VB School Board hears report on recent student NWEA test results

“I’ve got some really good news to share with you tonight,” Curriculum Director Diane Kullis told the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education at a work/study session on June 15 as she launched into a report on the results of the recent Northwest Educational Assessment tests.
The tests judge how many students have progressed a year in learning over the past school year. The students take the tests in the fall, winter, and spring. This year’s spring results are especially high in the elementary classrooms.
Kullis said many classrooms had ratings in the 90s, meaning most students had progressed a full year in growth over almost a year of classes.
As an example, Rawsonville Elementary had kindergarteners jump from 68.5% in math in 2014 to 92.6% in 2015; first graders from 69.1% to 94.8%; second graders from 57.5% to 84.4%; third graders from 71.3% to 90.8% and fourth graders from 58.7% to 75.5%.
The overall number for K-4th Grade math in all the schools showed jumps for kindergarteners from 78.2% to 93.4%; first grade 83% to 92.9%; second grade 69% to 86.3%; third grade 72.9% to 83.2%; and fourth grade 73.9% to 86.1%.
The overall number for K-4th Grade Reading Growth was: kindergartners, from 68.9% to 93.1%; first graders 63.2% to 85%; second graders 61.6% to 80.1%; third graders 60.8% to 84.6%; and fourth graders from 70.1% to 83.8%.
Board members were delighted with the significant growth the tests showed.
Results were not as glowing for McBride Middle and Owen Intermediate students.
Owen fifth graders went from 58.2% in math in 2014 to 59.1% in 2015 and sixth graders went from 66.8% in math in 2014 to 76.5% in 2015.
McBride seventh grade math students went from 60.5% in 2014 to 66.5% in 2015. Eighth grade math students fell from 68.8% in 2014 to 66.5% in 2015.
In reading scores, Owen fifth graders went from 58.4% in 2014 to 61.5% in 2015 and sixth graders grew from 65.3% to 73.4%.
McBride reading scores for seventh graders dropped from 63.4% in 2014 to 57.3% in 2015. Eighth graders dropped from 60.2% in 2014 to 44.9% in 2015.
When the Independent asked how these tests are administered, Kullis said the classroom teachers test their students the same way for each of the tests in the fall, winter, and spring. Usually it’s a small group rotation on five to six computers in the classroom or the students are taken to the media center. All the tests are electronic.
Barbara Miller asked from the audience about who monitors the monitors.
Owen Intermediate School Principal Jeff Moore, who is in training to take over as Curriculum Director for the 2016-17 school year, said the teachers are responsible and there’s a proctoring handbook. Teachers are monitoring their own classrooms, he said.