Latest MAP scores show struggle to keep up with goals

Twenty out of 46 Southeast Missouri schools failed to make progress on state tests in either communication arts or math this year. The mixed bag of results, released today by the state education department, show more schools than ever are struggling to keep up with increasing standards imposed through the No Child Left Behind Act.

In many districts, previously high-performing schools slipped into school improvement status for the first time as benchmark targets rose. Disappointed school leaders pointed to evidence of growth but lamented that it wasn't enough.

"In some cases, even though we made progress it looks like we didn't do well," said Dr. Rita Fisher, assistant superintendent of the Jackson School District.

Five Cape Girardeau schools, five Jackson schools and two Scott City schools missed targets. Only two schools, in Cape Girardeau, will face significant sanctions because of their Title I status, capacity to move students to a better-performing school and recurring struggle to meet targets.

Jefferson Elementary in Cape Girardeau faces the biggest consequences; students will be eligible to transfer to a different elementary school in the district. For the second consecutive year, students did not make adequate yearly progress in communication arts, and this year students missed targets in math as well. The school has the largest population of low-income students and minority students in the district.

"At Jefferson, we're holding steady and every once in a while we take a step back. The teachers are so dedicated I know we'll be able to make a change next year," said assistant superintendent Pat Fanger.

Letters will be written next week to inform parents about the process to switch schools and must be mailed out by the start of the school year. Fanger said more information will be released once the district gets clarification from the state about who will be eligible.

Central Middle School moved into the next level of sanctions after only two out of five groups made progress in communication arts. As a result, the school will be required to offer "supplemental services" next year. The district is working with Sylvan Learning Center to make those arrangements.

Despite the setback, administrators focused on the school's success in math, in which students made adequate yearly progress for the first time. New principal Mark Kiehne implemented "MAP Academies" before the test for last-minute tutoring, which the district credits for helping raise scores.

"Having some new administration in the building, a clear instructional focus and two math coaches made all the difference," Fanger said.

Another bright spot is Blanchard Elementary, a school with a large population of minority and low-income students. Its black population and population of students on free or reduced-price lunch scored the highest out of any like subgroup in the district.

Both the high school and the junior high in Cape Girardeau failed to meet standards — the junior high has never made adequate yearly progress since No Child Left Behind's 2002 implementation — but neither face serious sanctions. This is also the case with Jackson's high school and middle school. Because of their non-Title 1 status, they are only required to implement a school improvement plan. Title 1 schools receive federal money to aid low-income students but in turn face federal consequences if standards aren't met.

Elsewhere in Jackson, the junior high and Orchard Drive and West Lane elementary schools did not make adequate yearly progress, but sanctions will not be imposed because a school must fail the same subject two consecutive years before consequences are administered.

"Every year it becomes more difficult to achieve," said Scott City superintendent Diann Bradshaw.

In Scott City, the middle school and elementary school have been put on the state list of schools needing improvement. School choice will not be an option at the elementary school, which is classified as Title I, because there is only one elementary school in the district.

Bradshaw said the district will continue working on vertical teaming, or making sure there is alignment in curriculum between grades. The elementary school will be required to develop an improvement plan.

Fanger acknowledged the Cape Girardeau district has "some areas with our subgroups we need to work on."

Throughout the district, wide disparities were shown between the success of subgroups of students. Black students consistently scored lower than the total population, and in some cases low-income students or special-education students performed better than the black subgroup.

One of the goals of No Child Left Behind is to reduce that achievement gap between groups; if one group fails, the whole school is classified as failing. But six years after the law's enactment, the gap does not appear to be closing in many schools.

For example, at Franklin Elementary School, 29 percentage points separate black and white students in communication arts. The school missed making adequate yearly progress because black students and low-income students did not show enough improvement.

In Jackson, special-education students gave the district the biggest challenge, especially in math. The high school, junior high, middle school and West Lane Elementary did not make adequate yearly progress in math because of the performance of special education students.

This year marks the first year students at the Orchard Drive Elementary and West Lane Elementary have failed to make adequate yearly progress in any subject.

"Targets did go up this year. When you move to that 51 percent, that was quite a jump," said Fisher, Jackson's assistant superintendent. This year, 51 percent of students were expected to be proficient in communication arts and 45 percent of students were expected to be proficient in communication arts, up from 42.9 percent and 35.8 percent, respectively.

Fisher pointed to collaboration among teachers, aligning curriculum to standards and common assessments as the keys to growth in some schools. She is looking forward to next year, when end-of-course exams will be implemented for high schoolers throughout the state. The exams will be more subject-specific and may be tied to a student's final grade in a class.

"I think we'll still struggle to motivate high schoolers to want to do well on the test when all they're really concerned about is the ACT. But with the advisories we're instituting, with the opportunity for tutoring and small groups, I think that will really help us," Fisher said.

lbavolek@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123

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