ACADEMIC GROWTH FOR ALL STUDENTS

During last school year, 95% of 3rd graders at Discovery Elementary achieved their growth targets in math as measured between the fall and spring administration of the Idaho Standards and Achievement Test.  To put this achievement in perspective, since the ISAT is a norm-referenced test given to tens of thousands of students, 50% of students, on average, are expected to make their academic growth targets.

This makes the 91% of Donnell 2nd graders, the 91% of Summerwind 3rd graders, and the 76% of Meridian High School 10th graders who made their growth targets in math truly astounding.  Remember, in districts across the county on average 50% of students make their growth goals.

These performances, and the performance of our district as a whole, show that we are making great strides in our goal of academic growth for all students.  In math, 78% of 2nd graders, 82% of 3rd graders, 75% of 4th graders, and 70% of 5th graders made their academic growth targets.  In reading, 62% of 2nd graders, 58% of 3rd graders, 61% of fourth graders, and 57% of 5th graders made their growth targets in reading.  Again, 50% is the norm.

Have we done enough?  Of course not.  That is why we continue to refine our curriculum, improve our instructional practices, offer more educational choice -- in short, why we continuously strive to improve the education students in our school district receive.

However, I am pleased by the progress because as superintendent my goal is academic growth for all students.  Academic growth for all students -- as opposed to meeting proficiency benchmarks for all students -- is an important distinction.  Under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the goal is for 100% of all students to be proficient in math and reading by 2012 as measured by the Idaho Standards and Achievement Test.

To be sure, this is an important goal.  We want all of our students to be proficient of advanced in both math and reading.  However, if proficiency is our only focus, then in fact we will leave some students behind.  For example, there are students in our system who score high enough on the ISAT to be considered "advanced" in math as a tenth grader -- but they achieve this ISAT score in 7th grade.  If our goal for these students isn't focused on academic growth each school year, then they will not advance in their learning.

Another example is the five thousand new students who have moved into our school system during the past three years.  Some of these students enter our system learning above their grade level, while others are behind.  What we must do as educators is make sure that no matter where these new students started, that when they reach the end of this school year, they will have grown academically.  As a school district, this is the same commitment we make for all our students.