Tippecanoe Valley Touts Reading Program
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Reading abilities in Indiana schools have been a hot topic lately, Superintendent Brett Boggs said.
"I'm very proud of what we're doing here at Tippecanoe Valley," he said. During the past four years, Valley schools have been focused on literacy. Boggs said Valley readers are some of the best in the state.[[In-content Ad]]Director of Curriculum Angie Miller then gave a report on Valley seeing an increase in reading scores.
Valley administers benchmark reading tests to students in grades kindergarten to 12th grade throughout the year. Students in grades kindergarten to second grade are given the M-Class Reading 3-D benchmark tests three times a year. Students in grades first through 12th are given the Scholastic Reading Inventory benchmark assessment four times per year.
This is the first year that Valley has administered M-Class Reading 3-D. In September, Miller said, 250 Valley students in grades kindergarten to second scored on level, 145 students scored on watch and 62 students scored at risk. In January, 303 students scored on level, 100 students scored on watch and 42 students scored at risk.
The M-Class assessment will be administered again in May.
The SRI assessment has been administered at Valley for many years, Miller said. Four times a year, students take an online assessment where they read passages and then answer comprehension questions. From this assessment, students receive a reading level. January SRI benchmarks show steady growth in Valley scores.
According to information provided by Miller, a student's reading score falls in one of four areas: below basic, basic proficient or advanced. Since 2007, the combined elementary January proficient and advanced scores are up 10 percent in four years (51 percent in 2007 to 61 percent in 2010). During the same time period, the below basic scores are down 8 percent (from 19 percent in 2007 to 11 percent in 2010). At the middle school, advanced scores are up 15 percent from 2007 to 2010 (16 percent in 2007 to 31 percent in 2010). Below basic scores are down 6 percent in 2010 when they were 10 percent in 2007.
As of January 2010, the high school has 10 percent scoring below basic, 26 percent scoring basic, 32 percent scoring proficient and 33 percent scoring advanced.
Scott Backus gave an update on the Viking Pass Program at Tippecanoe Valley Middle School.
The Pass program aims to improve student success, keep students involved and informed about their grades and provide adaptations for students failing to see success.
In 2007-08, 15 percent of students had at least one "F" by first semester. In the first year of the Pass program, 2008-09, Backus said, that was down to 11 percent. In the first two nine weeks this year, that's down to 6 percent.
Backus stressed the importance of an alternative program for the middle school and how summer school is vital to the Pass program's success.
"A year and a half into it, we feel like there's been a positive shift," said Backus of the Pass program.
TVHS Principal Kirk Doehrmann spoke about the Professional Career Internships course.
"Professional Career Internships is a class that we're implementing to take care of three opportunities," Doehrmann said.
It will help prevent an increase to the drop-out rate, provide students with an opportunity to work toward a technical honors diploma and provides an opportunity for students to go out and experience a career and see if that's something they really want to do.
"The biggest thing we want to do is take our biggest and brightest students and keep them in the community," said Doehrmann.
He said they hope to get local businesses interested in taking students in as interns, and they will be partnering with Warsaw Schools.
"This is more than a job shadow," board member Mark Wise asked.
"Absolutely," said Doehrmann.
He also informed the school board that beginning with the 2010-11 school year, they want to change the class ranking system to a straight ranking system.
Currently, Valley's student ranking system ranks students based on the types of diplomas they receive upon graduation. Students receiving an Academic Honors Diploma are ranked first, according to their grade point average. Students receiving a Core 40 diploma are ranked second, and then students receiving a general diploma and a certificate of completion then are ranked.
A report on the middle school's Positive Behavior Intervention System also was presented. PBIS rewards students for positive behavior.
The school board was scheduled to discuss the 2010-11 master school calendar Monday night. However, because the state legislature is considering Senate Bill 50, the board decided to hold off further discussion.
If passed, SB 50 would prohibit schools from starting before Labor Day and ending after June 10.
"(We'll) see if the state is going to do part of our work for us," said Wise.
In other business, the school board:
n Recognized Tippecanoe Valley Middle School band students.
Recently competing at a solo and ensemble contest at Penn High School, Mishawaka, and receiving medals were, silver: Angelica Heeter, Colby Kuczewski and Ben Ridenour; and gold: Diana Baca, Juan Baca, Noah Clampitt, Casey Kromkowski, Josh Warren, Rockne Bastardo, Dillon Davis, Sarah Jones and Charlie Parker.
Recently selected to perform in the Three Rivers Honor Band at IPFW were Ridenour, Juan Baca, Diana Baca and Jones. Seventy students were chosen, representing 20 Indiana schools.
n Approved the retirements of Larry Floor, school bus driver, and Marilyn Ruberg, Akron Elementary School teacher. Ruberg is retiring at the end of the school year after 26 years.
n Announced upcoming meetings will be March 8, Tippecanoe Valley High School; April 19, Akron Elementary School; May 10, Mentone Elementary School. All meetings are at 7:30 p.m.
Reading abilities in Indiana schools have been a hot topic lately, Superintendent Brett Boggs said.
"I'm very proud of what we're doing here at Tippecanoe Valley," he said. During the past four years, Valley schools have been focused on literacy. Boggs said Valley readers are some of the best in the state.[[In-content Ad]]Director of Curriculum Angie Miller then gave a report on Valley seeing an increase in reading scores.
Valley administers benchmark reading tests to students in grades kindergarten to 12th grade throughout the year. Students in grades kindergarten to second grade are given the M-Class Reading 3-D benchmark tests three times a year. Students in grades first through 12th are given the Scholastic Reading Inventory benchmark assessment four times per year.
This is the first year that Valley has administered M-Class Reading 3-D. In September, Miller said, 250 Valley students in grades kindergarten to second scored on level, 145 students scored on watch and 62 students scored at risk. In January, 303 students scored on level, 100 students scored on watch and 42 students scored at risk.
The M-Class assessment will be administered again in May.
The SRI assessment has been administered at Valley for many years, Miller said. Four times a year, students take an online assessment where they read passages and then answer comprehension questions. From this assessment, students receive a reading level. January SRI benchmarks show steady growth in Valley scores.
According to information provided by Miller, a student's reading score falls in one of four areas: below basic, basic proficient or advanced. Since 2007, the combined elementary January proficient and advanced scores are up 10 percent in four years (51 percent in 2007 to 61 percent in 2010). During the same time period, the below basic scores are down 8 percent (from 19 percent in 2007 to 11 percent in 2010). At the middle school, advanced scores are up 15 percent from 2007 to 2010 (16 percent in 2007 to 31 percent in 2010). Below basic scores are down 6 percent in 2010 when they were 10 percent in 2007.
As of January 2010, the high school has 10 percent scoring below basic, 26 percent scoring basic, 32 percent scoring proficient and 33 percent scoring advanced.
Scott Backus gave an update on the Viking Pass Program at Tippecanoe Valley Middle School.
The Pass program aims to improve student success, keep students involved and informed about their grades and provide adaptations for students failing to see success.
In 2007-08, 15 percent of students had at least one "F" by first semester. In the first year of the Pass program, 2008-09, Backus said, that was down to 11 percent. In the first two nine weeks this year, that's down to 6 percent.
Backus stressed the importance of an alternative program for the middle school and how summer school is vital to the Pass program's success.
"A year and a half into it, we feel like there's been a positive shift," said Backus of the Pass program.
TVHS Principal Kirk Doehrmann spoke about the Professional Career Internships course.
"Professional Career Internships is a class that we're implementing to take care of three opportunities," Doehrmann said.
It will help prevent an increase to the drop-out rate, provide students with an opportunity to work toward a technical honors diploma and provides an opportunity for students to go out and experience a career and see if that's something they really want to do.
"The biggest thing we want to do is take our biggest and brightest students and keep them in the community," said Doehrmann.
He said they hope to get local businesses interested in taking students in as interns, and they will be partnering with Warsaw Schools.
"This is more than a job shadow," board member Mark Wise asked.
"Absolutely," said Doehrmann.
He also informed the school board that beginning with the 2010-11 school year, they want to change the class ranking system to a straight ranking system.
Currently, Valley's student ranking system ranks students based on the types of diplomas they receive upon graduation. Students receiving an Academic Honors Diploma are ranked first, according to their grade point average. Students receiving a Core 40 diploma are ranked second, and then students receiving a general diploma and a certificate of completion then are ranked.
A report on the middle school's Positive Behavior Intervention System also was presented. PBIS rewards students for positive behavior.
The school board was scheduled to discuss the 2010-11 master school calendar Monday night. However, because the state legislature is considering Senate Bill 50, the board decided to hold off further discussion.
If passed, SB 50 would prohibit schools from starting before Labor Day and ending after June 10.
"(We'll) see if the state is going to do part of our work for us," said Wise.
In other business, the school board:
n Recognized Tippecanoe Valley Middle School band students.
Recently competing at a solo and ensemble contest at Penn High School, Mishawaka, and receiving medals were, silver: Angelica Heeter, Colby Kuczewski and Ben Ridenour; and gold: Diana Baca, Juan Baca, Noah Clampitt, Casey Kromkowski, Josh Warren, Rockne Bastardo, Dillon Davis, Sarah Jones and Charlie Parker.
Recently selected to perform in the Three Rivers Honor Band at IPFW were Ridenour, Juan Baca, Diana Baca and Jones. Seventy students were chosen, representing 20 Indiana schools.
n Approved the retirements of Larry Floor, school bus driver, and Marilyn Ruberg, Akron Elementary School teacher. Ruberg is retiring at the end of the school year after 26 years.
n Announced upcoming meetings will be March 8, Tippecanoe Valley High School; April 19, Akron Elementary School; May 10, Mentone Elementary School. All meetings are at 7:30 p.m.
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