The report cards are out and Lincoln Public Schools is staying on track.
LPS brought home a B in math and an A in reading, scores that reflect a continual and gradual increase in students’ proficiency in both subjects.
“I think (the numbers) show sustained, steady improvement and that’s what I’d hope to see,” said Marilyn Moore, LPS associate superintendent of instruction.
Particularly important, said Moore, is that the state has ranked both the quality of the district’s assessment system and student performance as exemplary in all categories.
This is the first time the state has ranked LPS’ student performance in all grade levels and each testing area as exemplary, she said.
“I think it says the system as a whole is working well,” Moore said.
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At nearly every grade level, LPS showed increases in the percentage of students proficient, compared to last year.
* Fourth-graders’ composite math scores increased from 78.68 percent last year to 82.06 percent; their reading scores from 86.90 percent to 88.42 percent.
* Eighth-graders’ composite math scores increased from 78.58 percent last year to 81.47 percent this year; reading scores decreased marginally from 90.18 percent to 90.03 percent.
* Seniors’ math scores increased from 80.77 percent to 82.14 percent; reading scores from 87.76 percent to 90.56 percent.
Compared to the state, LPS outperformed the state average in reading at each level.
In math, the LPS average scores remained lower than the state’s scores, except at the high school level, where they were slightly higher.
Moore said she believes LPS’ math scores fall below the state average because LPS’ math standards are higher than the state’s. She points to the fact that LPS consistently scores higher than the state on ACT scores and Metropolitcan Achievement Tests.
So what do the scores mean for parents, principals or the district?
According to Moore, they’re a starting point.
For one thing, scores are influenced by the makeup of students in any one school.
A large number of English Language Learners, special education students or high mobility rates for students can affect scores.
And each school’s percentage “grade” is the culmination of several different areas — or objectives — that students are tested on throughout the year.
“I think what it says is the same thing as a B+ says on a report card,” Moore said. “It’s a starting point.”
District administrators watch for big changes in the numbers that might indicate a need for change in the curriculum.
Parents can use it the same way, though what one school offers can’t be reduced to a single number.
“What it gives parents is a quick glimpse of the overall proficiency of the kids in their child’s school,” Moore said.
Reach Margaret Reist at 473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com.
