The News-Times

Ridgefield’s schools’ scores are on the rise

- By Macklin Reid

“I have some good news, better news, and some fantastic news,” Assistant Superinten­dent for Curriculum and Instructio­n Craig Creller told the school board.

He was reporting on Ridgefield students’ scores on a variety of tests — the SAT taken by most high school students, a new science test given at three levels, and the Smarter Balanced Assessment­s given annually from grade three to grade eight.

The report on test results from Creller, K12 Humanities Supervisor Dr. Alison Villaneuva, and K12 STEM Supervisor Dr. Wes DeSantis was presented to the Board of Education on Oct. 28.

On the SAT or Scholastic Aptitude Test, high school students abilities are measured in two areas: “evidenceba­sed reading and writing” and mathematic­s. Ridgefield’s mean score for 2019 was 604 on both, and both were increases from 2018 — a sixpoint gain from 598 to 604 on the reading and writing test, and an 11point increase from

593 to 604 on the math test. The combined average score that adds the reading and writing score to the math score showed Ridgefield students with a 17 point yeartoyear increase, going from a combined SAT score of 1,191 in

2018 to 1,208 in 2019. In English Language Arts, ELA, Ridgefield’s average score of 604 placed it fifth among seven high schools in affluent Fairfield County suburbs that the state groups together as District Reference Group A or “DRGA” — Ridgefield and Darien, New Canaan, Westport, Weston, Wilton and Region 9 ( Joel Barlow serving Redding and Easton). The range of ELA scores in the DRGA schools went from 618 in New Canaan to 591 in Region 9. The DRGA average was 608, and the statewide average 514.

In math, Ridgefield’s 604 average SAT score placed it fourth among among the seven DRGA towns, with scores ranging from 628 in Darien to 589 in Region 9. The DRGA average score in math was 607, and the statewide average score of 500.

In a comment that seemed applicable to any of the tests discussed, Creller told the board that the difference­s among the DRGA towns was negligible, compared to the separation between Ridgefield’s and the statewide scores.

“When we compare to New Canaan and Darien, we are statistica­lly the same,” Creller said. “If we compare to Connecticu­t, our kids are really knocking it out of the park.”

The “Next Generation Science Standards” tests (NGSS assessment) were given to all students at three different places in their school careers — fifth, eighth and 11th grades.

Results are graded according to a fourpart scale: Level Four, exceeds the achievemen­t standard; Level Three, meets the achievemen­t standard; Level Two, approaches the achievemen­t standard; Level One, does not meet the achievemen­t standard.

School officials talk about the district’s success by the percentage of students meeting either level three or four — the students who meet or exceed the testing standard.

In fifth grade 81% of Ridgefield students tested at level three or level four, meaning they met or exceeded the science standards..

In eighth grade, 73% of students tested at levels three or four.

In 11th grade, 71% of students met and exceeded the science standards.

Two Smarter Balanced Assessment­s are given to students annually in third through eighth grades, one in ELA and another in mathematic­s.

Results are graded according to the same fourpart scale: Level four, exceeds the achievemen­t standard; Level three, meets the achievemen­t standard; Level two, approachin­g the achievemen­t standard; Level one, does not meet the achievemen­t standard.

Again, school officials often use the percentage of students scoring at levels three or four as a benchmark.

Across the six grades in all Ridgefield schools the percentage of students achieving level three (meets achievemen­t standard) or level four (exceeds achievemen­t standard) increased over 6% in mathematic­s, from 72.3% in

201718 to 77.6% in 201819. In ELA, Ridgefield students in grade three through eight had a 3% improvemen­t from 81.1% in 201718 to 83.9% in 202819.

Board member Fran Walton cautioned about getting too excited about the improvemen­t in math scores.

“We had a concern over the middle school math program,” she said. “I don’t want to denigrate the growth, but we had concerns.

Ridgefield’s math and English scores were compared to the statewide averages and also the average “DRGA” school systems.

In ELA in 201819, Ridgefield’s 83.9% of students achieving levels three or four was higher than the 82.3% for the average of all DRGA school districts and well above the 55.7% average of all Connecticu­t schools.

In math in 201819, Ridgefield’s 77.6% of students achieving levels three or four was slightly below the DRGA schools’ average of 79.8% but substantia­lly above the statewide average of 48.1% of students.

Broken down by grade, across all Ridgefield schools, the percentage­s achieving levels three or four were: Grade Three, 85.4 ELA; 84.8% math; Grade Four, 86.0% ELA, 85.9% math; Grade Five,

87.5% ELA, 76.5% math; Grade Six, 82.7% ELA, 74.8 math; Grade Seven, 81.3% ELA, 76.6% math; Grade Eight, 81.3% ELA, 69.8% math.

Wes DeSantis, the district STEM supervisor, told the board that Ridgefield was one of many towns to see math scores drop noticeably at grade five.

“The whole state, no matter where you looked at it,” he said. “It was 80s, 90s — then

70s. There was a huge drop in fifth grade.”

Focusing on the group that the report described as “students with exceptiona­lities” in the IDEA special education program, Ridgefield saw a 5% increases in the percentage of IDEA students achieving level three or level four in both English Language Arts and math — although their percentage­s were below those of the general school population.

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