By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
(Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of articles breaking down state test scores in the area and the first to tackle elementary scores.)
As a whole, elementary students in the Pulaski County Special School District and the Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District understand English well, but have problems reading and can’t write well, based on state test scores.
Most scores for the English section of the ACT Aspire state test taken last April were in the 60s and 70s with some schools such as Sherwood, Cato, Oakbrooke and Arnold Drive hitting the 80s, along with Flightline Upper Academy – about 10 points better than the state averages.
But then the good news shifts with many of the reading scores in the 20s and writing scores in the teens, meaning 80 percent or more of elementary students at many schools can’t read or write at grade level.
At Warren Dupree, 97 percent of third graders are not on grade level as only 3 percent met or exceeded the goal of being on grade level. In fifth grade, only 2 percent of the fifth graders can handle fifth-grade math based on the state scores.
Officials at both PCSSD and JNPSD said keyboarding skills hurt students on the writing portion of the state test. To help in that area, Jacksonville now has keyboarding instructors at their elementary schools.
Dr. Tiffany Bone, assistant superintendent for JNPSD, said, “We are encouraged by the fact that although the scores are notwhere we would like them to be yet, there were multiple areas in which the percentage of students who were classified as ready or exceeding increased from the 2016 school year.”
Bone said, “Our teachers have already begun the process of analyzing the data, reviewing their standards, and developing a plan of action in which we can work together to meet the needs of all of our scholars going forward.”
She added, “Our goal is to continue to work together as a team to put systems in place that support the needs of every scholar, every day.”
PCSSD has been focusing on improving instruction to ensure students are getting what they need for the test and beyond. The district spent the summer going over standards and curriculum making them line up more with what was being test.
Dr. Yolanda Williams, with PCSSD, said gains were made at the elementary level in every category but two. She said students were more acclimated to the test this second go-around. “It’s been a process. Our students have been working with Chromebooks, iPads and desktops to be ready for the annual test.”
Williams added, “It’s moving the mindset of students and teachers a way from pencil and paper exams.”
PCSSD
At Clinton Elementary, the third graders were 72 percent proficient in English, 56 percent in math, 34 percent in science, 27 percent in reading and only 11 percent did well in writing.
At the fourth-grade level, 73 percent met or exceed goals in English, 39 percent did the same in math, 39 percent in science, 40 percent in reading and 16 percent made the cut in writing. Among fifth graders, 71 percent did well in English, 35 percent in math, 28 percent in science, 26 percent in reading and 28 percent made the cut in writing.
At Harris Elementary, 41 percent of the third graders met or exceed goals in English, 31 percent did the same in math, 16 percent in science, 16 percent in reading and just 9 percent did well in writing. At the fourth-grade level, 45 percent did well in English, 41 percent in math, 21 percent in science, 38 percent in reading and 35 percent in writing.
Fifth grade at Harris had 50 percent of its students make the grade in English, 24 percent in math, 16 percent in science, 14 percent in reading and 22 met or exceeded goals in writing.
Sherwood Elementary saw 68 percent of its third graders do well in English, 43 percent in math, 27 percent in science, 30 percent in reading and 18 percent made the cut in writing. Among fourth graders, 64 percent met or exceeding expectations in English, 57 percent in math, 45 percent in science, 39 percent in reading and 36 percent did well in writing.
For fifth grade, 88 percent made the cut in English, 61 percent in math, 49 percent in science, 43 percent in reading and 43 also did well in writing. The school had the best fifth-grade scores between PCSSD and JNPSD in English, math, and reading.
At Sylvan Hills Elementary, 70 percent of the third graders did well in English, 45 percent in math, 38 percent in science, 32 percent in reading and just 11 percent made the cut in writing.
At the fourth-grade level, 75 percent met or exceeded the goal, 46 percent did so in math, 42 percent in science, 41 percent in reading and 39 percent in writing. Among fifth graders, 75 percent did well in English, 47 percent in math, 43 percent in science, 24 percent in reading and 56 percent did well in writing.
Cato Elementary had 87 percent of its third graders make the cut in English (best in the area), 65 percent in math, 40 percent in science, 39 percent in reading, but only 19 percent did well in writing. At the fourth-grade level, 73 percent were proficient in English, 67 percent in math, 58 percent in science, 44 percent in reading and 38 percent in writing.
Cato’s fifth graders had 71 percent make the cut in English, 46 percent in math, 42 percent in science, 29 percent in reading and fell to 21 percent making the cut in writing.
At Oakbrooke Elementary, 79 percent of its third graders did well, 47 percent did the same in math, 35 percent in science, 36 percent in reading and just 8 percent made the grade in math.
Fourth grade saw 79 percent of its students meet or exceed goals in English (best in the area), 40 percent did the same in math, 41 percent in science, 37 percent in reading and 24 percent in writing. Among fifth graders, 80 percent made the cut in English, 58 percent in math, 43 percent in science, 37 percent in reading and 46 percent did well in writing.
JNPSD
Arnold Drive had some of the best scores in the district with 86 percent of its third-graders meeting or exceeding goals in English, 74 percent doing the same in math, 60 percent in science, 52 percent in reading and 40 percent did well in writing.
At the fourth-grade level, 76 percent made the grade in English, 48 percent in math, 44 percent in science, 28 percent in reading and 33 percent in writing. Among fifth graders, 67 percent did well in English, 44 percent did the same in math, 32 percent in science, 37 percent in reading and 27 percent made the cut in writing.
Bayou Meto saw 68 percent of its third graders meet or exceed expectations in English, 53 percent did so in math, 32 percent in science, 37 percent in reading and 27 percent in writing. Among fourth graders, 61 percent did well in English, 40 percent did the same in math, 26 percent in science, 23 percent in reading and 15 percent in writing.
Fifth grade had 64 percent of its students do well in English, 36 percent in math, 31 percent in science, 22 percent in reading and 28 percent made the grade in writing.
Warren Dupree third grade had 46 percent of its students meet or exceed goals in English, 28 percent in math, 22 percent in science, 12 percent in reading and just 3 percent made the cut in writing. At the fourth-grade level, 34 percent made the grade in English, 24 percent in math, 18 percent in science, 23 percent in reading and 7 percent in writing.
Dupree fifth graders scored 38 percent proficient in English, 11 percent in math, 13 percent in science, 2 percent in math, and then 6 percent in writing.
Murrell Taylor had 48 percent of its third graders do well in English, 49 percent did the same in math, 23 percent in science, 17 percent in reading and just 9 percent did well in writing.
The school’s fourth grade had 33 percent meet or exceed goals in English, 26 percent in math, 18 percent in science, 12 percent in reading and 14 percent did well in writing. Among fifth graders, 53 percent made the cut in English, 40 percent in math, 17 percent in science, 18 percent in reading and 19 percent in writing.
Tolleson Elementary had 54 percent of its third graders do well in English, 31 percent did the same in math, 15 percent in science, 12 percent in reading and just 4 percent made the grade in writing. At the fourth-grade level, 58 percent met or exceeded goals in English, 45 percent in math, 30 percent in science, 35 percent in reading and 25 percent made the cut in writing.
Fifth grade saw 50 percent do well in English, 25 percent in math, 21 percent in science, 17 percent in reading and 33 percent made the grade in writing.
Pinewood had 61 percent of its third graders meet or exceed goals in English, 48 percent did the same in math, 25 percent in science and reading and just 6 percent did well in writing.
The fourth graders had 63 percent make the cut in English, 32 percent in math, 28 percent in science, 25 percent in reading and only 7 percent did well in writing. At the fifth-grade level, 70 percent met or exceeded goals in English; it fell to 26 percent in math, 19 percent in science, 13 percent in reading and 17 percent in writing.
CHARTERS
At Lisa Academy North in Sherwood, 74 percent of third graders met or exceed expectations goals in English, 52 percent did so in math, 30 percent in science, 32 percent in reading and 29 percent in writing. At the fourth-grade level, 66 percent did well in English, 68 percent did the same in math (best in the PCSSD-JNPSD area), 47 percent in science, 45 percent in reading and 29 percent in writing.
Fifth graders saw 75 percent of its students make the grade in English, 54 percent do the same in math, 43 percent in science, 35 percent in reading and 28 percent did well in writing.
Lighthouse third graders were 67 proficient in English, 43 percent in math, 33 percent in science, 24 percent in reading and only 14 percent did well in writing. Among fourth-graders, 52 percent met or exceeded goals in English, 54 percent in math, 27 percent in science, 21 percent in reading and 17 percent in writing.
Fifth graders at Lighthouse were 55 percent proficient in English, 23 percent in math, 26 percent in science, 17 percent in reading and 26 percent did well in writing. The charter’s fifth-grade at the Flightline Upper Academy had 80 percent do well in English, 51 percent in math and science, 40 percent in reading and 46 percent made the grade in writing.