School leaders complain about local school grades, Robb: 'Our schools are so much more than a letter grade'

Robb said the grading system in West Virginia is like many grading systems throughout the country.

“It relies almost exclusively on standardized test results in math and English/language arts or some configuration of that data,” Robb said. “There is no evidence that it leads to prolonged school improvement. However, many will argue that it has damaged the education by having teachers ‘teach to the test.’

“It shows the misplaced priorities and lack of understanding among many of those who are making decisions about education,” Robb continued. “Many have never been actually in a classroom, except perhaps from their student days.”

Robb said it is unfair to have school grades based on a snapshot in time.

“The standardized test only show students perform on a single test on a single day,” Robb said. “The test was never intended to be used in grading schools, but to be a diagnostic guide to help form instruction and curriculum.

“As a former teacher and now substitute teacher, I cannot emphasize too strongly just how naïve and limited the grading of schools based on the standardized test is,” Robb continued. “Learning is complex and cannot be partitioned a year at a time nor by subject. Nor is it reasonable to conclude that learning occurs at some standardized rate for all learners and that everyone is learning at the same pace.”

Robb said students, teachers, schools and communities are being unjustly labeled.

“My comments here tonight are not about what schools are labeled as an A or an F or anything in between,” Robb said. “My comments are about understanding what goes on in our schools on a daily basis to ensure they find success on every single day and after graduation.

“Our teachers adapt their instruction to ensure all students are achieving to their own full potential,” Robb said. “Our schools are so much more than a letter grade based upon a single test.”

The West Virginia State Department of Education released school grades statewide on Nov. 16, with Preston County receiving a “C” average at several of its schools, including Aurora Elementary, Central Preston Middle, Fellowsville, Preston High and Valley Elementary. While South Preston, Terra Alta/East Preston and West Preston Middle received “D” grades. Rowlesburg School received the highest grade in the county with a “B.” Kingwood Elementary received an “F.”

Despite the lower-than-expected grades many of the schools received, Preston County Superintendent Stephen Wotring there were a few notable exceptions, especially Rowlesburg School’s “B.”

“Staff of the school have worked diligently to help their students improve academically, and the grade provides validation that they are on track,” Wotring said Nov. 16 in an email. “Bruceton School was only 0.66 points away from receiving a letter grade of ‘B,’ and Aurora was only 5.05 points away from a ‘B.’”

Preston Board of Education President Dr. Crissy Estep told the Preston County News & Journal on Nov. 16 that while she was disappointed with the results, she believes the process the state used to compile the results is fundamentally “flawed.”

“There is no incentive for the students to perform well. The test is not part of their grade, nor is it used for promotion to the next grade level,” Estep said.

Estep said the results for Preston County could be an incentive for improvement,however.