Students' year-end scores rising

Utah children overall are improving their year-end CRT test scores, even those with disabilities and limited English skills, according to results presented to the State Board of Education Friday.

Still, ethnic minorities, students with disabilities, English language learners and low-income students generally scored well below state benchmarks, and sometimes, up to 39 percentage points lower than Caucasian students and those who aren't economically disadvantaged.

"It's frustrating," said Cyndee Miya, chairman of the Coalition of Minorities Advisory Committee to the State Board of Education. "We are making progress. I do see that. ... But the gap doesn't get smaller. While our ethnic kids are gaining, everyone else is gaining too."

The report is characterized as a wide-angle view of statewide progress; grade-level scores, along with detailed "U-PASS" accountability and No Child Left Behind reports that place judgments on schools for their progress or lack thereof. It will be made public Sept. 29.

It's anyone's guess how these numbers will play out then.

But one thing is certain: State officials are happy.

"There has been some great growth and great improvements and we commend everybody — students, teachers, parents who support them," board chairman Kim Burningham said. "It really does take a whole village ... and the whole village needs to be congratulated for the improvements we see here and in years to come."

The CRTs measure what students are supposed to be learning in class all year in language arts, math and science, based on the state curriculum. The tests are used to meet No Child Left Behind accountability standards, and are part of the larger Utah Performance Assessment System for Students, the state's school accountability program that includes national tests, writing exams and the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test linked to high school graduation.

Overall, 79 percent of Utah students this year were deemed proficient in CRT language arts, with 73.5 percent proficiency in math, and 65 percent in science. Each score there, and generally for every group, represents an increase of between one and two percentage points from last year.

U-PASS's scoring goal is 80 percent of students scoring as proficient.

"What we want is 100 percent proficient," said assessment director Judy Park. "It doesn't happen overnight ... but what's exciting is, this shows we're headed in that direction."