-Iowa Department of Education

By John Speer

Editor

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South Tama schools evaluation in meeting state goals, including measures of progress is laid out in the annual report on school performance recently released by the Iowa Department of Education. The report of the progress notes some of the scores include results of a new state test which was given for the first time last spring.

The report includes scores on performance of students who are part of the accountability score which meet the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA.)

Overall Evaluation

“Commendable” is the overall scores / rating for the South Tama Elementary School which includes grades kindergarten-4th. It lists the comprehensive and targeted statuses as “met” and ESSA support year as “targeted year 2.”

South Tama High School received an “acceptable” overall score / rating with the comprehensive and targeted statuses met and noted “no support required for ESSA support year.

The STC Middle School is cited for “needing improvement” on the overall score / rating. The report lists the comprehensive status as met with the status shown as “targeted.”

Method

The department outlines the report as containing “updated scores and ratings for all public schools based on how they performed on a set of accountability measures in the 2018-19 school year.”

The report includes scores on performance of students who are part of the accountability score which meet the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.

A breakdown shows South Tama students exceeding the state average in several of these accountability areas (state average in parenthesis) – assessment participation in English Language Arts. 99.56 (99.47); graduation rates of four years 95.12 (91.41) and five years 97 (93.31); and post-secondary readiness index career and technical education 78.22 (64.2).

In eight other areas, STC fell below state averages, with only a slight difference in some (state average in parenthesis)- conditions for learning composition- 33.19 (37.15); growth reading 43 (50); growth mathematics 48 (50); percent proficient- English Language Arts- 60.05 (69.81) and Mathematics 58.3 (70.19); post secondary readiness index college level, postsecondary or advance course work 70.3 (76.46), post secondary readiness ACT or SAT participation 45.54 (63.28), post-secondary readiness index AXT or SAT success 34.78 (50.59); and progress toward ELP composite- 50.37 (60.75.)