Rhode Island student test scores on the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) were announced yesterday, and Portsmouth's schools continue to perform above the state average, posting modest year-on-year gains. According to the RI Dept. of Education (RIDE), in Portsmouth, 84% of students were at or above proficient in reading and 75% in math, compared to state averages of 70% and 54% respectively. Yearly gains were incremental, with an average 1.3% increase for reading and 2.7% in math.

Okay, that was the good news first.

Drilling down at the elementary level, both Hathaway and Melville elementary schools posted 5% increases in reading proficiency, while Elmhurst showed a slight decline. In math, Melville showed a 6.2% increase, with Hathaway following at 1% and Elmhurst at 0.4%. In terms of total percent proficient, Elmhurst and Melville were tied, with 86% in reading and 85% in math. Hathaway lagged, with 79% and 73%. While all these numbers are comparable to neighboring districts (Middletown, Newport, and Tiverton), the gap among the Portsmouth schools is noticeable.

At the middle school, reading proficiency increased slightly (1.4%) while math declined by an equal percentage. Both fall below the state cutoff for significance of 3%. The absolute numbers for proficiency, at 83% for reading and 78% for math are above neighboring districts, but ten points below state-leading Barrington.

Portsmouth High saw a minor dip in reading (1.9%) but a big jump in writing (10%) and a whopping 14.7% increase in math proficiency. The absolute reading number, at 88%, is strong relative to our neighbors. But given the relatively lower level of proficiency measured in math — just 58% — it's especially encouraging to see the needle moving here. Yes, we have higher percentage proficient than our neighbors — and even Barrington only posted 66% proficient in math — but this is still low.

High school graduation rates, also included in the report, showed that Portsmouth continues to perform ten points above the state average, at 84%. It should be noted that this measure only includes those students who complete in 4 years. And while this is a higher percentage of graduates than neighboring communities, even discounting those who take an extra summer to finish, that's still a lot of kids.

My takeaways: Portsmouth's emphasis on reading is clearly working. I would say, "keep up the good work" to literacy coordinator Denise Dvorak and the whole staff of literacy coaches, as well all the teachers and staff who have clearly pitched in gained traction with their approach and demonstrated measurable gains. Job well done.

And the increases in math are encouraging, especially at the high school, which was highlighted in RIDE Commissioner Deborah Gist's press release for their double-digit gain.

But clearly, math is an area where continued focus is needed. As the parent of a Hathaway student, I'm very troubled that proficiency at the school lags both Elmhurst and Melville by ten points. And while the increase at the high school is to be celebrated, the absolute proficiency level there is just 58%. Are we making progress? Yes. But there's just no way to describe that as a positive number.

And of course, I know that these are standardized tests, so I'm not making too much of this. With sample sizes this small, variations from class to class can impact these numbers disproportionately, which is why I think it's only useful to note large divergences. Measures like this are just one indicator — and most certainly not a holistic one — of how well the district is performing.

Update: Newport Now has a story on the other districts on Aquidneck Island.

Resources:
NECAP report (pdf)
RIDE Assessment Office page with test scores