NCLB Report Card:
Testing, Accountability and Progress Within the Gorham Schools

Report Card Summary - Data Highlights and Challenges

Data Analysis - Longitudinal Summative Data Analysis:
Gorham Achievement Reporting and Progress
April 2010
Updated, March 2011

This Report Card Summary of our data highlights and challenges is offered in conjunction with our Local Comprehensive Assessment System, resulting from our longitudinal data trends and analysis.

This encompasses two major data compilations. The first is a five year overview of MEA Data from 2005-2010, capped with the recently completed 3-Year Averaging of district Math and Reading Scores by the Maine Department of Education, completed in March 2010, as part of the NCLB reporting requirements. The second is a two-year comparison of district NECAP Data resulting from the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 testing administration periods.

Gorham General Data Observations from 2005-2010 (See Chart Below):

In terms of this state reporting, the following are Gorham's 3-Year Average (2007-2010) Combined Percentage of students meeting or exceeding the standards in reading and math:

K-5 (Village) = 68.48%
6-8 (GMS) = 71.22%
9-12 (GHS) = 56.61%
All compared to the overall (K-12 state average score of 59% / HS state average score of 43%)

The following are Gorham's Progress Reporting Scores in terms of cumulative percentage growth in reading and math over three years:

K-5 (Village) = 6.04%
6-8 (GMS) = 7.18%
9-12 (GHS) = -0.28%
All compared to the overall (K-12 state median growth score of 4.18% / HS state median growth score of 2.88%)

The 3-Year Pattern of combined scores at each level for Gorham students shows some fluctuation but definitive end of cycle growth as noted here:

K-5 (Village) = 68.18% (06-07) to 63.04% (07-08) to 74.22% (08-09)
6-8 (GMS) = 67.55% (06-07) to 71.39% (07-08) to 74.73% (08-09)
9-12 (GHS) = 56.40% (06-07) to 57.29% (07-08) to 56.12% (08-09)

GSD 4-Year MEA Data Trends: School Achievement & Progress

 



Scores at each level were consistently higher than the state averages throughout these time periods.

In terms of 4-year MEA Data Trends, when tracking cohort groups, we find that there are general; increases across each of the 4-year span groups in both reading and math.  This is evidenced in the chart included herein:

Gorham School Department
44-Year MEA Data Trends
Cohort Group Tacking

 

	Reading 06	Reading 07	Reading 08	Reading 09		Math 06	Math 07	Math 08	Math 09
Grade 3	68	62	59	68		64	60	64	83
Grade 4	70	72	64	74		64	69	55	74
Grade 5	60	72	66	76		66	71	71	70
Grade 6	71	75	84	82		61	59	60	65
Grade 7	68	80	80	88		56	66	66	73
Grade 8	59	76	79	78		44	51	62	64

Grades K-5 General Inferences and Conclusions:

When looking at yearly MEA data, in Reading, there has been steady progress above the state average as students moved through from grades 3-5.

Math follows a similar trend - by 5th grade, all students are well above the state average.

In reading, all grade levels from 07-08 to 08-09 have jumped almost 10% AND all 3 grade levels have scores in reading the highest that they've ever been in 08-09*

Grade 3 Reading in 07-08 jumped from 59% to 74% in 08-09 as 4th graders
Grade 4 Reading in 07-08 jumped from 64% to 76% in 08-09 as 5th graders
* It is important to note that 2008-09 was the first full year of our core reading program implementation at the K-5 level.

In math, all grade levels are also showing the highest scores in 08-09 that they've ever been

From the White Paper in 06-07, we were ranked 11th in reading and math at 3rd grade level in comparison to the 10-School Pool. At that time, we were 3% below the state average in reading and 5% below the state average in math.

When looking at the 3-year average of combined elementary reading and math scores, we are actually almost 10% higher than the state average (that includes scores from 3rd through 11th grades.

When looking at the 3-year average growth progress of combined elementary reading and math scores, we are almost 2% higher than the state average (that includes scores from 3rd through 11th grades.

In all three grade levels, in both reading and math, we've gone from below state average to above state average.

Commensurate to this, we have moved to the middle of the 10-School Pool in terms of both achievement and growth. E.g. there are 24 elementary schools in the 10-School Pool. In the 3 year average combining reading and math, Gorham is now #12 in the ranking in terms of achievement.

In looking at the amount of progress that we've made in the last 3 years, we are 14th out of 24 in the 10-School Pool of Elementary Schools.

In terms of demographics, when comparing to similar district districts within the 10-School Pool, Gorham is in the upper third at the elementary level and 2nd highest out of 6 at the Middle and High School Levels in terms of 3-year averages in reading and math.

It is safe to say that we are moving in the right direction.

Review of Middle School Results

 

 

New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) Overview - Update March 2011

Maine has joined New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont in the yearly development and administration of the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP). This assessment is used by participating states to meet No Child Left Behind Act requirements for testing reading and mathematics once each year from grade 3 through grade 8. The states also include a writing assessment administered at grades 5 and 8. The first NECAP administration in Maine began in October 2009.

NECAP assesses the learning of NECAP Grade Level Expectations (GLEs), which are located at the NECAP Standards link on the Maine.gov website under the category of K-12 Education / Assessments / NECAP.
NECAP is designed to assess learning from the prior year (teaching year) at the beginning of the next school year (testing year). Therefore, grades 2-7 reading and mathematics are assessed at the beginning of grades 3-8. Fourth and 7th grade writing is assessed at the beginning of grades 5 and 8. Maine's personalized alternate assessment program (PAAP) will now be provided for students in grades 2-7.

The NECAP testing window begins on October 1st or the first school day following October 1st each year and is 3 weeks long. Assessment reports are released during the third week of the following January.
NECAP student results will be reported in one of four achievement levels:

 

NECAP testing accommodations are available for students with specialized learning needs.
NECAP test results are used primarily for school improvement and accountability.
Achievement level results are used in the state accountability system required under
No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Schools to help improve curriculum and instruction use more detailed school and district results. Individual student results are used to support information gathered through classroom instruction and assessments.

Summary of Gorham Schools NECAP Results

As noted, Gorham Schools received NECAP testing results at the end of January. The summary of average scores (combined percentages of students at the levels of ìproficientî and ìproficient with distinctionî are noted in the following table.

NECAP Data Comparison Chart
Fall 2009 & Fall 2010
Summary of Average Scores* in Reading and Mathematics
Gorham Schools compared to the State of Maine

*Average Scores represent the combined percentage of students at the levels of 'proficient' (meeting the standards) or 'proficient with distinction' (exceeding the standards)

Please note, 'cohort' groups, are noted in similar colors on this chart. These indicate a consistent grade level 'class' that moves from one year to another. By following the colors from one year to another, the percent increase or decrease in a specific area can be noted.

NECAP Data Summary Observations:

The following observations may be noted from this data:

The percentage of students in Gorham at proficiency levels or above is considerably higher than the state average in reading and math across all grade levels, 3-8.

In the area of Reading, Gorham students scored from 7 - 12% higher than the state with an average of almost 10% higher than the state across all six grades.

In the area of Mathematics, Gorham students scored 7-15% higher than the state with an average of 12% higher than the state average across all six grade levels.

In this first administration of Writing, Gorham students scored an average of 18% higher than the state average across the 5th and 8th grade levels.

In general, this second year of NECAP testing has evidenced an increase in scores across all grade levels and areas (except the beginning of 8th grade) as noted above.

In general, most cohort (color coded) groups moving from one grade level to another in each area realized gains (in some cases, significant) in achievement.

In general, we are extremely pleased with our NECAP results for Gorham and look forward to using this data as part of our larger comprehensive assessment system to help inform teaching and learning for our students. Staff members at each school will use district, school and student data to document student achievement as well as to inform instruction and strategic interventions for students as needed.

Challenges:

Our primary challenge continue to center around raising the level of overall achievement toward our ultimate district goal of having 90% of students doing math and reading on Grade Level by the year 2014. This parallels the NCLB AYP objectives of having 100% of all students proficient in the same time period.

As the proficiency trajectory targets increase toward the 100% mark in both math and reading, moving all students toward proficiency becomes increasingly difficult, especially in terms of the subgroup, students with disabilities. This remains our biggest challenge, especially in times of declining budgets and resources.

As noted in the school action plans delineated in the Gorham Schools AYP Status Report that is on the Gorham Schools Website, there is extensive ongoing work at every level to meet this goal, both in terms of short-term (triage) and long-term (systemic) planning and relevant infrastructures to support this work. Throughout the planning documents, challenges are noted and proposed actions in place to continue to advance our work.

We will continue to monitor our student achievement progress toward our ultimate goals, as noted above. It is with continued optimism and passion that we embrace these to meet the learning needs of all of our students.