West Orange Public Schools - SAT Scores and Standards & School Spending

While I will not say the the SAT is the be all and the end all it is reasonably good at predicting academic performance in college of a given student. It is also a reasonably good measure of what a student did or did not learn at the secondary school level.  So the SAT does have relevance even if school officials try to dismiss the value of them when scores are low.  I see them as a useful tools to hold our schools and our school employees and school officials accountable.

Thus, it is very disappointing to see that the mean SAT scores at West Orange High School at 1,449.  This compares to 1,547 at Columbia (Maplewood & South Orange), 1573 at Verona, 1,598 at West Essex Regional (Fairfield - North Caldwell - Roseland - Essex Fells) & 1,484 in Nutley (The source is the Star Ledger page 31 dated April 11, 2013 in the Essex County Edition)

I see the scores as problematic and it makes me have questions as to school quality.  I am sure the officials of the West Orange Board of Education will spin this and offer excuses related to our student population and so forth. They will most likely claim the test is inherently unfair.  All of that is utter non-sense as those same officials would tout how wonderfully the schools were doing if the SAT scores came in at a high number.

The amount spent per student and SAT scores have no relationship. I could argue they even possibly a negative relationship.

The West Orange recently past a budget of $141,460,056 total spending for fiscal 2013-2014 for about 7,000 students.  (source is http://www.woboe.org/Board/Budget/2013-2014%20User%20Friendly%20Budget.pdf)  This over $20,000 per student.  Much more than $20,000 per student is spent in the Newark public schools yet East Side High in Newark has a mean SAT of 1,174. 

Also, how we compensate our teachers in the form of paying by years of service and graduate school credits obtained, has no relationship or an inverse relationship to student performance as measured by test scores.  A raise in gross teacher compensation under this system would only make teachers better paid and does nothing for test scores or student achievement.  Merit pay with test scores being a significant part the bonus structure could mean something.  It is being tried Newark and I hope it comes to West Orange soon.

In point of fact, as I read the teachers contract and look at the data (Source http://www.woboe.org/Board/Budget/WOEA%20Contract%202012-2015.pdf) the average gross compensation with salary and benefits is about $110,000 for a ten month contract per teacher.  This is about $11,000 in taxpayer in salary and benefits per month that from taxpayer money in some shape or form. With pay at this level I think the taxpayers have every right to hold our school employees who work for us to account for the test scores. 

I offer some suggestions to our school officials the the public at large with regard to changing the conundrum of high cost and low test scores.

First reduce spending on all areas not directly related to the classroom this includes administration, building and grounds, transportation, and extracurricular items.

Increase time on task.  The student spend too much time on non instructional things. The day has to truly focus on academics: reading, writing, math, science, and social studies, and foreign languages.

Utilize high achieving students as mentors and tutors to help student who are struggling. This will help both the high achiever by giving them opportunities to develop as leader and the student who are not achieving to potential.

Involve the patents more.  Truly utilize the intent to post test scores, home work, and what is going in class.  Encourage parents to come in as tutors. Use the PTA's and community organization to have parent and student tutoring after school hours. I know the West Orange schools are doing some of this but they are not fully committed to doing all of this.

Drill more and focus on the fundamental more.  A child can't do well in honors English if basic reading skills are lacking.  A child can't do well in algebra without the ability to multiply.  Yes, drilling is old fashion and not always exciting but it can work.

Change the curriculum to a more self paced model from a one speed teacher center method to model of learning using technology so fast learners are not board or held back and those student learning at a slower pace are not lost.

My advise to the public is to vote the entire board of education out as the status is of high taxes and low test scores is untenable.  I would also vote large part of the state legislature out as they make bad policies regarding education and educational funding.  All three legislature who represent West Orange in the 27th district should be voted out for this reason alone.  They have voted to fund and tax unfairly for schools and they have voted to put extra burdens on the schools that have nothing to do with academics.

The school officials have to have the courage to sack non performing or under performing school employees. The right of taxpayers and what is right for students has the trump the employment rights of the adults who work in the schools for us as taxpayers. The corollary to this is we should have merit pay and those who achieve excellence in educating our students should be rewarded. Good and great teachers should have nothing fear but under performing teachers should have the appropriate consequences to deal with. 

I think changing the school is an imperative for West Orange. Accepting the status of low test scores and high school taxes would be disastrous for this town.  However, change in this regard is possible.