| Submitted By Jane Lynch
Calhoun Middle School Stanford Achievement Test Scores have shown the most gains of all Calhoun County schools this year. According to information from Mr. Ward, Curriculum Director, the Middle School has worked hard on improving scores and should be proud of their achievement.
Calhoun Middle School, which opened in 1998, has shown a steady increase of test scores. The staff has targeted specific subjects and skill areas to bring about an overall improvement in scores. The current state standard in Total Basic Skills, which is the combination of all Reading and Mathematic areas combined, is 50% or above. Students who are now Eighth Graders, Total Basic scores in 1997, the year prior to consolidation were 44%. That same class' Total Basic Skill score this year is 58%.
The Middle School is in the second year of an implementation of an incentive program targeting SAT-9 scores. The goal is to convey to students the importance of doing their best when they test. This year the school received a commendation from the Office of Educational Performance Audits on this program.
Arnoldsburg School also incorporated part of this program into their testing program. In talking with Mrs. Graham, she said that the school also had good scores. She indicated that staff, students and parents liked the incentives and made the testing atmosphere more pleasant.
Changes in standards for test results in the state of West Virginia is moving toward tracking improvement of individual students' scores from year to year. The Middle School program has been developed with those standards in mind, encouraging students to recognize the effect test scores may play in their decisions about classes and jobs in their future.
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