NoCal remains steady in MAP performance

Haskins warns steady won't be enough in future

WILLIAMSBURG - North Callaway R-I Schools Assistant Superintendent Sandy Haskins gave a presentation on the district's MAP data during Thursday night's school board meeting that had a dual message: North Callaway's performance on the annual assessment tests remains level, but as the state changes the criteria by which it judges schools, that consistency may not be a good thing.

Haskins started off by giving the board a summary of how the district performed as a whole on the MAP at the elementary level, and on end of course exams (EOC) at the high school.

Noting that there "are no obvious issues with the communication arts curriculum or instruction," in grades K-8, Haskins said North Callaway elementaries performed right at the state level.

That said, she noted many of the grade levels are not at the district's goal of having 70 percent of students score proficient or higher, "so even if we're making all the points for distinction, not at what we have said we want to do."

Haskins also said there are not enough students scoring in the advanced level, and that the district has a trend in grades 5-8 to be weak in the area of grammar.

She made similar points regarding elementary math, where she emphasized that there are no obvious issues with the district's match curriculum or instruction in grades K-4, where Haskins said again that grade levels are not at the district goal of 70 percent or higher and not enough students are scoring at the advanced level.

Haskins said late elementary/middle school grades did not fare as well as their younger classmates.

"There is a trend for fifth through eighth grades to be weak in every area in mathematics." she said, noting that is a statewide trend. "What we have done is, we've purchased a new curriculum for grades 6-8 that is aligned to the new common core standards. It brings us about two grade levels above where we were teaching.

"It is more challenging, but our kids can do that."

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.