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