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COMANCHE COUNTY SCHOOLS USING DATA TO BETTER PREPARE FOR STATE TESTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:Chip Carter
COMANCHE COUNTY SCHOOLS USING DATA
TO BETTER PREPARE FOR STATE TESTS
LAWTON, OKLA. (March 25, 2014) –The end of Spring Break means one thing to teachers, administrators and students alike: State tests are just around the corner. Schools select testing dates from April 10 through May 7 statewide.
Stakes are at an all-time high for schools because all state-mandated test scores factor into the A-F Report Card grades issued to each school as part of Oklahoma’s state and federal accountability system. These tests, taken in grades 3-12 can determine if students get their driver’s license, high school diploma and, starting this year, promotion into the 4th grade.
The good news is schools in Comanche County are beating the odds, and no school districts in the county ranked below the state average Index Score of 71. Bishop Public Schools is one of Comanche county’s top schools that is using data to help maintain their high academic standards and high A-F letter grades.
“We use test-score data to drive instruction at Bishop,” says superintendent and principal Howard Hampton. “For the last nine years, we have used practice tests and assessment data from Alpha Plus in Oklahoma City in order to better identify which students are struggling with which standards.”
Bishop garnered an A grade in both of the first two years of the A-F system. For 2013, Bishop tied at fifth among 554 school districts statewide that received an A-F Report Card score, and was designated a “Reward School” in terms of federal accountability.
Flower Mound, another Comanche county district, was named a Reward School by the State Department of Education for improving their test scores, raising their grade from a C in 2012 to an A- in 2013.
“Flower Mound’s scores were low in the past because we couldn’t afford to staff a test coordinator to determine which of our students need more help with which objectives in each subject,” said Diana Jackson, superintendent and principal of Flower Mound Elementary. “Alpha Plus provides that for us, so we can focus on teaching.”
Further down the turnpike, Geronimo High School was placed on the state’s first Priority School list, which identifies the bottom 5 percent of the schools in the state based on state test scores. Over the past three years, Geronimo High School has used assessments provided by Alpha Plus to remove their schools from the Priority Schools list, and has also raised their grade from an F in 2011 to an A in 2013.
“The best thing about the Alpha Plus method is that state testing will never sneak up on us again,” said Trae Koch, Geronimo High School principal.
Jan Barrick, CEO of Alpha Plus, reiterated how important it is to use test score data throughout the year to improve instruction.
“Each school is unique, and by using our data-driven method throughout the year we are able to help teachers directly identify areas needing additional attention while helping students become more at ease with the tests.”
About Alpha Plus - Alpha Plus Educational Systems, Inc. is Oklahoma's leading educational professional development firm. Founded in 1986 by Jan Barrick to address the unique needs of Oklahoma’s urban, suburban and rural school students, Alpha Plus uses scientifically based research methods to train teachers and administrators to make data-driven decisions that improve instruction.
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Editor’s note: Other Comanche County schools recognized as “Reward Schools” by the Oklahoma State Department of Education in 2013 were Elgin High School, Chattanooga Elementary and Chattanooga High School.
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We Use Data to Empower Schools for Academic Success!
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That is why Alpha Plus schools have OUTPERFORMED the state average every year of the A-F Report Cards.
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