Brandon Twp.- Standardized test scores recently released to the district reveal significant improvement, as well as plenty of space to grow.
‘The big takeways are that we are improving at a very fast rate and still have a lot of room for growth,? said Superintendent Matt Outlaw after presenting the results of NWEA tests at the Nov. 16 school board meeting. ‘We are benchmarking against 10,000 students who took this across the country… In math, we grew by almost 7 percent, in reading we grew by over 3 percent. These are very good indicators for us.?
The Northwest Evaluation Association test is administered twice a year, in the fall and in the spring, to all third through tenth grade students in the areas of reading and math.
The test measures average percentile ranks compared to students that took the test nationwide. Students ranked in the 80th percentile, for example, are performing at a rate higher than 79 percent of other test-takers.
In Brandon, students at every grade level improved in math, going from a districtwide percentage of 40.4 in 2014 to 47.1 percent in 2015, a 6.7 percent increase. At the high school, students improved from 46 percent to 53.3 percent (+7.3); at the middle school, from 41.4 to 43.9 (+2.5); at Fletcher Intermediate, from 36.2 to 44.6 percent (+8.4); at the Brandon Academy of Art and Science, from 48.5 to 56 percent (+7.5); at Oakwood Elementary, from 37 to 47.2 percent (+10.2) and at Harvey Swanson Elementary, from 39.3 to 42.3 percent (+3).
Districtwide, students improved 3.2 percent in reading over their 2014 scores, from 45.3 to 48.4 percent (+3.2). At the high school, students improved from 49.4 to 51.3 percent (+1.9); at the middle school, from 47.6 to 50.5 (+2.9); at Fletcher Intermediate, from 42.3 to 47.5 percent (+5.2); and at Oakwood Elementary, from 41.2 to 47.1 percent (+5.9).
The district slipped in reading scores at the Brandon Academy of Art and Science, falling from 60.8 percent in 2014 to 60.4 percent (-.4) and at Harvey Swanson Elementary, from 41.8 to 40.3 percent (-1.3).
Outlaw said the test scores show that investment in new math curriculum’Bridges for K-5 and CMP for grades 6-8? is working, as well as changes in intervention. Teachers have a major focus on ‘bubble kids,? students who are just above or just below proficiency.
Although the state has embargoed M-STEP results, the district has seen the scores and Outlaw said they are comparable to improvements seen on the NWEA.
‘Our teachers and principals are working really hard and the students are working hard and we are seeing results,? he said.