The Truth About Reading Scores

 

When the school district and others ask “Why are reading scores declining so badly?” they want to believe that Baraboo’s reading scores are declining and it’s a widespread issue. Here are the facts from the Department of Public Instruction website:

 

WINSS School Success Guide

Data Analysis

How did students perform on state tests at grades 3-8 and 10 over time?

 

 

WKCE/WAA Combined - Grade 4 - READING
Advanced + Proficient
All Students in District Trend Data
Baraboo FAY

 

Enrolled

Advanced + Proficient Total

Nov. 2002*

204

86%

Nov. 2003

216

81%

Nov. 2004

177

76.3%

Nov. 2005

184

83.2%

http://data.dpi.state.wi.us/data/graphshell.asp?Grade=4&GraphFile=GEDISAPRIORYEARS&DETAIL=YES&Group=AllStudentsFAY&SubjectID=1RE&EligibleOnly=NO&Level=A-P&WOW=WSAS&ORGLEVEL=DI&FULLKEY=05028003ZZZZ&DN=Baraboo&SN=Show+Schools

 

 

WKCE/WAA Combined - Grade 8 - READING
Advanced + Proficient
All Students in District Trend Data
Baraboo FAY

 

Enrolled

Advanced + Proficient Total

Nov. 2002*

246

86%

Nov. 2003

234

84.2%

Nov. 2004

230

86.5%

Nov. 2005

206

87.9%

http://data.dpi.state.wi.us/data/graphshell.asp?WOW=WSAS&GraphFile=GEDISAPRIORYEARS&Grade=8&Group=AllStudentsFAY&SUBJECTID=1RE&EligibleOnly=NO&Level=A-P&DETAIL=YES&ORGLEVEL=DI&FULLKEY=05028003ZZZZ&DN=Baraboo&SN=Show+Schools

 

 

WKCE/WAA Combined - Grade 10 - READING
Advanced + Proficient
All Students in District Trend Data
Baraboo FAY

 

Enrolled

Advanced + Proficient Total

Nov. 2002*

251

72%

Nov. 2003

212

73.1%

Nov. 2004

239

73.6%

Nov. 2005

237

83.1%

http://data.dpi.state.wi.us/data/graphshell.asp?Grade=10&GraphFile=GEDISAPRIORYEARS&DETAIL=YES&Group=AllStudentsFAY&SubjectID=1RE&EligibleOnly=NO&Level=A-P&WOW=WSAS&ORGLEVEL=DI&FULLKEY=05028003ZZZZ&DN=Baraboo&SN=Show+Schools

 

* Proficiency data for November 2002 and later are not comparable to earlier years. Some subject area tests are given only at grades 4, 8, and 10. FAY = full academic year.

 

Text Box: It is clear that overall reading scores did NOT decline from 2004-05. When the school board and administration were presented with this fact, their claim changed to, “The literacy gap between those subgroups and the general student body is growing, even while overall test scores may be on the rise” according to the Director of Curriculum as reported in the 8/29/06 Baraboo News Republic. In response to that statement, CFFR researched on the DPI website how many subgroups showed declining reading scores and found the following:

 

Baraboo School District

 

First number = # of students incl. in percents

 

Proficiency data for subgroups

 

Second number = % advanced + proficient

 

For the period November, 2002-2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Race/Ethnicity

11/02

11/03

11/04

11/05

 

Grade 4

Combined groups

17/89%

16/81.3%

17/70.6%

9/55.6%

 

 

Hispanic

 

 

 

12/83.3%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grade 8

Combined groups

12/75%

11/54.5%

10/80%

12/75%

 

 

Amer Indian/AK

6/50%

 

 

6/83.3%

 

 

Black

 

6/33.3%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grade 10

Combined groups

6/34%

9/55.6%

8/50%

12/75%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students w/disabilities

11/02

11/03

11/04

11/05

 

 

Grade 4

19/52%

30/43.3%

21/23.8%

31/54.8%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grade 8

43/44%

39/41%

38/63.2%

25/48%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grade 10

24/12%

28/17.9%

35/28.6%

37/29.7%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

English Proficiency

11/02

11/03

11/04

11/05

 

Grade 4

Ltd. Eng. Proficient

n/a

n/a

n/a

6/83.3%

 

 

English Proficient

183/87%

97/85.6%

132/75%

178/83.1%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grade 8

Ltd. Eng. Proficient

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

 

 

English Proficient

246/86%

n/a

n/a

n/a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grade 10

Ltd. Eng. Proficient

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

 

 

English Proficient

251/72%

212/73.1%

239/73.6%

n/a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Economic Status

11/02

11/03

11/04

11/05

 

Grade 4

Disadvantaged

48/79%

57/80.7%

40/67.5%

54/70.4%

 

 

Not disadvantaged

156/89%

131/81.7%

137/78.8%

130/88.5%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grade 8

Disadvantaged

43/70%

45/64.4%

40/70%

47/74.5%

 

 

Not disadvantaged

203/89%

189/88.9%

190/90%

159/91.8%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grade 10

Disadvantaged

21/53%

33/48.5%

31/51.6%

33/57.6%

 

 

Not disadvantaged

230/74%

179/77.7%

208/76.9%

204/87.3%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gender

 

11/02

11/03

11/04

11/05

 

Grade 4

Female

96/89%

92/84.8%

76/82.9%

84/89.3%

 

 

Male

102/85%

96/78.1%

101/71.3%

100/78%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grade 8

Female

131/91%

117/88%

113/88.5%

109/90.8%

 

 

Male

114/81%

113/80.5%

117/84.6%

97/84.5%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grade 10

Female

129/77%

109/76.1%

126/76.2%

116/86.2%

 

 

Male

122/67%

103/69.9%

113/70.8%

121/80.2%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Migrant status

11/02

11/03

11/04

11/05

 

 

Insufficient data

 

 

 

 

 

http://data.dpi.state.wi.us/data

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: This shows that of the 22 subgroups, only 4 are declining. What about the success of the other 18 categories? The issue of declining reading scores has been completely blown out of proportion by school district administration, school board, and pro-referendum supporters and they want you to believe it.  This is just another scare tactic, just like the last referendum. More “selective promotion and disclosure” of information.

 

The school board and administration should present and promote ALL the facts to the community so we can make an informed decision. They are not. They pick and choose which facts to promote to scare people into thinking things are worse than they really are. When the facts refute their claims, they change their position. No truth, no trust. No trust, no vote.