Here's an interesting CMT analysis by an unusually thoughtful Realtor, Amy Bergquist, who has correlated home prices with test scores for many nearby towns: LINK
Bristol's median house sold for $199,500 during the second quarter, according to Bergquist. As a whole, 62.5 percent of 8th graders in Bristol met goal on the CMTs. With those numbers, you can see where Bristol falls on the spectrum.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Showing posts with label CMTs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CMTs. Show all posts
July 21, 2008
July 18, 2008
Mostly lackluster results on CMTs in Bristol
With the exception of a whopping gain among third graders, Bristol’s students posted lackluster results on the statewide Connecticut Mastery Tests taken in March.
As a whole, student test scores in Bristol rose slightly. But take out the third grade results and the showing may be downright disheartening for educators who have been trying to pump up test scores for years.
The percentage of fourth graders who achieved the state goal in writing, for example, plummeted 26 percent over last year, falling to 53.8 of the class citywide.
Nonetheless, in 11 of the 18 categories in which students this year can be compared with those taking the tests last year – which include math, reading and writing – city scores rose. It’s just that they didn’t go up much, except for third graders.
The annual CMT tests are given to about 250,000 students across the state every year to assess their achievements in core subjects. This year, two grades were given science tests for the first time, but math, reading and writing have been staples for years.
The highest percentage of students achieving goal came on the seventh grade reading test, on which 71.1 percent of the test takers in Bristol met or exceeded the goal.
The worst showing came on the new fifth grade science test. Only 45.6 percent of city students met the state goal on it.
In general, the scores were higher than the districts against which the state compares Bristol, but trailed well behind the districts that Superintendent Philip Streifer said he wants to see Bristol compete against, including Southington and West Hartford.
It isn’t clear yet how individual schools in the city stacked up compared to previous years.
Here are the results for each grade, with the first number showing the percentage of students who met the state’s goal and the number in brackets showing the gain or loss from the previous year:
3rd grade – Math – 70.2 (+9); Reading – 52.4 (+4.6); 69.4 (+12.2)
4th grade – Math - 59.7 (-5.2); Reading – 52.8 (-4.6); Writing – 53.8 (-14.2)
5th grade – Math – 62.5 (-3.4); Reading – 60.9 (+1.4); Writing – 61.4 (-5.3); Science – 45.6.
6th grade – Math – 66.3 (+3.5); Reading – 65.2 (+2.6); Writing – 54 (-3.8)
7th grade – Math – 60.4 (+0.7); Reading – 71.1 (+2.7); Writing - 57 (+1.8)
8th grade – Math – 63.1 (+5.1); Reading – 67.7 (-2.5); Writing – 59.3 (-1.9); Science – 60.2.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
As a whole, student test scores in Bristol rose slightly. But take out the third grade results and the showing may be downright disheartening for educators who have been trying to pump up test scores for years.
The percentage of fourth graders who achieved the state goal in writing, for example, plummeted 26 percent over last year, falling to 53.8 of the class citywide.
Nonetheless, in 11 of the 18 categories in which students this year can be compared with those taking the tests last year – which include math, reading and writing – city scores rose. It’s just that they didn’t go up much, except for third graders.
The annual CMT tests are given to about 250,000 students across the state every year to assess their achievements in core subjects. This year, two grades were given science tests for the first time, but math, reading and writing have been staples for years.
The highest percentage of students achieving goal came on the seventh grade reading test, on which 71.1 percent of the test takers in Bristol met or exceeded the goal.
The worst showing came on the new fifth grade science test. Only 45.6 percent of city students met the state goal on it.
In general, the scores were higher than the districts against which the state compares Bristol, but trailed well behind the districts that Superintendent Philip Streifer said he wants to see Bristol compete against, including Southington and West Hartford.
It isn’t clear yet how individual schools in the city stacked up compared to previous years.
Here are the results for each grade, with the first number showing the percentage of students who met the state’s goal and the number in brackets showing the gain or loss from the previous year:
3rd grade – Math – 70.2 (+9); Reading – 52.4 (+4.6); 69.4 (+12.2)
4th grade – Math - 59.7 (-5.2); Reading – 52.8 (-4.6); Writing – 53.8 (-14.2)
5th grade – Math – 62.5 (-3.4); Reading – 60.9 (+1.4); Writing – 61.4 (-5.3); Science – 45.6.
6th grade – Math – 66.3 (+3.5); Reading – 65.2 (+2.6); Writing – 54 (-3.8)
7th grade – Math – 60.4 (+0.7); Reading – 71.1 (+2.7); Writing - 57 (+1.8)
8th grade – Math – 63.1 (+5.1); Reading – 67.7 (-2.5); Writing – 59.3 (-1.9); Science – 60.2.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City's poverty rate appears to be escalating
Students in Bristol are more than 5 percent more likely to be living in low-income families now than they were in 2006.
In a side-by-side, citywide comparison of the same classes in school two years ago and this year, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced price school lunches rose for each of the four grades where comparisons were possible.
For instance, 36.8 percent of third graders in 2006 were eligible for cheap or free school lunches. This year, that same class, who are now in fifth grade, saw 40.9 percent of the students qualify.
The percentages of students who receive free or lower-priced school lunches is one of the breakdowns available to study the results of the Connecticut Mastery Tests that are given to nearly every student between third and eighth grade.
Because some students move, the makeup of classes changes from year to year, but the overall trend remains clear.
The fourth grade class in 2006, 34.9 percent of students were eligible for the lunch benefit. By the time they got to sixth grade this year, 37.9 percent of the class qualified.
The fifth grade class in 2006 had 33 percent of its students qualify. This year, 33.5 percent were eligible, the smallest increase among the group.
The sixth grade class two years ago had 33.6 percent of students eligible. This year, 35.7 percent of students made the cut.
The increasing rate of poverty has implications for the city's economy as a whole as well as for the educational system.
Students who come from low-income families are much less likely to score well on tests and educators say it takes more money to teach them because they are often lacking the skills that peers from richer homes possess.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
In a side-by-side, citywide comparison of the same classes in school two years ago and this year, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced price school lunches rose for each of the four grades where comparisons were possible.
For instance, 36.8 percent of third graders in 2006 were eligible for cheap or free school lunches. This year, that same class, who are now in fifth grade, saw 40.9 percent of the students qualify.
The percentages of students who receive free or lower-priced school lunches is one of the breakdowns available to study the results of the Connecticut Mastery Tests that are given to nearly every student between third and eighth grade.
Because some students move, the makeup of classes changes from year to year, but the overall trend remains clear.
The fourth grade class in 2006, 34.9 percent of students were eligible for the lunch benefit. By the time they got to sixth grade this year, 37.9 percent of the class qualified.
The fifth grade class in 2006 had 33 percent of its students qualify. This year, 33.5 percent were eligible, the smallest increase among the group.
The sixth grade class two years ago had 33.6 percent of students eligible. This year, 35.7 percent of students made the cut.
The increasing rate of poverty has implications for the city's economy as a whole as well as for the educational system.
Students who come from low-income families are much less likely to score well on tests and educators say it takes more money to teach them because they are often lacking the skills that peers from richer homes possess.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Bristol CMT scores a mixed bag
Bristol's scores on the Connecticut Mastery Tests, which are given yearly to students between third and eighth grade, appear at first glance to be a mixed bag. I can't see anyone doing happy dances over them anyway.
Here are numbers for each grade for each of the past three years:
3rd grade
4th grade
5th grade
6th grade
7th grade
8th grade
Website with all the scores for all the districts, with the ability to search in different ways.
If anyone comes up with any interesting analyses, I'd love to hear about them. There's a lot that can be extracted by comparing year-to-year and against other districts - much more than I can hope to do today.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Here are numbers for each grade for each of the past three years:
3rd grade
4th grade
5th grade
6th grade
7th grade
8th grade
Website with all the scores for all the districts, with the ability to search in different ways.
If anyone comes up with any interesting analyses, I'd love to hear about them. There's a lot that can be extracted by comparing year-to-year and against other districts - much more than I can hope to do today.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
August 31, 2007
School boss talks about test results
PRESS RELEASE
August 31, 2007
Philip A. Streifer, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Bristol Public School Students Demonstrate Significant Gains in Achievement
Bristol students surpassed previous achievement targets on most of the subtest areas of the March 2007 Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) and Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT). At least 88% of Bristol 10th grade students were proficient in math, science, reading and writing, significantly exceeding state averages. Recently released CAPT data demonstrates the successful work of our teachers and students on improving not only the achievement of all Bristol students, but also for subgroups delineated by Federal “No Child Left Behind” legislation.
The Connecticut State Department of Education is required to annually identify schools and districts “In Need of Improvement” as a result of student achievement on the CMT and CAPT. The Bristol Public Schools were identified as such a district for the past three years. However, this year, due to significant improvement in our students’ achievement, we achieved ‘safe harbor’. Safe Harbor means that our students made significant gains in achievement compared to last year. Continued improvement in student achievement on the March 2008 CMT and CAPT will remove Bristol from that list.
Four Bristol schools were identified as in need of improvement; Edgewood, South Side and Northeast for subgroup performance. Subgroups include students with disabilities, English language learners, economically disadvantaged and individual race categories. O’Connell School was identified as in need of whole school improvement. Strategies are developed within each school’s Accountability Plan to address the needs of these learners. Bristol’s continued high expectations for student achievement and focus on best instructional practices will continue to raise the achievement of all learners in our schools.
According to Connecticut Education Commissioner, Mark McQuillan, one third of Connecticut schools were found to be in need of improvement. Bristol’s results must be considered within the context of the entire district’s improving performance as detailed in recent District press releases. We are confident that the reforms being implemented in Bristol schools will lead to continued improvements in all of our schools.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
August 31, 2007
Philip A. Streifer, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Bristol Public School Students Demonstrate Significant Gains in Achievement
Bristol students surpassed previous achievement targets on most of the subtest areas of the March 2007 Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) and Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT). At least 88% of Bristol 10th grade students were proficient in math, science, reading and writing, significantly exceeding state averages. Recently released CAPT data demonstrates the successful work of our teachers and students on improving not only the achievement of all Bristol students, but also for subgroups delineated by Federal “No Child Left Behind” legislation.
The Connecticut State Department of Education is required to annually identify schools and districts “In Need of Improvement” as a result of student achievement on the CMT and CAPT. The Bristol Public Schools were identified as such a district for the past three years. However, this year, due to significant improvement in our students’ achievement, we achieved ‘safe harbor’. Safe Harbor means that our students made significant gains in achievement compared to last year. Continued improvement in student achievement on the March 2008 CMT and CAPT will remove Bristol from that list.
Four Bristol schools were identified as in need of improvement; Edgewood, South Side and Northeast for subgroup performance. Subgroups include students with disabilities, English language learners, economically disadvantaged and individual race categories. O’Connell School was identified as in need of whole school improvement. Strategies are developed within each school’s Accountability Plan to address the needs of these learners. Bristol’s continued high expectations for student achievement and focus on best instructional practices will continue to raise the achievement of all learners in our schools.
According to Connecticut Education Commissioner, Mark McQuillan, one third of Connecticut schools were found to be in need of improvement. Bristol’s results must be considered within the context of the entire district’s improving performance as detailed in recent District press releases. We are confident that the reforms being implemented in Bristol schools will lead to continued improvements in all of our schools.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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