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Sky high scores: Skykomish kids all pass state tests
by Polly Keary, Editor
- Monroe Monitor -
In a state in which many school districts struggle to get half their student body to pass state math tests, students in Skykomish sailed over that hurdle.
Every single kid who tested passed in every single subject.
“I’ve never heard of any other school that has done that,” said superintendent Edwina Hargrave. “This is a success for us.”
Granted, the group that took the test at the end of last year was pretty small; the whole school has 40 students and only certain grades test. Still, statistically, their success rate is startlingly high.
And some of the kids not only passed the tests, they aced them.
A score of 400 was required to pass the tests, one student earned a 483, and the lowest got a 429. That put every kid at 10-35 percent above the state average.
Hargrave credits part of that success rate to the fact that the school is so small.
“Small class sizes help kids to be successful,” she said.
The state doesn’t publish the test results of the smallest schools on the state school report card because it would be too easy to figure out which kid earned what.
But Hargrave said she’s going to make sure that students and the community know they have something of which to be proud.
“We’re going to celebrate, let the kids know we are excited for them and the teachers,” she said.
Max
October 7, 2012 at 8:17 pm
Skykomish shouldn’t start partying just yet. With the WASL having been dumbed down over many years, even cats, dogs, mice and rats are ‘sailing over that hurdle’ you mentioned. Everybody’s getting A’s and B’s these days so as not to impair their self-esteem.
Public education in the United States remains in shambles, especially when measured against other nations. Students are often required to take basic remedial English and Math courses upon entering college or university to make up for the poor public education they’ve received. Even university graduates often have difficulty filling out simple job applications. Fortunately for them there aren’t a lot of jobs out there right now anyway.
The U.S. has gone from #1 to #15 and our nation is having a difficult time competing in world markets as a result. It’s time to stop patting ourselves on the back and get to work fixing this mess.
Kathy
October 24, 2012 at 5:59 pm
Max is correct that public education is in shambles. Mediocrity thrives and defends itself. More than ever we remain a nation at risk. Yet those of us who strive for better should absolutely celebrate people who can and do make a difference. I am so very proud of Skykomish students and their families and teachers for this achievement! How I wish my own school district would match their success. Skykomish has made their mark with no excuses about lack of money, lack of time, kids who cannot learn, or any of the other tired, handy escapes. They have simply buckled down and done it. These students have surely learned a deeply powerful lesson about work and achievement that will carry them and their community far. They remind me of the famous office poster: “Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those of us who are doing it.” Kudos to all who pulled off this success. It’s a first. May it be the first of many. (Oh, and it’s no longer called the WASL, Max.)