Douglas County School District students posted marks better than
the state average in every subject and grade level on the 2005
Colorado Student Assessment Program tests. The latest CSAP results
also show a decline district-wide in math proficiency as students
age.
“We’re very impressed with our students and teachers,” said Jed
Bowman, the district’s executive director of curriculum assessment
and staff development. “They continue to excel.”
Overall, DCSD students are way ahead of state marks in reading,
scoring an average of 16.5 percentile points above the state in the
eight grades tested. The highest disparity is in ninth grade
reading, where DCSD students scored 85 percent proficient or
advanced, compared to 65 percent for the rest of the state. Douglas
County students also write at a higher level, scoring 16.5 points
higher than state averages. Overall, 69 percent of 10th graders in
the county write at or above proficiency, compared to a 50 percent
average for Colorado.
Students in grades three through 10 take CSAP tests in reading,
science and math, while eighth-graders take an additional test in
science and 11th-graders also completed ACTs. This is the first
time third- and fourth-graders took a math CSAP. The class of 2008
has been taking math CSAP tests longer than every other grade level
because CSAPs were not administered to all grades until
2002.
Between their first test four years ago and the most recent as
ninth grade students in 2005, the number of Douglas County students
who scored proficient or above in math fell 20 percent. In 2005, 51
percent of ninth-grade students in Douglas County scored at or
above proficiency. Fifty-five percent of 10th grade students scored
partially proficient or unsatisfactory, 35 percentile points more
than the third grade students.
Overall, marks in math for district students start high, with 81
percent of third-graders at or above proficiency. It peaks in
fourth grade with 82 percent proficient or above, then trends
downward through 10th grade, where 44 percent tested at or above
proficient in math.
Bowman said the drop in math achievement as students age is a
universal problem and the district continues to search for a
solution. Statewide, students follow the same trend, with 68
percent proficient or above in third grade down to 30 percent by
10th grade.
“We’re never pleased when anyone isn’t proficient,” he said.
“But we’re proud that we’re doing better than the state average in
math and everything else.”
Despite the drop in math proficiency as students grow older,
scores improved in math for every grade compared to an average of
the previous four years for the same grade. By the same standard
they improved in five of eight reading tests and six of eight
writing tests.
At Acres Green Elementary, 13524 Acres Green Dr., fifth-graders
posted 21 percentile points higher at or above proficient than
fifth-graders in 2004.
Compared to 2004, the districted improved in 15 of 27 tests in
2005, including the ACT, and remained the same on six tests. The
third- and fourth-grade math tests had no data from 2004.
District-wide, the third and seventh grades improved 5 percentile
points in writing and seventh grade went up 9 points in math.