Posted December 11, 2015
The Colorado Department of Education has released results for how our students performed last spring on the new state assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. These assessments are often referred to as “PARCC tests” because they were developed by a consortium of states called the Partnership for Assessments in Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). These tests are part of the state’s overall assessment system, the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS), which also includes tests in science and social studies.
4th and 5th Graders are receiving their child’s Individual Score Report today. Please keep in mind that these scores cannot be compared to old test scores. The new tests measure different aspects of thinking, such as a student’s ability to think critically and problem solve – skills that are critical to success in college and career in the 21st Century. The new CMAS-PARCC Score Reports you will receive show whether your student met grade-level expectations at the end of last year and if your student is on track for college and career. Resources to help you understand these new score reports are available by clicking State of Colorado Department of Education Parent Resources.
You may remember that Colorado implemented new academic standards in 2013-14 that raised the bar with higher expectations for all students. Our new tests are aligned to those academic standards, and they are indeed more rigorous than past tests. This is a good thing, as we are striving to ensure that all students are truly prepared for college and career when they graduate from high school. However, with change may come some growing pains, and your child’s test scores may be lower than what you saw before. This is not permanent. It is likely that scores will start rising again as students and teachers get used to the higher standards and become better prepared to meet the more challenging material.
Also, remember that these tests were given at end of the previous school year (2014-15). They represent a single point in time, and are just one of the many factors that can be used together to provide a complete picture of your student’s progress. Scores always take longer to produce during the first year of any new test, but in future years, we expect to receive our student’s scores much earlier to help inform teachers’ instruction for the coming school year.
Below are our school-wide results, which we are very proud of. We have an amazing team here at Cory, a team of talented teachers, support staff and fantastic parents to partner with us. Please join me in celebrating the following school-wide results:
| OVERALL (all students) | Participation Rate | % Met or Above (School) | % Met or Above (District) | % Met or Above (Network) | % Met or Above (State) | Percentile Rank |
| ELA (3-5) | 99.6 | 79.6 | 31.9 | 58.7 | 40.2 | 98 |
| Math (3-5) | 99.1 | 77.7 | 26.4 | 48.2 | *state does not calculate this for Math, due to there being many specific content areas in one (Algebra, Geometry, etc). | 98 |
| Gifted and Talented Students (highlighted due to Cory being an Integrated GT/HGT School) | % Met or Above (School) |
% Met or Above (Network of SE Area Schools) |
% Met or Above (District) |
| ELA (3-5) | 98.9 | 86.8 | 76.4 |
| Math (3-5) | 96.8 | 86.3 | 63.3 |
As a school, we believe our successful school-wide results are an indication of our instructional methods and systems that we have in place here at Cory. Our partnership with you is a critical component of this success and we thank you for ensuring your child is here all day, everyday and on-time and that you participate by doing your part at home and communicating with your child’s teacher. Due to your awareness of this importance, we have been able to ensure your child receives the teaching that is required for students to learn the rigorous standards.
In celebration,
Jennifer Harris, Principal
jennifer_harris@dpsk12.org