Junior High Students Show Growth In Math And Reading
Water Valley High School lab facilitator Delice Reese was among staff members and students awarded a certificate of excellence during the most recent school board meeting. Making the presentation was school board member Lamar Burgess.
Junior High Students Show Growth In Math And Reading
By David Howell
Editor
WATER VALLEY – A report at the Water Valley School District meeting on April 4 indicates seventh and eighth grade students are showing significant improvements in math and reading during the current school year. Superinten-dent Dr. Michael McInnis and assistant superintendent Sharon Lipsey presented the report as part of the ongoing i-Ready Diagnostic and Instruction implemented at the schools.
The report was based on testing conducted last August and again in March and indicates how the students performed using a three-tier classification – Tier 1, which is students who tested at grade level or above; Tier 2, which is students who tested one level below grade level; and Tier 3, which is more than one grade level below where the student should be. McInnis explained the i-Ready report was formulated using the End of Year View, which depicts the growth based on the level where the student is supposed to be instead of measuring growth from where the students initially tested.
The results showed that in August almost 58 percent of the students in seventh and eighth grades were at least two grade levels behind, or in the Tier 3 category; 35 percent of the students were one grade level behind, or in the Tier 2 category; and eight percent were one level or above, or in the Tier 1 category. By the end of March, the number of seventh and eighth grade students lagging two or more grades behind had shrunk to 39 percent of the students. With many of the Tier 3 students improving, the percentage of Tier 2 students increased slightly to 37 percent. The number of Tier 1 students increased to 24 percent.
The data also showed a breakdown for individual grade results on the reading test, and eighth grade results were disturbing to school board members as 69 percent of the eighth grade group tested in the Tier 3 level back in March.
School trustee Pierce Epes noted the importance of the data that allows school officials to track the progress or the students’ performance.
“Before we didn’t know that 70 percent of our kids were at Tier 3,” school trustee Pierce Epes added, pointing to the eighth grade reading level, which he said directly correlates to the district’s low graduation rate because the percentage is determined based on the number of freshman students who enter high school and graduate four years later.
“We are very pleased with what we are seeing. We are seeing positive growth. But are we satisfied? No,” McInnis told the board. “The parents are taking it very seriously, the teachers are taking it very seriously. But more importantly, our students are taking it very, very seriously,” McInnis added.
Looking at the math results from the August testing, 29 percent of the students tested in the Tier 3 category, or two or more grade levels behind; 66 percent of the students tested in the Tier 2 category, or one grade level behind; and four percent of seventh and eighth grade students tested in the Tier 1 category, or at or above grade level. During the March testing, 11 percent of the students tested in the Tier 3 category, 68 percent tested in the Tier 2 category and 11 percent tested in the Tier 1 category.
If you are in Tier 3, you are getting very, very intensive remediation and help. That is why we are seeing growth on that,” McInnis explained.
Other business discussed at the meeting included:
• Continued the monthly recognition of students and staff members from Davidson Elementary School and Water Valley High School. Presiding in the absence of Board President Taylor Trusty, Epes first recognized Allie Avant for receiving the Linzy Callahan Scholar Athlete scholarship from the Mississippi High School Athletic Association.
“We are very proud to have her receive that scholarship,” Epes said.
Delice Reese was recognized for her work as a lab facilitator at Water Valley High School.
At DES, the school board recognized special education teacher Jill Todd.
“She is always willing to participate in both school-related and extra curricular activities. She consistently assists, supports and encourages both students and staff members,” Epes said about Todd’s work. She is also an active member of the new PTO at DES.
Fifth grade DES student Timothy (T.J.) Willingham and third grade student Henry Simmons also received certificates of excellence.
“T.J. always has a positive attitude and nothing every gets him down. T.J. inspires us all to be better people,” Epes said as the smiling student was presented the certificate.
Simmons was awarded the certificate for improvement in his performance both inside and outside the classroom throughout the school year.
“We are looking forward to seeing Henry continue to grow personally and academically,” Epes said about Simmons.
• Adopted the school calendar for the 2016-17 school year. McInnis noted teachers will report for professional development on August 1-4, and students will report to class on Monday, August 8. The superintendent explained the start date was timed to begin after the Watermelon Carnival.
