A dozen Lawrence elementary schools earned a stamp of approval for student performance on the latest Stanford 9 Achievement Test.
Marlene Merrill, district director of assessments and grants, said sixth-graders at 12 schools tested last fall in reading, math, language, science, study skills and listening earned a combined score of greater than 50 points on the Stanford 9.
"You want all your buildings to be above 50," she said.
Those making the cut, in order of finish: Quail Run, Hillcrest, Deerfield, Sunflower, Centennial, Broken Arrow, Sunset Hill, Schwegler, Pinckney, Wakarusa Valley, Riverside and Cordley.
Merrill said the district's four junior high schools, based on testing of ninth-graders, and the two high schools, where seniors were tested, surpassed the 50-point benchmark on the multiple-choice test.
Supt. Randy Weseman said the success of a school in Lawrence shouldn't be based exclusively on a standardized test.
"These things can't be discussed in a vacuum," he said.
He said the bigger picture included assessments, staffing, curriculum, facilities and other factors. It would be useful, he said, for the district to develop a formula for evaluating success at individual schools that incorporates performance on standardized exams.
"We need a formula so everybody is on the same page," he said. "That's never been done before."
The biggest gain among district elementaries was at Pinckney, which raised its score 7.4 points to 61 points.
The most significant decline was at Grant School, which fell 17.3 points to 47.7 points. Merrill said enrollment of only about 10 sixth-graders at Grant rendered results from that school statistically useless. Comparisons to other schools would be a "waste of time," she said.
The composite score at Central Junior High School declined, while the other three schools increased scores. The score at Lawrence High School was less than one point higher than at Free State High School.
No comments
Commenting is turned off for this story.