Otterville schools make excellent grades

Otterville schools have a lot to celebrate.

For the second year in a row, the district has received passing scores from both the state and federal governments — an increasingly difficult feat.

Otterville met all 14 state standards on its Annual Performance Report, known as the APR.

The APR is the state’s evaluation of how well a district’s students are performing.

The district’s good marks are the result of “a lot of hard work by the staff and the students,” said Superintendent Michael Scott.

The district has raised its students’ test scores on the Missouri Assessment Program exams, known as the MAP, from an average of 25 percent proficient in communication arts in 2005 to 49.2 percent in 2008 and 15.6 percent in math in 2005 to 52.6 percent in 2008.
Scott said the district’s emphasis on student achievement will continue.

“Every year is different ... It’s not something that (we say) ‘Oh, we made it. We’re not working hard’ ” this year, he said.
The federal Adequate Yearly Progress measures, or AYP, mandate an increasing percentage of students perform as proficient on the MAP tests. Under the federal program, which only takes into account students’ scores on the test, graduation rate and attendance rate, 100 percent of students must score as proficient by 2014.

The state APR takes into account students’ scores on the MAP exams, graduation rates, attendance rates, college placement and participation in career or advanced courses.

Districts must meet nine of the 14 indicators on the APR to be fully accredited. Otterville met 14 of 14 criteria.
The district’s small size is both an advantage and a hindrance in meeting both state and federal targets.

A subgroup is defined as at least 30 students in most categories and 50 students in the limited English proficient and special education groups. Otterville only has two subgroups: white students and students who receive free- and reduced-price lunch, and both met federal proficiency targets.

But small class sizes also mean that a few scores make a big difference.

“If you have a particularly small class, it only takes one or two poor scores to not meet” targets, he said.

Scott said the district’s teachers will focus on communication arts in their professional development this year, especially at the high school. High school students did not meet AYP targets in the subject, but the district as a whole did.

Elementary Principal Raymond Kahrs said the school bought an updated version of its math curriculum two years ago and a new communication arts curriculum last year.

The materials are closely aligned to the state’s Grade Level Expectations, or GLEs.

“All the teachers work really hard researching the materials and the GLEs and that’s really paid off,” Kahrs said.
The school also tries to keep children motivated for the test. Teachers keep “effort and attitude” logs, and classes receive motivational aids such as ice cream.

“The students are trying very hard to do their best and to learn what they need to know for the MAP tests,” he said.