The Greene County Schools board of education at its Oct. 19 regular meeting got a look at baseline data for student proficiency in math and reading. The data comes from MAP (Measures of Annual Progress) testing done in September in grades K-11. This is the first year the district has used MAP testing.
Aggregate scores show 56 percent of elementary students, 43 percent of middle school students, and 61 percent of high school students are proficient in math, for a district total of 53 percent. In reading, 57 percent of elementary students, 61 percent of middle school students, and 66 percent of high school students are proficient, for a district total of 61 percent.
The scores were also broken down by grade level. The highest score was the sixth grade in reading proficiency at 78 percent. The lowest score was fifth grade math with 37 percent of students proficient.
Brett Abbotts, who recommended the district change to MAP testing at his first meeting as superintendent in July, reminded the board this is the first time students have taken the test. “We have a direction in each of these grade levels now,” he said, and he cautioned that the data should be taken “at face value.”
Teachers receive enough data from the tests to tailor their instruction and identify students who need additional help or could benefit from advanced instruction. “The next step is to drill down to what students need and adjust our core instruction and intervention,” Abbotts said.
Students will take the MAP test two more times this school year. The district goal is to have 65 percent of students proficient in reading and math by the end of this school year, with 80 percent proficient eventually.
The tests are nationally normed over 5 million students and are closely aligned to the Iowa State Assessment.
In other business, the board accepted the resignation for the purpose of retirement of longtime business manager Brenda Muir effective June 30, 2023. The vacancy has been posted internally.
The board approved the second reading of the revised board policy regarding community use of school district buildings. The revision removes a guarantee that a custodian will be provided during building use and specifies users are required to leave the space as they found it.
The board also approved the second reading of the revised board policy dealing with graduation requirements for special education students as they pertain to a student’s individualized Education Program.
In the second month of a new feature at board meetings, building principals recognized selected staff and students for their service and hard work. Recognized were students Bella Schroeder and Aaron Knoll, associate Tanya Druivenga and special education teacher Victoria Anderson at the high school; students Jordan Hinote and Logan Edwards, associate Carrie Fox and social studies teacher Matt Paulsen at the middle school; and students Emma Stevenson and Ethan Daniel, associate Jessi Dane and special education teacher Kathy Dobney at the elementary school. Each school and principal uses a different method of selecting those who will be honored.
Setting board goals was listed on the agenda. That item was tabled until a work session can be scheduled with an Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) facilitator, possibly in early December.
The board moved its regular November meeting to Monday, Nov. 14. Board members will attend the IASB convention on the regular meeting day, the third Wednesday of the month (Nov. 16).
