Portsmouth Schools Report Strong NECAP Test Scores

The Portsmouth School Department's emphasis on helping students thing like scientists when they do lab projects or learn about science helped deliver strong NECAP test scores.

Assistant School Superintendent Steve Zadravec said the district's 4rth, 8th and 11th graders who took the NECAP science tests in 2011 achieved scores well above the state average for those respective grade levels.

"We as a district outpaced the state in terms of the state," Zadravec said Wednesday afternoon.

Of all the areas where students were tested, Zadravec said the lab report portion of the test is where the district really shined. He said the Portsmouth Schools teachers have really done a great deal of work with students to get them to think like scientists when they do lab reports and the test results reflect that.

The 189 Portsmouth 4rth graders who were tested achieved a 69 percent proficiency rate compated to state's 55 percent proficiency rate for that grade level, Zadravec said.

The 272 Middle School students who were tested achieved a 35 percent proficiency rate compared to the state's 28 percent proficiecy average for 8th graders, he said.

At Portsmouth High School, the assistant principal said the 272 Junior's tested achieved a 37 percent proficiency rate compared to the state's 27 percent proficiency average rate for 11th graders.

"We've above the state and we're increasing faster," Zadravec said.

NECAP testing is New England's version of standardized assessment tests which are taken around the country and across the educational board, part of the No Child Left Behind initiative. Results released today reflect the 2010 scores for students in grades 4,8 and 11.

You can link here to wade through the state's NECAP results, which are broken down by district and school

If you have immediate concerns, contact your child's school principal or your school board representative by clicking on the appropriate tab of the district's website.