Naperville 203 happy with test scores, looks to the future

Naperville Unit District 203 is once again touting its achievements as students have met nearly 91.5 percent of the federal standards it is responsible for under No Child Left Behind.

The district cleared 332 of 363 hurdles in its latest round of standardized test scores, with neither of its two high schools making adequate yearly progress. The district also posted its highest-ever ACT composite score of 25.4.

For high school students, adequate yearly progress is determined by scores on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, which includes the ACT and is taken by juniors. For most elementary and junior high students, it is based on Illinois Standards Achievement Test scores.

For a school to make adequate yearly progress, No Child Left Behind requires that the percentage of students meeting standards in each subgroup rises every year.

For this round of tests, 85 percent of students in each group needed to meet standards for the district to be considered making adequate yearly progress.

“Our philosophy for assessments really focuses on the idea that assessment needs to be involved in understanding learning and also how that works with each child,” said Tim Wierenga, Asst. Supt. for Academics. “It really raises questions so if our goal is to improve student learning, we want assessment to contribute to that.”

Overall scores in District 203 for reading and math at the elementary and junior high levels closely mirrored 2010 scores in many cases.

In reading, 93 percent of elementary and junior high students met or exceeded standards, down from 94 percent last year. In math, 95 percent met or exceeded standards, compared to 95 the year before.

Wierenga said it is tougher to meet standards at the high school level.

“The rigor to get a ‘meet’ on the Prairie State is more difficult than the rigor to get a ‘meet’ on the ISAT,” he said.

For 2011, 78 percent of the district’s high school students met or exceeded standards in reading, compared to 78 percent last year.

Math scores also remained similar, where 81 percent met or exceeded standards, the same as last year.

Naperville North failed to make adequate yearly progress for the fifth consecutive year, while Naperville Central ended a one-year hiatus from the list.

Officials said while they are happy with overall scores, it’s one of many ways of evaluating students.

“We are data rich. What we are lacking is how to use that data instantaneously. And the mentality has been, and these tests reflect it, that we look at groups,” Superintendent Mark Mitrovich said. “Well groups are comprised of individuals and unless you can drill down very quickly and look at very sophisticated data on these kids you continue to operate in a way that depends on the professional skill and knowledge that the teachers have.”

In the coming years the district expects to have implemented software that will allow them to narrow in and track each individual student through the years.

For the 2012 tests, schools will need 92.5 percent of students in each subgroup meeting standards to make adequate yearly progress.