With the release of the most recent state assessment data from the Nebraska Department of Education, Crete Public Schools officials are pleased with the growth shown in the past four years.
These results, which NDE released on November 22, also include CPS having one school classified by the state as “excellent,” two as “great” and one as “good.” The district overall is rated as “great.”
“When we look at where we were as a district before COVID hit, CPS has increased the percentage of students proficient in all three areas, including double-digit jumps in both Math and English Language Arts,” said Dr. Josh McDowell, CPS superintendent.
McDowell points to the systems put in place by CPS staff as a credit to these gains.
“If you look at what happened in public education for those four years, and everything we’ve faced, I am very proud to say we not only didn’t accept excuses, we made major gains,” McDowell said.
This year, NDE made changes to some of the formulas they use to determine proficiency, matching those used before the pandemic.
“In 2019, the state used a baseline of approximately the 40th percentile as proficient but bumped that up to around the 60th percentile for the past two years,” said Brittany Hajek, CPS Chief Academic Officer. “For this year, they have returned to the 2019 baseline.”
Hajek pointed out that overall CPS proficiency scores dipped and hovered in the two years of the higher threshold, as did most of Nebraska.
“Now that we’re back on the same baseline as before, it’s exciting to see how much improvement we’ve made as a district over four years,” Hajek said.
The percent of CPS students proficient in 2018-2019 in ELA, Math, and Science were, respectively, 47%, 51%, and 77%. In 2022-2023, they were 58%, 67% and 80%.
CPS equaled or outpaced the state average in all three categories this year—the state numbers: ELA, 58%; Math, 61%; Science, 70%.
Both she and McDowell pointed to some specific reasons for these gains during such a challenging time for public education in general.
“Our teachers have doubled down on planning high-quality, standards-based instruction,” Hajek said. “They also work so well together to look at the data on each individual student and develop cross-curricular plans to move kids along.”
McDowell also highlighted the renewed effort of district teachers.
“The CPS staff has bought into the work needed to impact each student,” he said. “When we as a district put all of our collective energy into individual students, these types of results follow.”
HIGH SCHOOL RESULTS
However, the superintendent has often repeated a mantra of forward movement.
“This district hears me say this often: It’s ok to be where you are, but you can’t stay there,” McDowell said. “These results show the impact so far. But we are not satisfied with these numbers.”
NDE uses the ACT as the statewide assessment. Crete High School scores are lower than the state averages, something the district has taken into account when developing the new Cardinal Academies.
“We know if we can connect kids to their interests and passions while at school, they will carry that connectedness into all areas of their education,” Hajek said. “This has shown to have an impact in core areas and is reflected on ACT scores.”
The transition to the Cardinal Academies has been underway for a few years, with all freshman students enrolled in the Freshman Exploration Academy this school year.
GRADES 3-8 RESULTS
Looking at individual grade levels and class cohorts in grades 3 through 8, CPS is doing well compared to the state averages.
In ELA, CPS had growth year-over-year with an individual grade in higher than the state’s growth in four grades, was equal in one and less in just one grade level. A highlight included sixth and eighth-grade levels, which saw growth of 22 and 31 percentage points, respectively, compared to growth by the state in the same grades 11 and 17.
The eighth grade ELA is worth taking another look: At 76% proficient, CPS topped the state rate by 13 percentage points. As a cohort (same students over time), this group gained 33 percentage points in two years. The same group statewide grew 18 percentage points, meaning CPS had nearly double the growth in ELA for this cohort of students.
In all, three of the four CPS cohorts with three years’ comparable ELA data showed higher growth than the state averages.
In Math, CPS outscored the state average in five of six grade levels and grew at higher levels than the state in four of the six, with another just slightly below the growth - eighth grade. That same eighth-grade group outperformed the state by six percentage points.
Again, three of the four CPS cohorts with three years of comparable Math data showed higher growth than the state averages.
In Science, there is less data, due to the state only testing three grades, 5, 8, and 11. However, in grades 5 and 8, CPS outperformed the state and showed greater growth than the state in all three grades.
Hajek pointed out that all of these comparisons should be taken for what they are: a snapshot in time.
“There continues to be changes in the tests, the proficiency benchmarks, the standards, and - most of all - the students,” she said. “These aren’t necessarily going to be apples-to-apples comparisons.”
McDowell agreed, adding the complexity of the data isn’t necessarily easy to comprehend for everyone.
“These detailed numbers across the board can make a parent or community member’s eyes glaze over, but our team uses it to look for trends,” McDowell said. “We use data to find out where we are now compared to where we’ve been. This data shows we are on the right track, but we aren’t done yet.”
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BY THE NUMBERS:
Percent of students proficient in Nebraska Statewide Assessments.
| Subject | 2022-2023 CPS % Proficient | 2022-2023 State % Proficient |
| ELA | 58% | 58% |
| Math | 67% | 61% |
| Science | 80% | 70% |