STAR Test Results: Fewer Murrieta Students Proficient in English, Science

The percentage of Murrieta students ranking in the proficient or advanced category on standardized tests in English and science slipped in the last academic year, according to a report released this week by the California Department of Education.

Declines were mirrored throughout Riverside County and California as students in grades 2 through 11 were evaluated last spring under the 2013 Standardized Testing and Reporting Program.

And although Murrieta Valley Unified School District’s performance places it near the top of the county again, students’ STAR results were a mixed bag.

According to the DOE, 69.7 percent of Murrieta students in grades 2-11 scored proficient or better in English-language arts, compared to 71.4 percent who scored at that level in 2012. Similarly, 73.7 percent of students in grades 5, 8 and 10 showed proficiency in science in the most recent testing period, compared to 74.9 percent last year.

Schools in Murrieta will begin sending out students’ individual STAR scores within a week, according to Karen Parris, spokeswoman for Murrieta Valley Unified.

“It is important to note that all district schools API scores will continue to exceed 800,” Parris said, noting that scores at some schools were up while at other schools they were down.

“We did see a dip in English Language Arts scores and we will be analyzing the data and making sure we are providing academic interventions and enrichment to students this year,” Parris said.

In addition, Parris said the district has spent $1 million to hire teachers to address class sizes.

“The trend is across the county and across the state,” Parris said. “There is speculation at the state level and at the county level that we have had shared with us that some of the reasons for the downward trend could be the budget cuts, the last four or five years finally catching up with school districts—class sizes going up, furlough days, a week less of school last year.

“We’ve got work to do and we know that,” Parris said.

Among all Riverside County districts combined, 55.4 percent of students in grades 2-11 scored proficient or better in English-language arts, compared to 56.2 percent of youths who scored at that level in 2012.

Further, 57.4 percent of students in grades 5, 8 and 10 countywide showed proficiency in science in the most recent testing period, compared to 58 percent last year.

Across Riverside County, there was a fractional drop in STAR test results measuring the performance of students in grades 2-7 taking math exams. According to the data, 48.5 percent of students countywide scored proficient or advanced in 2013, while 48.7 percent attained that level in 2012.

In Murrieta Valley Unified, 59.4 percent of students who were required to take the math test scored proficient or advanced, up from 59.2 percent in 2012.

History was another subject for which Murrieta Valley Unified saw an improvement in its proficiency level. Among students in eighth and 11th grades, 60.6 percent score proficient or advanced, up from 58 percent the prior year.

In the county, 46.8 percent of eighth- and eleventh-graders earned proficient or advanced rankings on history during the most recent testing period, compared to 45.9 percent last year.

Statewide, 56.4 percent of students scored proficient or advanced in English, 59.1 percent in science, 51.2 percent in math and 49.4 percent in history.

The STAR program incorporates results from the California Standards Tests, California Modified Assessment, California Alternate Performance Assessment and Standards-based Tests in Spanish for Spanish-speaking and English-learner students.

Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Kenneth Young pointed out that despite the relatively flat STAR results, students countywide were showing annual gains on the Academic Performance Index, the metric on which the state relies to determine whether schools are meeting basic performance criteria or are under-performing.

"Our county continues to lead the state in increasing our schools' and districts' API scores," Young said. "This result is a combination of having higher expectations, working harder and working smarter."

Nearly 4.7 million students around California took the STAR tests during the last school year.

Looking at statewide mathematics results by grade level, the percentage of proficient and above students rose slightly for second and fourth graders, and students taking Algebra I, according to CDE.

There were declines among third graders, seventh graders, and high school students taking Geometry, Algebra II, and Integrated Mathematics 1. The percentage of proficient and above students was unchanged from the prior year among fifth and sixth graders as well as for students taking General Mathematics or the Summative High School Mathematics assessment, CDE reported.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson noted that the percentages scoring proficient or better had declined marginally, blaming the drop on budget cuts impacting education and a switch to new standards known as "Common Core," which are designed to align education goals nationwide. The switchover is expected to take effect in the 2014-2015 school year.

"As you would expect for a school system in transition, results varied from grade to grade, subject to subject and school to school, but the big picture is one of remarkable resilience despite the challenges," Torlakson said.

"While we all want to see California's progress continue, these results show that in the midst of change and uncertainty, teachers and schools kept their focus on students and learning," he said. "That's a testament to the depth of their commitment to their students and the future of our state."

Even with the dip, the statewide results still reflect a marked improvement over a decade ago, when only about one-third of students were scoring advanced or proficient in tests, he said.

—City News Service and Maggie Avants contributed to this report.