Steamboat Pilot & Today

Colorado Student Assessment Program test results reveal numerous declines in South Routt School District student scores. Students improved their scores over last year's in several areas.

The Colorado Department of Education uses CSAP tests to measure the achievement and progress of state public schools; districts use the results to gauge the achievement of groups of students over time.

The tests, which examine student knowledge in reading, writing, math and science, were administered to South Routt students in March. Third-grade reading test scores, which were released in May, showed 93 percent of South Routt students were at an advanced or proficient level -- the highest percentage in the county.

However, of the remainder of the test scores released Wednesday, many fell short of state averages. Even more of the scores declined from South Routt student performance in 2002.

One of the biggest drop-offs was in the percentage of seventh-graders who scored advanced or proficient in math, which fell from 26 percent in 2002 to 6 percent this year. The percentage of advanced or proficient students declined significantly in other grade levels and subjects, too, such as 61 percent to 36 percent in eighth-grade writing, 52 percent to 30 percent in seventh-grade writing, 89 percent to 70 percent in eighth-grade reading and 71 percent to 51 percent in eighth-grade science.

The school district showed improvement in several areas.

Fourth-grade reading and writing scores increased this year, as did sixth-grade reading, writing and math results, which each jumped significantly from 2002 scores. Ninth-grade reading and writing scores and 10th-grade reading and math scores also increased.

South Routt Elementary School Principal Troy Zabel said tracking the progress of the same groups of students over time is often more valuable than comparing this year's results of a particular grade level to last year's scores of the same grade level.

"We call it a floating cohort group," Zabel said. "I think (using that method of evaluation) is really valuable because it shows growth in those students."

When using cohort groups to evaluate 2003 CSAP test results, improvement is seen among fourth-grade readers, fifth-grade writers, eighth-grade readers, ninth-grade readers and writers and 10th-grade readers.

All other test areas showed decline, though many of those declines were less significant than the declines revealed between the scores of like grade levels in successive years.

-- To reach Brent Boyer call 871-4234

or e-mail bboyer@steamboatpilot.com