The latest batch of test scores for the Omaha Public Schools came out Monday, and the news wasn't good.
As a group, for example, OPS eighth-graders posted the district's worst scores in 18 years on last spring's California Achievement Test. Fifth-grade scores also declined, although second-grade results were mostly unchanged.
And a majority of elementary and middle schools saw their scores drop since the 2009-10 year — sometimes dramatically.
“Obviously, we've got a lot of areas to improve on,” said OPS board member Justin Wayne.
OPS students take the test each year in grades 2, 5 and 8. It is a standardized test that allows OPS to compare student achievement in reading, language and math to a sample group of students nationwide.
While some OPS students — and some district schools — fared extremely well on that comparison, the results were less favorable for others.
At Nathan Hale Middle School, the median test score was in the 21st percentile, down from the 29th. That means about half of Hale's eighth-graders last year ranked in the bottom 20 percent of the national sample.
Hale Principal Susan Colvin said she was disappointed by the school's test scores, which are the worst at any OPS middle school since the district began giving the test in 1994.
She said Hale teachers already have made changes in their curriculum to emphasize reading lessons. Colvin also hopes to see gains from the second year of Hale's program of extended instruction, which adds 45 minutes to the school day.
Still, Colvin said, she doesn't believe the CAT results fairly reflect the abilities of last year's eighth-graders, who are now high school freshmen.
“I would hate to be judged on a moment in time,” she said.
Districtwide, OPS officials said, the lower test scores are largely due to demographic changes in the district's population, such as higher poverty and more students who do not speak English as their first language.
“We do have young people that are dealing with a variety of issues outside the classroom, and we do recognize the impact that all those things have,” said ReNae Kehrberg, assistant superintendent of curriculum and learning.
Kehrberg also noted that the CAT measures skills that differ somewhat from the district's curriculum, which is based on Nebraska's academic standards.
Omaha Superintendent John Mackiel agreed with that point but said the district's schools will use the CAT to boost student achievement.
“All of the schools are taking and using the results to improve and inform instruction,” he said.
Wayne, the school board member, said he wants to ensure that OPS students are successful.
“I understand poverty is a factor — a huge factor — but we cannot use it as an excuse,” he said.
The scores' release comes a week after Mackiel announced he would retire in August 2012. Mackiel's tenure has been marked by efforts to deal with Omaha's shifting demographics and the resulting impact on test scores.
Those efforts apparently have had some success with elementary schoolchildren. Scores for second-graders, for example, have not dropped despite rising numbers of low-income students. In fact, an analysis by The World-Herald indicates that low-income students in second grade are scoring higher on the CAT than they did a decade ago.
But that's not true for eighth-graders. Low-income students in that grade are doing worse on the test than their counterparts did a decade ago, The World-Herald found.
And with low-income students — those who participate in the subsidized lunch program — rising during the decade from 51 percent to 65 percent of test-takers in eighth grade, it's not surprising that the district's overall test scores might decline.
What's not clear is why the scores dropped so much in a single year.
In a report to a school board committee, district researchers conducted a statistical analysis to adjust for demographic changes and concluded that there has been little decline in test scores in eighth grade. The report also noted that students with fewer absences and more years in the district have higher test scores.
“A deeper look into these results shows that the middle schools are still providing an environment that promotes learning despite many factors that are not school-controllable,” the report said.
OPS test scores have long been marked by differences between grade levels. Second-graders typically have the highest scores, while eighth graders have the lowest. Yet the pattern of lower scores for higher grades doesn't hold true in all school districts.
In the Millard school district, which uses the Terra Nova exam instead of the CAT, the average score for ninth grade is slightly higher than the average for sixth grade.
Millard officials attribute such results to consistency in the curriculum. But educators also note that test performance can depend heavily on student motivation, which can vary more as students get older. If students put little effort into taking a test like the CAT, since it isn't tied directly to their coursework, their results can suffer.
“We foster student engagement in a variety of ways,” said Tami Williams, Millard's director of assessment, research and evaluation. She said Millard schools work on creating a climate where students want to do their best and recognize that “success breeds success.”
Colvin, the Hale principal, said the test itself is part of the problem. Some of the questions use words and concepts that are outdated or unfamiliar to students in an urban setting: library card catalogs, boat slips and farm animals tethered to a barn for grazing.
Such wording can get in the way of students' ability to demonstrate that they understand the concept being tested, she said.
OPS will begin phasing in a replacement test this school year.
In the meantime, Colvin said, her school will try to provide more support for students through expanded reading programs and the longer school day, which gives youths 13 percent more time with teachers. She said teachers will continue to differentiate their instruction — providing extra help to students who are behind while pushing stronger students to improve.
“There's no silver bullet,” she said. “There's no magic wand.”
Contact the writer: 402-444-1114, paul.goodsell@owh.com
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