Baiting students with burgers

Brandishing a half-eaten Sonic cheeseburger in one hand and a pencil in the other, seventh-grader Craig Arnzen contemplated the definitions of synonym and antonym.

He's one of 25 students at Scott City Middle School who spend an hour after school once a week being tutored for the upcoming Missouri Assessment Program tests -- tests that have no impact on students' grades, college admission or graduation requirements but carry great importance for schools.

"This is the real reason we show up," said Arnzen, taking another bite of the burger, an incentive provided by the school. "If it wasn't for the food and rewards, none of us would be here."

Although he may not realize it, Arnzen has recounted a problem with the Missouri Assessment Program that educators throughout the state have worried about for years: no accountability for students.

Since it was first administered in 1998, MAP has played a key role in school accreditation granted by the state. But with the implementation of the federal No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, the stakes have skyrocketed for school districts.

Schools now face state and federal consequences if they fail to meet new NCLB guidelines, which hold that every school in the nation must have all of students scoring in the top two levels of MAP -- proficient and advanced -- by 2014.

Along the way, schools must meet annual score improvement goals set by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education or risk being labeled a failing school, which could mean a loss of funding and local control.

Because of those consequences, MAP has become a powerful force in public education, driving curriculum and creating a sense of urgency in many schools to meet daunting new standards.

Dangling carrots

Schools are dangling all sorts of carrots, or cheeseburgers as the case may be, in front of students to motivate them to put their best foot forward on the annual tests -- everything from pizza parties and field trips to college tuition reimbursement.

"It's a hard test, and it takes a lot of time and effort," said Dr. Sam Duncan, director of state and federal programs in the Jackson School District. "Students feel less inclined to give that extra effort because it has little direct impact on them. That's just human nature."

Conveying the significance of the tests to students has proved difficult for educators. It's true especially at the high school level, where MAP scores have consistently been lower than elementary scores.

Asked about MAP testing, the immediate response from Central High School juniors Katy Garner and Lynnette Myers was a simultaneous roll of their eyes.

"We take these tests and make the school look good, but we get nothing out of it," Garner said. "I don't try my hardest because it isn't going to help me. And I'm not alone. A lot of kids feel that way."

Myers said it isn't just a matter of laziness; high school students have enough problems without taking a test that has no impact on them.

"The majority of students have after-school jobs or participate in extracurricular activities. We don't have time to waste on a test that doesn't count for anything," Myers said.

Students may not be trying their hardest, but Central did keep pace with state averages on MAP scores in 2002.

There was an equal or greater percentage of students in the top two score levels in every test subject except math, where they dropped slightly below the state average.

According to counselor Katy Anderson, the biggest incentive at Central is tuition reimbursement and advanced placement testing based on MAP scores.

Through a state program, students who score in the top two levels on MAP may receive partial reimbursement toward dual enrollment courses with Southeast Missouri State University or reimbursement for the cost of advanced placement testing, for which students receive college credit if they score high enough.

The problem with that type of incentive is that it only impacts college-bound juniors and seniors.

"My students ask me why they have to take this test and how it's going to help them," said LaDonna Pratt, counselor at Scott City High School. "And honestly, sometimes it doesn't do anything to help them. It's something we have to work on."

Jim Morris, director of public information with DESE, said state officials are well aware of the frustration voiced by educators over the lack of incentive.

"Even the most talented kids haven't taken this seriously because it's inconsequential to them," Morris said. "But MAP wasn't designed to be a high-stakes test for students. We put the pressure on schools because it's a more constructive incentive for districts to provide academic support and assistance to all kids."

Out to ball game

Getting some students to take advantage of that assistance, such as after-school tutoring, takes more than cheeseburgers.

The promise of free tickets to a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game and a day off from school initially attracted 78 of Scott City Middle School's 245 students to the tutoring sessions. That number has dwindled to an average of 25.

Students who attend 18 out of the total 20 sessions will be allowed to choose between baseball tickets or an excused absence on the last day of school. Students who have not missed any of the sessions get both.

Low scores on the 2002 MAP tests prompted the school to initiate the tutoring, which is rotated between middle school teachers Vicki Wachter, Leann Grant and Andrea Johnson.

The school scored below the state average in the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced on the eighth-grade math test and the seventh-grade communication arts and science tests last year, and teachers hope to see a vast improvement through the tutoring.

Wachter and Grant have both spent several hundred dollars of their own money on incentives for students to attend the tutoring sessions -- candy bars, sodas and school supplies. Students purchase the items through "cool cash" they earn during tutoring. If they accumulate 75 cool cash dollars, Wachter and Grant will spring for a free lunch from the local Burger King.

"As teachers, we're held accountable for these scores," said Grant. "We have to do what is necessary to motivate students to do their best."

Parental component

But teachers realize that all of their efforts in the classroom are futile if parents aren't on board.

"It starts at home," Wachter said. "If parents don't realize how important MAP is, then there's no positive reinforcement for kids."

Many parents say their knowledge of MAP is limited to the bits of information their children bring home.

"I don't really know what MAP is," said Sandy Deprow, whose daughter, Kelley Hicks, participates in the tutoring program at Scott City Middle School. "I don't know what it stands for. I don't really understand how it affects schools. I look at my daughter's scores and I know it's statewide, but that's it."

Schools, especially at the elementary level, have launched campaigns to educate parents about MAP through newsletters and during parent/teacher conferences.

"Parents need to understand MAP so they can help their children practice at home," said Wachter, who teaches math at Scott City. "The test is tough, but the main thing is getting students familiar with the format, the types of questions. Parents can help with that."

Complicating schools' attempts to offer incentives is the timing of MAP. The test is given in March and April, but scores aren't released until the following fall. Some school districts are using MAP as a grade despite the delay in releasing scores.

Ferguson-Florissant School District in St. Louis has assigned a letter grade to each of the five MAP score levels. The grade will be averaged into students' grade-point averages next fall.

Realizing young students' need for immediate gratification, some local elementary schools hold assemblies and events to offer encouragement to students prior to and during the actual test week.

West Lane Elementary in Jackson has adopted the theme "The Great West Lane Race" for MAP week.

"That's not to indicate that students should race through the test, but that they should race to success," said principal Diane Gregg.

During their test week, which is April 29 to May 2, the school will be decorated with checkered flags and race cars, and T-shirts carrying the theme. A flag will be handed out to students and teachers.

The students receive lemon drops and peppermints to "aid in the thinking process" and bottled water before the tests.

"I believe this works. Our students take this testing seriously, and they understand they need to try their best," Gregg said.

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, ext. 128