Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Warsaw's ISTEP results are slightly different than last year's, leaving school officials with mixed feelings.
"I think we've done pretty well. I feel good about it," assistant superintendent Dr. Anthony Etienne said at Monday's school board meeting. "Could we do better? Yes."
Scores for grades three and six were down from last year, while those for grades eight and 10 were up.
Compared to the proficiency standard set by the state, Warsaw's percentages were as follows: grade three, English and language arts - 66 percent above the standard, 33 percent below; math - 64 percent above, 31 percent below; grade six, English and language arts - 68 percent above, 31 percent below; math - 64 percent above, 35 percent below; grade eight, English and language arts - 81 percent above, 17 percent below; math - 82 percent above, 17 percent below; grade 10, English and language arts - 74 percent above, 19 percent below; math - 65 percent above, 30 percent below.
The scores are especially important for students in grade 10, who must pass the ISTEP before they can graduate. Those who did not pass this fall's test, Etienne said, have four more chances to take the test.
The purpose of the test, he said, is to help schools "zero in on what we need to learn, what we need to concentrate on."
Superintendent Dr. Lee Harman said the test helps school corporations line up their curriculum with the state proficiency requirements.
"It gives us a target to aim at. The question is, is the state going to leave it alone?"
In a special meeting before the regular board meeting, the board chose 1998 officers, re-electing Gordon Vanator as board president, Dan Robinson as vice president and George Klinger as secretary.
In other business, the board:
• Approved changing substitute teacher pay to a flat $66 per day.
• Approved the purchase of one 84-passenger bus and four 66-passenger buses, for a total of $272,066.
• Approved advertising for bids to install air conditioning in the corporation's elementary schools. According to Greg Schroeder, director of buildings and grounds, air conditioning should be installed this year in Leesburg, Atwood, Jefferson, Lincoln and Silver Lake elementaries. He said construction should begin around June 8, and should be done before the 1998-99 school year begins.
• Approved installing optic fiber cables from the high school to the NCI Cooperative, Edgewood Middle School and Washington Elementary. The cost of the total cabling project, $62,146, is paid from a state technology grant. Schools already connected are Eisenhower and Claypool; Atwood and Harrison are expected to be connected this week; and Silver Lake and Leesburg are in the process, said Dennis Van Duyne, the WCS technology director.
Harman said that four school board seats - districts 1, 2, 5 and 7 - are up for election this year. The filing period is from July 22 to Aug. 21.
The school board meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of each month at the administration building.
