FR schools test scores remain strong

FORT RECOVERY — Test results for 2014-15 were similar to those from previous school years.
Principals Jeff Hobbs, Matt Triplett and Tracy Hein Evers shared scores from the spring tests with Fort Recovery School Board at its meeting Monday. They said students performed at or above state average on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), which has since been eliminated by the state, and American Institutes for Research (AIR) tests.
The board also heard an update from Triplett about whooping cough at the middle school, where two students had confirmed cases.
At least 70 percent of students were rated as proficient on each of the tests in math, social studies, science, history and English/language arts (ELA).
Fort Recovery saw its best rate of proficiency on the eighth grade science (92), fifth grade ELA test (91) and eighth grade math (90) tests. Fifty-five percent ranked as “accelerated” on the eighth grade math test.
Its lowest rate was in fifth grade science at 70 percent, which was still 11 percentage points higher than the state average.
Other proficiency percentages for the elementary/middle school were: 76 - third grade math; 83 - fourth grade ELA; 80 - fourth grade math; 85 - fourth grade social studies; 87 - fifth grade math; 82 – sixth grade ELA; 85 – sixth grade math; 71 – sixth grade social studies; 86 – seventh grade ELA; 78 – seventh grade math; and 82 – eighth grade ELA.
“It looked very similar to all of our data on the (Ohio Achievement Assessments) in previous years,” said Triplett, noting that he had also compared data with 36 other school districts. “We were pretty high in English/language arts and really high in science and math. So it’s almost a carbon copy of where we’ve been in years previous.”
Fort Recovery High School was especially strong on the algebra I test, on which 89 percent were proficient and 72 percent qualified as accelerated. Eighty-eight percent of students were proficient on the American history test along with 78 percent on English.
Students who need improvement on the tests will have an opportunity to retake them in December, said Hobbs, the FRHS principal.
Between 15 and 18 students — 17 to 23 percent — opted out of each test at the middle school level, an option that was given after some parents objected to the PARCC testing. No more than six students opted out of the high school tests.
The state has eliminated PARCC this year in favor of AIR.
Triplett also updated the board updated the board on efforts the middle school has made to keep students healthy after two were confirmed to have Pertussis, better known as whooping cough.
On advice from Mercer County Celina City Health Department, fifth and sixth grade students were offered the Tetanus, Diptheria and Acellular Pertussis vaccination Friday at no charge. The vaccination is required for students before entering kindergarten and again before seventh grade.
Triplett noted that 94 of the school’s 151 students in those grades received the vaccine Friday. Of the others, some had already had the shot updated while others opted out. Twenty-seven adults were also vaccinated.
Whooping cough is marked by severe coughing that can sometimes result in cracked ribs, vomiting and extreme fatigue. Symptoms, which also include runny nose, nasal congestion, watery eyes and fever, can take up to 10 days to appear after infection.
“We’re trying to be proactive with staying ahead of this,” said Triplett, who also shared three letters that have been sent to parents keeping them informed about the issue.
In other business, the board:
•Approved an eighth grade field trip to Washington, D.C., for March 20 through 25. Administrators agreed they would continue to monitor the safety of taking such a trip after Hull raised the question. Jay Schools students were scheduled to go on a similar trip last week, but administrators chose to postpone it after the attacks Nov. 13 in Paris.
•Made temporary appropriations of $17,595 to the bond retirement fund, $4,800 to the preschool fund and $4,400 to the preschool grant fund.
•Heard from Hein Evers that second graders will put on their Christmas program, “The Littlest Christmas Tree” at 7 p.m. Dec. 8.
•Learned from Firks that the schools should receive a refund check of $23,055 for participation in an energy efficiency program.
•Accepted donations of more than $4,000, including an anonymous donation of $1,000 to the adopt-a-family program in which high school students purchase gifts for local families in need.
•Kept board member compensation at $80 per meeting for a total of 16 meetings.
•Hired Samantha Staugler as fifth and sixth grade girls basketball coach, Nick Kallas as high school track coach and Krystal Rammel, Sara Post and Val Fortkamp as volunteer fifth and sixth grade girls basketball coaches.
•Approved a memorandum of understanding with Fort Recovery Education Association to eliminate use of student learning objectives from teacher evaluation. Value added data will be used instead.
•OK’d paying an incentive bonus to employees who have completed the wellness challenge. The program is an effort to promote better health with a goal of lowering health insurance costs.
•Made changes to board policies to bring them up to date with state/federal law as recommended by NEOLA, an educational consulting firm.
•Set its 2016 organizational meeting for 6 p.m. Jan. 12. The regular meeting will follow at 6:30 p.m.