Lee Pulaski, lpulaski@shawanoleader.com
The percentage of local students scoring “proficient” or “advanced” on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE) in math and reading dropped again in 2013, according to data released recently by the Department of Public Instruction.
The tests were taken in October and November by students in grades 3-8 and 10. Administrators last year said the lower scores on the annual tests were due primarily to higher benchmarks imposed by the state. The increased expectations were a prelude to a more rigorous testing system as the state eliminates the WKCE next year and implements its new Common Core standards.
A new assessment will be put in place for reading and math assessments in grades K-8, while ACT exams will be used to assess high school students.
“The new assessments will allow students to show more of what they know and provide information for parents and teachers to target timely instruction for those who need more challenges or additional help,” Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers said.
Reading
Of the nine school districts in the area, only Bonduel had above-average scores in all areas.
The statewide passing rate, meaning students achieved “proficient” or “advanced” scores, was 36.2 percent in reading for all grades combined. Bonduel had a passing rate of 41.6 percent.
Bonduel District Administrator Peter Behnke attributed the higher WKCE scores in reading to the district’s participation in the Response To Intervention program, where teachers regularly assess students to see if they are learning on grade level. If they aren’t, teachers and staff work with the students to bring them up to speed.
“They’ve put in some computer-based initiatives that are helping,” Behnke said. “It would not surprise me if those were making a little bit of a contribution. We just always try to redouble our efforts.”
Shawano School District’s passing rate for reading was 29.9 percent across all grades. At the elementary level, 28.3 percent mastered state standards. The passing rate at the middle school level was 28.1 percent; at the high school, 38.3 percent.
Menominee Indian School District had the lowest passing rate in the area for reading, with 10.1 percent across the board, 11.8 percent for the elementary level, 8.8 percent for the middle school level, and 8.5 percent for the high school level.
Math
Marion School District was the only district in the area to have a higher passing rate on the math test than the state average. The state average for all grades was 48.3 percent; Marion’s was 51 percent.
Several schools saw higher passing rates for math among the elementary students. Shawano’s passing rate was 51 percent, Bonduel, 55 percent and Gresham, 60.4 percent. The state average was 49.5 percent.
Two school districts, Bonduel and Wittenberg-Birnamwood, saw higher passing rates at the high school level, with 50.7 percent and 47.2 percent, respectively. The state average was 46 percent.
The lowest math scores in the area were recorded at Menominee Indian, with a 13.3 percent passing rate for all grades. At the elementary level, the passing rate was 21.3 percent, while only 5.3 percent of middle school students and 6.4 percent of high school students mastered the state standards.
New test coming
WKCE exams are mostly multiple choice tests on paper. The Smarter Balanced Assessments being introduced for grades K-8 in reading and math are computer-based and provide multiple methods to answer a question.
“One of the nice things is that we have had, for a number of years now, a second test to administer to our students that is computer-based,” Behnke said. “Our students are fairly used to the system.”
An advantage with having all the test data on the computer, Behnke said, is that school districts will find out results much sooner. Results from the WKCE are five months old, as the test was taken in October, but with Smarter Balanced, schools can start seeing test data within 48 hours, according to Behnke.
“This will be something the teachers can immediately start utilizing, instead of waiting four to six months,” he said.
Gary Cumberland, Shawano School District superintendent, likes that there will be more critical thinking with the Smarter Balanced tests, which will provide more of a challenge. Another advantage, he said, is Smarter Balanced will be taken in the spring, when the information is still fresh in students’ mind. The WKCE was taken in the fall, after students had a summer vacation to forget what they had learned.
“Everything we’re hearing about the Smarter Balanced is that it’s going to give us more information than what the WKCE had,” Cumberland said. “It’ll also be more challenging because it won’t be just a multiple choice test.”