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Test Scores Improve for Second Consecutive Year
AYP Results Remain Consistent
Reno, NV (Aug. 15, 2011) - Washoe County School District students showed marked improvement in achievement in 2011 based on statewide standardized test scores. For the second year in a row, the District demonstrated significant gains in mathematics at the elementary and middle school levels with every grade measured by the state tests (3rd - 8th grades) showing improved scores in 2011. Additionally, the District as a whole posted gains on the eighth grade writing test.
WCSD Board of Trustees President Barbara McLaury said these results are a reflection of the efforts of every educator in Washoe County. "It is exciting to see the progress we are making in Washoe County School District. When we started down our reform pathway, we said we needed to make improvements immediately to put our students on a road to success for their future. The increase in test scores shows we are serious about this commitment, and we will continue to move forward with our reforms so that every single child graduates with the skills and knowledge to be successful in college and their careers."
District leaders say they are particularly encouraged by the progress in one subject area that had been under close observation. Math performance in the eighth grade was substantially greater in 2011 than in 2010 with District math scores growing eight percentage points. Eighth grade math scores in every student subgroup based on race, poverty, language, and special education showed significant growth as well.
"I am highly encouraged by the gains we observed in eighth grade math," Superintendent Heath Morrison said. "In 2010, eighth grade math emerged as a significant area of concern. Our middle schools stepped up and have begun to address instructional issues. Their efforts have translated into greater student learning. This is a testament to the District's strategic plan and commitment to continuous improvement. We identify areas of strength and build on those; we identify opportunities for improvement and focus necessary support and effort in order to better serve students. This is reason for optimism!"
District officials expressed frustration over not being able to benchmark progress in reading. In spring of 2011, the Nevada Department of Education implemented new reading tests in grades 3 through 8 and in high school, with revision proficiency rates. The Department of Education has worked with school districts across the state to examine the impact of the new assessments and has cautioned, "As a result of substantive changes to the content and rigor of the 2011 reading assessments, direct comparisons should not be made between 2011 performance and performance in previous years."
Chief School Accountability Officer Paul LaMarca said the new reading tests make it difficult to monitor progress from past years' performance. "It is unfortunate that we can't make year to year comparisons with reading. We welcome the more rigorous accountability measures as this is fully consistent with our learning expectations for all students and fits with the District's vision that all students will graduate college and highly-skilled career ready."
Even with changes to the state's standardized tests, the number of schools making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) remained relatively consistent. Four fewer schools and three additional charter schools did not make AYP in 2011 compared to 2010. Under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), AYP is used to determine if schools are making adequate progress toward meeting state academic standards.
LaMarca said the District lost little ground with AYP in 2011. "In comparison to other large school districts across the nation, this result is promising. We are seeing fewer schools around the country make AYP as we approach the 2014 expectation that 100 percent of all students are proficient in reading and mathematics in every classroom, school, and district. The Act which arguably served its purpose to focus attention on all students regardless of circumstance has reached a point where serious changes need to be initiated."
Addressing the fact that Congress has not reauthorized NCLB, as it was supposed to in 2008, the Obama administration has suggested proposals for fixing NCLB including: college and career-ready standards, more highly-qualified teachers and principals, robust use of data, and a more flexible and targeted accountability system based on measuring student growth. Lawmakers in Washington, D.C. have been discussing potential changes to the law, but have not voted to reauthorize NCLB.
Earlier this month, U.S Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced a waiver process for states to seek regulatory relief from key provisions of the law, providing they are willing to embrace educational reform as deemed by the federal government. In a U.S. Department of Education news release, Duncan said, "There is no magic bullet for fixing education, and the best ideas will always come from the local level-from the hardworking men and women in our schools doing the hard work every day to educate our children. We're still hopeful that Congress can continue its work this fall. In the meantime, states and districts have an opportunity to move forward."
At its meeting on Aug. 9, the WCSD Board of Trustees passed a resolution in support of the reauthorization of the law and regulatory relief of certain aspects. Trustee Estela Gutierrez explained, "We fully support a system that pushes for high levels of student achievement and accountability. The law, as it stands now, does not provide the adequate or accurate information to show true student success and school achievement. We would like to see that changed. The waivers would not get rid of accountability. Instead, these waivers would give us the needed flexibility to make true, positive changes for our children."
The WCSD Board of Trustees recently passed a substantive reform policy, which built a district-wide accountability system. Morrison pointed to this policy and the district's rigorous academic targets in its strategic plan, Envision WCSD 2015 - Investing In Our Future, as examples of WCSD being a leader in educational reform. "We are not waiting for Washington to establish accountability for our children. We are moving forward with the ambitious targets in our strategic plan to ensure we are preparing all children to be college and career ready."
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About Washoe County School District: The Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every child career and college ready.
For more information visit: www.washoecountyschools.org. Follow us on Twitter at WCSDTweet.
Washoe County School District
425 East Ninth Street
Reno, NV 89512
