MCAs: New Ulm's math results slip, reading improves

By KREMENA TODOROVA

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- As Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) go, it's a mixed bag for New Ulm's High School.

While 11th-grade math scores slipped measurably this year compared to last, 10th-grade reading scores notched up, in defiance of area and state trends.

In New Ulm, 67 percent of 11th-graders passed the math test, compared to 79 percent in 2003. These scores were consistent with regional and state trends. On average, 70 percent of the state's seniors passed the math test, down from 78 percent in 2003.

In contrast, 83 percent of New Ulm's 10th-graders passed the reading test, compared to 81 percent in 2003. Statewide, the proportion of students passing -- defined as performing at grade level or better -- was 78 percent, down from 81 in 2003.

The MCAs were administered in April, for the second year in a row. They are intended to eventually judge school performance, meeting the provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind law. According to No Child Behind, schools judged to be failing will face a range of penalties, up to a potential closure.

State officials declined to formally use the MCA scores to judge schools last year because it was the first time the tests were performed. Officials say they will use this year's scores as a "baseline" for evaluating schools.

Educators warn against a direct comparison of the 2003 and 2004 results. Both state and local officials say that last year's MCAs tested knowledge taught under the now defunct graduation standards called Profile of Learning. This year's MCAs were more geared toward "core" material.

"The tests actually don't compare," said District 88 Superintendent Harold Remme. "They were formatted differently and tested different things."

Remme acknowledged concern about New Ulm's 2004 math scores. While 2004 reading scores are higher than the state average -- and largely comparable to those of other schools of New Ulm's size -- math scores were below the state average. They were lower than those of smaller area schools.

Remme noted that educators need to look into specific detail to determine why this is the case.

He speculated that the math scores may be a product of student choice. Because New Ulm offers more math courses than some smaller schools, New Ulm students may be choosing courses that highlight areas different from those tested. In contrast, smaller schools with fewer choices may be targeting areas that are tested.

Remme noted that officials will be looking into other specifics as well -- for example, the performance of male versus female students, or what sub-areas receive what curriculum emphasis.

Local educators will be seeking to translate this analysis into change.

Some educators question the value of MCAs for improving teaching. They note that rather than showing student progress from year to year, the tests compare this year's class with the next.

Remme considers the tests "relatively" useful. They help educators see the "broad picture" -- for example, how a school system compares to other systems its size, or to the average for the state.

But he says the tests are less useful in terms of making day-to-day modifications to instruction and helping individual students improve.

According to New Ulm Curriculum Director Bill Sprung, the format of the reading tests makes those tests easier to analyze. The reading scores are broken down by "sub-area," so educators can determine what parts of the curriculum need improvement.

In contrast, the math scores are reported by course, such as "Algebra I" or "Algebra II." That makes it harder to pick out and analyze strands.