North Putnam students have average ISTEP scores

North Putnam students are somewhere in the middle when it comes to scoring on the ISTEP exam, according to officials at this week's school board meeting.

Assistant Superintende-nt Kevin Emsweller told the school board that a majority of the students in grades 3 through 10 scored at or above the state average on the yearly exam this fall, a smaller number fell below average or well above average.

It was also noted that the next ISTEP will be given in the fall of 2008 and again in the spring of the same year. State legislators approved moving the test from the fall to the spring during their last session.

Regarding this year's test, Emsweller provided the school board with a chart showing how students at individual schools in the corporation performed on language arts, mathematics and science portions of the test.

The following are some of the results presented to the school board:

* At Bainbridge Elementary, 71 percent of third graders passed the language arts section. The state average is 75 percent. In math, 64 percent of students passed, compared to the state average of 70 percent.

* In fourth grade, at Bainbridge, 79 percent passed language arts, compared to the state average of 74 percent. In math, 79 percent passed, to a 75 percent state average.

* In fifth grade, at Bainbridge, 73 percent passed the language arts portion, compared to 75 percent state average. In math, 71 percent passed to 77 percent state average. In science, 69 percent passed to 65 percent state average.

* At Roachdale Elementary, 91 percent of third-grade students passed the language arts section, compared to a state average of 75 percent. In math, 85 percent of students passed to 70 percent at the state average.

* In fourth grade, at Roachdale, 71 percent pass language arts to state average of 74 percent. In math, 82 percent passed to state average of 75 percent.

* In fifth grade, at Roachdale, 71 percent passed language arts, to state average of 75 percent. In math, 84 percent passed to state average of 77 percent. In science, 63 percent passed to state average of 65 percent.

* At North Putnam Middle School, 67 percent of sixth-graders passed the language arts portion, compared to 72 percent state average. In math, 80 percent passed, compared to 80 percent state average.

* In seventh grade, 72 percent of the students passed the language arts portion, compared to a state average of 70 percent. In math, 82 percent passed, compared to a state average of 70 percent.

* In eighth grade, 51 percent of students passed the language arts section, compared to a state average of 69 percent. In math, 64 percent passed, to the state average of 74 percent.

* In ninth grade, 62 percent of students passed the language arts section, compared to the state average of 66 percent. In math, 67 percent of students passed, compared to 70 percent for the state average.

* In grade 10, 70 percent of students passed the language arts sections, compared to 67 percent state average. In math, 67 percent passed, up 1 percent from the state average.

Another comparison included in the information given to the school board is how well students scored this year, compared to last year. The following is a portion of that information:

* Third grade -- 86 percent passed language arts in 2006; 83 percent passed the math section in 2006.

* Fourth grade -- 72 percent passed language arts in 2006; 71 percent passed math in 2006.

* Fifth grade -- 74 percent passed language arts in '06; 75 percent passed math in '06; 67 percent passed the science section in '06.

* Sixth grade -- 73 percent passed language arts in '06; 77 percent passed math in '06.

* Seventh grade -- 55 percent passed math in '06; 69 percent passed math in '06; 54 percent passed science in '06.

* Eight grade -- 59 percent passed language arts in '06; 67 percent passed math in '06.

* Ninth grade -- 66 percent passed language arts in '06; 58 percent passed math in '06.

* Grade 10 -- 79 percent passed the language arts section in '06; 71 percent passed the math section in '06.

Assist Supt. Emsweller said of the results: "Overall, it's kind of a mixed review."

He added his concern for language arts.

"We're concerned about the drop in language arts, across the board," Emsweller said.

But he praised the scores in math and science.

"We had pretty good growth there," he said of the science scores. He added, "We're pleased with the math scores."

He also said he hoped the same strides that were made in the science area of the test could spill over to other sections in the future.

Supt. Murray Pride said, in a sweeping statement at the end, that the corporation takes part in Writing Across the Curriculum programs to help students and that teachers are required to make assessments and develop methods for helping their students improve on the ISTEP each year..