By GINA KINSLOW
Officials with Caverna, Metcalfe and Monroe County school districts are reporting an increase in EXPLORE test scores.
The EXPLORE test is designed to help eighth- and ninth-graders prepare for their high school coursework and marks an important beginning for a student's future academic and career success, according to the test’s Web site.
Most schools administer the test to eighth grade students, but some have tested other grades. Caverna tested eighth-graders. The district’s scores are: English, 12.7; math, 13.6; reading, 12.7; and science, 15.4. The district’s composite score was 13.8.
“We’re up in all areas,” said superintendent Sam Dick. “We’re very pleased. That goes without saying.”
The district has implemented some new programs, such as Reading Plus and one for mathematics, to help improve test scores.
“The strategies that they’ve employed seemed to be making a difference and we will continue to sustain those,” he said. “We’re really pleased with the science scores, and also the fact the reading score increased. That’s really good. That shows we are going in the right direction.”
He pointed out EXPLORE is a different type of test compared to the Kentucky Core Content Test.
“The expectation of the test is even different. That’s why we are interested in seeing this,” he said. “Any time you change the test, you teaching strategies change as well. Overall we are glad to see them going in that direction.”
Metcalfe County tests sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders.
“As a district we feel the importance of ACT starts at the sixth grade and goes all the way up, so we have tested all students in grades six, seven, eight, nine and 10 with the EXPLORE and PLAN,” said Bennie Stephens, director of secondary education. “Our scores went up from one-tenth of a point to 15. When you average all the subjects together the composite benchmark is somewhere around 16. We’re still one point below (the benchmark), but we’re headed in the right direction.”
The district’s scores are: Eighth Grade — English, 14; math, 15.3; reading, 14.0; and science, 16.2. The district’s eighth-graders had a composite score of 15. Seventh Grade — English, 12.2; math, 13.7; reading, 13.2; and science, 15.8. The district’s seventh-graders had a composite score of 13.9. Sixth Grade — English, 11.2; math, 11.8; reading, 12.3; and science, 20. The district’s sixth-graders had a composite score of 12.6.
Monroe County tested eighth-graders only, and district officials reported that scores were up compared to those of 2008.
The district's scores are: English, 14.3; math, 15.7; science, 15.7; and reading, 14.1. The district has a composite score of 15.1.
Tony Harlan, principal of Monroe County Middle School, said he thought the students did exceptionally well.
"Our composite was up by almost one full point," he said.
Like the other districts, Monroe County has implemented programs to help raise its scores, such as Math Alliance.
"That's really helped our schools," Harlan said. "We're also doing a literacy program with GRREC (Green River Regional Education Cooperative), and I think that will help our reading scores even more next year."
The increase in scores is a reflection of teachers' hard work, he said.
