Whitko Gets Good Report On GQE Scores
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
PIERCETON - Dr. Diana Showalter, Whitko School Corp. director of curriculum, reported to the school board Monday that she is very happy with this year's results of the ISTEP+ Graduation Qualifying Exams.
"I was really pleased with our scores when they came back this year," she said.
The sophomores took the exam in the fall with juniors and seniors who retested on the exam and some adults who wanted to earn their diplomas. There were 151 sophomores who took the exam and 62 others.
Showalter said the good test scores reflect highly on everyone who worked to make sure the students did well on the testing.
For the sophomores, 70 percent of them did above standard in English, compared to 68 percent at the state level. In math, 74 percent did above standard compared to 68 percent at the state level. And in both English and math, 63 percent scored above standard, compared to 60 percent in the state.
The areas students did well in included spelling, computation, problem-solving, geometry and statistics. Areas where they didn't do too well included punctuation, capitalization, context clues and algebra, she said.
Of the 62 other students who took the GQE, 45 percent did above standard in English and 59 percent did above standard in math.
"Some of those students, we have to recognize, will always struggle," she said.
As she looked overall at the 2001 and 2002 scores, Showalter said, the math scores were up 13 percent, English was up 6 percent and standards for both were up 11 percent.
ISTEP scores for grades three, six and eight, she said, hopefully will be back in March.
In another matter, Charles Hampel, finance associate with Hilliard Lyons Inc., updated the board on the retirement/severance bond project. The approximate $1.8 million bonding is considered a general obligation debt.
When they were figuring the repayment schedule for the bonding for Whitko, Hampel said, they figured it at a rate of 6 to 8 percent. When the bond came back, the actual rate was 5.25 percent.
"We ended up better than we hoped for," he said. The rate is taxable but will not vary.
The capital projects or transportation funds will have to be reduced each year on however much the repayment is for the year.
Superintendent Dr. William Worl said the money should have been received at the bank Monday. The impact of the bonding on the capital projects fund will be $58,000 less for 2003.
The school board approved the qualified entity purchase agreement and continuing disclosure undertaking forms as presented. The documents have been signed by the board president and secretary and will complete the bond issue requirements with the Indiana Bond Bank. They also approved an agreement with Hilliard, Lyons Inc. for financial services related to the retirement/severance bond project.
In other business, the school board:
• Approved the payment of a $7,670 invoice from the renovation bond fund to B&R Erectors Inc. for handrails at the Whitko High School football field and for part of the bleachers in the gym.
• Approved the authorization of the purchase of a vehicle for the Whitko High School Driver Education Program. The driver education fund #71 will pay for the vehicle on a predetermined payment plan. The driver education program is self-funded and the purchase will not affect the general fund.
• Approved a resolution granting authority to balance appropriations accounts within funds for the 2002 budget year. This is a routine procedure to close out the fiscal records for the end of the 2002 calendar year.
• Approved the retirement of David Forsberg, WHS, effective June 2. He has 41 years of service with the Whitko School Corp.
It's "quite a career," said Worl.
• Approved LeeAnn Merkert as director of special services for Whitko Community Schools, effective July 1.
• Approved the 33 field trip requests as presented.
• Tabled the approval of the 2003-04 school calendar to its Jan. 23 meeting.
• Tabled a proposal to January to designate the front drive of Whitko Middle School as Mark Skiles Way, in honor of Mark Skiles. Skiles was one of the first principals at WMS, an educator and board member. The proposal is part of the 10th anniversary of WMS.
Whitko School Board members are Hal Trump, E. Marie Trump, Michael Braddock, Dave Tranter and Pete Mitchell. They meet at 7:30 p.m. on the third Monday of every month at the administration office, Pierceton. [[In-content Ad]]
PIERCETON - Dr. Diana Showalter, Whitko School Corp. director of curriculum, reported to the school board Monday that she is very happy with this year's results of the ISTEP+ Graduation Qualifying Exams.
"I was really pleased with our scores when they came back this year," she said.
The sophomores took the exam in the fall with juniors and seniors who retested on the exam and some adults who wanted to earn their diplomas. There were 151 sophomores who took the exam and 62 others.
Showalter said the good test scores reflect highly on everyone who worked to make sure the students did well on the testing.
For the sophomores, 70 percent of them did above standard in English, compared to 68 percent at the state level. In math, 74 percent did above standard compared to 68 percent at the state level. And in both English and math, 63 percent scored above standard, compared to 60 percent in the state.
The areas students did well in included spelling, computation, problem-solving, geometry and statistics. Areas where they didn't do too well included punctuation, capitalization, context clues and algebra, she said.
Of the 62 other students who took the GQE, 45 percent did above standard in English and 59 percent did above standard in math.
"Some of those students, we have to recognize, will always struggle," she said.
As she looked overall at the 2001 and 2002 scores, Showalter said, the math scores were up 13 percent, English was up 6 percent and standards for both were up 11 percent.
ISTEP scores for grades three, six and eight, she said, hopefully will be back in March.
In another matter, Charles Hampel, finance associate with Hilliard Lyons Inc., updated the board on the retirement/severance bond project. The approximate $1.8 million bonding is considered a general obligation debt.
When they were figuring the repayment schedule for the bonding for Whitko, Hampel said, they figured it at a rate of 6 to 8 percent. When the bond came back, the actual rate was 5.25 percent.
"We ended up better than we hoped for," he said. The rate is taxable but will not vary.
The capital projects or transportation funds will have to be reduced each year on however much the repayment is for the year.
Superintendent Dr. William Worl said the money should have been received at the bank Monday. The impact of the bonding on the capital projects fund will be $58,000 less for 2003.
The school board approved the qualified entity purchase agreement and continuing disclosure undertaking forms as presented. The documents have been signed by the board president and secretary and will complete the bond issue requirements with the Indiana Bond Bank. They also approved an agreement with Hilliard, Lyons Inc. for financial services related to the retirement/severance bond project.
In other business, the school board:
• Approved the payment of a $7,670 invoice from the renovation bond fund to B&R Erectors Inc. for handrails at the Whitko High School football field and for part of the bleachers in the gym.
• Approved the authorization of the purchase of a vehicle for the Whitko High School Driver Education Program. The driver education fund #71 will pay for the vehicle on a predetermined payment plan. The driver education program is self-funded and the purchase will not affect the general fund.
• Approved a resolution granting authority to balance appropriations accounts within funds for the 2002 budget year. This is a routine procedure to close out the fiscal records for the end of the 2002 calendar year.
• Approved the retirement of David Forsberg, WHS, effective June 2. He has 41 years of service with the Whitko School Corp.
It's "quite a career," said Worl.
• Approved LeeAnn Merkert as director of special services for Whitko Community Schools, effective July 1.
• Approved the 33 field trip requests as presented.
• Tabled the approval of the 2003-04 school calendar to its Jan. 23 meeting.
• Tabled a proposal to January to designate the front drive of Whitko Middle School as Mark Skiles Way, in honor of Mark Skiles. Skiles was one of the first principals at WMS, an educator and board member. The proposal is part of the 10th anniversary of WMS.
Whitko School Board members are Hal Trump, E. Marie Trump, Michael Braddock, Dave Tranter and Pete Mitchell. They meet at 7:30 p.m. on the third Monday of every month at the administration office, Pierceton. [[In-content Ad]]