Science NECAP Scores: How Did Your School Do?
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Rhode Island students are getting better at science, according to the latest NECAP test results released yesterday. But state educators warned that achievement gaps persist between most students and minorities.
Overall, students improved by 3.6 points from the 2009 tests. Fourth graders went up by 3.8 points, eighth graders by 5 points, and high school juniors by 1.1 points. Statewide, 28.8 percent of students had a score that was proficient or better, including: 44.1 percent of fourth graders, 22.6 percent of eighth graders, and 20.5 percent of juniors. The tests were taken in May 2010.
Click here for more information on the NECAP and here to view district and school results.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTCarcieri Praises Results
“When you compare this year’s student performance against the results in 2008, we see significant gains. In fact, we have a 5 percentage-point increase for all students. That’s a great accomplishment, and it’s testimony to the hard work of administrators, students, teachers, families, higher education officials, and the business community,” said Gov. Don Carcieri.
Carcieri said the most significant improvement since 2008 was among fourth graders, who jumped up 8 points.
He credits new requirements that high school students take three years of science and four years of math. He also pointed to the opening of the STEM Center at Rhode Island College and increased use of technology in teacher training programs.
State educators, however, said there still was plenty of room for more improvement.
“We are pleased to see these gains, but we have to be more aggressive to meet our goals,” said Robert Flanders, chairman of the Board of Regents. “At the current rate of improvement, it would take many years to get to an acceptable level of proficiency. Although the gains are not big enough statewide, there are some schools that have made substantial progress this year, and I commend these schools for their accomplishments.”
Achievement Gaps Persist
The Education Department noted several persistent achievement gaps:
• in grade 4, black and Hispanic students as well as English-language learners and those with disabilities scored at least 25 points below the state average
• in grade 8, students in the same groups were at least 17 points below
• in grade 11, students in the same groups were at least 14 points below
“Thanks to some of our ongoing initiatives to improve science instruction, we will continue to see improvements. I am concerned, however, that our achievement gaps continue to be wide and that they are growing. I am also concerned that we are not on track to meet out 2012 statewide targets,” said Education Commissioner Deborah Gist.
