2008-2009 Test Results and Contributing Factors

In today's educational environment, ACCOUNTABILITY is a term that you often hear. At STRIDE, we welcome accountability and believe we need to see better academic results and at the same time for a lower cost. Otherwise, why have charter schools. There are many ways to measure a school's academic performance and there are no ifs, ands or buts, academic performance is the primary measure of a school's success. Everything we do at STRIDE supports academic performance. As explained in my last blog, STRIDE uses three measures of academic success; however, the state and federal government holds STRIDE accountable using the MCA-II test which are given annually at the end of each school year. STRIDE Academy dramatically improved our scores this year, 10% points in both math and reading. While we are very pleased with our growth and improvement, we are NOT satisfied with almost 3 out of 10 students not at grade level. STRIDE will NOT make excuses about No Child Left Behind, the state test, or our student population. WE, parents, students and teachers are responsible for meeting the standard and we will not make excuses for not meeting the standard, we will only look for opportunites for growth. We are now working on an improvement plan to increase our performance for next year. 100% is the federal standard by 2013 and we are going to work hard to reach that goal.

MCA-II (state tests for 3-6 graders)

MATH (Percent of Student Proficient)

.............................Low Income.....3rd....4th.....5th......6th......School Average
Sartell,***........................6%.............85.......83......80.......76....... 81
STRIDE ....................51%........83.....79.....66.....61......72
MN Average....................31%...........82.......75.......65.......64........71
Foley ...............................33%...........89........71.......56.......67....... 71
Mississippi Heights* .....27%...........83........70.......68......57...... 70
St. Cloud All ELEM........41%...........82........70.......65......61......69
Rice Elementary*.......... 24%..........83........62.......67......57........ 67
Pleasant View* ..............27%...........73.........75.......58.....57........ 66
Westwood .......................44%.......... 76 ........58......65.....61........ 65
Madison**.......................55%.......... 84.........75......48.....61...... 67
Lincoln ............................64%.......... 70 ........60......69.....50...... 62
Discovery .......................62%............74.........60......51.....64........ 62
Talahi .............................70%.............57.........60.....59. ...62...... 60


READING (Percent of Students Proficient)

................................Low Income.....3rd.....4th.....5th.....6th.....School Average
Sartell***............................6%.............84......87.......84.......84.......85
Foley...................................33%...........88......73.......71........73.......76
Mississippi Heights*.........27%...........83......77.......75........71........77
Rice Elementary*.............24%...........81......69.......72........71........73
MN Average......................31%..........78......74.......72........73........74
STRIDE......................51%........80......69....72.....67......72
Pleasant View*..................27%..........78.......73.......66........71.......72
Westwood..........................44%......... 64...... 53.......70.......76.......66
St. Cloud All ELEM.........44%...........71.......62.......64.......64.......65
Madison**.........................55%..........67.......66.......37........59.......57
Lincoln...............................64%..........59.......48.......77........43.......57
Discovery..........................62%..........64.......47.......58........47........ 54

Why the increase in test scores?
1. Teachers work hard and strategically to focus instruction on individual student needs. We level students at their appropriate math and reading levels and provide extra time and resources for students who are not at grade level. Teachers meet on a monthly basis to review student performance data. They work collaboratively to improve instruction and meet the needs of ALL students.
2. STRIDE hired a literacy and math coach and provided a half day release time for the coaches to help focus instruction. The coaches review student data weekly and facilitate professional learning communities that focus on improving student achievement. The coaches also provide professional development for teachers.
3. Specific academic goals are set for ALL teachers. Teachers earn merit pay tied to students achieving academic goals. These goals include students performing at grade level, individual student growth and a teacher growing professionally.

*Includes the named school and Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School
** Includes named school and North Junior High
*** Includes Pine Meadow, Oak Ridge and Sartell Middle

What Gets Measured is What Gets Done

Often in today's education world you hear the term "data-driven decision making" used. For years, businesses have used data as a way to raise productivity and efficiency, effective schools have started to do the same. Two important elements to our success include using ONLY research based curriculum and using data to TRULY drive instruction. STRIDE uses four tools to measure our academic success:

1. Locally developed assessments for kindergarten and first grade based on the MN Academic Standards. These assessments help staff focus instruction at the individual and grade level. The data also shows the growth and grade proficiency for each child.

2. Saxon Math and Reading Mastery assessments that measure the fluency, numeracy and comprehension in the areas of reading and math. These assessments help staff place students in the correct reading or math level.

3. NWEA MAPS is a nationally normed test that assess growth and grade level proficiency for students in 2nd-6th grade. The test helps staff focus instruction and sets TARGET GROWTH RIT for each child.

4. MCA-II (MN State test) for grades 3rd-6th in reading and math, science for 5th grade. The MCA-II data holds us accountable for the NCLB (NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND) standards. They are also used as a comparison to like or surrounding districts.

Within the next two weeks, you will find in-depth data for our academic performance for the 2008-2009 school year. The data illustrates that STRIDE raised math and reading scores on the MCA-II tests over 6% points this year as compared to 2007-2008. Our math scores on these tests our the second highest amongst the most common schools from where are students come from. We are fifth in reading. We place in the top 10%ile in the state for schools with a F/R population over 40%. F/R population is a socioeconomic indicator. On the NWEA MAPS, all grades exceeded the national norm in reading and math and we also exceeded the target growth by at least 25%. No grade finished with lower than a 77% success rate of meeting their goals.

The real use of this data is to celebrate our short term success and now find areas of improvement for next year. Our instructional leadership team will sit down and identify areas for growth next year. The areas of growth will be communicated as goals and staff members will work hard to meet these goals and earn merit pay on meeting or exceeding these goals.

For more in depth information on our academic performance, please attend the July 21st board meeting. A presentation will be given.


Upcoming Events

July 21st- Board Meeting

July 31st- STRIDE Golf Tournament

August 3rd- Teacher Staff Development

August 4th- Regional whole Brain Conference at STRIDE

August 6th- Open house, 3:30pm-7:30pm

August 11th- First Day of School