Many CATS scores still lagging

ONLY 51% OF SCHOOLS ARE MEETING GOALS

This from the Herald-Leader.

More than a decade after Kentucky education reforms took effect, about half of Kentucky schools still do not meet state testing goals, a report released yesterday shows.
Only 51 percent of schools are meeting goals, according to the Kentucky Department of Education, which will meet in June to discuss ways to focus resources to push schools and districts to proficient scores by 2014 in the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System, or CATS.

Students statewide will be tested April 23-27.

The report, released at a KDE meeting yesterday, shows that all 1,108 Kentucky schools must reach a score of 100 out of 140 on the state tests. The report states that only 37 percent of schools are currently moving toward that mark.

"Fundamentally what the numbers say is that (only) the elementary schools are reaching the results that are desired," said Joe Brothers, state board of education member. "Unless we make a culture change on how we're going about this, I don't think we'll meet the 2014 goal."

The report also found that:
• 37 percent of schools, or 408, are making progress towards the 2014 goal;
• Eight percent, or 91 schools, are progressing toward the goal, but have a lower academic index from their previous two-year score;
• Four percent, or 41 schools, need resources from the state to meet goals after repeatedly missing target scores.

In the 2005-2006 testing period, Fayette County had a combined score of 79.9 and was classified as a progressing school. However, the district did not meet its goal of reducing the number of students who scored in the novice, or lowest-scoring, category.

And this from the Courier-Journal.