Schools
State Releases ELA, Math Assessment Scores
The New York State Department of Education released test results for the English Language Arts and Mathematics Assessments in grades three through eight.
The New York State Department of Education released the results for its 2010-11 testing of students in grades three through eight in English Language Arts and Mathematics Monday.
Overall in New York State, 52.8 percent of students in grades three through eight met or exceeded the proficiency standard, down from 53.2 percent in 2009-2010. The percentage meeting the math standard increased from 61 percent to 63.3 percent.
Students score at four levels, with those scoring in level three and four either meeting or exceeding learning standards. The levels are as follows:
Find out what's happening in Pearl Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- Level 1: not meeting learning standards
- Level 2: partially meeting learning standards
- Level 3: Meeting learning standards
- Level 4: Meeting learning standards with distinction
The state also released numbers broken down by grade for each district. Pearl River Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Sue Wheeler began analyzing the numbers Monday.
"As is our long-standing practice in Pearl River, we will look at this year's performance relative to last year as well as by cohort, for example -- how last year's fifth graders did this year as sixth graders," Wheeler said. "We carefully analyze the percentage of students at each performance level, particularly those at level four. We also analyze changes in the mean scale scores as this gives us additional insight into how our students are performing on the whole."
Find out what's happening in Pearl Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Wheeler said the district is still waiting on additional information from the state to help in its analysis. The district will then use the information, along with other data, to evaluate academic performance and look for areas that need to be addressed.
"When we receive additional information from the state, such as performance broken out by subject matter or question type, it will give us additional insight," Wheeler said. "Administrators, principals and teachers all use the results to help improve performance, by grade level, by class and by individual student."
There are several complications in assessing the test results. For 2009-10, the state adjusted the cut-offs for the various levels. For 2010-11, the actual tests were changed, so students at the same grade level were being assessed with different material. The data can still be useful, but it is less so because the children were taking different tests from one year to the next.
It is also important to note that a particular class can have an impact on the results. For example, there was a drop among fourth graders at Evans Park Elementary School in both math and ELA from 2010 to 2011, but those same students improved their standing in relation to state standards in both subjects from when they were third graders.
Overall, the percentage of Pearl River students that either met or exceeded the learning standards increased in math in ever grade but fourth, which saw a decline. In ELA, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards increased in third, fifth, sixth and sevneth grades, but declined in fourth and eighth.
The changes in the tests should be kept in mind while comparing the results by grade from 2009-10 to 2010-11, as in the charts below. Full results for all districts in New York can be found here.
The chart includes results for all three of Pearl River's elementary schools together and for each separately in grades three and four. Pearl River students in grades five through seven all attend the middle school, while the eighth graders are at the high school.
ELA Assessment
2010-11 percentage in Levels 3 & 4
2009-10 percentage in Levels 3 & 4
PRSD all elementary schools -- Grade 3
80.3
67.2
PRSD all elementary schools -- Grade 4
71.5
78.2
Evans Park Grade 3
79.7
56.6
Evans Park Grade 4
63
73.2
Franklin Ave Grade 3
83.4
72.7
Franklin Ave Grade 4
75.4
82.6
Lincoln Ave Grade 3
78.6
75.7
Lincoln Ave Grade 4
76.4
80.3
PRMS Grade 5
73.3
73.1
PRMS Grade 6
81
72.8
PRMS Grade 7
74.4
72.6
PRHS Grade 8
69.2
72.3
Math Assessment
2010-11 percentage in Levels 3 & 4
2009-10 percentage in Levels 3 & 4
PRSD all elementary schools -- Grade 3
81.7
68.8
PRSD all elementary schools -- Grade 4
77.7
87.3
Evans Park Grade 3
79.7
55.3
Evans Park Grade 4
63.5
82.1
Franklin Ave Grade 3
86.7
83.3
Franklin Ave Grade 4
87
92.4
Lincoln Ave Grade 3
78.5
70
Lincoln Ave Grade 4
83.3
87.7
PRMS Grade 5
92.8
90.3
PRMS Grade 6
93
92.3
PRMS Grade 7
95.2
90
PRHS Grade 8
87.7
80
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
