LJ Se ha Of Grade 6 writing Dallas El. grade 5 reading Dallas El. grade 5 math Westmoreland grade 5 reading Westmoreland grade 5 math 9th grade writing 8th grade reading 8th grade math 11th grade reading 11th grade math students are now at the Wycallis I ————————————— Dallas School District State Test Scores The 1998-1999 PA Assessment scores. 1998-1999 1997-1998 st.av.99 st. av.98 sim. schools 1300 1270 1240 1240 1300-1350 1320 1350 1310 1310 1360-1380 1340 1330 1300 1310 1330-1380 1410 1350 1310 1310 1360-1380 1340 1330 1310 1310 1330-1380 1390 1380 1340 1330 1390-1450 1360 1360 1300 1300 1320-1390 1350 1370 1300 1300 1290-1390 1350 1300 1330 1300 1350-1400 1350 1320 1330 1300 1360-1420 Note: Tests were taken in the 1998-99 school year, when Westmoreland was open. Most of those Elementary school. Test scores @ (continued from page 1) Writing in math class, as in other subjects, plays key role in the quest to enhance each student's understanding of fun- damental concepts. “My fifth grade math teachers have the kids keep- ing math journals where they have to explain in writing how they arrived at their answers,” said Sam Barbose, Dallas Elementary principal. “Describing the process is as important as getting the correct answer.” Math scores at Westmoreland and Dallas Elementary increased 10 points to 1340 on this year’s PSSA, but administrators said they expect those numbers to be higher as the curriculum is modi- fied to meet the new standards. “We think this test is very impor- tant because it gives us a chance to look at what we are doing at certain times of the year and to tailor instruction and some ac- tivities to help our students,” said Barbose.” While the PSSA gives teachers and administrators a powerful tool for evaluating a school’s perfor- mance, Barbose said it is only a part of the whole picture. “We did have a slide in our reading score, which is something we collectively have to take responsibility for,” said Barbose. “It's not something we're worried about because such small changes can be the result of any number of factors. In general, I'd say I'm pleased with our scores but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement.” Tony Martinelli, Dallas Middle School principal, was similarly hesitant to draw a direct correla- tion between school activities and PSSA performance. “We look at the scores and say, ‘You know we were a little weak in this area so let’s spend another week working on that in class,” but we don’t make wholesale changes based on one year’s test results,” he said. “At the Dallas Middle School, we are a model of consistency, which is not really a bad thing.” In the 1998-1999 tests, 8th graders recorded a score of 1360 in reading which is the same as the previous year’s score. The math score dipped 20 points to 1350. The 6th grade writing exam results were 30 points higher than last year. “If you want to attribute that increase to something, I'd say the kids were probably helped by our new nine-week writing course,” said Martinelli. “But again, that was introduced to help our students become better writ- ers. Ifit translates into higher test scores that is fine, but it wasn’t added to the curriculum for that ' purpose.” A deliberate and extensive pro- cess is used by the district to identify areas of instruction which need to be changed in accordance with new state standards. “We have developed a curriculum map that takes all the state sugges- tions and puts them into a matrix or chart allowing us to look at things such as when we teach specific skills,” said Dr. Michael Speziale, Assistant Superinten- dent. “One of the things we found out during this process is that in some cases, not many but a few, we are teaching certain skills af- ter the students have been tested.” Cooperation among neighbor- ing districts enables educators to evaluate curricula and design new courses more efficiently. “We re- ceived an Educate America grant to work with Lake-Lehman, Wyo- ming Valley West, Pittston Area, and Wyoming Area in creating a new framework which is shared by all five districts,” said Speziale. “We (Dallas) focused on writing and we are sharing our informa- tion and ideas with the other dis- tricts, which in turn are sharing their research with us.” Speziale said this statewide evolution in education would not be possible without a serious com- mitment from those who interact with students on a daily basis. “The whole process has involved a team of teachers, administrators and parents who put a lot of time in on their own,” he said. It is hoped the results of their work will be a better education for all students and a more effective method of assessment for all schools. “To be honest, there are so many variables to consider when you're looking at test re- sults comparing one class to an- other,” said Speziale. “You really have to look at how that 5th grade class does in 8th grade and 11th grade to have an indication of whether or not curriculum changes have had an effect.” . E—— a eg NP Have Your Draperies Cleaned Right In Your Home Or Business! GUARANTEED NO DAMAGE OR SHRINKAGE We dry clean any type of fabric window covering in any configuration right where it hangs - in the window! 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