Tippy Valley Hears ISTEP Retest Scores

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.


AKRON – After the IREAD-3 retest in June, 97 percent of Akron Elementary and 96 percent of Mentone third-graders now have passed and will move on to the fourth grade, Mentone Principal Angie Miller told the Tippecanoe Valley School Board Monday night.

The figures were part of Miller's report on Valley’s Elementary Reading Plan to the board.

Public Law 109 makes reading a priority, according to information provided. It is the intent of the Indiana Department of Education to ensure that all students be proficient readers by third grade. The law requires all Indiana elementary schools to develop an Elementary Reading Plan to be submitted to the IDOE by June 30.

Miller said this is the second year schools had to submit a plan. The first year was the baseline year. In the first year, she said Valley didn’t have every grade level to the 90-minute reading block. This year, they do.

There were 140 Valley third-graders that took the IREAD-3 this year, the first year for the mandatory reading test. Students who do not pass it the first time, have to take mandatory summer school and retake the test in June. If they don't pass it the second time, and don’t qualify for a waiver, they are then held back in the third grade and must retake the test next spring. If they don’t pass again, they could be held back another year.

Board member Dave O’Brien asked if it were up to Valley if the students were held back or the state’s decision. Miller said the first year, Valley had no choice. However, after the second time, it may be up to the school corporation, but the law allows a child to be held up to two times for not passing the IREAD-3.

Valley had 97 and 96 percent pass respectively at Akron and Mentone because of programs Valley implemented like full-day kindergarten and Swoop, Miller said.

Superintendent Brett Boggs said Valley was consistently looking at its reading program and what needs to be tweaked. Each individual student is carefully looked at, Miller said.

“Every nine weeks we have a group looking at these kids,” Miller said.

“The goal is 100 percent,” Boggs said.

During the meeting, the board also was scheduled to reorganize its officers, but voted to continue as it was.

Mark Wise will continue as president, Rod Eaton as vice president and Hal Hoffman as secretary. The other two board members are O’Brien and Bryan Murphy.

Also remaining the same will be Sherri Adamson as corporation treasurer; regular meeting time of 7:30  p.m. the second Monday of each month at Mentone Elementary School; and Dr. Francisco Negreros as corporation physician. Negreros will be paid $2,750 for services.

In other business, the board approved:
- hiring Shelley Abbott, speech and language pathologist, Mentone; Ryan Adams, second-grade teacher, Akron; Breydon Allen, seventh-grade social studies, Tippecanoe Valley Middle School; Mallory Brooks, seventh-grade special education, TVMS; and Brad Heintz, grades seven and eight math and remediation.

- accepting a United Way grant for the 2012-13 Flyer Time and Bulldog Buddies Homework Help.

- contracts with Beaver Dam Preschool, Area Five Head Start, Kosciusko County Head Start and Cardinal Service.

Upcoming board meetings were announced as Aug. 2, budget workshop, administration office; Aug. 13, regular meeting, administration office; Aug. 30, budget public hearing, administration office; Sept. 10, regular meeting and budget adoption, Mentone Elementary; Oct. 8, regular meeting, Mentone Elementary. All meetings start at 7:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]

AKRON – After the IREAD-3 retest in June, 97 percent of Akron Elementary and 96 percent of Mentone third-graders now have passed and will move on to the fourth grade, Mentone Principal Angie Miller told the Tippecanoe Valley School Board Monday night.

The figures were part of Miller's report on Valley’s Elementary Reading Plan to the board.

Public Law 109 makes reading a priority, according to information provided. It is the intent of the Indiana Department of Education to ensure that all students be proficient readers by third grade. The law requires all Indiana elementary schools to develop an Elementary Reading Plan to be submitted to the IDOE by June 30.

Miller said this is the second year schools had to submit a plan. The first year was the baseline year. In the first year, she said Valley didn’t have every grade level to the 90-minute reading block. This year, they do.

There were 140 Valley third-graders that took the IREAD-3 this year, the first year for the mandatory reading test. Students who do not pass it the first time, have to take mandatory summer school and retake the test in June. If they don't pass it the second time, and don’t qualify for a waiver, they are then held back in the third grade and must retake the test next spring. If they don’t pass again, they could be held back another year.

Board member Dave O’Brien asked if it were up to Valley if the students were held back or the state’s decision. Miller said the first year, Valley had no choice. However, after the second time, it may be up to the school corporation, but the law allows a child to be held up to two times for not passing the IREAD-3.

Valley had 97 and 96 percent pass respectively at Akron and Mentone because of programs Valley implemented like full-day kindergarten and Swoop, Miller said.

Superintendent Brett Boggs said Valley was consistently looking at its reading program and what needs to be tweaked. Each individual student is carefully looked at, Miller said.

“Every nine weeks we have a group looking at these kids,” Miller said.

“The goal is 100 percent,” Boggs said.

During the meeting, the board also was scheduled to reorganize its officers, but voted to continue as it was.

Mark Wise will continue as president, Rod Eaton as vice president and Hal Hoffman as secretary. The other two board members are O’Brien and Bryan Murphy.

Also remaining the same will be Sherri Adamson as corporation treasurer; regular meeting time of 7:30  p.m. the second Monday of each month at Mentone Elementary School; and Dr. Francisco Negreros as corporation physician. Negreros will be paid $2,750 for services.

In other business, the board approved:
- hiring Shelley Abbott, speech and language pathologist, Mentone; Ryan Adams, second-grade teacher, Akron; Breydon Allen, seventh-grade social studies, Tippecanoe Valley Middle School; Mallory Brooks, seventh-grade special education, TVMS; and Brad Heintz, grades seven and eight math and remediation.

- accepting a United Way grant for the 2012-13 Flyer Time and Bulldog Buddies Homework Help.

- contracts with Beaver Dam Preschool, Area Five Head Start, Kosciusko County Head Start and Cardinal Service.

Upcoming board meetings were announced as Aug. 2, budget workshop, administration office; Aug. 13, regular meeting, administration office; Aug. 30, budget public hearing, administration office; Sept. 10, regular meeting and budget adoption, Mentone Elementary; Oct. 8, regular meeting, Mentone Elementary. All meetings start at 7:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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