If the school district does not raise test scores by 2005, it will be in violation of the No Child Left Behind Act.
By: David Pescatore
HIGHTSTOWN White and Asian students routinely outscore black and Hispanic students in standardized testing in the East Windsor Regional School District, according to a new breakdown of 2001-02 state test results released by the district this week.
A great disparity is revealed in the achievement levels of students from different socio-economic backgrounds. The largest disparities are seen in the ethnic breakdown of the results.
In fourth grade, only 36.6 percent of black students passed the math portion of the Elementary School Proficiency Assessment, compared to 86.1 percent of white, 54.9 percent of Hispanic, and 77.4 percent of Asian students.
In the language arts portion, 85.6 percent of white students passed, compared to 61 percent of black, 72.9 percent of Hispanic, and 86.4 percent of Asian students.
The trend continued throughout the other levels of testing, with white and Asian students consistently outscoring black and Hispanic students.
Economic factors produced lowered results as well.
Districtwide, students classified as "economically challenged" passed an average of 20 percent less frequently than nondisadvantaged students. The classification is based on participation in the district’s free/reduced lunch program.
These results are the first that will be considered in determining the district’s compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, according to Suzanne Harkness, coordinator of evaluation, grants and community services.
The act requires that 100 percent of students be proficient in language arts, math and science by 2014 and establishes increasing benchmarks starting in 2003. The benchmarks apply to each demographic group, not just the total population.
For example, in 2005, 64 percent of 11th-graders will be required to pass the math portion of the HSPA. Using this year’s numbers, 67 percent of all students passed, but only 50 percent of black and 35.8 percent of Hispanic students passed, so the school would not be in compliance with the act.
Following Dr. Harkness’ presentation of the figures, Interim Chief School Administrator James Sheerin outlined the district’s plans to raise scores.
On the student end, he said that the district is offering summer and after-school programs to help with basic skills.
Dr. Sheerin also said that the district needs to evaluate its equity plan to insure that all students have access to high-level classes.
The most important improvements, he said, will come from the staff.
"Education is a labor-intensive business," Dr. Sheerin said. "Most of the money is spent on labor. We need to invest more money in people. Business figured this out long ago. You need knowledgeable employees."
Dr. Sheerin said that the key to the process would be staff development. He said that education must be provided to teachers who teach subjects that they do not specialize in, and that the most learning comes from having teachers evaluate and mentor other teachers.
Lastly, he said that measures must be taken to improve diversity in the classroom.
"When you group kids, those at the top tend to stay there and those at the bottom also stay there," he said.
Board President Bruce Ettman said that the district needs to push its honors-level classes.
"At the eighth-grade orientation, kids were actively discouraged from taking advanced level classes," Mr. Ettman said. "Our goal should be to encourage challenges and raise expectations."
The overall results of the standardized tests were released in the fall of 2002 in the state’s Cycle I report. The new report, Cycle II, separates the results by ethnic and economic factors. Cycle III looks at 3-year trends.
The results broke some old stereotypes, such as the gender gap in education.
In the elementary schools, 86.4 percent of girls scored proficient or better in the language arts portion of the Grade Four Elementary School Proficiency Assessment, compared to 73.9 percent of boys. The boys beat the girls in mathematics by about a point.
Females scored considerably better than their male peers did on both sections of the Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment and Grade 11 High School Proficiency Assessment.
Statewide, females performed better in language arts while males did better than females in mathematics.
The Cycle I results for 2002-03 testing could be released as early as next week.