Augusta – The Maine Department of Education today released state assessment results for the 2015-2016 school year.
“We are confident in this year’s test results, and hope parents, teachers, administrators, and other interested parties will value and utilize the data gathered through the assessment process,” said Dr. Charlene Tucker, Maine DOE’s Assessment and Accountability Team Coordinator.
The public may access the results at https://lms.backpack.education/public/maine.
Key results include:
- Assessment participation improved substantially in 2015-16.
- 50.58% of Maine’s test takers scored At State Expectations (Level 3) or Above State Expectations (Level 4) in English language arts/literacy.
- 38.31% of Maine’s test takers scored At State Expectations (Level 3) or Above State Expectations (Level 4) in mathematics.
- 60.97% of Maine’s test takers scored At State Expectations (Level 3) or Above State Expectations (Level 4) in science.
For ELA/literacy and mathematics, 2015-16 is a new baseline year and should not be compared to previous years when different assessments were administered. Based on changes made during the 127th Maine Legislature, the state used a new assessment partner to administer a different state assessment of English language arts/literacy and mathematics in 2015-16.
The new assessments adopted for 2015-2016, eMPowerME (grades 3-8) and SAT (3rd year high school), measure Maine’s college and readiness standards established in 2011. The eMPowerME assessment was delivered by computer.
Results were released later this year than initially planned due to the time necessary to establish achievement levels and process data for brand new assessments, as well as the time it takes to build a new reporting platform. Maine will use the same assessments and the same reporting system for the 2016-17 year and it is planned for results to be available in the summer of 2017.
Further detailed information on the results is available below.
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2015-16 Statewide Results for English Language Arts/Literacy
The general ELA/literacy assessment, eMPowerME, was taken by most students in grades 3-8. Most students in the third year of high school were assessed using the SAT, which has been adopted as Maine’s ELA/literacy high school assessment. Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities were assessed on the Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA). More information about the ELA/literacy assessments can be found here: http://maine.gov/doe/assessment/math-ela/home.html.
2015-16 Participation (ELA/Literacy)
Of the 93,554 students eligible to participate in state assessment of ELA/literacy, 91,208 participated. The participation rate of 97.49% is an improvement over the 2014-15 participation rate of 89.92%. Participation is summarized here:
| Eligible to Participate | 93,554 |
| Participated General (eMPowerME) | 77,443 |
| Participated General (SAT) | 12,534 |
| Participated Alternate (MSAA) | 1,231 |
| Total Participants | 91,208 |
| Participation Rate | 97.49% |
| Percent of Participants Who Took Alternate | 1.35% |
2015-16 Performance (ELA/Literacy)
| Participants | Well Below State Expectations | Below State Expectations | At State Expectations | Above State Expectations | |||||
| Number | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| eMPowerME | 77,443 | 15,656 | 20.22% | 23,779 | 30.71% | 25,346 | 32.73% | 12,662 | 16.35% |
| SAT | 12,534 | 2,731 | 21.79% | 2,342 | 18.69% | 5,820 | 46.43% | 1,641 | 13.09% |
| MSAA | 1,231 | 345 | 28.03% | 217 | 17.63% | 372 | 30.22% | 297 | 24.13% |
| TOTAL | 91,208 | 18,732 | 20.54% | 26,338 | 28.88% | 31,538 | 34.58% | 14,600 | 16.01% |
The Maine Assessment & Accountability Reporting System (MAARS) provides additional information about the 2015-16 ELA/literacy assessment results for each school and each district, as well as for student subgroups.
MAARS is publicly accessible at: https://lms.backpack.education/public/maine.
2015-16 Statewide Results for Mathematics
The general mathematics assessment, eMPowerME, was taken by most students in grades 3-8. Most students in the third year of high school were assessed using the SAT. Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities were assessed on the Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA). More information about the mathematics assessments can be found here: http://maine.gov/doe/assessment/math-ela/home.html.
Participation (Mathematics)
Of the 93,915 students eligible to participate in state assessment of mathematics, 91,541 participated. The participation rate of 97.47% is an improvement over the 2014-15 participation rate of 89.53%. Participation is summarized here:
| Eligible to Participate | 93,915 |
| Participated General (eMPowerME) | 77,741 |
| Participated General (SAT) | 12,567 |
| Participated Alternate (MSAA) | 1,233 |
| Total Participants | 91,541 |
| Participation Rate | 97.47% |
| Percent of Participants Who Took Alternate | 1.35% |
Performance (Mathematics)
| Participants | Well Below State Expectations | Below State Expectations | At State Expectations | Above State Expectations | |||||
| Number | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| eMPowerME | 77,741 | 20,678 | 26.60% | 27,049 | 34.79% | 22,207 | 28.56% | 7,807 | 10.04% |
| SAT | 12,567 | 3,292 | 26.20% | 4,885 | 38.87% | 3,370 | 26.82% | 1,020 | 8.12% |
| MSAA | 1,233 | 321 | 26.03% | 248 | 20.11% | 367 | 29.76% | 297 | 24.09% |
| TOTAL | 91,541 | 24,291 | 26.54% | 32,182 | 35.15% | 25,944 | 28.34% | 9,124 | 9.97% |
The Maine Assessment & Accountability Reporting System (MAARS) provides additional information about the 2015-16 mathematics assessment results for each school and each district, as well as for student subgroups. MAARS is publicly accessible at: https://lms.backpack.education/public/maine.
2015-16 Statewide Results for Science
The general science assessment, MEA Science, was taken by most students in grades 3-8 and in the third year of high school. The science assessment in grades 5, 8 and the third year of high school remained unchanged for 2015-16. The Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) for science and its alternate for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, Personalized Alternate Assessment Portfolio (PAAP), have both assessed the progress of Maine’s students in science for many years.
More information about the science assessments can be found here: http://maine.gov/doe/assessment/science/index.html.
Participation (Science)
Of the 40,423 students eligible to participate in state assessment of science, 38,568 participated. The participation rate of 95.41% is an improvement over the 2014-15 participation rate of 90.36%. Participation is summarized here:
| Eligible to Participate | 40,423 |
| Participated General (MEA Science) | 38,107 |
| Participated Alternate (PAAP) | 461 |
| Total Participants | 38,568 |
| Participation Rate | 95.41% |
| Percent of Participants Who Took Alternate | 1.19% |
Performance (Science)
| Participants | Well Below State Expectations | Below State Expectations | At State Expectations | Above State Expectations | |||||
| Number | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| MEA Science | 38,107 | 4,831 | 12.68% | 10,022 | 26.30% | 19,018 | 49.91% | 4,236 | 11.12% |
| PAAP | 461 | 74 | 16.05% | 125 | 27.11% | 215 | 46.64% | 47 | 10.20% |
| TOTAL | 38,568 | 4,905 | 12.72% | 10,147 | 26.31% | 19,233 | 49.87% | 4,283 | 11.10% |
The Maine Assessment & Accountability Reporting System (MAARS) provides additional information about the 2015-16 science assessment results for each school and each district, as well as for student subgroups.
MAARS is publicly accessible at: https://lms.backpack.education/public/maine.
Comparing 2015-16 Results to Previous Years
- For mathematics and ELA/literacy at grades 3-8, direct comparisons should not be made across years. While every effort was made to ensure that the 2015-16 achievement levels are at a similar level of rigor to that of the 2014-15 Smarter Balanced assessment, the tests are different in many ways, and it is unpredictable how different features of the assessments may have impacted the performance of different populations of students.
- At the high school level, there is no comparability between the 2015-16 SAT results and the 2014-15 Smarter Balanced results. First, the group of high school students tested in 2014-15 was seriously impacted by an opt-out trend, which was resolved in 2015-16. Second, Maine’s SAT achievement levels were determined by a collaborative process with other states that also used the SAT as their statewide assessment in 2015-16. Utilizing several sources of data, including the input of educators from each state, the consensus across states was to use the College Board’s College and Career Readiness Benchmark as the cut score to define the threshold between Level 2 (Below State Expectations) and Level 3 (At State Expectations). The scores of 530 in mathematics and 480 in ELA/literacy (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) are benchmarks that the College Board has determined predict success in college as follows:
- Students with an SAT Math section score that meets or exceeds the benchmark have a 75 percent chance of earning at least a C in first-semester, credit-bearing college courses in algebra, statistics, pre-calculus, or calculus.
- Students with an SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) section score that meets or exceeds the benchmark have a 75 percent chance of earning at least a C in first-semester, credit-bearing college courses in history, literature, social sciences, or writing classes.
- Science results (both PAAP and MEA Science) are fully comparable to years past. MEA Science results over time follow:
| Science Trends: Percentage of Students Scoring at Level 3 or 4 | |||
| Year | Grade 5 | Grade 8 | 3rd Year High School |
| 2008-09 | 55.83% | 61.99% | 41.00% |
| 2009-10 | 63.82% | 71.83% | 41.00% |
| 2010-11 | 64.59% | 70.82% | 44.00% |
| 2011-12 | 62.50% | 72.10% | 44.41% |
| 2012-13 | 69.54% | 69.98% | 41.03% |
| 2013-14 | 62.86% | 73.12% | 43.77% |
| 2014-15 | 64.89% | 71.06% | 43.00% |
| 2015-16 | 62.88% | 72.97% | 46.59% |
Conclusions
- Assessment participation improved substantially in 2015-16. Science participation increased from 90.36% in 2014-15 to 95.41% in 2015-16. ELA/literacy participation improved from 89.92% in 2014-15 to 97.49% in 2015-16. Mathematics participation improved from 89.53% in 2014-15 to 97.47% in 2015-16. Based on federal and state expectations, we strive for 95% participation in our assessment.
- For ELA/literacy and mathematics, 2015-16 is a new baseline year and should not be compared to previous years when different assessments were administered.
- Alternate assessments are intended for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The 2015-2016 alternate assessment for Maine students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA), was the same assessment administered in 2014-15, known then as the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC). Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the state is expected keep participation in alternate assessment to no more than 1.0% of the students assessed beginning with the 2016-17 assessment administration. Maine’s 2015-16 percentages of 1.19% in science, 1.35% in mathematics, and 1.35% in ELA/literacy exceed the limit under ESSA. The Maine DOE has provided increased training in the proper identification of students who are eligible for participation in alternate asssessments in order to improve that rate in 2015-16.
- 50.58% of Maine’s test takers scored At State Expectations (Level 3) or Above State Expectations (Level 4) in English language arts/literacy. This is a new baseline from which we will measure the growth of Maine’s students.
- 38.31% of Maine’s test takers scored At State Expectations (Level 3) or Above State Expectations (Level 4) in mathematics. This is a new baseline from which we will measure the growth of Maine’s students.
- 60.97% of Maine’s test takers scored At State Expectations (Level 3) or Above State Expectations (Level 4) in science. This is essentially the same as the 61% who scored at Level 3 or 4 in 2014-15.
- The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 provides an opportunity for Maine to rethink how supports to schools are determined and how to provide supports that are proportional to district and/or school needs. The Maine DOE is currently working with a diverse group of stakeholders to design a new accountability/school review system. Further information regarding this process can be located at: http://maine.gov/doe/essa.
- The data in this report is assessment data which includes all tested students. It is not intended for accountability purposes. Accountability reporting will follow.
Questions
Media inquiries: jamie.e.logan@maine.gov.
General assessments (eMPowerME, SAT, MEA Science): nancy.godfrey@maine.gov
Alternate assessments (MSAA, PAAP): sue.nay@maine.gov
Assessment policy: charlene.tucker@maine.gov
Navigating MAARS system: varun.motay@maine.gov