Students show math gains despite high failure rates

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009 | 3:52 p.m.

Clark County students showed improvement on a new common semester math test given at all middle and high schools, although the overall failure rate remained high and a reason for concern, district officials said Wednesday.

For algebra I, 84 percent of high school students failed the semester test, down from 90 percent in January 2008.

In algebra II, the failure rate was 78.4 percent, down from 86 percent a year ago.

Geometry students showed the strongest gains, with the failure rate dropping to 59 percent from 88 percent. That’s due in large part to the district creating a new test for students who take an alternative geometry class, rather than using the same assessment written for the regular class.

Middle school students showed the most improvement. The failure rate for pre-algebra students dropped to 64 percent from 79 percent last year.

The gains were even better among middle school algebra students, who had a 31 percent failure rate on the January test, compared with 53 percent in 2008.

The middle school gains reflect the district's refined approach to math instruction. An initiative to get as many students as possible enrolled in algebra by eighth grade has been largely abandoned. The new focus is on preparing students for success in algebra and higher math over the course of their middle and high school careers, said Jhone Ebert, assistant superintendent of curriculum and assessment for the district.

When the new common semester exam debuted last year, the high failure rate set off alarm bells in the district, and some educators wondered if the new test was out of alignment with what was being taught in classrooms. An expert committee was formed to review the test and to write new ones for this year’s use. Additionally, teachers and schools were given more support in preparing for the test, including practice questions to help familiarize students with the content and format.

Some schools showed dramatic improvement in their pass rates on the semester test, with 41 out of the 53 middle schools showing better performance on both pre-algebra and algebra I. Additionally, 23 of the 45 high schools scored better in algebra I, algebra II and geometry.

District officials emphasized Wednesday that the new math test is just one form of assessment, and not the sole indicator of how well students are learning math. More district students are passing the statewide high school proficiency exam, a requirement for graduation, and fewer students are requiring remediation when they enroll at state colleges and universities, district officials say.