The results are in from state testing in Nome Public Schools, and at Tuesday’s work session, the school board reviewed where Nome ranks on the Alaska School Performance Index (ASPI), based on students’ SBA (Standards Based Assessment) scores.
“ACSA [Anvil City Science Academy] for academic achievement got 32.67, they are a five-star school. Nome Elementary School—you can see the categories and their points—earned enough points to be a four-star school, which is up a star from last year. And Nome Beltz was a three-star school again this year as they were last year,” explained Janeen Sullivan, guidance counselor at Nome Beltz.
Sullivan presented the data to the school board—a complex array of percentages and categories of achievement—that, in general, spoke well of Nome’s education system. School board members agreed that while there’s room for improvement, results were nothing to scoff at.
A few grade levels tested at record highs, including fifth grade for reading and writing and sixth grade for writing. Though Nome Beltz didn’t see a jump in overall ASPI scores, sophomore students exceled this year.
“Our tenth graders, 78 percent were proficient in reading which is the second-highest ever. Seventy-four percent in writing which is the highest. And 72 percent in math which is also the highest of all the years,” said Sullivan. “This group really rocked this assessment.”
Sullivan applauded those tenth graders, but noted a curious drop in scores between eighth and ninth grade. She said that drop in proficiency is interesting because it’s when the Anvil City Science Academy students rejoin the larger population for the first year of high school. Even with statistically higher-scoring students in the mix, freshman year seems to be challenging across the board.
Though not officially included in test results, the board noted that scores for the extension school students, who combine at-home courses with in-class education, received five-stars.
As a three-star school, Nome Beltz is required to put together a plan of improvement to turn in to the district. But overall, Superintendent Steve Gast and board members were pleased with this year’s outcome.
“Some real encouraging news, too, as far as looking at the numbers,” said Gast. “Lots of improvement across the board.”
“Huge improvement,” commented board member Barb Nickels.
“You know, several times you heard that it’s the highest score ever. And we heard that several times, so that’s very encouraging,” said Gast.
“Still work to be done, but lots of good stuff happening,” said Sullivan.
2014 marks the last year of SBA (Standards Based Assessment) state testing. This academic year, a new testing system will be introduced: AMP, or Alaska Measures of Progress.
