August 26, 2004

Sobering test scores
Growth not as impressive as last year

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

With the Aug. 16 release of the state Standardized Testing and Reporting [STAR] scores comes somewhat disappointing news—student performance is slowing and posing a threat to the state’s drive to raise every student to grade-level standards by 2014.

The exam, first administered in 1998, is taken each spring by California students in an effort to give schools a heads up on how well they are doing—a high-profile accountability tool leaned heavily upon as a guide for specific school development and programming.

And, for the first time in seven years, parents will send their children back to the classroom this week without seeing individualized report cards, which are expected to be mailed from the San Jose Unified Accountability Department in the revamped form of user-friendly, color-coded reports.

“We have not received the letters from the state in order to send them out yet,” said Karen Fuqua, spokesperson for San Jose Unified School District. “We’re just waiting right now and will get them out within two weeks of receiving them.”

According to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, results of the California Standards Tests [CSTs] taken by more than 4.7 million second through eleventh graders were mixed, and he predicts even more sobering news next month with the release of the more inclusive Academic Performance Index [API] scores.

“This is not where we want to be,” O’Connell said. “This is not where we hoped we would be. But the trend of student achievement over the last several years remains positive, and I am convinced we have the appropriate framework in place to continue our record level of improvement.”

Although not a surprise, Santa Clara County, including Almaden Schools, faired much better than the statewide average, but with less impressive gains than in years past. While 60 percent of second graders were proficient in math compared to the statewide average of 51 percent, the numbers still show a 3 percent decline over last year.

In San Jose Unified, middle schools showed the best growth. Castillero Middle School posted a 3 percent gain in English language arts and a 2 percent gain in math—not stellar, according to Fuqua—but a gain none the less.

“All the schools in Almaden did very well,” she said. “Williams did extremely well again; they are a high-performing school and it’s always amazing when you have a school that continues to make gains. Our middle schools did well too, and Leland, of course, is always one of our top performers.”

According to Fuqua, approximately two-thirds of San Jose Unified elementary schools posted gains last year, a statistic she cannot boast this time around.

“It’s hard year after year to make those gains,” she explained. “Our gains are more at the middle school level this year.”

A two-part testing curriculum
The testing program has two parts. The first is a norm-referenced, multiple-choice test that compares California students with others. In 2003, the Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition, [Stanford 9 or SAT 9] was replaced with the California Achievement Test, Sixth Edition (CAT/6), which compares California students with their peers nationwide. The test assesses students in grades 2 through 8 in reading, language, math and spelling. In grades 9 through 11 the test measures performance in reading, language, math and science.

The second part consists of standards-based tests designed to show how well California students are mastering the grade-level content standards established by the state Board of Education. In grades 2 through 11, the California Standards Tests [CST] covers English-language arts and mathematics, with writing added in grades 4 and 7, history-social science in grades 8, 10 and 11, and science in grade 5. At the high school level [grades 9-11], students are given grade-level tests or subject-specific tests such as algebra, geometry, physics or chemistry.

Ninth graders who are not yet taking algebra take the General Mathematics Standards Test, while those in grades 9 and 10 who have completed Algebra II or Integrated Mathematics during a previous school year, along with Juniors who completed one of the two courses prior to testing, are required to take the Summative High School Mathematics CST.

Students attain one of five levels of proficiency, as established by the California Department of Education: far below basic, below basic, basic, proficient and advanced. The goal is for all students to reach the level of proficient or above, as required by the No Child Left Behind Act. By reviewing these results, parents can see if their children are on the right track or need further assistance to reach grade-level standards.

Results are then combined with the Mathematics Standards Test, the Social Science Test [grades 8, 10 and 11], the CAT/6 and the California High School Exit Exam to calculate the Academic Performance Index [API]—considered a key measure of school quality in California.

Although the STAR test is comprised of the CST and CAT6 tests, new components are continuously being added, and will include a fifth grade science exam this year. By 2006, all testing parameters are expected to be in place, making year-to-year comparisons more practical. Although the process is still evolving, it is expected to give a much better snapshot of how kids are doing across the board.

However, some, including Barbara Kerr, president of the California Teachers Association (CTA), feel that too much emphasis is being placed on teaching the tests rather than teaching the students. In an earlier statement, she stressed the need to access more money for smaller classes, along with more textbooks and materials in poorer schools in an effort to put the scores back on track—a tall order in a time where state funding is abhorrently disproportionate and schools are being closed in order to balance district budgets.

“Teachers believe the tests are only one tool and that the state should also evaluate achievement based on a variety of gauges,” says CTA spokesperson Mike Myslinski. “These would include student’s written work, attendance, and classroom performance. Our research in recent years show that teachers spend roughly one out of every nine school days either preparing for or administering state standardized tests. That’s huge.”

New direction
For now, according to O’Connell, immediate attention needs to lean more toward closing the gap between the English language learners, the socio-economically challenged, and other subgroups within the school population. With better training for teachers and more classroom materials, O’Connell hopes to bridge the gap—as much as 100 points in some cases—that separates those subgroups from others in schools statewide.

“These scores should be viewed as a wake-up call for us all,” said O’Connell. “We need to heed this call by focusing as never before on our rigorous academic standards and increasing our investment in ensuring our teachers have the proper training they need to do their jobs.”

“Our English language learners is always an area for consideration,” noted Fuqua. “It’s a focused area for the district. We’re going to continue to work hard to support our students and our teachers and continue to do the work that needs to be done. Our schools continue to do well. The teachers and administrators don’t rest on the work that they’ve done—they continue to look at their data and move their instruction around that data to keep moving forward. It’s an exciting challenge.”