Principal Iline Tracy’s school emerged as one of a handful of rising stars in a year of overall improvement on the Connecticut Mastery Tests.
New Haven students showed double-digit gains in many areas as they struggled to close a gap between city and state performance on the test, which is given to public school grades 3 to 8.
“When you are down in the dumps, there’s nowhere you can go but up,” said Tracey (pictured above), who is credited with whipping the King/Robinson School into shape after it formed through a merger in 2004. Her school, which is on the federal “low performer” watch list for struggling schools, has posted double-digit gains on the CMTs for the third year in a row.
(The CMT results were the second piece of good news this week for test-conscious educators. Click here to read a story and debate above improved 10th grade standardized test scores.)
King/Robinson is the longest-standing school on the watch list, said school officials at a press conference Thursday. Officials are now “optimistic” that King/Robinson and “several schools” will meet adequate yearly progress goals and be removed from the federal “bad list.”
Tracey was one of a half-dozen principals whose schools were highlighted as “star performers” as results of the 2008 CMTs were released Thursday.
District-wide scores were a mixed bag with net improvement. Four of the six grade levels improved in reading and math. Four grade levels, however, slipped behind in writing. Statewide, scores remained generally flat.
Click here to read the school system’s press release highlighting the good news, and click here for a Power Point. Click here to read the state stats showing all the scores in all subjects in all schools in the state.
The school system’s improvements reflect a focus on math and reading, said Imma Canelli, assistant superintendent of schools of curriculum and instruction, Thursday. Math and reading are key to schools’ rankings according to the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
The city schools reported their progress in terms of percentage of students meeting “proficiency” levels on the tests. The city uses “proficiency” instead of “at goal” scores because “proficiency” ratings are how the federal government calculates which schools fall on federal watch lists, according to city schools spokeswoman Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo.
Here’s how the district performed on the 2008 test compared with 2007, in percentage of each grade level meeting “proficiency.”
Reading
Most improved: Seventh grade, + 8 points from 47 to 56 percent.
Least improved: Third grade, ‑2 points from 39 to 37 percent.
Proficiency levels for different grades ranged from 37 to 56 percent, compared to the state range of 68 to 80.
Math
Most improved: Fourth grade, + 10 points, from 58 to 68.
Least improved: Fifth grade, ‑2 points, from 64 to 62.
Proficiency ranged from 62 to 68, compared to state range of 80 to 84.
Writing
Most improved: Fourth grade, + 10 points, from 58 to 68
Least improved: Fifth grade, ‑6 points from 67 to 61; tied with Seventh grade, ‑6 points from 61 to 55.
Proficiency ranged from 55 to 68, compared to a state average of 80 to 86.
Science
Students in the fifth and eighth grades debuted a CMT science test this year.
Fifth grade: 54 percent met proficiency, compared to state average of 81.
Eighth grade: 45 percent met proficiency , compared to state average of 75.
Some highlights:
Edgewood School students shone in math, with grades three to six all topping 90 percent proficiency.
Fair Haven Middle School kids made gains in 10 of 12 reading and math categories.
King/Robinson posted the highest gains in the district, with double-digit gains in seven of the 12 categories in reading and math.
“King/Robinson was always at the bottom of the totem pole,” Tracey said. “We’re not going to be satisfied with this — we have even higher to go.”
Charter Scores
Elm City College Prep Elementary, a K‑4 school run by Achievement First, tested 52 kids in third grade. Their scores fell in some places dramatically, but remained higher than district averages.
Third grade scores dropped 17 points in math, from 94 to 77. (State average is 81.)
In reading, students dropped 21 points, from 65 to 44 (state average: 68).
In writing, students stayed even at 87 (state average: 83).
The fourth grade had no 2007 scores to compare to. The 49 students tested broke 90 percent proficiency in math and writing.
A spokesperson from Achievement First declined to comment for this story, citing an unprecedented state embargo on the scores until 12:01 a.m. Friday. Education watchdogs ConnCAN said the organization would comment once full statistics were available.
Three Cheers for the students, teachers, parents administrators and staff of New Haven Public Schools. These test scores demonstrate that New Haven is leading the State in Urban Education. While other Districts and Charters have taken a step backward, New Haven continues along its path of steady progress. King-Robinson was one of many schools who took adantage of the Early Reading Success Program and a variety of State and local initiatives. This model should be replicated and applauded, not stripped of funding as our State leaders have done. The money should be restored now! I am sure that the usual suspects will still find ways to attack and belittle New Haven Public Schools and its students. However, any legitiamte review of the statistics reveals that New Haven is worthy of the sincere congratulations for a job well done. The small number of Charter school children tested cannot be used to compare to New Haven as a whole. A selection of comparable numbers within New Haven to the Charter schools (i.e. individual school or grade to grade comparisons) reveals that many New Haven Public Schools outpace the Charters and others are closing fast. Is this to say that the Charters are not doing a good job? No, even though they appear to have taken a step back this year they are still doing well with their particular schools and deserve congratulations as well. But New Haven Public Schools are doing well on their own. New Haven scores higher than other urban and some suburban and Charter Schools. This is not an accident. It is a credit to the students, teachers, administrators, staff and parents.
Enjoy this kids. You have proven many wrong. Good luck as you get ready for another academic year and a continuation on your steady progress. Do not let anyone tell you that you cannot achieve, you can.
Teachers, administrators, parents, staff and Dr. Mayo. Great job, take a bow...now back to work.