From Deseret News archives:

Racial gap big in test data

Utah's overall results obscure poor scores by most minorities

Published: Friday, Feb. 10, 2006 10:25 p.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Utah's solid overall showing on a required national test masks an achievement gap between whites and ethnic minorities, according to Iowa Test data the State Office of Education posted online this week.

"At each target grade, Utah students performed above the national average in all of the test content subjects," says the State Office of Education's summary on Iowa Test performance. An analysis includes information on subjects in which students test higher or lower than others and other tidbits.

But neither mentions an achievement gap between whites and ethnic minority students, as later pages of data play out.

Composite results of African-American, Hispanic, American Indian and Pacific Islanders in grades tested were almost all below the national mean score of 50, with some in the mid-30s range and a few showings just above the mean.

White students, on the other hand, scored between the 61st and 68th percentiles — high above the national mean. And Asian students had composite scores between the 63rd and 68th percentiles.

With ethnicity data categorizing about 81 percent of test-takers as white, that group's showing helps boost the state's overall composite scores of 65 in third grade, 63 in fifth grade, 58 in eighth grade and 59 in 11th grade.

Story continues below
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Patti Harrington says the state's report is appropriate and transparent.

Achievement gaps weren't part of the analysis because they are so obvious elsewhere in the report, and "there was no need to comment or give further analysis on it," state assessment director Judy Park said.

"But (the achievement gap) is troubling, and I think we see this clear pattern on all our assessments," Park said. "I think people are focused around it . . . I think the state, as with many places in the country, is trying to determine the best ways to improve instruction or do things in a way that will better meet the needs of all our students."

Achievement gaps have been spotlighted in recent years under the national No Child Left Behind program and state test reporting requirements. The idea is to not let the high performance of one group mask lower performance of another that needs extra help.

"When you talk about accountability, you have to have the information available, and it has to be reported as such; otherwise, it's misleading to say 'our state is doing very well' and let's not talk about those kids being left behind," said Rep. Duane Bourdeaux, D-Salt Lake, who has championed state accountability for low-performing student groups. "When you peel off the layers, the devil's in the details."

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

previousnext

Latest comments

Aggie 'D' holds BYU to season low

Did you really just tell us not to make ridiculous statements? Um, why don't...

I hate you Aggs and your whole organization too! Just kidding! But...

Did Dick Harmon help you write this article? Wow, I didn't realize you were...

I've noticed a huge difference in the comments on this board. Most are...

Hail the Utah Aggies!

Logan is the best "college community" in the state. Most students actually...

Aggie 'D' holds BYU to season low

USU=best team in state? Didn't USU lose to Utah earlier?

This article is a little OVER THE TOP. Get over it Amy

Ban on foreign waste gets OK

If it is so safe...then I'm sure their own country would love to be in...

Other than the Morgan Scalley comments, which were in a pre-game locker room...

Advertisements