Tests show reading is improving

Kati O'Hare

Daily Press Writer

MONTROSE — Montrose County School District Re-1J released the results from the third grade Colorado Student Assessment Program reading test scores today and all district schools have improved from last year.

"We are excited overall. The district average was a 9 percent increase, where the state was only 1 percent," District Assessment Coordinator Laura Burris said.

The CSAP is a standardized test administered by the Colorado Department of Education and is required by the state. Third-graders are only instructed to take the reading section as a Colorado Basic Literacy Act requirement.

The goal is to have all students "proficient or advanced" in the area of reading and results show what percent of the students reached that goal. The district's average was 70 percent, up from 2006 average of 61 percent. The state average was 71 percent, up from 70 percent in 2006. (See Overall District Summary.)

According to the Colorado General Assembly's Web site, the literacy act was enacted in 1997 by the Colorado general assembly in order to ensure that by third grade students have the literacy skills essential for success.

The statute states pupils can succeed in school if they have the basic skills in reading and writing that are appropriate for their grade level.

The district uses three assessments to determine if third-graders are at their grade level: CSAP, the Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress and Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills.

The literacy act requires students to be proficient or advanced on two of the three tests. If they are not, the statute requires them to be put on an Individual Literacy Plan. The plan is devised by the parent, student and teacher so that a student can reach his or her grade level in a short amount of time, Burris said.

Of 453 district third-graders, 55 students had an unsatisfactory grade; 80 students were partially proficient; 63 students were proficient and six students were advanced.

Oak Grove Elementary had one student out of 62 with an unsatisfactory grade. The school improved its last-year average by 13 percent to 79 percent proficient or advanced.

"We are very encouraged by the results," Oak Grove Principal Dave Arellano said.

Arellano said teachers have been collaborating throughout the year, viewing other assessment to see where improvements are needed.

Sherri Richardson, literacy instruction coach at Oak Grove and district CBLA coordinator, said the biggest thing is for the schools to continue to show improvement.

Olathe Elementary school is still struggling with a 43 percent proficient or advanced, but did show a two-point improvement. The school is also challenged with the highest percentage of Hispanic and free/reduced lunch participants, with 43 percent Hispanic and 56 percent free/reduced lunch.

"The whole school is making huge gains with their population," Burris said.

The school is in its second year of a Reading First Grant, which helps the elementary to develop scientifically based reading programs for students. Burris said the school has already seen improvements from the grant.

Northside Elementary is in its first year of the Reading First Grant and has shown the most improvement. With an 18 percent proficient or advanced increase from last year, the school is well above the state average with 82 percent.

Burris said the district will look to see how Northside improved.

"We want to model that and roll it out into other schools," she said.

Not only did Northside improve from last year's 64 percent, but its Hispanic students achieved a 70 percent proficient or advanced score.

The third-grade CSAP scores will be added to the CSAP score from other grades. These results will then be used with other assessments in three state-mandated accountability systems for public education: School Accountability Reports, No Child Left Behind and Accreditation Reports.

Contact Kati O'Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com