During my time on the school board, the State Department of Education has changed the student achievement testing and evaluation process many times. When Common Core was first implemented in Idaho, there was a lack of support for the new testing methods and questions asked. I heard some of the concerns parents had. I am a big supporter of parent’s rights in deciding what they think is best for their kids. One problem brought on by the lack of support for Common Core testing, which became known in Idaho as the Idaho Standards Achievement Test or ISAT, was a lack of serious effort among a few students and encouragement from a few parents. Some parents chose not to allow their kids to take the ISAT. I remember the first year of the testing, the district really didn’t know what the questions were going to be, and teachers couldn’t even be present during the testing. With a small district these factors hurt our district’s results. I think over time there has been a better understanding of the new standards, and they have been better accepted. Districts can now teach Common Core much more efficiently. I believe the transition in curriculum took time to adapt to also.
Before last school year, our middle school was designated as a low performing school. Along with this came a lot of help from the state. Two Capacity Builders were provided and funding of over $100,000 a year for three years to help improve student performance. With a portion of these funds, an additional teacher was hired to work in the middle school. The district formed a committee of teachers, students, parents, para-professionals, principals, and community members to help develop the School Wide Improvement Plan. The board has received many updates about the development of the plan and its implementation. All of the members of this group really worked hard through this process. With the recent results of the ISAT scores, much improvement was achieved in the middle school and I would anticipate a continuation of this trend going forward.
I think one of the best indicators of student achievement, is by examining how well the high school students are doing or have done. For the year 2019, 47% of the graduating class received credit for Math 143 from CSI. 30% of the seniors took AP Calculus. This year 50% of the seniors have or will have completed CSI Math 143. 22% of the senior class is now enrolled in AP Calculus. From what we have been told, these credits transfer to any college or university in the state. Firth student SAT scores overall were higher than both the state and national averages.
There are 115 students enrolled in duel credit classes this semester. Last spring we had 101 students enrolled in these classes. There are currently 13 different classes students can take for collage credit. As the new staff gets more experience, even more duel credit courses will be offered. Firth school district has very good teachers that do their best to teach the students.
95% of the seniors graduated last year, the state average was only 81%. The students who didn’t graduate had opportunities this past summer to make up the classes they needed to graduate. Some are still working toward graduating. For a small school district I have been impressed with all the scholarships Firth graduates receive.
Improvement in student performance is the goal of everyone, from the board, to the administration and teachers. The school board, working with the Superintendent, is in the process of setting specific goals for this school year. I know there are students who struggle for various reasons, but I think everyone is trying their best to help all students have success in their academic endeavors.
I thought it was important to share some of the data about our district’s student achievement. It seems easy to recognize when students win athletic championships, but academic performance doesn’t always receive the attention it should.
If you have questions about this or any other topic please let me know. My email is besplin@d59.k12.id.us, or call me at 208-521-6217.
Thank you, Brian
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