Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
BOURBON -ÊStudent ISTEP score charts showed a "drop off" in scores for the 2004 Triton Jr.-Sr. High School graduating class, and the 2006 and 2007 classes were "consistently lower," said Carrie Orlowski Monday.
Orlowski, an upper-level math teacher at the school, spotlighted Triton student test scores, illustrating the scores with several graphs.
Eighty-one 10th-grade students were tested for the 2001-02 school year. According to Indiana Department of Education statistics, 64 percent passed both math and English tests, with 59 percent passing math and 69 percent passing English.
Orlowski charted the ups and downs on ISTEP from the students' scores from previous years.
For the 2000-01 school year, 77 percent of the 99 sophomores tested passed both math and English tests.
The drops "probably reflect some on our instruction," she said.
This was the first the school board members had seen the charts.
Superintendent Ted Chittum said he "wasn't surprised." He said the scores were, "comparatively speaking," lower than where the scores were heading.
Glen Wiedner, junior/senior high school principal, said remedial work needs to be done. Other program improvements will bring scores up too, he said.
In other business, the school board:
• Heard from Joe Scott, who complained about his daughter being outside in weather that is too cold. He said her hands were wind chapped.
He thought the school's policy on acceptable weather conditions for recess should be checked.
• Heard from Chittum about state funding cuts for education.
Chittum and other corporation employees will prioritize summer improvement projects because of the budget cuts.
Schools will have a window of opportunity to transfer money from the Capital Improvement and Transportation funds into the general operating balance.
• Approved the following personnel changes: Diana Westphal as art club sponsor; Susan Sieber as Spanish club sponsor; Shawna Kuntz, Rick Collins and Jack Carpenter as the elementary school's Public Law 221 School Improvement Team; Dawn Slein, Susan Dietzel, Carrie Orlowski, John Wright and Hugh Rettinger as the junior/senior high school Public Law 221 School Improvement Team.
The school board also approved the resignation of Randy Cripe from the 13- to 15 year-old summer baseball program, pending replacement.
Triton School Board members are: president Kevin Boyer, vice president Steve Feldman, secretary/treasurer Larry Lemler, Dave Shively and Steve Blackford. Corporation treasurer is Janet Barker. Superintendent is Ted Chittum.
