Lower scores on the 2014 PAWS (Proficiency Assessments for Wyoming Students) and SAWS (Student Assessment for Writing Students) tests are nothing to fear, Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD#2) Superintendent Jim Copeland said.
Copeland said the test results will likely reflect lower scores from previous years, as they make the transition to meet Common Core standards. The tests were taken by students in March and April of 2014, and their results will be released to the public on Sept. 22.
“This is a new test with higher standards that align to Common Core curriculum that the state of Wyoming has adopted,” Copeland said.
Common Core standards are more rigorous than the previously adopted standards, Copeland said. Therefore, the cut scores for the tests had to be realigned and the questions on the test were more strenuous last spring. The SAWS and PAWS tests are scored using four different ratings: “Below Basic”, “Basic”, “Proficient” and “Advanced”. While all schools want their students to be proficient or advanced, Copeland explained what might have been a proficient score last year, might be a basic score this year.
Copeland said this is a new test with higher expectations for the students.
“An analogy would be a high jump assessment of students where for years the bar might have been set at three feet. All of the sudden, it is decided to raise expectations – so the bar is raised to five feet,” Copeland explained in a written statement. “While higher expectations are great – and while students can learn over time to jump higher - the first time it is given, the results of how many students are able to achieve the ‘bar’ would be lower.”
CCSD#2 will not be alone in lower test scores. Copeland said states like Kentucky and New York underwent similar transformations in their standardized testing, and saw as much as a 25 to 40 percent drop in scores. He expects the entire state to have their scores drop this year.
Copeland said it is important for people to realize the test is establishing “a new starting point” to measure in future tests. Additionally, he said it will be unfair to compare this year’s results with last year’s.
“There is going to be a transition period here, and it is going to take some time to get everything realigned,” he said.
However, the test results will still serve an important role in the district. Copeland said they can look at the state average and see how their results fair with the rest of the state. Additionally, the test will tell Copeland and the district if there is any gaps in student performance.
“This will help us pinpoint any areas of weakness we need to address,” Copeland said.
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