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September 24, 2009

Falling scores — 09/25/09

Latest test results in Kentucky provide little reason for cheer

Anonymous The Daily Independent Thu Sep 24, 2009, 06:40 PM EDT

Have two decades of steady progress in student learning in Kentucky’s public schools come to a sudden halt or, worse yet, moved into reverse? Not yet, but there is cause for concern.

The results of the latest round of accountability tests released Wednesday provide little reason to cheer and much cause to be concerned.

While the test results found that elementary and middle school mathematics results and high school writing have shown important improvement, reading scores continue to be flat or declining statewide. Scores in other subjects have been flat, declining or improving only slightly.

The latest round of scores were analyzed in a “Transition Index Report” jointly developed by the Council for Better Education, the Kentucky Association of School Councils, and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence to monitor school performance during the three years that Kentucky is moving from the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System to a system based on new state standards and testing. The new testing system was mandated in legislation enacted by the 2009 General Assembly.

The conclusion of the three privately-funded education groups? Kentucky schools are improving too slowly.

Of particular concern is the scores of middle school and high school students throughout the state. The analysis found that 56 percent of elementary schools have reached proficiency or are improving at a rate that would take them to that mark by 2014, but only 44 percent of middle schools have reached proficiency or would reach it by 2014 at the current pace of growth. More worrisome is that based on the latest test results only 15 percent of high schools would reach proficiency by 2014.

To his credit, Steve Gilmore, superintendent of the Ashland Independent School District, did not even try to put a positive spin on the latest test results for his district, even though all the city’s elementary schools made all their goals.

“On our first look, it is very discouraging,” Gilmore said of Ashland’s test results. “We’re very concerned about the results. We were hoping our scores would be much better.”

The results were somewhat better in the Boyd County and Greenup County school systems, but that does not mean school districts can rest on their accomplishments, said Matt Baker, assessment coordinator for Greenup County schools.

With a district’s goals being set higher each year, Baker said, “Just because we’re safe this year doesn’t mean we should be complacent.”

Lisa Gross, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Education, did try to put the most positive light on the latest results. While 60 percent of the state’s public schools made their goals compared to 73 percent a year ago, the achievement bar was set higher making it more difficult for a school to achieve its goals, Gross said.

Gross also said it is important that parents not place too much emphasis on the test results. While parents should know if their children’s schools made their Average Yearly Progress goals, they should be more concerned about whether the schools their children attend are adequately preparing them. “They need to remember that testing is only one measure of how a school is doing,” Gross said.

Yes, but it’s an important measure.

With the state preparing to set even higher standards for school, Daviess County Superintendent Tom Shelton, president of the Council for Better Education, said “If current improvement is too slow to reach existing standards, there is great concern about how we will do when the new college-ready standards come into play.”

Cindy Heine, associate executive director of the Prichard Committee, said the point of the report is to let “everyone see the issues and work on moving achievement to higher levels.’

“For all students to be ready for college and workplace success, school improvement cannot wait for 2012. We all need to be working on quicker progress in 2009 as well as in future years,” she added.

Regardless of a school district’s scores, Baker is right when he says no school system can afford to be complacent. Whether in school, at the workplace or just about anywhere else, complacency is a recipe for disaster. No matter the level of achievement, there is always room for improvement, and the main goal established by the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 was constant improvement. May this year’s test scores prove to be just a minor, temporary bump in the road to progress.

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Falling scores — 09/25/09

Latest test results in Kentucky provide little reason for cheer

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