Comparing PARCC scores

Here’s how Portsmouth’s most recent PARCC scores compare to several other similar K-12, non-charter school districts in Rhode Island:

• Barrington: 75.3 percent of students met or exceeded expectations in ELA, 67.4 percent in math

• Bristol/Warren: 55.8 percent in ELA, 40.8 percent in math

• East Greenwich: 63 percent in ELA, 60.5 percent in math

• Middletown: 45.3 percent in ELA, 42.3 percent in math

• North Kingstown: 63.4 percent in ELA, 51.8 percent in math

• Portsmouth: 52.7 percent in ELA, 48.8 percent in math

PORTSMOUTH — Local public school students made slight improvements on their scores in the latest — and final — round of PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College) testing.

The controversial PARCC assessment will be replaced next year by a new testing system in Rhode Island. Students in grades 3 to 8 will be given the Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS), while high school students will be administered the SAT or PSAT test that’s commonly used in college admissions.

According to results released by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), 52.7 percent of all Portsmouth students who were administered the PARCC assessment in the spring met or exceeded expectations in English language arts (ELA) and literacy, compared to 50 percent last year.

Local students saw a sharper improvement in math, with 48.8 percent of all students meeting or exceeding expectations, compared to 42.7 percent last year.

Portsmouth students exceeded the statewide average in both ELA (39 percent proficient) and math (31 percent proficient).

Not all the news was encouraging, however, as Melville School students’ performance in math took a sharp dip compared to last year. This year 47.2 percent of Melville students met or exceeded expectations in math, compared to 62.9 percent last year. 

Melville students’ PARCC scores in ELA also dropped — from 60 percent meeting or exceeding expectations last year to 52.8 percent this year.

Hathaway’s scores went up slightly in both math (from 53.6 percent in 2016 to 55.3 percent this year) and ELA (from 43.3 percent in 2016 to 44.7 percent this year). 

The biggest improvements were seen at the middle school. The percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA rose from 53.3 percent in 2016 to 57.7 percent this year. In math, the scores increased from 44.5 percent in 2016 to 50.1 percent this year.

The School Committee will hear a full presentation of Portsmouth’s latest PARCC and PSAT/SAT scores at a meeting Tuesday, Sept. 12. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at Portsmouth High School.

During a School Committee in September of last year, several committee members expressed concerns over the spring 2016 PARCC scores, with one member saying it appeared the district was trending “backwards” in terms of assessment scores.

Participation up

In additional to the slightly higher PARCC scores, RIDE also noted a sharp increase in the number of Portsmouth students who took part in the latest round of testing.

The district’s participation rate was about 80 percent in 2015 and nearly 90 percent last year, both below the U.S. Department of Education’s goal of a 95-percent overall participation rate.

This year, however, 96 percent of all eligible students took part in the PARCC testing. 

SAT School Day scores

According to RIDE, Portsmouth students averaged a score of 1,098 on their combined (English and math) Scholastic Aptitude Test scores during an “SAT School Day in Rhode Island" event in April. 

For the first time ever, high school juniors in Rhode Island were administered the SATs for free in school. 

PHS juniors scored an average of 558 on their English SAT scores, with 82 percent meeting the “college- and career-ready” benchmark.

Students averaged a 540 score in math, meaning that 53 percent met the college/career benchmark.

Barrington High juniors tallied the top SAT scores in the state, averaging a combined 1,201. East Greenwich High School juniors had the second-highest scores, with an average mark of 1,172.

Participation in SAT testing from the PHS junior class was strong. Ninety-seven percent of students — 196 in all — took the test, which tied for the best turnout in the state. 

Statewide, 79 percent of high school juniors completed the SAT. The 79 percent participation rate applies to in-school SAT administration for juniors, and does not include seniors or those students who took the exam at other times of the year. 

Starting this year, the PSAT and SAT will meet state and federal accountability requirements for Rhode Island high school students, eliminating a financial barrier for college applications and ensuring all students have the opportunity to get early feedback on college readiness.