Baldwin ELA, math scores take a dive
New standards in statewide tests produce lower results in district
English Language Arts and math scores plummeted in almost all grades in Baldwin schools after the state established tougher proficiency guidelines this year.
In the seventh grade, for instance, the number of students scoring at the top two levels on the ELA dropped dramatically, from 88 percent in 2009 to 59 percent in 2010, according to state test results released last week.
As in the past, the state graded students from levels 1 through 4, but this year established higher standards for grading the exams, breaking the scoring down into basic and proficiency levels. Students scoring at Level 1 are considered below standard; those at Level 2 meet basic standards; students at Level 3 meet proficiency standards; and those who score at Level 4 exceed proficiency standards.
The percentage of Baldwin seventh-graders who scored at Level 2 on the ELA shot up from 12 to 35, and there was a steep decline in the percentage at Level 3, from 77 percent to 45.
In the third grade, the portion of students who scored at Level 1 on the ELA increased from 3 to 11 percent, with 40 children out of 354 not even meeting minimum standards.
However, the news was not all bad. About 80 third-graders, or 22 percent, scored at Level 4 on the ELA, an increase of 4 percentage points from last year. Grades 5 through 8 also showed an increase in the percentage of students scoring at the highest level on the English test. All told, 149 out of 2,415 third- to eighth-graders scored at the lowest level. In math, 111 out of 2,442 third- to eighth-graders scored at Level 1.
About 9 percent of eighth-graders scored at Level 2 on the math test last year, compared with 31 percent this year. The number of fourth-graders who met only the basic standards by scoring at Level 2 ballooned from 5 to 25 percent.
James Scannell, Baldwin's assistant superintendent for instruction, said the state has been discussing the new scoring system for some time, but local school officials were surprised it was implemented this year. "It's unfortunate the new cut scores were implemented so suddenly," said Scannell. "We will do our best now to move forward so that our students are prepared to meet the new standards in the upcoming years."
