Rumor Mill-5471

Published August 16, 2013

The purpose of this section is to answer any questions parents, teachers or community members might have regarding the school district and to set the record straight in regards to any rumors that might be circulating.

If you have a question or have heard a rumor that you would like for us to address, simply SEND US your questions and we will respond to them in upcoming issues of IN FOCUS. Below are some of the questions we have received since our last issue.

I saw a post on the district Facebook page about food allergies and snack lists for elementary schools. My kids go to Nolensville and their teachers told them they would not be having snacks this year. I have not received any list so I’m confused. Could you explain?

Schools should only offer suggested snack choices, and that information will be sent home only if your child is in a classroom where there is a food allergy.

This is an issue Williamson County Schools takes very seriously as we have many students with life threatening food allergies. The district has a duty to make reasonable accommodations for food allergies and other disabilities under certain circumstances.

The protocols that the district has in place include allergy alert signs, messages to parents requesting that certain foods not be sent to an allergy alert classroom, allergen-free lunchroom tables, etc. These protocols are generally student-specific, sometimes room-specific, and are not school-wide.

Why are there are different TCAP scores that are not reported to the parents? I was very surprised to find that the scores I received for my child were not the scores that are used to determine who is eligible for the gifted program. I was told that only the principals have access to this second set of scores. There was a considerable difference between what is on the standard report given to parents and the scores that were given to me during a GEIT meeting. Which set of scores is the most accurate representation of how my child is progressing?

The TCAP assessments are criterion-referenced tests (CRTs) which are intended to measure an individual student's mastery of standards. Norm-referenced tests (NRTs), on the other hand, are intended to compare students to each other. CRTs generally use numerical scores and NRTs generally use percentiles.

TCAP uses scale scores to represent each content area's mastery. These scale score ranges vary by assessment, but 600 to 900 is typical. All other scores reported for TCAP to parents and students - proficiency levels, percent correct, performance indexes and quick scores (used for grading) - are based on or directly related to these scale scores.

There are some programs that use student comparisons for eligibility and require the use of percentiles. Through a separate application - the same one used for measuring value-added growth - the state of Tennessee is able to calculate percentiles for students and provide this information to the schools.

A student's progression is measured using many pieces of information, even those not related to TCAP testing. That being said, an examination of proficiency levels and scale scores on TCAP reports can provide parents a meaningful snapshot of their child's progress. For more information on how to interpret TCAP reports, please review the TDOE's guide for parents on their website.

Will WCS be applying for one of the district level Race to the Top grants? As a parent, I'd really like for the district to avoid getting any more entangled in federal regulations aimed at renovating how we educate our local children.

Williamson County Schools will not apply for additional Race to the Top grants.

My child attends Page Middle School. The bus info says that he will be picked up at 6:16 and will get dropped off at his school at 7:05 (49 – 50 minutes). However, in the afternoon, he will get on the bus at 2:27 and get dropped off at 3:34 (1 hour 7 minutes). Why are students on the bus longer in the afternoon than in the morning if they are making the same number of stops?

Students don’t start loading the buses until after the bell time. Page Middle and Page High students in the same zone ride the bus together. The high school does not dismiss until 2:37 p.m.; buses are scheduled to depart at 2:45 p.m.