Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Coffee & Conversation


State Release of PARCC Assessment Data

State Release of PARCC Assessment Data
An Update from the Assistant Superintendent for Learning & Teaching, November 2015
If you are having difficulty viewing this, we have attached the information as a pdf.  You can also access it at our Edline Site or the Reading Public Schools Blog.  
PARCC results released
As you may know, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released statewide PARCC data a couple of weeks ago.  Today, the DESE has released individual school and district results for English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3-8, as well as the Student Growth Percentile (SGP) and Composite Performance Index (CPI) data.  (MCAS scores for all levels of Science, as well as ELA and Mathematics for high school were released previously.)  The DESE has reported that student achievement “may appear lower in some grades on PARCC than on MCAS, because PARCC is designed to be a more rigorous test.”  However, as our staff in all grades have been working to align both curriculum and instructional strategies to the higher expectations of the state’s revised standards, we have been eager to receive this data to support and inform that continuing effort.
Achievement Levels, Student Growth, Group Progress
Unlike MCAS, there is no PARCC achievement level called “proficient,” but Level 4 represents the point at which students have “met expectations.” Level 5 indicates that students have “exceeded expectations.”  PARCC is scored on five achievement levels:
  • Level 1: Did not yet meet expectations
  • Level 2: Partially met expectations
  • Level 3: Approached expectations
  • Level 4: Met Expectations
  • Level 5: Exceeded Expectations
The Student Growth Percentile (SGP) measures how much a student’s performance has improved from one year to the next relative to his or her academic peers (other students statewide with similar scores in prior years).  The Composite Performance Index (CPI) measures the extent to which groups (districts, schools, and subgroups) are progressing toward full proficiency. When examining the data for student groups, the transitional CPI can be used for comparing results across years, and the median SGP can be used for measuring growth from one year to the next.  The DESE defines moderate growth to be between the 40-60 percentile, with low growth as below the 40th percentile and high growth as above the 60th percentile.  (See the attached tables for further explanation of both SGP and CPI.) 
Some initial findings
  • The percentage of Reading students in grades 3-8 who met or exceeded expectations is 12 points higher than the state average for English Language Arts, and 13 points higher for Mathematics.
  • All 20 of the median Student Growth Percentiles (SGP) in both ELA and Math for the five elementary schools are in the moderate or high growth range (with 11 of those in the high growth range). 
  • Twenty (20) of the 30 Composite Performance Indexes (CPI) in ELA and Math for the five elementary schools represent an improvement over the previous year.  (As we continue to monitor and address the accountability status for the Joshua Eaton Elementary School, we are pleased that two of those are rather significant increases in Math at both the 4th and 5th grade levels.)
  • The CPI for the 8th grade Algebra I test is 100, meaning that all students in 8th grade Algebra I either met or exceeded expectations (which was 20% higher than the state average).
  • The district’s K-3 curriculum progress will be reviewed, as we examine a few low indicators in the 3rd grade results.
  • While we are generally pleased with the aggregate CPIs for “all students,” we must continue to disaggregate the data to specifically address the high needs subgroup—especially students with disabilities.
In upcoming weeks, the district, school, and student level results will be used to identify our current strengths and weaknesses, review curriculum and instructional alignment, and identify appropriate interventions for students where applicable. We will also utilize recently released assessment items—including test questions, scoring rubrics, and examples of scored student responses—to inform our practice.  (See the below link to access the PARCC released assessment information.)  Accountability and assistance levels for schools are “held harmless” for this first year of a new assessment (meaning that 2014 levels may stay the same or improve, but cannot decline).  The DESE has announced, however, that it will still be releasing accountability reports for all districts in early December, and we look forward to reviewing that information. The DESE also reports that individual student reports for PARCC will be shipped to the districts by the end of the month, and so parents/guardians can expect to receive those in the beginning of December as well. 
An overview presentation of this district assessment data will be given for the School Committee on November 23rd, and each school will also be doing its own school-level presentation during December.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact your school Principal or the district administration offices. 
See the attached summary tables for a complete overview of the district PARCC results.
Or click on the below link to access this information Edline:
PARCC Released Items can be accessed at this link:
Further information regarding the PARCC results can be accessed at this DESE link:

Monday, November 2, 2015

Extra Candy? Join Barrows School in donating it to a good cause!

Have a lot of extra candy in your house right now? Talk with your child about the benefits of 'giving back' to others. Barrows school will be hosting a collection point for Operation Gratitude. Operation Gratitude sends donated Halloween candy to our troops serving overseas. This is a great way for our children to willingly give to those who can't be here to enjoy it and who are working hard to keep us all safe. If your family would like to contribute, please have a PARENT/ADULT drop the candy off at the office drop-off point between now and Monday, November 9th. We will take care of the postage costs. (please do not send candy in with your child's backpack, and drop it off at the office during pick-up or drop-off times if needed!)
Read more here: https://opgrat.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/halloween-candy-for-the-troops/