St. Ignatius boasts academic achievement
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ST. IGNATIUS – Superintendent Bob Lewandowski doesn’t like to brag, but he said it was hard for him to not puff out his chest with a little pride for the staff and students of St. Ignatius Schools after annual standardized test results revealed leaps in achievement levels.
In 2010, 42 percent of St. Ignatius students passed the MAPS math test, a nationally administered exam that measures student progress. Four years later nearly 83 percent of students passed the exams.
In reading, 69 percent of the class met the national benchmark for progress, compared to 57 percent in 2012-13 school year. The passing rate flew past the 65-percent benchmark the district had set for itself.
“They are phenomenal numbers,” Lewandowski said. “ … We are making outstanding strides.”
Lewandowski attributed the growth to outstanding teachers, staff, and the district’s investment in new teaching materials.
“We spent $100,000 two years ago on math curriculum and these are the results,” Lewandowski said.
Five individual teachers had 100 percent of their students pass the test. Brenda Clouser, Deb Lewandowski, Jennifer Hout, Michelle Dean, and Chris Eichert are all doing something right to achieve the perfect passing rates, Bob Lewandowski said.
First grade teacher Dean said her teaching approach focused on interactive ways to get students to learn and perform well on the tests.
“The two key components that helped my students achieve this goal was differentiating their instruction through hands on manipulatives, math games, and everyday uses of math,” Dean said. “The second important component is to have high learning expectations for each student. The students internalize these expectations to strive to meet their goals.”
In direct opposition of high-achieving classes were a few lower performing groups that likely resulted from long-term instruction by substitutes instead of teachers, Lewandowski said.
School board chair Gene Posivio said the scores show the staff is working hard in St. Ignatius. “It’s good news,” Posivio said.
The MAPS scores are not weighted in federal accountability standards. This year no schools will receive test scores for the new SmarterBalanced tests that were administered for the first time last school year and are structured around Common Core curriculum. The SmarterBalanced scores are weighted in the school’s federal accountability evaluation.
