Red Wing School District’s MMR scores mixed bag

The Red Wing School District got its first look at its latest Multiple Measurement Rating this week and the results are mixed.

While Burnside Elementary School earned the title of “reward school” for ranking in the top 15 schools in the state, Red Wing High School’s scores were low, including its score for graduation rate.

“We are exceptionally proud to have a reward school,” director of teaching and learning Joe Jezierski said. “But we know we have some work to do and we’re really going to drill down.”

Still, Jezierski was quick to point out that the high school scored lower for its graduation rate not because students aren’t graduating. In fact, Red Wing’s current graduation rate is about 92 percent, which is above the state target of 90 percent.

Instead, Red Wing received only 4.13 points out of a possible 25 for its graduation rate because of the way the state calculates the MMR, Jezierski said.

For graduation rates, the state looks at each school’s sub groups — English language learners, minorities, special education students and students receiving free and reduced lunches — and compares those groups’ graduation rates to the rest of the state.

“It’s not measuring graduation rates across the board,” Jezierski said. “It is measuring graduation rates for sub groups.”

In Red Wing, only one sub group was large enough to be calculated. But that sub group was small enough that three students not graduating lowered the overall score.

In addition, Jezierski said, those three students left Red Wing four years ago, while they were still freshmen. Tracking them is nearly impossible.

“It’s asking us to deal with things completely out of our control,” he said.

Still, Jezierski said MMR does have positive aspects, such as providing measurements on more than just proficiency.

“One of our concerns with (AYP) is that we were only looking at one piece of the puzzle,” Jezierski said.

In addition, it no longer requires underperforming schools to use Title I funds for improvement initiatives. Labor-intensive improvement plans aren’t a requirement either.

“We’re still going to have plans,” Jezierski said. “We just don’t have to jump through the hoops.”

Red Wing received its initial MMR in May. That rating was based on the standardized test scores from 2010-11; they showed Red Wing Schools performing in the top 25 percent in the state.

What is MMR?

Multiple Measurement Rating is the accountability system the state of Minnesota implemented after it received a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind and Adequate Yearly Progress.

MMR measures four different areas: proficiency, growth, achievement gap reduction and graduation rate.

The rating is calculated using test scores from the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, which students in grades three through eight take every spring.

Each of the four areas has a total of 25 points. Schools are given a score in each area and an overall score. Only high schools receive scores for graduation rates.

Red Wing’s results

• Burnside Elementary School: 66.76 total points (89 percent)

Proficiency – 24.99 points

Growth – 19.49 points

Achievement gap reduction – 22.28 points

• Twin Bluff Middle School: 46.45 total points (62 percent)

Proficiency – 24.94 points

Growth – 11.66 points

Achievement gap reduction – 9.85 points

•Red Wing High School: 41.68 total points (42 percent)

Proficiency – 24.97 points

Growth – 8.11 points

Achievement gap reduction – 4.48

Graduation rate – 4.13

Tags: red wing, news, education, minnesota