Little districts test about the same

Smaller class sizes can mean better test scores — but not always.

For example, results in California's 2010 Standardized Testing and Reporting in English language arts — which educators at all levels consider the most important basic skill — reveal that class size is not necessarily an indicator of how students will perform.

In the largest Glenn County kindergarten to grade-12 school districts of Orland and Willows, on average 40 percent and 41.5 percent of students scored proficient or advanced in English language arts.

Scores in Hamilton Unified School District, a middle-sized district, the average 2010 scores at the highest levels for K-12 students in English was 38.8 percent.

Those figures compare to the smaller K-12 districts of Princeton and Stony Creek, where proficient and advanced ELA scores came in at 36.9 percent and 39.5 percent.

At William Finch Charter School, where a majority of students were home schooled in 2010, scores averaged 41.8 percent.

The countywide ELA average was 41.5 percent. The state average was 52.3 percent.

Where class size seems to make in Glenn County the most difference is in the small elementary school districts that offer classes from kindergarten to grade 8.

Scores in Capay Joint Unified, Lake Elementary and Plaza Elementary school districts came in above county and state levels.

Average ELA scores ranking proficient and advanced broke down to 56.8 percent at Lake Elementary, 59.4 percent at Capay and 71.4 percent at Plaza.

On average, Glenn County schools scored higher on the 2010 STAR tests than the previous year, but cumulative scores in all categories remain below state averages.

Proficient and advanced scores in the county as a whole show slow movement toward the goal of 100 percent for all students, according to reports on the California Department of Education website.

Statewide, English-language scores jumped from 49.9 percent in 2009 to 52.3 percent in 2010, nearly 11 points higher than in Glenn County.

The county's average history scores increased 9.5 percent from 2009 to 35.7 percent in 2010. Statewide scores went from 41 percent to 44.4 percent.

County proficient and advanced scores in math in 2010, moved up slightly from 34.4 percent to 35.6 percent. State scores increased from 45.8 percent to 48 percent.

In science, which tests at the end of grades 5, 8 and 10, students in the county made a big jump, rising to 47.4 percent in 2010 from 39.9 the year before.

At the state level, 2010 scores came in at 53.6 percent, up from 49.5.

Stony Creek and Princeton

Stony Creek is the smallest school district in the county, usually with 10 or fewer students in each grade.

As a result, STAR scores per grade level are not released by the state Department of Education. Small district administrators explained the reason is because it would be too easy for people to figure out how individual students performed on the tests.

Comparing overall district scores, though, shows improvement in all areas.

Superintendent-Principal Holly McLaughlin said, in general terms students, in grades 4-8 have improved in English language arts. However, of the 11 students in their junior year, only 18 percent scored proficient or advanced in ELA.

Still, district scores increased from 31.1 percent in 2009 to 39.5 in 2010.

"We will focus more on math, especially algebra and geometry," McLaughlin said. Ten or fewer students took the tests in those subjects, so grade-level scores are not available.

In the district as a whole, math scores went from 22.4 percent to 35.6 percent.

History and end-of-courses sciences scores skyrocketed districtwide. In history, test results went from a mere 5.3 percent in 2009 to 30 percent in 2010 and EOC science jumped from 7.1 percent to 28.6.

No schools in the Stony Creek district are in program improvement, where the state places schools that do meet basic growth standards.

Princeton schools, as in many districts, performed better than year in some areas and worse in others.

The district summary report records improvement in English language arts, math and science (tested at the end of grades 5, 8 and 10). Scores fell in history and end-of-course science.

ELA scores increased from 25.7 percent in '09 to 36.9 percent in '10; history went from 42.9-35.6 percent; math, 24.3-40.7; science, 30.6-51.9; and EOC science dropped slightly from 30-28.6 percent.

Over 75 percent of Princeton Joint Unified students showed improvement over the year before, according to Superintendent John Green

He said, "I am very pleased with our performance, but we have to do more work in math. ... Math at the Junior-Senior High School is not where we want it to be."

On the other hand, Green credited the vastly improved science scores to "a teacher we had last year. She really, really did a great job."

"She offered a lot of hands on activity," he said, adding he thinks that made a big difference.

Capay, Plaza and Lake

The Capay district showed a mixed bag, with the biggest improvement in science tests given at the end of grades 5, 8 and 10. Those scores too a leap from 45.8 percent in '09 to 74.2 in '10.

Math scores remained virtually the same moving from 65.2-65.6 per cent. English scores took a dip from 64.9 percent to 59.4. And history scores could be compared because too few students took the exam in 2009. In 2010, STAR results came in at 62.5 percent.

Jim Scribner, superintendent-principal at Capay, said "we saw the kind of growth we expected."

Like other small schools, administrators and teachers "like to look at the detail in a class as a whole. ... When we see a common weakness amongst most of our students, we can look at our instruction or curriculum."

Tim Ryan serves as superintendent for Lake and Plaza elementary schools, which have similar student populations.

At Plaza, average STAR scores improved in all areas but math, where they drop slightly.

Ryan said, "Plaza teachers are almost obsessed with student performance."

He also said no changes in faculty have been made for a few years and "most of the teachers are in their prime."

The Plaza English scores rose from 68.4 percent in 2009 to 71.4 percent in 2010. History improved by five points, going from 53.8 to 58.8 percent.

Math went from 73.5 percent to 72.6 and science climbed from 64.3 percent to 70.6.

Lake School saw little change overall. The combined ELA scores barely moved from 57 percent in 2009 to 56.8 in 2010. Only 10 students too the history test in 2009, so a comparison cannot be made. However, 54.5 percent scored proficient or advanced in 2010.

Math and science also showed little movement overall. In 2009, math scores came in at 59.1, compared to 60.4 in 2010; science moved from 53.8-55.6 percent.

Ryan said the biggest drop in scores occurred in grades 5 and 6 math. He blamed staffing changing last year for the problem, but said that has been corrected.

With veteran teachers retiring and new teachers coming in, Ryan said "a lot of things have changed." But, he thinks things will stabilize and get much better now.

"With the economy the way it is, the caliber of teachers we have is great," he said, noting that the district has hired "good, young superstar teachers," who normally would not apply to a small, rural school.