Sisters students outperform state

Sisters students did well on tests that assess their abilities in reading and literature, writing and math.

Scores on the 1998 Oregon Statewide Assessment Tests, released Wednesday, August 26, showed Sisters students in third, fifth, eighth and 10th grades outperforming the average Oregon student, but still falling well short of district goals, especially in the multiple choice math content test.

However, Sisters students did better than anyone in the state in writing, according to district officials. They also did well in applying math to problem solving.

The tests reflect what students need to know to achieve a "certificate of initial mastery." The Sisters School District's mission is to have 85 percent of its students meeting those standards.

Sisters' third graders achieved that goal in reading and literature, with 87 percent meeting or exceeding standards on the multiple choice test. The state average was 78 percent.

Fifth graders had 70 percent success compared to 66 percent statewide. Eighth graders put 71 percent over the bar compared to the average 55 percent. Sisters' 10th graders had 65 percent, beating the standard compared to 48 percent statewide.

"Comparatively speaking, that looks pretty good," said schools Curriculum Director Lora Nordquist. But, Nordquist added, "I believe we can do better than that."

According to Nordquist, Sisters schools teach reading "across the curriculum." That means that students in a science class, for example, are taught how to read scientific literature to get the most information out of it. Social science classes teach students how to critically read magazine articles on current events.

Sisters math scores, while still better than the state average, were "mediocre," according to Schools Superintendent Steve Swisher.

Sisters 10th graders had a 33 percent success rate, leaving 67 percent below the standard. Statewide, 68 percent failed to meet the standard.

Lower grades performed better, both in Sisters and statewide. Seventy-three percent of Sisters' third-graders cleared the bar, as did 72 percent of fifth-graders. But the eighth grade scores fell off, with only 57 percent meeting or exceeding the standard.

Swisher said that, in the higher grades, many students are not prepared to take the tests. The tests in 10th grade include advanced algebra and geometry questions; most students have not taken classes in those areas.

"We only have a small component of our students taking the curriculum before they take the test," Swisher said.

Nordquist believes that math instruction techniques haven't kept pace with changes in standards.

"Our math instruction, in a lot of ways, hasn't changed as much as it needs to to help all the kids meet the benchmarks," she said.

That is changing this year. According to Nordquist, students are now getting advanced math instruction earlier, and the math curriculum has been unified so that students are being taught more consistently from elementary school through high school.

And, she said, teachers are more aware of what is being taught at different grade levels.

While the students didn't do very well in the math content test, their problem-solving skills struck a positive note.

Fifty-nine percent of Sisters' 10th graders met or exceeded standards in math problem-solving, compared to 40 percent statewide. The lower grades also did much better than the average Oregon student.

"We've put a lot of emphasis, K-12, on math problem solving and I think that's why we saw such a big jump (in scores)," Nordquist said.

Sisters' schools' emphasis on writing skills paid big dividends, with Sisters students far exceeding their peers in the writing test.

Sisters' 10th graders did exceptionally well, with 89 percent meeting or exceeding standards. Statewide, 64 percent beat the standard.

"We're the highest in writing," Swisher said. "There is nobody higher than that."

Eighth graders put 74 percent over the bar, compared to 59 percent statewide. Fifth graders lagged a bit, with 45 percent still failing to meet the standard. Third graders did not take the writing test.

According to Nordquist, the students' success in writing reflects the emphasis placed on writing skills in virtually every class the students take.

"I don't think you'd go into a classroom in the Sisters School District where you wouldn't find teachers asking for written products," Nordquist said.

Nordquist emphasized that the standards in all subjects are high and the tests are tough.

"This is not a minimum competency test - can you walk and chew gum at the same times," Nordquist said. "These are really difficult tests."

According to Nordquist, those tough standards will eventually be phased in to become graduation requirements, a development Nordquist welcomes.

"Statewide and as an individual district, we need to be putting more accountability on students, teachers and parents about meeting the standards," she said.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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