Sonoma County standardized test scores improve over last year

A clear disparity exists between economically disadvantaged students and those who aren’t.|

Throughout California and across Sonoma County, there was both relief and concern Thursday about students’ standardized test results in math and English language arts.

The second year of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress tests released a day earlier did show that 3.2 million students in third through eighth grade and 11th grade incrementally improved their scores.

But that success couldn’t mask the fact more than half of all students tested this spring didn’t meet or exceed English language arts and literacy standards, and nearly two-thirds failed to meet or exceed math standards.

Even more dismal: Despite small overall gains in meeting or exceeding standards, certain student groups - English language learners, African-Americans, low-income and Hispanic - lagged even further behind.

In Sonoma County this year, 49 percent of all students met or exceeded levels in English, compared to 46 percent in 2015. In math, 36 percent of county students were deemed proficient, compared to 33 percent in 2015.

“This is a good sequence of growth,” Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Steve Herrington said. “As these new materials get integrated into the system, it will complement the growth. I see our scores showing incremental growth and that’s the way you build a strong foundation.”

Statewide, 48 percent of students met or exceeded English standards, and 37 percent met or exceeded math standards. Last year, 44 percent of statewide students reached or exceeded the English language arts and literacy standards, and 33 percent did in math.

The testing is based on the Common Core Test Standards. California has renamed its testing system CAASPP, which includes elements of both Common Core and the Smarter Balanced Consortium.

Scores fall into one of four categories: “standard not met,” “standard nearly met,” “standard met” and “standard exceeded.” The test is geared to measure whether students are on track for college or work after graduation.

The limited improvements in scores was exemplified in the county’s largest district. Santa Rosa High School remained at 49 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards in English from 2015 to 2016, but math improved from 34 percent to 36 percent. Students in the Santa Rosa Elementary School District went from 32 percent meeting or exceeding standards in English literacy in 2015 to 36 percent this year. Math percentages edged up from 25 percent in 2015 to 26 percent.

But the region also had impressive successes.

Roseland School District increased its percentage of students meeting or exceeding math standards by 9 percentage points over 2015, while Sonoma Valley Unified’s percentage in math standards jumped 8 percentage points.

In the Bellevue Union School District, where 84 percent of students are categorized as economically disadvantaged and qualify for the free lunch program, and 63 percent of students are English learners, test scores increased dramatically this year.

Students’ English proficiency rose to 33 percent this year, up 9 percentage points from 2015. And the level of meeting or exceeding math standards increased by 8 percentage points, from 17 percent to 25 percent.

“We did see growth across the district, and we saw growth that exceeded the county and the state levels of growth,” said Marcia Russell, district curriculum, instruction and assessment coordinator. “We wanted to make significant growth, and so we’re pleased, obviously. We’ve really made many efforts over the last few years to support quality instruction in our classrooms.”

Some of those efforts include extensive professional development and focusing on early childhood literacy.

“The growth that we’ve made has really shown the results of that (literacy) program,” Russell said.

While state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson applauded the higher test scores when they were released Wednesday, he admitted there was “more work to do” on the achievement gap between white and Asian students and those who are black, Hispanic or from low-income families.

“The achievement gap is pernicious and persistent and we all need to work together to find solutions that help all groups rise, while narrowing the gap,” said Torlakson.

The testing was taken on a computer and was adaptive, meaning correct answers made the next question more difficult while a wrong answer made the next one easier. Homes without computers or internet connections put students taking the test at a disadvantage.

For the past three years, the Sonoma County Office of Education has worked with Comcast to provide a reduced-cost option so families can have internet at home.

“It goes back to equity and poverty rates and access and availability to instructional materials in the home,” Herrington said. “It’s instituting a new curriculum. Teachers have to learn to integrate technology in their classrooms. Creativity is a big one, economically disadvantaged students - a very low percentage of them are connected.”

In the Bellevue district, administrators are working hard to combat that innate disadvantage.

“We’ve trained our teachers and our students to use technology as a tool for their learning,” Russell said. “So within our curriculum it has a strong technology resource component. We have one-to-one Google Chromebooks in third through sixth grade, and we have quite a bit more technology than many districts in the county, but it’s providing our students with access to that technology that they may not be able to access at home.”

You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @SeaWarren.

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