saxon math : Early emphasis paying off in new test results
Language Arts continue to be the Lawrence County School District's weak area on Mississippi Curriculum Test results released recently for the 2005-2006 year, but the district scored comparatively or exceeded state averages across the board.
I'm pleased and I feel like we made progress," said Superintendent Russell Caudill. "Of course, we'd like to see more schools reach level 5 (in state accreditation)."
The superintendent said Topeka-Tilton Attendance Center retained its level 5 status for the second consecutive year in state accreditation levels that will be officially released by the Mississippi Department of Education Aug. 31.
Topeka-Tilton had the highest percentage of proficient students in the state in eighth grade math at 92.6 percent. The eighth grade also placed 10th in the state in reading with a 77.8 percent while the sixth grade tied with two other schools in math at 100 percent to top the state.
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, all students are also evaluated and placed within four major categories that determine their proficiency - minimal, basic, proficient and advanced. All districts much move their students from the minimal and basic categories to the proficient or advanced levels by 2014 or face federal sanctions.
Monticello Elementary School and Rod Paige Middle School held on to their level 4 state accreditation status. Lawrence County High School also remained unchanged with a level 3 status, Caudill said.
New Hebron Attendance Center slipped from a level 4 ranking to level 3, but only missed the barrier by a few points, he said. That ruling will be appealed.
"We've made a hold harmless appeal that it won't be held against us because of the disruption caused by (Hurricane) Katrina," the superintendent said. "I'm confident we have a good chance of being raised back to level 4. I think any time you have that significant of a disruption you have an effect."
The district shined in MCT and Subject Area Testing Program scores released recently. The tests gauge students' abilities in several key subject areas and provide comparisons between the level of learning students achieve in Lawrence County compared to districts across the state.
The MCT scores every student in grades two through eight in reading, language arts and mathematics skills. The scores are also used as part of a formula to tabulate Adequate Yearly Progress, a key element in the No Child Left Behind Act.
The district's average mean scores and percentage of students testing proficient or advanced were either comparable to or exceeded state averages in all areas.
Language, however, continued to be the district's weak area. The second grade fell behind the state average mean score by 3.8 points and the number of proficient and advanced students trailed the state by 1.5 points. The fourth grade trailed the state average mean score slightly by .7 points. In all other grades, the district topped the averages.
"Language has been our weak area and where we have put emphasis the last few years," Caudill said. "Sometimes improvements come in small chunks and as long as we're moving in the right direction, I'm pleased with it."
Last year, the district reduced reading class sizes by putting more teachers in the classroom in the early grades, he said, and the strategy appeared to work based on the increase in test scores. Caudill believes those gains will continue and become evident as the students advance through the grades.
"Reducing the class size should give us the long-term benefit we're looking for and we're really doing more in the earlier grades," he said.
The district excelled in junior high school math scores, topping the state average mean score by an average of 19.1 in grades six through eight. Caudill credited the incorporation of the Saxon Math Program in grades one through six a few years ago with that success.
"In addition to the programs, you have to have the teachers and ours do an outstanding job," he said.
The success of the math program has prompted the district to add Saxon Math to the seventh and eighth grades as a method to boost high school Algebra I scores on the SATP, Caudill said.
"The program hasn't been in place long enough to affect the high school yet, but we should start seeing some gains there in the next few years," he said.
Algebra I trailed the state average mean score by 11.4 points this year.
In other SATP results, the district also trailed the state average in U.S. History, but scores in Biology I and English II were comparable.
Caudill said those scores should improve as students advance because the district has focused most of its emphasis on the lower grades to set the firm foundation needed for success at all levels.
©The Daily Leader 2006
I'm pleased and I feel like we made progress," said Superintendent Russell Caudill. "Of course, we'd like to see more schools reach level 5 (in state accreditation)."
The superintendent said Topeka-Tilton Attendance Center retained its level 5 status for the second consecutive year in state accreditation levels that will be officially released by the Mississippi Department of Education Aug. 31.
Topeka-Tilton had the highest percentage of proficient students in the state in eighth grade math at 92.6 percent. The eighth grade also placed 10th in the state in reading with a 77.8 percent while the sixth grade tied with two other schools in math at 100 percent to top the state.
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, all students are also evaluated and placed within four major categories that determine their proficiency - minimal, basic, proficient and advanced. All districts much move their students from the minimal and basic categories to the proficient or advanced levels by 2014 or face federal sanctions.
Monticello Elementary School and Rod Paige Middle School held on to their level 4 state accreditation status. Lawrence County High School also remained unchanged with a level 3 status, Caudill said.
New Hebron Attendance Center slipped from a level 4 ranking to level 3, but only missed the barrier by a few points, he said. That ruling will be appealed.
"We've made a hold harmless appeal that it won't be held against us because of the disruption caused by (Hurricane) Katrina," the superintendent said. "I'm confident we have a good chance of being raised back to level 4. I think any time you have that significant of a disruption you have an effect."
The district shined in MCT and Subject Area Testing Program scores released recently. The tests gauge students' abilities in several key subject areas and provide comparisons between the level of learning students achieve in Lawrence County compared to districts across the state.
The MCT scores every student in grades two through eight in reading, language arts and mathematics skills. The scores are also used as part of a formula to tabulate Adequate Yearly Progress, a key element in the No Child Left Behind Act.
The district's average mean scores and percentage of students testing proficient or advanced were either comparable to or exceeded state averages in all areas.
Language, however, continued to be the district's weak area. The second grade fell behind the state average mean score by 3.8 points and the number of proficient and advanced students trailed the state by 1.5 points. The fourth grade trailed the state average mean score slightly by .7 points. In all other grades, the district topped the averages.
"Language has been our weak area and where we have put emphasis the last few years," Caudill said. "Sometimes improvements come in small chunks and as long as we're moving in the right direction, I'm pleased with it."
Last year, the district reduced reading class sizes by putting more teachers in the classroom in the early grades, he said, and the strategy appeared to work based on the increase in test scores. Caudill believes those gains will continue and become evident as the students advance through the grades.
"Reducing the class size should give us the long-term benefit we're looking for and we're really doing more in the earlier grades," he said.
The district excelled in junior high school math scores, topping the state average mean score by an average of 19.1 in grades six through eight. Caudill credited the incorporation of the Saxon Math Program in grades one through six a few years ago with that success.
"In addition to the programs, you have to have the teachers and ours do an outstanding job," he said.
The success of the math program has prompted the district to add Saxon Math to the seventh and eighth grades as a method to boost high school Algebra I scores on the SATP, Caudill said.
"The program hasn't been in place long enough to affect the high school yet, but we should start seeing some gains there in the next few years," he said.
Algebra I trailed the state average mean score by 11.4 points this year.
In other SATP results, the district also trailed the state average in U.S. History, but scores in Biology I and English II were comparable.
Caudill said those scores should improve as students advance because the district has focused most of its emphasis on the lower grades to set the firm foundation needed for success at all levels.
©The Daily Leader 2006
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