Published 8/16/08

2 Lewistown schools fail to meet
No Child Left Behind requirements

by MERYL RYGG McKENNA
News-Argus Staff Writer

Two of the five schools in Lewistown School District #1 failed to meet the expectations of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) set by the No Child Left Behind Act for the 2007-2008 school year.

Lewistown’s new superintendent, Jason Butcher, told the School Board it is important to remember that all schools are expected to be 100 percent proficient (all students meeting proficiency standards) by the 2013-2014 school year. Montana’s Office of Public Instruction (OPI) established annual measurable objectives for progress in the state’s schools.

Butcher’s report said the objectives for the 2006-2007 school year were 74 percent in reading, and 51 percent in math. For the 2007-2008 school year, those objectives jumped to 83 percent in reading (a 9-percent increase) and 68 percent in math (a 17-percent increase). Those measurable objectives will remain in place until 2010-2011, when they increase significantly toward the goal of 100 percent three years later.

Garfield Elementary (grades 3 and 4) reached its goals during the most recent school year, according to Butcher’s report. School Board Chair Dave Byerly said that after Garfield’s scores had not passed in a previous testing, teachers and administrators there worked very hard to bring the students’ proficiencies up to par, and they definitely accomplished their goals.

Lewis and Clark Elementary (grades 5-6) did not meet AYP requirements in either reading or math. One subgroup of students tested at 73 percent proficient in reading (with 83 percent the annual measurable objective, or AMO); the same subgroup showed 57 percent proficiency in math, while the AMO was 68 percent.

The subgroup in question was that of economically disadvantaged students. Trustee Jennifer Granot asked why those students are singled out.

Scott Dubbs, Fergus High School principal, explained that economically disadvantaged students have traditionally tested lower than the overall average. In subsequent tests, if the group scores higher, then teachers and administrators know they are more effectively addressing the needs.

Mary Schelle, trustee, pointed out that as a subgroup, economically disadvantaged students are relatively easy to identify if they participate in the free or reduced-price lunch programs.

It is one way to track whether students’ needs are being met, Supt. Butcher said.

Lewistown Junior High School did meet AYP requirements because of what is called safe harbor, according to Butcher’s report. The safe harbor provision allows subgroups that fail to reach the AMO target to still “make AYP” if the percentage of students below the proficient mark is at least 10 percent lower than in the previous year.

Butcher told the trustees that Fergus High School did not make AYP in the area of math. The all-student and the white student subgroups did not meet the annual measurable objective of 83 percent; their scores were 54 percent and 55 percent, respectively.

The School District’s curriculum committee focused on math during the past school year, evaluating the district’s current textbooks as well as new possibilities. After many hours of study, presentations and deliberation, the committee recommended a new series of math books, which will be in use in Lewistown this fall, as reported last spring.

At Monday’s meeting, Schelle said, “If curriculum can make a difference, we should be in good shape. The new (math) curriculum addresses all the factors being tested. The curriculum committee looked at all of it – math has been in everybody’s radar.”

Because Highland Park serves kindergarten through second grade, it is considered a feeder school and is not calculated into AYP determinations individually, Butcher said.

In the first year following failure to meet AYP standards, a school is placed on a watch list. If it fails a second time, the school’s administration and staff must come up with a five-year plan to bring the scores up to the minimum expected. Further corrective action is required in successive years if the scores continue to be low.

“The administrative team will address strategies for what we can do to bring these (scores) up,” Butcher told the Board. “We may take a portion of Fridays to work on testing strategies, for example.” The tests include critical thinking skills, he said, and he wants to work with students to be sure they understand the questions.

“I think we need to look at the big picture and understand that our staff and our students are working very hard to meet the AYP requirements. The increases in the AMO (annual measurable objective) were significant this year and I think you will see that a number of districts around Montana will be struggling to make AYP due to this increase,” Butcher said in his report.

“These targets are lofty challenges for any school district to achieve, but I am confident that our students and our staff will work hard… to help us achieve these goals.”