CCSD vs. Beers

When state Sen. Bob Beers finds evidence full-day kindergarten doesn't work for all children, the school district responds:

Senator Beers’ misunderstanding of the data presented in CCSD’s interim report on the effects of full day kindergarten leads him to erroneous conclusions. Chief among is misinterpretations, and subsequent misrepresentation of the facts, is his identification of what he call "percentages". What those figures represent, and which is clearly indicated on the tables, are the averages of raw literacy scores.

Additionally, Mr. Beers mistakenly explains that the "at-risk" category is determined by what percentage of the student body qualifies for "Free and Reduced Lunch". However, the tables clearly show that the "at risk" category is based on the literacy assessment - which is used to predict how well a student will perform in reading and literacy. The "at-risk" "some risk" and "low risk" categories do NOT indicate any sort of income status.

The district’s study of full day kindergarten (FDK) corroborates findings prevalent in research literature that state that benefits of FDK are greatest for the most disadvantaged students. CCSD’s research design and findings have been peer reviewed for accuracy by experts outside the state, and found to be credible, appropriate, and replicable.

While focusing exclusively on the merits of full day kindergarten for English-speaking and affluent students, the benefits that Mr. Beers fails to note include the facts that:

· 44% of second-grade ELL (English Language Learner) students who were in FDK are consider to be at low academic risk, as opposed to only 28% of second-grader ELL students who had half-day kindergarten.

· 50% of second-grade low socioeconomic students who were in FDK are considered to be at low academic risk, as opposed to only 36% of second-grader low socioeconomic students who had half-day kindergarten.

A comparison of performance between full-day and half-day students who are neither ELL nor enrolled in free and reduced lunch (the measure used to determine socioeconomic status) does not show a statistically significant difference in academic performance, which, again, mirrors the majority of national research in this area.

Although Mr. Beers has not had any direct contact with the district regarding this study, CCSD staff would welcome the opportunity to meet with him and explain the research and findings.

Discussion of full day kindergarten figure prominently in the legislature, where expansion of the program is being debated. While state superintendents believe that all parents should have access to full day programs if they so desire, none believe that full day kindergarten should be mandated.

Comments

[Bob Beers]

I just walked in the door after driving home from Carson City. Thanks for posting this. No one from the school district called to let me know.

Actually, their complaint is with the Legislative Counsel Bureau, who confirmed the key finding with Mr. Kadlub... the key finding being that the non-FRL students in the full-day kindergarten group performed 3.04 points lower than the students in the half-day kindergarten group.

I still don't see any misunderstandings in my earlier post, though I think the district is not happy it's been caught. I will fully dissemble the CCSD spin later tonight on my blog.

[James Nance]

The Clark County School District (CCSD) is now saying: ""A comparison of performance between full-day and half-day students who are neither ELL (English Language Learners) nor enrolled in free and reduced lunch ... does not show a statistically significant difference in academic performance, which mirrors the majority of national research in this area."

Did not the CCSD in a previous press releases say that there is a statistically significant academic improvement performance among ELL and/or free and reduced lunch students?

I think that they were hyping that fact for awhile now. I guess they are backing off that statement now because we have a senator that has basic math skills. Perhaps, the CCSD should push for a law that bans CPA's from running for office.

No wonder the educational system is having trouble. It seems that the CCSD staff are math and logic challenged.

We should send enter them into full-day kindergarten classes.

The bottom line is that there are ton of studies that show that on a long-term basis there is no statistically significant academic improvement performance.

I think Carson City should focus on the fact that we have statistically significant group of honor roll graduates that need to take remedial English and math classes to get into college.

[Patte Purcell]

Thank God for Nevada that we have
Bob Beers who can make sense of all the bull from the bureaucrats.
It's time for Dina Titus and
Barbara Buckley and the rest of the Dems to eat some crow pie
and BACK OFF!

[Kim]

The CCSD didn't contact Sen. Beers because they were too busy trying to discredit him and pull "statistics" out of their collective posteriors.

The numbers don't lie. All-day kindergarten is a waste of time and taxpayer dollars. Now the issue is nothing more than a political power play by CCSD, Titus and Babs Buckley.

[kickboxermomma]

Mr. Beers gets caught in his lies and spin. You're right the numbers don't lie about all day kindergarten.All day kindergarten works. I'm so sick of all you low value education advocates. If a child does not get the foundation for learning in the early grades it's almost impossible to catch up later on down the road. They are the ones who show up as the drop out statistics. In middle school and high school a teacher is not able to provide that foundation of basic reading and math. A student needs to get that foundation early in the process. We are speaking of those students who are at risk. I find your callous disregard of at risk students to be the expendable selfish factor too prevalent in Nevada. We do not value education and consistently fail to adequately fund education. This bouhaha regarding all day kindergarten is but another glaring example. Bob Beers I say shame on you. You do not represent what I want to see for Nevada with respect to Nevada and education. Your skinflint approach may have an appeal with those who fail to value education from its inception but it holds no water for me. I suspect that so many who oppose all day kindergarten don't have children in public schools and or are now at retirement age and don't like the idea of providing more funding for education. The statistics for our schools will continue to be dire if the short-sight approach to education reflected by Senator Beers prevails.I am a product of Nevada schools and I was considered at risk. The strong foundation I received helped pave the way for my success. However, I know too well the other side of the story. Too often when a child does not receive that foundation that child struggles with school only to eventually become one of the drop out statistics. I challenge all you low value education advocates to go volunteer at an risk middle school for a semester and see the impact of a lack of an educational foundation. How can you teach Social Studies, Math, Life Skills when a student can barely read and has no reading comprehension? In my opinion Bob Beers' stance on education is ridiculous and anti-education.

[Bob Beers]

Just came across this old post... kinda fun to google kickboxermomma...