Schools

District 308 Test Results Mixed

ACT scores are up, but district fails to meet Adequate Yearly Progress.

Ten of the 16 schools in failed to make adequate yearly progress as measured by state tests for the 2010-11 school year.

District officials presented the School Board the results of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test, Prairie State Achievement Tests  and ACT tests at Monday night’s meeting.

About 83.2 percent of third through eighth-grade students met or exceeded state standards in reading on the ISAT with 87.4 percent meeting or exceeding standards in math.

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These figures, along with results from the high schools, add up to the district as a whole again not meeting AYP as set out by federal No Child Left Behind legislation. The Illinois State Board of Education revealed last week that 98.5 percent of all Illinois high school districts also failed to meet AYP with 92.5 of unit school districts not making it and 62.5 of elementary school districts failing, as well.

The six schools that made AYP are Boulder Hill, Homestead, Old Post, Prairie Point, Wolf’s Crossing and The Wheatlands elementary schools. Perhaps the biggest success story in the report was the turn-around at Boulder Hill.  

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The school improved scores in both math and reading in all grades for 2010-11, after being made a choice school in the 2009-10 tests. The school is still listed as a choice school because AYP must be met for two straight years before that designation is removed. In all, about 34 students ended up moving from Boulder Hill after the choice designation was given last year.

“This is a testament to the resources, principal and staff at the school,” said Marsh Hollis, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning. “Their improvement plan is a model.”

At the junior high level, improvements were made in reading at all schools in sixth grade. At the seventh-grade level Bednarcik and Plank reading scores did not improve, and eighth-grade scores at Thompson and Traughber also did not improve.

In math, only Plank sixth-grade scores failed to show improvement. Seventh-grade results at Plank and Traughber also did not show improved numbers, while eighth-grade figures at all four junior highs showed gains.

“I must say I’m amazed with the math scores (considering) the Everyday Math program (used in the district.) I don’t follow it. I don’t agree with it at all,” Board President Bill Walsh said.

At the high schools, the district overall showed a .6 percent increase in 11th grade reading scores and a .2 percent drop in 11th grade math scores on the PSAEs.

As for ACT scores for the class of 2011, students missed the national average of 21.1 with a score of 21.0. Students beat the state average of 20.9. The 2010 average at OHS was 20.8 and 21.2 for 2011. At OEHS the 2010 number was 20.5 and 20.8 for 2011.

Board member Brent Lightfoot asked administrators whether they were aware of the possibility of NCLB waivers given to states.  Superintendent Dan O’Donnell said the national trend is for states to ask for waivers in special education and English Language Learner scores, which typically lower overall district scores.  He said he believed that would be the case in Illinois, as well.

To view the complete test score report, click on the PDF attachment to this article.

Editor's note: This article has been changed to accurately reflect the percentage of Illinois school districts that did not make AYP.


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