North Branford 2015 Student Achievement First Analysis of 2015 CT Smarter Balanced And 2015 Science CMT/CAPT October 15, 2015

CAUTION!! Main result used for first analysis is single benchmark attainment i.e., percent of students meeting or exceeding achievement level expectations (level 3 or greater).

Questions  How did North Branford students perform on the 2015 Smarter Balanced assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics and CT Standardized Science Testing?  How do results on these assessments compare to those for Connecticut? Nation’s Report Card (NAEP)?  What can we learn from these first analyses? What additional analyses are planned?  What is our plan of action?

New Standards, New Assessments, New Results Key Shifts in English Language Arts  Regular practice with complex texts and their academic language  Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from texts, both literary and informational  Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction Key Shifts in Mathematics  Greater focus on fewer topics  Coherence: Linking topics and thinking across grades  Rigor: Pursue conceptual understanding, procedural skills and fluency, and application with equal intensity

Standards for Mathematical Practice  Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.  Reason abstractly and quantitatively.  Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.  Model with mathematics.  Use appropriate tools strategically.  Attend to precision.  Look for and make use of structure.  Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Assessment Shifts  Computer delivered  Computer adaptive  Performance task  High School assessment in Grade 11

ELA/Literacy – North Branford Observations  More than 50 % of NB students in a majority of tested grades met or exceeded achievement level expectations  Overall across grades, 53 % of NB students met or exceeded achievement level expectations  Building averages for percent of students that met or exceeded achievement level expectations are: TVES 65%; NBIS 40%; and NBHS 52%  CT student performance on SB exceeds that on NAEP in grades 4 (CT rank 5) and 8 (CT rank 3), NB performance exceeded CT and NAEP in grade 4.

Mathematics – North Branford Observations  In CT more than 40 % of students meet or exceed achievement level expectations in only grades 3 and 4 (NB did this in grades 3,4 AND 5); in all other grades, the rate is less than 40 percent.  Overall across grades, 36.4 % of NB students meet or exceed achievement level expectations.  There is no district in the state where Mathematics overall performance exceeds ELA.  CT student performance on SB is very similar to that on NAEP in grades 4 (CT rank 20) and 8 (CT rank 21). NB performance exceeded CT and NAEP in grade 4.

CT and North Branford “Overall SB Takeaways”  CT and NB- Overall ELA performance better than anticipated.  CT and NB- Overall Math performance an area of concern.  CT- Participation strong overall except in grade 11. NB- Strongest participation in grade 11.

Additional Analyses  Computer Skills for success and developmentally appropriate instruction  Deeper analysis of performance in grades 6-8  Delineation of student scores by course, level and teacher  Aggregate Claim and Target data  Curriculum Review  Resource Review- Human, materials, time, technology

Action Steps  District-wide K-12  Benchmarks/Standardized Assessments  K-8 i-Ready (computerized, adaptive, more comprehensive student data), SB Interim Assessment System (IBA, ICA, responsible use), review of SB testing schedule at each building.  9-12 SAT-9, PSAT (10 & 11), Advanced Placement, Learning Expectation Assessments  Data Analysis/ Data Teams /Data Driven Decision Making  Benchmarks (Scale scores, growth, individual achievement on standards)  Standardized Tests (scores, growth, AP Potential, aggregate achievement on targets and claims)  Formative Assessments  Monitoring and reporting progress  Educator Evaluation data

Action Steps  District-wide K-12  Professional Development  Summer work (ACES, CMC, NGSS, CSDE SS Frameworks…)  Awarded CCS Support Grant (17 days of services)  Evaluation-informed  CCS and SBAC/SAT specific, differentiation, best practices (CSDE Systems of Professional Learning, ACES,SWD CCS)  K-12 NGSS Science and CT Social Studies Frameworks (CSDE, ACES )  Instructional Rounds (Walk- throughs)  Professional Learning Community structure and accountability  Curriculum Management  Based on available data- consistent alignment and effectiveness review  Adjustments to curriculum, instruction, and assessment as part of DDDM process  Public access to Landscape Maps  Cycle dependent upon State Standards adoptions and implementation plans

Action Steps  District-wide K-12  RTI- reorganization  All grades K-8 have devoted support time  Targeted instruction  i-Ready resources (teacher led, digital lessons)  Reviewing remediation strategies and progress monitoring  Communication/Public Relations/Education  Individual Student Reports will be sent home next week  Parent Information on CCS and importance of SB- newsletters, forums…

Action Steps  K-5 Specific  ELA and Math Coaches (Support, modeling, PD…)  Evaluating Mathematics Curriculum and resources (Stepping Stones, Math Expressions)  Developing a Writing Curriculum and providing related professional development (integrated prompts, study groups,)  JHS Walk-throughs  TVES Reading and Math Success Programs  TVES increased communication  6-8 Specific  Change in Schedule (grades 7 & additional instructional hours per core courses)  Restructuring of Academic Support Time (i-Ready, curriculum extensions, addressing “gaps”)  Writing across the curriculum- distribution of responsibility for writing instruction/assessment (argumentative, informative, and narrative)  Increased emphasis on professional development with “sharing of information” (“inquiry”, SB IAS, lesson study…)  “Office Hours”  Development of Common Assessments with SB formatting  Change in testing schedule/organization  Increased communication (parental communication, s, websites, progress reports)

Action Steps  9-12 Specific  Literacy Lab  College Board Readiness and Success System : Focused Assessment, Personalized Practice, College Opportunity and Career Opportunity  (Sat-9, PSAT, SAT, Khan Academy, AP)  Interdisciplinary Professional Learning Communities  Revision of School-wide Rubrics and Common Assessments  Development of Learning Expectation Assessments  Science CAPT and ELA and MATH SAT Strategies  Pacing of curriculum adjusted to cover more content prior to test  Review of content strands/standards embedded within courses  DDDMs focused on testing format practice and essential skills  Student self-scoring activities using Released Items  After school review sessions on all 5 CAPT content strands, led by various Science department members and possibly similar SAT sessions  Student/Parent letters mailed home to students who score below expectations on CAPT/SAT-9, PSAT; letters outlining CAPT/SAT overview, helpful tools/resources, and after school sessions