Schools react to latest grades
By Jodelle GreinerThe results of the MCA-II school tests were released Monday - some local schools met the No Child Left Behind standards and some didn't.
But no one's panicking at the results, no matter on which side of the equation they ended up. That's because the results can sound worse than they are, say local superintendents.
"There are so many different measures that are impacted by AYP results," said Klint Willert, superintendent of Marshall Public Schools. There are 32 different areas on which a school is tested and if they fail to measure up in just one of those categories, the whole school is cited as not meeting the Annual Yearly Improvement (AYP) expectations.
For instance, students are separated into groups by race, socio-economic backgrounds and other classifications like special education. If just one group fails to meet the standards, the school is cited.
David Marlette of Tracy Area Public Schools pointed out No Child Left Behind requires the test scores to improve each year, even if you had an excellent score the year before. He said even if you had test score percentages in the 90s, you would be expected to keep improving.
"It's gonna push school districts to do what they gotta do and it's going to challenge the state, as well," Willert said.
Marshall
For Marshall Public Schools, three of the five campuses met the requirements. Park Side Elementary, West Side Elementary and Marshall High School were proficient in all areas. Marshall Middle School and MECLA (Marshall East Campus Learning Alternative) had two areas below the target.
"The middle school was below the target in Hispanic reading and Limited English Proficiency reading and below in free and reduced lunch in reading," Willert said. "MECLA was below the target in math and reading and in student attendance and below the target in free and reduced lunch in math.
"Last year, there were three areas as a district where we did not make standards," Willert said, adding it was in reading. "This year, we did better.
"When you look at overall results, our results show we performed well," Willert said. "We showed improvement and gains, especially in mathematics.
"We've tried to be proactive about this in the last couple of years," he said. "We're talking about utilizing professional development so our teachers are better equipped to help our students with reading skills and reading developments," he said.
They will also be utilizing the data to "really define what achievement gaps exist down to a student," Willert said.
"When compared to the state of Minnesota, we're sitting very favorably," Willert said. "When you look at our reading results, we're higher than the state average, in spite of not meeting the requirements. But we know we have to continue to focus on closing the achievement gap. "
Canby Public
Canby made the required AYP and has improved over last year's ranking, said Superintendent Loren Hacker.
"It would seem the efforts of our teachers and staff have improved our scores," he said. "Much improvement over last year."
Canby did not meet the standards last year for special education reading and math, but have met the standards in the recent rankings, said Sandi Arndt, Canby Elementary principal.
"We continued a lot of initiatives we had going and did some after school and interventions during the school day," Arndt said. "We'll continue to grow, improve for next year."
Minneota Public
"We did well in certain areas," said Superintendent Dan Deitte of Minneota's results.
Minneota's secondary made AYP requirements, but the elementary fell short. He said there was a team of people from the school going over the individual numbers and they would report on all the test scores later in the week.
RTR
The news was good for RTR's three campuses in Russell, Ruthton and Tyler, said Bruce Houck, superintendent of RTR and Hendricks Elementary, which also made the AYP standards for the first time.
RTR has always met the requirements, Houck said, and he credits the staff.
"Our staff does a great job," he said, and "the curriculum mapping we do. The school board has put a heavy emphasis on AYP and that our kids do well. They have given our staff the tools to work with."
Hendricks elementary has a reason to celebrate after meeting all the requirements for the first time this year, Houck said, adding it is due to the staff and curriculum mapping at that school, too. "Really did well."
Tracy Area Public
David Marlette is not alarmed by the fact that Tracy's secondary school did not make the AYP standards this year.
"Our overall test scores are in the top 19 percent of the state," he said. The school has made the requirements for the last three years, he said.
"There's a group of Asian/Pacific students who have struggled," he said. "That subgroup caused us to be on the list for the first year. Probably 21 percent (of the student population) is Asian/Pacific."
The one trouble spot was reading.
"We'll address it," Marlette said. "We'll get some remedial work and bring in those students and do extra work with them."
Tracy's elementary met the AYP standards, and Marlette expects the high standard to continue.
"Our test scores are very, very high," he said, adding he was pleased "and our parents are, too."
YME
Neither the elementary or the secondary schools of Yellow Medicine East met the standards for AYP this year. Last year, the high school made AYP, but the elementary did not, said Superintendent Allen Stoeckman.
The high school fell in two subgroups, he said, Hispanic and free and reduced lunches didn't make the standards in reading and the Hispanic and free and reduced lunches didn't make it in math.
For the elementary school, "basically all the groups did not make AYP in reading and math," Stoeckman said. The only group to meet the standard was the white students, he added.
"We had an administrative team meeting (Monday) and at the board meeting," he said. "We will drill into data even deeper to look at the subtests to see which subtests the groups need to work on.
"For some subgroups, it could be just a few students who didn't make it," he said, "so we can do more individualized work with the students."
"I believe our school district is doing a good job and will do a better job of using the data to improve the results throughout the school year," Stoeckman said. "I believe we're doing better than what the scores indicate."
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ruralroute
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08-14-09 7:13 PM
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A huge shock -- YME not meeting the standards? It is the worst school system in the area as a small group of arrogant elitists (including the mayor, who happens to be the editor of the local paper, and certain school board and council members) in the Granite Falls community have ruined it by forcing the neighboring towns in the district to conform to their ways. Is it a wonder that the buses from Montevideo and Dawson-Boyd drive right into Clarkfield to pick up kids from Clarkfield? What a message there. I'd be curious to see YME's open enrollment rate compared to others in the area. Also, Rangeral is right: the teachers unions, once meant with good intentions, are a nightmare that buy and pay for the Democratic party. They protect the poor teachers and do nothing to reward the majority who bust their tails to teach the kids. Sad system we have, considering the amount of money invested.
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rangeral
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08-13-09 9:55 AM
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Remember way back when the teachers wanted to unionize - just let us organize they said, and we have many ideas on how to improve education. Instead, the focus is on raising member pay and benefits and using dues to lobby at the state and federal levels. What happened to all the ideas to improve education?
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