Move Up in Grade, Move Down in Proficiency

In the 2011 Arkansas Augmented Benchmark Exams (released July 19, 2011), results are placed in four categories: 1) Below Basic, 2) Basic, 3) Proficient and 4) Advanced.

Here are the results for the Little Rock School District:

Grade 3 (Of 1,966 Students Tested)

• 30% (590) were not proficient in math
• 38% (747) were not proficient in literacy

Grade 4 (Of 2,005 Students Tested)

• 30% (602) were not proficient in math
• 28% (561) were not proficient in literacy

Grade 5 (Of 1,837 Students Tested)

• 35% (643) were not proficient in math
• 31% (569) were not proficient in literacy
• 71% (1,304) were not proficient in science

Grade 6 (Of 1,694 Students Tested)

• 41% (695) were not proficient in math
• 44% (745) were not proficient in literacy

Grade 7 (Of 1,720 Students Tested)

• 44% (757) were not proficient in math
• 47% (808) were not proficient in math
• 78% (1,342) were not proficient in science

Grade 8 (Of 1,669 Students Tested)

• 58% (968) were not proficient in math
• 38% (634) were not proficient in literacy

So last year, in third through eighth grades:

• 4,255 out of 10,891 students tested (39%) were not proficient in math.
• 4,064 out of 10,891 students tested (37%) were not proficient in literacy.

And in fifth and seventh grades:

• 2,646 out of 3,557 students tested (74%) were not proficient in science.

For grades three through eight, this shows a two point drop in students not proficient in math, a three point drop in students not proficient in literacy, and a five point drop in students not proficient in science.

However incremental, that seems like progress, until you look deeper.

Last year's third graders dropped a point in math and gained four in literacy as fourth graders.

Last year's fourth graders dropped three points in math and gained two in literacy as fifth graders.

Last year's fifth graders dropped three points in math and five in literacy as sixth graders.

Last year's sixth graders dropped four points in math and four in literacy as seventh graders.

Last year's seventh graders dropped 13 points in math, while gaining 11 in literacy as eighth graders. These one year swings for eighth graders are so large in both directions, they should warrant further scrutiny.

See the pattern? Every grade (five of five) dropped in math over the previous year's testing, while two of five grades also dropped in literacy.  It seems that the more years a student spends in the Little Rock School District, the more likely he/she will become not proficient in math and/or literacy. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

These test results don't include Pre-K, K, first, second, ninth, tenth, eleventh or twelfth grades. Since those account for half of all grades, it would be generous to estimate that in 2011, nearly 10,000 of the district's approximately 25,000 students (39%) were not proficient in math and/or literacy. Since the trend is an increasing non-proficiency as the grades increase, the actual numbers would be much worse.

Now for the sucker punch. Here are the minimum raw scores (and converted percentages) to be deemed "proficient" on math, literacy and science for each of the tested grades:

Grade 3

Math - 32 of 80 Raw Score (40%)
Literacy - 52 of 96 Raw Score (54.16%)

Grade 4 
Math - 35 of 80 Raw Score (43.75%)
Literacy - 51 of 96 Raw Score (53.13%)

Grade 5
Math - 39 of 80 Raw Score (48.75%)
Literacy - 57.5 of 96 Raw Score (59.9%)
Science - 40 of 80 Raw Score (50%)

Grade 6 
Math - 38 of 80 Raw Score (47.5%)
Literacy - 57 of 96 Raw Score (59.38%)

Grade 7
Math - 25 of 80 Raw Score (31.25%)
Literacy - 65.5 of 96 Raw Score (68.23%) 
Science - 43 of 80 Raw Score (53.75%)

Grade 8  

Math - 29 of 80 Raw Score (36.25%)
Literacy - 67 of 96 Raw Score (69.79%)

Sure takes the bloom of that "proficient" rose.

The adjective "proficient" means "well-advanced or competent in any art, science or subject; skilled." The noun is defined as "an expert." Educators have simply made up a their own definition and are inexplicably misleading the public.

The illusion, while not stated, being perpetrated on parents and citizens is that "Advanced" must equal an A (90-100%), "Proficient" a B (80-89%), "Basic" a C (70-79%) grade, and "Below Basic" a D/F (0-69%).

In actuality, educators' celebrated "Proficient" (based on 2010) means averages of the tested grades of 41.25% correct for math, 60.77% correct for literacy, and 51.875% correct for science. Two (Literacy and Science) of those three on any grading scale would be consider low F's, with Math hanging onto a D by less than a percentage point.

It's nothing short of fraud.

Nothing and no one should deflect or defer immediate delivery of world class education to all students. Anything less, and misguided and/or self-interested adults are denying our most vulnerable citizens an equal chance to compete in the world's widening meritocracy.

Source: Arkansas Augmented Benchmark Examinations Raw To Scale Score Conversion Tables April 2010 Administration

Source: Augmented Benchmark Exams All Grades' Results within a District (Little Rock)