Why the New QSAC Score on INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM in the Hoboken School District Really Is Not an Improvement- Facts You Need to Know

Water Main Break- 7th and Jefferson St Hoboken 3/19

So, how did the Hoboken School District score an 81% on QSAC INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM even though student testing scores are very low? How did the Hoboken School District score an 81% on QSAC INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM even though the district dropped 48 places on New Jersey Monthly's annual district ratings? How did the Hoboken School District score an 81% on QSAC INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM even though recent research by Stanford researchers indicate the district actually has an adverse impact on student success as predicted by social economic status and has the lowest growth rate in Hudson County and among the lowest growth rates in NJ and the entire nation (bottom 13%)? 

See Where Hoboken Ranks on Effective District Measurement

The answer is fairly simple and straight forward and is two fold. First, the QSAC system in New Jersey basically went over a major revision. Revision is a natural process and perhaps the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) was being responsive to adjustments and/or overhauls to the existing system. Second, and related to the first, is that the new QSAC system allows for partial scores. Before, a district received "all or nothing" for a particular indicator. With the revised system, "partial credit" is now allowed. To see this clearly, please look at the official NJDOE documents below where you can view the new District Performance Review (2017-18) and the previous District Performance Review (2016-17).

2018 NJ Monthly Rankings
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Reporting Recent QSAC Scores- Hoboken, NJ
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Does the 81% indicate improvement from the previous failing score of 77%? Certainly not if the NJDOE was using the old scoring system. With the new system and with partial credit for failing scores, the district now has a score of 81%. But district administrators, Board members, district teachers, and others should be forthcoming and clear when explaining the new QSAC score to the general public. 



Hopefully, this post will assist in a more informed conversation about the Hoboken district's failing test scores, plummeting rankings, and negative effects of the district on its students and not promote too aggressively the notion that the increase in the DPR for INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM this year is attributed to a major change in the status quo but simply is attributal primarily to awarding partial credit. 

Under the board and district leadership of the Kids First-Hoboken Proud regime- in one form or another-  the Hoboken School District failed every QSAC DPR for INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM since 2010. 

Frequently Asked Questions: 

1. What are some of the major changes to the NJQSAC indicators as a result of the 2017 revisions? 
   1. The indicators use  PARCC, the state's current standardized assessment program, to measure student growth and achievement;
   2. District scores are based on proficiency for both total student population and subgroups of students;
   3. Median Student Growth Percentile (mSGP) is used  to measure growth for both the total student population and student subgroups;
   4. Graduation rate is based on a school district's 4- and 5-year cohort graduation rate of total student population and student subgroups; and
   5. Implementation of staff evaluations is monitored in accordance with AchieveNJ and ensures districts provide high-quality professional development for its educators.
2. What other changes will take place in NJQSAC starting in the 2018-19 school year?
   1. Partial monitoring of school districts will be discontinued beginning with 2018-19, and no districts will be given an extension of their required three-year monitoring cycle; 
   2. The Statement of Assurance will no longer be part of the NJQSAC monitoring process beginning in the 2018-19 school year;
   3. The monitoring process (desk audit) will be remote whenever possible in an effort to reduce the burden on school districts; and
   4. The NJDOE will provide a NJQSAC User Manual to clarify what evidence districts may use to validate their self-assessment, creating a more transparent monitoring process. A draft of the manual is expected to be available to districts in February, 2018. 
3. Will there be training on the updated NJQSAC indicators and corresponding process?
   1. Training has already begun for the county office teams that will conduct NJQSAC monitoring.   
   2. There will be multiple opportunities for districts undergoing NJQSAC monitoring in 2018-19 to receive training.  The NJDOE will schedule regional training dates spanning late spring to late summer 2018 and will include them on the NJDOE Calendar of Events.
   3. County Teams will continue to provide cohort-specific training to prepare districts being monitored in 2018-19. 
4. Where can I find the NJQSAC indicators (revised and current)?
   1. Appendix A (District Performance Review) 
   2. Appendix B (County Special Services District Performance Review)

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  Hoboken Placement Letter 2018-19 by Tony Petrosino on Scribd

  Interim Hoboken DPR Spreadsheet 2018-2019-3 by Tony Petrosino on Scribd

  Final DPR 2016-2017 Hoboken School District by Tony Petrosino on Scribd