News
With new standards, ‘proficiency’ levels show
sharp decline
State increasing focus on college
preparedness
July 28, 2010
Scores released today on this year’s 3-8 English and math exams showed a sharp decline in proficiency from recent years — not because student performance decreased but because the state has significantly changed its standards of proficiency.
State officials recently announced that they were increasing the scoring targets (or “cut scores”) on the exams after research showed that a large percentage of New York’s students were not adequately prepared for college. This announcement came months after the exams were completed this past spring.
However, Mohonasen Superintendent Kathleen Spring said that students aren’t learning less than they did in previous years.
“We were expecting to see a drop in the passing rate because of the higher standards set by the state, however, a preliminary review of our data shows that the average scores earned by our students stayed about the same across the board,” Spring said.
“It’s important that parents and students understand that student performance is not on the decline,” she added. “The bar has just been set higher.”
On the English exam, 53 percent of students statewide and 54 percent of Mohonasen students reached proficiency. In math, 61 percent statewide and 65 percent at Mohonasen met the mark.
By contrast, in 2009, 77 percent of students statewide and at Mohonasen were considered proficient in English. In math, 86 percent statewide and at Mohonasen reached proficiency.
Under the state’s testing system, scores on these exams are used to classify students into one of four performance levels. Students at Level 1 are not meeting learning standards; those at Level 2 are meeting the basic standard; pupils at Level 3 are meeting the proficiency standard and those at Level 4 are exceeding the proficiency standard.
Under current regulations, students who score at Level 2 or below are entitled to receive Academic Intervention Services (AIS). Yet, because the Board of Regents anticipated such a shift statewide and was concerned about the costs it would carry, it has amended AIS requirements for the coming year to give districts some flexibility.
“All Mohonasen parents should know that extra help is available to any student who needs it,” Spring said.
Individual students’ testing reports for 2010 are expected to be mailed to households in August. Parents who have questions about their child’s report should call their building principal or Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Patrick McGrath (356-8205).
Part of a larger trend to raise student achievement
The changes to the scoring method were based in part on a series of studies that indicated that scoring a Level 3 was not by itself a strong enough indicator of a students’ future success on high school Regents exams or college coursework, according to the state education department.
Within the next few years, the format and
standards on the tests are expected to change as well, with the
tests becoming longer and more challenging.
The changes were announced in late May by the Board of Regents as
part of a broader educational reform effort.
“’Proficiency’ on our exams has to mean something real; no good purpose is served when we say that a child is proficient when that child is not,” Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch said in a recent news release. “But more rigorous exams are only one piece of the Regents broader reform vision – a vision that includes a more challenging curriculum, better training for teachers and principals, and a world-class data system. In short, we are lifting the bar to ensure that New York remains at the very forefront of the national effort to raise standards.”
Spring said district leaders will be reviewing Mohonasen’s testing data in the coming weeks to identify problem areas and prepare for the coming school year.
“As always, our goal is to see every student succeed to the best of their ability and these exams are one indicator of many that aid us in achieving this goal,” Spring said. “We will continue to take a close look at these results and look for ways to improve teaching and learning for the students of Mohonasen.”
For more information on the 3-8 exam scores, please visit the New York State Education Department website.
