Category: Assessment

Fact sheet: Educational progress in Maine and the Harvard study

Graph: Average Reading Scores for State/Jurisdiction and Nation (public)

Questions and answers

Can test scores tell you whether a school is good or bad?
No school should be labeled based solely on test scores, and we are not doing that here, either. Test scores – and the growth in test scores – are one valuable and important measure of progress. As a state, Maine is not showing any significant progress in test scores while other states are. This should be a significant concern to anyone interested in the education and future success of our students.

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Gov. LePage and Commissioner Bowen hold joint news conference on education

Governor LePage and Commissioner Bowen discuss educational system
Governor LePage and Commissioner Bowen answer questions about Maine’s rankings in a recent education study released by Harvard University.

The following is a news release from the Office of Gov. Paul LePage.

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul LePage and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen held a joint media conference today in the Cabinet Room at the State Capitol to discuss the results of a recent study released by Harvard University’s Program on Education Policy and Governance. Gov. LePage and Commissioner Bowen explained these results and what they mean for Maine. They also unveiled a new initiative to revitalize Maine’s educational system: the ABC plan.

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Harvard study shows Maine at the bottom in education achievement growth

The following is a news release from the Office of Gov. Paul LePage.

AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul LePage said Wednesday he is extremely concerned by 20 years of education efforts that have resulted in almost no gains in student achievement. He called on his education commissioner, school administrators and teacher unions to step up efforts at implementing innovative practices focused on student learning.

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Bowen statement on report showing Maine next to last in rate of student achievement growth

Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen issued the following statement in response to today’s release of “Achievement Growth:  International and U.S. State Trends in Student Performance” by Harvard’s Program on Education Policy and Governance.

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NAEP parents’ brochure, testing dates available

The National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” has set testing dates for the 2012-13 school year. In Maine, a sample of 2,500 to 3,000 randomly selected students in fourth and eighth grades will participate in mathematics or reading assessments between January 29 and March 9, 2013. NAEP has recently released a new parents’ brochure (PDF) to help families better understand the test. Participating districts may wish to share this brochure with their students’ families.

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Laura Richards School overcomes CIPS status, surpasses standards

First grade teacher Laurie Malcolm (upper left) studies shapes with the Reiter family during Math Mania night at Laura E. Richards School.

Being identified as a Continuous Improvement Priority School in 2009 was devastating for staff at Laura E. Richards School in Gardiner.

Too few students were meeting the targets in mathematics according to the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Now, after two years of hard work by Principal Karen Moody, her staff and the entire school community, students at Laura Richards have surpassed the targets in both math and reading.

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Committees forming for assessment system development

In the continuing process of developing a new assessment system, Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium has announced the next opportunity for Maine educators to participate.  As a governing member of SBAC, Maine is afforded the opportunity to invite educators to participate in the process of reviewing test items and performance tasks for the 2013 Pilot Test.

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Chance to develop Smarter Balanced assessment

Because Maine is a governing state for the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, the Maine Department of Education encourages qualified grades 3-11 English language arts/literacy and mathematics teachers to apply to become item authors for the Consortium.

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