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Reporting on the 2006 fall ISTEP scores, Warsaw Community Schools Director of Assessment Terry Roe said, "We're actually very good."
Warsaw has improved its scores in several areas. He said, "We are very pleased with the progress the students are making."
Students are still performing better in math than English and language arts at Warsaw as far as percentage of students passing, but that is a trend being seen at almost every school in the state, according to Roe.
As for passing both tests, math and language arts/English, Roe said in grades 3-6, the trend is up. The scores are falling in grades 7-8, but increasing again in grades 9-10. As a corporation as a whole, Roe said the trend is moving up for passing both parts of the ISTEP test.
The English/language arts part of ISTEP is improving, except for middle school students.
Roe also talked about special populations within Warsaw Schools.
As for special education students, Roe said, "We are getting students to pass math more." Special education students in the middle schools and high school are not improving as well. As for English and language arts, Roe said special education students are improving, but still lags behind the general education students.
More English as a second language students had to take the ISTEP in the fall than previous years. This year, new guidelines are in place and more ESL students have to take ISTEP regardless of fluency in English.
The third special group Roe spoke about was the free and reduced lunch students. They also are performing better in math than English/language arts. Over the last three years, Roe said the trend is that students are making gains in some areas, but not in others.
Warsaw Superintendent Dr. Robert Haworth said the corporation currently is negotiating with Embarq to acquire $90,000 of communication equipment for a three-year period in exchange for marketing opportunities throughout the school district. The equipment consists of components necessary to have video on demand at all schools in the district.
The board will review the contract at its Jan. 22 meeting.
Ann Sweet, representing Embarq, said only four school corporations in the country were chosen for the program.
Warsaw Schools Maintenance Director Greg Schroeder requested permission to advertise for bids for roof projects at Jefferson, Lincoln, Madison and Washington schools.
School board member Chuck Sauders asked that with future construction possible, is it feasible to spend money on these projects now? Haworth said the school corporation was just advertising for bids. Warsaw doesn't yet know if there will be a building project for those schools, and are only advertising for bids.
Schroeder said if they advertise for bids early in the year, they are more likely to get competitive bids.
The board approved Schroeder's request to advertise for roofing bids.
School board member Cathy J. Folk was recognized for eight years of service on the board. She served from Jan. 1, 1999, to Dec. 31, 2006. Haworth presented her with a plaque, and Folk's parents and son were present.
"It's been a short eight years," said Folk. "Time flies."
She said she will miss graduation the most because it is a culmination of students' careers. The one thing she won't miss, she said, is sitting through the hours of discussion on change orders.
She thanked everybody.
Folk met her term limit as a school board member and could not run for re-election this year. She will be replaced by Delores Hearn beginning Jan. 1.
In other business, the school board:
• Voted 5-2 to uphold a student's expulsion. At a executive session prior to the regular school board meeting, the school board met to hear an appeal on the student's expulsion.
School board member Deb Wiggins said the upholding of the expulsion was based on current policy being followed as policy is in the books today.
Asked for more information about the expulsion after the meeting, Haworth said it deals with confidential student and personnel information.
• Approved three change orders for the Warsaw Community High School improvement project totaling $2,971.95.
• Approved a resolution for transferring year-end appropriations. By regulation, a school corporation should finish the calendar year with appropriations in program accounts either at zero or with a positive balance. The resolution allows transfers to meet this regulatory requirement.
• Heard Warsaw School Corp. has 7,065 students as of Dec. 12, including pre-kindergarten and vocational students. That is an increase of 273 over 2005.
• Appointed Neal Butler to the Winona Lake Park Board for a four-year term.
• Heard a report from Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sandra Hess on Warsaw working to be accredited by AdvancED, an organization comprised of several accreditation groups. The process is a five-year cycle.
School board members are Wiggins, Sauders, Gene England, Dan Robinson, Tammy Dalton, Ron Yeiter and Folk.
