ISTEP scores are still on hold

Like all school corporations in the state, Jay County continues to play a waiting game when it comes to final test scores.
Superintendent Tim Long told Jay School Board on Monday that while initial scores show the corporation’s numbers will be similar to previous years, it’s unclear when numbers will be finalized.
The board also said goodbye to an outgoing member and got an update on ongoing litigation with Jay Classroom Teachers Association.
Schools received initial ISTEP numbers last month and then had an opportunity to ask for sections of tests to be rescored. That process has not yet been completed, and in the interim statewide controversy over the tests continues.
On Monday, Indiana Department of Education asked testing company McGraw-Hill Education CTB to clarify how many tests may have been affected by a computer malfunction in response to a story in Sunday’s edition of the Indianapolis Star.
That marked the most recent controversy over the new version of the test, which is expected to see average scores drop by about 20 percent. There has also been criticism about increased testing time, and issues with students being kicked off of their online exams.
“I guess it’s stay tuned, because it continues to change,” said Long. “Where we are right now is comparable to where we’ve been in the past. It’s a little bit lower, but we’re not seeing the huge swings that other corporations evidently have been seeing.”
Long noted that grades are available to teachers, but are not yet being released publicly by the DOE.
The superintendent also presented board president Mike Masters with a plaque thanking him for 11-plus years of service. Business manager Brad DeRome, board member Greg Wellman and JCTA president Paul Szymczak offered their thanks during the course of the meeting with board member Ron Laux referring to Masters as a mentor.
Masters announced his resignation in August and made it official when he turned in a letter of resignation Dec. 3. His last day is Dec. 31.
“It’s been a good 11 and a half years,” said Masters. “While we haven’t always agreed, I thank you for your support. … It’s been a pleasure.”
The board also received an application as well as letters of recommendation for Masters’ seat on the board from former Jay County High School teacher and principal Phil Ford, who is also a previous president of JCTA.
Application forms are available on the school web site — http://www.jayschools.k12.in.us/ — and the deadline to apply is noon Jan 4. The board, which has until Jan. 30 to fill the seat, intends to make an appointment at its Jan. 18 regular meeting.
Board attorney Phil Frantz gave an update about ongoing litigation, noting that both the school corporation and Indiana Education Employment Relations Board have filed a petition to transfer their suit with JCTA to Indiana Supreme Court. He also said Indiana School Board Association is expected to file an amicus brief in reference to the case.
In the most recent decision in the legal battle over the 2013-14 teachers’ contract, Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in favor of JCTA on issues regarding the hiring of new employees after the school year begins and compensation for regular teachers who serve as substitutes for other classes during the school day.
The school corporation had won in every previous step of the process  in front of a fact-finder, the IEERB and Marion Superior Court.
There is no timeline set for when Indiana Supreme Court might make a decision.
In other business, board members Kristi Betts, Mike Shannon, Beth Krieg, Cory Gundrum, Masters, Wellman and Laux:
•Accepted Indiana Department of Education grants totaling more than $950,000. The largest of those was a Title I grant to the school corporation for $897,415.10. Other grants included a high ability grant for $39,657 and Title I grants of $20,383.50 for Jay County Christian Academy and $16,085.13 for Youth Service Bureau.
•Were given a flyer from Dunkirk resident Wendy Robbins noting that a town hall style meeting to discuss the restructuring of the corporation’s school buildings is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 13 in the West Jay Middle School gym.
•Scheduled its reorganization meeting for 6 p.m. Jan. 4.
•Heard from director of testing and assessment Trent Paxson that the Indiana Department of Education approved a waiver to allow physical education credits for students involved in athletics.
•Hired Ted Habegger and Dennis Dwiggins as driver education instructions and Melissa Campofiore (Bloomfield part-time cook); approved extra-curricular assignments for Keith Bousman (General Shanks Elementary yearbook sponsor), Sarah Wenk (East Jay Middle School sixth grade girls basketball coach), Hannah Ainsworth (EJMS sixth grade girls basketball coach), Bill Saxman (EJMS eighth grade girls basketball coach), Sarah Ullom (EJMS cheer sponsor), Mark Alberson (EJMS sixth grade boys basketball coach), Bev Arnold (middle school swim coach), Mitch Snyder (Jay County High School percussion sponsor), Nate Brackman (West Jay Middle School sixth grade boys basketball coach), Bart Brandenburg (WJMS assistant wrestling coach), Violet Current (WJMS track coach and Lindsey Willoughby (WJMS track coach); transferred special education teachers Michelle Keever to WJMS and and Rachel Doll to General Shanks; and approved leaves of absence for Judge Haynes special education teacher Catherine Berno and JCHS health occupations teacher Jean Ann Poole.
•Accepted the retirement of JCHS math teacher/earth watch club sponsor Dennis Rowell and the resignations of EJMS food service cook Sarah Wenk and EJMS eighth grade girls basketball coach Sherri McIntire.
•Approved field trips for JCHS foreign language students March 17 through 26 to Spain and Italy and German exchange program students for March 16 through 26 to Germany.