MCAS Analysis Report Spring 2009

Transcription

1 MCAS Analysis Report Spring 2009 I. Executive Summary The results of our students performances on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System Test are used in a variety of ways. The federal government is using student and school MCAS performance to determine whether or not schools and districts are steadily progressing, year by year, toward achievement by 2014 of the national goal set forth in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The goal is: all students will achieve proficiency in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, through the Department of Education, evaluates MCAS results to determine a school s performance based on Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). AYP is calculated by a formula that uses three factors that are weighted differently: Participation Rate, Performance Improvement, and Additional Indicator (such as attendance or graduation rate). Student performance is the fundamental component of AYP. It is measured by calculating the Composite Performance Index (CPI) for the district based on each individual student score. CPI is a 100-point index that assigns values to the scores of each student participating in the MCAS. For example, any student who performs in the Proficient (P) or Advanced (A) categories on the MCAS is assigned 100 points. Needs Improvement (NI) and Warning (W) categories are split into High and Low sub categories to award districts points for progressing toward student proficiency. Composite Performance Index Point Scale MCAS Category Points Awarded Proficient and Advanced 100 Needs Improvement - High 75 Needs Improvement - Low 50 Warning/Failing - High 25 Warning/Failing - Low 0 The Mass DOE has discontinued the practice of using multiple years for determining AYP. Instead they will issue an AYP determination on a yearly basis. They feel the change in practice creates a simpler calculation formula and is more transparent in determining AYP. As a school district, Wayland met its AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) targets in the participation, performance, and attendance categories but did not meet the AYP targets for improvement for three student sub-group categories (Special Education at the Elementary Schools and Special Education and Low Income at the Middle School). The District is rated as No Status for the NCLB Accountability. The Happy Hollow and the Middle School did not make AYP for Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 1

2 Happy Hollow is rated as No Status because it was the first year the school did not make AYP. The Middle School did not make AYP because the threshold amount of students in the Special Education and Low Income subgroups fell short of the CPI target to meet AYP. In short, one of the district s schools has been identified for Improvement. The staff is continuing to identify and address those students needs and will be have access to the Commonwealth s new District and School Assistance Centers (DSAC). The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) opened six regional assistance centers. Schools like Wayland Middle School will have priority for assistance. This change in the accountability system is designed to leverage local expertise and combine it with resources at the DSAC. At the local level, we use MCAS results to help us make informed decisions about curricular and instructional change and to monitor the extent to which local curriculum is aligned with the State Framework. We also use the test results of individual students to help determine which students need additional instructional opportunities. In summary, all of the Wayland Public Schools are doing well. We have among the highest composite scores in the upper grades for all the school districts in the Commonwealth. We will, however, inevitably experience some score variation from year to year as individual students change at a particular grade level, and this year s scores proved to have some variation. We are concerned about, and committed to, improving the performance gaps that have been identified in this report between several sub-groups and the aggregate. We are also focused on meeting AYP in the Improvement Goal categories despite the difficulty of meeting those goals as we close in on the performance ceiling. Overall, we experienced some increase in the combined Advanced and Proficient in four of the seven English/ Language Arts (ELA) grade levels that were tested. In mathematics, we experienced greater variation in scores as compared to ELA, with increases in three of the seven grade levels tested, decreases in four of the seven scores. The charts that follow present a snapshot of our performance over time in the various subject areas. A cell with NA on the chart is an indication that a subject test was not administered by the state in that given year. Again this year we included several charts that look at the MCAS data longitudinally. By placing consecutive years of scores side by side, we can begin to track the same group of students from one year to the next. Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 2

3 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS GRADE 3 READING PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING 1999 NA NA NA 2000 NA NA NA % 15% 1% % 13% 0% % 17% 3% % 17% 3% % 19% 2% ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (GRADE 3 cont.) PROFICIENT + PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 51% 24% 3% % 47% 20% 3% % 48% 19% 5% % 54% 24% 3% GRADE 4 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 27% 70% 3% % 22% 74% 3% % 60% 30% 3% % 58% 23% 3% % 54% 17% 1% % 67% 18% 1% % 48% 30% 5% % 59% 26% 3% % 56% 25% 4% % 50% 28% 3% % 53% 21% 5% GRADE 5 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 56% 17% 2% % 52% 17% 2% % 59% 17% 3% % 52% 15% 2% Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 3

4 GRADE 6 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 60 9% 1% % 67% 13% 2% % 52% 7% 2% % 54% 2% 2% GRADE 7 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING 1999 NA NA NA NA 2000 NA NA NA NA % 70% 16% 1% % 64% 7% 1% % 72% 5% 0% English Language Arts (Grade 7 cont.) % 66% 5% 0% % 67% 4% 2% % 49% 6% 2% % 68% 3% 1% % 55% 5% 0% % 53% 10% 0% GRADE 8 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 73% 9% 2% % 75% 11% 1% % 73% 9% 1% 2002 NA NA NA NA 2003 NA NA NA NA 2004 NA NA NA NA 2005 NA NA NA NA % 60% 5% 1% % 60% 4% 0% % 70% 3% 1% % 54% 2% 2% Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 4

5 GRADE 10 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 58% 26% 8% % 50% 27% 5% % 39% 6% 1% % 36% 9% 1% % 44% 9% 1% % 35% 13% 1% % 39% 6% 1% % 57% 5% 0% % 44% 8% 0% % 44% 6% 1% % 37% 5% 0% Grade GRADES 3-10 ELA SCORES ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 54% 24% 3% % 53% 21% 5% % 52% 15% 2% % 60% 10% 1% % 53% 10% 0% % 54% 2% 2% % 37% 5% 0% Combined Advanced & Proficient Grade % % % % % % % MATHEMATICS GRADE 3 MATHEMATICS ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 57% 30% 9% % 55% 18% 3% % 44% 19% 6% % 45% 17% 7% Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 5

6 GRADE 4 MATHEMATICS ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 32% 33% 5% % 46% 30% 3% % 39% 40% 8% % 40% 30% 3% % 44% 26% 1% % 36% 31% 2% % 35% 38% 6% % 26% 36% 9% % 34% 33% 6% % 36% 27% 3% % 41% 32% 5% GRADE 5 MATHEMATICS ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 35% 28% 13% % 36% 15% 8% % 36% 21% 7% % 36% 20% 4% GRADE 6 MATHEMATICS ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING 1999 NA NA NA NA 2000 NA NA NA NA % 28% 12% 8% % 36% 11% 3% % 32% 14% 5% % 24% 18% 6% % 30% 20% 5% % 33% 16% 10% % 32% 16% 6% % 29% 11% 5% % 34% 19% 5% GRADE 7 MATHEMATICS ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 40% 18% 5% % 46% 13% 5% % 44% 17% 5% % 40% 14% 7% Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 6

7 GRADE 8 MATHEMATICS ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 35% 17% 8% % 31% 18% 12% % 33% 20% 5% % 36% 13% 7% % 30% 19% 9% % 36% 18% 4% % 38% 17% 6% % 34% 23% 7% % 37% 13% 5% % 31% 12% 3% % 28% 17% 7% GRADE 10 MATHEMATICS ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 28% 26% 24% % 25% 17% 10% % 20% 11% 4% % 27% 15% 3% % 34% 13% 3% % 22% 9% 4% % 23% 8% 3% % 18% 3% 1% % 18% 4% 0% % 17% 5% 0% % 16% 2% 1% Grade ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 45% 17% 7% % 41% 32% 5% % 36% 20% 4% % 34% 19% 5% % 40% 14% 7% % 28% 17% 7% % 16% 2% 1% Combined Advanced & Proficient Grade % % % % % % % Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 7

8 GRADE 5 SCIENCE ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 45% 39% 6% % 60% 20% 1% % 49% 21% 4% % 46% 14% 2% % 52% 23% 3% % 37% 33% 5% % 41% 27% 2% % 41% 28% 4% % 48% 23% 1% GRADE 8 SCIENCE ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 55% 26% 5% % 56% 28% 4% % 62% 18% 2% % 57% 22% 3% GRADE 10 SCIENCE ADVANCED PROFICIENT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT WARNING % 53% 8% 1% % 43% 11% 0% Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 8

9 Longitudinal 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% th Grade Advanced and Proficient Tested Grade ELA 83% 93% 97% 95% Math 73% 75% 77% 82% 97% Science 84% 75% 88% 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% th Grade Advanced and Proficient Tested Grade ELA 79% 65% 81% 85% 93% 97% Math 67% 59% 78% 78% 76% Science 62% 74% Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 9

10 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% th Grade Advanced and Proficient Tested Grade ELA 79% 71% 82% 90% 90% Math 54% 78% 84% 80% Science 72% 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% th Grade Advanced and Proficient Tested Grade ELA 71% 82% 89% Math 54% 78% 84% Science 72% Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 10

11 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% th Grade Advanced and Proficient Tested Grade ELA 78% 70% 83% Math 80% 71% 75% Science 76% 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 3 4 ELA 77% 74% Math 76% 64% Science th Grade Advanced and Proficient Tested Grade Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 11

12 English Language Arts Elementary I. Overview The 2009 ELA MCAS results show that Wayland elementary students continue to demonstrate high levels of academic success. Students scored better than the state in all grade levels (14% in Grade 3, 21% in grade 4, and 20% in grade 5). The 2009 Grade 4 and 5 scores reflect an increase of students scoring in the Proficient and above levels. However, the number of Grade 3 students who scored Proficient and above decreased by 5%. It is important to note that the 2009 Grade 5 cohort improved their score by 4% since taking the test in Grade 3 (79% in Grade 3 scored Proficient and above vs. 83% in Grade 5). Grade 5 students also showed a marked improvement (+9%) in students who scored in the Advanced level when compared to the previous year s fifth graders. The following charts document the performance across the district: Grade 3 Performance Levels Above Proficient District 22% 25% 29% 18% State 18% 14% 14% 12% Proficient District 79% 51% 54% 48% 54% State 62% 40% 45% 41% 45% Needs Improvement District 19% 24% 18% 19% 24% State 30% 34% 34% 33% 33% Failing/Warning District 2% 3% 3% 5% 3% State 6% 8% 9% 11% 10% Grade 4 Performance Levels Advanced District 17% 12% 15% 20% 21% State 10% 8% 10% 8% 11% Proficient District 48% 59% 55% 50% 53% State 40% 42% 46% 41% 42% Needs Improvement District 30% 26% 25% 28% 21% State 40% 39% 34% 39% 35% Failing/Warning District 5% 3% 5% 3% 5% State 11% 12% 10% 13% 11% Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 12

13 Grade 5 Performance Levels Advanced District 25% 30% 22% 31% State 15% 15% 13% 15% Proficient District 56% 52% 59% 52% State 44% 48% 48% 48% Needs Improvement District 17% 17% 16% 15% State 31% 28% 30% 29% Failing/Warning District 2% 2% 3% 2% State 9% 9% 9% 8% II. Analysis of Performance by Grade and Test: The ELA MCAS assesses students reading comprehension and writing ability. In Grades 3, 4, and 5, students reading comprehension is assessed with multiple choice questions in response to a piece of literature and open response questions which require students to demonstrate reading comprehension through writing. The Grade 4 test also includes a long composition prompt requiring students to write a narrative connected to a personal experience. Wayland s fourth grade scores drop between third and fourth grade. This is consistent with the performance of students across the state. It should be noted that the fourth grade MCAS has a heavier written component than the third grade test which has only two open response requirements and no long composition. Student scores increase again in grade 5 showing significant gains in the number of students testing at the Advanced level, and a decrease in those scoring in Needs Improvement or Warning. Multiple Choice Questions Over the last few years, Wayland s performance on multiple-choice questions has remained consistent. As a district, we have focused on reading comprehension strategies and our students are applying this knowledge on the MCAS. The following charts document the district s performance on multiple choice items: Grade 3 Multiple Choice Percent Correct % 82% 87% 86% 88% Grade 4 Multiple Choice Percent Correct % 80% 86% 88% 86% Grade 5 Multiple Choice Percent Correct % 87% 85% 88% Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 13

14 Wayland s performance is not only improves on each grade level test from year to year (Grade 3 in 2005 was 81% and Grade 3 in 2009 is 88%), but students are performing better as they progress through the elementary schools. Students scored 81% on multiple choice items as third graders in 2005 vs. 87% as fifth graders in 2007, 82% as third graders in 2006 vs. 85% as fifth graders in 2008, and 87% as third graders in 2007 vs. 88% as fifth graders in 2009). Also notable in the multiple-choice section is the decrease in most-missed questions (less than 80% correct as a district) as children progress through the elementary grades. In 2006, third grade students missed 9 questions. This same cohort missed 5 questions as fifth graders in In 2007, the third graders missed 6 questions and as fifth graders in 2009 they missed 5 questions. The same trend holds true for each cohort. Number of Most- Missed Questions Grade In previous years it was noted that our students were not performing as well as expected on questions related to the Language Standard. These questions ask students to label or find a part of speech or determine the meaning of a vocabulary word in context. It was recommended that instruction in K-5 have a stronger focus on grammar and vocabulary. This adjustment in instruction has proven to be successful as reflected in the following chart. Language Questions Percent Correct Grade State District State District State District State District 3 73% 77% 82% 86% 80% 85% 83% 88% 4 67% 74% 70% 74% 82% 87% 83% 87% 5 74% 83% 75% 88% 83% 88% 78% 84% Open Response Questions Open response questions require students to compose short answers demonstrating their understanding of the text. There are two open response questions on the Grade 3 test and four on the Grades 4 and 5 tests. Each relates to a reading piece and assesses a student s ability to make an inference and support his/her ideas by quoting facts from the text. Wayland continues to score below expectations in this area in all three grade levels. The lower scores this year are consistent with the dip in scores across the state. Wayland students continue to need explicit instruction in writing a response to a question about a text. This continues to be an area of focus for the elementary schools. Open Response Percent Correct Grade State District State District State District State District 3 56% 60% 57% 65% 44% 50% 38% 40% 4 50% 53% 49% 55% 49% 56% 48% 56% 5 52% 56% 54% 62% 50% 56% 38% 40% Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 14

15 Writing Prompt The Writing Prompt is only on the Grade 4 MCAS. It is a long composition prompt requiring students to write a narrative connected to a personal experience. The Writing Prompt assesses students on two aspects of composition: 1. Topic/Idea Development (CT), which includes writing development, organization, use of detail, variety in sentence structure and language 2. Use of Standard English Writing Conventions (CC), which includes mechanics as well as usage and grammar Wayland continues to score below expectations in this area. The 2009 scores dropped by 10% from previous years. However, it should be noted that the drop in Wayland s scores is consistent with the drop in the scores of students across the State. Wayland has consistently scored approximately 4% above the State average and 2009 was no exception. Wayland students continue to need explicit instruction in writing a narrative in response to a prompt. Research in current writing practices discusses the importance of classroom practice that reflects the structure of the gradual release of responsibility theory (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983), which consists of explicit whole class lessons, small group guided practice, independent application and one-onone instruction. This is recommended four times per week for approximately 45 minutes to lift the quality of student writing (L. Calkins, D. Graves, 1983). Wayland Elementary Schools have adopted the Lucy Calkins Units of Study. This is the third year of a gradual rollout, and currently each K-5 classroom is implementing at least two units of study. This program explicitly models strategies for topic development, conventions and revision. This will continue to be an area of focus for the elementary schools. Grade 4 Writing Prompt Percent Correct District 74% 76% 74% 76% 66% State 72% 72% 70% 70% 62% III. Analysis of Identified Subgroup Performance Special Needs Students Wayland students with special needs continue to perform significantly lower than the district. A high percentage of our students with special needs are scoring below Proficient in all three grade levels (60% in Grade 3, 73% in Grade 4, and 60% in Grade 5). This subgroup scored below the state average in all areas of the ELA MCAS, at all three grade levels (17% below the State in Grade 3, 26% below the State in Grade 4, and 23% below the State in Grade 5). Overall, 85% of this subgroup passed the Grade 5 MCAS this year. The elementary schools need to continue to focus on closing this gap in performance for students with special needs. Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 15

16 Grade 3 Performance Levels P+ P NI W % 27% 61% 10% % 38% 48% 10% % 35% 35% 19% % 30% 45% 15% Grade 4 Performance Levels A P NI W % 39% 45% 15% % 30% 52% 18% % 26% 61% 11% % 27% 51% 22% Grade 5 Performance Levels A P NI W % 38% 45% 10% % 38% 52% 5% % 51% 33% 12% % 30% 45% 15% Black/Latino Sub-group Students in this subgroup are performing below Wayland s White and Asian students. GRADE 3: *Results were suppressed because this subgroup was less than 10 for 2009 GRADE 4: 22 Students Performance Level 2009 # % Advanced 1 4% Proficient 13 59% Needs Improvement 6 27% Failing/Warning 2 10% GRADE 5: 24 Students Performance Level 2009 # % Advanced 4 17% Proficient 15 62% Needs Improvement 5 21% Failing/Warning 0 0% Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 16

17 A closer look at the data shows that Wayland s Black students are scoring lower than their Latino peers. This is reflected in the following charts. GRADE 4: 12 Students # % State Average for Subgroup Advanced 1 8% 3% Proficient 5 42% 26% Needs Improvement 4 33% 47% Failing/Warning 2 17% 24% GRADE 5: 11 Students # % State Average for Subgroup Advanced 0 0% 0% Proficient 8 73% 43% Needs Improvement 3 27% 57% Failing/Warning 0 0% 0% Black students in Wayland performed significantly higher than their Black peers across the State. This subgroup also scored higher than the overall state average. However, they did not score as well as their Wayland peers. In Grade 4, 50% of our Black students scored Proficient and above vs. the district average of 74%. This reflects a 20% difference. In Grade 5, 73% of our Black students scored Proficient and above vs. the district average of 83%. This reflects a 10% difference. These numbers demonstrate that the gap is smaller in Grade 5 than in Grade 4. The 2009 Grade 5 Black cohort showed considerable gains. In 2008 only 30% of this group scored at the Proficient level, 70% scored Needs Improvement or Warning. It should be noted that many of these students received reading intervention services and strategic student assessment provided classroom teachers with concrete data to aid instruction. As a district, it is our mission to continue working to close the Achievement Gap that exists within our student population. IV. Recommendations 1. Teachers will implement the Lucy Calkins writing curriculum and continue to learn how to analyze student work in order to lift the level of writing for all students. 2. Teachers will teach students how to answer open response questions during their weekly lessons. Students will regularly generate open-ended questions and answer these questions during interactive read aloud, whole class focus lessons and nonfiction content reading. Teachers will continue to study children s reading response samples to inform their instruction. Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 17

18 3. Teachers of K-2 students will continue to use the Open Court Phonics Program. This program places particular emphasis on decoding multi-syllabic words, learning spelling rules, understanding the meaning of many vocabulary words and understanding English grammar. This program should improve students ability to answer the language questions and decode unfamiliar words in the reading samples. 4. The ELA Curriculum Director and ELA Committee will research spelling and vocabulary programs that will enhance student learning in grades 3, 4, and All elementary teachers will participate in Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings during the year with Building Principals and/or the Curriculum Director to analyze the following assessment data: Classroom notes from small group and individual student conferences Grade level assessments (DRA; DDS, Lexia; DIBELS; GRADE; MCAS) Comprehension results from a grade level passage and test questions Student reading response journal entries Special education and classroom teachers will use this assessment data to create a monthly plan for whole class, small group and individual instruction. 6. The Assistant Superintendent and ELA Curriculum Director will plan and organize the 2010 Wayland Literacy Institute making this an annual professional development event. The institute is a valuable professional development vehicle because it: allows Wayland teachers to learn from nationally recognized educators fosters instructional leadership within the district ensures that teacher presenters hone their skills as they reflect on their practice and prepare to share their work with others engages neighboring districts in collaborative professional development with Wayland teachers provides funds to enhance professional development 7. All elementary teachers will be encouraged to visit other classrooms and/or watch a colleague s instruction via videotapes throughout the year. This practice enables teachers to share and discuss teaching techniques and student learning. 8. The administrative team will continue to ensure that classroom disruptions are kept at a minimum. 9. All teachers will participate in professional development focused on closing the Achievement Gap. Teresa Perry, author of Young, Gifted, and Black: Promoting High Achievement Among Black Students, will work with administrators and teachers to implement strategies to improve student learning. Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 18

19 10. All Boston resident students in Grades 3-5 will participate in the IPOD Program. The goals of this program are to improve students vocabulary and comprehension knowledge and to promote a love of reading. The IPOD project enables students to listen to record books while commuting to and from school. After the students have listened to a book, the Principal, METCO Coordinator and/or the Curriculum Director will meet with students to discuss the books. 11. Each fourth grade classroom in the district will have four ipods for students to use during independent and small group reading. The ipods will support reading fluency and comprehension as children listen to stories and then discuss them with their teachers and peers. This project was graciously funded by the Wayland Public Schools Foundation. 12. Current research shows that children who struggle with fluency are likely to demonstrate difficulty in comprehension. Students in grades 3-5 who need support in this area will use the QuickReads program. Software-assisted reading provides a model of fluent reading while the student follows along with a print copy. The student then engages in repeated reading until he/she has achieved fluency and demonstrated comprehension. 13. The ELA Curriculum Director will continue to provide professional development for teaching assistants in K-5 classrooms on how to teach explicitly during small group lessons and individual conferences. 14. As the population of English Language Learners has increased over the last few years in Wayland, the district will continue to develop a plan to support these students in the classroom. ELL training has already been offered and many teachers have taken advantage of it. 15. Classroom teachers in grades K-5 will continue to teach the following genres over the course of the year: Poetry Traditional Literature (folktales, fairytales, myths, legends, nursery rhymes) Nonfiction (biographies, informational articles, journals) Fiction (Picture books, realistic fiction, fantasy) Plays (Readers Theater) 16. The Assistant Superintendent, ELA Curriculum Director, and elementary principals will coordinate with the Special Education Director to research and develop an intervention to help identified students reach grade level reading benchmarks. 17. It is recommended that Wayland develop an intervention program for Kindergarten students who exhibit weak beginning literacy skills. This may include training community volunteers, teaching assistants and/or parent volunteers to work with individual children and small groups. Ideally, the Kindergarten building should have a highly trained interventionist working with students. Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 19

20 18. All grades K-5 classrooms will continue to use Lexia as a support to students who are struggling with decoding, automaticity, and fluency skills. The ability to read accurately and fluently is essential to scoring well on this assessment. Teachers will receive training in interpreting the student reports and using the new Lexia interface. 19. Teachers should continue to use the Workshop model for reading and writing because it lends itself to differentiating instruction, allowing the teacher to explicitly teach each child the skills that he/she needs to learn. 20. Wayland will offer a summer reading intervention program for entering first and second grade students, staffed by highly qualified instructors. Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 20

21 English Language Arts Middle School I. Overview Wayland Middle School students have performed consistently well from year to year on the spring English Language Arts MCAS. MCAS, as one measure of the efficacy of reading and writing instruction at Wayland Middle School, provides evidence of the success of curriculum. Over 90% of all students scored in the Proficient or Advanced levels of performance, as well as outperforming the state. Overall, students demonstrated an ability to think critically about literature within a wide range of genres, while identifying correct answers and responding in writing to prompt. The percentage of students in the Advanced level of performance increased or remained stable, and grades six and eight decreased the percentage of students in Needs Improvement. The following tables document ELA levels of performance. Each year represents a different group of students. Grade 6 Wayland (State) Student Performance Levels Advanced 24% (10%) 18% (9%) 38% (15%) 29% (16%) Proficient 65% (54%) 67% (58%) 52% (52%) 60% (50%) Needs Improvement 9% (28%) 14% (25%) 7% (24%) 10% (24%) Warning 1% (8%) 1% (7%) 2% (6%) 1% (9%) Grade 7 Wayland (State) Student Performance Levels Advanced 23% (8%) Proficient 72% (57%) Needs Improvement % 28% 44% 28% 38% 37% (9%) (10%) (10%) (9%) (12%) (14%) 5% (28%) Warning 0% (7%) 66% (59%) 5% (25%) 0% (7%) 67% (56%) 4% (27%) 2% (8%) 49% (55%) 6% (26%) 2% (9%) 68% (60%) 3% (23%) 0% (8%) 55% (57%) 5% (23%) 0% (6%) Grade 8 Wayland (State) Performance Levels Advanced 34% (12%) 37% (12%) 26% (12%) 43% (15%) Proficient 60% (62%) 59% (63%) 70% (63%) 54% (63%) Needs Improvement 5% (19%) 4% (18%) 3% (18%) 2% (15%) Warning 1% (7%) 0% (6%) 1% (7%) 2% (6%) 53% (56%) 10% (23%) 0% (7%) Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 21

22 The following represents an historical tracking of progress for the three middle school grade levels. Documenting the growth of a group over time provides the system and school with the most valuable data, since the content and difficulty level changes yearly, but the student make-up remains stable. These tables may best be able to assess if the content and quality of the ELA instruction is making a difference over time. The MCAS is the only quantitative data available to inform qualitative data collected by teachers, students and families. Grade 8 Year Advanced Proficient NI Warning % 54% 2% 2% % 55% 5% 0% % 67% 13% 2% % 56% 17% 2% % 48% 30% 5% Years 06, 07, and 09 are comparable assessments in that each did not include a long composition. The literacy growth of this large class (246) is notable. The Middle School is very gratified by these testing results, as a school-wide emphasis on explicit instruction was honed and an archive of successful strategies was shared with receiving teachers. Students placing in the Advanced performance level more than doubled, while Needs Improvement was reduced by 11 percent. Growth from years 05 and 08 was noted in the 2008 report. Individual analysis of students performing below proficient is ongoing. All of these students are presently receiving special needs services. The ELA department continues to commit to ongoing professional development to lift the quality of student reading and writing. Grade 7 Year Advanced Proficient NI Warning % 53% 10% 0% % 52% 7% 2% % 52% 17% 2% % 48% 30% 5% The seventh graders are administered the long composition prompt, which assesses topic development language usage. The last time students were administered a like test was in fourth grade (2006). Again, the results are dramatic. The top performance level more than doubled while Needs Improvement decreased by 20 percent. No student was in Warning. The needs of the ten percent of students in the Needs Improvement level are ongoing. Grade 6 Year Advanced Proficient NI Warning % 54% 2% 2% % 55% 5% 0% % 67% 13% 2% After one year at the Middle School, this class showed a five percent increase at the Advanced level and a three percent decrease in Needs Improvement. The two percent increase at the Warning level is being analyzed. Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 22

23 II. Analysis of Performance by Grade, Test and Strand The assessment requires students to demonstrate their literacy proficiencies by responding to thirty-six multiple choice questions based on texts spanning many genres, and four open response short essays. Seventh graders also compose an informational, long composition based on a prompt. Their responses are scored on topic development and the use of conventional English. In sixth and eighth grade, Multiple Choice questions are worth 70% of the total score and Open Responses are worth 30%. In seventh grade, it breaks down as follows: Multiple Choice 50%, Open Response 22%, and Long Composition 28% (topic development 16%, conventions 12%). The assessment also differentiates between questions related to literature (skills and strategies for comprehending and appreciating high quality literature) and to language usage (vocabulary and structure of language). The following tables represent levels of students proficiency within different types of response formats and content strands. WMS students out-perform the state on all types of response formats, and some improvement is noted in student long and short response essay writing. It is difficult to conduct an error analysis on the multiple choice responses, since there is no obvious pattern or trend within and across grade levels. Grade 6 Percent Correct by Question Type and Strand Type of Question Multiple Choice 84% (73%) 84% (75%) 86% (76%) 88% (81%) Open Response 64% (52%) 62% (55%) 68% (56%) 66% (57%) Literature Strand 86% (77%) 80% (72%) Language Strand 79% (68%) 88% (83%) Grade Six Open Response Average Score The chart shows higher scores related to literature than language. As expected, sixth graders outperform the state on all types of response formats and content strands. While there are some gains on Open Response (OR) format, it continues to be a goal. Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 23

24 Grade Seven Percent Correct by Question Type and Strand Type of Question Writing Prompt 79% 81% (69%) 75% (67%) 67% (81 %) 76% (67%) Multiple Choice 87% 87% (77%) 89% (78%) 78% (71 %) 87% (79%) Open Response 67% 69% (52%) 68% (53%) 53% ( 55%) 70% (60%) Literature Strand 81% (69%) 81% (73%) Language Strand 89% (82%) 89% (81%) Composition Total 81% ( 71%) 89% (81%) Topic Development 72% (61%) 66% (57%) English Conventions 94% (85%) 91% 82% Grade Seven Open Response Increase in scores on Open Response questions is the highlight of this composition of scores for the seventh grade. Although Middle School students tend to miss multiple choice questions that fall within the Language and Style standards, students are demonstrating a strong command of language usage in context (in writing) year after year. Grade Eight Percent Correct by Question Type and Strand Type of Question Multiple Choice 88% (77%) 90% (77%) 89% (77%) 90% (80%) Open Response 72% (57%) 57% (59%) 74% (59%) 75% (59%) Literature Strand 82% ( 70%) 84% (72%) Language Strand 93% ( 76%) 92% (83%) Grade Eight Open Response Year Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 24

25 Grade eight performance shows that over time students seem to be able to incorporate the skills and strategies needed to interact with a variety of genres and to write effectively in response to each literary genre. Three out of four of the Open Response questions were 3.0 or above. This is definitely an improvement in writing in response to literature. III. Analysis of Subgroups Special Needs students continue to perform below the Middle School average. Between 65% and 78% of Special Needs students are scoring proficient and above. Although this is not satisfactory, looking back on their testing since elementary school, there are significant gains in each grade level. Grade Six Performance Level Year Advanced 4% (1%) 4% (1%) 3% (2%) 10% (2%) Proficient 52% (26%) 49% (26%) 62% (26%) 54% (24%) Needs Improvement 38% (46%) 40% (45%) 23% (42%) 30% (41%) Warning 6% (28%) 7% (28%) 13% (31%) 6% (33%) The chart shows significant increases in the Advanced level, yet 36% of these Special Needs students are under performing. Grade Seven Performance Level Year Advanced 4% 12% 10% 5% 2% 13 (1%) 8% (1%) Proficient 83% 73% 75% 60% 79% 65 (26%) 56% (27%) Needs Improvement 12% 15% 10% 25% 17% 17% (43%) 36% (44%) Warning 2% 0% 5% 10% 2% 4 (29%) 0% (27%) Thirty-six percent of seventh grade Special Needs students are falling below proficiency, but no one fell into the Warning level of performance. Grade Eight Performance Level Year Advanced 34% (12%) 7% (1%) 7% (1%) 13% (2%) Proficient 60% (62%) 73% (35%) 69% (35%) 72% (38%) Needs Improvement 4% (19%) 20% (39%) 17% (36%) 8% (36%) Warning 1% (6%) 0% (25%) 7% (27%) 8% (25%) Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 25

26 Eighty-five percent of the students are scoring in the Proficient range and above. These are very positive results. Fewer students scored Needs Improvement, yet an increase in Warning demands close analysis. Race/Ethnicity: To qualify as a reportable subgroup, there must be at least 10 students within a subgroup. In sixth grade, Latino is a subgroup which scored 40% (13%) Advanced and 60% (87%) Proficient. Of the eighteen students of color, one scored in Warning and one in Needs Improvement. Both are identified Special Needs students and are receiving services. In seventh grade, Black students scored 27% (4%) Advanced, 55% (46%) Proficient, and 18% (37%) Needs Improvement. Out of eighteen students reporting race/ethnicity, four scored in Needs Improvement. In eighth grade, the Black subgroup scored 83% (57%) proficient and 17% (11%) warning. The two students who fell into Warning are receiving services and the other seventeen are Proficient. Over time, more students are moving into proficiency. All underperforming students have been identified and serviced by Special Needs or the Literacy Program. ELA classrooms, SET, Literacy Boost, and Special Needs services need to deliver high quality instruction. Students seem to be gaining skills and strategies with respect to multiple choice questions, but they continue to struggle with writing response. Poetry seems to be the genre most challenging for this subgroup to make meaning. Literacy Students The Literacy program services regular education students who are at-risk readers and writers, measured by a variety of assessments: MCAS, GRADE, Dibels, and teacher observations. In sixth grade, students are serviced in a pull-out model during studies three times a week. In seventh grade, students opt for Literacy Workshop in lieu of taking a World Language. This is decided with the input of the student, teachers, MCAS, GRADE and families. They receive services four times a week. This is the first year of an eighth grade Literacy Workshop, with an emphasis on writing development. Students attend this class four days a week. In the sixth grade (16 students): 3 students score remained unchanged in the Needs Improvement level 2 students score remained in Needs Improvement but increased 7 students scores moved from Needs Improvement to Proficient 4 students scores moved from low Proficient to mid-high Proficient In seventh grade (3 students): All three students remained in the Needs Improvement level; they came to sixth grade in the Warning level In eighth grade (16 students): All sixteen students came to sixth grade in the Needs Improvement or Warning level; now fifteen are Proficient and one is Advanced. The Literacy Program seems to be an effective regular education intervention model. Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 26

27 Recommendations: Increase the amount of time students are receiving ELA instruction. Five hours a week at the sixth grade level and four hours a week (about 140 days) at the seventh grade and eighth grade levels are not sufficient to teach both reading and writing. This represents a decrease from elementary time-on-task. These three years are critical for receiving explicit reading and writing instruction. Increase facility with unpacking poetry Increase conferring opportunities for lifting the quality of student writing Interface with Special Needs and content area teachers on conferring practices Continue the eighth grade Literacy Workshop class Pilot the use of IPODs with recorded books with three Special Needs students who are receiving direct instruction with Wilson, a multisensory decoding program. The goal of this pilot is to grow vocabulary, understand story structure, and develop thinking strategies with texts too difficult to read independently, but accessible through listening. While these students are becoming more fluent and accurate in their reading, they will not lose ground interacting with complex texts. Continue to: Build upon the elementary ELA practices; students are arriving at the Middle School with increased reading stamina and more knowledge of the writing process and their role in it. Have the independent reading program drive the reading program while informing writers as well Bridge ELA experiences from the Middle School to the High School Examine reading and writing instruction delivered in special education classes, and analyze how these practices interface with regular education ELA instruction Revisit the reading and writing instruction and practice within the SET (Special Education Team) and after school Boston programs Provide a whole-school approach to writing short essays (open response) Provide explicit, direct reading and writing experiences within English Language Arts classrooms using appropriate leveled texts Build classroom libraries and text sets spanning multiple genres for the purposes of matching students with appropriate leveled texts and expanding students wide reading experiences Lift the quality of writing through explicit instruction and conferences Provide ELA professional development during departmental meetings Increase Literacy instruction two times a week by providing service to students still needing Literacy support and taking a World Language in seventh and eighth grade Provide commitment to growing all readers, writers and thinkers Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 27

28 English Language Arts Grade 10 I. Overview Wayland High School students have always scored well on the ELA MCAS, with some fluctuations each year as both the test and the group of test-takers change from year to year. The tenth grade English Language Arts MCAS results were excellent again this year, with 95% of the 235 test-takers scoring in the Proficient and Advanced categories. Statewide, 74% of students scored in the top two categories. Wayland s distribution of students scoring in all four categories remained nearly identical to last year s results saw a 16% decrease in the number of students scoring in the Advanced category, and an 18% increase in the number of students scoring in the Proficient category. A similar downturn in scores in the Advanced category occurred statewide. Given the last three year s results, the 2006 results appear to not be the start of a trend. The 2009 scores mark the highest percentage of students (58%) scoring in the Advanced category. The 9% increase in the Advanced category produced a corresponding 9% decrease in students scoring in the Proficient category. 11 Wayland students (5%) scored in the Needs Improvement category and one in the Failing (a student with serious second language issues). Grade 10 Performance Levels Advanced District 54% 45% 51% 54% 38% 49% 49% 58% State 20% 20% 19% 23% 16% 22% 23% 29% Proficient District 37% 45% 35% 39% 57% 43% 44% 37% State 41% 41% 44% 43% 53% 49% 51% 52% Needs Improvement District 9% 9% 13% 6% 5% 8% 6% 5% State 27% 28% 28% 26% 24% 24% 21% 15% Warning District 0% 1% 1% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0% State 12% 10% 9% 8% 7% 6% 4% 4% II. Analysis of Test Results There are three types of questions on the tenth grade English Language Arts MCAS. For the Composition (Writing Prompt) section, students produce a first draft and a final copy of an essay about a student-selected piece of literature. On the Language and Literature portion, students read short, complete works and excerpts from all genres, and respond to 36 multiple-choice and four open-response questions. Multiple-Choice Questions Wayland students have shown again that they are well prepared for the ELA MCAS, having scored 80% or above on 30 of the 36 multiple-choice questions. 31 of the 36 multiple-choice questions were on literature; five were on language. On every multiple-choice question, Wayland High students scored higher - and often well above - the state average. Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 28

29 Grade 10 Multiple Choice Percent Correct WHS 88% 86% 86% 86% 92% 88% 88% 88% State 76% 75% 78% 78% 82% 78% 78% 80% WHS Scores on the 36 multiple-choice questions % % % % % The six questions (#9, 15, 24, 28, 36, and 37) on which students achieved lower than 80% correlated to individual questions from various Learning Standards (Poetry; Nonfiction; Myth, Traditional Narrative, and Classical Literature). There is no discernable pattern in students having difficulty with any one of the standards in particular, as they performed well in answering other questions related to these and other standards. The six questions with which Wayland students struggled correlate to the same questions with which students statewide struggled. On each of the six questions, Wayland students outperformed the state average from 8 17%. Open-Response Questions The four open-response questions require students to write one- or two-paragraph responses to prompts about selected pieces. According to the Mass DOE, Responses to open-response questions are scored using a scoring guide, or rubric, for each question. The scoring guides indicate what knowledge and skills students must demonstrate to earn 1, 2, 3, or 4 score points. Answers to open-response questions are not scored for spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Responses are scored by two scorers independently at grade 10. Two of the open-response text selections were from the Nonfiction Standard, one from the Fiction Standard, and one from the Myth, Traditional Narrative and Classical Literature Standard. Wayland High students scored higher than the state average. Wayland s scores on the openresponse section increased slightly from 75% in 2008 to 78% in 2006 (the statewide average remained at 66%). Grade 10 Open Response Percent Correct WHS 77% 74% 77% 70% 69% 69% 75% 78% State 65% 61% 63% 55% 56% 57% 66% 66% Though Wayland continues to outperform the state average, students still score below expectations in this area. The English Department will compare sample open response answers from selected WHS students to better determine the state s evaluation criteria and to then coach students in producing better responses. Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 29

30 Long Composition The Long Composition tests students on two aspects of composition. 1. Topic Development (CT): 12 points Includes writing development, organization, use of detail, variety in sentence structure and language 2. Standard English Conventions (CC): 8 points Includes grammar, punctuation, and mechanics of writing The writing prompt requires students to develop a thesis and support it with specific details from a student-selected text. The 2009 Writing Prompt: Works of literature often feature characters whose pride or selfishness creates problems. From a work of literature you have read in or out of school, select a character whose pride or selfishness creates problems. In a well-developed composition, identify the character, describe how the character s pride or selfishness creates problems, and explain how the character s experience relates to the work as a whole. Grade 10 Writing Prompt Percent Correct (Combined CT and CC scores) WHS 84% 85% 85% % 83% 81% 77% 82% State 74% 77% 77% % 75% 74% 70% 73% Students are given frequent assignments requiring them to practice topic development and use of standard writing conventions throughout the high school ELA curriculum. Wayland students scores were 5% higher than they were last year; results for students across the state rose by 3%. Grade 10 Writing Prompt CT scores (12 points possible) WHS State Grade 10 Writing Prompt CC scores (8 points possible) WHS State A review of students scores on the Long Composition section reveals that, despite frequent assignments that require such, many 10 th graders struggle with Topic Development (CT). As a whole, last year s sophomores averaged 72% (8.64 out of 12 points) on Topic Development (CT), while averaging 96% (7.72 out of 8 points) on use of Standard English Conventions (CC). We will be looking at a range of sample compositions by Wayland students from the 2008 test to have a better understanding of how students are being scored in Topic Development. Though WHS students still achieve higher than the state average, WHS students should, as a whole, be performing better on Topic Development. The English Department will compare sample long compositions from selected WHS students to better determine the state s evaluation criteria and then to coach students in producing better responses. Analysis of Spring 2009 MCAS Results 30