Thursday's Internet Edition, September 02, 2010.
Four of six county
schools pass test
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Roane County senior lineman R.J. Burdette cools off during a break in the Raiders’ football scrimmage Saturday morning at County Stadium. |
By JIM COOPER
Editor - Two county schools failed to make the grade on the state’s standardized test, while another rose to the list of those with passing marks.
Spencer Elementary and Spencer Middle again failed to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) on the W.Va. Educational Standards Test (WESTEST). It was the second consecutive failing mark for Spencer Elementary and the sixth year in a row Spencer Middle received a failing grade.
The exam was given in May to students in grades 3-11.
“We’re encouraged by the fact that we had more schools make AYP,” Supt. of Schools Steve Goffreda said, “even with applying a much higher standard this year.”
Geary Elementary/Middle got a passing grade after two straight years of failing. Geary joined Reedy Elementary, Walton Elementary/Middle and Roane County High as county schools with passing marks.
Despite the passing grades of four schools, each county school saw its percentage of student achieving proficiency in reading/language arts and math decline.
Roane County High saw a drop in reading/language arts from the previous year of 42.03 percent to 27.14 percent. In math, the decline was from 48.40 percent to 36.69 percent.
The other percentage drops were:
ν Geary – 48.93 to 34.92 (reading/language arts) and 46.27 to 31.74 (math)
ν Reedy – 60.46 to 45.45 (reading/language arts) and 62.79 to 41.55 (math)
ν Spencer Elementary – 48.43 to 28.97 (reading/language arts) and 53.64 to 28.40 (math)
ν Spencer Middle – 52.92 to 30.49 (reading/language arts) and 40.81 to 32.07 (math)
ν Walton – 57.94 to 36.69 (reading/language arts) and 57.20 to 45.87 (math).
Goffreda said the proficiency numbers were not the only measure of WESTEST success. He said the level needed to achieve proficiency goes up each year.
“They keep raising the bar,” he said. “There’s actually been an improvement. Students know more in 2010 than they did in 2009.”
Goffreda said that while the county may rank low in actual test performance, it was “probably in the top half of the state for improvement.”
He cited Roane County High’s improved ranking of 17 places among state high schools in math as an example. Walton improved its ranking by 26 among similar schools, Geary by 21 in reading/language arts and Spencer Middle by eight in math. Reedy moved up 99 places in reading/language arts, Goffreda said.
Roane had one school with an overall failing grade in 2006, two in both 2007 and 2008, and three in 2009.
Statewide, of the 694 schools accountable under No Child Left Behind, 538, or 81 percent, made AYP.
Detailed information on the WESTEST may be found on the W.Va. Dept. of Education Web site at wveis.k12.wv.us/nclb/public10/nclbmenu.cfm.
