H/B test scores well above average

New Hampshire students continued to show improvement in reading, writing and math, according to test results released last week by the state Department of Education.

The New England Common Assessment Program tests students annually in reading, math and writing. Reading and math scores are the only results for which districts are held accountable for their progress.

This year, 75 percent of students were proficient or better in reading, compared to 72 percent last year; 64 percent in math, compared to 61 percent last year; and 50 percent in writing, compared to 43 percent last year.

However, math and writing scores at the high school level, although improved from last year, continued to be a problem.

Only 32 percent of high schools students in the state were proficient or better in math this year. And in writing, only 39 percent were at that level. In reading, scores were much higher, with 72 percent of students scored proficient.

The questions on the tests are based on the state’s grade-level expectations.

In Hollis and Brookline, scores were well above the state averages in nearly all categories and have remained consistent over the past three years. The one marked drop in scores came at Maghakian Memorial elementary school in Brookline, were 60 percent of students scored proficient or better, considerably down from the previous two years, when more than 90 percent of students were proficient or better in reading.

No Child Left Behind, a federal law enacted in 2002, requires that students in grades 3 through 8 and 11th grade be tested in reading and math. Students in grades 5, 8 and 11 are also tested in writing.

Schools and districts that don’t make adequate yearly progress are designated as schools “in need of improvement.” Low-income schools that repeatedly fail to meet benchmarks face a series of sanctions.

The future of the controversial law, which is due for reauthorization, is in uncertain.

Critics argue that it forces educators to teach to the test. However, advocates argue that the law has forced schools to pay attention to the progress of certain subsections of students, such as special education, minorities and students from poor households.

State Commissioner of Education Lyonel Tracy said the scores overall were the best he’s seen. “It’s really good news for our educators and for our students,” he said.

Tracy said he has high hopes that President Barack Obama will propose changes to the law that take into account students improving over time, instead of just comparing different groups of students.

“We can only expect that it has to get better, that this administration is going to focus on a personalized education and following the child over time,” he said.

NECAP is a collaborative test, designed with Vermont and Rhode Island. Next year, Maine will join the test. Tim Kurtz, director of assessment for the state, said including Maine would save New Hampshire $360,000 in testing costs.

Individual school and district results can be found at www.ed.state.nh.us.

2008 NECAP TEST SCORES

This chart shows the percentage of students in town schools who scored proficient or better on the 2008 NECAP test, given last fall.

It combines the percentage of students who scored the highest category, “proficient with distinction,” with those who scored the second-highest category, “proficient.”
The new England Common Assessment Program measures ability in reading and math for students in grades 3-8, and grade 11; and writing in grades 5, 8 and 11. This is the first year results for high school have been issued along with those for lower grades.

For more details, check a searchable database overseen by the New Hampshire Department of Education: reporting.measuredprogress.org/nhprofile <./p>