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London shows improvement in early state report card results
(by Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor - August 18, 2010)
Preliminary results show improvement in state test scores for London City Schools.
At the Aug. 16 school board meeting, curriculum and instruction director Jacqueline Burke said the final results won’t be available until Aug. 21. She does know that the district met 17 of the 26 state indicators, or 65.4 percent.
“That is a nearly 20 percent increase compared to last year and is the highest ever for London City Schools in the 10 years or so there has been state report cards,” Burke said.
Indicators measure student achievement on state tests, as well as attendance and graduation rates.
Burke also reported that London’s performance index score this time around is 90.2 percent, just 0.4 percent below the district’s all-time high from five years ago. The performance index is a weighted score based on student performance with 100 percent proficiency the goal.
“We’re beginning to see results. It’s affirmation that we’re doing the right thing,” said Superintendent Steve Allen.
Burke will present a more detailed report and analysis of the full results at the school board’s next regular meeting, which is set for 7 p.m. Sept. 20 in the high school lecture hall.
BMI Waiver
The school board applied for a waiver for this school year for the state mandated body mass index screening program. The program calls for testing students in grades 3, 5, 7 and 9.
Allen said school officials realize the health of students is important and that childhood obesity is a problem, but that the district is not equipped to conduct the screening.
“We’re down a third of our nursing staff,” he said. The personnel is not available to meet the mandate, which does not come with funding from the state.
Dr. Martha Geib, a school board member and a pediatrician, also noted that the American Academy of Pediatrics has published information stating that BMI screenings are not a good idea as currently presented.
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