Jay ISTEP scores rising (12/08/07)

Good things are happening in the Jay School Corporation.

That's the lesson administrators find in the latest set of local scores on Indiana's ISTEP test.

"We saw a tremendous increase across the district," superintendent Tim Long said Friday.

Seven separate areas of 16 areas tested showed improvement on the state test, which has been administered each fall soon after the start of school.

Jay test scores were up 9 percentage points in seventh grade language arts, 6 percentage points in seventh grade math, 4 percentage points in ninth grade math, 3 percentage points each in sixth grade and eighth grade language arts and eighth grade math, and 2 percentage points in sixth grade math.

Many of the gains came at the middle school level, where administrators said a new summer school program yielded significant benefit for students.

"About 95 percent of students from summer school showed vast improvement," said West Jay Middle School principal Michael Crull.

Lee Newman, principal at East Jay Middle School, agreed.

East Jay showed improvement in all seven tests administered at the middle school level, and in some cases the level of improvement was 10 percentage points.

Newman said summer school was undoubtedly a factor. "They were working together as a group," he said. "They were engaged in education all summer."

At the elementary level, East Elementary School and Pennville Elementary School showed improvement in five of the seven areas tested.

"Overall, we're really pleased," said Pennville principal Larry Wilson.

"Our teachers at all grade levels are really focused in on science, and our students are writing every day."

"The key is the writing aspect," East Elementary principal Andy Schemenaur agreed. "We took that to heart."

Schemenaur said his staff was incredibly focused on improving ISTEP scores this year. "They made up a strategy to improve," he said. "I've got list after list of things we've done."

One step, Schemenaur said, was researching state ISTEP standards via the Internet. "We made sure we understood the language and terminology of ISTEP."

General Shanks Elementary and Judge Haynes Elementary showed improvement in four of seven areas. Bloomfield and Westlawn elementaries showed improvement in three of seven areas. Redkey Elementary School showed improvement in two of seven areas.

"Those teachers have done some good things for those students," said Long, referring to the districtwide improvement in scores.

At Jay County High School, 76 percent passed the math portion of ISTEP, an improvement of 4 percentage points, while 67 percent passed the language arts portion, down 4 percentage points from the previous year.

ISTEP scores at the tenth grade level were down slightly in both math and language arts, but JCHS principal Jeremy Gulley said they were above average when compared to state scores, which will be released next week.

In fact, said Gulley, JCHS was above the state average in three out of four areas tested and was only one percent below the state average in tenth grade language arts.

Gulley was especially pleased with the ninth grade scores. "This is the best one we've had" at that grade level since ninth graders started taking ISTEP, he said.

Long expects high school scores to show improvement as a result of a number of programs now under way or schedule for launch next year. The credit recovery program is already in place, and a freshman academy to help those students needing academic assistance begins next fall.

"I think you're going to see some dynamics out at the high school that are exciting for students and parents," said Long.

"I am elated," said Schemenaur. "It validates everything we believed about education."

Here's a school-by-school breakdown on scores, with last year's scores listed in parentheses:

•Bloomfield Elementary, grade 3 language arts 73 percent (76 percent), grade 3 math 86 percent (74 percent); grade 4 language arts 76 percent (86 percent), grade 4 math, 87 percent (97 percent); grade 5 language arts 81 percent (77 percent), grade 5 math 92 percent (92 percent), grade 5 science 81 percent (67 percent).

•East Elementary, grade 3 language arts 83 percent (65 percent), grade 3 math 95 percent (78 percent); grade 4 language arts 62 percent (71 percent), grade 4 math, 65 percent (81 percent); grade 5 language arts 84 percent (74 percent), grade 5 math 91 percent (89 percent), grade 5 science 84 percent (70 percent).

•General Shanks Elementary, grade 3 language arts 80 percent (82 percent), grade 3 math 77 percent (75 percent); grade 4 language arts 71 percent (81 percent), grade 4 math, 81 percent (79 percent); grade 5 language arts 85 percent (79 percent), grade 5 math 89 percent (86 percent), grade 5 science 80 percent (79 percent).

•Judge Haynes Elementary, grade 3 language arts 76 percent (75 percent), grade 3 math 88 percent (77 percent); grade 4 language arts 79 percent (61 percent), grade 4 math, 79 percent (74 percent); grade 5 language arts 56 percent (70 percent), grade 5 math 69 percent (72 percent), grade 5 science 36 percent (51 percent).

•Pennville Elementary, grade 3 language arts 80 percent (69 percent), grade 3 math 84 percent (75 percent); grade 4 language arts 64 percent (85 percent), grade 4 math, 80 percent (75 percent); grade 5 language arts 80 percent (79 percent), grade 5 math 86 percent (95 percent), grade 5 science 80 percent (71 percent).

•Redkey Elementary, grade 3 language arts 84 percent (69 percent), grade 3 math 84 percent (75 percent); grade 4 language arts 64 percent (68 percent), grade 4 math, 76 percent (85 percent); grade 5 language arts 67 percent (82 percent), grade 5 math 87 percent (91 percent), grade 5 science 67 percent (73 percent).

•Westlawn Elementary, grade 3 language arts 80 percent (79 percent), grade 3 math 78 percent (79 percent); grade 4 language arts 73 percent (64 percent), grade 4 math, 80 percent (64 percent); grade 5 language arts 69 percent (79 percent), grade 5 math 64 percent (66 percent), grade 5 science 56 percent (79 percent).

•East Jay Middle School, grade 6 language arts 77 percent (75 percent), grade 6 math 86 percent (81 percent); grade 7 language arts 73 percent (65 percent), grade 7 math 89 percent (83 percent), grade 7 science 66 percent (53 percent); grade 8 language arts 80 percent (74 percent), grade 8 math 79 percent (74 percent).

•West Jay Middle School, grade 6 language arts 68 percent (64 percent), grade 6 math 78 percent (82 percent); grade 7 language arts 79 percent (70 percent), grade 7 math 87 percent (80 percent), grade 8 science 69 percent (71 percent), grade 8 math 76 percent (78 percent).

•Jay County High School, grade 9 language arts 67 percent (71 percent), grade 9 math 76 percent (72 percent); grade 10 language arts 65 percent (66 percent), grade 10 math 67 percent (69 percent).[[In-content Ad]]Here's a school-by-school breakdown on scores, with last year's scores listed in parentheses:

•Bloomfield Elementary, grade 3 language arts 73 percent (76 percent), grade 3 math 86 percent (74 percent); grade 4 language arts 76 percent (86 percent), grade 4 math, 87 percent (97 percent); grade 5 language arts 81 percent (77 percent), grade 5 math 92 percent (92 percent), grade 5 science 81 percent (67 percent).

•East Elementary, grade 3 language arts 83 percent (65 percent), grade 3 math 95 percent (78 percent); grade 4 language arts 62 percent (71 percent), grade 4 math, 65 percent (81 percent); grade 5 language arts 84 percent (74 percent), grade 5 math 91 percent (89 percent), grade 5 science 84 percent (70 percent).

•General Shanks Elementary, grade 3 language arts 80 percent (82 percent), grade 3 math 77 percent (75 percent); grade 4 language arts 71 percent (81 percent), grade 4 math, 81 percent (79 percent); grade 5 language arts 85 percent (79 percent), grade 5 math 89 percent (86 percent), grade 5 science 80 percent (79 percent).

•Judge Haynes Elementary, grade 3 language arts 76 percent (75 percent), grade 3 math 88 percent (77 percent); grade 4 language arts 79 percent (61 percent), grade 4 math, 79 percent (74 percent); grade 5 language arts 56 percent (70 percent), grade 5 math 69 percent (72 percent), grade 5 science 36 percent (51 percent).

•Pennville Elementary, grade 3 language arts 80 percent (69 percent), grade 3 math 84 percent (75 percent); grade 4 language arts 64 percent (85 percent), grade 4 math, 80 percent (75 percent); grade 5 language arts 80 percent (79 percent), grade 5 math 86 percent (95 percent), grade 5 science 80 percent (71 percent).

•Redkey Elementary, grade 3 language arts 84 percent (69 percent), grade 3 math 84 percent (75 percent); grade 4 language arts 64 percent (68 percent), grade 4 math, 76 percent (85 percent); grade 5 language arts 67 percent (82 percent), grade 5 math 87 percent (91 percent), grade 5 science 67 percent (73 percent).

•Westlawn Elementary, grade 3 language arts 80 percent (79 percent), grade 3 math 78 percent (79 percent); grade 4 language arts 73 percent (64 percent), grade 4 math, 80 percent (64 percent); grade 5 language arts 69 percent (79 percent), grade 5 math 64 percent (66 percent), grade 5 science 56 percent (79 percent).

•East Jay Middle School, grade 6 language arts 77 percent (75 percent), grade 6 math 86 percent (81 percent); grade 7 language arts 73 percent (65 percent), grade 7 math 89 percent (83 percent), grade 7 science 66 percent (53 percent); grade 8 language arts 80 percent (74 percent), grade 8 math 79 percent (74 percent).

•West Jay Middle School, grade 6 language arts 68 percent (64 percent), grade 6 math 78 percent (82 percent); grade 7 language arts 79 percent (70 percent), grade 7 math 87 percent (80 percent), grade 8 science 69 percent (71 percent), grade 8 math 76 percent (78 percent).

•Jay County High School, grade 9 language arts 67 percent (71 percent), grade 9 math 76 percent (72 percent); grade 10 language arts 65 percent (66 percent), grade 10 math 67 percent (69 percent).