Rainier, Clatskanie schools defend test scores
Wednesday, August 13, 2003 9:07 AM PDT
By Amy M. E. Fischer
Printable version
E-mail this articleRainier and Clatskanie school district officials want to bring their schools up to the Department of Education's standards, but doing so would be easier if they had more money, they said Tuesday.
"It's disappointing that the money isn't coming in as promised," Rainier Superintendent Michael Carter said. "They want the assessment but don't provide the means to do so. ... We'd sure like to have more money, more resources, more instructional assistants to help out, but we're going to bridge it until the Legislature gets its act together at the federal and state level."
Rainier Middle School and Clatskanie Middle/High School were among more than 360 schools in Oregon that were told they must boost math and language test scores or face a range of federal sanctions. At least 40 percent of students had to score at or above proficiency levels for a school to meet Adequate Yearly Progress standards.
Rainier Middle School students with disabilities didn't meet math or language arts requirements, but Carter said he was pleased overall with the district's showing. Hudson Park Elementary School and Rainier High School both met AYP standards.
"We want everybody to make it. That's our goal," Carter said. "We have a very good Special Ed department -- we just need to make some adjustments."
Carter plans to review the data, assess individual students, tweak the curriculum and evaluate the process. After that, "we should do just fine," he said.
"All I know is we've got a good program, and we're going to take it to the next level of success," Carter said.
At Clatskanie Middle/High School, students with disabilities didn't meet language requirements, and all students didn't meet math requirements.
"I think it's an eye opener for us," said Clatskanie Superintendent Mike Corley. "There's nothing bad about it. ... It certainly helps us identify what students are having troubles so we can do something about it."
Clatskanie school officials already knew math was an issue after a math audit last year revealed that textbooks weren't up to state standards. Students will break in their new textbooks when school starts. In addition to that, teachers will train to improve instructional leadership in math and language arts, Corley said.
"We're targeting additional funding, as little as it is in Oregon, toward math and reading," said Corley, who said the district doesn't want to deal with sanctions.
The good thing about the test program, Corley said, is that students scores are broken into subgroups by race, economic status, disability and non-native English speakers "so no child will be left behind in any group."
"We believe that our students are as good as anybody else's students, and we certainly want to provide them with every opportunity to make them successful," Corley said.
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