ANOKA, Minn. (August 26, 2013) – There were smiles and applause all around when Anoka-Hennepin School District leaders gathered to review results of the latest round of state testing. Results of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) that students took last spring were released August 27.
Johnna Rohmer-Hirt, Director of Research, Evaluation and Testing, pointed out that last spring was the first time in seven years that Anoka-Hennepin students scored higher than the state average on all tests and at all levels tested.
“We are thrilled with the performance of our students on the MCA tests,” said Superintendent Dennis Carlson.
“This is especially impressive given the fact that Anoka County has the lowest per capita income and the lowest percentage of college graduates in the seven-county metro area,” noted Carlson. Approximately one-in-three Anoka-Hennepin students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, which is a federal measure of poverty, and less than one in four adults have completed college. He pointed out that family income and parents’ level of education are strongly correlated with academic success. “You can understand the challenge some of our student and teachers face,” he said.
The biggest celebration was over a double-digit gain in high school math. The percentage of students scoring at a proficient level increased by 12.7 points; this figure surpasses the state average by 2.3 percentage points. Each of the district’s traditional high schools gained 11 or more percentage points, and one school, Andover High School, gained 14.8 points.
Elementary and middle school math remained above the state average, but elementary math scores dipped one point while middle school increased by less than a point.
“We believe a factor in our positive math scores at all levels is the work teachers have done in collaborative teams. They have been sharing effective teaching strategies with each other and incorporating them into their teaching,” said Dr. Mary Wolverton, Associate Superintendent for elementary schools.
Jeff McGonigal, Associate Superintendent for high schools, agreed that collaborative work has been an important factor. “But our success can’t be attributed to just one thing,” added McGonigal, “There have been a number of factors.”
He also pointed to the work the district has done with national experts who have been providing intensive staff development for math teachers. Award-winning author and consultant Tim Kanold and his associates have been going directly into high school classrooms during the past two years to observe math teachers and coach them in new approaches to help students learn. Last year they worked with middle school teachers as well. They will spend one more year in the district’s middle and high schools.
In addition, high schools have implemented credit recovery programs to help students catch up on missed credits at school during the school day. And, schools have developed their own unique programs to provide just-in-time help for students who need a little more time or repetition to solidify their grasp of a particular skill. This helps students keep up with the class so they are ready to move on to new material along with their classmates.
“Our teachers have been working really hard to increase student learning in math and we are now beginning to see it pay off,” Kanold said. “I am so pleased with their work.”
District science scores were also positive, with an overall increase of 8.5 points over last year and 10.9 points over the state. The biggest gain was in middle school science, where scores increased nine percentage points over last year, surpassing the state average by 19.4 points. Dr. Jinger Gustafson, Associate Superintendent for middle school, was amazed with the strong gains, and especially the comparison with the state average.
Dr. Gustafson firmly believes the biggest factor has been work in collaborative teams, as it was with math. “I really have to credit it to the strength of our collaborative teams. At the middle level we have had the opportunity for our core course teams to have collaborative time during the school day,” she said. “Teachers are making extremely good use of that time. They are not only sharing the work, but they are also sharing the students.” She explained that after teachers give a test, they review the results and then regroup students so they can provide instruction that closely aligns with the needs of each group.
Reading scores remain above the state average at all levels, 60.3 percent of district students scoring proficient compared with the state average of 57.6 percent. They cannot be compared with previous years because students took a new test this year. According to state officials, the new test is substantially more difficult because it is based on more rigorous standards aimed at college and career readiness.
Superintendent Carlson feels the strong MCA scores are one more piece of evidence that Anoka-Hennepin schools are working. “When you combine the excellent MCA scores with our strong ACT [college entry exam] results and our continued progress on narrowing the achievement gap, it really underscores our district’s efforts to boost achievement of all students. I applaud the excellent work of our teachers and am thrilled with the fine performance of our students,” he said.
