Daily Press Writer
MONTROSE — The Colorado Department of Education recently released this year’s School Accountability Reports and Montrose County District Re-1J Assistant Superintendent B.J. Brown said he is pleased with schools’ efforts.
|
Advertisement |
The SARs, also known as a school report cards, are based on Colorado Student Assessment Program test scores.
CSAPs are taken every March by third through 10th graders. They are tested in reading, writing, math and four grades are tested in science. The results of those tests are released in August and are used throughout the year to assess student’s academic status.
Those scores are also used in three state-mandated accountability systems for public education, one of which is the accountability reports.
The reports give schools a grade in two different areas: overall academic performance on state assessments and academic growth of students.
Eleven schools in the district received a report card and nine school received an average rating in performance, which is based on all students’ CSAP results and how they score in respect to all other students in the state. Grades of unsatisfactory, poor, average, high, or excellent are given.
“We’ve never had a school receive an unsatisfactory score,” said district spokeswoman Linda Gann.
This year, Olathe Middle School did receive a low grade. Last year the school received an average rating.
“We’re never pleased with a low score, but we understand the circumstances and are pleased with their effort,” Brown said.
He said the school is required to do a school improvement plan. The district also hired principal Berry Swenson, who Brown said has middle school experience to help improve scores.
“We will see improvements next year,” he said.
Montrose High School stood out from the crowd, receiving a high grade in performance and stable in academic growth, the same as last year.
When growth is graded, the state looks at the current CSAP score of each student and their previous year’s score and compares to see if there is improvement. Schools are then given a grade of significant decline, decline, stable, improvement and significant improvement.
Five schools, including Olathe High, Montrose High, Centennial Middle School, Oak Grove Elementary and Johnson Elementary, all received a stable grade.
The biggest improvement was Centennial, which last year received a decline. Brown said new principal Kirk Henwood has been a good addition.
“Kirk has experience in interventions and mediations. He’s a perfect fit for the school,” Brown said.
A few schools received below average, including Olathe Middle School and Pomona Elementary.
Northside, which was graded at a stable academic growth last year, had a significant decline this year.
Schools also improved. Cottonwood Elementary went from last year’s decline grade to a significant improvement. Olathe Elementary also jumped a grade from stable to improvement.
Brown said the district is going to stay with the school’s improvement plan it has worked with over the last couple of years.
He also said along with CSAP scores, the district has other ways to assess the students.
Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress tests are also given and reflect the instructional level of each student and measures growth over time.
Gann said the test measures what a student knows and needs to learn, with results within 24 hours.
“We can look at trends and target certain areas,” she said, adding both tests are helpful for teachers and parents to see what areas need improving and the child’s progress in all areas.
The SARs, Brown said, will be sent out to parents as soon as the district receives them. All reports can be viewed now on the Colorado Department of Education’s Web site www.cde.org. Also included in the reports, but not used to determine school’s achievement, are discipline reports, student-teacher ratios, teacher experience, student enrollment and financial information.
“Overall, I see improvement,” Brown said.
Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com
• Be respectful of others, the writer and the subjects in the story.
• Be relevant. Keep your comments on point.
• See the guidelines for TalkAbout. Perhaps your comment is best for that community forum, available from the home page, instead of commenting on a particular story.
Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. Montrose Press is not liable for messages from third parties.
DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in montrosepress.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the Montrose Press. Montrose Press does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized Montrose Press spokespersons.
Thank you for your comments!