Third-grade students at Newton County Elementary School breezed past the third-grade reading gate despite higher standards from the Department of Education going into effect this year.
In a regular meeting of the Newton County School District Board of Trustees, Brooke Sibley, director of Special Education, Testing and Accountability at Newton County School District, reported the first of two re-tests had been taken and only five students failed to pass. Of those five, three students qualify for a good-cause exemptions, which allows students to advance with lower score under special circumstances.
“The state department gave us some leeway, we were able to bump three of those students up,” she said. “Two did not qualify for good-cause.”
For the two remaining students, Sibley said the school offered an intensive, 4-week remediation course. However, she said, only one student took them up on that offer.
“So, the other parents just weren’t interested?” Board President Glenda Barrett asked.
The remediation course was offered to both students, but the parents of one child did not want their child to participate, Sibley said. For the student who is participating, the teachers are working one-on-one with them to prepare them for the final retest at the end of June.
The third-grade reading assessment, which students are required to pass to advance to fourth grade, returns a score of 1-5, with one being the lowest and five being the highest proficiency rating possible. In previous years, a score of 2 or higher was needed to pass. This year, however, that standard was raised to require students receive a proficiency rating of 3 or greater to advance.
“They set the bar high,” Superintendent J.O. Amis said.
Despite the higher standards, Sibley said the students and teachers rose to the challenge and performed very well on the test. Next year, she said, the district will be looking to do even better.
“We’re looking for number 1,” she said.
