It was the first time scores slipped for the district and California since the state’s students started taking the test in 2003, and the first time scores fell nationally since the test began in 1990.

The national test is given every other year to fourth and eight graders in reading and math. Compared with 21 other large cities, LA Unified was in the bottom third and below average in all categories.

Overall, LA Unified’s decline was slight. Fourth graders scored a 224 in math, four points lower than in 2013. In reading, fourth graders fell one point to 205. Eighth graders fell one point in math to 263 but improved by one point in reading.

There were some demographic improvements, LA Unified pointed out.

“Several of our subgroups made promising gains on the eighth-grade reading assessment – notably, African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander and disabled students,” the district said in a statement.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten blamed the performance slip on increased class time spent on standardized tests. Over the weekend, the Obama administration announced a plan to reduce and limit the amount of standardized tests students are given.

“Not only is there plenty of anecdotal evidence that our kids have suffered, these latest NAEP scores again show that the strategy of testing and sanctioning, coupled with austerity, does not work,” Weingarten said in a statement.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan suggested the large-scale implementation of the new Common Core standards may have played a role in the dip.

“We should expect scores in this period to bounce around some, and I think that ‘implementation dip’ is part of what we’re seeing here,” Duncan said, according to the Associated Press. “I would caution everyone to be careful about drawing conclusions … anyone who claims to have this all figured out is pedaling a personal agenda, rather than an educational one.”

Others were less forgiving of the Common Core transition as an excuse for the drop.

“Any way you look at it, today’s NAEP results are sobering. Compared with results from 2013, scores for the nation’s low-income students and students of color mirror those of all other students: mostly flat or declining performance,” said Kati Haycock, president of The Education Trust, in a statement. “While there may be plausible explanations for these patterns — among them the disruptions caused by the transition to new standards — any interruption of the slow but steady progress these groups have made over the past two decades is cause for great concern.”

Shannon Garrison

Shannon Garrison, a fourth grade teacher at LA Unified’s Solano Elementary School, has been reappointed to the National Assessment Governing Board, which helps set policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly known as the “nation’s report card.”

Garrison was appointed to the board in 2010 and will serve another four-year term.

“I am honored to have been reappointed to the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) by Secretary of Education [Arne] Duncan,” Garrison said in a district press release. “I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from a diverse group of individuals from across the nation who care deeply about education and student success. My work on the board has deepened my knowledge of assessment methodology, item development, and standard setting. This learning has strengthened my ability to effectively assess student learning and evaluate the appropriateness of assessment items.”

The board, which is made up of politicians, school officials, educators, business leaders and others— is appointed by the secretary of the U.S. Department of Education but operates independently and is responsible for developing the framework and test specifications that serve as the blueprint for the NAEP’s assessments, according to the NAEP’s website.

“Ms. Garrison is an amazing leader with a distinguished career in the LAUSD,” LA Unified board member Monica Garcia said in a statement. “She serves our local 4th graders at Solano Elementary and will continue to serve our nation’s children through her work with the NAEP. High-quality instructional leaders are key to getting to 100% graduation. We are proud to have the authentic LAUSD perspective informing the national conversation on student achievement.”

At LAUSD, the district said Garrison has served as a data coordinator, bilingual and Title I program coordinator, writing coordinator, science lead teacher and member of the language appraisal and student success teams. She also received a Milken National Educator Award in 2008.

“Shannon is an exemplary teacher whose hard work and dedication endear her to staff and students alike,” Solano Principal William Bertrand said in a statement.

Fourth-grade students recorded the highest gain – four points— among 21 urban school systems since 2011; fourth-graders also scored higher in math, and eighth-graders scored higher in reading.

“I’m proud of the performance of our youth,” Superintendent John Deasy said in a statement. “To see such amazing progress the past three years is testament to their commitment, as well as our extraordinary teaching and leadership. The work we’ve been doing in the midst of challenging economic circumstances convincingly demonstrates that poverty is not destiny.”

The assessments, which are also known as “the nation’s report card,” provide a common measurement of student progress across states and selected urban districts throughout the country.

Students in grades 4, 8 and 12 are assessed every other year in reading and mathematics. Since 2003, LA Unified has participated in the Trial Urban District Assessment, which allows for comparisons at the district level.

Among other highlights for LA Unified students:

• Eighth-graders ranked third among urban districts since 2011, recording another four-point gain.
• Hispanic/Latino, Asian and economically disadvantaged students had the highest gains in reading of all urban districts over the past 10 years.
• African-American and white fourth-grade students scored the highest gains in mathematics for their age group when compared with the other districts surveyed.
• Compared with 2003, mathematics scores in the District increased by 13 points, higher than the national average.

“The 4th and 8th grade students and teachers should be congratulated on their hard work in the face of daunting odds,” Warren Fletcher, president of the teachers union, said in a statement. “While test scores alone do not measure educational progress, UTLA would be remiss in not noting this accomplishment.”

Previous Posts: CA 8th Graders Make Nation’s Top Gains in Reading Scores.

While some education researchers may question the validity of the nation’s “STEM crisis,” it remains clear that California students continue to struggle in mathematics when compared with their peers across the nation.

According to the recently released Report Card from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), California fourth and eighth graders ranked 47th and 45th, respectively, in mathematics proficiency.

“California students did make some modest improvements, but overall, scores are essentially flat when compared nationally over the past two years,” Suzanne Goldstein, Director of Policy and Development for the California STEM Learning Network, said in an email to LA School Report.

Taking notice of the test results, the California Department of Education is pushing the effort to link STEM programs with jobs in a new video. The STEM subjects are science, technology, engineering and math.

“I Am A Scientist” follows a group of students from Manual Arts Senior High – an LA’s Promise school – as they participate in a “Biohackathon” at the LA offices of the California Endowment.

In the video, students test themselves for the hereditary “bitter taste” gene and project their genotypes onto a wall for interpretation. Recent graduates shared with the young students the wide-ranging career options and applications of scientific inquiry.

“Maybe some people know what they want to do already, but some people don’t and are still trying to find themselves,” one student from Manual Arts Senior High says in the video.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson agrees.

“Thousands of jobs students have no idea they exist,” Torlakson says in the video, pointing to fields of medical sciences, computer sciences, engineering, architecture, construction.

The video was developed by the California State Board of Education, the California Endowment, California Biotechnology Foundation and the design firm Lybba.

Previous Posts: STEM Symposium Focusing on Encouraging More Girls; California Adopts New ‘Next Gen’ Science Standards; Crenshaw Gaming Team Visits White House to Brief Obama Officials