PUSD students do well on STAR tests
By Pat Kumpan
Standardized test results released Friday indicate that Poway Unified School District students continue to make improvements, surpassing the state average in advanced and proficient English scores, as well as math scores at most grade levels.
The results come from the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) tests taken in May by California students in grades two through 11 in math, language arts, science and social studies. STAR results help determine each school’s Academic Performance Index (API), which is considered crucial to federal reporting of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act.
STAR scores fall into five ranges: advanced, proficient, basic, below basic and far below basic.
“In less than a decade, California has gone from having only one student in three score proficient to better than one student in two,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. “That’s nearly 900,000 more students reaching proficiency now than in 2003 – a remarkable achievement that represents real, sustained improvements in learning.”
“Overall, across the board we’re really pleased with this year’s STAR test scores,” said Eric Lehew, Poway Unified’s executive director of Learning Support Services. “The test scores especially in elementary and middle schools are up.”
An estimated 80 percent of district students passed English tests, surpassing the state average of 52.7 percent.
“Our goal is to ensure that every student is proficient in all subjects, which means they have mastered the subject matter,” Lehew added.
Districtwide math results are up as well. One of the most remarkable gains, he said, came from Valley Elementary, which this year had 73 percent proficient scores for fourth graders, up from 47 percent at that grade level last year, along with noticeable improvements at Valley’s other grade levels.
What those results indicate is that “teachers are teaming up and working together,” indicative of a movement at Valley and other schools, Lehew addd.
Earlier this week, prior to the release of the STAR results, Valley Principal Andrew Johnsen said teachers at his school made a collaborative effort for most of the year to improve math scores.
“Everyone here has a strength,” Johnsen said. “Teachers team up with students because we want students to be able to explain the subject.”
Meanwhile, the district continues its focus on finding ways to see Algebra 1 scores among eighth graders improve, considering algebra a major stepping stone to higher levels of math.
Results of that effort are paying off with eighth grade Algebra scores up this year, 20 percent at the advanced level, compared to 16 percent last year, with 41 percent at the proficient level this year, down slightly from 42 percent for the past two years. Roughly 1,600 district students have now moved on to geometry, according to Lehew.
For more test results, go online to: dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest.
Related posts:
- State report: PUSD schools continue to exceed state target score
- Quality education is eroding in the Poway Unified School District
- Students walk the red carpet at iVIE
Short URL: http://www.pomeradonews.com/?p=28220
Posted by Steve Dreyer
on Sep 1 2012. Filed under Local News, Poway.
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Wonderful, but it is a comparison against other failing California districts.
In the last US Department of Education state ranking in Science by test (See "National Report Card"), California ranked higher than ONLY Mississippi!
California is in the bottom five states ranked in reading, writing, science and math — all the subjects tested by the US Department of Education (DOE) — and in both grades tested by the DOE, fourth grade and eighth grade.
Being a highly regarded California school district is no great honor. In all subjects the DOE ranks, the bottom five states are California, Louisiana, Nevada, Hawaii and Mississippi in varying order depending upon subject matter. California averages number 47.
Articles like this sound good, until they are placed in perspective.
Mr. Hemphill, I would invite you to take a look at the state grade level standards in those other states. You will find that the number of standards and the complexity of skills that California students are expected to demonstrate proficiency on far surpass the requirements and expectations in the majority of the other states. Furthermore, part of the ranking system on the "National Report Card" is per pupil funding. Compared to other states California is one of the lowest when it comes to per pupil spending. In addition, in many other states our "basic" proficiency level is what they consider "proficient" in their states. You are comparing apples to oranges. As soon as the National Common Core Standards are implemented in all 50 states (PUSD is implementing this year), then we will have an adequate way to compare student performance across the nation. I have seen and read numerous articles about "Online Technology" being the way to go. I would invite you to spend a day in a PUSD classroom to see what goes on. The profession of teaching goes far beyond teaching standards. Technology can not teach the lifelong skills of organization, time management, and the value of cooperative learning, just to name a few. However, I agree that there is great value in implementing technology into student learning and it should be an integral part of every classroom.
Pupil funding is NOT a part of the ranking. The ranking is strictly academic in tests given 150,000 pupils in each class 4th and 8th.
The numbers "is"the numbers.rationalize and excuse as you will, it is STRICTLY academic numbers in the National Report card.
Once Again, please look at the difference in state standards from state to state and what each state expects their students to know for proficiency. What other states consider proficient we consider basic in our state. I can't tell you the number of students who have come into my classroom from other states who have been considered "Gifted" in their state yet they typically fall well below our district average in academics. Once the entire nation takes the same assessment on the same standards only then will I accept criticism of the work we do IF we are in the bottom. I am confident that WILL NOT be the case.
In addition, in looking at the National Report Card website not all students are tested. Only groups of students are selected in each state. In my 11 years in PUSD students in my classroom or school have never been chosen to be tested for this "National Report" which begs the question who and where are they testing in California? We need a consistent nationwide assessment that ALL students take.
Ok then let's compare California to the top 5 states academically. We're failing. Of course a "teacher" would be upset with Allen's comments because they are a direct attack on curriculum and what the California Teacher's Unions want us to believe. California's educational system is a failure. We teach to the test. Mandating UC standards is misguided and wrong.
No Guest, I teach the standards which my students are expected to be proficient on. If I have done my job my students should perform well on the test which assesses their knowledge of the standards. When you say compare academically, what exactly is being used to compare their performance? I agree, we need education reform not only in California but nationwide however, those people who are most vocal when it comes to bashing teachers and PUSD are people who haven't set foot in a classroom in years. We need consistent standards nationwide and yes, the "bad" teachers need to go.
You're wrong. Some of us who bash the hardest have the most experience with teachers and teaching methods. Our methods of teaching are outdated. We need to embrace new ideas in teaching. And yes you teach to the test. Many bright students do not perform well on standardized tests. There are many ways to teach besides standing in front of a classroom and having material regurgitated at you. Individual curriculum, flexible schedules, interactive programs, study pods (groups) instead of masses.
I do have some experience with teachers. This is not my first rodeo!
I taught many hundreds of those currently teaching when I taught at a local university and taught required courses. I then decided to take a Masters in Education, my second Masters, and although my courses were "free" to me ( because I was a professor in the School of Engineering), I quit halfway through my Masters in Education.
It was free, but not worth the price!
Classes were dismissed after half the required time or less, and EVERYONE got an "A" regardless of the quality of the work product.
I raged at the Dean of the School of Education, to no avail. If you want to know the problem with "education" — or more correctly called " schooling" I have just described the problem.
As to all students not being tested, it is statistical sampling, using 150,000 students in each grade and that is a heck of a lot more accurate than the Gallup poll which only uses far less tha 1% of that number in their statistical sampling.