Greenwich Roundup: Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Attached please find a preliminary report and release on the 2009 CMT &
CAPT scores.

Kim Eves
Director of Communications
Greenwich Board of Education
290 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830

www.greenwichschools.org

Phone: 203-625-7415
e mail: kim_eves@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Fax: 203-869-8003

CMT and CAPT SCORES INCREASE
Staff Applauded, Challenge Areas Remain a Focus
(For immediate release: Greenwich, CT – July 29, 2009, 11:00AM) The Connecticut Department of
Education has released the results of the 2009 Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) and Connecticut
Academic Performance Test (CAPT).
The 2009 overall results for Greenwich Public School students reflect increases over the 2008 scores at
almost every level - elementary, middle and high – reading, writing, mathematics and science –
proficiency, goal/mastery, and advanced.
Additionally, scores viewed at the District level reflect five year highs in many areas, particularly in
elementary schools at the advanced level in reading, writing and mathematics; at the middle schools in
reading and mathematics at proficiency, goal and advanced; and at the high school in writing at all
levels - proficient, goal and advanced.
While the Science scores at the high school improved over the 2008 results, this area continues to be a
focus for the District. The District will also continue to review expected growth at every level, gaps in
achievement among subgroups, and results relative to other Districts.
Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Sidney A. Freund, remarked, “The results of last Spring’s standardized
State testing indicate positive growth for our students. The results also indicate that our staff’s efforts
and the improvement strategies that have been implemented to raise student achievement are having
the intended effect.”
Dr. Freund continued, “Proficiency and goal, however, are not the minimum standard by which we
will measure our success, if we truly believe that all children can learn at relatively high levels of
achievement. High expectations can yield high results. I am confident that with the right resources,
collaborative efforts and instructional support each of our students can reach ever higher levels of
achievement, gaps can be narrowed, and students at advanced performance levels can be further
challenged.”
District administration and staff will review the results in more detail, looking at schools, programs,
sub-groups of students, expected growth, and individual student outcomes, in the coming weeks.
District and school-based data teams will continue to use this information as they track student
progress throughout the year.
The District will present the Board of Education with a comprehensive Achievement Report at their
August 27, 2009 meeting at Old Greenwich School, 7:00pm.
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Page 2
CMT/CAPT Preliminary Report on 2009 Results
On July 29
th
, the Connecticut State Department of Education released the results of the March
2009 administration of the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) and the Connecticut Academic
Performance Test (CAPT). Greenwich students reached a five-year high on mathematics subtest
at the middle school level and continued to perform well on the mathematics subtest at the
elementary and high school levels. Gains on the reading subtest of the CMT from 2007 to 2008
were maintained at the elementary level and reached five-year highs at the middle school level.
Reading achievement on CAPT in 2009 improved after declining the previous year. Writing
scores reached five year highs at the elementary and high school levels while improving from
2008 to 2009 at the middle school level. While science scores on CAPT improved from 2008,
science achievement continues to present challenges at all levels and will be addressed through
an ongoing curriculum review during the 2009-2010 school year.
CMT and CAPT are state mandated assessments of student achievement in reading, writing,
mathematics and science administered annually to all public school students across Connecticut
in grades three through eight (CMT) and grade ten (CAPT). Student scores on CMT and CAPT
are characterized by performance level: Advanced, Goal, Proficient, Basic and Below Basic.
Students scoring at the advanced level are performing at the top of all students across the state.
Students scoring in the goal category possess the knowledge, ability, and skill necessary to
successfully perform the tasks and assignments appropriately expected of a student with minimal
teacher assistance. Students who score in the proficient category are able to successfully
participate in their regular grade appropriate course work. The proficient standard is used to
calculate adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Scoring at the
proficient level or higher on the mathematics, reading and writing subtests is required for
graduation from Greenwich High School. Students scoring below the proficient level require
intervention to accelerate their academic progress.
From 2008 to 2009, the performance of students in Greenwich:
• Was relatively unchanged on elementary school CMT mathematics (five year highs at the
advanced and proficient level)
• Improved on middle school CMT mathematics (five year highs at the advanced, goal and
proficient levels)
• Was relatively unchanged on high school CAPT mathematics (five year high at the
proficient level)
• Improved on elementary school CMT reading (five year highs at the advanced and
proficient levels)
Page 3
• Improved on middle school CMT reading (five year highs at the advanced, goal and
proficient levels)
• Improved on CAPT reading (five year highs at the goal and proficient levels)
• Improved on CMT writing at the elementary level (five year highs at the advanced and
goal levels)
• Improved on CMT writing at the middle school level from 2007-2008
• Improved on CAPT writing at the high school level (five year highs at the advanced, goal
and proficient levels)
• Improved on CAPT Science on the high school level from 2007-2008
CMT science was administered for the first time in 2008 to students in grades five and eight.
Compared to mathematics, reading and writing, science scores were lower at the advanced and
goal level and roughly the same at the proficient level. The 2008 and 2009 science scores will
serve as a baseline for future years and provide achievement data for the science curriculum
review.
This report is intended to provide a preliminary look at CMT and CAPT results for the 2008-
2009 school year. Test results, benchmarked against comparable districts will be presented to
the Board of Education on August 27
th
.
The first step in analyzing CMT and CAPT results is to disaggregate the data by grade, school,
student subgroup and content strand. The recent addition of a vertically scaled score for CMT
reading and mathematics provides for the basis for an analysis of the academic growth of a
cohort of students from year to year. As test results become available over the summer,
curriculum coordinators and building principals analyze and discuss data trends. When an area
is identified where results need to improve, key questions are asked:
• Is the District curriculum aligned with the assessment?
• Is the staff sufficiently trained in the program delivery model and instructional best
practice?
• Is the program effectively implemented in the classroom?
This analysis is used to inform Strategic Improvement Plans at both the school (implementation)
and program (curriculum) levels. Improvement plans will be discussed in detail as part of the
program monitoring reports. Monitoring reports also identify governance issues which could
affect Board of Education Policy. Standardized test results are also used to identify District areas
of focus for improvement and guide the allocation of resources through the budget process.
Page 4
Greenwich Public Schools
Connecticut Mastery Test
Elementary Schools
Mathematics
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Advanced
32.10%
37.49%
42.51%
42.78%
45.76%
Goal
75.82%
75.14%
81.00%
77.92%
79.78%
Proficient
91.26%
90.81%
91.67%
91.52%
92.44%
Reading
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Advanced
30.28%
33.30%
29.94%
34.02%
34.47%
Goal
75.83%
79.13%
77.89%
77.30%
78.07%
Proficient
86.94%
87.87%
87.77%
87.47%
89.09%
Writing
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Advanced
36.15%
40.22%
40.24%
37.70%
42.47%
Goal
79.64%
82.34%
81.33%
77.92%
82.40%
Proficient
92.38%
94.30%
94.41%
93.52%
93.44%
Science
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Advanced
22.97%
23.41%
Goal
72.94%
72.41%
Proficient
93.59%
93.08%
Note: In 2004-2005, the CMT was administered in the fall to students in grades four.
Starting in the spring of 2006 the CMT was administered to students in grades three
through five. Science is administered in grade five.
GPS Research and Evaluation
07/24/2009
JPC
Page 5
Greenwich Public Schools
Connecticut Mastery Test
Middle Schools
Mathematics
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Advanced
35.68%
45.63%
47.81%
46.13%
49.70%
Goal
78.16%
78.75%
78.54%
78.79%
82.48%
Proficient
90.85%
92.08%
92.40%
92.41%
93.66%
Reading
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Advanced
38.57%
39.20%
36.86%
38.37%
41.04%
Goal
81.29%
82.71%
82.28%
83.25%
84.08%
Proficient
88.50%
89.70%
88.94%
89.42%
91.07%
Writing
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Advanced
37.69%
40.16%
36.94%
30.56%
36.21%
G l
78 77%
80 11%
78 28%
76 56%
79 31%
GPS Research and Evaluation
07/24/2009
JPC
Goal
78.77%
80.11%
78.28%
76.56%
79.31%
Proficient
91.69%
92.72%
92.44%
90.32%
91.36%
Science
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Advanced
24.08%
26.73%
Goal
75.28%
75.22%
Proficient
89.24%
89.51%
Note: In 2004-2005, the CMT was administered in the fall to students in grades six and
eight. Starting in the spring of 2006 the CMT was administered to students in grades six
through eight. Science is administered in grade eight.
GPS Research and Evaluation
07/24/2009
JPC
Page 6
Greenwich Public Schools
Connecticut Academic Performance Test
High School Gr 10
Mathematics
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Advanced
42.77%
35.12%
43.09%
34.23%
37.80%
Goal
69.22%
65.17%
70.58%
67.57%
70.33%
Proficient
87.72%
90.71%
89.15%
89.19%
92.34%
Reading
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Advanced
31.19%
38.47%
41.27%
28.20%
39.17%
Goal
68.67%
70.93%
71.23%
61.13%
71.43%
Proficient
89.31%
91.34%
93.52%
91.01%
95.51%
Writing
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Advanced
40.94%
34.56%
44.28%
42.44%
45.76%
G l
75 26%
69 13%
76 51%
78 93%
79 68%
GPS Research and Evaluation
07/24/2009
JPC
Goal
75.26%
69.13%
76.51%
78.93%
79.68%
Proficient
90.87%
91.58%
93.07%
94.50%
97.12%
Science
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Advanced
42.61%
33.73%
33.58%
26.99%
34.23%
Goal
64.71%
59.06%
62.07%
52.77%
61.83%
Proficient
90.78%
90.13%
92.05%
86.51%
91.96%
Note: Exercise caution when making comparisons between CAPT - 2 (administered in
2004-2005) and Capt - 3 (administered from 2006 to 2009) due to changes in content
reporting and test standards.
GPS Research and Evaluation
07/24/2009
JPC

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

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07/29/09 The Raw Greenwich News Feed: Evening Edition

07/29/09 PRESS RELEASE: 2009 CMT/CAPT Preliminary Report

07/29/09 The Raw Greenwich News Feed: Overnight Edition