Assessments show improvement
By Gerald W. "Gerry" Henderson
Superintendent of Schools, USD 408
The Marion County Record recently reported preliminary results of the 2003 edition of the Kansas Assessment Program. Those results, now final, revealed that Marion Middle School eighth graders and Marion High School 11th graders had scored at the Standard of Excellence in reading.
This coveted recognition means that not only did all of our students score high enough to result in averages above the cut line, but also that a sufficient number scored at the "exemplary" level and that few students scored at the "unsatisfactory" level.
All three of these important criteria must be met to earn Standard of Excellence recognition for an attendance center.
At Marion Elementary School, had one or two more students scored at the "exemplary" level on the fourth grade math assessment, MES would have earned Standard of Excellence recognition for performance on that test. Fourth graders met the other two criteria for Standard of Excellence recognition.
While pats on the back are due primarily to the students who performed so well on the assessments, major kudos are due to the teachers and support staff who prepared them. Well done to all!
Students at a particular level do Standard of Excellence work only when all of us do our jobs. All teachers, administrators, support staff, and indeed, parents who supervise at-home study should celebrate these results. While our goal remains to reach the Standard of Excellence at all tested grade levels and in all disciplines, we should all be confident that these most recent results indicate that we are indeed getting better. Again, well done!'
