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NORTH MANCHESTER -ÊLess than half of Manchester Community Schools' sixth-graders scored above state standards on the language arts section of the ISTEP test.
Sixth-graders slumped to 46 percent, 6 percent lower than the state average. The same students rose to 67 percent on the mathematics portion, 6 percent higher than the state average.
Manchester schools are making reading a primary focus, said Kim Thurston, Manchester Community Schools acting superintendent.
Eighth- and 10th-graders settled above the state average in language arts and third-graders hit par.
"We have some challenges facing us in the sixth grade," said Thurston. "We recognize areas we need to improve on."
"The main thing is we can't excuse ourselves for the scores because score are neutral," said Bonnie Ingraham, principal of Manchester Elementary School. She was "pleased" with third- and sixth-grade students' ISTEP scores.
"It is important to note that teachers in grades two and five made intentional changes in their instruction and focused heavily on the identified areas of weakness," wrote Ingraham in a report to the school board.
Ingraham discussed reading as a primary focus at the school board meeting on Dec. 17. She heads the curriculum-writing committee.
Ingraham aims to bring quality literature into the classroom, structuring teaching and assessing student work and buying textbooks that complement the curriculum.
At "a high stakes curriculum-writing point," Ingraham said, the debate is "which drives the curriculum, the student or the test?"
Curriculum writers are trying to balance the extremes.
In mathematics, sixth-, eighth- and 10th-graders landed above the state standard. Tenth-graders climbed 13 percent higher than the state average.
MHS 10th-graders pulled within 5 percent of Indiana's nonpublic schools.
Of the 10th-graders taking the Graduation Qualifying Exam, 66 percent passed on their first try.
The students rose 8 percent higher than their math scores two years ago, when they were eighth-graders, and only 1 percent higher in language arts.
Indiana requires a passing score to graduate from high school.
Students are tested within a two- or three-day span, and this year's tests fell around Sept. 11.
Students were affected, said Thurston, but he was not sure of the impact.
Manchester's ISTEP testing was completed on the day of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Students did not hear the attack reports until the test was completed, he said.
Some people question retaking the test to get a true reading. Thurston didn't think it was necessary.
