Blair Performs Well on State Measures
Students Rate "Exemplary" on Math and Reading Standards
by Susan Lash, Director of Curriculum and Assessment
The Blair Community Schools has met the state accountability criteria for 2006-2007 according to the Nebraska’s Department of Education’s annual State of the Schools Report which was released Tuesday, November 6, at 10:00 a.m. The report can be viewed on the web at the following address: reportcard.nde.state.ne.us.
For state accountability, Nebraska school districts report student performance under the STARS (School-based Teacher led Assessment and Reporting System) which measures progress on state standards in reading and mathematics.
In 2006-2007, Nebraska schools completed STARS reading and math
assessments and had to earn a “Good,” “Very Good,” or “Exemplary”
rating in both assessment quality and student performance to meet
the state accountability requirements. Ratings on performance were
as follows: “Good” = 50-67% of students scoring proficient on state
standards; “ Very Good” = 68-79% of students scoring proficient;
and “Exemplary” = 80% or higher of students scoring proficient.
In 2006-2007, the Blair Community Schools received “Exemplary”
ratings in math assessment quality at Grades 4, 8, and 11. Students
in Grade 4, 8, and 11 were also rated “Exemplary” in performance on
the math assessments. 94.07% of Grade 4 students were proficient;
98.50% of Grade 8 students were proficient; and 95.74% of Grade 11
students were proficient.
The Blair Community Schools received an “Exemplary” rating in reading assessment quality at Grades 4, 8, and 11. Students in Grades 4, 8, and 11 were all rated “Exemplary” in performance on the reading assessments. 95.17% of Grade 4 students were proficient; 98.32% of Grade 8 students were proficient; and 96.69% of Grade 11 students were proficient.
Blair students have received the highest ratings each year since the state assessment program was initiated seven years ago. This represents hard work on the part of our students and their teachers. A partnership with community, home, school, and student is necessary for student success.
