State test scores released

The results of the standardized math and English Language Arts tests for grades three through eight were released last week, but Long Beach school officials have yet to determine how the district will analyze the data in a year that saw a significant increase in the number of students who sat out the exams.

Parents have the right to keep their children from taking the tests by providing their district with a note stating that intention. The “opt out” movement picked up steam nationwide this spring, as critics of the assessments argued that they contain questions that are too advanced for the grade levels involved and that their results offer no meaningful feedback to educators because past tests are not released. This was the third year of testing guided by the Common Core State Standards.

“The scores mean nothing this year,” said Long Beach Superintendent of Schools David Weiss. “It’s impossible to compare them to last year or even district-to-district this year.”

In Long Beach, opt-outs rose to 29 percent this spring, up from 7 percent in 2014. The State Education Department reported that 20 percent of New York students in grades three through eight opted out of the exams, compared with just 5 percent last year.

“Many children of teachers opted out this year,” Weiss said. “That’s a whole category of kids that actually perform differently on tests than other students.” He also suggested that the percentages and demographics of the students who opted out were not consistent from district to district, so comparing scores is difficult.

Long Beach students saw an increase in proficient math scores for grades four through six, but the scores continued a downward trend in grades three, seven and eight. ELA scores improved slightly in four of the six grades tested. Students that score a three or four on the exams are considered to be proficient, Weiss said.