Middle school students posting gains

Local News

Discussion

November 16, 2009

By LISA SIMPSON STRANGE The Glasgow Daily Times Mon Nov 16, 2009, 11:50 AM CST

GLASGOW — Test scores for eighth-graders used to predict the students’ performance on future exams have been released and both local middle schools are showing gains.

Recently released results from ACT Inc. show both Glasgow Middle School and Barren County Middle School scored better than previous year’s results and the national average on the EXPLORE exam, a test used as a predictor of how successful the students will be when they take the PLAN exam in the 10th grade and the ACT exam in 11th and 12th grades. The ACT is used by colleges and universities as one of the parameters for admittance to their programs.

Glasgow Middle School eighth-graders outperformed the school’s overall composite score from the last school year. In the 2008-09 school year, students scored 13.5 in English, 14.3 in math, 13.9 in reading and 16 in science. Their composite score was 14.5, compared to a state average of 14.7 and a national average of 14.9 last year. The EXPLORE test is scored on a scale of 1 to 25.

In 2009-10 testing, GMS students in the eighth grade raised their scores significantly in every category of the exam: 14.8 in English, 16.0 in math, 14.8 in reading, 16.8 in science and 15.9 in composite score. State averages have not been released and the national averages available are unchanged from last year.

Mike Vaught, GMS principal, said during Monday night’s district board meeting at his school that he was very pleased with the results of this year’s EXPLORE exam and proud of his students and faculty for all their efforts and hard work.

The students were tested in September.

Eighth-graders at Barren County Middle School also improved on their scores from last year.

Last year’s BCMS results were: 13.5 in English, 15.3 in math, 13.8 in reading, 16.2 in science and 14.8 in composite score. With the exception of the math result, which remained at the same level, everything else increased over the previous year.

BCMS students this year achieved scores of 14.5 in English, 15.3 in math, 14.8 in reading, 16.5 in science and 15.4 in composite score.

Cortni Crews, principal at Barren County Middle School, said her students have been taking the EXPLORE exam the whole time she has been principal at the middle school and they are “incorporating high levels of understanding with mathematic and complex problem solving” to help increase their test results.

“That says a lot for an eighth grade student,” she said in a district release.

The state of Kentucky now requires all middle and high school students to take the EXPLORE and PLAN tests, but that isn’t the case in all states.

Officials from both districts stressed that these results don’t happen overnight and that students and teachers can’t just show up and expect these outcomes. It takes a cumulative process and a district wide effort beginning in kindergarten and going all the way through high school to make these scores a reality.

As students see the results, they’re realizing what they’re capable of doing, according to Benny Lile, director of instruction/technology for Barren County Schools.

“We’re hearing kids say they can do this (after taking these tests). They see they can go to college,” Lile said.

EXPLORE scores 2009-10 (8th grade)

BCMS 2009 2008

English 14.5 13.5

Math 15.3 15.3

Reading 14.8 13.8

Science 16.5 16.2

Composite 15.4 14.8

GMS 2009 2008

English 14.8 13.5

Math 16.0 14.3

Reading 15.6 13.9

Science 16.8 16

Composite 15.9 14.8

Text Only

Local News

Local artist paints what she loves
When Betty Brogan paints, she is able to escape the humdrum of everyday activity.

February 11, 2012 1 Photo
Tyson to give keynote talk for health conference
Donna Tyson’s enthusiasm for life is apparent with every word she speaks. A motivational speaker for the last 25 years, Tyson travels around the country sharing her story and encouraging others to find joy in their lives.

February 11, 2012
Senate approves redistricting map
The state legislature couldn’t agree on a plan to re-draw Kentucky’s six congressional districts, so the state’s congressional delegation stepped in and Friday the General Assembly finally passed a plan, although not without some angry dissent from a couple of central Kentucky Republican state senators.

February 11, 2012
MORNING UPDATE: GFD responds to car fire
February 10, 2012
Two arrested on criminal trespass, public intoxication charges
February 10, 2012
Tax reform suggestions coming by Nov. 15
Gov. Steve Beshear on Thursday announced the members of a Blue Ribbon Commission on Tax Reform and said it will offer recommendations by Nov. 15 to make the state’s tax system more responsive to changes in the economy and fairer for taxpayers.

February 10, 2012
Released felon arrested again
It was what jail officials were afraid would happen, and in fact they anticipated.

February 10, 2012
More infected bats found in state
White-nose syndrome has been detected in another Kentucky county, but it has yet to be found at Mammoth Cave National Park.

February 10, 2012
Ambulance board OKs outsource billing
After a thorough discussion during Wednesday’s board meeting, the Barren-Metcalfe Emergency Medical Services decided to outsource its billing to AMB-MARS (Medical Accounts Receivable Systems doing business as AMBulance Medical Billing), contingent on AMB-MARS adding a guarantee clause on its work.

February 9, 2012
Teen named local youth of the year
Rayne Triplett has been practicing the speech she will give at the end of the month when she travels to Frankfort to compete for the Boys and Girls Club’s 2012 State Youth of the Year title.

February 9, 2012 1 Photo
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Discussion

Middle school students posting gains

Site Map