FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1998
Twenty-five percent of Madison students who took the 1998 Third Grade Reading Test (TGRT) scored in the "advanced" category compared with 21 percent of their statewide peers. For the first time TGRT scores are being reported under the new proficiency standards format (minimal, basic, proficient and advanced) adopted by the state Department of Public Instruction.
Over 1,600 Madison third graders were tested last spring, representing approximately 83 percent of all MMSD third grade students. Some special education and English as a Second Language students do not take the test. All Madison school district results reported here reflect only students that took the test.
Mobility continues to be an important factor in analyzing TGRT results. In Madison, 94 percent of the students who attended the same MMSD elementary school for the entire second grade scored at the basic level or higher. As a whole, these same students received an average score of 52.8 (83.7% of a possible 63 points), slightly higher than the state average (52.1). Only 75.8 percent of students not in the district for the entire academic year scored above the "basic" level.
Madison students continue to outperform their peers in Wisconsin school districts with over 1,000 third graders. Among all students tested in the five largest districts, 25 percent of Madison students scored in the advanced category compared to only 13 percent for the other four districts. (Green Bay, 15.7%; Kenosha, 15.0%; Milwaukee, 12.0%; Racine, 14.4%).
Interim Superintendent Art Rainwater said the district will continue to emphasize reading and smaller class sizes for early elementary grades. "We know that small classes have a direct correlation to academic success. The district's early literacy efforts will continue to be one of our key areas of focus. Through a partnership with parents and community volunteers, I am confident we can do even better on our Third Grade Reading Test results," Rainwater said.
Due to the changes made in the test from 1997 to 1998, comparisons are difficult to make. Last year's test was worth 60 points compared to 63 on the 1998 version. In addition, the state previously reported performance based on three proficiency levels -- below standard, inconclusive and above standard. The 1998 test has four levels with different cut-off points -- advanced, proficient, basic and minimal.
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