Just yesterday, the latest English and Math test score results for 2014 were released by the New York State Department of Education (NYSED). While we’re hoping to take a deeper look at the results over the coming weeks, we have some initial reflections to share with you right away. Below, we’ve highlighted the data for the third and eighth grades.
English and Math Proficiency Rates
So what do these scores really mean? Students fall into one of four categories based on their test results:
Level 1: Student is well below proficient in the learning standards for that grade level.
Level 2: Student is partially proficient in the learning standards for that grade level. He or she is on track to meet graduation requirements.
Level 3: Student is proficient in the learning standards for that grade level. He or she is also on track to meet aspirational college- and career-readiness standards.
Level 4: Student is very proficient or excels in the learning standards for that grade level.
In keeping with NYSED’s standard practice, our use of the term “proficiency rate” refers to the percentage of students who score at Levels 3 and 4.
Hover your mouse over the chart to see the proficiency rates for each year, grade, and subject.
In Westchester County, there were mixed results, with county-wide proficiency rates hovering in the 30-40% range for each grade level and subject. While county proficiency rates did go up for Grade 8 English and Grade 3 Math, they decreased slightly for Grade 3 English and Grade 8 Math.
At the district level, 93% of Westchester County school districts saw at least some improvement in their Grade 3 Math rates. English Language Arts results for both third and eighth grade are much more jumbled, with roughly half of districts experiencing decreases in ELA rates while the other half’s rates rose.
In particular, a number of districts saw drastic drops in eighth grade math proficiency rates. At least part of this decrease can be attributed to a new waiver that allows accelerated math students to take the High School Math Regents exam instead of the Grade 8 Math exam. As a result, many of the students who would have normally scored at the highest levels of proficiency did not participate in the Grade 8 Math test at all.
We hope to share more of our thoughts on the data next week. In the meantime, you might want to check out this handy tool from The Journal News that allows you to look up English and Math results by county, district, and school.
Pingback: New school year. Let's review education data. - WCA - Children By The Numbers Blog
Pingback: 2014 ELA and Math Proficiency Rates - WCA - Children By The Numbers Blog