DOVER, Del. (AP) — Delaware’s public school students are showing significant improvement on standardized math and reading tests, state education officials said Thursday in releasing updated results from this year’s Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System testing.
According to the test results, more than 10,000 additional children in grades 3 to 10 were deemed proficient in reading this year compared to last year, and more than 9,000 additional students attained proficiency in math.
Officials said 73 percent of students were proficient at reading in this year’s spring testing, up from 61 percent last year. In math, 72 percent of students were proficient this spring, compared to 62 percent last year.
Education Secretary Mark Murphy said in a prepared statement that the results are “something to celebrate.”
While welcoming the progress in math and reading scores, officials noted that gains in science and social studies were not as substantial.
Michael Stetter, director of accountability resources for the state Department of Education, noted that less than 42 percent of 10th-graders tested were proficient in science, and 37 percent were considered “well-below” the standard.
Similarly, only about half of fifth-graders and eighth-graders were proficient in science.
“That’s not good enough,” Stetter told members of the state board of education on Thursday.
The math and reading results also show significant differences between the scores of white students and the scores of black and Hispanic students, although officials said the achievement gaps appeared to narrow slightly.
Low-income students and students with disabilities also tended to score lower than other students in math and reading.
The Department of Education last month released an earlier version of this year’s test results that showed gains lower than in the figures released Thursday.
Officials noted that, unlike last year, students were allowed two chances to take the spring test math and reading tests this year, giving them the opportunity to improve their scores by retaking the exam after working with teachers on areas needing more work.
“For some youngsters, test day is a very frightening day,” Stetter noted.
The results released last month were based on the last test a student took this spring, regardless of which of the two test scores for a student who retook an exam was better. Thursday’s numbers were based on the highest of the two test scores.
Officials said using the score from the last of two tests is a more accurate way of comparing growth from last year, when students took the test only once. But they said using the highest of the two scores aligns with state and federal reporting requirements and gives a “true snapshot” of student performance.
In addition to overall test scores, officials touted results for four “Partnership Zone” schools that were the first targeted for extra help under Delaware’s Race to the Top program because of low achievement.
Glasgow High School, Howard High School of Technology, Positive Outcomes Charter School and Stubbs Elementary all showed significant improvement in reading and math scores compared to last year.
Officials said year-over-year growth in math and reading for the Partnership Zone schools outpaced the state grade-band averages.
“The sobering comment, however, is that when you compare them just straight percentage proficient, … they’re still at risk,” Stetter said.
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Online:
Delaware Department of Education: http://www.doe.k12.de.us/
