Statewide school assessment results: Some gains in writing, still lagging in high school math

The latest assessment of student learning in Vermont shows gains in writing skills among elementary and middle school students but high-schoolers slipped slightly and math and reading scores at all three school levels showed little change.

The fall results from the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) were released Thursday by the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE). Vermont public school students in grades three through eight and grade 11 were tested in reading and mathematics. Students in grades five, eight and 11 were also administered writing assessments.

The percentage of fifth-graders who scored in the proficient range in writing increased five percentage points, from 46 percent proficient in 2011 to 51 percent in 2012. At the eighth grade level, proficient scores increased seven points, from 59 percent last year to 66 percent this fall.

However, the percentage of high school students who scored in the proficient range dropped two points, from 48 to 46 percent.

Test scores for reading and math have not changed significantly from 2011, and the low level of proficiency for the math scores, especially at the high school level, remains a vexing issue for state educators as well as nationwide.

“High school mathematics continues to be high on the agency’s and governor’s list of priorities. While we only saw a slight increase in high school math scores, our educators are serious about improving our students’ understanding and passion for math,” said Secretary of Education Armando Vilaseca.

The NECAP test showed that math scores at the elementary/middle level were unchanged at 65 percent of students scoring in the proficient range. Math results for high school students went up two percentage points, but remained low at just 38 percent proficient in the most recent results.

The percentage of students in grades three through eight who scored in the proficient range in reading went down one percentage point, from 74 percent in 2011 to 73 percent in 2012. Reading results at the high school level were the exact opposite of elementary/middle results, with the percentage of students scoring in the proficient range increasing one point, from 73 to 74 percent this year.

Vilaseca said improving math scores is essential for Vermont’s future work force in a world of rapidly changing technology.

“If Vermont’s students are going to be ready to continue their education beyond high school and be successful in the 21st century, they’re going to need stronger math skills and knowledge. A 2 percent increase is not enough.” Vilaseca said.

Michael Hock, AOE State Director of Educational Assessment, pointed out that writing is the bright spot in this year’s results.

“The importance of writing skills cuts across all areas of the curriculum,” Hock said. “For example, we know that our most successful schools have writing programs that focus on all content areas, even math and science. The impact of these programs is consistently evident in those schools’ test scores.”

The NECAP exams are given in collaboration with Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. These exams are designed to specifically assess how well Vermont students have learned the skills and content contained in Vermont’s Grade Expectations.

This is the seventh year of results on the NECAP exams for grades three through eight, and the fifth year for grade 11. As required under the No Child Left Behind Act, a Science assessment is given each May in grades four, eight and 11.

The NECAP test system is due to be replaced as Vermont and 43 other states and the District of Columbia have signed on to a new set of standards called the “common core.” The new system will allow a broader comparison of how states stack up as far as education, since standards currently vary considerably among states.

Two groups, the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, both based in Washington, D.C., helped to draft the nationwide common core standards through a group they set up: the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

Vermont is expected to stop using the NECAPS after the fall 2013 tests and phase in the new common core standards for 2014, with the first tests under the revised system now set for spring of 2015.

For the complete data of 2012 NECAP scores, visit: http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/pgm_assessment/data.html#necap.

For school-by-school results, visit: http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/pgm_assessment/performance/necap_public_schools_A_D.html.

The tables that follow provide a comparison of this year’s test scores to the results that were released a year ago.