Date: Fri 15-Nov-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

CAPT-tests-schools

Full Text:

Problem-Solving Sophomores' 1996 CAPT Scores Improve

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

Recently published results of the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT)

taken by Newtown High School sophomores in the spring of 1996, show

improvement over 1995 scores in every one of the four test categories - math,

language arts, science and interdisciplinary.

Educators heard the good news from Newtown High School Principal William

Manfredonia Tuesday night at a regular Board of Education meeting.

"This is a difficult test," Mr Manfredonia said, reminding board members that

achieving state goals was not an easy task - even for a school system, such as

Newtown, that prides itself on the academic achievement of many of its

students.

Reaching or exceeding the state performance goal means that a student receives

a certificate of achievement in that subject area that is added to his grade

transcript. A student who doesn't pass any section of the test may retake it

during his or her junior year.

Over the two years that the CAPT results have been compiled, Newtown students

have raised their level of performance in every subject area, with more

students reaching the goal and receiving certification in 1996 over 1995.

For example, the percentage of students who achieved or exceeded the state

goal in mathematics went from 56 (in 1995) to 59 (in 1996); the percentage

achieving state goal in science went up from 46 to 57; literature went up from

40 to 47, editing went up from 87 to 88 and interdisciplinary went up from 46

to 51.

"We're very happy with these results, but we're still looking for

improvement," said Assistant Principal Marilyn Capizzano.

She explained that Newtown's goal for next year's test would be to move more

students out of the "just missed state goal" column and into the "passed or

exceeded state goal" column.

"We had 60 students who scored 80 in the response-to-literature section, when

the state goal was 83," she said, to show how close they'd come to

certification.

Reading And Writing

Mr Manfredonia cautioned the board members against complacency, however,

reminding them that there were areas that needed work, such as response to

literature.

Editing ability had improved from 1995 results, he said, but "we need to

improve writing and reading throughout the curriculum. We plan to concentrate

in this area."

Middle School Principal Les Weintraub spoke about the general need for

cooperation and a smooth transition between middle and high school, ensuring

that students continue to learn effectively.

"These [CAPT] results aren't just for the tenth grade, but they reflect work

that is done throughout the system, K-10," Mr Weintraub said.

Several high school department heads, including Ed Seagraves of the science

department, Carmen Jensen of the English department, Gwen Parks, social

studies co-chair and Linda Miller of the math department also told the board

what steps they were taking to prepare students to master the problem-solving

skills needed to perform well on the CAPT test.

"They've got to learn how to make connections to what they've already learned,

and expand their answers," said Ms Jensen.

Part of the reason the test is considered difficult is its open-ended design,

in which the state has purposely avoided the usual fill-in-the-blanks type of

question and answer.

"The CAPT is all about problem-solving. It's designed to show how well

students can apply the knowledge they've acquired" throughout their school

years, Mr Manfredonia explained.

The idea for the statewide test was first introduced in 1991 and it was

developed over a period of three years with the purpose of raising academic

achievement levels in all school systems.

After a trial run in 1994, the test results from 1995 and 1996 represent the

first two data groups that educators can look to for comparison and evaluation

purposes.

Comparative Results

Another area that Newtown educators "pay close attention to,"

according to Mr Manfredonia, is how well Newtown sophomores scored in

comparison to students from other schools having similar socio-economic

profiles.

Out of the 166 school districts in Connecticut, the state has grouped similar

school systems into nine categories, or Economic Reference Groups (ERGs). The

ERG indicators include such data as median family income, percentage of

children with at least one parent with a bacherlor's degree or higher and

percentage of parents holding jobs in executive, managerial or professional

occupations.

The 1996 ERG listing placed Newtown in the second to the top (most wealthy)

group, or Group B, along with such towns as Bethel, Brookfield, Cheshire,

Fairfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Greenwich, Trumbull and West

Hartford.

Newtown scored at the top of its ERG in mathematics, science and

interdisciplinary, and in the middle third of its ERG in literature and

editing.