October 2012                                                                                                                   http://parca.samford.edu

Schools that are making progress use data to understand where they are, to know what their challenges are, and to monitor gains in student achievement.   Much of that data comes from statewide tests of reading and math competence. These tests serve a valuable purpose in assessing the quality of teaching and learning in public schools.

PARCA has been collecting and analyzing test score data for the Alabama Reading and Math Test (ARMT) since 2005. We have just released our 2012 ARMT Test Score Comparisons for every school system in Alabama. These annual assessments are important to the goal of raising academic skills throughout the state. They provide information that students, parents, teachers, policy makers, and taxpayers can use to evaluate progress and direct improvement efforts where results are below expectation.

In analyzing the data PARCA found that one of the most difficult challenges facing education in Alabama is improving the education of students in poverty level families. This student subgroup has been low-performing on the ARMT. Nevertheless, the state is making improvements in this area. Gains have ranged from 6 to 16 percent in Reading and 9 and 31 percent in Math. The largest increase in the ARMT for Poverty Students was in Math for 5th Grade. For more trends, by system and by school, click here.