Centre students achieve standard of excellence
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Lacy Wallace, counselor for Centre USD, told board members Sept. 13 that Centre students are doing well.
"These are very good scores," he said of test results from the 2004 Kansas Assessments given to students in the spring. "We are on the right track."
Students were tested for math proficiency in grades four, seven, and 10, and for reading proficiency in grades five, eight, and 11. A full 100 percent took the tests.
The standard of excellence was reached in fourth grade math, fifth grade reading, and 10th grade math.
Under the No Child Left Behind initiative, all students must be proficient in reading and math by the year 2014.
"Proficient" is the middle of five categories into which scores fall — exemplary, advanced, proficient, basic, and unsatisfactory.
Wallace said students have surpassed proficiency targets set for the 2003-04 year. In mathematics, the goal for Centre Elementary was 53.5 percent proficiency. At least 85 percent tested proficient. The target for seventh and 10th graders was 38 percent. They achieved 69 percent.
In reading, CES achieved 73.6 percent proficiency, much higher than the 57.3 percent required. CHS achieved 71.7 percent proficiency, also higher than the 51 percent required.
Fourth grade math — At least 40 percent of students received exemplary scores in math, which was 15 percent more than required to achieve the standard of excellence. No test scores were deemed unsatisfactory. This was the second year in a row for this achievement.
Seventh grade math — Improvements were made, but not enough to achieve standard of excellence. Unsatisfactory scores dropped from 22.2 percent the previous year to 9.1 percent, within the 10 percent allowed. Exemplary scores increased from 3.7 to 9.1. At least 25 percent is required to achieve standard of excellence.
Tenth grade math — For the first time in four years, sophomores reached the standard of excellence in math. Twenty-five percent had exemplary scores, compared to 14.3 in 2003. At least 15 percent is required. No scores were in the unsatisfactory category.
Fifth grade reading — The fifth grade reached the standard of excellence in reading for the first time with 25 percent of students scoring in the exemplary category. A minimum of 25 percent is required. None scored in the unsatisfactory range.
Reading percentages in the upper grades were below the standard of excellence.
Eighth grade reading — Only 8 percent scored at the exemplary level. At least 20 percent is required for the standard of excellence. Eight percent had unsatisfactory scores.
Eleventh grade reading — Juniors dropped from 31.6 percent exemplary in 2003 to 7.1 exemplary this year. At least 15 percent must score exemplary to reach the standard of excellence.
Writing assessments were given to fifth, eighth, and 11th graders. The general trend shows improvement. No scores were unsatisfactory but the standard of excellence has not yet been achieved.
