Warsaw School Board Hears About Graduation Rate, ISTEP
Warsaw School Board Hears About Graduation Rate, ISTEP
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw School Board Hears About Graduation Rate, ISTEPWhile the state still has ISTEP data from the last school year embargoed, Warsaw Community Schools Chief Accountability Officer Dani Barkey shared a sneak preview of it with the school board Tuesday.
“We felt overwhelmed by how this last year went, I think. We all felt like we worked harder than we ever worked before, but that work was very targeted and focused on getting the results we wanted to get,” she said.
On graduation night, she said, 94.1 percent of the seniors graduated. A couple of more students have fulfilled their graduation requirements, so Barkey said it’s projected that by the state’s end-of-September deadline, that rate will increase to 96 percent, “which will top last year’s all-time total. So we’re real excited about that.”
In terms of ISTEP, even though it’s embargoed, she said, “For one of the first times, we really saw, across the board, our secondary schools made improvements. And when we all got together, we said, ‘Wow, I don’t know a time in history where we really saw that before.’ Secondary is harder when it comes to ISTEP … across the state, not just at Warsaw.”
She said to see improvements across the board was “incredibly exciting.”
At Lakeview Middle School, seventh-grade English language arts (ELA) was up 4.9 percent; eighth-grade ELA was up 6.7 percent; seventh-grade math, up 4 percent; and eighth-grade math, up 8.84 percent. “That’s a lot. Especially where they were sitting,” Barkey said.
Edgewood Middle School had huge gains last year, she said. This year, seventh-grade math was up 4.37 percent. The other areas held steady.
At Warsaw Community High School, scores were up slightly in ELA and math.
“I also just want to say it’s not about the scores. It’s what the scores mean to kids. The scores mean to kids that more kids are going to graduate, more kids can take upper-level classes and get college credits and save money. And we’re doing right by our students to get them across the graduation line. That’s what it’s about,” Barkey said.
WCHS Principal Troy Akers spoke to the board about Advanced Placement (AP) and dual credit courses that can earn students college credit.
“We have not seen any falloff with dual credits received,” he said, adding that Warsaw also has been a leader in the state as far as the number of AP classes offered.
During the 2016-17 school year, the number of WCHS students who received dual credit was 705. That increased to 1,228 for 2017-18, with 1,158 enrolled for 2018-19. The number of credits awarded was 4,548 in 2016-17 and 5,859 in 2017-18. This year is to be determined.
The number of students enrolled in AP courses was 268 in 2016-17; 238 in 2017-18; and up to 290 this school year.
“When we take a look at grades and grading as far as AP, the first thing I’d like everyone to know is we have different students every year, so it’s hard to draw a true comparison,” Akers said, but he presented a five-year report on trends of the number of students enrolling. “Not necessarily the same kids, but the number of kids who are enrolling and are achieving at least a 3, 4 or 5 in the AP credit.”
That data shows that in 2013-14, the total number of AP students was 222; 201 in 2014-15; 258 in 2015-16; 268 in 2016-17; and 238 in 2017-18.
It also looked at total AP exams taken, with the highest year being 496 in 2016-17; total 3 or higher scores, 173 in 2016-17 the highest; and percentage 3 and over student scores, 68.5 percent in 2013-14 being the highest.
“We’ve actually increased in AP students enrolled this year than we had in the ‘17-18 school year,” Akers said.
He said many of the students in AP are being identified in upper elementary school grade levels.
“I’m pleased with where things are. I think, as a board, you should be proud of this organization of leaders that we have in this office that support our efforts,” Akers said, thanking the middle school and elementary principals and educators that are preparing students for the rigors of high school courses.
WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said last year students earned $1.5 million in college credit through dual credit courses at the high school and Warsaw Area Career Center.
“It was just a year and a half ago that we were celebrating a million, so we’re really outpacing ourselves. It’s great,” Barkey said. “That’s a lot of savings for parents.”
