Elementary students improve in basic courses

Virtually all students in the Diocese of Tucson’s Catholic elementary schools averaged at or above grade level in reading, language and math in the latest Iowa Test of Basic Skills.
Grades three through eight took the test at the beginning of the school year. The only exception was fourth-grade math, which averaged a 3.9, one-tenth below grade level.
Compared with the previous year, the average growth in reading, language and math was 1.3 grades.
The schools began using the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) for grades three through eight last year, instead of the state AIMS test, in order to obtain information needed for accreditation requirements as well as to gain a better understanding of the students’ achievement in relation to the Common Core standards and regional and national norms.
Academic goals for the diocese include proficiency in math, specifically math computation and problem-solving, as well as reading achievement, especially reading comprehension.
The results come from analyzing grade level equivalency scores compared with national averages, (e.g., a 7.5 means a student scored what an average 7th grader in the 5th month of school would score on that same material).
Grade level equivalency is not an indicator that a student should be placed within the grade that they scored; rather, it is a measure of what level they tested at for that particular area of study. Even though the students took the test at the beginning of the school year, they still scored at or above grade level.
“It is evidence of a system of schools committed to school improvement and individual student achievement based on concrete goals and a plan for improvement,” said Sheri Dahl, the diocese’s assistant superintendent of schools. “And it is a snapshot of what happens when dedicated principals and teachers work with parents to ensure continuous improvement for all students…all at a fraction of public per-pupil cost…what a bargain!”