1. Connecticut Mastery Test Scores 2007 Briefing for Superintendents July 27, 2007

2. Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) 2006/2007 Mathematics % At/Above Goal % At/Above Proficiency

3. Statewide Mathematics Summary for 2007 59 to 66 percent above goal 80 to 83 percent above proficiency 3 to 5 percentage point gain across grades at goal 1 to 3 percentage point gain across grades at proficiency

4. Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) 2006/2007 Reading % At/Above Goal % At/Above Proficiency

5. NAEP Grade 4 Reading

6. NAEP Grade 8 Reading

7. Statewide Reading Summary for 2007 52 to 67 percent above goal 69 to 76 percent above proficiency 0 to -2 percentage point change from 2006 in percent above goal 0 to -1 percentage point change from 2006 in percent above proficiency Flat to downward trend, similar to trend on NAEP scores

8. Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) 2006/2007 Writing % At/Above Goal % At/Above Proficiency

9. Statewide Writing Summary for 2007 60 to 65 percent above goal 81 to 86 percent above proficiency 0 to 2 percentage point gain across grades at goal 0 to 1 percentage point gain across grades at proficiency

10. Subgroup Comparisons 2007 – Gender Grade 3 % At/Above Goal % Below Basic

11. Subgroup Comparisons 2007 – Gender Grade 8 % At/Above Goal Grade 8 – 2007 % Below Basic

12. Performance of NAEP Reporting Groups in Connecticut – Gender Reading 2005 – Grade 4 Percentage Below Basic

13. Performance of NAEP Reporting Groups in Connecticut – Gender Reading 2005 – Grade 8 Percentage Below Basic

14. Subgroup Analysis – Gender Grades 3 and 8 Comparisons Little to no gap in mathematics scores at goal level 2 percent more males at below basic level 5 percentage point gap in reading scores at goal level; females scoring higher – same trend in NAEP reading scores 4 to 5 percent more males below basic 14 and 17 percentage point gap in writing scores; females scoring higher 6 percent more males below basic Gap persists in narrative, expository and persuasive writing Same writing trend in NAEP, CAPT and SAT scores

15. Subgroup Comparisons 2007 – Ethnicity Grade 3 % At/Above Goal % Below Basic

16. Subgroup Comparisons 2007 – Ethnicity Grade 8 % At/Above Goal % Below Basic

17. Performance of NAEP Reporting Groups in Connecticut – Ethnicity Reading 2005 – Grade 4 Percentage Below Basic

18. Performance of NAEP Reporting Groups in Connecticut – Ethnicity Reading 2005 – Grade 8 Percentage Below Basic

19. Subgroup Analysis – Ethnicity Grades 3 and 8 Comparisons Persistent gaps between white and Hispanic and white and black; same trend as NAEP, CAPT and SAT Black and Hispanic scores not substantially different Mathematics – 37 and 45 percentage point gap at goal; gap in goal scores is wider at the higher grade 4 to 5 times as many black and Hispanic students below basic compared to white students Reading – average gap of 41 percentage points across grades 4 to 5 times as many black and Hispanic students below basic compared to white students Writing – 32 to 40 percentage point gap across the grades; gap is wider at the higher grade 4 to 5 times as many black and Hispanic students below basic compared to white students; in Grade 8, six times as many Hispanic students scoring below basic.

20. Subgroup Comparisons 2007 – Free Lunch/Non-Free Lunch Grade 3 % At/Above Goal % Below Basic

21. Subgroup Comparisons 2007 – Free Lunch/Non-Free Lunch Grade 8 % At/Above Goal % Below Basic

22. Performance of NAEP Reporting Groups in Connecticut – Free/Reduced Lunch Reading 2005 – Grade 4 Percentage Below Basic

23. Performance of NAEP Reporting Groups in Connecticut – Free/Reduced Lunch Reading 2005 – Grade 8 Percentage Below Basic

24. Subgroup Analysis – Free Lunch/Non-Free Lunch Grades 3 and 8 Comparisons Mathematics – 37 to 42 percentage point gap Reading – 39 to 42 percentage point gap Writing – 33 to 39 percentage point gap Four times as many poor students score below basic compared to non-poor students Gap in below basic is the same on NAEP assessment

25. Subgroup Comparisons 2007 – Special Education Grade 3 % At/Above Goal % Below Basic

26. Subgroup Comparisons 2007 – Special Education Grade 8 % At/Above Goal % Below Basic

27. Subgroup Analysis Special Education/Non-Special Education 40 and 46 percentage point average gap in mathematics at goal level 42 and 49 percentage point gap in reading at goal level 44 and 48 percentage point gap in writing at goal level

28. Subgroup Comparisons 2007 – English Language Learners (ELL) Grade 3 % At/Above Goal % Below Basic

29. Subgroup Comparisons 2007 – English Language Learners (ELL) Grade 8 % At/Above Goal % Below Basic

30. Subgroup Analysis English Language Learners/Non-English Language Learners 35 and 49 percentage point gap in mathematics at goal level 45 and 60 percentage point gap in reading at goal level 36 and 53 percentage point gap in writing at goal level

31. CMT Strand Results Strengths and Weaknesses Grades 3 and 8 Reading and Mathematics

32. Grade 3 – Mathematics Strengths Percentage of Students Mastering Strand 1.) Pictorial Representation of Numbers Example: Shade in 5/6 of this figure 97% 2.) Basic Facts Example: 2 x 8 91% 3.) Computation with Whole Numbers and Decimals Example: 58 +25 93% 4.) Geometric Shapes and Properties Example: Draw a closed shape that has exactly four sides. 96%

33. Grade 3 – Mathematics (continued) WeaknessesPercentage of Students Mastering Strand 1.) Estimating Solutions to Problems Example: Mrs. Parker bought food for $18. She gave the cashier $50. About how much change did the cashier give Mrs. Parker? 58% 2.) Approximating Measures Example: About how many units long is the pencil? 61% 3.) Mathematical Applications Example: Geno’s mother has five kinds of shoes in her closet: There are: - sneakers, flip flops, boots, dress shoes and clogs - 18 pairs of shoes in all - twice as many pairs of flip flops as pairs of boots - three pairs of sneakers - two more pairs of clogs than pairs of boots Use the information above to show how many pairs of each kind of shoe Geno’s mother could have in her closet. Then show another way his mother could have pairs of each kind of shoe in her closet. 39%

34. Grade 8 – Mathematics Strengths Percentage of Students Mastering Objective 1.) Tables, Graphs and Charts Example: The table shows the number of years ago several kinds of clothing were first worn. 82% 2.) Order, Magnitude and Rounding of Numbers Example: On the ruler, mark an X at the point where 5.9 cm would be. 75% 3.) Models for Operations Example: A farmer had 15.9 pounds of feed to give to her cows. She had 4 feeding bins she used to feed the cows. If she separated the feed evenly into 4 bins, which number sentence could be used to determine the count of each bin? 76% KindNumber of Years Ago Belts & Trousers30,000 Knitted Skirts20,000 Cotton6,500 Silk5,000 Buttoned Garments13,000

35. Grade 8 – Mathematics (continued) Weaknesses Percentage of Students Mastering Objective 1.) Computation with Whole Numbers and Decimals Example: 5,006.2 – 2,904.88 = 48% 2.) Estimating Solutions to Problems Example: A stadium can hold 108,400 people. It was about ¾ full of people for the last football game of the season. What is a good estimate of the number of people who attended the last game? Explain how you made your estimate. 42% 3.) Mathematical Applications Example: The Bushnell Park Carousel in Hartford opens in May and runs through October from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. One cycle of the carousel consists of 3 stages: loading people, the actual ride, and unloading people. It takes about 8 minutes to complete one cycle. The actual date on the carousel takes 3 ½ minutes. If the carousel rotates 4 times per minute, how many rotations could it make from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M.? 31%

36. Grade 3 – Reading Comprehension Percentage of Students Mastering Objective 1.) Forming a General Understanding Example: This story is mainly about… 69% 2.) Developing Interpretation Example: What does this story tell the reader about how people and animals work together? Use details from the story to explain your answer. 79% 3.) Making Reader/Text Connections Example: Think about a fishing trip that you have heard about, seen on TV, or been on. Write a brief paragraph telling how that fishing trip was different from the one in this story. Use information from the story to explain your answer. 33% 4.) Examining the Content and Structure If the author had added another sentence to paragraph 15, which of these would best belong? 39%

37. Grade 8 – Reading Comprehension Percentage of Students Mastering Objective 1.) Forming a General Understanding Example: According to the article, what is an important quality that a pet-sitter should have? Explain why this quality is important. Use information from the article to support your answer. 57% 2.) Developing Interpretation Example: In paragraph 1, the author probably included the statement, “pets need companionship as much as people do,” in order to…? 61% 3.) Making Reader/Text Connections Example: After reading the article, explain why you would or would not like to be a pet-sitter. Use information from the article to support your answer. 54% 4.) Examining the Content and Structure Example: The tone of this article can best be described as… 68%

38. Reading What do we need to improve? Characteristics of schools which demonstrated the most improvement in reading over a five-year period 2000-2004 Curriculum with clearly articulated expectations at each grade level Consistency of a program that is structured and contains the key components of a comprehensive reading program Collaborative meeting time Early intervention Instructional leadership  90-minute block – time on task Reading specialists Interventions for students performing below grade level Professional development Parent involvement

39. Reading Components of comprehensive reading programs: Phonemic awareness Phonics Vocabulary – oral language Fluency Comprehension

40. Reading Success Story Conte West Hills school in New Haven, a Reading First school, has embodied the characteristics of an effective school and has a comprehensive reading program. The 2007 reading growth in this school has been excellent. Percentage At/Above Goal Percentage At/Above Proficiency

41. To access this PowerPoint presentation, please visit the State Department of Education website at: http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/site/default.asp under “Press Room 2007”