State Assessment results

[Jerusha]

http://online.ksde.org/rcard/county.aspx?cnty_no=029

I thought you might be interested in this, given the amount of information you found in Saturday's Globe. In summation, the tabloid said that the the two districts in the state most comparable to Dodge are in trouble with NCLB. DC public schools are still doing a good job given the challenges, but it is going to be more and more difficult as time goes on. There are some trouble areas.

This year, I compare the three elementaries which have the most Hispanic and Economically Disadvantaged students. Reading was not tested last year. As you may know, this year Beeson on fourth grade math got 96% proficient and above, with an improvement of nine points over last year. Sunnyside got 65% proficient and above, with an improvement of 18 points over last year. Miller got 85% proficient and above, an improvement of 20 points over last year.

Soule progressed 7 points in reading, while Comanche made no progress.

Overall, Dodge City Middle School had no significant change in reading, and a 20 % change in math. Students with disabilities improved 24 % in reading, and 45 % in math. There was an eight point improvement for LEP students in reading. However, for Hispanic students in general, there was no change, while white students improved by eight points. It appears that some Hispanic students who no longer qualify for ESL services (federal limit is two years) are in need of some kind of continuing support. Addressing this problem could resolve the slow progress in reading for the Middle school in general.

Dodge City High School improved 14 % in reading, and dropped 4 points in math. This can be explained by the 57% improvement in reading among Limited English Proficient students, and a loss of 12 % in math. Aparently they decided to emphasize reading for LEP students, and overshot their mark. For students with disabilities at the high school, there was no change in math, and a 9 point change in reading.

I'll see what else I can notice, combing through the data.

[MissKitty]

I remember that not too long ago the teachers were complaining that their salaries were some of the lowest in the state, but according to the paper, they are actually among the HIGHEST in the state. Whazzup with that? The average 443 teacher makes close to $41,000. Not bad.

[Made in the USA]

Originally Posted by MissKitty

I remember that not too long ago the teachers were complaining that their salaries were some of the lowest in the state, but according to the paper, they are actually among the HIGHEST in the state. Whazzup with that? The average 443 teacher makes close to $41,000. Not bad.

I noticed that too Miss K!! My thoughts, at the time, were similar to yours.

[Highwayman]

Teachers are not highly paid. Just compare their salaries to those of administration.

[vaguely_clear]

Originally Posted by Highwayman

Teachers are not highly paid. Just compare their salaries to those of administration.

Indeed!

[Flying Dutchman]

Compare anybody's salary to that of their administration and it is the same though.

[Bubba]

Originally Posted by MissKitty

...The average 443 teacher makes close to $41,000. Not bad.

Not bad at all considering they have all summer off!

[Sapphire]

Originally Posted by Bubba

Not bad at all considering they have all summer off!

That's a definite bonus. As a daughter of a teacher, I envied my mom during the time our working lives overlapped when she was tucked in bed on a July morning and I was trekking off to take the 7:00 A.M. train. However, she worked for almost 30 years and still was underpaid, summers or no summers. Then again, she makes more than I am making now!

[Made in the USA]

Teachers need paid more I agree. Plus they should receive "Hazardous Duty Pay"!! I have been in those school halls when the bell rings!!

[K C Muffin]

Summers off or not.....they still make less than me and that's not right. They don't get the 18 days' vacation I get. That's 3+ weeks. So I only 'work' about 48 weeks a year. If I divide my gross by 48 weeks, then multiply it by the number of weeks a teacher 'works', it's less than my take home, let alone my gross. And I don't have a college degree. And I don't have to take the crap some of the kids dish out. I couldn't do it - I've met a couple of teachers I didn't like, but by and large, they are a good bunch of people. They definitely have my respect and admiration.