Jeanné Collins
Superintendent of Schools, Burlington

STATE ASSESSMENTS: WHAT ARE WE LEARNING?

May 1, 2008
Individual student test performance information indicates we are on the right track with the interventions we are putting in place in Burlington schools to address achievement gaps. The majority of our students, in every school, met the academic standard set under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2008.

Edmunds Elementary and Barnes Elementary achieved the academic goal in Reading and Math for every student group. Barnes did not receive the official designation due to participation requirements.

This year, higher performance targets were set as the federal law attempts to move schools closer to the goal of 100 percent student proficiency in reading and math by 2014. In many of our schools, our results mirrored the state and national trend - students from families in poverty tend to have lower performance on standardized tests than students from families of higher incomes. It is largely in these areas that we missed the performance goals.

We are working to ensure that every child, regardless of their family income, receives the tools and support to become proficient in the core subjects that form the foundation for their academic success. We also continue to maintain our unwavering commitment to provide every student with a challenging and well-rounded education that include science, social studies, music, art, computer literacy, world language and physical education. While these areas are not tested, they are essential for our students to succeed in higher education, the workplace and community of the future. We cannot fall victim to "teaching to the test."

For several years, we have put in place additional support for reading. This year, we are piloting a new math curriculum in our elementary schools and math tutorial support has been increased in many schools. After school programming across the district has also increased academic support this year. Next year, we will increase support for English Language Learners and introduce world language at elementary schools. We continue to strengthen our partnerships in the arts and sustainability. Every teacher will be receiving training on how to better use the test results to identify challenges and target support.

We now have three years of test results from the NECAP, our standardized assessments. Using the data from these tests over time will allow us to measure year-to-year progress for individual students. The current assessment model is deficient in tracking progress over time. Tracking individual student progress in this way will provide teachers with more useful information to help our students succeed.