By ANTHONY BOTTAN
Eighty-nine percent of third-graders; 90 percent of fourth-graders; 97 percent of fifth-graders; 95 percent of sixth-graders; 89 percent of seventh-graders and 85 percent of eighth graders either met or exceeded the state standards on the statewide ELA exam.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Roseanne Melucci said the district is at or above the county average for most grade levels. She noted that the district has "very few" students who scored in the lowest level - Level 1 - but they are dedicated to increasing the amount of students who score in the highest levels. "For those in Level 1, we will work to move them forward to meet state standards," Melucci said. "We will do the same for students who score at Level 2 to make sure we provide the appropriate academic intervention services."
Melucci noted that the increase of students who scored at the state standard or higher is due to a joint effort with teachers, students and parents. "We have seen growth as a result of increased coordination of effort among the teachers in all content areas to improve student performance in reading, writing, listening and speaking," she said. "Student effort has also increased as well as parents working closely with the school to help students put forth their best efforts."
Even though scores have increased on all levels, Melucci said the district students can still do better. She said she plans for district officials and teachers to analyze the ELA results to pinpoint where improvements can be made. "We plan to analyze the assessment results to see what can be learned and improved upon for the future," Melucci said. "In addition, we will continue to develop curriculum based projects that require critical thinking and active student participation."
