State agency releases report cards on assessments
Staff writer
The Kansas State Department of Education released "report card" assessments Tuesday of how students fared on tests given during the 2002-2003 school year.
In fourth-grade math, the percentage of Marion-Florence USD 408 students performing at the proficient level or higher has increased over the past two years and is above the statewide percentage of students at proficient or above in fourth-grade math.
In fifth-grade reading, the state agency said over the past two years the percentage of all students performing at the proficient level or above has decreased and is below the statewide percentage of students at proficient or above.
In fourth-grade science, the state said that over the past two years, the percentage of all students in the district performing at the proficient level or above has decreased and is below the statewide percentage of students at proficient level or above.
In sixth-grade social studies assessment testing, the state said that the percentage of students in the district performing at proficient level or above has increased; however, it is below the statewide percentage of students at proficient or above on the grade 6 testing.
Those results, released Tuesday, are only some of the assessment results. They were the only "new" ones found on Internet sites.
Many others were released by Missy Stubenhofer, director of curriculum for the district, at Monday night's board meeting (see story elsewhere in this edition of the Marion County Record).
Roger Hannaford III, parent and member of the Board of Education of Marion-Florence USD 408, said Tuesday that he was excited about the overall state test results achieved by local students, including those detailed Monday by Stubenhofer.
"I think we did very well," he said. "I think we have great instructors and can keep the progress going. We'll work hard, get better every day. No problem."
Rex Ostmeyer, teacher of government and world history at Marion High School, said such testing is "a double-edged sword, in a way. We do a great job here with the testing process. We have a good learning environment and prepare students well (for the tests).
"But you can't always judge by a test. Some students do well on tests and some don't. We can get a good idea of the level of abilities or achievement, but lots of things still need to be addressed in the classroom.
"Tests are a good measuring stick, but there are still a lot of factors that go into education beyond this," Ostmeyer said.
Janet Killough, English teacher and drama/forensics coach at the high school, said the tests are "a good guideline for us. They help us focus on certain things. Our kids have improved. What we're doing works, and the tests show parents and the community it's working."
She was proud that the district 11th-graders "hit the Standard of Excellence in reading." Eighth-graders also achieved this state-set mark.
Ken Arnhold, MHS principal, said Monday, "We're ready for it (state results). Here it comes. It's a good way to let the public know how we're doing. A grade card, they call it.
"We're a transient society, with kids moving in and out of the district. Numbers (scores) are up at Marion High School. Teachers and students are taking the tests more seriously. Taking them seriously is hard for students. They think, 'why bust your chops?' These are not ACT tests, or tests that lead to scholarships for them.
"It's sometimes difficult to convince a sophomore of the importance or relevance of these tests, too. There's no grade, no visible effect that they 'get.' Our staff has done a great job on this, though, and the kids are taking it more seriously.
"The direction education is going is making sure we nail our scores on the state assessments. But some students will say, 'why take a whole day off for this,' miss music, etc.
"These should showcase our students' abilities. I think it'll be OK. We're headed in the right direction," said Arnhold.
Stan Ploutz, principal at Marion Elementary School, said, "We work hard on a teaching process designed around the state standards. Schools do the best they can. It fluctuates.
"Test scores were good. We met the average yearly progress (figures) in reading and math. (Average yearly progress is measured by a complicated, state-set formula, he said.) We also have some work to do to continue to meet a satisfactory level across the board. Some kids test well, some don't. Learning and instructional practice are key.
"The School Improvement Plan is directed toward the assessments, too. We have goals for improvement in reading, math, and writing at MES. We're always looking for ways to improve student performance.
"The tests are for self-evaluation. Are we meeting our goals? Should we set new ones? We can re-evaluate and determine what we can do for the kids," said Ploutz.
