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The State Education Department released the results of this year’s Common Core tests, with proficiency rising in the ELA from 37.9 percent to 39.8 percent (an increase of 1.9 percent) and the statewide combined math proficiency score rising from 39.1 percent to 40.2 percent (1.1).
In Mount Vernon, the improvements were even more impressive, with students showing a 28 percent proficiency rate on the ELA, up 5 percent from a year ago. In math, students showed a 6 percent increase this year, up from 16 to 22 percent.
Since Hamilton took over in the summer of 2014, students’ proficiency rate on the ELA has risen from 12 percent to 28 percent, while math scores are up from 15 percent proficiency to this year’s total.
The state said it did not make significant changes to the ELA or math assessments administered this year, so the results can be compared to the 2016 results after years of upheaval.
According to the school district, Hamilton implemented his “20/20 Vision” to “improve the quality of instruction, enhance programs and services and close achievement gaps. This initiative ensures that all students receive a rigorous education and develop the necessary skills to prepare them to be model citizens capable of competing in a global society.”
“We recognize we definitely have a way to go in terms of student achievement but we are definitely on the right trajectory because of our interventions, our instructional improvements and the way we are looking at individual and group student performance data so that we can ensure that our students are making progress,” Claytisha Walden, associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction stated.
Hamilton noted that the while “there is a steady trend upward, the district’s overall state test results are still not where they should be and the district is continuing to work hard at improvement through the guidance of the 20/20 Vision.”
“We are all very excited to see the continuing trend of data that shows marked improvements across the district,” Hamilton added.
“It is very important to take a moment to acknowledge this success but it is just as important to acknowledge that we are continuing to provide an innovative education that reaches all students in our district so this upward trend will continue along the path to producing student outcomes that are not only acceptable but also honorable.”
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