By AMY PIPER
After reading the headline (July 20) about the dismal state test scores, I feel obligated to share with you the Fredonia Elementary School's overall English Language Arts and Math state test scores for the 2011-12 school year for third and fourth-grade students:
Last year, on the third-grade ELA exam, 12 percent were at Level 1, 37 percent were at Level 2, 41 percent were at Level 3, and 9 percent were at Level 4, with a 50 percent passing rate.
This year, on the third-grade ELA exam, 9.5 percent were at Level 1, 27.6 percent were at a Level 2, 53.3 percent were at a Level 3, and 9.5 percent were at a Level 4, with a 62.8 percent passing rate - a 12.8 percent increase over last year.
Last year, on the fourth-grade ELA exam, 10 percent were at Level 1, 42 percent were at Level 2, and 48 percent were at Level 3, with no students at a Level 4, with a 48 percent passing rate. This year, 6.1 percent were at a Level 1, 19.2 percent were at a Level 2, 68.7 percent were at a Level 3, and 6.1 percent were at a Level 4, with a 74.8 percent passing rate - and a 26.8 percent increase over last year.
Last year, on the third-grade Math exam, 11 percent were at Level 1, 34 percent were at Level 2, 47 percent were at Level 3, and 7 percent were at Level 4, with a 54 percent passing rate. This year, on the third-grade math exam, 5.7 percent were at Level 1, 28.6 percent were at Level 2, 52.4 percent were at Level 3, and 13.3 percent were at Level 4, with a 65.7 percent passing rate - 11.7percent increase over last year.
Last year, on the fourth-grade Math exam, 6 percent were at Level 1, 24 percent at Level 2, 47 percent at Level 3, and 24 percent at Level 4, with a 71 percent passing rate. This year, 5 percent were at Level 1, 21.8 percent were at Level 2, 32.7 percent were at Level 3, and 40.6 percent were at Level 4, with a 73.3 percent passing rate - a 2.3 percent increase over last year.
The state Education Department indicates 55.1 percent of grade three to eight students across the state met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard - an increase from 52.8 percent last year; and 64.8 percent met or exceeded the standard in math - up from 63.3 percent last year.
Fredonia elementary students exceeded the state averages in both ELA and Math, and in both third- and fourth-grade. This is not what was reflected in the newspaper article as it stated that the ELA and Math scores were below average across Chautauqua County.
These scores reflect the hard work, dedication and passion of our families, students and teachers at Fredonia Elementary School. I am so pleased and proud of the work they are doing. We know we continue to have improvements to make, but we are certainly headed in the right direction. I am hopeful that this information can be shared with our community via the OBSERVER, as it certainly "takes a village" to raise a child, and it no doubt "takes a village" to raise academic rigor and achievement in the public schools.
Amy Piper is principal of the Fredonia Elementary School.
