2007 NAEP writing scores released
Eigth-graders in North Carolina scored on par with their peers across the country on the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress, whose results were released Thursday. Students' writing scores decreased when compared with results from 2002, the last time the national test was given.
However, 87 percent of students scored at the basic level or above on the writing test. About 4,000 students at 150 N.C. schools participated. You can find the full state press release here.
NAEP is often referred to as "The Nation's Report Card" because it is the only common assessment used by all states. Average writing scores increased from 2002 to 2007 for 19 of the 39 states and jurisdictions that participated in the writing assessment in both years.
North Carolina eighth-graders averaged a scale score of 153 in 2007, compared to a national average of 154. North Carolina's average scale score was 150 in 1998; in 2002, the score was 157, one of the highest in the nation at the time.
In general, North Carolina students performing at the 50th percentile or below maintained their performance level from 2002 to 2007, while students at the 75th or 90th percentile lost ground. Students at the 50th percentile decreased four points during this period, but this change was not statistically significant, according to the NAEP report.
State Superintendent June Atkinson expressed concern about the slip among top-performing students in a brief press conference today.
"This points out how we have to pay more attention to how we are serving our students who are high achievers," she said.
Atkinson said the state board is requesting more state funding for gifted students. Halifax, Bertie, Hertford and Richmond counties are also getting addtional help.
Atkinson added that literary coaches are working with 200 schools in the state and DPI is working with the university system to make sure they graduate teachers who can adequately teach writing processes. Classroom writing assignmens also need to be creative and interesting, Atkinson said.
Comments (15)
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This is just another example of how we are closing the achievement gap. We are dumbing down the top. They get no attention, put 35 or more in those classes with one teacher and put 15 or so in the bottom classes with 2 teachers. It is catching up with us. We can't ignore our brightest as they might actually get a job and pay taxes and support the rest of the country one day.
Posted on April 3, 2008 1:11 PM
Is it true that kids are hand picked to take the NAEP tests? I've heard that no low performing students are chosen to take these tests.
Posted on April 3, 2008 2:22 PM
For several years now parents of Guilford County's AL students, especially VSN students, have been raising the very issue that June Atkinson raises in the article. Even the GCS statistician has pointed out that our very best, strongest students in this county are performing way below their expected levels across the board and generally trending down in test scores. Yet, the warning has fallen on deaf ears. The push is to identify ever more AL students while at the same time doing little for those already identified.
The information in this article, combined with the news that NCDPI is about to ask the feds to allow NC to lower the threshold scores needed to meet AYP, means we can expect more of the same and an increasing dropout rate. A dropout rate which will probably include more high achievers who are getting bored stiff with the low level of their classes and the constant disturbances which classroom teachers must contend with each day.
Most of my teacher friends no longer have a clue what the point of the exercise is anymore. Just frustration, psychological exhaustion and resignation.
Posted on April 3, 2008 2:39 PM
It saddens me that Guilford County will take this news as elation and celebrate the fact that our 8th graders are "near" average. It's very sad. I'm not celebrating. The saddest part of the report is our top performers being squashed even more. We need these top performers. They are the kids who will grow up and cure cancer, invent the next immunization and find the solution to global warming. You can bet those inventors are not coming out of Guilford County. Until this county can treat its top achievers as well as the low-achievers, we're losing. Grier's goal was always to make it look as if more and more kids qualified for "AL" status. Now that he's gone maybe we can get back to challenging the AL kids we have. They're bored. Also, we'd have a lot more taking advantage of AL services if it didn't require a long bus ride to the other side of the county.
Posted on April 3, 2008 6:45 PM
Debora,
I completely agree with you!
Its dumbing down full stop.
25th percentiles stayed exactly the same.
50th percentiles dropped four points.
75th percentiles dropped six points.
This is the Grier/Duncan/Kearns/Sykes/Mendenhall/Hayes
legacy.
Posted on April 3, 2008 9:46 PM
Buried in today's N&R is a story about a 17 year old who brought several loaded guns, cocaine, marijuana, etc. to Southern High school yesterday.
Who wants to bet he won't be expelled?
He'll just be transferred to some other high school to continue his criminal acts. I pray no one gets hurt.
Posted on April 4, 2008 8:49 AM
Debora is right about this. Dr. Zhang has said on two occasions that our top students are below the levels of top students in other systems. I have also noticed this to be true. Harvard takes 20 people a year from NC. Guilford County provides less than one per year. (Last year, exception 2 made it). There are few people from Guilford County that go to first tier schools like Davidson, Wake Forest, Duke and etc. Does it make a difference? Yes if the child is going to graduate school and wants to be a Dr. or wants to get a Phd. Duke Univ. could not find one poor student in Guilford Co. that wanted to enroll last year. That is a sad state of affairs. Since when should we celebrate that we are slightly below national average? Average is average. We want more.
Posted on April 4, 2008 3:22 PM
Dr. Zhang is one of few GCS administrators that recognize the disastrous state of affairs our school system is now in. Many will say it is a nationwide problem, well I cannot address nation wide, I can address Guilford County. We must fix:
Discipline (School Safety and quality learning environment) Principals and IIO’s must be held accountable for the learning environments of their schools and teacher satisfaction, there are now Board members that want to hear the real truth of principal and IIO discipline failures. Our Administrative staff must hold them and themselves accountable for this mess. In school suspension must become accountable and not a party, out of school suspensions must hold accountabilities as well. Scales cannot be a revolving door and school to school transfers must be reviewed by the Board! The goal that requires principals and staff to reduce suspensions must be removed from goal setting and evaluation forms it is counterproductive and endangers our entire school population.
Reading ( All capable students must read by 3rd grade and be proficient by 6th)
Advanced Learning and improved academics (We have addressed the bottom for too long without looking at the top!) All children deserve a better academic environment and homework for home works’ sake must be stopped
As for school safety, I am so fed up I am ready to go real public with the issue. The number of gun incidents in our schools has become so high that a student shooting on campus now approaches the inevitable. News 2 skimmed the surface, this week I had several spouses call me concerned for the safety of spouses working in our schools and for the first time in my life I have considered private school for my youngest.
Last but not least I hold the public and the press responsible as well. If you do not hold our feet to the fire you fail as citizens of this great country!
For those that do not know me, my name is Garth and I am on the Guilford County School Board.
Posted on April 5, 2008 3:03 PM
Amen!
Why did I leave teaching in GCS?
E) All of the above
Where I work now I have not been cursed out, had my desk vandalized, or had books and materials thrown outside. Also, I have not been blamed when students did such outrageous things (What did YOU do to cause this?). Thankfully I was never hurt and I'm fortunate to be in a better situation now. However, I feel for the kids I left behind--the ones who wanted to do well, the ones who were highly intelligent and didn't realize it, the ones who will continue to go to school with students that are violent and/or simply out of control. Garth is right. We need some major changes.
Posted on April 6, 2008 9:30 AM
Garth,
THAT is why we voted you on the school board.
GO FOR IT!!@!
Posted on April 6, 2008 10:31 AM
Andi,
I'm glad you're in a better place. Are you in another public system or in private school now?
Posted on April 6, 2008 6:47 PM
Anon,
Why are we happy when good teachers leave our school system:?"
We should be MAD!
Posted on April 6, 2008 9:03 PM
I'm in a public school and parents should be upset when their schools lose good teachers. What is even worse though is that I've seen dedicated, caring professionals leave teaching altogether.
Posted on April 7, 2008 10:47 PM
Andi said:
Andi, can you please give forum some specifics of real incidents, problems and feelings of our teachers now that you are "safe".
Thanks,
Garth
Posted on April 8, 2008 11:26 AM
I'll email you.
Posted on April 12, 2008 1:28 PM