Vermont students top nation in reading

[cali]

The state's eighth-graders are No. 1, and the fourth-graders trail only Massachusetts, according to newly released test results.

By Molly Walsh, Free Press Staff Writer • Thursday, March 25, 2010


Vermont reading scores lead the nation, according to a round of test results released Wednesday by the federal government. Eighth-graders scored highest in the nation, and fourth-graders scored second highest on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

The results prompted applause. Martha Allen, president of the Vermont-NEA teachers union, said the scores are a testament to the state’s outstanding public school system. “The men and women who teach our children should be extremely proud of their students, who, once again, outperformed their peers across the country,” Allen said. “It is clear that education is indeed a partnership between professional and qualified educators and motivated students.”

Vermont Education Commissioner Armando Vilaseca praised the performance but saw room for improvement. Scores for most states, including Vermont, were flat between 2007 and 2009, and Vermont stayed on top partly because of this.

“It’s always great to see Vermont students leading the country,” he said, “but I am concerned about the lack of progress from two years ago, particularly for our students from low-income families.”

The federal No Child Left Behind Act and other education reforms are pushing states to close the persistent achievement gap between low-income students and students from middle- and upper-income families. Success has been slow in coming. Vilaseca noted the latest NAEP scores show no signs that Vermont’s poverty gap in reading is closing.

In grade four, 62 percent of students eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch scored at or above the basic level on the 2009 NAEP reading assessment, compared with 82 percent of students not eligible. In grade eight, 73 percent of students eligible for free and reduced-cost lunch scored at or above the basic level, compared with 88 percent of their noneligible peers. These results are not significantly different from the gaps noted on the 2007 test.

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http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100325/NEWS02/100324022/Vermont-students-top-nation-in-reading

[NotThisTime]

1. Test scores aren't everything, school administration and teachers are completely acrimonious

In our town the administration shows complete disdain for the teachers and vice versa, it leads to a number of problems in and outside the classroom. As a result we've taken one student out of the high school and are taking the other one out at the end of the year. It's a shame because they really could have a solid quality education.... instead they act as bad or worse than the children.