Teachers recognized for growth in student test scores
POTTSTOWN >> When it comes to standardized test scores, there is a difference between “growth” and “achievement.”
Pottstown Schools Superintendent likes to use the analogy of running a marathon to explain the difference.
“Achievement,” is your place in crossing the finish line.
“Growth,” is the improvement in your time.
For years, standardized tests in Pennsylvania only recognized achievement, a student’s final score.
Further, said Rodriguez, many educational experts now agree that achievement on standardized tests is more a measure of a community’s wealth, than improvement of its students’ ability to learn.
Increasingly, Rodriguez told the Pottstown School Board Thursday, state education officials are realizing the value and importance of “growth” as well as “achievement.”
And when it comes to growth, Pottstown’s reputation is, well, growing.
Without naming them, Rodriguez said a comparison with some neighboring school districts showed that while their test scores may be higher, the growth in Pottstown’s scores far outstrips them.
By way of example, he noted that Pottstown High School has seen 100 percent growth, the highest level the state measures, in its math, reading and biology scores.
Those Rodriguez was willing to name were some of the teachers who have made that growth possible. Seventeen of them to be exact.
Four of those had students whose scores showed growth over the course of a year.
They are:
• Carol Livington, middle school language arts;
• Jesse Tupper, middle school math;
• Paul Castanzo, high school biology and
• Nicholas Fox, high school algebra.
Perhaps more impressive are those who have overseen three solid years of growth, or more, in test scores, and the fact that there are 13 of those. They are:
• Nicola Alutious, Barth Elementary School; • Bradley Mayberry, Barth Elementary School;
• Ann Marie McDonnell, Barth Elementary School;
• Denise Schleicher, Lincoln Elementary School;
• Joshua Wagner, Lincoln Elementary School;
• Mandy Wampole, Lincoln Elementary School;
• Ginger Angelo, middle school;
• Jennifer Heller, middle school;
• Aaron Torrence, middle school;
• Eileen Basham, high school;
• Helen Bowers, high school;
• Justine Donnelly, high school;
• Megan Heffelfinger, high school.
“The growth really is amazing,” said school board member Steve Kline.
This article first appeared as a post in The Digital Notebook blog.