Adams 14 CSAP Scores Improve 11 Percent in Third Grade

Preliminary third-grade Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) reading scores for Adams 14 have been released by the Colorado Department of Education.

Seven out of eight Adams 14 elementary schools showed improvement over last year (see table). The Adams 14 third-grade reading results are the first published scores out of 27 CSAP scores to be released this year. The remaining scores for all grade levels will be released in July.

“We are pleased to see improvement in the overall third-grade reading results,” said Superintendent Dr. Susan Chandler. “There are two ways we look at these scores. First, we look at the overall proficiency level compared to the state, and then we look at the improvement our schools have made over time.”

Kemp, Monaco and Community Leadership Academy (CLA) students reached proficiency levels exceeding 70 percent. Monaco posted the highest student achievement gains from last year, with a 37 percent increase in student proficiency.

While the District demonstrated improvement in third-grade reading over last year, principals and teachers are focused on the work required to reach Adams 14’s goal of increasing student achievement to 80 percent proficiency. In 2010, Adams 14 schools had a dip in performance, which is common when a District initiates sweeping changes in instructional methods. This year, many of the District’s elementary schools bounced back to where they were two years ago.

“Third-grade reading results are a reflection of the hard work of teachers, students and families in preschool through third grade,” said Dr. Chandler. “It’s too early to definitively say that our education reforms are showing results, but we remain committed to research-based teaching strategies in all of our classrooms.”

The District’s strategic plan outlines initiatives to support teachers in delivering rigorous first-time instruction, using data to tailor instruction to individual student needs, and designing and delivering highly engaging lessons for all students. This year, the District is training teacher teams to analyze student achievement results as part of the lesson planning process. “At all times, teachers must know each student’s progress on the pathway to mastery of the state standards,” said Dr. Chandler.

The third-grade reading test was administered to 592 students in English and to six students in Spanish. Brian Fuller, director of assessment, said, “The test administration was well done, which is a credit to the administrators and teachers who planned and executed the testing process.”

Adams 14 will report all CSAP test results in July 2011.

About Adams 14:
Adams 14, a nationally recognized leader in education innovation, is Colorado’s 23rd largest school district and serves more than 7,500 students annually. Nestled in the historic community of Commerce City, Adams 14 strives to ensure academic success for every student by providing highly effective classroom instruction, supplemental enrichment opportunities and parent/family collaboration opportunities. Under Superintendent Dr. Susan Chandler’s leadership, the District is implementing a strategic plan to improve student achievement so that 80 percent of students assessed will be on grade level by 2014, by ensuring that each classroom has a dynamic, standards-based teacher who provides powerful 21st century learning experiences. To learn more about Adams 14, visit adams14.org.