Opp schools improve reading, math scores

Published 12:28 am Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Opp Elementary and Opp Middle schools students saw outstanding improvements in reading and math scores , administrators said Tuesday.

The system received results from the Alabama Reading and Mathematics Test (ARMT), which is given to students in grades three through eight to assess their mastery of state content standards in reading and mathematics.

OMS Assistant Principal Shawn Short gave a comparison between grades.

Short said that fifth graders in the 2008-2009 school year had 45 percent score at levels three or four and the same class, which were sixth graders in the 2009-2010 school year, improved to 60 percent scoring at the same level.

The same class improved in English from 61 percent to 77 percent scoring at the same level in 2009-2010.

Seventh graders in 2008-2009 had 63 percent of the class score at levels three or four in math, and saw an increase to 87 percent as eighth graders.

However, the class dropped from 83 percent meeting or exceeding standards to 79 percent their eighth grade year.

One class did see decreases in their scores.

Sixth graders in the 2008-2009 school year had 66 percent of students perform at level three or four in math, while only 63 percent of the class as seventh graders scored at the same level.

The same class saw decreases in reading scores as well, scoring 79 percent in 2008-2009 and 75 percent in 2009-2010.

“We have made progress,” Short said. “But we have more to make. We think STI assessment was very helpful.”

OES Principal Brett Kinsaul said the goal is for students to score in levels three and four.

In third grade, 87 percent of students scored outstanding in the two levels, and 88 percent in math.

In fourth grade, 86 percent scored outstanding while 83 percent scored high in the reading portion.

Opp City Schools Superintendent Michael Smithart commended the staffs for their work.

“When you’re dealing with cuts, and you’re seeing these kind of results, it just shows that kind of folks we have.”