These graphs summarize the reading and math achievement of the 117 students that attended the Portland Arthur Academy Charter School for the full year of 2007-08. The Stanford Achievement Test was given at the beginning and the end of the year. The black bar indicates what the national norms are. They indicate the percent of students expected to score in each range based on national averages. The percent of students actually scoring within the five levels of achievement are compared from fall (gray) to spring (white).

In the fall testing (gray), the number of students scoring in the low and below-average range, combined, was about the same as what is expected in those ranges from the national norms. However, by the spring testing (white), the number is far less than the national norms in these lower ranges and much more in the combined higher ranges.

In the low and below-average ranges, the percent of students dramatically decreased from the beginning of the year (gray) to the end (white) in both reading and math. In the highest range, the percent of students dramatically increased from the beginning of the year (gray) to the end (white) in both reading and math.

In the lowest range in reading, like all the ranges, 20% of the students are expected to score. In the fall, 18% actually scored in this range, and in the spring, only 2% scored in this range. In the lowest range in math, a similar pattern is seen.

In the below-average range in reading, 18% of the students scored in the fall, close to what is expected. In the spring, only 7% scored in this range. In math, 37% scored below average in the fall and 7% in the spring.

The opposite trend begins to happen in the average and higher ranges. The number scoring in these ranges is lower than expected in the fall and higher in the spring, especially in the highest range.

These graphs indicate the large improvements that most students made during the year. On average, those students that started the year below average made the highest gains. The number of students scoring in the lowest ranges dropped dramatically during the year due to improved scores.