Both elementary and high school ISTEP scores improved following this fall’s testing. ISTEP is short for Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus.
Crothersville Elementary School increased the number of students in all grades passing both English/language arts and math by 6.3 percent, going from a 61.8 percent in 2007 to 68.1 percent this year. At the junior-senior high school, the increase was even greater, 8.7 percent, taking the school from a 58.3 percent passing rate to 67 percent.
“After skimming over the information, I’m pleased that our scores are up, especially with the state’s scores being down,” said school superintednet Terry Goodin.
Third-grade students showed the only improvement at the elementary school, going from a 58 percent pass rate in English/language arts last year to 77 percent this year and from 60 percent to 85 percent in math. “Every year we try to look at the data and do better,” Goodin said. “We make changes to our curriculum and hope that we are doing the right thing”
“We identified some weaknesses previously and have been working on them. I believe we are going in the right direction,” said the superintendent
Goodin said the schools continue to move forward as educational requirements become more difficult and funding is tightened.
“The target is always moving, so it’s difficult,” he said of improving scores. “But that’s a good thing too because it keeps us educators on our toes.”
Hoosier school students will take the ISTEP test again next spring as the state moves to a spring testing schedule.
This school year could give educators the only accurate result of testing as the same classes will be tested in the spring. In the spring of 2010 a new set of students will be taking the examine.
Goodin said the state has not made a decision on how this year’s two tests will be used to determine educational achievement.
Most Jackson County schools showed gains in the number of students passing both math and language arts on this year’s Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus.
The Indiana Department of Education released results Thursday that showed a slight decline from last year in overall pass rates for the state.
Of all students tested statewide, 71 percent passed in English/language arts, 74 percent in math and 60 percent in science.
