PARCC results in throughout Rio Arriba County
The Española School District experienced an increase in English scores but math scores District-wide refused to budge.
The New Mexico Public Education Department’s website states statewide performance in Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) from 2015 to 2018 shows a slow, steady progression upward. The overall percentages in math proficiency have moved from 17.4 percent in 2015 to 21.6 percent in 2018. English proficiency percentages have also moved up from 26.4 percent in 2015 to 21.1 percent in 2018.
In its highlights, Department officials state, “New Mexico’s students are demonstrating unprecedented progress in reading and math.”
Numbers provided by the Department show on a statewide average, every grade level is up in reading, and almost every grade level is up in math.
The bright spots around the state are Farmington, near the top-performing school district in reading among the
state’s 10 largest districts —up nearly 15 percentage points in reading since 2015.
Gadsden, a regularly high-performing school, has shown the most growth in math, up nearly nine percentage points since 2015.
Throughout Rio Arriba County, the story was slightly different.
District Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez was happy about the District-wide (grades three through 11) English scores.
“We made some growth in English Language Arts scores in the District, 17.8 (percent proficient) in 2017 to 19.2 percent this year,” she said. “However, we stayed flat in math.”
Gutierrez lauded Española Valley High School junior English teacher Wilmer Chavarria for that class’s scores.
“Juniors at the high school did really well, 45 percent proficient,” she said.
Gutierrez questioned the testing system established by the state in 2015.
“We did some survey work and there’s a belief that PARCC doesn’t test what we teach,” she said. “While many states have created their own tests, it’s another version of PARCC, testing common core standards.”
She said some states’ testing systems make Class 3 proficient.
PARCC test results are categorized as class 1-5. Classes 4 and 5 are proficient.
“I have some concerns,” she said. “Is that a fair assessment, when we’ve been saying 4 and 5 is proficient?”
She also questioned the Department touting results based on four years of testing and calling it “unprecedented progress.”
“I hesitate to put spin on this,” she said. “The state saying a .7 percent gain in Santa Fe as growth is not genuine. It’s not statistically significant until you hit 2 or more percent.”
One of the bright spots in the District was Abiquiú Elementary, which enjoyed a sharp jump in scores. Abiquiú’s English scores among all elementary students rose roughly 30 percent in class 4 and either rose 30 percent in Class 3 or remained static. Those increases in Class 3 were the improved scores of students in the Class 1 and 2 categories, which are “not proficient.”
In math, Abiquiú’s students added 20 percent of third-grade students to Class 4 scores, 10 percent of fourth- and fifth-graders to the Class 4 category and lifted all students out of the Class 1 and 2 categories.
Abiquiú Elementary principal Fanny Castillo was unavailable for comment.
Chimayó Elementary’s math scores were a lot to celebrate. All grades showed solid improvement, with a tight lumping of third-, fourth- and sixth-graders in Class 3 and 4, with no students testing in Classes 1 and 2.
The same held true in English, with those same grades grouping predominantly around Class 3 and 4. Class 5 numbers remained zero to less than 10 percent.
Fairview Elementary third- through fifth-grader backslid in English. Percentages in Class 4 and 5 decreased by over 10 percent, with students moving to the lower classes. Sixth-graders showed about a 5 percent increase in Class 4 and 5 results, with those students coming from Class 2 and 3. In math, grades fourth through sixth remained the same in Class 4 and 5 at 10-19 and less than 5 percent respectively, but also raised percentages in the lower classes over last year.
Hernandez Elementary saw a solid jump in English scores. All fourth- through sixth-grade students tested 80 percent in Class 3 and 20 percent in Class 4. Ten to 20 percent fewer third-graders tested in the Class 3 range, moving up to Class 4, which was 30 to 39 percent.
Where roughly 60 percent of students tested in Class 1 and 2 in 2017, 80 percent were in Class 3 this year and 20 percent in Class 4.
The same was true for math. The lower three grades tested 80 percent in Class 3 and 20 percent in Class 4 while sixth-grade students abandoned the two lower classes moving to Classes 3 and 4. The only downside was no sixth-graders tested in Class 5 this year where 10 percent were in that class in 2017.
Hernandez Principal John Sena was reserved in his reaction to the increase in students testing in higher classes because of the process the Department followed in grouping students. If there are fewer than 10 percent student in a class, they are grouped in the next closest class.
“I’m not trying to downplay it, but we don’t have all the data,” he said. “We’ll eventually get all the test scores and find out where each student tested.”
Sena said he didn’t see huge improvements but was happy with third grade Susana Lopez whose class tested about 20 percent higher in the proficient classes.
“She taught a long time, retired and came back after 10 years,” Sena said.
This was Sena’s first year as principal. He said he started the year in September and talked with teachers about standards and incorporating reading and writing more into classrooms.
“I don’t want to take any credit though,” he said. “The teachers, more than anything, wanted stability.”
Hernandez Elementary had four principals in three years.
Going forward Sena said the whole staff attended AVID college over the summer. Advancement Via Individual Determination is a college preparatory system that teaches good study skills and academic habits that will prepare students for college.
“They’re (teachers) pretty excited about it,” he said.
Española Elementary third and fourth-grade students took a tumble in English with about 60 percent of students lumping together in the lower three classes. Third-grade students in Class 4 fell 20 percent, but fourth- through sixth-grade students in Class 4 increased an average of 10 percent. Class 5 students in all grades held steady at 5 percent.
In math, there was a solid march of students from the lower classes up to Class 3 and 4. Except for third-grade the elementary saw 5 to 10 percent increases in Class 3 and 4. Class 5 remained at 5 percent.
Alcalde Elementary held fairly steady. Students who were third-graders last year tested exactly the same as fourth graders this year (cohort scores). Eighty percent fell into Class 3 and 20 percent in Class 4. All grades saw a mix of slight ups and downs, with 20 percent of sixth-graders falling from Class 3 and 4 moving into Class 2.
San Juan Elementary remained fairly flat in English results with about 10 percent of sixth-grade students moving from Classes 3 and 4 into Classes 1 and 2.
In math, all classes saw a big move away from Class 3 and 4 scores into Class 1 and 2 scores. Class 5 saw a 5 percent increase in the fourth grade, others grades remained steady at 5 percent.
Sombrillo Elementary’s English scores showed solid movement from the lower classes into Class 3 and 4. Class 5 remained at 10 percent. All grades remained steady in Classes 3 through 5 at about 10 percent. All four grades saw movement up and down by 10 percent among Class 1 and 2.
Velarde Elementary was closed last year for testing. This year both English and math scores for fifth grade came in at 80 percent in Class 3 and 20 percent in Class 4.
Española Middle School saw a 5 percent increase in Algebra 1 students testing in the Class 4 category and moved between 10 and 15 percent of Class 1 and 2 students into the Class 3 category. The Class 5 percentage remained at 5 percent.
Seventh-grade math scores at the Middle School remained fairly stagnant. About 10 percent of eighth-grade students migrated from the Class 3 category into the Class 2 category, a decrease in performance.
English scores slipped slightly across the classes for both seventh and eighth grade students.
Española Valley High School Algebra 1 and 2 students’ scores moved up slightly in Class 1 through 3 but fewer students tested in the Class 4 range and Class 5 remained less than 2 percent.
Geometry students testing in Class 4 increased 1 percent but the three lower classes slid slightly with 4 percent more students testing in Class 1 this year over 2017.
High School ninth through 11th grade English students showed a solid performance increase. All three grades decreased the number students testing in Class 1 and 2 by about 10 percent moving them into Class 3 and 4. Class 5 remained static for ninth- and 10th-graders at 2 percent but 11th-grade students in that class rose from 4 percent to 5-9 percent.
Seeking answers
Gutierrez said the cohort data is also troubling. Cohort data compares last year’s third-grade class with this year’s fourth-grade class, presumably mostly the same students.
“A higher proficiency in elementary and at the Middle School falls flat (in high school),” she said. “Students in Algebra 1 were 19.8 percent proficient in eighth grade and last year’s eighth grade compared to this year’s ninth don’t hold up.”
She questioned whether it’s the math curriculum, elementary teachers not being as comfortable teaching math as they are English or the delivery of instruction.
“There’s a shortage of math teachers statewide,” she said.
McCurdy Charter School math scores in grades three through seven (except fourth) went up in the proficient classes, with third grade showing the highest (30 percent. Fourth grade slid 10 percent in the proficient classes and added numbers to the lower classes.
English proficiency percentages went up for elementary students. It appears those students mostly came from Class 3, as classes 1 and 2 remained about 50 to 60 percent.
English scores in the junior high and high school all moved up slightly. More students came out of the lower two classes and most grades added more students to Class 4 and 5.
Algebra 1 and 2 students showed solid advancement, with 20 percent proficiency in Algebra 1 and 2 versus 10 percent last year. Classes 2 and 3 saw growth also, at the expense of the lowest class, which dropped 20 to 30 percent.
Geometry scores took a backslide, with 10 percent proficient, 10 percent fewer in Class 3 and 10 to 15 percent more students testing in the lower ranges.
Coronado High School remained static in math areas, with most classes remaining 80 percent in Class 3 and 20 percent in Class 4. Freshman English scores improved with more students testing in Class 4 than 2017, and fewer in Class 3. Sophomores went the other way, with more students migrating to Class 3 from Class 4.
The middle school math scores remained almost exactly the same, bunched up in Classes 3 and 4. Middle school English scores improved slightly, with about 10 percent of students moving from Class 3 to 4.
The bright spot at Gallina Elementary was 10 to 20 percent more of fifth-grade students testing in Class 4 versus Class 3.
Chama Elementary math students slipped slightly with about 60 percent of students moving into the Class 1 and 2 categories from the 3 and 4 classes. Elementary math students held steady with 80 percent testing in Class 3 and 20 percent in Class 4, except for fourth grade, which backslid, with about half testing in the lower classes.
Tierra Amarilla Elementary students fell into almost exactly the same test categories this year. In math and English, all classes tested 80 percent in Class 3 and 20 percent in Class 4. The exception was sixth-grade math, which saw 20 percent more students in Class 3, than Class 4.
Chama Middle School kept English test scores predominantly in Classes 3 and 4 and 20 percent more students tested in Class 3 this year compared to 2017.
Escalante Middle School eighth grade math students abandoned the lower classes and moved those students to Class 3. English test scores remained relatively the same in grades seven through 11. All those grades maintained at least 10 percent in Class 5.
Dulce Elementary had a few percentage of English students move from Class 1 to Class 2, but a strong presence in Classes 3 through 5 eluded them. The same held true in math scores with 60 percent of students testing in the lower two classes and fewer than 10 percent in the top two classes.
A message left for the principal was not returned by presstime.
Dulce Junior High School tested similarly, with about 70 percent of students again testing in Classes 1 and 2, about 15 percent in Class 3 and 10 to 15 percent in the top two classes.
Dulce High School students again this year tested poorly in Algebra 1 and 2, with 90 percent of students enrolled in the bottom, not proficient classes. In Geometry about 15 percent of students slipped into the lower classes, with about 10 percent in the proficient upper classes. English testers in grades nine through 11 showed about a 5 percent movement from Class 3 to 4, but most students remained in the lower classes.
A message left for Superintendent Pam Montoya was not returned by presstime.
El Rito Elementary remained unchanged in math and English, with about 80 percent of students testing in Class 3 again and 20 percent in Class 4. State officials celebrated a 27 percent increase from 2015 to 2018 in English and math.
Ojo Caliente Elementary tested much the same as in 2017. Math and English test results were predominantly unchanged, except for about 10 percent more English students moving into Class 4.
Mesa Vista Middle School seventh-graders vacated the bottom two classes in math, increasing the percentage of Class 3 testers to 80. Last year’s English testers scored almost exactly the same as eighth-graders this year, scattering themselves through all five classes, dominating the bottom three classes.
Mesa Vista High School English scores were a mixed bag, with freshmen and sophomores scattered through the five classes and 20 to 30 percent testing proficient. Algebra 1 and 2 students tested exactly the same as last year and 10 percent of geometry students moved into Class 5 but 50 percent moved down into classes 1 and 2.