Whitko Sees Increase In ISTEP Scores

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


PIERCETON - Whitko Schools Superintendent Steven Clason told the school board Monday they have reason to be proud of the ISTEP scores the school district's students earned this year.

"In virtually every grade, we had an increase in the percentage of kids passing compared to last year," Clason said. "That's a compliment to our kids and our staff, the kind of people we have educating at Whitko."[[In-content Ad]]Clason said Whitko students exceeded state average in almost every area.

Clason said, rather than comparing this year's class to last year's class when analyzing ISTEP scores, it is important to gauge how students do as they move from grade to grade.

"The key is what we are doing for these kids as they go along," Clason said.

The school board approved the retirement of Pierceton Elementary School Principal Ruth Jones. Jones has been principal at PES for 15 years. She will retire at the end of the 2007-2008 school year.

The board also endorsed the formation of a broad-based planning committee for a high-ability program for Whitko Schools. Whitko High Ability Coordinator Nancy Lake told the board high ability is a new term for gifted and talented. She said 2007 state legislation requires the school corporation to have a program for students who show higher-than-average aptitude in one or more academic areas.

"You have some students in our school corporation who have the capability of doing much better than they are doing," Lake said. "We have concentrated so much on ISTEP, that our upper-ability kids have been neglected to some point."

The planning board will include educators, students, parents and other community members, Lake said. The school board appointed Roger Boggs to represent them on the planning board. Lake said the planning board will probably meet about three times per year with the first meeting tentatively planned for March.

PIERCETON - Whitko Schools Superintendent Steven Clason told the school board Monday they have reason to be proud of the ISTEP scores the school district's students earned this year.

"In virtually every grade, we had an increase in the percentage of kids passing compared to last year," Clason said. "That's a compliment to our kids and our staff, the kind of people we have educating at Whitko."[[In-content Ad]]Clason said Whitko students exceeded state average in almost every area.

Clason said, rather than comparing this year's class to last year's class when analyzing ISTEP scores, it is important to gauge how students do as they move from grade to grade.

"The key is what we are doing for these kids as they go along," Clason said.

The school board approved the retirement of Pierceton Elementary School Principal Ruth Jones. Jones has been principal at PES for 15 years. She will retire at the end of the 2007-2008 school year.

The board also endorsed the formation of a broad-based planning committee for a high-ability program for Whitko Schools. Whitko High Ability Coordinator Nancy Lake told the board high ability is a new term for gifted and talented. She said 2007 state legislation requires the school corporation to have a program for students who show higher-than-average aptitude in one or more academic areas.

"You have some students in our school corporation who have the capability of doing much better than they are doing," Lake said. "We have concentrated so much on ISTEP, that our upper-ability kids have been neglected to some point."

The planning board will include educators, students, parents and other community members, Lake said. The school board appointed Roger Boggs to represent them on the planning board. Lake said the planning board will probably meet about three times per year with the first meeting tentatively planned for March.
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