spring 2009 istep report

Spring 2009 ISTEP Report

Center Grove Community School Corporation

From the Indiana Department of

Education“Due to changes in the test, its benchmarks and the new spring administration, these results are significantly

different than previous versions of the ISTEP+ and don’t allow for direct year-to-year comparisons.”--September 16, 2009 press release

• The cut-scores for the exams changed• The exam questions changed• The administration of the exam changed

It is helpful to look at individual student growth and areas for improvement

The comparisons can assist school leaders in determining strengths and challenges for future curriculum work

It is helpful to locate areas for continued improvement

Is it natural to make comparisons between previous exams and the spring 2009 exam

CG Schools – E/LA all grades

CG Schools – Math, all grades

Demographic data for comparison

Only 1 IN school matches most of our demographics

Using size and per student expenditure….

Three schools in the state ….

Using our % of free lunch

Three schools in the state…

Using only suburban and size…

Several schools may be compared

Comparing to Johnson County

Area school comparison

Top 10 Indiana Schools(overall ISTEP)

Top 10 Indiana School E/LA

Top 10 Indiana Math ISTEP

A more detailed look at CG Schools: CG MS Central

MSC 6th Grade English/LA

MSC 6th Grade Math

MSC 7th Grade Math

MSC 8th Grade Math

In comparison with state average changes between the Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 ISTEP+, MSC scored:◦ 6th Grade Math +4 points◦ 6th Grade Language Arts +4 points◦ 7th Grade Math +4 points◦ 7th Grade Language Arts 0 point change◦ 8th Grade Math 0 point change◦ 8th Grade Language Arts +3 points

In comparison with an average of the previous 5 years difference between MSC’s percentage change and the state average percentage change, MSC saw the most growth in 7th grade math and 6th grade math respectively.

Highlights indicated by the data

MSC spent the 2008-2009 school year looking at their special education program. New opportunities are currently being provided for students to receive additional instruction in math and language arts in their specific grade level.

Our SUCCESS program is now available for students for an entire school year.

We are implementing new remediation for students based on math and reading fundamentals.

Areas for future focus

CG MSN 6th Grade English/LA

CG MSN 6th Grade Math

CG MSN 7th grade English/LA

CG MSN 8th Grade English/LA

MSN 6th grade ranked 44 out of 687 schools passing both E/LA & Math and 45 out of 690 schools passing Science

MSN 7th grade ranked 17 out of 470 schools passing both E/LA & Math and 11 out of 474 schools passing Social Studies

MSN 8th grade ranked 19 our of 467 schools passing both E/LA & Math

Highlights indicated by the data

Remediation during the school day in Success class for students that did not pass ISTEP+

Continued focus on increasing the performance of special needs students as measured on ISTEP+

Implementation of RTI process to pair students with researched-based interventions and monitor progress. Students will gain ownership of their data and set goals for achievement.


Center Grove Elementary3rd grade English/LA

CGES 3rd Grade Math

CGES 4th Grade English/LA

CGES 4th Grade Mathematics

CGES 5th Grade English/LA

CGES 5th Grade Math

15 3rd grade students achieved 6 points and 19 achieved 5 points on Writing Applications and 31 received 4 points on Writing Application. Highest ever for CGES.

In 4th grade, there was a zero % gap between males and females in mathematics (both at 87%). There was only a 2% gap in both English/Language Arts (92% and 90%) and Science, with the ladies leading in ELA and the gentlemen leading in Science (87% and 85%).

In grade 5, there was only a 1% gap in Math (91% for males/90% for females). Our general trend is holding firmly – by the time students get to our 5th grade, they are passing at the rate of 93-97%.

CGES Highlights indicated by data

In grades 3 and 4, about one-half of the students who did not pass were within 15 points of passing – a gap we can bridge.

We are seeing a higher rate of poverty at CGES which aligns with a larger gap in performance. Only 45% of our Free/Reduced students in 3rd grade passed compared to 90% of paid students. Our demographics are changing.

Special Needs students passed this year at a much lower rate than in the past. 56% as compared to 75%.

CGES Areas for Future Focus

Maple Grove Elementary3rd Grade English/LA

MGES 3rd Grade Math

MGES 4th Grade English/LA

MGES 4th Grade Math

MGES 5th Grade English/LA

MGES 5th Grade Math

Applied Skills Writing—the percentage of students scoring a 5 or 6 is increasing:◦ 3rd gr. 35% (12% last year)

◦ 4th gr. 41% (40% last year)

◦ 5th gr. 44% (27% last year)

Applied Skills Lang. Conventions—the percentage of students scoring a 3 or 4 is increasing:◦ 3rd gr. 95% (87% last year)◦ 4th gr. 94% (93% last year)◦ 5th gr. 96% (94% last year)

While our Free & Reduced Subgroup is growing, these students are not having significant performance issues.

MGES Highlights indicated by data

Special Education—we are using Tier III interventions in order to address significant deficit areas. We will also be investigating what some of the “Top Ten” schools are doing to be successful.

Continue to address Reading Comprehension in hopes of raising not only these scores but also…

Our scores in Math Problem Solving, which have started to decline.

MGES Areas for future focus

North Grove Elementary School3rd Grade English/LA

NGES 3rd Grade Math

NGES 4th Grade English/LA

NGES 4th Grade Math

NGES 5th Grade English/LA

NGES 5th Grade Math

• % passing of General Education population in 3rd-5th increased an average of 3% from fall to spring in both language arts and math.

• % passing of Free/Reduced population in • 3rd-5th increased an average of 12% from fall

to spring in both language arts and math.• % of 3rd grade students achieving Pass+ in

mathematics increased 16% from fall to spring (10% to 27%).

Highlights indicated by data

• Special Education-Average % passing in 3rd-5th language arts was 53.4%, average % passing in 3rd-5th mathematics was 67.7%.

• % of female students passing mathematics in 3rd grade below 80% last three years.

• 7% decrease in 4th grade language arts from fall to spring

• Free/Reduced % has increased almost 700% the past 10 years (4.5% in 1999 to approximately 32% this year).


Pleasant Grove Elementary School3rd Grade English/LA

PGES 3rd Grade Math

PGES 4th Grade English/LA

PGES 4th Grade Math

PGES 5th Grade English/LA

PGES 5th Grade Math


Grades 3 and 5 increased by 7% and 6% of students who passed both portions of Math and Language Arts.

Pleasant Grove’s 3-5th Grade scored higher than the corporation average on 6 of the 8 subtests (Language, Math, Science, and S.S.)

Pleasant Grove’s 3-5th Grade percentage of students that scored PASS + was higher than the corporation average on 8 of the 8 subtests (Language, Math, Science, and S.S.) with an average of 7.5% higher in each area.

4th Grade Scores went from 87.5 % passing both sections of the test to 76% passing both sections

Special Education scores were down Fall 2008 Spring 2009 3rd Grade LA 100% 60% 3rd Grade Math 100% 80% 4th Grade LA 92% 15% 4th Grade Math 92% 71% 5th Grade LA 60% 33% 5th Grade Math 60% 33%

Free and Reduced scores were down 4th Grade LA 78% 40% 4th Grade Math 78% 60% 5th Grade LA 88.5% 75% 5th Grade Math 65% 69%

Areas of future focus

Sugar Grove Elementary School3rd Grade English/LA

SGES 3rd Grade Math

SGES 4th Grade English/LA

SGES 4th Grade Math

SGES 5th Grade English/LA

SGES 5th Grade Math

Sugar Grove was pleased to see we are just behind CGE in all grades passing LA and Math in spite of top students leaving our school to attend Extended Learning programs at North Grove and Center Grove. For example, last year's fourth grade of 128 students had 16 top performing students leave to attend North Grove or Center Grove. Our top 12% of our highest achieving students’ scores did not count towards Sugar Grove’s AYP.

Last year's third grade Math Fall scores had dropped compared to the previous year's third graders. We increased instruction in multi-step problem solving and determined what vocabulary was used on ISTEP for problem solving, and taught with that same vocabulary throughout the year. Third graders’ spring ISTEP scores rose by 11% in Math.

We tracked the cohort group of students who were third graders in 2006-07. That group improved in Reading and Math scores every year in Fall ISTEP scores through fifth grade last year. LA scores were 87% (3rd)-92%(4th)-94%(5th.)

Math Scores were 89%(3rd)-90%(4th)-93%(5th.)


Area 1- Continue emphasis on improving reading comprehension skills across the curriculum, especially with non-fiction and informational text.

Insuring that students are fluent readers by third grade will impact ALL test scores, not just Language Arts scores. Students’ ability to master Math problem-solving questions that involve multi-step directions will be strengthened by an ability to read and comprehend the text. Improved reading comprehension in the content areas will impact Science and Social Studies scores as well.

****Nine of our fifth graders who did not pass LA also did not pass Social Studies!!

Specifically, we will focus instruction in these areas:


A. Further implement the Reader's Workshop approach and increase exposure to non-fiction and informational text in all grade levels. Strategies in this instructional best practice, including student response journals and student conferencing, will provide formative assessment data to teachers throughout the year. These data inform teachers on how to tweak and individualize instruction according to student needs before ISTEP is administered again.

B. Target early identification of students below grade level by providing interventions as early as kindergarten and first grade. Students who start behind their peers often struggle to close the

gap as they increase in grades. We now have three interventions with built-in progress monitoring that will track student growth (or lack of), allowing us to change or increase interventions very early if the student is not demonstrating adequate growth.

C. Use our Literacy Coach not only to support teachers with implementation of the Reader's Workshop approach, but to work with those second grade students who are below grade level in reading. Our goal is to have every student reading fluently by third grade.

D. Boost reading skills for all students who did not pass or barely passed ISTEP in grades 3-5 with Skills Tutor, Reading Center, and Read About interventions. We will change or increase intervention according to progress monitoring data. Last year, we only had enough interventions to target those in most need. This year, every student in need will receive an intervention. This should address the dip in fifth grade scores.

Area of future focus

Area 2- Boost Math scores for students who did not pass or barely passed Math ISEP with research-based interventions. Skills Tutor will be used to strengthen math problem-solving skills and FAST+ Math will be used to increase math computation skills. We have already identified some students who will need both.

Area 3- Analyze 5th grade mirrored images carefully to determine what caused dip in scores. This is the first time students were tested over these 5th grade standards. We will analyze the October Acuity assessment data, which is written in ISTEP format, to predict which students are not grasping the format that is used in the ISTEP exam. We will use that data as a predictor not only to determine skill deficits, but to teach students how to show what they know in the ISTEP format.


West Grove Elementary3rd Grade English/LA

WGES 3rd Grade Math

WGES 4th Grade English/LA

WGES 4th Grade Math

WGES 5th Grade English/LA

WGES 5th Grade Math

We are pleased with the gains our 3rd grade students made in Writing Applications. Over 80% of our students earned 4 to 6 pts with 6 being the highest score possible.

Our 4th grade excelled in Language Conventions which includes grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and descriptive phrases.

The 5th grade excelled in Social Studies and Language Arts. They have successfully

integrated Writer’s Workshop with Social Studies.


After reviewing our data and talking with staff, the first 10 weeks of interventions and remediation will focus on Math Computation.

We will start with flexible grouping and a hands on approach for basic problem solving and math facts. As further assessments are administered such as Acuity and AIMSweb, we will introduce computer based interventions to further individualize our students needs.

Mastery of the basic math facts will be integrated into other content areas as well.


At this time, comparative data is not available on the DOE website for the spring administration of science and social studies ISTEP exams.

Individual buildings have their student scores and are using that information for curricular planning.

Science/Social Studies

Thank You

spring 2009 istep report

Documents