State test results outlined at Heights meeting

This past spring, students at Jackson Heights and all across the state took a new form of standardized test that Jackson Heights Superintendent and Elementary Principal Adrianne Walsh said was “more rigorous than past tests,” but on Monday, Walsh told the USD 335 Board of Education that so far, the results have shown promise.

“I’m very pleased with where we’re starting,” Walsh told the board. “This is kind of the baseline year.”

Walsh shared test results from English language arts and mathematics tests taken yearly by students in third through eighth grades and high school sophomores last spring. The new tests reflect the Kansas State Department of Education’s goal of getting teachers away from “teaching to the test,” she said.

The tests also have a new scoring system with four levels of achievement instead of five, and Walsh said that at the elementary level, students tended to score in the upper levels, which she said was encouraging. Students could score at level 1 (“emerging”), level 2 (“approaching the target”), level 3 (“at the target”) or level 4 (“advanced”).

“What we want to see is nobody scoring at level 1,” Walsh said.

In both the English language arts and math assessments, students in third, fourth and sixth grades met that goal, according to test results information presented to board members. However, students at “middle school” levels and sophomores tended to score lower as a class, which Walsh attributed to either those students’ “attitudes toward school in general” or the increasing difficulty of the tests.

Regarding the math tests, however, teachers administering the tests want to know more than the state is willing to tell them right away.

“At the middle school math level, the teachers would like to know how they did on ratios, as an example, and they want to know whether they should keep teaching that,” Walsh said. “The state has no intention of ever breaking it down that far like they used to. If they were going to, we’d have to have kids have a lot more questions in specific areas — that’s what I was told. And I sure don’t want to see a longer test.”

Walsh also pointed out a recent comment from President Obama criticizing the amount of time spent on standardized tests, saying that the tests should take up no more than two percent of a student’s instructional time in class and that some of the tests are even “unnecessary.” She said that, according to KSDE, Jackson Heights students spend about one percent of their time on those tests.

“I’m sure our teachers would have different thoughts on that,” she added.

In other business on Monday, the board:

Board members also:

* Noted the absence of board member Kelly Kennedy. Board members present included David Allen (board president), Doug Amon, Konrad Coe, Neal Keeler, Ed Rostetter and Melinda Wareham.

* Approved the meeting’s agenda and consent agenda, the latter including minutes from the board’s Oct. 12 meeting, monthly bills and activity account reports and a Cobra Backers donation of $9,869 for track equipment.

* Reviewed a video presentation created by the high school’s movie production class about the Sept. 17 Honor Flight. Walsh said the video will be shown at the school’s Veterans Day ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 24, adding that it may also be placed at the school’s Web site in the future.

* Discussed options for replacing a district truck used for moving items and removing snow during the winter months, but is having transmission, steering and differential issues, it was reported previously. The board instead opted to have Foster Ford of Holton repair the existing truck for $7,500 and review options for purchasing a new truck later.

* Heard a report from Walsh about options for purchasing hand rails for the bleachers at the high school football field. She said she would get price quotes for the board.

* Heard a report from Walsh on the district’s “wellness policy,” noting that the district’s food service was “coming up for review.”

* Heard a report from Walsh about a district water heater that had sprung an unrepairable leak, and that the district is looking at purchasing a new one to replace it.

* Approved the district’s annual financial audit as presented by Jim Long of Lawrence. 

* Noted that the board’s annual Christmas dinner would be held at 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 at Wareham’s home.

* Heard a report from Walsh about elementary school activities, including the recent Family Literacy Night, an upcoming state assessment reward trip to Trampo Lazer Rock Ball Park in Topeka and the upcoming Veterans Day celebration.

* Learned from Walsh that fifth and sixth grade students have been invited to participate in a Kansas State University Extension-administered “SPIN club” pilot project on Tuesday afternoons starting Nov. 17.

* Met in executive session for a total of 15 minutes to discuss personnel matters. No action resulted from the session.

* Adjourned the meeting at approximately 8:50 p.m.