August 26, 200311:24 PM
R.I. test scores climb
By Robin J. Youngblood, staff writer
ROCK ISLAND -- Rock Island's elementary and junior high students earned gold stars on last spring's Illinois Standards Achievement Tests.
In April, students in grades three, five and eight were tested in math, reading and writing, while those in fourth and seventh grades were tested in science and social science.
Their scores were some of the highest recorded in the district in the last five years, school board members learned Tuesday.
Under the federal ``No Child Left Behind'' Act, 40 percent of a district's students must meet or exceed state learning standards this year. Rock Island kids sailed past that easily, exceeding 40 percent in every subject in every grade.
Overall, the district beat the state too. In 11 of 13 categories, Rock Island-Milan students either scored higher or the same as last year, while students statewide only had that achievement in nine of the categories. And Rock Island students gained more percentage points than their statewide counterparts, said Jay Marino, assistant superintendent of curriculum.
``That's important because we have a high mobility rate and high low-income population,'' he said. ``We've got disadvantages that the state doesn't have, yet we're outperforming.''
Some of the testing highlights:
-- Eighth-graders had the greatest percentage increase in writing scores, going from 43 percent meeting or exceeding state standards in spring 2002 to 59 percent in 2003.
-- Eighth-graders also posted large gains in math performance, going from 48 percent meeting or exceeding state standards in 2002 to 58 percent in 2003 -- and beating the statewide average of 54 percent.
-- Third-graders posted writing gains of 9 percentage points, going from 35 percent passing in 2002 to 44 percent in 2003.
-- Scores slipped slightly in two areas. Fourth-grade science results fell from 56 percent passing in 2002 to 55 percent in 2003, while seventh-grade social science scores dropped from 52 percent to 49 percent.
``We're not completely satisfied,'' Mr. Marino said. ``We will continue to strive for greater gains in the future.''
The greatest number of students that met standards on any test for any grade -- 73 percent -- were seventh-graders on the science portion.
Mr. Marino also presented findings of a tracking of two particular classes' ISAT scores as they grew older. Aside from three areas, each age group is achieving higher now than they did when they were younger, he said.
``We have a theory in this district,'' Mr. Marino said, ``that the longer students remain in our district the better they perform.''
Illinois also tracks the ISAT scores of students by sub-group, such as race, low-income and special education. Those figures will be available at the next board meeting, Sept. 9, as will results of Prairie State Achievement Exam and ACT tests that only high school juniors take.
Scores from the sub-groups help determine whether schools go on the state's school improvement, or early warning/watch list. At least 40 percent of each sub-group must also pass the tests. Other factors in whether schools go on the lists are attendance rates and the percentage of their students taking the standardized tests.
Grant, Hawthorne-Irving and Lincoln elementaries and Edison Junior High are on that list for the 2003-2004 school year and have been required to offer students the choice to attend another school. In addition, Grant, Hawthorne-Irving and Edison must also offer supplemental instruction in math and reading.
In other business, the board:
-- Adopted a $63.2 million budget. In the district's largest fund, the education fund, expenditures are $49,270,510 and revenues are $47,012,448. The deficit will be covered by a withdrawal from the district's surplus.
Increases in teachers' salaries, benefits, retirement and unemployment are major reasons why income can't keep up with expenses, comptroller Mike Oberhaus said. About $820,000 less was received from state and local funding sources.
-- Honored the seventh- and eighth-grade math and science club, the Southeast Consortium of Minorities in Engineering, for receiving an outstanding chapter award.
Staff writer Robin Youngblood can be reached at (309) 786-6441, ext. 257, or by e-mail at .