2017 KPREP: Mixed results for students eligible for free/reduced meals

Post By Susan Perkins Weston

In 2017 KPREP results released late last month, students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals had mixed results, with improvement strong enough to narrow gaps in six of fourteen assessed subjects. On three other assessments, their results improved while results for their classmates improved faster, yielding wider gaps.

At the elementary level, results for students eligible for free/reduced meals:

• Improved and narrowed gaps in social studies and writing
• Improved with a widening gap in language mechanics
• Declined in reading and mathematics, though by less than results for their classmates

 At the middle school level, results for students eligible for free/reduced price meals:

• Improved and narrowed gaps in reading, mathematics, and social studies
• Improved with a widening gap in language mechanics

At the high school level, results for students eligible for free/reduced price meals:

• Improved and narrowed gaps only in writing
• Improved with a widening gap in science
• Declined in reading and mathematics, though by less than results for their classmates
• Declined in social studies by more than results for their classmates

2017 KPREP Results: Slow but fairly steady progress for students with disabilities

Post by Susan Perkins Weston

Assessment results released in late September show results students for with disabilities improving in nearly all subjects and moving forward at a pace that reduced gaps in reading at all three levels, math in elementary and middle school, social studies in elementary school, and science in high school. Overall, the pattern shows movement in the right direction, though at a slower pace than we should want for a group that has such consistently low results overall.

At the elementary level, results for students with identified disabilities:

• Improved in all subjects
• Improved enough to narrow gaps in reading, mathematics, and social studies
• Improved, though by less than results for their classmates in writing and language mechanics

At the middle school level, results for students with identified disabilities:

• Improved in all subjects
• Improved enough to narrow gaps in reading and mathematics
• Improved, though by less than results for their classmates in social studies and language mechanics

At the high school level, results for students with identified disabilities:

• Improved enough to narrow gaps in reading and science
• Improved, though by less than results for their classmates in writing
• Declined in mathematics and social studies, resulting in narrowed gaps because results for their classmates declined more rapidly

Source note: The results shown above for students with identified Disabilities were provided by the Kentucky Department of Education. In spite of the requirements of KRS 158.649, the Department has not published results for students who do not have identified disabilities. Instead, the results shown for that group reflect calculations I made using the information the Department has released.

2017 KPREP: Troubling English Learner Results

Post by Susan Perkins Weston

Compared to 2016, English learner results show rising levels of proficiency on only four of 14 KPREP assessments, narrowing only three achievement gaps compared to classmates who are not English learners.

In 2016, Kentucky's English learners had the lowest proficiency levels and the largest gaps of any student group. Seeing them slip further in 2017 warrants special concern and attention.

At the elementary level,  English learner proficiency levels:

• Declined in reading by more than results for other students
• Declined in mathematics by less than for other students
• Rose in social studies and writing by less than results for other student improved
• Declined in language mechanics while results improved for other students
• Narrowed the gap only in mathematics

At the middle school level,  English learner proficiency levels:

• Declined in reading, mathematics, and social studies while results for other students rose
• Saw no change in language mechanics while other students gained

At the high school level,  English learner proficiency levels:

• Rose in reading while results for other students declined
• Declined in mathematics by less than results for other students dropped
• Declined in social studies and science by more than results for other students
• Rose in writing by less than results for other students improved
• Narrowed gaps only in reading and writing

Source note: The results shown above for English learners were provided by the Kentucky Department of Education. In spite of the requirements of KRS 158.649, the Department has not published results  for students who are not English learners. Instead,  the results shown for that group reflect calculations I made using the information the Department has released.

2017 KPREP Results: Mixed Results for Hispanic Students and Students of Two or More Races

Post by Susan Perkins Weston
 
Comparing 2017 KPREP results released late last week to comparable, 2016 results, Hispanic students' proficiency levels improved at a pace that narrowed gaps compared to white students on four of 14 assessments, and improved without narrowing gaps on six others. Results for Hispanic students declined on five assessments.

Over the same period, results for students of two or more races improved at a pace that narrowed gaps on five assessments and improved without narrowing gaps on three others. Results for students with two or more races dropped on six assessments.

Here comes a more detailed look.

At the elementary level, Hispanic student proficiency levels:

• Declined in reading by more than those results dropped for white students
• Declined in mathematics by less than the drop experienced by white students
• Rose in social studies, writing, and language mechanics, though by less than white results improved
• Narrowed only the mathematics achievement gap

For Hispanic middle school students, proficiency levels:

• Rose in every subject (hooray!)
• Rose enough to narrow gaps slightly compared to white students in reading and mathematics

For Hispanic high school students, proficiency levels:

• Rose in reading while white results declined
• Dropped in math and social studies at a quicker pace than white results declined
• Rose in writing by more than white results did
• Rose in science by less than white results did
• Narrowed achievement gaps in reading and writing

For elementary students of two or more races,  proficiency levels:

• Declined in reading and mathematics by less than white results dropped
• Increased in social studies and language mechanics by less than white results increased
• Increased in writing by more than white results rose
• Narrowed achievement gaps in reading, mathematics and writing

For middle school students of two or more races, proficiency levels:

• Rose in every subject
• Rose enough to narrow gaps in reading, mathematics, and social studies

Finally, for high school students of two or more races, proficiency levels:

• Declined in reading, mathematics, studies, and science, dropping more quickly than white results
• Rose in writing by more than they rose for white students
• Narrowed gaps only in writing

The proficiency results shown here were downloaded from the Department's school report card portal on September 28.  The calculations of changes and gaps are my own.