RIDGEFIELD, Conn. Reading has become a major concern for educators and parents in Ridgefield, particularly after the results of the state tests came out.
It isnt even that the scores are bad, Farmingville Elementary School Principal Susan Gately said. Compared with the state averages, Ridgefields scores are far higher, she said. Across the board, our scores are fabulous."
On average, 79.9 percent of Ridgefield third-graders scored at or above goal in the 2012 Connecticut Mastery Test, or CMT, compared with the state's average of 59.2 percent. The same variation happened with the Connecticut Academic Performance Test, or CAPT, for 10th-graders. In Ridgefield, 81 percent of students score at or above goal, compared with the state average of 47.5 percent.
During the Board of Education meeting Monday evening, it became evident that board members were concerned not only with the results but also with the amount of attention paid to the results in the lower grades.
It seems to me like were placing too much emphasis on testing third-graders, Board of Education member Mike Raduazzo said. The standardized tests put a lot of pressure on students, he said.
But it seems like our third grade reading is a concern, board member Amy Shinohara said in response to Raduazzo. It seems to be our consistent outlier.
There may be less of a concern for this years crop of third-graders, said Assistant Superintendent Pat Michaels. This is the first group of students who had full-day kindergarten to hit third grade. But that is just one of the reasons the district is looking toward different outcomes.
We have revised the curriculum at the elementary level, said Michaels, adding that the test will be different this year to conform with the Common Core State Standards that are being implemented across the state.
At Farmingville, where more third-graders scored at or above average, Gately said she doesnt think her school did anything different from the other schools, although she is proud of her students and teaching staff.
I think its a question of understanding the test, the children and differentiating your teaching and creating a very nonthreatening environment, Gately said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice and receive free news updates.
