The University of the State of New York

The State Education Department

 

 

 

 

OVERVIEW OF STATEWIDE PERFORMANCE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, MATHEMATICS, AND SCIENCE

AND

ANALYSIS OF STUDENT SUBGROUP PERFORMANCE

 

for

 

Public Schools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 2003


THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

 

Regents of The University

 

Robert M. Bennett, Chancellor, B.A., M.S. .......................................................................    Tonawanda

Adelaide L. Sanford, Vice Chancellor, B.A., M.A., P.D. ...............................................    Hollis

Diane O’Neill McGivern, B.S.N., M.A., Ph.D. ..............................................................    Staten Island

Saul B. Cohen, B.A., M.A., Ph.D............................................................................................    New Rochelle

James C. Dawson, A.A., B.A., M.S., Ph.D. ..........................................................................    Peru

Robert M. Johnson, B.S., J.D. ...............................................................................................    Huntington

Anthony S. Bottar, B.A., J.D. .............................................................................................    North Syracuse

Merryl H. Tisch, B.A., M.A. ...................................................................................................    New York

Geraldine D. Chapey, B.A., M.A., Ed.D...........................................................................    Belle Harbor

Arnold B. Gardner, B.A., LL.B...........................................................................................    Buffalo

Harry Phillips, 3rd, B.A., M.S.F.S. ......................................................................................    Hartsdale

Joseph E. Bowman, Jr., B.A., M.L.S., M.A., M.Ed., Ed.D................................................    Albany

Lorraine A. CortÉs-VÁzquez, B.A., M.P.A..................................................................    Bronx

Judith O. Rubin, A.B. ................................................................................................................    New York

James R. Tallon, jr., B.A., M.A.  ..........................................................................................    Binghamton

Milton L. Cofield, B.S., M.B.A., Ph.D. ...............................................................................    Rochester

 

President of The University and Commissioner of Education

Richard P. Mills

 

Chief Operating Officer

Richard H. Cate

 

Deputy Commissioner for Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education

James A. Kadamus

 

Coordinator, School Operations and Management Services

Charles Szuberla

 

Coordinator, Information and Reporting Services

Martha P. Musser

 

The State Education Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, religion, creed, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin, race, gender, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or sexual orientation in its educational programs, services and activities.  Portions of this publication can be made available in a variety of formats, including braille, large print or audio tape, upon request.  Inquiries concerning this policy of nondiscrimination should be directed to the Department’s Office for Diversity, Ethics, and Access, Room 530, Education Building, Albany, NY 12234. Requests for additional copies of this publication may be made by contacting the Publications Sales Desk, Room 309, Education Building, Albany, NY 12234.

 

Please address all correspondence about this report that is not related to data corrections to:

 

School Report Card Coordinator

Information and Reporting Services Team

New York State Education Department

Room 863 EBA

89 Washington Avenue

Albany, NY 12234

E-mail:  RPTCARD@mail.nysed.gov


            The New York State Report Card is an important part of the Board of Regents effort to raise learning standards for all students. It provides information to the public on student performance and other measures of performance. Knowledge gained from the report card on the State’s strengths and weaknesses can be used to improve instruction and services to students.          

The New York State Report Card consists of three parts: the Overview of Performance in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science and Analysis of Student Subgroup Performance, the Comprehensive Information Report, and the Accountability Report. The Overview and Analysis presents performance data on measures required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act: English, mathematics, science, and graduation rate. Performance data on other State assessments can be found in the Comprehensive Information Report. The Accountability Report provides information as to whether a district/school is making adequate progress toward enabling all students to achieve proficiency in English and mathematics.

State assessments are designed to help ensure that all students reach high learning standards. They show whether students are getting the foundation knowledge they need to succeed at the elementary, middle, and commencement levels and beyond. The State requires that students who are not making appropriate progress toward the standards receive academic intervention services.

In the Overview, performance on the elementary- and middle-level assessments in English language arts and mathematics and on the middle-level science test is reported in terms of mean scores and the percentage of students scoring at each of the four levels. These levels indicate performance on the standards from seriously deficient to advanced proficiency. Performance on the elementary-level science test is reported in terms of mean scores and the percentage of students making appropriate progress. Regents examination scores are reported in four score ranges. Scores of 65 to 100 are passing; scores of 55 to 64 earn credit toward a local diploma (with the approval of the local board of education). Though each elementary- and middle-level assessment is administered to students in a specific grade, secondary-level assessments are taken by students when they complete the coursework for the core curriculum. Therefore, the performance of students at the secondary level is measured for a student cohort rather than a group of students at a particular grade level. Students are grouped in cohorts according to the year in which they first entered grade 9.

The assessment data in the Overview and Analysis are for all tested students in the State, including general-education students and students with disabilities. In the Analysis, performance is disaggregated by race/ethnicity, disability status, gender, LEP status, income level, and migrant status.

Explanations of terms referred to or symbols used in this part of the report card may be found in the glossary on the last page. Further information on the report card may be found in the guide, Understanding Your School Report Card 2003, available at your district or on the Information and Reporting Services Web site at www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts.


Overview of Statewide Performance

in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science

 

State Profile

 

Organization

2001–02

School Statewide Staff (both full- and part-time)

Grade Range

Student Enrollment

Count of Teachers

Count of Other Professionals

K-12

2,828,318

217,739

40,823

 

2000–01 NYS Public Schools Total Expenditure per Pupil

$11,871

 

Student Demographics

1999–2000

2000–2001

2001–2002

Count*

Percent

Count*

Percent

Count*

Percent

Limited English Proficient

230,625

8.1%

201,319

7.0%

193,605

6.8%

Eligible for Free Lunch

1,064,388

38.2%

1,061,386

38.1%

1,054,668

37.7%

*Counts of limited English proficient students and students eligible for free lunch in 1999–2000 do not include charter schools. Counts in 2000–2001 and 2001–2002 include charter schools.

2001–02 Percentage of Core Classes Taught by Highly Qualified Teachers*

Number of Core Classes

Percent Taught by Highly Qualified Teachers

441,140

87%

*For the 2001–02 school year only, teachers of core classes are considered to be highly qualified if they are certified to teach that subject.

2001–02 Percentage of Teachers with No Valid Teaching Certificate*

Number of Teachers

Percent No Valid Teaching Certificate

212,441

8%

*This count includes teachers with temporary licenses who do not have a valid permanent or provisional teaching certificate.


Elementary Level

English Language Arts

 

 

Grade 4 English Language Arts Performance

(All Students:  General Education and Students with Disabilities)

NY State Public

Performance Statewide

Counts of Students Tested

Mean Score

Level 1

455–602

Level 2

603–644

Level 3

645–691

Level 4

692–800

Total

Jan–Feb 2000

20,895

68,230

93,796

33,865

216,786

653

Jan–Feb 2001

22,361

63,550

92,584

36,542

215,037

653

Jan–Feb 2002

17,347

64,714

87,030

43,729

212,820

659

 

Elementary-Level English Language Arts Levels — Listening, Reading, and Writing Standards

Level 4

These students exceed the standards and are moving toward high performance on the Regents examination.

Level 3

These students meet the standards and, with continued steady growth, should pass the Regents examination.

Level 2

These students need extra help to meet the standards and pass the Regents examination.

Level 1

These students have serious academic deficiencies.

Performance of Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students

Grade 4

English Proficiency Below Effective Participation Level

Making Appropriate Progress

2002

6,261

4,981

Performance of Elementary-Level Students with Severe Disabilities on the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) in English

 

Number Tested

AA–Level 1

AA–Level 2

AA–Level 3

AA–Level 4

2001–02

2,076

154

769

1,131

22

 

 


Elementary Level

Mathematics

 

Grade 4 Mathematics Performance

(All Students:  General Education and Students with Disabilities)

NY State Public

Performance Statewide

Counts of Students Tested

Mean Score

Level 1

448–601

Level 2

602–636

Level 3

637–677

Level 4

678–810

Total

May 2000

19,869

57,034

102,263

41,503

220,669

648

May 2001

18,709

49,163

93,740

58,242

219,854

655

May 2002

15,737

54,686

96,999

49,099

216,521

651

 

Elementary-Level Mathematics Levels —
Knowledge, Reasoning, and Problem-Solving Standards

Level 4

These students exceed the standards and are moving toward high performance on the Regents examination.

Level 3

These students meet the standards and, with continued steady growth, should pass the Regents examination.

Level 2

These students need extra help to meet the standards and pass the Regents examination.

Level 1

These students have serious academic deficiencies.

Performance of Elementary-Level Students with Severe Disabilities on the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) in Mathematics, Science, and Technology

 

Number Tested

AA–Level 1

AA–Level 2

AA–Level 3

AA–Level 4

2001–02

2,408

188

992

1,210

18

 


 

Elementary Level

Science Multiple-Choice

 

 

Grade 4 Science Performance

(All Students:  General Education and Students with Disabilities)

NY State Public

 

 

 

 

All Students

 

Number Tested

Number Above SDL

Mean Score

May 2000

220,400

144,983

32

May 2001

218,522

145,777

32

May 2002

214,650

148,365

33

 

Grade 4 Science — Knowledge, Reasoning, and Problem-Solving Standards

Multiple-Choice Test Component

This component contains 45 multiple-choice questions based upon the New York State Elementary Science Syllabus and referenced to the New York State Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science and Technology (Elementary Level).

State Designated Level (SDL)

Students who correctly answer fewer than 30 of the 45 questions of the multiple-choice test component must receive academic intervention services in the following term of instruction.

School Mean Scores

For the multiple-choice test component, the mean score is the average number of correct answers for students tested. If all tested students answered all questions correctly, this score would be 45.

 

Elementary Level

Science Performance Test

 

The elementary-level science test is composed of two sections, the multiple-choice section (described above) and the performance test.  The performance test is not used to determine the need for academic intervention services or for accountability purposes because not all students are administered the same three tasks.

 

All Students

 

Number Tested

Mean Score

May 2000

214,973

32

May 2001

215,144

33

May 2002

209,839

33


Middle Level

English Language Arts

 

Grade 8 English Language Arts Performance

(All Students:  General Education and Students with Disabilities)

NY State Public

 

 

Performance Statewide

Counts of Students Tested

Mean Score

Level 1

527–661

Level 2

662–700

Level 3

701–738

Level 4

739–830

Total

May 2000

25,857

82,038

69,063

19,038

195,996

697

May 2001

26,696

81,445

66,879

21,453

196,473

698

 

Level 1

527–659

Level 2

660–698

Level 3

699–737

Level 4

738–830

Total

 

March 2002

14,738

100,200

70,432

21,048

206,418

697

 

Middle-Level English Language Arts Levels — Listening, Reading, and Writing Standards

Level 4

These students exceed the standards and are moving toward high performance on the Regents examination.

Level 3

These students meet the standards and, with continued steady growth, should pass the Regents examination.

Level 2

These students need extra help to meet the standards and pass the Regents examination.

Level 1

These students have serious academic deficiencies.

Performance of Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students

Grade 8

English Proficiency Below Effective Participation Level

Making Appropriate Progress

2002

6,062

4,727

Performance of Middle-Level Students with Severe Disabilities on the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) in English

 

Number Tested

AA–Level 1

AA–Level 2

AA–Level 3

AA–Level 4

2001–02

2,028

97

751

1,163

17


 

Middle Level

Mathematics

 

Grade 8 Mathematics Performance

(All Students:  General Education and Students with Disabilities)

NY State Public

 

Performance Statewide

Counts of Students Tested

Mean Score

Level 1

517–680

Level 2

681–715

Level 3

716–759

Level 4

760–882

Total

May 2000

49,334

68,700

66,290

13,770

198,094

705

May 2001

52,663

68,403

62,884

16,034

199,984

703

May 2002

40,707

68,169

77,210

22,097

208,183

712

 

Middle-Level Mathematics Levels — Knowledge, Reasoning, and Problem-Solving Standards

Level 4

These students exceed the standards and are moving toward high performance on the Regents examination.

Level 3

These students meet the standards and, with continued steady growth, should pass the Regents examination.

Level 2

These students need extra help to meet the standards and pass the Regents examination.

Level 1

These students have serious academic deficiencies.

 

Performance of Middle-Level Students with Severe Disabilities on the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) in Mathematics, Science, and Technology

 

Number Tested

AA–Level 1

AA–Level 2

AA–Level 3

AA–Level 4

2001–02

2,071

141

727

1,181

22

 


 

Middle Level

Science

 

Middle-Level Science and Regents Science Performance of Middle-Level Students

(All Students:  General Education and Students with Disabilities)

NY State Public

 

Performance Statewide

Counts of Students Tested

Mean Score

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Total

June 2002

Middle-Level Science

10,180

34,773

82,014

51,400

178,367

73

Regents Science

299

399

5,195

8,734

14,627

84

 

Middle-Level Science Levels — Knowledge, Reasoning, and Problem-Solving Standards*

Level 4

These students exceed the standards on the middle-level science test and are moving toward high performance on the Regents examinations or score 85–100 on a Regents science examination.

Level 3

These students meet the standards on the middle-level science test and, with continued steady growth, should pass the Regents examinations or score 65–84 on a Regents science examination.

Level 2

These students need extra help to meet the standards for middle-level science and to pass the Regents examinations or score 55–64 on a Regents science examination.

Level 1

These students have serious academic deficiencies as evidenced in the middle-level science test or score 0–54 on a Regents science examination.

 

*Students may demonstrate proficiency in middle-level science by scoring at level 3 or above on the middle-level science test or by scoring 65 or above on a Regents examination in science.


 

High School English Achievement

after Four Years of Instruction

 

      The graph and table below present performance of the 1997 and 1998 cohort members on the Regents English examination four years after entering grade 9. A score of 65 or above on this examination is considered passing. Only the highest score of each student is counted, regardless of how many times the student took the examination. In the graph, students passing approved alternatives to this examination are counted as scoring in the 65 to 84 range. In the table, the numbers of students who met the graduation requirement by passing an approved alternative or the Regents competency tests (RCTs) in reading and writing are listed separately. (RCT results are not included in the graph.) Students who score 55 to 64 on the Regents examination in comprehensive English may be given credit towards a local high school diploma if allowed by the district board of education.

 

Achievement on the Regents Examination in Comprehensive English after Four Years

(All Students:  General Education and Students with Disabilities)

NY State Public

English Graduation Requirement Achievement after Four Years of High School*

 

Student Category

Cohort Members

Highest Score Between

55 and 64

Highest Score Between

65 and 84

Highest Score Between

85 and 100

Approved Alternative  Credit

Passed RCT

1997 Cohort

General Education

145,237

19,319

88,979

20,930

132

204

Students w/ Disabilities

12,060

3,358

4,387

152

5

1,506

All Students

157,297

22,677

93,366

21,082

137

1,710

1998 Cohort

General Education

144,644

12,710

77,497

37,678

143

102

Students w/ Disabilities

13,202

2,359

4,670

445

3

1,253

All Students

157,846

15,069

82,167

38,123

146

1,355

*Assessments used to determine counts in this table include the Regents examination in comprehensive English, the component retest in English, the Regents competency tests in reading and writing, and approved alternatives.

 

 


High School Mathematics Achievement

after Four Years of Instruction

 

            The graph and table below present performance of the 1997 and 1998 cohort members, four years after entering grade 9, in meeting the graduation assessment requirement in mathematics. A score of 65 or above on a Regents examination in mathematics is considered passing. Only the highest score of each student is counted, regardless of how many times the student took the examination. In the graph, students passing approved alternatives to these examinations are counted as scoring in the 65 to 84 range. In the table, the numbers of students who met the graduation requirement by passing an approved alternative or the Regents competency test (RCT) in mathematics are listed separately. (RCT results are not included in the graph.) Students who score 55 to 64 on a Regents examination in mathematics may be given credit towards a local high school diploma if allowed by the district board of education.

 

Achievement on the Regents Examination in Mathematics after Four Years

(All Students:  General Education and Students with Disabilities)

NY State Public

Mathematics Graduation Requirement Achievement after Four Years of High School*

 

Student Category

Cohort Members

Highest Score Between

55 and 64

Highest Score Between

65 and 84

Highest Score Between

85 and 100

Approved Alternative  Credit

Passed RCT

1997 Cohort

General Education

145,237

12,501

52,415

59,323

1,572

501

Students w/ Disabilities

12,060

1,295

3,433

1,349

54

3,423

All Students

157,297

13,796

55,848

60,672

1,626

3,924

1998 Cohort

General Education

144,644

13,194

52,157

59,060

7

350

Students w/ Disabilities

13,202

1,246

3,441

1,172

0

2,955

All Students

157,846

14,440

55,598

60,232

7

3,305

*Assessments used to determine counts in this table include Regents mathematics examinations, the component retest in mathematics, the Regents competency test in mathematics, and approved alternatives.

 

 


Graduation Rates for the 1998 Cohort

 

            Students were counted as graduates if they earned a local diploma with or without a Regents endorsement no later than June 2002.  Additional students may have earned diplomas in August 2002. For the purpose of calculating graduation rate, students who transferred to GED programs were included in the count of students in the cohort. These students were not counted as cohort members for other purposes. Therefore, the count in the table below may be higher than the count of cohort members shown on previous pages.

 

 

Graduation Rates for the 1998 Cohort

NY State Public

 

 

 

Graduation Rates for the 1998 Cohort

Student Category

Graduation Rate Cohort

Number of Graduates

General-education students

148,209

115,192

Students with disabilities

14,128

7,660

Total

162,337

122,852

 

 

 

 

 


Analysis of Student Subgroup Performance

 

Historically, on State assessments the average performance of Black, Hispanic, and Native American students has been lower than that of White and Asian students.  Similarly, students from low-income families have not performed as well as those from higher income families. A high priority of the Board of Regents is to eliminate these gaps in student performance. In addition, Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act includes explicit requirements “to ensure that students served by Title I are given the same opportunity to achieve to high standards and are held to the same high expectations as all students in each State.”

 

This section of the report card provides performance data by racial/ethnic group, disability status, gender, English proficiency status, income level, and migrant status. The purpose of the student subgroup analyses is to determine if students who perform below the standards in any district tend to fall into particular groups, such as minority students, limited English proficient students, or economically disadvantaged students. If these analyses provide evidence that students in one of the groups achieve at a lower level than other students in a particular district or school, the district/school and community should examine the reasons for this lower performance and make necessary changes in curriculum, instruction, and student support services to remedy these performance gaps.


Elementary Level

English Language Arts

Student Subgroup

2000–01

2001–02

Tested

Percentages of Tested Students Scoring at Levels

Tested

Percentages of Tested Students Scoring at Levels

2–4

3–4

4

2–4

3–4

4

Results by Race/Ethnicity

American Indian/Alaskan Native

892

82

42

8

911

87

45

9

Black

45,399

81

39

6

44,252

84

42

10

Hispanic

37,840

80

40

7

37,699

85

42

9

Asian or Pacific Islander

11,199

94

69

24

11,592

96

74

31

White

119,634

96

74

24

118,281

97

74

27

Total*

215,037

90

60

17

212,820

92

61

21

Small Group Totals (s)

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Results by Disability Status

General-education students

186,895

93

65

19

185,427

95

66

23

Students with disabilities

28,142

65

26

3

27,393

72

30

4

Total*

215,037

90

60

17

212,820

92

61

21

Results by Gender

Female

105,497

91

63

20

103,952

93

64

24

Male

109,540

88

57

14

108,868

91

59

17

Total*

215,037

90

60

17

212,820

92

61

21

Results by English Proficiency Status

English proficient

208,903

91

61

17

207,208

93

63

21

Limited English proficient

6,134

48

13

1

5,612

57

14

2

Total*

215,037

90

60

17

212,820

92

61

21

Results by Income Level

Economically disadvantaged

101,113

83

42

7

100,756

86

44

10

Not disadvantaged

113,923

96

76

26

111,970

97

77

30

Total*

215,037

90

60

17

212,820

92

61

21

Results by Migrant Status

Migrant family

117

77

38

2

101

87

40

6

Not migrant family

214,920

90

60

17

212,719

92

61

21

Total*

215,037

90

60

17

212,820

92

61

21

*Individual small group counts may not add up to total counts because student subgroup classifications may not have been reported for some students.


Elementary Level

Mathematics

Student Subgroup

2000–01

2001–02

Tested

Percentages of Tested Students Scoring at Levels

Tested

Percentages of Tested Students Scoring at Levels

2–4

3–4

4

2–4

3–4

4

Results by Race/Ethnicity

American Indian/Alaskan Native

903

85

57

15

916

88

55

12

Black

45,387

82

46

10

44,286

85

45

8

Hispanic

41,928

84

49

11

40,909

87

49

9

Asian or Pacific Islander

11,316

97

83

42

11,792

97

83

40

White

120,258

97

84

37

118,528

97

81

31

Total*

219,854

91

69

26

216,521

93

67

23

Small Group Totals (s)

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Results by Disability Status

General-education students

191,087

95

74

29

188,861

95

72

25

Students with disabilities

28,767

71

39

8

27,660

74

37

6

Total*

219,854

91

69

26

216,521

93

67

23

Results by Gender

Female

107,774

92

69

26

105,727

93

67

21

Male

112,080

91

69

27

110,794

92

68

24

Total*

219,854

91

69

26

216,521

93

67

23

Results by English Proficiency Status

English proficient

209,196

93

71

28

207,689

94

69

23

Limited English proficient

10,658

65

27

4

8,832

71

29

5

Total*

219,854

91

69

26

216,521

93

67

23

Results by Income Level

Economically disadvantaged

105,078

86

53

13

103,376

87

51

10

Not disadvantaged

114,775

97

84

39

113,051