BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — The first two administrations of the state’s new FAST math and English exams show progress at Lawtey and Southside Elementary schools.
Assistant Superintendent Karen Clarke shared the figures during a school board workshop retreat last week.
Both schools have been working on improvement under state guidance after falling just 1% short of being graded C schools.
Because this testing is in its first year, there is no student growth information to get the full picture, but comparing the initial results to the midyear results does offer a snapshot depicting progress.
The first results shared group third-, fourth- and fifth-graders together. In math at Southside, only 5% of students passed the test at the beginning of the year. By the midyear 26% were scoring at Level 3, 4 or 5. The number scoring a Level 1 dropped from 81% to 53%.
At Lawtey, only 12% passed the math portion at the beginning of the year compared to 47% on the second test. Level 1 performance dropped from 66% to 26%.
The first test results were better for the English portion of the test. At Southside, 15% scored at Level 3 or above while 63% were at Level 1. By the second test, 28% were passing the test and 45% were at Level 1.
At Lawtey, the percent at passing English went from 32% to 52% and Level 1 performance fell from 33% to 19%.
Passing means the students were performing at or above grade level.
Looking at the scores, Lawtey students were beating the state and district averages at each grade level. The proficiency level at each grade was also higher than the state average.
With the exception of fifth-grade math, Southside proficiency did not meet or surpass the state average. In fourth- and fifth-grade reading, the gap difference was 13% to 20%.
The final FAST exam will take place in May.
These days, Clarke said teachers and administrators have more data than they know what to do with, so the district tries to streamline it for them. They also use the STAR assessment which helps identify both high and low achievers as well as high and low levels of growth. Clarke said it’s possible for a student to perform well but not demonstrate growth. For the tests to show a school is successful, however, those students have to move up as well.
Lawtey was a good example. Clarke said for years the school didn’t have enough students to form a bottom quartile, so it was being judged on performance alone. When that changed, it was the lack of growth demonstrated that cause the school to drop to a D, Clarke said.
“So, you can have a school of high performing kids and still have a low grade if you’re not meeting the needs of all your students, including your bottom quartile,” she said.
Grades won’t be an issue this year since it is the first year the FAST test is being administered, and growth is a part of the grade formula. However, it also means neither Lawtey nor Southside will be exiting the turnaround process.
Visits and meetings with the state team have been going well, and DOE doesn’t seem concerned, Clarke said. They have seen the district-level support as well as the eagerness of principals to take the feedback and implement change.
Even if proficiency scores in May aren’t as high as expected, Clarke said this is a hold harmless year. Lawtey and Southside, which will be Bradford Elementary in the fall, will have three years to achieve turnaround instead of two. The schools will continue to receive additional funding from the Unified School Improvement Grant.
