For the first time in years, Maine’s math scores are up.
Thirty-nine percent of fourth-graders know what they should in math, up from 28 percent in 2003. Twenty-nine percent of eighth-graders do, up from 18 percent in 2003.
The state’s youngest test-takers performed better in math, but 11th-graders stayed about the same.
And no age group performed well in science. The worst? Fourth-graders. Less than five percent met state standards.
“Certainly, we haven’t seen the upward trend in science that we’d hoped,” said Brud Maxcy, Maine Educational Assessment coordinator.
Locally, results were mixed.
In Lewiston and Auburn, twice the number of eighth-graders met math standards.
Auburn’s fourth-grade math and reading scores went up, but its 11th-grade scores fell slightly.
Lewiston’s fourth-grade scores stayed about the same, and its 11th-grade scores went up.
Encouraging’
The Maine Educational Assessment is a standardized test given to students in grades four, eight and 11. It measures how well students meet Maine’s Learning Results standards in reading, writing, math and science.
Students receive scores between 501 and 580, which determine whether they exceed, meet, partially meet or do not meet the standards. Students who meet the standards have proven they’ve learned everything the state wants them to know. Students who partially meet the standards have learned only some of those things.
On the national level, schools are deemed failing or successful based on state scores in math and reading.
The MEA was established in 1984 and revised in 1998 to test students on the new Learning Results. State officials predicted scores would remain flat as schools aligned their lessons to the standards, but they assured parents that students would improve after a few years.
Seven years later, most students still haven’t fully meet the standards, but scores have improved between 2003 and today. Experts believe three years of scoring is enough to show a trend.
“I view this as encouraging,” Maxcy said.
In Auburn, 28 percent of middle school students met math standards this year, up from 12 percent in 2003. In Lewiston, 20 percent met math standards, up from 10 percent in 2003.
Officials in both cities said they’ve trained teachers differently, created new programs and changed lessons in an effort to get their scores up. Both cities have schools that have landed on the state’s “needs improvement” list because of past test scores. They hope this year’s results will be enough to get them off.
“It appears to us we’re doing OK,” said Lewiston’s curriculum director, Janice Plourde.
More to do
There is good news, but education officials say there’s still work to be done.
In Jay, for example, elementary school kids performed well. But only 14 percent of high school students met reading standards. The state’s goal is 50 percent.
Only 7 percent of Jay’s high schoolers met the math standard. The state’s goal is 20 percent.
Curriculum Director Joe Makley said his kids are learning, but the school system needs to align its lessons with the Learning Results. He believes it may take a few more years before scores rise dramatically.
“It always takes time,” he said.
As for science scores statewide, many students moved from “does not meet” to “partially meets.” But very few fully met the standards. Almost none exceeded them.
The state will revisit the science standards this year, along with other Learning Results standards, Maxcy said. Some people believe they are too difficult. Others believe that science scores, like math, will simply take a while to improve.
The state is expected to list the schools that need improvement in the next week or so. Schools face a host of sanctions under the No Child Left Behind Act if they continually land on the list.
High School
Reading
Math
Edward Little, Auburn
34%
15%
Jay
14%
7%
Lewiston
41%
19%
Lisbon
32%
25%
Mt. Blue , Farmington
52%
24%
Gray-New Gloucester, Gray
33%
18%
Oxford Hills Comp. , South Paris
43%
21%
Dirigo , Dixfield
53%
14%
Livermore Falls
38%
14%
Buckfield Jr./Sr.
24%
14%
Mountain Valley , Rumford
41%
16%
Telstar , Bethel
38%
17%
Leavitt Area , Turner
27%
9%
Mt. Abram Regional , Strong
34%
12%
Monmouth Academy
71%
50%
Oak Hill , Wales
39%
14%
Poland Regional
48%
21%
Rangeley Lakes Regional
47%
40%
Statewide goals
50%
20%
Statewide average
44%
22%
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