August 23, 2007

Star test results released

Gains holding steady, achievement gap unchanged

By Carol Rosen
Editor

There were both positive and negative results of the 2007 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program when State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell released the results last week.

While California students continued the trend of academic improvement in most grades and subjects since 2003--the first year the tests were given--the achievement gap between white/Asian students and African American/Latino students remained unchanged.

“This year's results offer both encouragement and reason for serious concern," O'Connell said. "We can be pleased that gains in student achievement made over the past five years are either increasing or holding steady. This progress means that hundreds of thousands of California students will have a better shot at success. But the data also show the persistent achievement gaps in our system that California simply cannot afford to accept--morally, economically, or socially."

The percentage of California students scoring advanced or proficient in 2007 increased by eight points in English-language arts (ELA) or from 35 percent to 43 percent, and six points in math, from 35 percent to 41 percent.

Most schools in the Almaden area are part of the San Jose Unified School District. That district’s assistant superintendent for Educational Accountability and Community Development, Bill Erlendson, notes that Almaden schools are “doing well and improving every year.”

He attributes the good proficiency development to teachers who are “honing in on the individual needs of students. The SJUSD teachers have done lots of work on power standards and doing benchmark testing to monitor students’ progress,” he said. “With more formative testing we are better able to monitor student achievement and adjust instruction appropriately.”

Teachers at Pioneer High School have been sharing information with each other about what works and what doesn’t, Erlendson said. Teams of teachers are using data to set examples and inform instruction, he said adding that they are doing an excellent job.

As for Leland, teachers at that high school are benchmarking student performance against high-scoring districts such as Palo Alto and Saratoga throughout this area and the state. “They are doing remarkable work, that is never good enough,” he said.

Leland teachers are using a Web site called Just for the Kids, which offers a breakdown for courses, how many students are taking and passing in the different high scoring schools. “They are working hard to find the best instruction for individual students,” Erlendson said.

Only 28 high school students did not pass the California High School Exit Exam, he added and most of these students were English language learners or students who had transferred from outside the district.

Meanwhile, the percentage of students scoring at the proficient and advanced levels on the fifth grade science test has increased 13 points since 2004; the first year the test was given. The percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced in grades two, four, seven, and eight have increased in ELA by double digits over the four-year span beginning in 2003

The greatest improvement over the four-year period for math was made by students in grades three, four, five, and seven with the proficient and advanced percentage increasing by 12, 12, 14 and 10 points, respectively.

However, the testing continues to reveal a significant gap in achievement between the African-American/Hispanic and the Asian/white students that can’t always be dismissed because of poverty, O’Connell said.

"Once again, these annual test scores shine a glaring light on the disparity in achievement between students who are African American or Hispanic and their white or Asian counterparts. We know all children can learn to the same high levels, so we must confront and change those things that are holding back groups of students.”

The results show that poverty is not the universal reason, according to O’Connell. "In fact, African American and Hispanic students who are not poor are achieving at lower levels in math than their white counterparts who are poor. These are not just economic achievement gaps, they are racial achievement gaps. We cannot afford to excuse them; they simply must be addressed. We must take notice and take action."

The disappointing results caused O’Connell to rethink the P-16 council including leaders from all segments of education as well as business, labor and community leaders to examine the factors that contribute to the gap and strategies for closing it. He would like for all interested people to attend the Achievement Gap Summit, which is scheduled for Nov. 13-14 in Sacramento.

"The intent of this working summit is to create an inclusive, interactive and collaborative environment where educators will gather to share best practices and learn strategies immediately useable to address their daily challenges," he said.

"I'm committed to addressing this issue, to creating the partnerships, sharing the information and employing the strategies that will ensure success for all California students," O'Connell said. "I am excited about this challenge because I know it is one we can overcome. I believe in the ability, in the talent, and in the dedication present in our public schools."

The STAR program assesses the performance levels for all students on each subject tested. The five performance levels are advanced, proficient, basic, below basic and far below basic. The state Board of Education determined the proficient level the desired goal of achievement for all students. It is consistent with No Child Left Behind requirements.