bleak House was interminable. I recently completed Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I think I may have read the first several chapters while an undergraduate, before shifting to Cliff's Notes, thereby depriving myself of what is, arguably, the work's greatest source of pleasure: Ms. Austen's command of the English language. Her amazingly elaborate expositions of thought and sentiment (in contrast to the near total absence of descriptions of things) provided a wonderfully illuminating view of the social sensibilities and foibles of the early 19th century British landed gentry. Had I read the entirety of the work while still in my teens I doubt I would have appreciated the author's insights into human nature. I'd have been oblivious to her abundant humor, and would likely have conflated formality and propriety. (There were no shortage of insults expressed with the utmost formality.) But it was the austere beauty of the language, itself, that would most likely have been lost on me, just as it will now leave the most lasting of impressions. (Re-)reading Pride and Prejudice failed to kindle any longing to have lived in Regency-Period England. I'm quite happy to live my life in the here and now, warts and all. I appreciate the fact that most Americans have always looked askance at class systems, and have worked to fashion a society in which the facts of one's birth and one's 'connections' need not stand in the way of upward mobility. (We may still have work left to do, but I don't believe we've abandoned the task.) That being said, would it be so terrible if our manner of speech were to become just a bit more dignified, formal, and respectful? I'm not suggesting that a new movement be launched with the aim of restoring the sort of hyper-formal discourse found in Jane Austen's works. I'd gladly settle for a modest elevation of our speech, and, particularly, a perceptible elevation of our political speech. Thanks to social media, political speech is more abundant than at any time in history. That's a good thing for a participatory democracy. On the other side of the ledger, the nature of everyday political speech among citizens has become ever more base. This 'race to the bottom' is abetted by legions of radio and television talk-show pundits who dispense a steady stream of 'red meat' to the lowest common denominator, in an effort to drive ratings. Reasoned and reflective

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argumentation has given way to angry sound bites and defamatory sloganism. The crudeness and vitriol isn't confined to one party, or one side of the political spectrum. Increasingly, members of each party and each side can be seen othering their fellow citizens. E pluribus unum is in serious trouble. The deterioration of civil discourse is rending asunder the social fabric that makes concepts such as 'common good' and 'general welfare' meaningful. Private schools would do well to address the problem. Perhaps it's time to bring Debate Club, increasingly, into our 'regular' classrooms and standard curricula. Public schools may be constrained from doing so. Private schools are not. It's, admittedly, a highly sensitive area, but it might prove both exciting and therapeutic for schools to orchestrate planning committees populated with parents holding differing political views and affiliations, who are tasked with the responsibility of creating experimental programs designed to develop respectful civil discourse. They may seldom admit it, but kids learn from, and often mimic their parents. And we're not exactly setting fine examples when it comes to political discourse. Our schools may be able to do something about this - something both educational and affirmative - and parents can actually be part of the change. Is it risky? Perhaps. But the rewards could prove to be more than commensurate, substantial, and fulfilling. Ron Reynolds

Publication Note The next edition of the CAPSO Midweek EMailer will be published October 28, 2015.

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