Dorn Pleased With State Test Results, Wants Changes Made to High School Graduation System
Statewide results beat our predictions
OLYMPIA – August 17, 2015
— Results from the spring 2015 administration of state tests were
released by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction today
during a press conference.
Results included:
- the Smarter Balanced assessments in English language arts and math, taken by students in grades 3-8 and 10-11;
- the Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) in science, taken by students in grades 5 and 8; and
- end-of-course (EOC) exit exams in algebra I and geometry, taken by some students in grades 9-12.
Students
in grades 3-8 and high school have been taking state tests, as required
by state and federal law, since 2006. They help identify learning gaps
and are used to determine school and district Adequate Yearly Progress. Washington’s high school students are also required to pass certain tests, or state-approved alternatives, to be eligible for graduation.
This
is the first year students took the Smarter Balanced tests. “They are
the most advanced that students have ever taken,” said Dorn. “They
measure students’ progress on the learning standards, so teachers know
where students are succeeding and where they need extra help.”
Dorn
said he was pleased with the first-year results. “Statewide results
beat our predictions,” he said. “That says to me that students are
capable of learning our new standards, which are designed to make sure
students are ready for career and college.
“It
also says that the overall delivery system of the tests worked.
Teachers and staff did a great job understanding and applying the new
testing technology. I commend all of them for their work.”
Dorn
added that some changes are needed. “I believe in the testing system,”
he said. “But I don’t think it’s perfect, especially with how it’s used
for high school graduation. The Smarter Balanced tests were designed to
be an evaluation tool, not a graduation requirement. We still need
legislation to focus the use of the 11th-grade tests on proper class
placement in 12th grade, rather than as a graduation hurdle.”
Grades 3-8
On
average, a little more than one out of every two students in grades 3-8
are on track to be ready for career and college in English language
arts. In math, the number is, on average, slightly less than one out of
every two students.
|
Percent of students proficient, 2015
|
|
Grade
|
ELA
|
Math
|
|
3
|
52
|
57
|
|
4
|
55
|
54
|
|
5
|
58
|
48
|
|
6
|
54
|
46
|
|
7
|
57
|
48
|
|
8
|
57
|
46
|
This
year’s scores show students’ understanding of new, more rigorous
learning standards, on new, more rigorous tests. They represent a new
baseline and should not be compared to last year’s MSP.
It
would be fairer to compare first-year Smarter Balanced results to
first-year Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) results and
to the results from the 2014 Smarter Balanced field test.
An
example is fourth-grade math. Fourth graders first took the WASL in
1997; that year, 21.4 percent were considered proficient on the state’s
learning standards in math. During the Smarter Balanced field test taken
in 2014, 37.0 percent of fourth graders were proficient. By comparison,
54 percent of fourth graders were proficient in math on the first-year
Smarter Balanced math test.
Comparisons for other grades and subjects can be done using WASL scores found on the State Report Card and Smarter Balanced field test results found in an OSPI news release.
“Over
the years, we saw a significant gain in the percentage of students
meeting standard on the old tests,” Dorn said. “I expect the same for
the Smarter Balanced tests. As students and teachers become more
familiar with the learning standards, they will do better and better on
the tests. And they will be more prepared for success, no matter what
they choose to do after high school.”
The
science Measurements of Student Progress were taken by 5th and 8th
graders. Both grades saw drops in proficiency: For fifth grade, 63
percent were proficient (down from 66 percent in 2014); for 8th grade,
60 percent were proficient (down from 67 percent in 2014).
