Marcellus Central School District News: Grade 3-8 test scores released in a new era of curriculum and assessment

The state Department of Education on Wednesday released results from the English language arts and math assessments that students in grades 3-8 took last spring. The tests were revamped to reflect the new national Common Core Learning Standards, a set of educational standards developed by education, business and state leaders from across the nation.

As expected, the massive changes in curriculum, testing and scoring practices resulted in a significant decrease across the state in student proficiency levels compared to prior years, including in Marcellus Central School District.

Earlier this year, state Commissioner of Education Dr. John B. King, Jr., warned New York schools that scores on these assessments were “expected to be significantly lower” than the previous year, largely as a “result of the shift to assessments that measure the Common Core Learning Standards, which more accurately reflect students’ progress toward college and career readiness.”

Even U.S. Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan said in a recent conference call with New York education officials that students and parents should not be alarmed if the results drop sharply.

“The lower proficiency rates that we will see … do not reflect that teachers are teaching less or students are learning less,” he said.

Here in Marcellus, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Craig J. Tice cautioned parents in April that a dip in student scores was expected and should not be interpreted as a decline in student learning or teacher performance.
State officials have cautioned against any direct comparison of the scores with previous year’s results because the scores reflect new, more challenging tests and standards. Instead, the 2012-13 results should be seen as setting a “new baseline in student scores,” according to King.

“Because of the significant changes to both the curriculum and the tests, comparing the new scores to past scores really is an apples-to-oranges proposition,” Dr. Tice said.

Students’ scores on the new assessments fall into one of four levels in relation to the standards:

Level 4 excels in CCLS.

Level 3 is proficient in CCLS.

Level 2 is not proficient in CCLS.

Level 1 is well below proficient in CCLS.

The percentage of Marcellus students who scored levels 3 and 4 on the new tests continued to trend above the state averages (see chart below).

Typically, scores on these tests help districts determine if students need extra help in math or English language arts. That won’t change. And, as in the past, the assessments will not factor into a student’s grades for the year.

"When our teachers return in the fall, we will continue to make modifications to our curriculum to include the instructional shifts in English language arts and mathematics that are reflected in the new Common Core Learning Standards,” Dr. Tice said. “Because we want our students to gain both the knowledge and skills they need to master the Common Core and to be successful in life, we remain committed to the ultimate goal of preparing our students for their post-secondary college experiences and future careers."

Parents of students who were in grades 3-8 last year will receive letters about their children’s performance on the state tests when they become available.

Any parents with questions about their children’s results are encouraged to contact their children’s school principal or teacher(s) for the 2013-14 school year.

Grade/Test	Marcellus Central School District	New York state
Grade 3 ELA	43.8%	31.1%
Grade 3 Math	53.9%	34.2%
Grade 4 ELA	46.9%	30.3%
Grade 4 Math	56.6%	36.4%
Grade 5 ELA	42.3%	30.2%
Grade 5 Math	40.4%	29.9%
Grade 6 ELA	58.1%	29.6%
Grade 6 Math	57.5%	30.6%
Grade 7 ELA	41.1%	31.3%
Grade 7 Math	53.8%	27.7%
Grade 8 ELA	46.3%	33.8%
Grade 8 Math	45.0%	27.5%