PASS scores show increases for most subjects, most grades second time around

August 6, 2010

COLUMBIA, SC – August 6, 2010 –  – The percentage of publicschool students meeting or exceeding state standards increased in amajority of subjects in four of six grades tested on the 2010administration of South Carolina’s Palmetto Assessment of StateStandards (PASS).

The percentages of students scoring at exemplary levels increased inmost subjects in all tested grades.  Gains were also shown byAfrican-American students, students with limited English proficiency andstudents enrolled in free or reduced-price school food programs in mostgrades and subjects

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex said the results show thatschools remain determined to help students succeed despite budget cutsthat have led to thousands of eliminated positions and furloughs,curtailed programs, fewer classroom supplies and larger class sizes.

“South Carolina’s educators should be applauded for keeping the focus on teaching and learning even in tough times,” Rex said.

“We’re doing the best we can now to help them with standards andcurriculum support, but we’re all facing a ‘imperfect storm’ ofdwindling resources and greater student needs.”

South Carolina and federal laws require end-of-the-year accountabilitytests for grades 3-8 that are based on state academic standards.  PASSresults include scores in five subject areas: writing, English languagearts (reading and research), mathematics, science and social studies. 

PASS has three scoring levels:

  • Exemplary – The student demonstrated exemplary performance in meeting the grade level standard.
  • Met – The student met the grade-level standard.
  • Not met – The student did not meet the grade-level standard.

    Comparing 2010 scores with the initial administration of PASSadministration in 2009, students did better on writing in all gradesexcept grade 7, in ELA in all grades except 5 and 8, and in science ingrades 4, 7, and 8.  Mathematics scores increased in grades 3 and 8 andheld steady in grade 6.

“We still have some concerns about social studies, which has not beenpart of our testing program as long as the other subjects,” Rex said.

“Social studies scores were off at all levels except Grade 7, although the drops in third and eighth grade were slight.”

PASS scores for African-American students, for students with limitedEnglish proficiency and those enrolled in free or reduced-price schoolfood programs remain lower than overall student scoring percentages. 

PASS scores in 2010 showed an even mix of increased or decreasedachievement gaps among white and African-American students.  But Rexnoted signs of progress, particularly in mathematics, where achievementgaps decreased in five of the six grades tested.  “And in Grade 8,African-American students boosted their exemplary scores in everysubject,” he said.  “They missed duplicating that in Grade 4 onlybecause of one-tenth percentage-point dips in science and socialstudies. 

Limited English students improved their passing scores and exemplaryscores in every subject in for Grade 7.  Free and reduced-price lunchstudents had higher exemplary scores in all subjects at two gradelevels, 4 and 8.”

Science scores remain unacceptably low in the second year of PASStesting, Rex said.  He added that teachers will be trained in the use ofnew science curriculum guides that provide teaching resources andsample lessons, with the goal being to provide science instruction thatis more closely aligned to South Carolina’s academic standards.     

Rex said PASS does a better job of showing schools where to concentratetheir efforts because it gives student performance data for eachacademic standard tested, broken out into three categories: 
1.    Student test performance shows weaknesses and a need for further instruction in the standard.
2.    Student may benefit from additional activities that focus on the standard.
3.    Student test performance shows strengths in the standard.

“This kind of information is important as we move to the new Common CoreState Standards in reading and mathematics because they will requiremastery in greater depth,” Rex said.  “If our Round 2 Race to the Topproposal is funded, we’ll have even more tools to help teachers get abetter picture of how student achievement grows over the year.”

PASS results by subject

  • Writing – The writing test for each grade level included multiple-choice questions and one extended-response (essay) item.
    Fifth-graders had the highest “passing” percentage of students meetingthe standard or showing exemplary performance – 74.5 percent.
    The seventh-grade passing score was lowest at 69.7 percent.
  • English language arts (reading and research) – The ELA test contained multiple-choice questions based on reading passages.
    Third-graders had the highest passing percentage at 80.7 percent.  Grade 8 was lowest at 63.7 percent.
  • Mathematics – The mathematics test contained onlymultiple-choice items.  Grade 4 had the best passing rate at 76.7percent.  Grade 8 was lowest at 63.4 percent.
  • Science – The seventh-grade passing rate of 73.4 percent was best on this multiple-choice test.  Grade 3 was lowest at 55.7 percent.
  • Social studies – This test also contained onlymultiple-choice questions.  Grade 6 had the best passing rate at 79.4percent, while Grade 7 was lowest at 62 percent.

 

Exemplary performance

Third-grade English language arts had the highest percentage of studentsscoring at the exemplary level – 53.9 percent, a gain of 7.5 percentagepoints over 2009.  Grade 3 also had the highest percentage ofexemplary-level scorers in two other subjects – writing at 38 percentand math at 38.8 percent. Eighth-graders had the highest percentage atthe exemplary scoring level for science at 31.7 percent and in socialstudies at 33.1 percent.

The smallest percentage of exemplary scores occurred in science at grade 6 – 14.2 percent, similar to last year’s results.
 
Demographic results  

The highest passing rate for African-American students came in ELA atthe third-grade level – 70.9 percent.  The lowest passing rate forAfrican-American students was 34.9 percent in Grade 3 science.  Thehighest percentage of African-American students with exemplary scores –36.9 percent – occurred in third-grade ELA and represented a gain of 6.9percentage points over 2009.  The smallest percentage with
exemplary scores was 3.5 percent in sixth-grade science.    

Students with limited English proficiency recorded their highest passingmarks in social studies – 76.8 percent in Grade 6 and 74.9 percent inGrade 3. Their lowest passing marks came in science testing – 43.8 forGrade 3 and 48.7 in Grade 6.  The highest percentage of limited Englishproficient students with exemplary scores – 42.8 percent – occurred inthird-grade English language arts and represented a gain of 10.4  percentage points.  The smallest percentage with exemplary scores was7.6 percent in sixth-grade science.    

The highest passing rate for students enrolled in free or reduced-priceschool food programs was 73.6 percent – a mark reached in third-gradeELA.  The lowest passing rate was 42.4 percent in Grade 3 science.  Thehighest percentage of free/reduced-price studen
ts with exemplary scoreswas 41.3 percent in third-grade English language arts, representing again of nearly nine percentage points over 2009.  The smallestpercentage with exemplary scores was 6.3 percent in sixth-grade science.
   
  
Summary of statewide 2010 results for all students

Grade 3

  • Writing – 71 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • ELA (reading and research) – 80.7 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Mathematics – 70 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Science – 55.7 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Social Studies – 73.2 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.

Grade 4

  • Writing – 72.3 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • ELA (reading and research) – 76.5 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Mathematics – 76.7 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Science – 69.3 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Social Studies – 76.2 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.

Grade 5

  • Writing – 74.5 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • ELA (reading and research) – 78.1 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Mathematics – 71.3 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Science – 66 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Social Studies – 66.1 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.

Grade 6

  • Writing – 71.9 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • ELA (reading and research) – 72.2 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Mathematics – 70.3 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Science – 60.9 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Social Studies – 79.4 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.

Grade 7

  • Writing – 69.7 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • ELA (reading and research) – 69.2 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Mathematics – 67 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Science – 73.4 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Social Studies – 62 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.

Grade 8

  • Writing – 71.9 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • ELA (reading and research) – 63.7 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Mathematics – 63.4 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Science – 67.7 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.
  • Social Studies – 68.8 percent Met or showed Exemplary performance in meeting the grade-level standard.