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BOURBON - Tom Bowers, Triton Elementary School principal, and Rick Dehne, Triton Jr.-Sr. High School principal, brought ISTEP scores Monday to the school board.
Scores showed third- and sixth-graders fell in language arts compared to last year's ISTEP scores, and both rose in mathematics.
In math, 77 percent of third-graders were above the state average of 71 percent. Sixth-graders upped last year's score 4 points to 68 percent above average.
Third-graders slipped 3 percent in language arts, reaching 64 percent. The state average in language arts was 65 percent. Sixth-graders dropped 9 percent, to 51 percent.
Bowers said it was "a disappointing pattern or trend."
"We take it as a challenge. We are going to fix it," he said. His solution was "teaching state standards" and then "test scores will work themselves out."
The board quieted while looking at the scores.
"We've got to improve," said Dave Shively, board member. He then asked if the third-graders were being passed without the skills.
"It could be part of what's going on," said Bowers.
"Our third-graders are really struggling. It looks like our third-graders are way behind everyone else," said Steve Blackford, school board president.
"We all need to attack the problem together. I am sure this can be fixed," said Ted Chittum, superintendent.
Triton Jr.-Sr. High School 10th-graders raised scores from last year in language arts and mathematics. Eighth-graders rose in language arts but dropped 13 percent in mathematics, although the score was above 65 percent, the state average.
