South Callaway Middle School saw increases in the percentage of students who scored proficient or advanced from 2013-14 in seventh grade English/language arts, eighth grade English/language arts, seventh grade math and eighth grade science. The school saw decreases in the percent of students who scored proficient or advanced from 2013-14 in eighth-grade math, sixth grade math and sixth grade English/language arts.
Principal Gary Bonsall said he was overall pleased with the scores. While the school saw growth in several areas including seventh grade English/language arts, Bonsall described English/language arts as the school's weakest area. He added that the school and district will be taking steps to improve curriculum.
"We are working to vertically align our curriculum district-wide," Bonsall said. "There's one time per quarter, every quarter this year, that teachers will be getting together to work on their curriculum."
Seventh-grade teachers will meet with sixth- and eighth-grade teachers to discuss curriculum and ensure that students are getting what they need before they move to the next grade level. Furthermore, the middle school has added more opportunities this year for teachers to discuss curriculum.
"The sixth-grade through 12th-grade teachers have common plan times, which are 50 minutes a day, every day. So there's an opportunity on a daily basis for a sixth-grade teacher, for example, to talk to a 12th-grade teacher if that was necessary."
From 2013-14, the Middle school's largest increase in the percentage of students who scored proficient or better was seventh grade English/language arts. In 2014, 15.3 percent of seventh graders scored advanced in the subject compared to 14.5 in 2013. Also in 2014, 42.4 percent of seventh graders scored proficient in English/language arts compared to 31.9 percent in 2013.
From 2013-14, the Middle school's largest decrease in the percentage of students who scored proficient or better was sixth grade math. In 2014, 9.5 percent of sixth graders scored advanced in math compared to 27.6 in 2013. Also in 2014, 42.9 percent of sixth graders scored proficient in math compared to 34.5 percent the year before. Bonsall noted one difference from last year to this year that could have affected sixth grade math scores. Instructional time for sixth grade math dropped from 100 minutes daily to 50 minutes daily to make room for reading and writing classes.
The common plan time this year gives teachers the opportunity to more regularly discuss curriculum in the core content areas - communication arts, math, science and social studies.
Bonsall said the instructional coaches in the district, which are new this year, have been helping the school better utilize technology in the classroom. He said those resources will also help the school improve.
Another factor that will help the Middle School improve its English/language arts in the long term is the elementary school's literacy program review. Bonsall said the program review will affect the middle school in a few years when those current elementary students move up to middle school. The school district routinely reviews all of its curriculum. This year, the elementary is looking at its literacy program. The school will use test scores, standards and other assessments to review the reading program.
Attendance affects academics
On the Annual Performance Report (APR), the district earned 95 percent of possible attendance points this year compared to 75 percent last year.
"Kids can't learn if they aren't here," Bonsall said.
The district focused on attendance last year, leading to the improved attendance score. Bonsall said the middle school kept close communication with parents and made juvenile office referrals when necessary. He also looked closely at the list of students who were missing each year and noticed a pattern.
"It's the same kids that miss every year. It's a chronic, on-going problem from one year to the next. It's not sporadic," Bonsall said. "It tends to be the same student year after year after year. If you think about only 174 days in a school year and a student missing 20, 25 days a year, that really adds up."
To focus on attendance, the middle school assigned each teacher two to three students who had missed school often. When those students missed school, the teacher assigned to that student would check in to see why the student missed. The middle school will continue to do that again this year in an effort to further improve attendance.
The middle school's attendance increased by 5.3 percent last year. That is the highest attendance rate the middle school has had in four years.
The data
*There is no data available or the data is too small to report.
*There is no data available or the data is too small to report.
*There is no data available or the data is too small to report.