School District Makes Gains in Statewide Math Tests, Sees Declines in Reading Tests

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Results from statewide assessments in math and reading show that the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District is making strong gains in math and steady, incremental progress in reading.

The Minnesota Department of Education released its statewide assessment results in math and reading on Aug. 1.

District-wide results included a 6.7 percent gain in math proficiency, with strong gains made in third through eighth grades. Results show that District 622 students are either keeping pace with or surpassing statewide and metro gains.

Gains District 622 students made in this year's tests put the school district above state and metro proficiency rates. In eighth grade this year, the District moved from substantially below state and metro proficiency rates in 2011 to substantially above state and metro proficiency rates in 2012.

The results did show that high school math proficiency in District 622 slipped slightly. The statewide scores also slipped this year at a slightly steeper rate, when compared with District 622 results.

In reading, District 622 students have continued to make steady gains, with district-wide proficiency rates increasing for the fifth consecutive year. Results also showed nearly an 8 percent increase in proficiency rates in eighth grade across the district.

District 622 did see a slight decline in reading proficiency in grades five, six and 10, as well as a larger decline of 6 percent in seventh grade.

“While we are pleased with the achievement gains our students continue to make, we also appreciate having this comparison data to assist us in targeting areas of focus for our improvement efforts,” said Superintendent Patty Phillips. “We are committed to helping all students reach their full potential, and our success in narrowing achievement gaps demonstrates that our strategies and interventions are working.”

The increase in reading scores comes just two years after adoption of the more rigorous 2010 reading standards, as well as a strategic focus on reading well by third grade.

District 622 also experienced success in narrowing achievement gaps for the second year in a row. The achievement gap is the gap in proficiency between students of color and white students.

In math, the widest gap (between black students and white students) dropped from 27.7 percent in 2011 to 24.5 percent in 2012. In reading, the widest gap (between black students and white students) dropped from 24.7 percent in 2011 to 22.8 percent in 2012. For student of color as a whole, the gap dropped from 19.1 percent to 15.7 percent in math and 19.2 percent to 18.6 percent in reading.

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