Nov 15
9
News Release: State, district, and school AMP results now online
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888
Soldotna, November 9, 2015—Results from the first year of the Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP) online assessment for students in grades three through ten in English language arts and mathematics are now available online. In every grade level, KPBSD students continue to outperform state median scale scores in both English language arts and math.
“We have worked very hard to implement the shift to the new Alaska State Standards,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “The results from the first implementation of the new assessment are in line with trends across the country in states that have also significantly raised student expectations. AMP is only one component that is utilized in our efforts to prepare students for their future. We are proud of our progress with graduation rates, student earned industry recognized certifications, college acceptance and completion, and Jumpstart college participation. KPBSD utilizes many sources of data to help our students grow and measure progress.”
Background
In spring 2015, our third through tenth grade students took the new online AMP assessment for the first time. AMP replaces the Standards Based Assessments (SBA). Fewer students in Alaska scored at the “meet standards” levels in AMP than scored at the “proficient or above” levels in the SBAs. KPBSD students meet these new standards at a higher rate than their peers across the state. The AMP questions in the new standards measure higher order thinking skills and complex problem solving in contrast to recalling facts and simple processes in the old SBAs. Alaska has new standards and a new assessment, which means we have a new baseline this year. It’s important to remember:
- Student achievement has not declined
- What is expected of students, and measured, is different than in previous years
- These first AMP results are setting a new baseline to help us understand where students stand on their path to success
We anticipate parents will receive individual student reports with English language arts and math results in December. KPBSD will mail reports from the district office.
A November 9, 2015, Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) press release states, “AMP gives families, educators, and the public a more accurate understanding of whether students are on track to graduate with the academic skills they need to have choices in an ever-changing economy.”
As teachers and students gain more experience in the new and much more rigorous standards, AMP scores will rise. This has been true for other states which adopt higher standards.
- AMP is not a pass-fail test
- AMP scores do not affect course grades, graduation, or grade retention, but students will receive focused support to improve
- Some students will meet the standards and some students will partially meet the standards
- The AMP test and the SBAs are not comparable because they measure different standards, have different questions, and use different scoring
- Fewer students meet the new standards than used to meet the old standards; the new standards focus on higher order thinking skills and problem solving
- Our students and educators work hard and are capable of meeting and exceeding the new standards
Links
- Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, AMP webpage
- State of Alaska AMP results, 2015
- KPBSD District AMP results, 2015
- KPBSD School AMP results, 2015
- DEED media packet for AMP news conference, November 9, 2015
- KPBSD AMP webpage, http://bit.ly/AMPtest
- AMP Results Tool Kit: Information to help educators and parents understand and use the reports and results from the 2015 AMP assessment.
- Sample English Language Arts (ELA) questions and achievement levels
- Sample Math questions and achievement levels
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