Today, the Colorado Department of Education released statewide, district and school level results of the 2016 Math and English language arts Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) tests. Colorado 3rd through 9th graders took both tests last spring. Performance is broken into five levels and indicates what a typical student at each level should know based on their command of grade-level content standards:

• Level 5:  Exceeded expectations
• Level 4:  Met expectations
• Level 3:  Approached expectations
• Level 2:  Partially met expectations
• Level 1:  Did not yet meet expectations

Students scoring in levels 4 and 5 are considered on track for “college and career readiness.”  Students scoring in levels 1, 2 and 3 “may need additional support to be on track for college and career readiness.”

English Language Arts
The structure of the new English language arts CMAS that students took last spring is very different from the structure of the previous state assessments (CSAP and TCAP.)   The new English language arts assessment integrates reading and writing into a single assessment and provides an overall English language arts score. Littleton Public Schools students performed well on the English language arts assessment:

• Littleton Public Schools outperformed the state by 14% - 21% more students meeting and exceeding grade level expectations.
• Scores in 4 of the 7 grades tested improved over last year.
• Scores in 1 of 7 grades stayed about the same as last year.
• Scores in 2 of 7 grades tested decreased from last year.
• Specifically, scores in grades 6 through 9 improved over last year.
• Scores in at least one grade level in five schools had double-digit improvement over last year.
• 4th graders in 13 of 15 schools scored higher this year than they did as 3rd graders last year.
• 7th graders in 5 of 6 schools scored higher this year than they did as 6th graders last year.
• 8th graders in 4 of 6 schools scored higher this year than they did as 7th graders last year.
• Scores improved over last year in most subgroup populations (students with disabilities, minority students, English language learners, and students who are economically disadvantaged).  However, significant gaps still remain.  

Mathematics
CMAS mathematics results represent overall performance on grade level standards for each grade level and course. Littleton Public Schools students continue to perform well on the math assessment:

• Littleton Public Schools outperformed the state by 15% - 26% more students meeting and exceeding grade level expectations
• Scores for 3rd through 8th graders improved over last year.
• For the first time, secondary students took the CMAS test for the course they were enrolled in rather than their grade level. For example, 8th graders taking high school geometry took the geometry assessment and not the 8th grade math assessment.  This is a welcome change because it provides more accurate data, but it makes it difficult to compare last year’s math scores to this year’s.
• 4th and 5th graders improved by double digits compared to last year.
• Scores improved over last year in most subgroup populations (students with disabilities, minority students, English language learners, and students who are economically disadvantaged).  However, significant gaps still remain.