D.C. students made improvements overall in both math and reading, according to test score results released today, but a significant achievement gap between white and minority students did not narrow.
According to the results of the 2014 D.C. CAS, released by the Office of the State Superintendent, student proficiency in math increased to 54.4 percent (a 1.4 percent increase) citywide and in reading to 49.9 percent (a .4 percent increase). Science proficiency increased 2.7 percent to 45 percent.
According to an overview released by DCPS, public school students saw a .3 percent increase in reading proficiency between 2013 and 2014 and a 1.6 increase in math proficiency.
A breakdown of improvements by race shows that reading proficiency stayed the same for black DCPS students and decreased by 2.6 percent for hispanic students. Asian students saw the largest gain at 5.1 percent. The achievement gap between white and black students has not significantly narrowed since 2009.
Via DCPS.
Small gains were made across the board in math proficiency, while the achievement gap remained just as wide.
Via DCPS.
Math proficiency was down in schools located in Wards 1, 5, 6 and 8, and reading proficiency was down in Wards 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8.
“I’m proud that the results of the DC CAS show we’re continuing on an upward trajectory, and that more of our children than ever before are proficient in reading and math. I’m especially pleased that we’ve shown significant growth in our high schools,” schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson said in a statement. “However, I’m somewhat disappointed that we weren’t able to demonstrate greater growth this year. Our educators are working urgently to change outcomes for students, and our students are responding to the more challenging work that we’re putting in front of them. We are on the right track and now we just need to accelerate our progress.”
Nearly 48 percent of DCPS students are proficient in reading, while 51.1 percent are proficient in math. For charter school students, 59.6 percent are proficient in math and 53.4 percent in reading.
From a D.C. Public Charter School release:
The growth in student proficiency is occurring across subgroups. Since the DC CAS was first administered in 2006, overall proficiency rates among African American students have grown from 35 to 54 percent and among Hispanic students from 36 to 56 percent. In that same period, economically disadvantaged students grew in proficiency from 34 percent to 53 percent, while English language learners grew from 21 percent to 44 percent and special education students from 14 percent to 26 percent.
