State, Nashua test scores climb slightly

Friday, January 29, 2010

Reading and math scores among New Hampshire students rose slightly when compared to last year, but performance among high school students in math continues to be a problem area.

About 77 percent of students scored proficient or better in reading, up from 75 percent last year, on the New England Common Assessment Program, which was administered in the fall. In math, scores also climbed just a bit with 66 percent of students scoring proficient or better this year, compared to 64 percent last year, according to figures released by the state Department of Education Thursday.

The test has been used in New Hampshire since 2005 and state officials pointed Thursday to the continued growth students have shown over the years. For example, only 65 percent of students in grades 3-8 were proficient in reading in 2005, compared to 77 percent this year. A similar increase has been seen in math among those grades, going from 61 percent proficiency in 2005 to 71 percent this year.

“The improvement we’ve seen has been excellent,” said Tim Kurtz, director of assessment for the state. “The numbers are really good overall and we’re seeing steady increases.”

Still, high-schoolers are clearly struggling with scoring well on the math portion of the test. Among high school juniors who took the test in the fall, only 33 percent demonstrated proficiency in math. Of that group, only 2 percent scored at the highest level, proficient with distinction. By comparison, in reading, 73 percent of high school students scored proficient or better.

The NECAP is used by New Hampshire to test students in grades 3-8 and 11 on whether they are meeting grade level expectations, a requirement of the federal No Child Left Behind act. Vermont, Rhode Island and Maine use the same test.

Scores are broken into four categories: substantially below proficient, partially proficient, proficient and proficient with distinction.

It won’t be until March when schools find out whether their scores improved enough to meet Adequate Yearly Progress. Schools that consistently fail to make AYP face sanctions, such as school choice and, in extreme cases, restructuring.

This year, the index targets for what qualifies as adequate yearly progress are going up, which means it will be more difficult for schools to hit that benchmark. The targets go up every other year, so that by 2014, schools will need 100 percent of students to be proficient in reading and math, a requirement of No Child Left Behind.

“One hundred percent proficiency is an incredibly high standard,” Kurtz said. “The closer we get to 100 percent, the more difficult it will be for schools to make AYP.”

In Nashua, Superintendent Mark Conrad said the benefits of the school district’s literacy initiative can be seen in the steady improvement in proficiency among students. This year, 74 percent of Nashua students in grades 3-8 demonstrated proficiency, up from 65 percent in 2005.

“That reflects well on the teaching staff and our literacy effort,” Conrad said.

Similar improvements have not been seen in math, however, and Conrad said that is an area the district needs to focus its attention. In math, 68 percent of elementary and middle school students demonstrated proficiency, up only slightly from 66 percent in 2005.

In some lower-income schools that receive Title I funding, math interventionists have been working with students and Conrad said the benefits could be seen in some of the scores.

For example, at Mount Pleasant Elementary School, 64 percent of students demonstrated proficiency in math, up from 56 percent last year. And at Fairgrounds Elementary School, 59 percent of students demonstrated proficiency in math, up from 50 percent last year.

“The Title I schools have begun to shift their focus to math faster than other schools,” he said. “That’s the same focus we have to bring to the rest of the district.”

In the past, writing has been assessed in grades 5, 8 and 11, but there were not results in grades 5 or 8 this year, Kurtz said.

Conrad said he was pleased to see improvement in reading and writing among the city’s high school students, but said math is still an issue. In Nashua, only 27 percent of 11th-grade students demonstrated proficiency.

There also remains a significant achievement gap among particular subgroups of students.

Among Nashua’s fifth-grade Hispanic and Latino students, 54 percent scored proficient or better in reading, compared to 70 percent among their white peers. The same trend is seen math, where 44 percent of Hispanic or Latino fifth-grade students scored proficient or better, compared to 76 percent among white students.

Students with special needs, who are limited-English speakers and those who come from low-income homes also struggle. Among Nashua fifth-grade students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, 62 percent scored proficient or better in reading, compared to 82 percent among all other students. In math, it was 57 percent among low-income fifth-graders, compared to 80 percent among all other students.

There is an alternative assessment for a small number of special-education students with the most intensive needs, but the vast majority of special education students are required to take the same test as all other students.

Ledge Street Elementary School in Nashua could face restructuring if it doesn’t meet Adequate Yearly Progress this year. The school, which draws from some of the city’s lowest-income areas, has been on the state’s “in need of improvement” list for four years.

Principal Janet Valeri, who was moved to the school from Amherst Street School to help turn things around, said she was pleased with the school’s results this year and the work the staff did to improve student performance. This year, 65 percent of students demonstrated proficiency in reading, up from 59 percent last year. Math scores went down only slightly, with 50 percent proficiency this year, compared to 51 percent last year.

“We see kids having skills they didn’t have a month or two ago,” Valeri said. “But we still have work to do. School improvement is a long process.”

Michael Brindley can be reached at 594-6426 or mbrindley@nashuatelegraph.com.