Published: June 24, 2008 12:00 am      

Students in area fare well on tests

A better school curriculum and greater familiarity with the exams are two reasons cited by area educators for improving scores on state standardized testing.

The area followed a statewide trend that was noted by state Education Commissioner Richard Mills during a Monday news conference. This year, 81 percent of students achieved at or above state standards for math in grades 3 through 8, as compared with 73 percent last year, he said.

In English Language Arts, 69 percent achieved standards compared with 63 percent last year. The tests have been given for three years. Tests have been administered to grades 4 and 8 since the late 1990s.

In Otsego County, English Language Arts scores for students in grades 3 to 5, to 72.4 percent meeting standard in 2008 from 70.8 percent in 2007. In grades 6 to 8, the ELA results improved from 59.5 percent in 2007 to 66 percent this year. Other area counties showed improvements in year-over-year comparisons in English and math.

"As in every school, there are areas that need work," said Laurens Central School Superintendent Romona Wenck. "But we are pleased with the results."

Those areas needing work, she said, include scores in the middle school, an area where historically, many students have problems.

On the Laurens seventh-grade ELA, 81 percent of students scored at or above standard, as compared with 71 percent in 2007.

Everyone has become more accountable because of the tests, Wenck said. As a result, teachers and administrators have done a lot of work aligning the curriculum so there was greater continuity between the grades, she said. This has become more important with the math test being given in January and the ELA in March.

Because this work has been done, she said, "the tests are better indicators that students are meeting the benchmarks."

Professional development has also been an important part of the improvements, she said.

At Sidney Central School, curriculum coordinator Carol Dean said the progress has come about, in part, because teachers have done a terrific job each year determining what areas need improvement. Sixth-grade students scoring at or above standard in math numbered 74 percent in 2008 as compared with 68 percent in 2007.

"It helps having the tests at every grade," she said, and getting feedback. But to achieve good results, she said, it's important to use the results effectively.

"It's important that they be used as an opportunity to improve our curriculum," she said.

By the time students return to school in the fall, teachers will have a better idea of student abilities, she said.

"We are seeing an upward trend," said Margaretville Superintendent John Riedl in discussing the results. The seventh-grade math success rate was 88 percent this year, up from 76 percent in 2007.

"Some are up and some are down," he said, but the tests will show what areas need improvement.

He said he was not sure why Margaretville and other schools have been successful in reducing the number of students scoring at the lowest level.

"There are so many variables," he said.

But he noted that the school has strengthened its academic intervention services, which are provided to students scoring in the lower two categories.

Now that three years of testing have been done, Riedl said, more analysis can be done to track individual students.

Meanwhile, in Stamford, Superintendent Gregory Sanik said that he was pleased with the scores, though in a small district it doesn't take a lot of students to have a big impact. Meeting the state standard in fifth-grade ELA were 82 percent of students in 2008 as compared with 78 percent in 2007.

The improved scores are reflective of a couple of things, he said, such as hard work of the staff and the success of a federal reading program, he said.

But he said the school's recent achievement in graduating more than 90 percent of students with a Regents diploma was a better indication of the district's success.

Area English Language Arts results: Percentage of students meeting or exceeding the state standard.

Grades 3-5

Chenango County: 61.5 (2006); 65.2 (2007); 68.4 (2008)

Delaware County: 61.0 (2006); 68.8 (2007); 70.6 (2008)

Otsego County: 66.0 (2006); 70.8 (2007); 72.4 (2008)

Schoharie County: 65.9 (2006); 69.7 (2007); 72.2 (2008)

Grades 6-8

Chenango: 53.2 (06); 61.4 (07); 65.0 (08)

Delaware: 54.6 (06); 60.4 (07); 64.0 (08)

Otsego: 56.3 (06); 59.5 (07); 66.0 (08)

Schoharie: 52.8 (06); 60.2 (07); 62.7 (08)

Area math results:

Grades 3-5

Chenango: 75.9 (07); 82.7 (08)

Delaware: 75.9 (07); 84.1 (08)

Otsego: 80.3 (07); 84.2 (08)

Schoharie: 81.4 (07); 87.7 (08)

Grades 6-8

Chenango: 63.7 (07); 77.9 (08)

Delaware: 59.6 (07); 74.7 (08)

Otsego: 62.4 (07); 77.4 (08)

Schoharie: 64.3 (07); 75.9 (08)