After developing a plan to raise Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test scores, including becoming involved with the University of Virginia Turnaround Program, South Elementary School became one step closing to getting out of school improvement by meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for 2009-2010.
"South Elementary School faculty and staff are proud to announce the results of 2010 MAP testing," said South Elementary School Principal Kim Lowry. "Being involved in the Turnaround Schools program at the University of Virginia has helped the faculty, staff and administration in understanding the techniques of effective teaching and learning in the classroom.
"South Elementary met all five subgroups in both Communication Arts and Mathematics and made gains ranging between 17 and 24 percent in the subgroups. The Annual Proficiency Target, keeping in line with Federal No Child Left Behind Standards, for Communication Arts was 67.4 percent and the growth plus percentage target for South was 71.8 percent for the Total School. The Annual Proficiency Target for Mathematics was 63.3 Percent as set by national guidelines, and South scored 78.6, growth plus proficiency. Each subgroup made tremendous gains as well."
According to Lowry, one of the major ideas that faculty and staff members have embraced since starting the journey to making AYP, is the knowledge that as educators, "we must focus on what the students are learning, not just what we are teaching."
"For years we have felt that if our teachers are teaching the material, the students should be learning it," Lowry said. "It has been proven that now we must focus on what the kids are learning, and if the GLE's (Grade Level Equivalencies) are not learned, they must be re-taught and re-tested, so that we are assured that the learning is taking place."
Lowry said the administration of Kennett Public Schools would like to say a huge "Thank You" to the faculty, staff, parents, STARS, and other various community groups that were "so kind to help with school supplies, tutoring, getting children to bed on time and feeding them a healthy breakfast before, during and after MAP testing, and all the other acts that helped us improve MAP scores."
"Making AYP in 2010 only gets us half way where we need to be to get out of school improvement," Lowry said. " The NCLB guidelines say to exit school improvement a school must make AYP for two consecutive years.
"In 2008 South School met nine out of 10 subgroups, in 2009 we only met six out of 10 and finally in 2010 we made 10 out of 10, with rising standards each year."
The elementary principal said the teachers have been working hard since the first day of the new school year to prepare the students to meet the standards set forth by the MAP test, and asked that the community continues to "support our school, children and community so that we can once again be as successful in 2011."
Lowry said the faculty, staff and administration of Kennett Public Schools are proud of the efforts put forth by the students at South Elementary on the 2009-2010 MAP test, and as a final reward for their efforts and achievements, the students were taken to the Memphis Redbirds game on Aug. 31, 2010.
"Students were treated to a hot-dog and soda while at the game, and that was compliments of the STARS parent group," Lowry said. "A donation from Wal-Mart was also used to take the kids on this reward trip. We appreciate the support from the community to help us in our efforts to encourage and raise our scores."