DMPS Well Represented at Legislative Hearing
Des Moines Public Schools was well represented at last night’s hearing on education at the Iowa House of Representatives.
Thanks to the many DMPS educators who took time to speak out, including Jessica Gogerty (North High School), Timm Pilcher (Hoover High School), Dave O’Connor (Merrill Middle School), Cathey Sand (King Elementary), Jake Wager (Harding Middle School), and Andrew Rasmussen (Callanan Middle School).
And thanks to all of the parents who voiced their support for public education, including Shane Schulte, president of the Des Moines PTA.
DMPS Superintendent Nancy Sebring was among those who spoke at the hearing, talking about the district’s experience in providing every high school junior the ACT college entrance exam. Below are a copy of her comments to the legislature:
Dear Respected Members of the House . . .
I am Nancy Sebring, Superintendent of the Des Moines Public Schools and I am here this evening to advocate for mandatory college entrance testing for high school juniors in Iowa.
Next month, for the third consecutive year, all DMPS juniors will take the ACT test in their home high schools.
In 2009, the Iowa Legislature approved new admission standards for the Regents institutions in our state. Included in the “new” standards was the requirement for applicants to submit an ACT score.
At that time, we made the decision to offer the test free to all juniors, on site, in their home high schools during the school day. Our staff members proctor the exam, and rigorous test security measures are taken to ensure that testing requirements and conditions are the same as those in other official testing sites.
In previous years, approximately one third of our 2,300 high school juniors took a college entrance test. The first year we offered the ACT, image how surprised and thrilled we were when 87% of DMPS juniors showed up in school to take the test.
Students benefit by acquiring the “currency” that is needed to apply for college. In addition, they can begin to think about their postsecondary plans while there is still time to make good decisions about course-taking, about efforts, and about their goals.
The evidence is growing that this was the right move. Our enrollment in Advanced Placement coursework has more than doubled, from 842 distinct student enrollments in 2008, to this year’s enrollment of 1,863 distinct student enrollments. In 2008, only 56 of the 842 AP enrollees were minority students. In 2012, minority enrollment in AP courses has grown to 732 students.
Which leads me to one final point: While school districts in Iowa are working on the issue of “college readiness” there is another, more hidden, issue that we also need to collectively address and that is “college-worthiness.”
Initially, following this decision, I receive a lot of pushback. Some saw mandatory testing as punishment. Others worried that our district average scores would drop. Some felt it was a waste of money. I can’t tell you how many times I heard the phrase “but our kids don’t go to college.”
In a district where many students are black or brown, and most are poor, it was clear that we had fostered a culture of low expectations. Our relationship was one of sympathy rather than empathy.
I believe that there are right and wrong reasons to mandate a college admissions test for all juniors in Iowa. The wrong reasons include using the results to calculate teachers’ compensation, or to label schools as failing. The right reasons are to examine your school’s instructional practices, level of rigor and expectations. In addition, the most important reason is to intentionally design pathways for all students where opportunity and preparedness will meet so that all students can have a future of their choosing.
Thank you.
