State tests show mixed results among schools

Three-quarters of Northern New Castle County’s school districts saw moderate decreases in the number of high school students meeting state reading standards. In math, results were evenly split between losses in Brandywine and Christina, and small gains in Red Clay and NCCo Vo-Tech. 

All experienced double-digit percentage point increases in high school writing. 

The Department of Education’s Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) results released Thursday afternoon showed that Brandywine, Christina and  Vo-Tech sustained losses in reading scores, while Red Clay remained flat.

High school writing scores rose 15 percentage points statewide – about 13 points across the board in Brandywine, Red Clay, Christina and Vo-Tech. Writing tends to vary more widely from year to year than math and reading because of the limited number of questions on the writing test, according to Education Secretary Valerie A. Woodruff.

The DSTP is used to measure how students stack up against state standards for English and math. The results for grades three, five, eight and 10 are later used for federal ratings required under the No Child Left Behind Act.

Christina had the largest drop in reading at 8.5 percentage points.

“We have work to do. We’re not going to make excuses,” said Christina Superintendent Lillian M. Lowery. “We have to use data analysis to see how to support our teachers and meet the needs of all our students.”

In Brandywine, where reading slipped 2 percentage points, Brandywine Superintendent James R. Scanlon said that obviously, reading is the key to success for any student in any subject. The district must instill a value in reading at an early age, he said, making a case for pending full-day kindergarten.

As for math, local high school results were evenly split between losses in Brandywine and Christina and small gains in Red Clay and Vo-Tech. The state as a whole rose a slim 1 percentage point.

Meeting math standards has always been tough for students, but almost three-quarters met them in Red Clay, said Superintendent Robert J. Andrzejewski. Red Clay’s scores were helped by three of its charter and magnet schools (Charter School of Wilmington, Delaware Military and Cab Calloway).

Challenges meeting standards

One of the challenges educators face is inheriting students who come to them below grade level in English and math skills.

“We have to catch up and move up at the same time,” said Lowery, speaking of her district’s results -- where some test groups saw marks as low as 38 percent meeting standards. “Flat is probably the key word for us. It’s not taking us in the direction we need to go.”

That is because federal benchmarks increase every two years. They are scheduled to increase again next year.

The trend is going in the right direction in Brandywine when data is looked at over a number of years, Scanlon said.

“Our test scores have improved at almost every level and in every segment of our student population,” Scanlon said.

Writing fell among third-graders a whopping 22 points – to 45 percent statewide, a dip mirrored in Brandywine, Christina and Red Clay. One of things that is inevitable with the DSTP, is that there will be spikes and drops, Andrzejewski said.

“It’s kind of difficult to pin down exactly what’s going on there,” he said. “That’s why the big move in the state is to go to a growth model. That way you can see if your kids are going in the right direction.”