The newest K-12 state assessment results for English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics at the district and school levels were publicly released Friday, December 11th. These are the CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) developed by PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) results. The media has called the assessment CMAS or PARCC, or CMASS/PARCC. These results are from assessments administered in ELA in grades 3-11 and math in grades 3 through completion of Algebra II or Integrated Math III in the spring of 2015.
Follow this link to the press release from CDE about this release of scores: http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=bee6c43ae6102530cf98cadf9&id=3b33cf7a19&e=b7a21b4456.
Interpreting CMAS/PARCC results
More information and analysis of these results will be provided by a variety of sources over the coming weeks. In the meantime, it is helpful to keep in mind that all test scores only gain meaning when they are contextualized, otherwise they are just numbers. Key context for making meaning of CMAS/PARCC results include the following:
– New performance levels. Student scale scores have been described and categorized into “performance levels,” which define the range of scores that the states participating in PARCC have determined would mean a student is on track to be college or career ready. The performance levels that have been defined for CMAS/PARCC differ from prior state tests (no more % proficient and advanced). The new performance levels include the following: did not meet expectations (level 1), partially met expectations (level 2), approached expectations (level 3), met expectations (level 4), and exceeded expectations (level 5). Students who scored at level 4 or level 5 are considered on track for the next grade level, or are college and career ready. Over 200 educators and content experts participated during the summer and early fall to determine the range of scores that best matched each performance level at each grade level. This process made use of actual results and more detailed performance level descriptions available from this link: http://www.parcconline.org/assessments/test-design/performance-levels. The most commonly reported aggregate scores for schools and districts are the % of students scoring met or exceeded expectations by grade level and content area. The state also provides the % of students scoring at each of the performance levels.
– No comparison to CSAP/TCAP: School and district level CMAS/PARCC results in ELA and math should not be compared to CSAP/TCAP results from prior years. CMAS/PARC measured different standards than CSAP/TCAP. In addition, the items on the new tests were significantly different from CSAP/TCAP items for similar grade levels/content areas (i.e., they were administered entirely online, designed to be more rigorous). See an example below of a comparison of a middle school level CSAP/TCAP item to a CMAS/PARCC item provided by CDE to illustrate the difference.
– State results as a comparison point. Average state results provide a point of comparison for district and school results. State-level results were released in November and are available here: http://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/cmas-englishmath-dataandresults.
– Participation rates varied. The percent of students participating in the assessment varied significantly by school/district and by grade level. In general, student participation declined as the grade level increased. The state overall only achieved the federal minimum participation rate of 95% at the 3rd grade level. The participation rate for the state overall at the 11th grade level was 50%. Both the over-all school/district participation rates and whether any groups of students (e.g., 10th graders) were under or over represented is important to consider when determining if scores are representative of a school/district or grade-level. CDE has made participation rates by district and school available here: http://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/cmas-englishmath-dataandresults.
Where are the results available?
CDE has provided an excel spread sheet with performance results and participation rates for every school and district in the state here: http://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/cmas-englishmath-dataandresults.
The Denver Post has provided a search tool that makes it easier to view CMAS/PARC ELA and math results by district or by school for each of the grade levels/content areas tested. You can access that tool here:
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29236002/parcc-tests-school-results-show-familiar-trends-wide. They also provide a graphic with participation rates compared to aggregate scores.
The state has also provided individual student results reports to every district. These reports will be distributed to parents/students by districts. CDE through PARCC has provided access to sample student-level reports translated into a variety of languages. This is a good reference to help parents to interpret their individual student’s results when they receive them from their district. Those example reports along with other guides for interpreting results are available here: http://www.cde.state.co.us/communications/resourcesforparents.
Why did the state implement new K-12 assessments now?
In 2008, the Colorado legislature passed the Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids (CAP4K) which required the Colorado Department of Education to launch a process to revise to state content standards (and development in some content areas) in 10 content areas, and subsequently to develop/acquire new aligned state assessments. Colorado subsequently adopted the Common Core State Standards and incorporated them into the Colorado Academic Standards in ELA and math. The Colorado legislature passed a bill that required CDE to join the PARCC consortium as a governing member to reduce the cost of the development of aligned state assessments in ELA and math. CAP4K was widely supported by state legislators and grew out of then Governor Ritter’s P-20 council. Reasons cited for the need to update Colorado state standards and assessments include the following:
– Close to 1/3 of Colorado high school graduates who went on to Colorado public colleges needed remediation in at least one class (this suggests that Colorado’s standards for high school exit were inconsistent with higher education’s expectations);
– Colorado only produces ~ 22 college graduates for every 100 students who enter a Colorado high school;
– Colorado Model content standards were adopted in 1993-1995. They had not been updated in over a decade.
Comparing Items
CSAP/TCAP Middle School item:
I am most proud of the fact that this school year, I ________________.
CMASS/PARCC Middle School Item:
You have read a passage from The Count of Monte Cristo and a scene from Blessings. Think about the similarities and differences in how the two authors develop the themes in each text. Write an essay in which you identify a theme from each text and analyze how each theme is developed. Be sure to include specific details from both selections.
Chalkbeat has also posted a tool that makes it easier for folks to look at school and district-level ELA and Math results. It is available from this link: http://co.chalkbeat.org/2015/12/11/find-out-how-well-your-colorado-school-and-district-did-on-the-2015-parcc-exam/#.Vm7ZdkorJD9. Like the Denver Post tool, this tool includes the percent met or exceeded expectation but also includes the percent of students scoring at each performance level. Chalkbeat also provides more detailed data related to participation rates, making evident the difference between student non-participation and parent refusals. In some districts/schools and grade-levels there is a significant difference between these two rates. This tool doesn’t graphically represent performance and participation together.