Jamestown Students Gain Ground in ELA Proficiency but Drop in Math Proficiency

ALBANY NY – Jamestown Public Schools is finally starting to see some ground being gained in student proficiency rates for English Language Arts (ELA) in grades 3 through 8, but proficiency in learning math remains flat.

On Friday the New York State Education Department released the spring 2016 3-8 Grade ELA and Math assessment results, which includes  data from all schools within the state, including Jamestown.

Statewide,  the percentage of  students in grades 3-8 who scored at the proficient level (Levels 3 and 4) for ELA increased by 6.6 percentage points to 37.9, up from 31.3 in 2015. While Jamestown still lags behind the statewide proficiency average, the district did see a 4 percent increase at the proficient level for all students who took the tests (2,128 students), bringing it to 24 percent (508 students). That’s 4 percentage points higher compared to 2015. In fact, it’s the first time in the past four years that the proficiency rate in ELA saw an increase.

However, student results in Math didn’t see the same level of success. In fact, the overall percentage of students who scored at the proficient level (Levels 3 and 4) actually sent down slightly compared to 2015 test results. According to the state education department, just 21 percent (429) of all Jamestown students (2,069 students) who take the standardized math test this year scored at the proficiency level. It was 22 percent in 2015.

The results were similar at the statewide level as not much ground was gained in overall student proficiency for math. According to state data, the percentage of students who scored at the proficient levels increased this year to 39.1, up just one percentage point from 38.1 in 2015.

JAMESTOWN BEHIND STATEWIDE AVERAGE

As the numbers show, Jamestown still lags behind the rest of the state when it comes to student proficiency in ELA and Math and ranks among the lowest in the state. Socioeconomic factors could play a role. State data shows that an estimated 70 percent of students that attend Jamestown Public Schools are considered “Economically Disadvantaged” – students who participate in, or whose families participate in, economic assistance programs*.

Of the 1,533 students considered economically disadvantaged who took the ELA test, just 17 percent scored at the proficient levels. By comparison, 43 percent of students considered not economically disadvantaged and who took the exams scored at the proficient levels.  For Math the trend was similar. Just 15 percent of economically disadvantaged students scored at the proficient level, while 36 percent of the non-economically disadvantaged students saw their scores at the proficient level.

CHANGES ASSESSMENTS MAY BE REASON FOR IMPROVEMENTS

The increase in proficiency rates statewide could be attributed to recent changes to how the tests are developed and rolled out, while some credit may also be given to teachers and students who have a better understanding of what to expect from the exams.

“The Regents, Commissioner and I have worked hard to make New York’s assessments the best they can be for our students,” Board of Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa said in a media release. “I’ve always said that tests must be diagnostic, valid and reliable while providing timely and practical information to parents and teachers. We made important changes to the assessments this year and we’re going to continue to look at ways to make them even better moving forward. While it’s not possible to make direct comparisons of this year’s results to past years, I’m cautiously optimistic the changes we’re making will drive improvements in teaching and learning.”

“The Regents and I are committed to continuously improving our standards, our curriculum and our assessments,” State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said. “Since my first day on the job a little over a year ago, I’ve been listening to parents, teachers, school administrators and the public – seeking their expertise on how we can improve. We’ve taken their advice and made important changes to the exams. It’s an ongoing process, but better standards, better curriculum and better tests will result in better student outcomes.”

Jamestown Public Schools was unable to provide immediate comment to WRFA on the latest test results when contacted Monday morning.

Jamestown Public School ELA Testing Results (2013-2016)

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Jamestown Public School Math Testing Results (2013-2016)

*Economically Disadvantaged students are those who participate in or who’s families participate in one or more of the following public assistance programs: free or reduced-price lunch programs, Social Security Insurance (SSI), Food Stamps, Foster Care, Refugee Assistance (cash or medical assistance), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), Safety Net Assistance (SNA), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), or Family Assistance: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).