By CARA LORELLO
Staff Reporter
Medical Lake teachers shared performance results from some of their learning assistance programs (LAP) offered last year with the district school board on June 24, which showed marked improvements in student RIT scores, the unit measures used to determine grade averages.
Last year Medical Lake High School offered before- and after-school learning assistance classes, some created with the help of LAP funding from the state. Principal John McSmith said the LAP dollars created four support math classes so all freshmen students could be placed in Algebra 1. “We encourage students to do both a math class and support class during the day as an elective,” McSmith said.
The support group class sizes were small, and overall showed a 9-point increase average in RIT scores, with some as high as 17. On Tuesdays, the school library was kept open after school for study hall, during which school officials arranged for an Eastern Washington University student volunteer to work as a math tutor. About six weeks worth of data from a LAP zero hour class showed 71 percent of students improved RIT scores, though only five managed to pass the Washington Assessment of Student learning. Fifteen to 16 weeks into the program, freshmen students with F grades raised their scores.
“We really felt growth in all our support classes,” McSmith said of the effectiveness of the classes, which they hope to continue next year even with some results falling short of expectation.
“The teachers felt really good about it too,” high school vice principal Sylvia Campbell added.
At Medical Lake Elementary, first and third grade students were offered extended learning programs after school, three nights a week. First graders grew on average 16 points in their reading scores, with third graders averaging less. Principal Cindy McSmith pointed out that, as second graders, most of this third grade group started way below average in their reading.
“The piece that is encouraging was that many managed to raise their grade level by the year's end,” she said. “We feel extended learning is a benefit to our kids. Getting them there is tough; keeping them there is tough.”
Dan Mueller, principal at Hallett Elementary, shared results from an assessment on the effectiveness of the school's intervention methods to improve student test scores. The school doesn't offer as many after-school programs as in years past, outside of one remedial math class and some enrichment activities, Mueller said.
Teachers started the year off with screen tests to target troubled students, and a school “success team” met regularly to use data from those screens to make decisions.
“The key is consistency, and increased staff attention,” Mueller said.
One Title I math class was increased to be offered 12-13 nights per semester instead of eight nights. Pre- and post-test scores produced data showing 82 percent of students taking the class showed RIT growth, and 47 percent met growth norms. For fifth grade, 7 percent showed RIT growth and 31 percent met the norm.
During the school day, a math class called Spectrum showed comparative results in terms of RIT growth and meeting growth norms across grades four five and six, though 13 students fell short. This information is not to say to staff these classes aren't fully effective, Mueller said.
“I think it has some merit. We just need to keep looking at the data,” he said.
Cara Lorello can be reached at [email protected]
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