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California test results show solid academic gains
Associated Press - August 18, 2009
By Terence Chea
SAN FRANCISCO—California students made solid gains on standardized tests for English and math over the past year, but the state showed little progress in narrowing the achievement gap between racial groups, according to data released Tuesday by the state Department of Education.
For the first time, half of students scored at the proficient or advanced level in English-language arts on the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program in 2009, up from 46 percent in 2008. The number of students meeting those levels in math rose to 46 percent, a three-point gain over the previous year.
The 2009 STAR test results show that California students have made steady academic progress since the state's standardized tests were aligned to reflect its academic standards seven years ago. Only 35 percent of students scored at the proficient level or above in both math and English in 2003.
While all racial groups improved their scores in 2009, the results found little progress in bridging the achievement gap between black and Hispanic students and their white and Asian peers.
For example, 68 percent of white and 73 percent of Asian students scored at the proficient or advanced level in English, while only 37 percent of black and Hispanic students reached that benchmark.
Jack O'Connell, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, said his top priority is closing the achievement gap, which cannot be explained by socio-economic factors alone.
"Far too many of our students, especially students of color, are still not meeting proficiency," O'Connell told reporters Tuesday. "Today we have an economic imperative to close the achievement gap."
In California, black and Hispanic students are far more likely to attend schools that are overcrowded and lack qualified teachers, which could partially explain why they lag behind their peers, said John Rogers, a UCLA education professor who heads the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access.
This year about 4.7 million students took the STAR tests, which are closely watched by parents, teachers, administrators and lawmakers. Students in grades 2 through 11 are tested in math and English. High school students are also tested in science and history.
To close a massive budget deficit, California has slashed funding to public education, forcing school districts to lay off thousands of teachers, increase class sizes, eliminate summer school and cut programs that help struggling students.
Education experts fear the deep budget cuts will undermine recent academic gains, widen the achievement gap and cause California to fall further behind other states.
"We've improved a little bit, but we have a long way to go," Rogers said. "I worry a lot that even these modest improvements that we see today will be washed away."
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