Standardized Test Score Results from Year One

In the first year, The Kindezi School was a k-3 program. Therefore only the third grade was required to administer standardized tests. All of the data below indicates the performance and progress of the third grade class. The tests that Kindezi students took were the Criterion Referenced Competency Test  (CRCT) and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS).

The CRCT is the test that all Georgia students 3rd grade and up are required by No Child Left Behind to take in order to demonstrate their command of the Georgia Performance Standards.

The ITBS is a national test that compares students to their peers in the nation taking the same test. The results are reported in percentiles. Students at the 25th percentile in reading scored higher than 25% and lower than 75% of American students of the same age taking the same test. A student at the 50th percentile would be considered to have an average score.

This graph shows that the average CRCT scores from year one were significantly higher for Kindezi 3rd graders than the averages in the Atlanta Public Schools 3rd graders and Georgia’s 3rd graders as a whole for all subjects except for math.

The graphs below indicate that 100% of Kindezi students passed the reading portion of the CRCT the first time they took it. No Kindezi students had to take the test a second time and no Kindezi 3rd grader will be held back in the 3rd grade. Over 40% of Kindezi students exceeded standards on the reading portion of the CRCT. Over 95% of students (all but one student) passed the English Lanuage Arts  (ELA) section of the CRCT with over 35% exceeding standards.

The Kindezi School’s math scores, shown below, were the lowest of any subject. This was because many Kindezi students did not study the 3rd grade standards throughout the year. The ones who we felt had missed core standards in the earlier grades were required to study 1st and 2nd grade standards so that they would have the fundamentals in place before moving forward. Most of the students who never studied the 3rd grade standards did not pass on the CRCT. However, we are confident that many more will be caught up by the 4th grade test time and all of them are on track to be caught up by the end of 5th grade.

The graphs below indicate that over 90% of Kindezi students passed or exceeded standards on the Science and Social Studies portions of the CRCT. This was significantly higher than Atlanta and Georgia respectively.

The Kindezi School tested 3rd graders on the ITBS in the spring and the fall to assess the amount of progress they made. In all subjects, Kindezi students advanced about 10 percentile points. This means that relative to the average American 3rd grader, Kindezi 3rd graders made more progress in their basic skills. The average Kindezi student is now significantly higher than the average American student in all subjects including math. This is encouraging because it signifies that, even though, Kindezi students did not all pass the math portion of the CRCT, they generally all made a lot of progress in math relative to the nation. If Kindezi 3rd graders can keep this pace of learning up, with our help, they will soon be well above grade level and highly prepared for the rigorous middle school program we are planning for them.