Farmington Schools Parents Ask Officials to Review Math Placements

Last year, Anthony Kosiba's son, a student at , was placed in an accelerated math program.

This year, Kosiba's daughter, a 6th grader at , missed being placed in a similar program, despite the fact that she scored in the 96th and 99th percentiles on standardized math tests. His voice broke as he told officials, "I was asked to appear here by my daughter."

District officials this year relied on standardized test scores, rather than teacher recommendations, as a more objective way to determine whether 6th grade students who excel in math are placed in a 7th grade math class. Students may also be placed in an accelerated math group at their current grade level.

Administrators say skipping a grade level can leave students with a gap in knowledge that widens as they get older. Parents say the new selection process relies too heavily on standardized test scores.

Richard Lerner's daughter, also a 6th grader, missed being placed in the 7th grade math program, despite the fact that her tests showed she had mastered 80 percent of 6th grade math at the end of her 5th grade year.

Lerner and Kosiba, along with Kosiba's wife, Suzanne, and 6th grade parent Amy Amshay asked Farmington school board members Tuesday to immediately conduct individual case reviews.  

Amshay's daughter has been accelerated to 7th grade math, but not because she qualified under the new rules. Amshay was told there were spots open in the program, and a teacher offered the opportunity. Now, she has been told, that was a mistake.

School officials said they had children's needs in mind when they changed the policy. Assistant superintendent of instructional services Catherine Cost said officials knew the change would be difficult for families, but felt it was necessary because teacher recommendations were inconsistent.

The district's research showed students who were advanced by a grade level had a "gap" in their knowledge when they reached high school, Cost said. School officials consulted other districts, as well as the Iowa Basic testing agency, and came up with a standard that requires students meet benchmarks in three tests – Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) and Johns Hopkins' School and College Ability Test (SCAT) – in order to skip a grade level.

The district's Bridges math curriculum, which has been fully implemented for two years, is designed so that teachers at grade level can offer lessons that fit the needs of lower and higher level learners in the same class, Cost said.

"Students do not have to skip a grade to be accelerated," John Manier, executive director of instructional services, said. He added students can select higher level classes when they reach high school, including B/C Calculus, which is the highest level math class offered.

"Without skipping a grade, you can still take all of the rigorous coursework the district offers," he said.

Board members Debbie Brauer and Howard Wallach both expressed concern over the fact that numbers appeared to take precedence over the input of teachers and school administrators. Brauer said, as a parent, if she was willing to have her student challenged by skipping a grade level, "I would wholly expect the teachers and administration would also support that."

Cost said the goal was to make the process more objective, in view of the widening knowledge gap students experience as they move up into the high school. "We wanted that solid foundation in K-6," she said. "Hands down, we did not want to set up our students for failure."

Superintendent Sue Zurvalec said administrators would revisit the policy. "I'm not suggesting we change the policy, but how we review individual cases is something we can take a look at."

Parents urged board members to act quickly, because their students are already four weeks into the school year. Board member Timothy Devine agreed.

"I think given the mistakes on our part, time is of the essence," he said.