MHS superintendent “really thrilled” with state report card

The percentage of Mundelein High School students meeting or exceeding state standards on the Prairie State Achievement Examination increased this past school year, newly released data shows.

Student performance increased in reading, mathematics and science. And the improvement occurred as the statewide percentages decreased in each of those three categories, the school's latest state report card indicates.

"We're really thrilled," Superintendent Jody Ware said.

Ware credited schoolwide classroom changes implemented since she arrived in 2008 for the improvement.

Teachers have aligned their curriculums with state standards, Ware said. They also use common tests for a specific subject, a change from the past.

For example, all Algebra I students now take the same test, regardless of which teacher is leading the class. That's true for all subjects, from science and history to gym and consumer science, Ware said.

"I'm pleased to see that the efforts of the staff and administration have taken on over the last three years has made a difference in student learning," she said.

The growing use of technology in the classroom is helping students, too, Ware said. She pointed to computer-based videos as a particularly valuable tool.

"We can show them clips (about) the Civil War," she said.

High school juniors take the Prairie State test every spring. Between the 2009-10 and 2010-11 terms, the percentage of Mundelein High students who met or exceeded state standards increased:

Ÿ From 54.3 percent to 54.8 percent in reading.

Ÿ From 58.9 percent to 59.2 percent in math.

Ÿ From 54.3 percent to 56.3 percent in science.

The school's average scores in each of those categories dropped slightly from the 2009-10 term to 2010-11. The average score dipped: 156 to 155 in reading; 158 to 157 on the math test; and 159 to 158 on the science test.

Ware called the change statistically insignificant.

The state report also includes average scores from ACT college entrance exams taken by the school's recent graduates.

The latest composite average score - covering English, math, reading and science tests - was 21.3 out of a possible 36, up from last year's 20.9 and the highest score at the school since 2007.

The scores in the individual subjects increased in every subject except reading, which decreased from the previous year.