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By VICKI URBANIK A state program that measures the progress of Indiana schools shows that two Duneland schools fell in achievement in 2007, one improved and the remaining six stayed the same. The Indiana Department of Education late this morning released its annual placements of schools into categories under the state’s Public Law 221, a school accountability program that began two years before the national No Child Left Behind program. Under PL 221, Indiana schools are placed into one of five categories -- exemplary, commendable, academic progress, academic watch, and probation. The categories are based on the most recent scores on the ISTEP-plus tests, as well as improvement on the tests over a three-year period. How the schools fare under No Child Left Behind also play a role in the state’s ranking. For the Duneland Schools, today’s announcement shows a mixed bag. Four Duneland Schools -- Brummitt Elementary, Liberty Intermediate, Westchester Intermediate, and Bailly Elementary -- achieved the highest category of “exemplary.”
Jackson Elementary, Chesterton Middle School, and Yost Elementary all received the second-highest ranking, “commendable.” Two schools -- Liberty Elementary and Chesterton High School -- were placed in the second-to-lowest category, “academic watch.” This is the second year in a row that CHS was in this category. The rankings for Jackson Elementary and Liberty Elementary were lower than in 2006. Jackson had been in the exemplary category before falling to the commendable category, while Liberty had been in the commendable category before falling into the watch category. On the other hand, the commendable ranking for CMS was an improvement over its 2006 ranking, when the school was in the “academic progress” category. The rankings for the other Duneland schools remained the same in 2006 and ‘07. In announcing the categories, the Department of Education also gave the percentage of those passing the most recent ISTEP-plus, plus the improvement shown in the percentage of students passing ISTEP over a three-year period. Because it measures both the most recent ISTEP scores and improvement over a three-year period, P.L. 221’s ranking system can place schools that have lower test scores, but which are showing improvement, in the same category or even a higher category as schools with high test scores but no improvement. This is reflected in the Duneland’s results: For example, Jackson Elementary’s 2007 ISTEP scores were higher than at all other Duneland schools, but because it fell in improvement over the three years, it ended up in a lower category. The following figures show these results for Duneland, with the first number reflecting the “performance” measurement (the percent passing ISTEP), and the second number showing improvement over a three-year period. Jackson: Commendable, 87% passing, -1% improvement Brummitt: Exemplary, 80.9% passing, 1.7% improvement Liberty Intermediate: Exemplary, 85% passing, 2.2% improvement Liberty Elementary: Watch, 78% passing, -4% improvement CHS: Watch, 78.8% passing, -0.4% improvement Westchester: Exemplary, 86.3% passing, 2.5% improvement Bailly: Exemplary, 84.1% passing, 2.5% improvement CMS: Commendable, 81.9% passing, -0.6% improvement Yost: Commendable, 81.2% passing, -1.1% improvement No Porter County school was placed in the lowest category, probation. Schools in that category face a series of interventions by the state aimed at helping the schools improve. Of the other Porter County schools, the following were placed in the highest “exemplary” category: Hebron High and Hebron Middle; Morgan Middle/High and Morgan Elementary; Kouts Elementary; Washington Township Elementary; Union Middle, Elementary, and John Simatovich Elementary, all in Union Township; Aylesworth, Crisman, Central, Ethel R. Jones, Kyle, Saylor, Myers, South Haven, all Portage Township elementary schools; Central, Flint Lake, Cooks Corners, Northview and Parkview, all Valparaiso elementary schools. The Porter County schools placed in the second-to-last category of “watch” were Boone Grove High, Boone Grove Middle, and Porter Lakes Elementary, all in Porter Township; and Portage High School, Fegely Middle School and Willowcreek Middle School, all in Portage Township. Among all high schools in Indiana, 53 percent, or 198, were placed in the same category as CHS, “academic watch.” Only 9 percent, or 33 high schools, were placed in the “exemplary” category, while 14 percent, or 51, were placed in the lowest “probation” category. Sixty-five percent of Indiana high schools, or 238, stayed the same in their rankings, while 21 percent improved and 13 percent worsened. Among all middle schools, 55 percent, or 172, were placed on “academic watch,” while 9 percent, or 28, made it in the top “exemplary” category and 12 percent, or 36, were on “probation.” Sixty-six percent of Indiana’s middle schools stayed the same in their categories, while 15 percent improved and 19 percent worsened. Among all elementary schools, 32 percent placed in the “exemplary” category. Just 3 percent were placed on probation. Forty-nine percent of all elementary schools stayed the same in their categories, while 23 percent improved and 28 percent worsened.
Posted 4/2/2008
Posted 4/2/2008
Posted 4/2/2008
Posted 4/2/2008 |
