State test results show areas for improvement

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, August 22, 2006

MEADVILLE – Franklin County continues to struggle to reach thestate average on Mississippi Curriculum Test scores for gradesthree through eight released recently, but school officials sayprogress is being made.

The district scored under the state average mean score in allbut the second grade, but showed improvement in moving studentsfrom the minimal and basic to the proficient and advancedcategories.

“That’s the ultimate goal of No Child Left Behind – to geteveryone out of the minimal and basic levels,” said SuperintendentLona Thomas.

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The Mississippi Curriculum Test scores every student in gradestwo through eight in reading, language arts and mathematics skills.Besides providing educators and the public with a glimpse at howtheir schools compare with others in the state, the scores are alsoused as part of a formula to tabulate Adequate Yearly Progress, akey element in the No Child Left Behind Act.

Under the No Child Left Behind Act, all students are alsoevaluated and placed within four major categories that determinetheir proficiency – minimal, basic, proficient and advanced. Alldistricts much move their students from the minimal and basiccategories to the proficient or advanced levels by 2014 or facefederal sanctions.

“We have some areas we need to work on at every grade,” Thomassaid. “We’re looking at those areas and will try to take theappropriate steps. We are improving our test scores and willcontinue to do that.”

The second grade, which posted average mean scores above thoseof the state, was a highlight in the report, Thomas said. Lastyear, the district really worked to address needs among the earlygrades to provide a strong foundation for future growth as thestudents advance.

Reading in grades three through five slipped slightly in therace to catch climbing state averages, she said.

“We got to the point where we were using the accelerated readingprogram as our main reading program and it was never meant to bethat,” Thomas said. “We have added the Harcourt Trophies ReadingProgram this year. We feel that will get us back on track in ourreading program.”

The fifth grade, as a whole, did not perform as well as hoped,she said, and special attention will be paid to that grade andthose students to analyze deficiencies and how best to eliminatethem.

At the high school level, students exceeded the state average inU.S. History and Biology I on the Subject Area Testing Program, butfell short in Algebra I and English II.

U.S. History students jumped from an average mean score of 369.3to 379.7 and graduated 98.8 percent, Thomas said. Biology studentsrose from 338.8 to 358.2 in average mean score and graduated 94.3percent.

However, Algebra students tested 22.7 points below the stateaverage and English II students fell 7.6 points short.

“I’m proud of every one of the kids in our district,” Thomassaid. “We’re putting out well-rounded students and not justteaching the frameworks. We all have room for improvement. Everyonein our district would love to be a level 5 at each of our schools,but we teach more than just the state benchmarks.”

There’s more to a well-rounded education than testing well onfederal and state benchmarks, she said. Other subject areas, whilethey may not be included in state testing, are just as important inproducing successful students.