Warsaw's ISTEP Scores Improve
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Warsaw Schools' ISTEP scores are improving, but they're still not high enough, the superintendent told the Warsaw school board Monday.
Dr. David McGuire said math scores in grades three, six, eight and 10 were up slightly over last year.
"Our forward progress isn't as great as we'd like, but we're moving forward," he said.
In language arts, grades three and six improved, but grades eight and 10 stayed at last year's scores.
McGuire said the reason for that is because 8 percent of Warsaw students are limited English proficiency students (compared to an average of 2 percent in the state). There also is a larger than normal number of special education students at Warsaw, he said.
"We're not looking for an excuse for why we're not performing as well as we'd like," he said. "What that tells us is we have to come up with better strategies."
In combined scores, 71 percent of 10th-graders were above state standards, compared to 69 percent last year. Students in the 10th grade take the Graduation Qualifying Exam, which they must pass to graduate. The GQE is based on state standards that should have been learned by the students' freshman year.
"We're doing a pretty good job," McGuire said of the overall ISTEP scores, "but pretty good isn't good enough. ... We have a way to go before we can call ourselves a top performing school, and our kids deserve to be in a top performing school."
He also said that 18.6 percent of Warsaw students qualify for free or reduced lunches, and those students consistently score lower on standardized tests.
"But we can't use demographics as an excuse," he said. "It's simply one of those areas we have to plan strategies for."
Board member Mark Minatel suggested developing or improving programs that encourage parental involvement in their children's education, and programs that teach parents how to help their children with schoolwork.
In other business, the board:
• Heard from Teresa Breading, WCHS, that the high school is now a part of the High Schools That Work program, which, she said, is dedicated to school improvement and has a goal of having every student graduate ready for secondary education or a career. The program, she said, puts more emphasis on a vocational track of study, and on combining vocational and college preparatory tracks.
• Approved advertising for bids for five new conventional buses and three transit buses.
• Heard a presentation from Lincoln Elementary first-grade teachers on their use of literacy groups to increase reading proficiency.
• Heard from McGuire that enrollment at all Warsaw schools is at 6,514, up 73 students from the same time last year.
• Set the January meeting for Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. instead of Jan. 19.
Board members are: Craig Allebach, Larry Chamberlain, Gene England, Cathy Folk, Jim Folk, Mark Minatel and Ron Yeiter. Jim Folk was absent Monday. [[In-content Ad]]
Warsaw Schools' ISTEP scores are improving, but they're still not high enough, the superintendent told the Warsaw school board Monday.
Dr. David McGuire said math scores in grades three, six, eight and 10 were up slightly over last year.
"Our forward progress isn't as great as we'd like, but we're moving forward," he said.
In language arts, grades three and six improved, but grades eight and 10 stayed at last year's scores.
McGuire said the reason for that is because 8 percent of Warsaw students are limited English proficiency students (compared to an average of 2 percent in the state). There also is a larger than normal number of special education students at Warsaw, he said.
"We're not looking for an excuse for why we're not performing as well as we'd like," he said. "What that tells us is we have to come up with better strategies."
In combined scores, 71 percent of 10th-graders were above state standards, compared to 69 percent last year. Students in the 10th grade take the Graduation Qualifying Exam, which they must pass to graduate. The GQE is based on state standards that should have been learned by the students' freshman year.
"We're doing a pretty good job," McGuire said of the overall ISTEP scores, "but pretty good isn't good enough. ... We have a way to go before we can call ourselves a top performing school, and our kids deserve to be in a top performing school."
He also said that 18.6 percent of Warsaw students qualify for free or reduced lunches, and those students consistently score lower on standardized tests.
"But we can't use demographics as an excuse," he said. "It's simply one of those areas we have to plan strategies for."
Board member Mark Minatel suggested developing or improving programs that encourage parental involvement in their children's education, and programs that teach parents how to help their children with schoolwork.
In other business, the board:
• Heard from Teresa Breading, WCHS, that the high school is now a part of the High Schools That Work program, which, she said, is dedicated to school improvement and has a goal of having every student graduate ready for secondary education or a career. The program, she said, puts more emphasis on a vocational track of study, and on combining vocational and college preparatory tracks.
• Approved advertising for bids for five new conventional buses and three transit buses.
• Heard a presentation from Lincoln Elementary first-grade teachers on their use of literacy groups to increase reading proficiency.
• Heard from McGuire that enrollment at all Warsaw schools is at 6,514, up 73 students from the same time last year.
• Set the January meeting for Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. instead of Jan. 19.
Board members are: Craig Allebach, Larry Chamberlain, Gene England, Cathy Folk, Jim Folk, Mark Minatel and Ron Yeiter. Jim Folk was absent Monday. [[In-content Ad]]