Test results remain largely unchanged

State test scores in the East Meadow School District saw little change this year from 2013-14, a lack of progress that mirrored a statewide trend, and which district officials said underscored the inadequacies of the high-stakes testing program based on the Common Core State Standards implemented three years ago.

The passing rates for the tests in East Meadow did, however, easily surpass Nassau County averages in all six of the grades that were tested. At least one of the two exams in all six grades, in fact, had passing rates that were more than 10 percentage points higher than the county averages — and fourth-grade math students exceeded the average by more than 20 points.

The 2014-15 school year marked the third year of testing based on the Common Core curriculum. Students earn one of four grades on the tests. A score of 3 or 4 is considered meeting or exceeding the state standards, or “passing,” while those scoring 1 or 2 have in past years been required to receive academic intervention services.

The math and ELA tests are given to students in grades three to eight every April. This spring, 2,482 of 3,273 test-eligible students in East Meadow took the exams, while the rest, 24 percent, refused to sit for them. Last year, only 1 percent of students “opted out.”

In all grade levels in East Meadow, passing rates for both subjects rose or fell from a year ago by no more than 4.1 percentage points. The only exception was seventh-grade math, in which the passing rate improved by 12.6 percentage points.

There were similar results across the county, and across the state. In a press release posted on its website on Aug. 12, the State Education Department described the year-to-year change in scores as “incremental progress.”

“This year’s results show our scores are not yet where they need to be, but we will work to ensure continued improvement,” said State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia, who replaced Dr. John King last month.