Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
PIERCETON - Ninth-graders at Whitko High School performed better on the ISTEP+ test this year than did 10th-graders.
But overall, WHS principal Parrish Kruger told the Whitko Community School Corp. Board of Trustees Monday, "I do feel that we can improve in this area."
At Whitko, 55 percent of grade 10 students passed both English and math, compared to the state average of 57 percent. Passing English only were 66 percent of grade 10 students, compared to the state average of 68 percent. In math only, 64 percent of the sophomores passed, the same as the state average.
The state average for ninth-graders passing both English and math is 59 percent, while 64 percent of Whitko freshmen passed both. With 71 percent of Whitko freshmen passing English only, that's 4 percent higher than the state average of 67 percent. The class of 2008 at Whitko also did 4 percent better than the state average in passing math only with a 72 percent, compared to the state average of 68 percent.
In language arts at grade nine, of the 71 percent passing ISTEP+, 8 percent were at the Pass+ level. Special education students had a pass rate of 24 percent. Females outscored males by 9 percent. Paid lunch students outscored the free and reduced lunch students by 33 percent.
In grade 10, of the 66 percent passing ISTEP+, 2 percent were at the Pass+ level. Special education students had a pass rate of 6 percent and 17 percent more females passed than males. Fourteen percent more paid lunch students passed than free and reduced lunch students.
For the 2004-05 school year, students identified as possibly not passing ISTEP+ were placed in a grammar class giving them a third trimester of language arts as freshmen. Freshmen who did not pass ISTEP+ in 2003 were encouraged to attend Jump Start in August for ISTEP+ preparation.
This year's freshmen who are within 20 to 30 points of the cut score were identified for help within language arts classes and for Jump Start.
