Leiker explains standard of excellence and state assessments
Tenth grade math attains standard of excellence
Staff writer
Students who were sophomores during the 2003-04 school year at Marion High School achieved the standard of excellence in the State of Kansas math assessment.
"This year we again met the standard of excellence in high school math," superintendent Lee Leiker told the Marion-Florence USD 408 Board of Education Monday night.
Leiker showed board members a Power Point presentation documenting state assessment results in reading and math, focus areas in the federal No Child Left Behind Program.
Students are tested for math proficiency in grades four, seven, and 10, and for reading proficiency in grades five, eight, and 11.
State assessment results
Leiker explained there were five categories student scores "fall into" in the state assessment process. The categories are exemplary, advanced, proficient, basic, and unsatisfactory.
Although there are five categories, whether or not a class meets the standard of excellence depends on the percentage scored in just two of the categories — exemplary or unsatisfactory. The other three categories — labeled advanced, proficient, and basic — are only benchmarks.
In the tests, the state institutes measuring devices to determine the standard of excellence. The measuring devices also allow schools to know whether or not they will be on track to meet the "proficient or above" level required by 2014 in the No Child Left Behind initiative.
Standard of Excellence
For example, in the fourth grade math assessment Leiker said 25 percent of students or more must fall in the exemplary category to meet the standard of excellence. However, no more than five percent of students or less can fall into the unsatisfactory category.
Thus, of the Marion Elementary School fourth graders who took the math assessment (this year's fifth graders) this past spring, 19.5 percent scored in the exemplary category, while none scored in the unsatisfactory category.
Leiker explained the class missed the standard of excellence because it did not meet 25 percent or above in the exemplary category.
"But we were awfully close to meeting it. We just didn't have enough in the exemplary category," Leiker said. "All we needed was three more students to score in exemplary and we would have met the standard of excellence."
In the other categories, 53.6 percent of the class performed at the advanced or above level, 92.6 percent were at the proficient or above level, and 100 percent were at the basic and above level.
Results weren't quite as close in the fifth grade reading (this year's sixth grade) assessment. Eighteen percent of MES fifth graders performed at the exemplary level and 10 percent scored in the unsatisfactory level.
"We needed four more in the exemplary level and three less in the unsatisfactory to meet the standard of excellence," Leiker explained.
Also, as students advance in school, the benchmarks change.
For instance, in seventh grade math, 25 percent of students or more must score in the exemplary category while 10 percent or less can score in the unsatisfactory category.
Last year's Marion Middle School seventh graders (current eighth graders) scored 23.9 percent in the exemplary category and 6.5 percent in the unsatisfactory category.
"We met the standard of excellence requirement in the unsatisfactory category, but barely missed it in the exemplary category," Leiker said. "We needed only one more student to score in the exemplary to meet the standard of excellence."
Other results show 50 percent of the local seventh graders scoring in the advanced or above category, 67.4 percent scoring at proficient or above, and 93.5 percent scoring at the basic level or above.
On the eighth grade reading assessment, the benchmarks change once again. Twenty percent of students or above must score in the exemplary category, while 10 percent or less can score in the unsatisfactory category.
Last year's MMS eighth graders (current freshmen class) scored 15.7 percent in the exemplary category with only two percent in the unsatisfactory.
"We needed three students in the exemplary to meet the standard of excellence," Leiker said.
Other benchmarks show 45.1 percent in the advanced or above category, 70.6 percent in the proficient or above category, and 98.1 percent in the basic or above category.
When students reach the high school level, the benchmarks shift once again. In the 10th grade math assessment, 15 percent of students or above must fall in the exemplary category to meet the standard of excellence while 15 percent or less can fall into the unsatisfactory category.
Locally, 34.1 percent of last year's MHS sophomores (current juniors) scored at the exemplary level while 13.6 scored at the unsatisfactory level.
"We met the standard of excellence," Leiker said.
Other class benchmarks show 50 percent in the advanced or above category, 68.2 percent in the proficient or above category, and 86.4 percent in the basic or above category.
For the 11th grade reading test, benchmarks changed again. Fifteen percent or above of students must meet exemplary standard, while only 10 percent or less can fall into the unsatisfactory category.
Last year's MHS juniors (current seniors) scored 11.6 percent in the exemplary category with only seven percent in the unsatisfactory category.
"We only needed two more in the exemplary category to meet the standard of excellence," Leiker said.
Leiker said his presentation was meant to show how close USD 408 students actually are to attaining the standard of excellence.
"When you see this you realize sometimes it's getting only one or two questions wrong which keep them (class) from getting there," he said.
"For the most part, we're not quite getting enough people scoring at the upper end," Leiker noted.
Board president Rex Savage noted the "only step down" was in fifth grade reading.
Stan Ploutz, Marion Elementary School principal, said staff would be looking at pinpointing problem areas to help them get corrected.
"I think we did a really good job last year of identifying lower areas," Ploutz said.
Marion High School principal Ken Arnhold said one of the problems at the high school level was getting students to take assessment tests seriously.
"It's a motivational issue — trying to persuade them it's beneficial for them to try their hardest. That it's a win situation for them as well," Arnhold said. "We try to provide some incentives."
In other matters, the board:
— Voted 4-2 approving a lease agreement with Marion County Special Education Cooperative allowing them use of the Florence buildings for $3,000 per month. Board members Gene Bowers and Rex Savage cast the dissenting votes.
— Voted 5-1 to lease a building from the saddle club for storage at a cost of $300 per month. Board member Bowers cast the "no" vote.
— Heard a presentation from Arnhold regarding planned MHS fund-raisers.
— Approved a trip request from family and consumer science instructor Myrta Billings allowing Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) students to attend a cluster meeting in Omaha, Neb. Students attending will have to provide $125 of the cost. Besides Billings, two other chaperones will be attending.
— Approved a change in the wording of the random drug testing policy regarding middle school and high school dances. The wording change would allow administrators to test all students attending rather than just a pre-selected pool of students. Arnhold and Marion Middle School principal Tod Gordon said testing all students would be easier and faster than testing only the pre-selected pool.
— Approved the hiring of Jill Hudson, substitute bus driver; Dick Pracht, bus driver; Phoebe Janzen, junior class co-sponsor; and Ken Arnhold, sole stuco sponsor.
— Accepted the 2003 audit report after hearing from Donna Fadenrecht, auditor with Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk, and Loyd of McPherson. She indicated the district only had one exception which was caused by the State of Kansas withholding its final payment to all state schools.
"When the state gets its payment in one time we'll be able to remove that exception," Fadenrecht said.
— Approved renewing the audit contract with Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk, and Loyd for a three year period.
— Heard from Martin Tice, business manager, that a check to Harms Electric, one of the sub-contractors involved in the new roof over the east wind at Marion Elementary, was assessed liquidated damages for failing to meet the project deadline.
— Decided to postpone discussion on updating district policy until the October board meeting.
— Appointed board member Roger Hannaford III to serve as the voting delegate during the annual Kansas Association of School Boards convention Dec. 3-5 in Wichita. Other board members have until Oct. 1 to decide whether or not they plan to attend.
