D25 releases state scores, prepares for new test

Closing the achievement gap and raising graduation rates, all while preparing for an entirely new accountability system; Tuesday, the Pocatello-Chubbuck School District released its Adequate Yearly Progress and ISAT testing reports.

The ISAT tests in reading, math and language, and there were dips and increases in all areas across all grades, but each grade stayed above state averages.

Director of Curriculum Chuck Wegner is specifically proud of closing the achievement gap, the distance in scores between white, black, hispanic and Native American students. Scores for every race have been going up, with the gap closing more and more, since 2007.

More students are making it out with diplomas, as well. Overall graduation rates have gone up from 94.7 to 96.4 percent. The average state graduation rate is 93 percent.

“That’s the confidence that, administratively, we have in our teachers and our classified staff and our building principals — that they can pin-point those areas where students need that extra help, and give it to them,” Wegner said.

But while the news conference on scores was happening, teachers were studying curricula just down the hall to get ready for a brand new assessment system, the Smarter Balanced Assessment. The state, along with 23 others, has petitioned the federal government to get away from No Child Left Behind-type testing. Lisa Holzer has been teaching English for 28 years. The change is all about preparing kids for an increasingly competitive environment, she said.

“Right now the colleges are expecting a certain level from our kids, and we’re going to up that. And I’m fairly proud of District 25 because we’re pretty much state of the art, because we’ve been moving that way for years,” Holzer said.

Director of Elementary Education, Dr. Patti Mortensen, said teachers have been unpacking the common core standards this week to come up with more rigorous unit plans so students can do well on the new Smarter Balanced Assessment. Students will have to communicate with a deeper understanding than they are now.

“So our teachers there are involved in that unit planning, teams of teachers, again, collaborating, working together to make that happen,” Mortensen said.

“We’re going to make sure that our kids are ready to go,” Holzer said.