| For immediate release August 16, 2010 |
Contact:
Larry Slonaker, SCCOE Phone: (408) 453-6662 |
CST Results Show Improvement
SAN JOSE, CA – Results of the 2010 California Standards Tests show several signs of marked improvement among Santa Clara County students, including Hispanics, according to an analysis by staff of the Santa Clara County Office of Education.
"I am happy to point out that the results indicate more of our students are taking rigorous math and science classes–and they are performing better in those classes," said Dr. Charles Weis, Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools. "Even more encouraging, Hispanic students are helping to lead this trend.
"The CST results–as well as other assessment results we continue to see–contradict the tired notion that 'the education system is broken,' " he added. "It's not broken at all. Under very adverse circumstances, our schools and our students continue to improve."
Some highlights of the results, which are being officially released by the California Department of Education on Monday, August 16:
- Hispanic fifth-graders in the county showed a nine-point gain on the
Science assessment from 2009 to 2010, with the number of test-takers achieving
a "proficient" or "advanced" score increasing from 33 percent to 42 percent.
(Scores at that level means students are on track for eligibility to enter the
UC/CSU system upon graduation.)
Hispanic eighth-graders recorded a six-point gain on the History/Social Science assessment from last year, with 31 percent reaching the proficient or advanced stage.
- Seventh-grade student participation in the Algebra I test has increased 30
percentage points since 2007. In spite of the larger pool taking the test, the
percentage scoring proficient or advanced actually increased in that period,
to 93 percent. A similar trend was seen among eighth-graders.
- Student participation in advanced-science assessments also increased
markedly since 2007. For example, high school student participation in the
Physics End-of-Course assessment increased 36 points from 2007. The percentage
scoring proficient or advanced increased nine points in that span.
Among Hispanic students, those taking the Physics test increased by over 100 percent–while at the same time, the number of those scoring proficient or advanced rose by four percentage points.
- County-wide, student performance in English-Language Arts has recorded a strong and steady improvement across all grade levels since the tests began in 2003.
See the attached for the full analysis by the COE's Assessment and Accountability Department.
The analysis is the first of three that the County Office will roll out in coming weeks (dependent on the CDE's timing in data release). California High School Exit Exam results are scheduled for release on Aug. 24; AYP and API reports on Aug. 30.
Date last updated: August 16, 2010
