Most county schools exceed state averages

A new report by Kansas Policy Institute suggests that nearly half of Kansas students are falling below grade-level proficiency standards in learning math.

However, numbers from the state suggest that this number is closer to one-third, and in Marion County, three of five school districts seem to do much better than the state average.

Students across all grade levels evaluated on standardized tests as having limited ability to use math in post-secondary education total 34.35% statewide, according to the Kansas Department of Education’s report card for the most recently concluded academic year.

Three districts in Marion County have substantially fewer students scoring poorly in math on the state report card.

Hillsboro has only 13.24%, Goessel has only 18.43%, and Marion has only 23.84%.

Only Centre, at 38.46%, and Peabody-Burns, at 38.93%, have above-average numbers for students scoring poorly in math.

In English language arts, 30.30% of state students are evaluated as having limited ability. All but Peabody-Burns students beat that average in Marion County.

Goessel leads the way with just 19.14% scoring as having limited ability. Marion is next at 22.69%, followed by Hillsboro at 23.43% and Centre at 26.05%.

Peabody-Burns’ total for students scoring poorly in English language arts is 45.13%, well above the state average.

In science, all county districts score better than the state average of 36.89% being evaluated as having limited ability.

Marion leads the way with just 16.49% of its students rated as having limited abilities in science. Next are Hillsboro at 22.31%, Centre at 29.03%, Goessel at 32.87%, and Peabody-Burns at 36.53%.

Putting all the numbers together, the average percentage of students having better than limited ability over the three major subject areas totals 66.15% statewide.

All but Peabody-Burns schools exceed that mark, led by Hillsboro at 80.34%, Marion at 78.99%, Goessel at 76.52%, and Centre at 68.82%. Peabody-Burns lags at 59.80%.