North Olympic Peninsula school districts received mixed grades for student skills measured by the Washington Assessment of Student Learning.
The annual test, administered in April, measures fourth, seventh and 10th-grade students’ skills in reading, mathematics, writing and listening.
The Port Angeles School District is the only Peninsula district to score above the state average in every grade and category.
The Cape Flattery School District, which has schools in Neah Bay and Clallam Bay, scored below state average in every grade and category.
Port Angeles School District Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Mary Ann Unger said her district is pleased with the scores but will continue to focus on improvement.
“Our goal is for every student to score above average every year,” Unger said. “We will continue to strive to achieve this.”
Cape Flattery
But not every district is pleased with test results. Some are even adjusting curriculum to help students score higher.
“We are not satisfied with our scores but are seeing some growth,” Cape Flattery Deputy Superintendent Jim Longin said.
Fourth-grade mathematics scores have climbed in the district from 3.8 in 1996-1997 to 25.0 during the 2000-2001 school year, test results show.
While fourth-grade mathematics scores are improving, seventh-grade mathematics scores are not.
Cape Flattery seventh-grade mathematics score was 0, test results show.
Longin said that’s because students taking the test did not score high enough to register any points.
That has led to curriculum changes, he said.
While the Port Angeles and Cape Flattery school districts were definitively above or below the state average, other North Olympic Peninsula school districts had mixed results.
Seventh-grade scores
Seventh-graders in the Sequim and Chimacum school districts scored above the state average.
In fact, Chimacum students scores improved so much in mathematics since the 1997-1998 school year that a state task force is studying the school’s curriculum.
Test results show scores have improved from 9.4 in 1997-1998 to 38.4 in 2000-2001 in mathematics.
“The staff developed a program which was successful for our students at that age,” Chimacum Superintendent Mary Lynne Derrington said.
In Sequim, confidence was the key to seventh-grade success, Director of Instructional Support Patra Boots said.
“Our staff encourages a positive attitude about the test,” Boots said. “We want children to approach it with interest, not fear.”
Fourth-grade results
At the elementary school level, many districts are focusing on improvement.
Quillayute Valley Superintendent Frank Walter said his school district is changing the curriculum to encourage improvement.
Fourth-grade students in the district scored below average in all tested categories.
Only two school districts scored above the state average in fourth-grade writing — Port Angeles and Quilcene.
Quilcene Superintendent Judi Mackey said she is pleased with the scores.
“The results show our staff being very focused on improving instruction,” she said.
Fourth-graders in the Cape Flattery, Crescent, Chimacum and Quillayute Valley school districts fell below the state average in every category.
Altering curriculum
Crescent School District Superintendent Rich Wilson said success on the test is dependent on reading.
He said changes in the curriculum will be made, but the size of Crescent is also a factor.
“From year to year, we expect some variation that is not teacher or curriculum driven,” Wilson said.
“We are a small district, which sometimes means a few students can greatly affect averages.”
Fourth-grader scores in mathematics reflect Wilsons comments.
Students scored 37.5 in 1996-1997, 47.1 in 1997-1998, 8.7 in 1998-1999, 22.2 in 1999-2000 and 13.3 in 2000-2001, results show.
Statewide 66.1 percent of fourth-graders met the state standard. The state fell short of its goal of 66.7 percent by 459 students.
High school
In the third year of taking the test, 10th-graders showed substantial gains statewide.
But most Peninsula 10th-graders still scored below average in mathematics.
Only Port Angeles and Sequim scored above average.
Quilcene 10th-graders raised mathematics scores from 6.5 percent in 1999-2000 to 37.0 percent for 2000-2001.
Statewide, 10th-graders improved mathematics scores by 5.9 percent over the last three years.
Port Townsend Superintendent Carol Andreasen said a number of 10th-graders refused to take the test last year, which hurt scores.
She said the district is looking at ways to better encourage students to take the test.
Changing test
But as districts alter curriculums to promote better test scores, the test itself is changing.
The Washington Assessment of Student Learning, a multiple-choice test, will undergo several changes in the next few years.
In 2003, science will be added to the test on a voluntary basis.
Social studies, health/fitness and the arts are scheduled to be added in coming years.
Test results are charted only in today’s Peninsula Daily News. Click on “Subscribe” to get your PDN delivered to your home or office.
