Math MCA scores decline over past years
November 25, 2019
Students review their Precalculus unit test by going over frequently missed questions with math teacher Sara Biermaier during class time. MCA tests should be treated in the same respect, where teachers encourage studying by reviewing material with students.
Just weeks ago, many students received their previous year’s MCA results. The MCAs are a state assessment which helps to measure how well students are performing relative to the state’s academic standards for college and career readiness.
The MCA test consists of three sections: math, reading and science. The average scores show how many students are exceeding or meeting standards and those who are below standards, helping schools monitor the effectiveness of their teaching. The math MCA is taken by grade school students in third through eighth and eleventh grade.
The average math MCA score in the school district has been decreasing over the past five school years. The trend was statewide, as many other school’s scores decreased as well. About 61 percent of students met or exceeded state standards in 2014 and only 55.5 percent met or exceeded this year. While math MCA scores have been declining, reading and science scores have remained consistent and graduation rates have been increasing.
“There may be a multitude of factors including having different students testing annually and different tests annually. Some students do not take the test and some students do not place a high value on this test,” math teacher Matt Hemenway said.
One way that administration at the high school has attempted to fill gaps in the math curriculum is by incorporating an Algebra 3 course, which many other high schools do not have. However, this course may not be reflected in math MCA scores as most of the material covered on the exam is taught in the courses before it.
“Stillwater traditionally has great math teachers, curriculum and students who are a little bit further ahead than the other students in the state, so everything that’s on that test you guys maybe learned as freshmen,” Assistant Principal Shelly Phernetton said.
The test is taken once per year throughout the elementary and middle school years, skipping a few in the high school grades. Students and staff members do not believe this is an accurate representation of their learning and teaching.
Phernetton explained that the MCA test is state mandated. This means that administration does not necessarily have any choice in whether or not to administer it.
Hemenway added that in the past, they have planned a couple of days before the MCA testing days to review some major topics that will be covered. This includes review games, packets and general work time to ask questions.
Older students also have the ACT and other exams to take during their junior year. Eleventh grade students feel more pressure to do well on these college entrance exams, as well as tests and homework that are reflected on their GPA, therefore regarding the MCA test as less important.
Many students do very well, but the personal connection with students and the MCAs are “fuzzier” than connections between college entrance and AP exams and students according to Phernetton.
“We have a lot of students who are taking AP courses in their junior year, and the AP testing is shortly after MCA testing,” Phernetton explained. “I think if we surveyed, and I have informally had conversations with students, they would prioritize this test over that test because the results are more important to them.”
While scores are important for the state to be able to monitor student and teachers, they are merely a representation of a student’s ability to meet state standards on a particular day, not a measure of overall intelligence.
“I think it’s a worthy conversation to have regarding how do we best measure student growth. That’s a good conversation to have, it’s a big conversation though. I think student voice and asking is a really good first step to having that question really be examined,” Phernetton added.
Gunnar Johnson • Dec 19, 2019 at 2:55 pm
Amazing information in the article. Great facts that brought attention to the situation. Along with compelling quotes that brought a different viewpoint that I didn’t think of. Great job!
Emma Wagner • Dec 19, 2019 at 12:19 pm
This article has fantastic research behind it. This was a very interesting article because I assumed scores would be going up with the teaching we have. Great article to address a problem.
Morgan Hildreth • Dec 18, 2019 at 8:19 pm
This article was very informative Elle! I really liked how this article helps show that some students don’t do well on standardize testing. I liked the statistic about the percentage of students that meet or exceed state standards. It really makes you question about where people are going wrong when it comes to testing.
Rachel Duerr • Dec 18, 2019 at 7:29 pm
This article was written beautifully. I loved how it was written about a topic that was not the happiest but needed to be talked about amongst our community and district. The fact paragraphs were really strong and brought a lot of knowledge that the reader might not have known before. Well done!
Olivia Wavamunno • Dec 18, 2019 at 6:09 pm
This was such a well written article, it was very informative and your points were very clear and it all flowed smoothly. I had no idea that MCA math scores had been decreasing. I’m wondering if the school is going to address and do anything to try to improve scores. Really great job Elle.
Drew Jurek • Dec 17, 2019 at 6:00 pm
This was a really good article which did a good job at covering the different ways students are effected by the MCA. I enjoyed reading about how the school has used scores to plan new policies in the past.
libby shepperd • Dec 17, 2019 at 8:20 am
You did a really fantastic job doing your research to gain the statistics and did an even better job adding them into your story. I feel like I came out of reading it with more knowledge on the MCA’s than I have ever had before.
Mylana Nederloe • Dec 16, 2019 at 6:34 pm
This article is very informative and very insightful information to know. I like how your article is orginized it makes it easy to digest all the information. Your closing quote to tie this article together is very well thought out. It leaves the reader thinking about how to best measure student growth.
Adam Guinee • Dec 10, 2019 at 9:03 am
This article is really well written, intelligently using facts and logic as well as opinions of students. However, the opening paragraph didn’t really get me hooked and I feel it could be more enticing.
Eleanor Gag • Dec 5, 2019 at 12:01 pm
You did a wonderful job with this article! You did well bringing in the facts and how students feel about the ACT being our priority rather than the MCAs. It really drew my attention and gave me a personal connection. You also had valid statistics which is important.
Sandra Liu • Dec 2, 2019 at 8:56 pm
You did a very nice job with this article. The story flowed nicely and had smooth transitions. You also did a good job of providing a variety of different points, as well as interesting statistics (such as the statistic showing the number of meeting/exceeding scores declining from 61 percent to 55.5 percent between 2014 and the present).