Schools take 'Standard of Excellence' honors
By JENNIFER WILSON
News editor
Goessel schools have once again shown they can hold their ground with the biggest and best in the state.
USD 411 garnered six "Standard of Excellence" honors in this year's state assessment tests. The state released the results last week.
The tests covered reading, science, math, and social studies. Students from grades four through 11 were tested
Some of the district's notable successes were in:
— Eighth-grade social studies. Almost 97 percent of all eighth graders scored "proficient," "advanced," or "exemplary" on their social studies tests. That represents a huge increase from 2001's tests — a 40.5 percent increase, to be exact.
— Seventh-grade science. For the 2003 tests, 95 percent of all seventh graders scored proficient or better on their science tests. That figure is up a whopping 15 percent from the 2002 tests.
— Seventh-grade math. Ninety-five percent of seventh graders scored proficient or above on math tests, with 60 percent of those students hitting the exemplary mark.
Goessel's lowest scores were in:
— Tenth-grade math. Fifty-seven percent of tenth graders scored proficient or better on math tests. That figure is above the state average of 45, and it's also seven percent better than 2002's tests.
— Eleventh-grade reading. Sixty-nine percent of students hit proficient or better. This number is down from 2002's average of 76 percent.
— Tenth-grade science. Seventy-one percent of tenth graders were proficient or better in science tests, but that is a whopping 14 percent less than 2002's score.
Goessel achieved the "Standard of Excellence" in fourth-grade science, sixth-grade social studies, seventh-grade math, seventh-grade science, eighth-grade social studies, and 11th-grade social studies.
Hillsboro district
Half up and half down.
That phrase summarizes how USD 410 performed in last year's state assessment tests. The state recently released the results to the public.
For the 12 tests ranging from elementary to high school, approximately half of the test scores dropped from the previous test's scores — but the other half increased.
And those increases have yielded four "Standard of Excellence" recognitions from the Kansas Department of Education.
The standardized tests examined students' knowledge of math, science, reading, and social studies. A variety of grade levels were tested, from fourth grade to 11th grade.
The biggest successes were in:
— Seventh-grade science. This year, nearly 91 percent of all seventh graders scored at the "proficient," "advanced," or "exemplary" level in science tests. That's up more than 10 percent from 2001.
Even more notable is the 50 percent of students who hit the "exemplary" mark. Statewide, the average is 14 percent.
— Seventh-grade math. Nearly 91 percent of all seventh graders also scored at proficient or above in math tests. That's up seven percent from 2002's tests.
Again, half of all Hillsboro Middle School seventh graders scored exemplary, which is the highest possible division. The statewide average is 17 percent.
— Eighth-grade reading. Almost 88 percent of HMS eighth graders scored proficient or better — nine percent higher than the school's 2002 scores.
Hillsboro's lowest scores were in:
— Tenth-grade science. Sixty-three of Hillsboro's tenth graders scored at the proficient or better level in science testing. That number is 11 percent worse than 2001's scores — but it's still better than the state average of 54.
— Tenth-grade math. Sixty-five percent of sophomores scored at the proficient or above level in math, which is up six percent from 2002. The statewide average for proficient or better is 45 percent.
— Fifth-grade reading. Seventy percent of fifth graders scored proficient or better in reading tests, which is down nine percent from 2002. But again, that 70 percent is still higher than the state average of 69 percent.
Hillsboro's four "Standard of Excellence" honors came in fourth-grade math, seventh-grade science, seventh-grade math, and eighth-grade reading.
For a comparison of how Marion County high schoolers performed, see the chart accompanying this story.
