Alton School Budget

Sue Doe-Nym · 09-02-2011, 08:16 AM

The Laconia Sun reported on a disagreenevt between the school board and a member of the budget committee. Seems the teachers contract is thought to be too generous in light of the poor student test results.

Perhaps Argie's Wife could shed some light on the subject.

upthesaukee · 09-02-2011, 10:01 PM

Here is the article that spawned the controversy as printed in the Laconia Sun on 8/28:

http://www.laconiadailysun.com/story/steve-miller-8-28

And here is a response by Argie's Wife in the Baysider on 9-1 (see page A5:

http://www.newhampshirelakesandmount...2011.09.01.pdf

Nice job, Krista.

Argie's Wife · 09-03-2011, 07:47 AM

Thanks, Upthesaukee.

SueDoeNym - My letter to the editor in The Baysider (page A5) explains a lot of the problems with No Child Left Behind and NH's set up of how the State of NH measures student achievement.

There's no real peaks or valleys in the test scores in Alton. Relevant to the the links posted by Upthesaukee, and the immediate area, are the actual test scores.

Comparison of NECAP Index Scores:

2006: Reading - 89 / Math - 82
2007: Reading - 91.1 / Math - 84.7
2008: Reading - 89 / Math - 83.9
2009: Reading - 87.9 / Math - 81.8
2010: Reading - 92.8 / Math - 84
2011: Reading - 90.8 / Math - 84.6

Because Alton did not meet the state's goal for 2011, the school was labeled as not making Adequately Yearly Progress. Alton is in good company, as 70% of the public schools in NH did not meet the state's goal.

The state raises the goal of the percentage of students who need to score proficient each year, with goal being all students need to score proficient (100%) by 2014.

I don't have a crystal ball, but knowing what I do about data and stats, and considering the scores (above), I would bet good money that we're not going to see a major climb (or dip) in scores because there's no 'supergroup' of students coming into the school at any time - each grade has a mixture of students at different levels of ability, strengths and weaknesses, within that grade. Assuming you went to public school, as I did, you'll know that it's not much different today than when we were in public school. There's no silver bullet to excellent test scores (as in, 100% proficient) and linking teacher pay to student performance does NOT work - there's many articles, lots of data, and much in the news today about how that is really bad idea. It makes as much sense as linking a doctor's pay to the number of compliant patients he has.

By the way, all of this information is available to the public. There's been parents' nights, forums, etc., open to the public.

IslandRadio · 09-03-2011, 11:39 AM

Very interesting! What do the numbers mean (the index scores)? Are they percentage of students at competency levels?

Argie's Wife · 09-03-2011, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IslandRadio

Very interesting! What do the numbers mean (the index scores)? Are they percentage of students at competency levels?

For the most part, yes. This link will take you to Measured Progress' website, which can explain it better than I can. (Argie can explain it very well - I can have him answer your question if my post and link don't resolve this for you.)

How does Alton compare to the State of NH?

Statewide, 77% of our students in grades 3-8 and 11 demonstrated proficiency in reading and 66% did the same in mathematics.
(Source: NH Dept of Ed).

lawn psycho · 09-03-2011, 08:58 PM

Personally I think Don should nip this thread as it's 100% political.

My best friend lives in Alton and both his children attend Alton schools and would have disagreement with some things posted in this thread.

Argie's Wife · 09-04-2011, 01:12 PM

No one has asked for anyone to vote for anything or support anything, nor has anything biased been posted. I've been careful about that, because I do respect Don's rules - this is his sandbox, and I appreciate that he lets us all play here. I've cited the sources for my answers because I felt people should learn about this themselves - don't take my word for things but please check it for yourself.

LP - I sincerely hope your friend has brought his/her concerns to the teachers, administrators, etc. There's a policy for addressing concerns - it's on the front cover of the student/parent handbook. If he/she didn't get the results/response he/she was looking for, then the concerns should be escalated to the next level, according to the policy. Peace.

Heaven · 09-04-2011, 01:56 PM

Just my 2c worth, it is the amount and quality of time spent on homework with children AT HOME that would make the difference in the test scores.

RLW · 09-04-2011, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lawn psycho

Personally I think Don should nip this thread as it's 100% political.

I totally agree with the above statement.

Oh, I for got, here is a cent sign Heaven ¢

Jonas Pilot · 09-04-2011, 05:43 PM

"Your question or comment must be relevant to Lakes Region tourism, activities or topics". From Winnipesaukee.com FAQ.

It's definitely a topic being discussed in the Lakes Region.

lawn psycho · 09-04-2011, 06:21 PM

Jonas, you obviously ignored the part of the Forum rules about politics.

AW is a school board member. I think it's inappropriate, if not unprofessional, for her as a board member to be posting like this. This forum does not really allow for frank debate.

This is a 100% political topic. I think it's inappropriate to continue.

09-02-2011, 08:16 AM	#1
Sue Doe-Nym Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,377 Thanks: 713 Thanked 761 Times in 394 Posts	Alton School Budget The Laconia Sun reported on a disagreenevt between the school board and a member of the budget committee. Seems the teachers contract is thought to be too generous in light of the poor student test results. Perhaps Argie's Wife could shed some light on the subject.

09-02-2011, 10:01 PM	#2
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,559 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,411 Thanked 1,922 Times in 1,064 Posts	Here's links to two sides of the topic Here is the article that spawned the controversy as printed in the Laconia Sun on 8/28: http://www.laconiadailysun.com/story/steve-miller-8-28 And here is a response by Argie's Wife in the Baysider on 9-1 (see page A5: http://www.newhampshirelakesandmount...2011.09.01.pdf Nice job, Krista. __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

09-03-2011, 07:47 AM	#3
Argie's Wife Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Alton Posts: 1,908 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 533 Thanked 579 Times in 260 Posts	Thanks, Upthesaukee. SueDoeNym - My letter to the editor in The Baysider (page A5) explains a lot of the problems with No Child Left Behind and NH's set up of how the State of NH measures student achievement. There's no real peaks or valleys in the test scores in Alton. Relevant to the the links posted by Upthesaukee, and the immediate area, are the actual test scores. Comparison of NECAP Index Scores: 2006: Reading - 89 / Math - 82 2007: Reading - 91.1 / Math - 84.7 2008: Reading - 89 / Math - 83.9 2009: Reading - 87.9 / Math - 81.8 2010: Reading - 92.8 / Math - 84 2011: Reading - 90.8 / Math - 84.6 Because Alton did not meet the state's goal for 2011, the school was labeled as not making Adequately Yearly Progress. Alton is in good company, as 70% of the public schools in NH did not meet the state's goal. The state raises the goal of the percentage of students who need to score proficient each year, with goal being all students need to score proficient (100%) by 2014. I don't have a crystal ball, but knowing what I do about data and stats, and considering the scores (above), I would bet good money that we're not going to see a major climb (or dip) in scores because there's no 'supergroup' of students coming into the school at any time - each grade has a mixture of students at different levels of ability, strengths and weaknesses, within that grade. Assuming you went to public school, as I did, you'll know that it's not much different today than when we were in public school. There's no silver bullet to excellent test scores (as in, 100% proficient) and linking teacher pay to student performance does NOT work - there's many articles, lots of data, and much in the news today about how that is really bad idea. It makes as much sense as linking a doctor's pay to the number of compliant patients he has. By the way, all of this information is available to the public. There's been parents' nights, forums, etc., open to the public. Last edited by Argie's Wife; 09-03-2011 at 08:20 AM.

09-04-2011, 05:43 PM	#10
Jonas Pilot Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Wolfeboro, New Hampshire is my home, 24-7-365 Posts: 1,686 Thanks: 1,047 Thanked 336 Times in 189 Posts	I think it should stay. "Your question or comment must be relevant to Lakes Region tourism, activities or topics". From Winnipesaukee.com FAQ. It's definitely a topic being discussed in the Lakes Region.

09-03-2011, 11:39 AM	#4
IslandRadio Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Mirror Lake - Full time resident Posts: 398 Thanks: 70 Thanked 156 Times in 61 Posts	Very interesting! What do the numbers mean (the index scores)? Are they percentage of students at competency levels?

09-03-2011, 08:58 PM	#6
lawn psycho Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: On the move... Posts: 987 Thanks: 113 Thanked 248 Times in 133 Posts	Personally I think Don should nip this thread as it's 100% political. My best friend lives in Alton and both his children attend Alton schools and would have disagreement with some things posted in this thread.

09-04-2011, 01:12 PM	#7
Argie's Wife Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Alton Posts: 1,908 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 533 Thanked 579 Times in 260 Posts	No one has asked for anyone to vote for anything or support anything, nor has anything biased been posted. I've been careful about that, because I do respect Don's rules - this is his sandbox, and I appreciate that he lets us all play here. I've cited the sources for my answers because I felt people should learn about this themselves - don't take my word for things but please check it for yourself. LP - I sincerely hope your friend has brought his/her concerns to the teachers, administrators, etc. There's a policy for addressing concerns - it's on the front cover of the student/parent handbook. If he/she didn't get the results/response he/she was looking for, then the concerns should be escalated to the next level, according to the policy. Peace.

09-04-2011, 01:56 PM	#8
Heaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 516 Thanks: 126 Thanked 94 Times in 66 Posts	Just my 2c worth, it is the amount and quality of time spent on homework with children AT HOME that would make the difference in the test scores.

The Following User Says Thank You to Heaven For This Useful Post:
upthesaukee (09-04-2011)

The Following User Says Thank You to Jonas Pilot For This Useful Post:
Rusty (09-04-2011)

09-04-2011, 06:21 PM	#11
lawn psycho Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: On the move... Posts: 987 Thanks: 113 Thanked 248 Times in 133 Posts	Jonas, you obviously ignored the part of the Forum rules about politics. AW is a school board member. I think it's inappropriate, if not unprofessional, for her as a board member to be posting like this. This forum does not really allow for frank debate. This is a 100% political topic. I think it's inappropriate to continue.