East Williston board of education trustees said Wednesday that the district’s assessment scores in English and mathematics are on track to meet expectations set by the Common Core, whose curriculum is now in its third year.
Released in mid August by the state Department of Education and analyzed publicly Thursday at the North Side School, the results showed the greatest improvement among eighth grade English test-takers, 73 percent of whom met or exceeded proficiency benchmarks, up 16 percent from 2014.
In her presentation to the board Wednesday, Danielle Gately, the district’s director of secondary curricular services, commended East Williston teachers for their work to align curriculum with Common Core standards, which were implemented in 2012.
“There has been improvement, and this doesn’t happen by accident,” she said.
Third-grade English and math scores also saw large gains, with respective pass rates of 68 and 86 percent, both up 14 percent from last year. Third- and sixth-grade math scores flattened at 80 and 84 percent passing respectively, but no category saw any declines.
But officials said there is still a gap, though, between this year’s higher scores and the district’s numbers before Common Core standards were first implemented in the fall of 2012. For example, 86 percent of East Williston fourth-graders passed the 2012 English exam, compared with 68 percent this year.
The sizes of the gaps vary — this year’s fourth-grade math passing rate was only six points below 2012’s.
East Williston school Superintendent Elaine Kanas said scoring gaps exist because Common Core curriculum implementation is meant to be a gradual process, with the state expecting all students to meet the new standards by 2022.
“I think we’re making good progress and we’re on the road,” she said.
Kanas said that the state test results were only a “snapshot” of how East Williston students are doing. The district uses several different assessments given at different times of the year to determine students’ academic strengths and weaknesses, she said.
East Williston will use the test results to continue refining its various programs that help students who struggle with literacy and math skills, Kanas said. Another tool will be state’s release of half the questions from the 205 test, which will teachers and administrators more specific insight into what their students know, she said.
