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Test Scores

LAUSD’S 8th Grade Reading Miracle on NAEP Draws Scrutiny

Amid the abysmal declines on the National Assessment of Educational Progress last month, the Los Angeles district’s nine-point jump in eighth grade reading was to some a pleasant surprise. But researchers don’t like surprises. That’s why federal testing officials “turned over many additional rocks” to verify the data, Daniel McGrath of the National Center for Education Statistics, told reporter Linda Jacobson. As expected, there’s some nuance behind the results, but the nation’s second-largest district saw a “genuine increase in student performance.”  

Mental Health

Teachers felt more COVID anxiety than healthcare workers, study finds

A recent study finds that during the worst months of the pandemic, teachers were much more likely to experience anxiety than other workers — even those fighting COVID on the front lines. The research, encompassing millions of responses to a daily survey created by Facebook and Carnegie Mellon University, also showed that teachers working remotely reported more depressive symptoms and feelings of isolation than those delivering in-person instruction.

Analysis

To Improve Schools, First Close the Honesty Gap

The disparity among NAEP scores, state exam results and classroom grades is sometimes called the honesty gap — mixed messages parents, policymakers, voters and taxpayers receive about how well schools are educating their students. If families are provided with overly optimistic data, asks contributor Rianna Saslow, how can leaders expect their support when looking to implement robust policies and practices to improve public education? Here, she offers some suggestions for how state, local and district officials can make schools a priority and hold them accountable.

Recommended Reading

• Teachers union allies are back in control of the LAUSD board. Here’s what that might mean (LAist)
   
• San Diego Unified’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate struck down in court — again (Los Angeles Times)
   
• Historic rise in child bereavement as COVID, drugs and guns claim parents’ lives (The 74)