STATEWIDE — On Wednesday, August 12, the New York State Education Department (SED) released the results of the 2015 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Math Tests.
Overall, students across New York State have made little progress in ELA and math since 2013, the first year assessments were aligned to the Common Core. In ELA, 31.3 percent of all test takers in grades 3-8 scored at the proficient level (Levels 3 and 4) compared to 30.6 in 2014 and 31.1 in 2013. In math, 38.1 percent scored at that level from 36.2 in 2014 and 31.1 in 2013.
In a statement released by the New York State United Teachers, NYSUT President Karen E. Magee said, “It would be a huge mistake to read anything into these test results. Whether they’re up or down, they tell us virtually nothing meaningful about students or their teachers. Student test scores based on poorly written, developmentally inappropriate Pearson tests, in a year in which record numbers of parents repudiated the state’s standardized testing program by ‘opting out,’ aren’t worth the paper they are printed on.”
SED reiterated its commitment to strengthening professional development opportunities for teachers and will examine the data from the 2015 testing program to determine targets for enhanced professional development.
“The transition to new learning standards is not easy, and success isn’t instantaneous,” State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said. “Teachers across the state are working hard to help students reach the high bar we’ve set for them. In fact, we’ve increased seven points in math in two years. Thousands more of New York’s students are on track to graduate high school prepared to do more rigorous math. Now is the time for the state and districts to make certain that students move to the next level. It’s clear to me that we must do a better job of supporting our teachers and principals as they continue to shift their practice to the higher learning standards.”
According to State data, approximately 80 percent of eligible test takers participated in the 2015 Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Tests; about 20 percent of eligible test takers opted out. In Saratoga County, that translated to nearly 2,600 students.
“This year, there was a significant increase in the number of students refusing the annual assessments,” Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch said. “We must do more to ensure that our parents and teachers understand the value and importance of these tests for our children’s education. Our tests have been nationally recognized for providing the most honest look at how prepared our students are for future success, and we believe annual assessments are essential to ensure all students make educational progress and graduate college and career ready.”
“We must also do a better job of explaining to parents the benefits of higher standards and annual testing,” Commissioner Elia said. “Since I became Commissioner, I’ve made it a priority to establish a dialog with parents so they better understand why we test. Annual assessments provide important information about individual students for parents and classroom teachers and allow us to keep track of how all student groups are doing. This year’s results show our scores are not yet where they need to be, but we will work to ensure continued improvement.”
NYSUT Vice President Catalina Fortino said NYSUT is gearing up to work with Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia, the Regents and Legislature toward a new teacher-principal evaluation system which is fair and meaningful, and designed to foster professional growth so educators can better serve their students. She also pointed out the state Education Department is embarking on a review — with teachers and other educators — of the Common Core standards.
“We need to recapture the joy of teaching and learning — for students and teachers,” Fortino said. “That’s going to take recognition that the misuse of student test scores in teacher evaluations was a mistake. We know now from research that student test scores are not a valid way to measure how a teacher is doing in the classroom, just as the state’s growth model has proven to be inaccurate, unstable and unreliable,” Fortino said. “We are committed to a fair evaluation system, which uses multiple measures and which helps New York’s already strong teaching force grow even stronger. NYSUT is looking forward to working collaboratively toward that goal.”
Individual student score reports will be available to schools to share with parents in the coming weeks. The reports provide parents with information about their child’s performance level (1, 2, 3, or 4) and their child’s performance compared to other children in the same grade across the state. To see sample score reports and to find resources for understanding the reports, use this link: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/ei/eiscorereportscc.html.
New York State has completed five years of a 12-year phase-in of higher learning standards, which culminates in the requirement that students in the Class of 2022 and later pass Regents Exams aligned to more rigorous standards at the proficient/college- and career-ready level (Level 3 and Above). The Class of 2022 begins grade 6 this fall. For students graduating prior to 2022, students scoring at Level 2 and above on the ELA and math tests are on track for current graduation requirements. Students scoring at Level 3 and above are on track to graduate at the aspirational college- and career-ready level.
A summary of the test results as well as individual school and district results are available at: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/pressRelease/2015800/home.html.
