Districts increase reading scores

Three of Youngstown's charter schools are the lowest achieving on the test in the Mahoning Valley.
By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
COLUMBUS -- Fourth-graders in the three Mahoning Valley districts in academic crisis outperformed last year's fourth-graders taking fall standardized reading tests, according to the Ohio Department of Education.
Taking the biggest jump was the Warren district, based on numbers released Tuesday, where the percentage of fourth-graders who earned proficient marks on October tests jumped by nine points, from 26 to 35.
Academic emergency status
The Warren district in January was placed in "academic emergency" by the state after report cards showed pupils failing to meet 22 of 27 standards on statewide tests given to fourth-, sixth-, ninth-, 10th- and 12th-graders.
In the academic emergency district of Youngstown, 19 percent of fourth-graders were proficient this fall, compared to 16 percent last fall. The district failed to meet 22 standards on the January report cards.
"I'm excited," said Robert L. Faulkner Sr., Warren school board member. "I've always felt that once we got things in order, we'd make great progress."
He referred to the district's leadership team, including schools Superintendent Betty English, and the use of parent liaisons at each school as reasons for improvement.
"I think this is just the beginning," Faulkner said. "I think we're going to continue to make great progress."
Thirty-six percent of fourth-graders in East Liverpool, a district in "academic watch," were proficient this fall, compared with 32 percent on last year's test. The district had failed to meet 17 standards in the January report.
The three districts still lag behind the state average, which shows 45 percent of fourth-graders achieving a proficient level or above, compared with about 44 percent last October.
Purpose of test
The purpose of the Fourth-Grade Reading Proficiency Test is to certify a fourth-grade level of literacy and to identify pupils who are in need of intervention. The items on the reading test are based on fiction, poetry and nonfiction reading selections.
This is the first of three test opportunities fourth-graders will have in 2002-2003. Pupils who have not achieved a proficient score will have additional testing opportunities in March and July 2003.
The Department of Education has cautioned against comparing results from October 2001 and 2002 due to the inclusion of pupils with disabilities this year, per state law. Before this school year, districts were able to excuse pupils with disabilities from being included in district reports.
Charter schools
Of Youngstown's four charter schools, three had passage rates lower than the city district and below 10 percent, placing them as the lowest achieving on the test in the Valley.
Achieving the highest rate among the charter schools was Youngstown Community School, where 42 percent of fourth-graders achieved proficiency -- only slightly below the state average.
At Eagle Heights Academy, 7 percent were deemed proficient. Both the Legacy Academy for Leaders & amp; Arts and the Summit Academy-Youngstown had passage rates of 4 percent.
In the public school arena, biggest increases came in the Lakeview (59 percent proficient) and Joseph Badger (51 percent proficient) districts in Trumbull County, where proficiency levels went up by 21 and 20 percentage points, respectively.
Beaver schools (49 percent proficient) saw an 18 percent increase between this fall's level and last fall's results. Salem (59 percent) and United (46 percent) each jumped by 15 percentage points.
Losing ground
Appearing to lose significant ground is the Southington district, where 25 percent of this fall's test takers were proficient, compared to 60 percent last fall.
Superintendent William Pfahler said there's more of a likelihood for a larger percentage change in smaller school districts.
The district doesn't have all of the information to evaluate the results. Nothing has changed in the way teachers have been instructing to result in a drastic change, he said.
He said that district officials are concerned but plan to continue intervention efforts in place.
Sebring schools (30 percent proficient) saw a difference of minus 23 percentage points between this fall and last fall. The Maplewood district had a minus 18 percent change; Struthers schools saw a minus 17 percent difference; Liberty schools saw a minus 16 percent change.
Struthers superintendent Dr. Sandra DiBacco said newly implemented programs should put the pupils back on track.
"We are beefing up our intervention. Last year we ran an enhancement program for those not proficient, and this year we are expanding that," she said. "We have also added a program for third-graders to get them ready for the test."