At a recent meeting of the Cooperstown school board, district superintendent Mary Jo McPhail presented the results of standardized tests taken by all fourth and eighth graders.

A trend across the state that applies to Cooperstown is that fourth graders tend to do better on the tests than eighth graders. Acting middle school principal Mike Cring attributes this partly to puberty.

"Sixth and seventh graders are more gung-ho about school. They are really eager to please and do well. Something happens in eighth grade," he said, calling the phenomena a humanistic perspective not taken into account when it was decided to administer the tests to students in that grade.

McPhail said that over the past three years, since the test format changed, students have performed consistently in the Coperstown district. Ninety-six percent of grade four students taking the math test scored above level one — the lowest benchmark. Seventy-seven percent of those students scored at levels three and four. Last year, one hundred percent of students at that grade level scored above a level one.

In the eighth grade, ninety-nine percent of the students scored above a level one on the English Language Arts test. Only fifty-eight percent scored a level three or four. Ninety percent of eighth grade students scored above a level one, and sixty-six percent reached levels three and four.

Students who score at a level one or two are given Academic Intervention Services, meaning that they meet with an academic advisor every other day.

"We're above state established targets, and in that respect, we're pleased. However, we need to measure against ourselves," McPhail said.

McPhail said that the new format of the test, which includes multiple choice and essay questions, is a more comprehensive assessment, an opportunity to evaluate programs and individual achievement. Eighth graders have to take five tests, McPhail said, which seems a heavy load for that age group.

"Statewide, administrators and school boards have looked at that test schedule, the amount of testing, and the appropriateness for the grade level. I feel confident that the commissioner has heard these concerns. The State Department of Education has scheduled symposiums this winter on middle school education," McPhail said. "There are just so many aspects of a child's development at that age level."

Cring said teachers lose time for content because the five tests eighth graders must take for the state, English Language Arts, Math, Science, History and Technology, are time consuming.

"We don't give students the results of those tests until their first report cards come during their freshman year. So the tests aren't high stakes for the students at that age. They don't take them seriously. On top of that, we still have to give them final examinations because it takes so long for the scores to come back," Cring said. "Students get pounded with so many tests. Any time prior to or following eighth grade would be a much better time for this."

Cring said there should be an incentive for districts like Cooperstown that meet and exceed state requirements. The tests have merit, he said, but they don't need to be given every year since they detract so much from content in other areas.