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.
Most content area tests consist of a combination of multiple-choice (1 point) and constructed-response (4 points) questions. The mathematics sessions also include short-answer questions worth 1 or 2 points, but do not include constructed-response items at grades 3 or 4. (Constructed- response questions require students to develop their own answers to questions. On the mathematics test, students may be required to provide the correct answer to a computation or word problem, draw or interpret a chart or graph, or explain how they solved a problem. On the reading test, students may be required to make a list or write a few paragraphs to answer a question related to a literary or informational passage.)
Writing sessions also include one extended-response prompt (12 points), in addition to the multiple-choice and constructed-response questions.
Students' scores are based on 52 points in reading, 65 or 66 points in mathematics (depending on grade level), and 34 points in writing. Students are allowed up to 100% extra time to complete the test.
NECAP student results will be reported in one of four achievement levels:
Proficient with Distinction
Proficient
Partially Proficient
Substantially Below Proficient
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.
Maine continues to use the MEA (Maine Educational Assessment) for science because Maine's approach and standards vary significantly from NECAP's. Maine also uses the SAT as the 11th grade assessment, an effort to increase college aspirations.
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 'proficient' and 'proficient with distinction' 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)
|
Reading
|
State 09
|
State 10
|
Gorham 09
|
Gorham 10
|
Gorham 09/10
+/-
|
|
Beginning of Grade 3
|
73%
|
69%
|
78%
|
80%
|
+2%
|
|
Beginning of Grade 4
|
67%
|
68%
|
71%
|
75%
|
+4%
|
|
Beginning of Grade 5
|
72%
|
70%
|
76%
|
79%
|
+3%
|
|
Beginning of Grade 6
|
69%
|
72%
|
74%
|
81%
|
+7%
|
|
Beginning of Grade 7
|
68%
|
66%
|
73%
|
78%
|
+5%
|
|
Beginning of Grade 8
|
69%
|
73%
|
73%
|
84%
|
+11%
|
|
Average:
|
70%
|
69.7%
|
74%
|
79.5%
|
+5.5%
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mathematics
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginning of Grade 3
|
62%
|
61%
|
64%
|
73%
|
+9%
|
|
Beginning of Grade 4
|
62%
|
60%
|
72%
|
67%
|
-5%
|
|
Beginning of Grade 5
|
64%
|
60%
|
70%
|
79%
|
+9%
|
|
Beginning of Grade 6
|
63%
|
63%
|
68%
|
78%
|
+10%
|
|
Beginning of Grade 7
|
60%
|
58%
|
67%
|
70%
|
+3%
|
|
Beginning of Grade 8
|
59%
|
59%
|
71%
|
66%
|
-5%
|
|
Average:
|
62%
|
60%
|
69%
|
72%
|
+3%
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Writing
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginning of Grade 5
|
|
43%
|
|
60%
|
|
|
Beginning of Grade 8
|
|
53%
|
|
72%
|
|
|
Average:
|
|
48%
|
|
66%
|
|
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.
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.