Published: November 17, 2008 09:44 am      

D80 plan focuses on raising test scores

Editor’s Note: This is the second of a three part series on the District 80 School Improvement Plan which has been submitted to the Illinois State Board of Education. Today’s installment centers on the plan for the J.L. Buford Intermediate Center.

By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — One of the main weaknesses identified at J.L. Buford Intermediate Center is in reading relative to students with disabilities and minority students, according to the District 80 School Improvement Plan for the 2008-2009 school year.

The district has prepared school improvement plans for each of its schools — The Primary Center, J.L. Buford and Zadok Casey Middle School — and the plans are filed with the Illinois State Board of Education. According to the J.L. Buford plan, factors that have contributed to the low test scores at the school is that subgroups are “far below grade level.”

“Many of these students lack parental involvement,” the plan states. “Another factor may include the need to pay closer attention to the manner in which we assess students. One additional factor that may have contributed to these results is a lack of knowledge and understanding of reading strategies geared towards special education and minorities.”

During the school year, the teachers and staff at J.L. Buford will be focusing on improving reading and math scores. The goal is based on the STAR Reading Test, which is administered three times each year, and indicate a need for improved reading comprehension.

“Over half of fourth and fifth grade students scored below grade level,” the plan states. “The SAT 10 is administered in the fall of each year. Results from the SAT 10 show a normal curve equivalent in reading for fourth grade of 41.1 and 44.5 for fifth grade, both of which are below the average of 50.0. These indicators provide evidence that many of our students are not reading at grade level.”

In math, the SAT 10 scores show a need for improvement in mathematical problem solving and mathematical procedures for both grades as well.

“Normal Curve Equivalent on the SAT 10 in math for fourth grade was 42.2, which is below the average of 50.0,” the plan states. “The Normal Curve Equivalent on the SAT 10 in math for fifth grade was 49.3, which is below the average of 50.0.”

Daily reinforcement and instruction are the goals to increasing both reading and math scores.

“The conclusion that we derive from local assessment data regarding school improvement is the need to implement measures that will assist in improving students’ reading comprehension and math computation,” the plan asserts. “Time must be spent on a daily basis to increase students’ reading comprehension and math computation. Time must be spent on a daily basis to increase students’ understanding of vocabulary, author’s purpose, the difference between minor and significant details, figurative language, characterization awareness, math problem solving and math procedures. Additional supplemental reading comprehension activities need to be utilized.”

External factors listed as possibly leading to the lower scores are ones that have also been listed at the Primary Center — children from economically disadvantaged homes and limited parental involvement.

“One challenge J.L. Buford Intermediate School faces is the increasing population of economically disadvantaged families,” the report states. “The percent of families, 72 percent, in this area translates to nearly three-fourths of the students.”

One of the identified key factors that are within the school’s capacity to change or control is a system for teaching appropriate behaviors, the plan states.

“Have in place a system for teaching and reviewing appropriate student behaviors based on data driven information and educate staff concerning the differences between middle class expectations for behavior and those behaviors of students/families coming from generational poverty,” the plan states. The education of staff and teaching behavior expectations to students is followed by the goal of having a system in place to increase parental involvement.

The improvement plan states that the school has worked with the Regional Office of Education and continues the Positive Behavior Intervention System program to help reduce student tardies and to increase student attendance. In the last three years, the school has had a 1.3 percent reduction in tardies and an increase in school attendance as well.

“Focusing on improving attendance and decreased truancy has a direct impact on student performance,” the plan states. “By decreasing the truancy, fewer classroom interruptions are experienced making for more consistent delivery of instruction, having a direct impact on the entire school population. The PBIS and other after school programs have created a positive attitude toward school. Students feel they are members of a community; the school; and they take pride in the daily activities and learning opportunities. These positive attitudes will result into greater academic skills and improve test results.”