Double-digit improvement registered in several areas
By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
Burlington Area School District students bounced back from a subpar performance on state standardized tests last school year to show nearly across-the-board improvement on tests taken earlier this school year.
Figures released Monday by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction show students across seven grade levels (3-8 and 10) improved their reading scores at five of those seven grade levels and their math scores at six of the seven levels.
“Overall we’re really happy with the improvement we’re showing at almost every measure,” Superintendent Peter Smet said Tuesday.
In some cases the improvement in the percentage of local students rated as advanced or proficient on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam given last November is startling.
For example, the percentage of 10th grade students rated advanced or proficient in mathematics rose nearly 16 points from 2011 to 2012. The percentage of sixth-grade math students rated advanced or proficient was up 14.4 points and the percentage of seventh-grade math students was up 13 points.
Also improving in math were eighth grade (3.4 points), fifth grade (2.5) and third grade (0.3). The only grade level that saw a decline in math was fourth (-2.5).
Sixth-grade students led the improvement in reading scores with a 10.2-point rise in the percent rated advanced of proficient. Other levels that improved were eighth grade (8.6 points), third grade (6.6), 10th grade (2.6) and fourth grade (1.6).
Reading levels that declined were fifth grade (-4.0) and seventh grade (-1.6).
Even more encouraging, according to Assistant Superintendent Connie Zinnen, is the fact that percentages are up at 11 of 12 levels measured over the past five school years.
That demonstrates the improvement is a trend and not a single-year anomaly, she said.
Leading the way is seventh-grade math, which is up 23 percentage points from the 2008-09 school year.
10th graders lead way
When it comes to the improvement logged in the past year, however, the 10th graders led the way. Burlington High School sophomores improved in all five subject areas tested – reading, language, math, science and social studies.
After last year’s subpar scores, administrators took a hard look at the way the test was administered.
“We really corrected some of our high school testing culture issues,” Smet said.
For example, instead of all 10th graders taking several WKCE tests in the school auditorium in a single day as was the case in 2011, students this school year took the series of tests over several days in smaller classroom groups.
“We learned a hard lesson,” Smet said of the testing method used at the high school.
Zinnen said the district made specific changes in an attempt to improve the testing environment.
“I think that’s reflected in our scores,” she said, giving credit to the teaching staff for working with administration in fostering the improved scores.
Measuring up
In comparisons with their peers at other schools in the Southern Lakes Athletic Conference, Burlington students ranked solidly in the middle.
The Standard Press used the average of the percentage of students rated advanced or proficient across the five subject areas tested at grades four, eight and 10 for comparison purposes.
In addition to Burlington, the comparison used schools in the following districts: Delavan-Darien, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva Badger, Union Grove, Waterford, Westosha Central and Wilmot. In the case of union school districts (Lake Geneva, Union Grove, Waterford, Westosha and Wilmot), the comparison used figures from the largest of the elementary feeder schools in each high school district.
In that comparison, Burlington students ranked third at fourth grade, fifth at eighth grade and fourth at 10th grade among the eight schools compared at each level.
For an in-depth look at the performance of students in the Burlington Area School District, visit the DPI’s data website at http://winss.dpi.wi.gov/.
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