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Ferguson-Florissant District’s 2013 State Assessment MAPS Scores Up
Results from the 2013 Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) for the Ferguson-Florissant School District released this week show a seven-point gain over last year’s score of 90.5 points. The district remains fully accredited, among the 506 other accredited public school districts in the state of Missouri. Ferguson-Florissant received 97 out of a possible 140 points on the annual assessment test.
“We are encouraged by the growth we see reflected in this year’s test scores,” said Supt. Art McCoy of the Ferguson-Florissant School District. “Our path of steady, sustained growth over the past three years, despite financial challenges, indicates a high level of commitment and institutional excellence that will help us achieve our goals for the future. We have no doubt that we will meet and exceed the required points for continued full accreditation in 2015.”
All school districts in the state must achieve 98 points or more on the test by 2015, when the scores will be used as a measure for accreditation.
The district increased scores in science, English language arts, and college and career readiness on this year’s test. In science, scores increased by 18.8 percent among all student groups. The District credits, in part, its participation in Washington University’s STEM Teacher Quality Initiative (STEM TQ) for growth in science.
An increase in the number of students taking the ACT or ASVAB test during the 2012-2013 academic year led to gains in that part of the state assessment.
The District lost points in math and a part of the test that measured the number of career and college placements of District graduates. The decrease in math scores was due to slower growth among subgroups in math achievement as compared to 2012, but math scores overall showed an upward trend from 2011. The decline in career and college placements was due to a 1.5-point drop from 2012 to 2013 in the number of District graduates placed in college or careers.
Though the district scored above the required attendance standard in 2013, it lost two points on the measure because attendance figures slipped 0.7 percent. Last year, attendance improved over 2011 by three percent.
Looking forward, the district said it will not only be focused on increased rigor in course content, but also will use relationships to improve achievement. All 70 administrators in the District will each provide mentoring and support to five students during the 2013-2014 school year. The District also said it expects to see greater increases in students’ college and career readiness, thanks in part to an Innovation High Schools grant the District received from the state.
“We are holding students and adults responsible for learning at higher levels than ever before, and we are making gains,” said Dr. McCoy. “We are headed in the right direction. Our plan to move forward is based on our belief that relationships, put in place systemically to reinforce both content learning and confidence in our children, are the key to future success.”
Jennings School Dist. Shows Significant Academic Progress
Jennings School District Supt. Tiffany Anderson announced that the district has a balanced budget and ended the year with it’s first surplus in years. The district also had major improvements in Math scores, she said.
Anderson joined the district in July 2012. Jennings is one of two districts in the area to be unaccredited. State law mandates voluntary busing to accredited districts for students.
In the recent 2013 Missouri Assessment Program (MAP), the district met 100% of the English, math, attendance and graduation APR points. There was significant academic growth across the district, particularly at the elementary level.
Significant improvements have also occurred in college readiness at the Senior High, which received 80% of the dual credit/AP points from accreditation standard 3.4 compared to 0% in 2012. Anderson said that the goal is to ensure every child is college ready.
Overall, Jennings gained 12 additional points from the 80 it earned in 2012 to 92 for 2013.
At the district’s convocation on August 6th, a teacher from every school was recognized for having the majority of their students proficient and advanced and having a 10% gain in performance in one year.
The district’s teacher of the year, Mrs. Jacquelyn Overby, exceeded the state benchmarks in her student’s academic performance by having over 80% of her students scoring proficient and advanced in math. Fairview Primary, Overby’s school, has the highest free reduced lunch status (above 90%) in the district.
