August 2014

2014 New York State Test Results:

New York City Grades 3–8

The Common Core standards provide a

roadmap for what students should know and be

able to do in each grade—from pre-K to 12—

to graduate prepared for college and careers.

The Common Core standards are:

> Aligned with college and workplace expectations

> Focused on developing higher-order skills to solve complex problems

> In line with other high-performing countries

> Based on evidence and research

New York State is one of 43 states, as well as the District of Columbia, to have

adopted the Common Core standards and New York City is among the

leading districts in the nation integrating these standards into classrooms.

2

The Common Core State Standards Initiative

2012 2014 Carter shaded the two same-sized models below to

represent the fractions 2/3 and 8/12. Carter believed that

2/3 is equivalent to 8/12. Why is he correct or incorrect?

A: He is incorrect because the numerator and

denominator are different in 2/3 and 8/12.

B: He is incorrect because the numerator and

denominator in 8/12 are greater than in 2/3.

C: He is correct because adding the same number to

the numerator and denominator in 2/3 equals 8/12.

D: He is correct because multiplying the numerator and

denominator in 2/3 by the same number equals 8/12.

How are the topics of “Call of the Wild” and “Elephants

Don’t Wear Boots” similar? How are the topics of both

articles different? Use details from both articles to

support your response.

In your response, be sure to

• explain how the topics of “Call of the Wild” and

“Elephants Don’t Wear Boots” are similar

• explain how the topics of both articles are different

• use details from both articles to support your response

Students read one text about the needs of animals kept

in zoo habitats and a second text about the challenges

of providing shelter and protection for zoo animals.

4th-grade Common Core Questions Are More Rigorous

A: 1/2 C: 2/3

B: 1/4 D: 2/5

The diagram below shows a rectangle divided into

equal sections. What fraction of the rectangle is

shaded?

This story is mostly about how:

A: being good at sports takes practice

B: playing sports with a friend can be fun

C: being an athlete means trying many sports

D: playing sports is better than watching sports

Students read a text about a bear playing sports.

On this year’s Common

Core questions, students

had to solve more

problems that included

multiple steps and could

not be determined by one,

simple calculation.

This year’s English

questions included texts

that were on grade-level

and had more rigorous

vocabulary words; students

needed to be able to cite

evidence to support their

answer, not just share their

opinion.

Math

English

3

Multiple Measures For Understanding Student

Achievement and School Performance

The annual New York State Math and ELA assessments are just one of many measures

of student learning. Principals, teachers, and parents are also encouraged to consider

other sources of information to understand student achievement and school

performance, including:

> Course grades and report card comments

> Student writing samples

> Projects and other assignments

> Other performance-based student work

> Students’ social-emotional development and other non-cognitive skills

> Results of assessments used for the Local Measures component of teacher evaluation

> Results of Periodic Assessments

> Schools’ Quality Review reports

> Student, teacher, and parent responses on annual NYC School Survey

4

33.1 35.2

29.6 28.8 25.0 25.7

29.6

38.6 40.0 38.7

33.8 29.6

22.8**

34.2

3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 3 - 8

Percentage Point and Percent Change from 2013 to 2014

+ 5.5 pts + 4.7 pts + 9.2 pts + 5.0 pts + 4.6 pts - 3.0 pts** + 4.6 pts

+ 16.6% + 13.4% + 31.0% + 17.2% + 18.5% - 11.6%** + 15.6%

Proficiency Rates for NYC Students in Math

Math

Percent of NYC Students At or Above Proficient in 2013 and 2014, by Grade

2013 2014

Numbers may not sum due to rounding. **A change in State testing policy drove a decrease in eighth grade proficiency rates in 2014: to reduce

double testing, most students in accelerated math courses who took the Integrated Algebra Regents exam were exempted from taking the 7th or 8th

grade State math assessment. 5

28.1 27.2 28.7

23.3 25.5 25.4 26.4

29.9 31.1 28.4

25.3 26.8 28.9 28.4

3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 3 - 8

Proficiency Rates for NYC Students in English

English

Percent of NYC Students At or Above Proficient in 2013 and 2014, by Grade

2013 2014

6

Percentage Point and Percent Change from 2013 to 2014

+ 1.8 pts + 3.9 pts - 0.3 pts + 2.0 pts + 1.3 pts + 3.4 pts + 2.1 pts

+ 6.5% + 14.4% - 0.9% + 8.4% + 5.0% + 13.5% + 7.8%

Numbers may not sum due to rounding.

50.7 50.8

57.6

68.8

42.4 43.9 46.9

26.4 28.4

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

57.0

65.1

74.3

81.8

54.0 57.3

60.0

29.6 34.2

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Proficiency Rates for NYC Students Over Time

In 2010, NYSED increased the scale score required to meet each of the proficiency levels.

Cut Score

Change

New

Common

Core Exam

Cut Score

Change

New

Common

Core Exam

3-8 Grade Math 3-8 Grade English

Percent of NYC Students At or Above Proficient Across Different NYS Assessments Over Time

7

27.4 31.3 29.4 31.4

NYC NYS

30.1 31.2 34.5 35.8

NYC NYS

To account for participation changes across years and anticipating the importance of year-to-year same-cohort comparisons for

the Class of 2022, Math and ELA results were calculated to include students who were tested in both 2013 and 2014.

8

Results for “Matched” Students in NYC and NYS from 2013 to 2014

Change from 2013 to 2014

+ 2.0 pts + 0.1% pts

Change from 2013 to 2014

+ 4.4% pts + 4.5% pts

4-8 Grade Math – Matched 4-8 Grade English – Matched

Percent of Persisting NYC and NYS Students At or Above Proficient in 2013 and 2014

2013 2014 2013 2014

Numbers may not sum due to rounding.

61.4

15.3 18.6

50.1

11.4

31.7

8.4

66.6

18.6 23.1

55.8

14.0

37.2

11.4

AsianStudents

BlackStudents

HispanicStudents

WhiteStudents

ELL Former ELL Students withDisabilities

Percentage Point and Percent Change from 2013 to 2014

+ 5.2 pts + 3.3 pts + 4.6 pts + 5.7 pts + 2.6 pts + 5.6 pts + 3.0 pts

+ 8.5% + 21.5% + 24.7% + 11.5% + 23.3% + 17.6% + 35.2%

Math Performance Across Different Student

Populations

3-8 Grade Math

Percent of NYC Students At or Above Proficient in 2013 and 2014, by Student Population

Former ELL includes any students who were classified as English Language Learners in at least one of the previous two school

years. Numbers may not sum due to rounding.

2013 2014

9

48.1

16.3 16.6

46.8

3.4

22.2

5.7

49.5

18.1 18.3

49.4

3.6

22.4

6.7

AsianStudents

BlackStudents

HispanicStudents

WhiteStudents

ELL Former ELL Students withDisabilities

Percentage Point and Percent Change from 2013 to 2014

+ 1.4% pts + 1.8% pts + 1.7% pts + 2.5% pts + 0.2% pts + 0.2% pts + 1.0% pts

+ 3.0% + 10.8% + 10.0% + 5.4% + 6.7% + 0.8% + 17.3%

English Performance Across Different Student

Populations

3-8 Grade English

Percent of NYC Students At or Above Proficient in 2013 and 2014, by Student Population

2013 2014

10 Former ELL includes any students who were classified as English Language Learners in at least one of the previous two

school years. Numbers may not sum due to rounding.

26.4 25.1 26.3 28.4 28.0 28.4

NYC District NYC CharterSchools

All PublicSchools

29.6 34.8

29.9 34.2

43.9

35.0

NYC District NYC CharterSchools

All PublicSchools

Percentage Point and Percent Change from 2013 to 2014

+ 2.1 pts + 2.9 pts + 2.1 pts

+ 7.8% + 11.7% + 7.9%

Percentage Point and Percent Change from 2013 to 2014

+ 4.6 pts + 9.1 pts + 5.1 pts

+ 15.6% + 26.0% + 17.1%

NYC Schools Include District and Charter Schools –

Proficiency for All Public NYC Schools

3-8 Grade Math 3-8 Grade English

Percent of NYC Students At or Above Proficient in 2013 and 2014, by School Type

2013 2014 2013 2014

11 Numbers may not sum due to rounding.

Percent

of

Tested: 92% 8% 100%

Percent

of

Tested: 92% 8% 100%