Delaware Student Testing Program Performance Level 1 Study: District Level Findings
Date
2006-08-09T19:48:28Z
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Delaware Education Research & Development Center
Abstract
The study was designed to examine the progress of Delaware’s lowest performing students beginning
with DSTP data gathered in its first administration in 1998 through 2005. Students’ progress has been
tracked by cohorts statewide and within district.It appears that the longer students remain at Performance Level I, the less likely they will reach the state’s expected level of achievement by high school. The
majority of students who score PL1 in reading or math will remain at PL1 or PL2.
This re-emphasizes the importance of early intervention to address the needs of
the stat’s most at-risk students. Most of the “successful” districts are moving 25 to 30 percent of students from Performance Level 1 to Performance Level 3 during the elementary and middle school years. By high school, districts are only moving 7 to 10 percent of lowperforming
(PL1) students to the standards in reading and mathematics.
Clear disparities exist in regards to the distribution of students at the PL1 level as
compared to most districts’ overall student populations according to race and income status. A small number of Delaware districts are reaching parity in this regard. Some of the state’s smaller school districts appear to be more successful at reaching parity than many of its larger districts. (Published August 2006)
Description
Keywords
Performance levels, State test