Grundy Center Board discusses ways to improve reading scores

    GRUNDY CENTER — For the first time since No Child Left Behind legislation took effect in 2001, the Grundy Center Community School District finds itself in danger of falling onto the School in Need of Improvement (SINA) list.
    To prevent that from happening, Middle School language arts teachers have been working together to find ways to improve scores. They presented their findings at last Wednesday’s regular School Board meeting.
    Teacher Chris Bangasser presented a report that noting that Grundy Center Middle School has missed its Annual Yearly Progress goal for two consecutive years and that a third year would put it on the SINA list. She said student reading achievement scores are roughly equal to the 36th, 37th or 38th percentile nationally. Last year, she said 11 Grundy Center sixth-graders were non-proficient in reading (out of 49 in the grade), 17 seventh-graders were non-proficient (out of 58) and 11 eighth-graders (out of 48) were non-profecient.
    Bangasser, Barb Malloy and Ann Lebo have been attending AEA 267 meetings voluntarily along with other districts that are currently on the SINA list (and required to attend the meetings). They presented a list of impacts that they believe might have effected students’ reading ability, including reduced class time, fewer language arts teachers and a push to incorporate high level thinking willed that has led the district away from basic strategies and skills. Bangasser also asked if low test scores are due to low motivation.
    The teachers presented a list of suggestions that they believe will help turn scores around, including reintegrating reading and vocabulary skills and having more professional development time to allow teachers to work together to find solutions to their problems. Bangasser said she has also spoken to her students about the problems.
 

For more of this story, see the Nov. 28 Grundy Register.