Elk Mound school district “exceeds expectations” on state report card
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
ELK MOUND — The Elk Mound school district has “exceeded expectations” with a score of 77.2 on the annual review of school district performance for student achievement in 2017-2018.
The score indicates a four point increase and compares to the previous year’s score of 73, said Eric Wright, school district administrator, at the Elk Mound Board of Education’s November 19 meeting.
On the state report card, scores of 63 to 72.9 are “meets expectations,” and scores of 73 to 82.9 are “exceeds expectations.”
Elk Mound High School experienced a 10-point decrease with a score of 72.7 (meets expectations), compared to a score of 82.2 for the previous year, Wright noted.
The statewide average high school score is 57.3.
The scores are weighted, and 80 percent of the Elk Mound High School score is based on student achievement, Wright said.
Elk Mound did not receive a score for “closing gaps” because in school districts with less poverty, there is more emphasis put on student achievement, he said.
Elk Mound Middle School had a score of 75.3 (exceeds expectations), compared to a score the previous year of 68. Student achievement at the middle school was 68.3, compared to a statewide average of 61.7.
Elk Mound Middle School’s scores are weighted 28.7 percent for student achievement; 21.3 percent for school growth; 25 percent for closing gaps; and 25 percent for on-track and post secondary readiness.
Mound View Elementary had a score of 86, which is “significantly exceeds expectations,” compared to a score the previous year of 89.7.
Student achievement at Mound View is 81.1, compared to a statewide average of 66.
Mound View’s scores are weighted 26.5 percent for student achievement; 23.5 percent for school growth; 25 percent for closing gaps; and 25 percent for on-track and post secondary readiness.
ACT
The composite score for Elk Mound High School in 2017-2018 on the ACT test was 21.1, compared to a state-wide average of 20.5.
In all areas on the ACT, Elk Mound students scored above the state-wide average.
Several school board members noted when all of the juniors are required to take the ACT, the composite score decreases.
Some students are just going through, filling out any answer on the ACT test, and that is going to decrease the score overall, noted Kyle Jensen, school board member.
In English on the ACT, Elk Mound students had a score of 19.9, compared to a statewide average of 19.8.
In Math, Elk Mound students had a score of 21.3, compared to a statewide average of 20.3.
In Reading, Elk Mound students had a score of 21.0, compared to a statewide average of 20.6.
In Science, Elk Mound students had a score of 21.5, compared to a statewide average of 20.8.
Forward
On the Forward test results, which tests students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 in Math and Language Arts, Elk Mound students scored a lower percentage at advanced or proficient than the statewide average in two areas: eighth grade Math students scored at 29.9 percent advanced or proficient, compared to a statewide average of 37.3 percent; third grade Language Arts scored at 40.2 percent advanced or proficient, compared to a statewide average of 40.9 percent.
Grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 scored substantially above the statewide average in Math — example: fifth grade scored 70.7 percent advanced or proficient, compared to a statewide average of 47.3 — while seventh grade scored several points above the statewide average at 43.6 percent advanced or proficient, compared to 40 percent statewide.
The Forward test also tests grades 4, 8, 10 in Social Studies and grades 4 and 8 in Science.
The Elk Mound students scored above the statewide average in both Social Studies and Science.
Fourth grade scored 57 percent advanced or proficient in Social Studies, compared to a statewide average of 54.5 percent; eighth grade scored 55.7 percent advanced or proficient, compared to a statewide average of 52.2 percent; and tenth grade scored 59.5 advanced or proficient, compared to a statewide average of 46.8 percent.
On the Forward Science test, Elk Mound fourth graders scored 59.3 advanced or proficient, compared to a statewide average of 51.7 percent; eighth graders scored 65.9 percent, compared to a statewide average of 49 percent.
Other business
In other business, the Elk Mound Board of Education:
• Learned that on a survey of parents and student participants in fall sports, 54 students responded as well as 27 parents. All together, 100 percent of the students who responded said they were satisfied with the fall sports program of football, volleyball and girls’ and boys’ cross country, while 97 percent of the parents said they were satisfied. Comments focused on the desire to have more communication from coaches and more recognition in school. The surveys were collected from October 16 to November 12. In football, 58 students participated; in volleyball 28 students participated; and in cross country, 20 students participated.
• Approved the calendar for the 2019-2020 school year, which will include an entire week of vacation for students Thanksgiving week, while teachers will have inservice on Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. On the day of the school board meeting, with Thanksgiving three days away, 70 students were absent from the high school, and 52 students were absent from the middle school.
School will start September 3, 2019.
• Approved a revision for Policy 831 (tobacco use on school premises) to include vapor producing nicotine products.
• Accepted, for purposes of board review, the written safety drill evaluations submitted by principals under section 118.07(4)(cp) of the Wisconsin state statutes.
• Learned that the PTO Thanksgiving pie sale sold $13,000 worth of pies, netting between $4,000 and $5,000.