Seattle Schools Shows Improvement on State Tests
Update on this story with numbers from Rainier Beach High School:
From SPS Communications (bold mine):
Seattle Public School students again made significant academic gains during the 2012-2013 school year, Superintendent José Banda announced today.
The preliminary scores released by the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) show Seattle students outperforming the state average in multiple subjects.[1]
While the success rate on the assessments is high, it’s important to note that some students have not fulfilled the other three graduation requirements: credits, high school and beyond plan and culminating project. The final on-time graduation rate for the Class of 2013 will be available in February 2014.
- RB had the highest increase in reading scores for high schools in the district (17%).
- 22% increase in Science
- and 8-10% increase in Math
From SPS Communications (bold mine):
Seattle Public School students again made significant academic gains during the 2012-2013 school year, Superintendent José Banda announced today.
The preliminary scores released by the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) show Seattle students outperforming the state average in multiple subjects.[1]
In
2013, Seattle students met or exceeded standard on the state exams at a
higher rate than the previous year (2012) in 19 of 21 exams taken.
Seattle also exceeded the 2013 statewide average in 19 of 21 exams,
remaining slightly behind in only 10th grade reading and writing. The
district widened its lead over statewide averages in 18 exams reflecting
a trend in recent years of increasing separation
between Seattle and the state as a whole.
Building
upon successes in recent years, positive trends continued in
mathematics for 3rd through 8th grade. Compared to 2012 results, Seattle
students achieved increases of 3.1 and 3.0 percentage points in 3rd and
4th grades, and 4.2 and 5.3 points in 7th and 8th grade, respectively.
Results in 5th and 6th grades were slightly positive or stable. Scores
for 8th grade math increased the most with
69.4 percent meeting or exceeding standard in 2013 versus 64.1 percent
in 2012 — a 5.3 percentage point increase. The separation between
Seattle and the statewide average increased or remained stable in 3rd
through 8th grade mathematics. The biggest change
was observed in 8th grade where Seattle increased its advantage over
the state from an 8.7 point lead in 2012 to a 16.2 point margin in 2013.
The
upward trend in 5th grade science continued for the third year in a row
with 74.8 percent of students meeting or exceeding standard.
“The
fifth-grade science scores have gone up by 11 percentage points in the
past two years,” said Banda. “I’m particularly pleased to see positive
results in math and science. These subjects play a key role in
preparing our students to attend college and compete for employment both
now and in the future.”
Eighth
grade science scores remained consistent with 75 percent of students
again meeting or exceeding standard, up from 60 percent three years ago.
End-of-course
(EOC) math scores showed positive gains as well with 86.4 percent of
students having passed the state Algebra exam, and 91.4 percent
passing the Geometry exam.[2]
In
the second year of the biology EOC test, 82.8 percent of students in
Seattle Public Schools passed. This result was higher than the statewide
pass rate of 81.7 percent. (The biology EOC was administered for the
first time in 2012.)
On
the 10th grade High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE), the percent meeting
standard dropped by 2.3 percentage points in writing, however reading
improved by 5.2 percentage points to 83.3 percent.
Writing
scores in 4th and 7th grade improved by 2.2 points and 3.5 points,
respectively. Building good writing skills remains a focus for the
District as nearly any career or college plans require strong writing.
Compared
to last year, reading scores increased across all grades with the
exception of 7th grade. The largest increase in proficiency rates
over last year was shared by 6th and 10th graders in reading, where
both groups bested their 2012 results by 5.2 percentage points. Seattle
increased its achievement compared with the statewide average in 3rd
through 8th grade reading with 6th graders increasing
their lead by the largest margin — from a 3.8 percentage point margin
in 2012 to an 8.3 point lead in 2013.
Today’s
results reinforce a significant positive trend in successfully closing
the achievement gap for schools serving lower income communities
in Seattle. Based on preliminary district estimates, for example, the
gap in 3rd to 8th grade mathematics (combined) between students in
Southeast Seattle and students in the other four regions of the district
has narrowed from a 20 percentage point aggregate
gap in 2010 to a 9 percentage point gap in 2013.
“Education
will open doors for our students for the rest of their lives,” said
Superintendent Banda. “While we must continue our work to close
the achievement gap, we are making progress. This is a testament to the
dedication and commitment of the entire community.”
The
test results released by OSPI today provide results from student
examinations which took place in spring of 2013. Students in grades 3
through
8 took the MSP tests in reading, math, writing (grades 4 and 7 only)
and science (grades 5 and 8 only). Students in 10th grade took the HSPE
in reading and writing. High school students (and some middle school
students) also took the EOC exams in math (algebra
or geometry) and science (biology).
Tables showing SPS trend data and state comparisons can be found at the end of this news release.
Complete
information concerning the 2013 state test results for each school,
grade level and student subgroup may be found at the OSPI report
card (http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us).
Seattle Public Schools
MSP / HSPE / EOC System-wide Results
Percent Meeting Standard and SPS/State comparison (2006-2013)
For further state, district, and school level results, please visit OSPI’s website at:
http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/
From OSPI:
To date, the Class of 2013 has fulfilled each assessment requirement at the following rates:
- Reading: 94.7%
- Writing: 94.6%
- Math: 92%
While the success rate on the assessments is high, it’s important to note that some students have not fulfilled the other three graduation requirements: credits, high school and beyond plan and culminating project. The final on-time graduation rate for the Class of 2013 will be available in February 2014.
Comments
"To date, the Class of 2013 has fulfilled each assessment requirement at the following rates:
• Reading: 94.7%
• Writing: 94.6%
• Math: 92%"
Don't these stats communicate that they fulfilled each assessment - that they actually took the test - not that they scored in those numbers?
Am I missing something?
Another issue is the potential for a massive drop in pass rates, as happened in NY. The pro-common core csmp argues that the bar has been set higher, so more kids fail, but what do we tell 70% of 4th graders when they fail, as hsppened in NY?
Reader
Curiously, if you include the PP's (or previously passed) the number shoots way up. But who really cares about "previously passed"? We're talking about how did kids do... THIS TIME AROUND. Yes thousands (literally) took it before, and passed it. Not so interesting.
Smells Rat
And the reason that Geometry scores are better than Algebra scores is not due to dropouts but rather that more math proficient students (i.e., college-bound) are taking Geometry. Not all students take Geometry.
--- someone who knows
- Boring Pseudonym
The score required to pass the Algebra EOC is 400 points out of a possible 675. That is just 59% - which would be a failing grade if it was your final grade in an algebra class.
Lynn
The issue for me is that they're counting all previous passes as some sort of "good job" this year. The real question is "How's it going now?" For Algebra EOC... counting every high-schooler who ever passed it, and then doing high fives all around really misses the point. Of the students WHO TOOK IT THIS YEAR... well, not so many pass.
Hmmmm. Isn't Geometry required? And its EOC? If not, then why would anybody bother with it?
Still Smelling Rat
--- someone who knows
Lynn, the 400 points to "pass" any of the state tests are a scale score, not a raw score. Essentially, the scale scores are used to report scores with some standardization given the different forms students take. What might not be commonly known is that students across the state are taking different forms of the test with a varying set of test questions; therefore, the raw scores for the tests vary test form to test form. However, these different raw scores can be statistically applied to the common scale score.
Raw scores are the actual number of points for each test.
With that said, even the percent of raw score points needed to "pass" the state tests is in the ballpark of 60-70% correct. So, contrary to parent too's accusation, you are essentially correct.
--- someone who knows
Why would a student even both with the Geometry EOC if it's not technically required? One explanation is that some students are better at spatial and/or visual interpretations within mathematics rather than verbal manipulations and do better at Geometry than Algebra. They might not have passed the Algebra EOC but can pass the Geometry EOC.
--- someone who knows
Lynn
fyi
Don't know
I know that it's difficult to get individual scores from the school.
I also wish I knew how to get the scores before the school year started.