Mt. Vernon Register-News

Local

October 13, 2008

J.L. Buford seeking test score improvement

By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Educators at the J.L. Buford Intermediate Center have developed some specific strategies to improve student test scores and are using the help of a new computer testing program called Think-Link.

“It’s an online [Illinois Skills Assessment Test] program,” Principal Patrick Rice said. “It allows students to take an ISAT pretest, at the beginning of the school year to develop a baseline, then a pre-middle test so we can see the improvement or areas that need more work, and a post test after the ISAT testing in the fall.”

Rice, who recently spoke to the Illinois Principals Association Conference on the achievement gap for non-minority and minority children, said the initial baseline testing has been completed.

“What’s great about Think-Link is it gives us specifics,” Rice told members of the District 80 board last week. “We can target specific areas for work. We’re getting really involved in data driven decision making.”

Based on 2007 ISAT test scores, the achievement average to all subgroups in fourth and fifth grade reading is at 46.4, and the level in math is at 53.3 percent.

In reading, fifth grade minority children were tested at 48.1 percent and non-minority children at 67.3 percent. In fourth grade, minority children tested at 38 percent and non-minority children at 66.3 percent. Special education students in fourth grade tested at 34 percent and fifth grade at 33 percent.

In math, fifth grade minority children were tested at 48.1 percent and non-minority children at 66.3 percent. Minority children in fourth grade tested at 51.8 percent and non-minority children at 77 percent. Special education students in fifth grade tested at 40.7 and fifth grade at 38.4 percent.

“The achievement gap is not just affecting Mt. Vernon,” Rice said. “It’s a national issue.”

Pretest results taken this year show the achievement gap is present, but with the help of Think-Link, strategies have been developed to address the differences.

The pretest results showed the beginning of year achievement average of minority students in fifth grade math at 52 percent, and non-minority students at 76 percent, while special education students were at 67 percent. Fifth grade reading scores came in at 43 percent for minority students, 69 percent for non-minority students and special education students at 38 percent. Testing results for fourth grade minority students in reading was at 64 percent and non-minority students at 72 percent.

Fourth grade minority students performed better than non-minority students in math, posting an 89 percent compared to 85 percent.

“That was the exception,” Rice said. “The higher scores in the fourth grade students is a result of the excellent work of the teachers at the Primary Center and the third grade.”

Strategies Rice and teachers at J.L. Buford have identified to address the issue is to promote the use of Accelerated Reader, use a fluency assessment pilot, Dibels; use the pilot SRA, which targets extra learning time for those individual students who are having difficulty with subjects; use a classroom and school wide incentive program to promote literacy; acquire audio tapes and books to support fluency and comprehensive skills; promote teaching of higher order thinking skills; develop response to intervention model; promote professional development for staff; promote the use of Think-Link and have weekly team grade group meetings.

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