Dear Edison Community,
In the fall of each school year all schools in Colorado receive CMAS data and schools in DPS are “graded” with a report called the School Performance Framework (SPF) based on data from the two previous years. Though I and the teachers at Edison understand the importance of high stakes tests like the CMAS and use this data to support our curriculum and instructional decision making, we also have other student achievement data to help us with instruction and differentiation in the classroom. At Edison, we give assessments throughout the year to measure student growth including: guided reading levels, Aimsweb, STAR reading & early literacy, Accelerated Reader, written assignments, interim assessments, STAR math, and unit assessments, which we use to make informed decisions. We also rely on the daily work of students to assess the needs of our students and ensure quality instruction for all students. We are very proud of the achievement of Edison’s students and would like to share this information with you:
The Colorado Department of Education released the results of the 2016-17 Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) testing in September. In April 2017, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students across the state took the CMAS test to determine their academic achievement in reading, math and science (5th grade only).
On the English Language Assessment (Reading), 59.7% of Edison’s 3rd-5th grade students scored in the “Met or Above Expectations” category, an increase of 4% from 2017.
– 60.8% of 3rd graders scored “Met or Above Expectations” (increase of 3%)
– 60.3% of 4th graders scored “Met or Above Expectations” (increase of 5%)
– 58% of 5th graders scored “Met or Above Expectations” (increase of 4%)
On the Mathematics Assessment, 51.5% of Edison’s 3rd-5th grade students scored in the “Met or Above Expectations” category, an decrease of .8% from 2017.
– 60.8% of 3rd graders scored “Met or Above Expectations” (increase of 6%)
– 43.6% of 4th graders scored “Met or Above Expectations” (decrease of 3%)
– 50.0% of 5th graders scored “Met or Above Expectations” (decrease of 5%)
Additionally, 5th grade students took the science CMAS with 51.9% of 5th grade students scoring in the “Met or Exceeds Expectations” category.
The Colorado Department of Education also provides schools with Median Growth Percentile data. The Median Growth Percentile is a rating for 4th and 5th grade students which compares each student’s growth on CMAS to students that scored like them the prior year, with a score of 50 being the median score and a score of 40-60 being moderate growth and over 60 being high growth. Edison’s MGP for 2018 was:
– Literacy – Overall: 45.5 (decrease of 6.5)
– Math – Overall: 41 (decrease of 6)
Edison also monitors the achievement level and growth of each student in grades 1-5 throughout the year with STAR reading and STAR math assessments. Individual reading and math goals are set for each student. Following are the percent of students who ended the 2017-18 school year at grade level, as well as, MGP for STAR assessments:
STAR Reading assessment:
1st grade: 90% at grade level or above, MGP: 88
2nd grade: 80% at grade level or above, MGP: 68
3rd grade: 74% at grade level or above, MGP 57
4th grade: 64% at grade level or above, MGP 50
5th grade: 65% at grade level or above, MGP 68
STAR Math assessment:
1st grade: 91% at grade level or above, MGP: 85
2nd grade: 84% at grade level or above, MGP: 63
3rd grade: 75% at grade level or above, MGP 51
4th grade: 75% at grade level or above, MGP 50
5th grade: 77% at grade level or above, MGP 55
The School Performance Framework (SPF) is a ‘report card’ that DPS creates on each school based primarily on CMAS MGP data, as well as, CMAS status, Early Literacy Growth and status, and engagement data (attendance, student perception and parent perception). Edison’s SPF ratings were:
– Overall: Accredited on Watch
– Student Progress Over Time – Growth: Not Meeting
– Student Achievement – Status: Meets
– Parent and Student Engagement and Satisfaction: Meets
o Parent Perception Survey: Overall 84% positive response rate
o Student Perception Survey: Overall 87% positive response rate
– Academic Gaps – Not Meeting
The teachers, school leaders, and staff at Edison know that we need to improve ‘achievement growth’ according to CMAS MGP in both reading and math, as well as, increase achievement and achievement growth (MGP) for our students of color and student who receive free/reduced lunch. We have several strategies, which we believe will work to positively impact this data, which include:
• Retain teachers in 4th and 5th grade by building strong teams, coaching, and building relationships;
• Implement platooning in 4th and 5th grade (teachers specialize in math/science/SS or literacy);
• Use personalized learning to increase differentiation, student engagement, student leadership and critical thinking;
• Continue to provide rigorous instruction in reading and math, using text based questions, exemplar responses and written responses, and math application tasks;
• Provide push-in reading & math interventions, small group paraprofessional support, and after-school tutoring to students below grade level who are in our target populations;
• Establish a hybrid, integrated HGT program within Edison which ensures a growth mindset and challenging instruction for all students.
In addition to our intentional focus on achievement, school culture, student engagement and parent engagement are keys to our success at Edison. We believe that all students at Edison need to enjoy learning, participate in project-based learning, and engage in collaborative learning opportunities. We value all of our families and recognize that “it takes a village to raise a child.” We also value collaborative decision making between the school and the parent community and want to formally invite parents to attend our CSC meetings and PTA meetings. We encourage parents to volunteer in classrooms, participate in community events and join us for student celebrations of projects (exhibitions). Lastly, please check the Edison website for updated information, read the Edison and classroom newsletters, and share ideas with us through email or face-to-face visits. Thank you for partnering with us.
Please join us at the “State of the School Address” parent meeting on October 25 at 5:00 PM in Edison’s auditorium to learn more about Edison’s current assessment data and improvement plan.
Sincerely,
Sally Whitelock, Principal
