Although more Ohio elementary students this year passed all sections of the fourth- and sixth-grade proficiency tests than last year, and fared better in science, they fared worse in writing and math sections, according to scores released Wednesday.
Thirty-seven percent of sixth-graders passed all sections of the tests taken in March, compared with 32 percent last year; 38 percent of fourth-graders passed, up from 36 percent last year. Some school officials attributed a sharp drop in fourth-grade writing scores to an unusually tough test.
The key component of this year's test instructed students to read a story about earthworms, then write a report on worms and directions on how to catch them. "The 1998 fourth-grade writing combination was a difficult pairing of tasks," said E. Roger Trent, director of the division of assessment and evaluation for the Ohio Department of Education, in an e-mail message to superintendents. "Writing results from year to year may vary considerably depending on the combination of tasks and the amount of preparation and practice students receive." This year, 59 percent of fourth-grade students statewide passed the writing test, compared to 67 percent last year.
The tests assess public-school students' skills in math, reading, writing, citizenship and science - part of a battery of four proficiency tests ordered by the state legislature in 1987. The state also requires that students be tested in ninth and 12th grades. Students must pass only the ninth-grade test to receive an Ohio high-school diploma.
Cincinnati Public Schools scores for fourth-graders held steady, except in writing, which fell 10 percentage points. Sixth-graders' scores varied, with science and writing rising, and reading and math falling.
CPS' sixth-graders ranked third among the state's eight urban districts in passing all test sections, while fourth-graders ranked fifth.
In the Cincinnati area, more students from suburban districts passed all sections of the elementary school tests than students in CPS.
In Hamilton County, Mariemont's fourth- and sixth-graders were tops in the county for passing all sections - 80 percent of sixth-graders passed and 83 percent of fourth-graders passed.
In Butler County, Lakota's fourth- and sixth-graders were the top performers - with 61 percent of sixth-graders passing all sections and 59 percent of fourth-graders passing all.
In Warren County, 63 percent of Springboro's fourth-graders passed all sections and 63 percent of Mason's sixth-graders passed, the county's highest percentages.
In Clermont County, Williamsburg's sixth-graders were tops in the county for passing all sections - 49 percent - and Milford's fourth-graders were tops, with 49 percent passing all sections. About 127,300 fourth-graders and 127,700 sixth-graders took the tests. The elementary test is designed to measure students' skills and familiarize them with the proficiency test's format before facing the ninth-grade test.
"In particular in the fourth grade, we wanted to start young enough so we could assess the children and determine what their strengths and weaknesses are and build on those weaknesses," said Paula Mahaley, an Ohio Department of Education consultant. While writing emerged as a weakness for fourth-graders, sixth-graders had problems with the test's math portion.
"We have our work cut out for us at the schools," Ms. Mahaley said. "We need to look at the objectives and see that the concepts are being taught."
At North College Hill City Schools, scores for fourth-graders dropped from 69 to 50 percent of all students passing.
"Seldom do kids have to write that kind of report at that age level," Superintendent Stanley Wernz said. "All in all, I'm more concerned that a youngster be able to express (himself) in written form and communicate ideas to others."
Writing scores also dipped for fourth-graders in Sycamore Community School District - dropping to 76-percent passing from 86 percent last year, said Bill Sears, Sycamore's assistant superintendent. "Our fourth-graders were down in writing. We think it's because the test featured a rather unique prompt (asking) them to set up a research paper. . . . That might have thrown some of them."
In the Lakota Schools, where fourth-grade writing scores dropped four percentage points from last year, educators will continue to emphasize writing in all content areas, not just language arts, said Janet Gorman, director of elementary curriculum.
"This year's writing prompt for fourth-graders was very difficult. Typically students do well when the prompts are narrative and descriptive. They're more comfortable with that," Ms. Gorman said.
Enquirer contributor Sue Kiesewetter contributed to this report.
